Colour morphotypes of Elysia timida (Sacoglossa, Gastropoda) are determined by light acclimation in food algae

Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) colonizing the shallow waters of the Mar Menor Lagoon (Spain) exhibit a brown and a green morph. It was hypothesised that these morphs were the result of feeding preferentially on brown and green algae, respectively. E. timida and its potential food sources, Acetabularia acetabulum (Chlorophyta) and Halopteris filicina (Heterokontophyta) were collected by snorkelling during April 2010. Photosynthetic pigments were analysed by HPLC, photo-physiological parameters were estimated by PAM fluorometry and body colour was characterized by spectral reflectance. Digital photography was used to count the number and area of red spots (small red dots on the slug’s surface) on the parapodia of the 2 morphs. In the laboratory, green E. timida was fed with A. acetabulum cultured under 2 light treatments (high light, 600 µmol E m−2 s−1 and low light, 40 µmol E m−2 s−1), and digital photography was used to monitor colour alterations in E. timida. Spectral reflectance confirmed the colour differences, but both morphs showed a pigment composition similar to the green alga A. acetabulum and showed none of the pigments present in the brown alga H. filicina, neither immediately after collection of the slugs in situ, nor after the feeding experiment. A. acetabulum grown under high light intensity changed from green to brown colour and E. timida changed to brown colour when fed with high-light acclimated A. acetabulum. Thus, E. timida colour differences could not be attributed to feeding on different algae groups but was likely the result of feeding on A. acetabulum growing under different light intensities.

Tolerance of endolithic algae to elevated temperature and light in the coral Montipora monasteriata from the southern Great Barrier Reef

Photosynthetic endolithic algae and cyanobacteria live within the skeletons of many scleractinians. Under normal conditions, less than 5% of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) reaches the green endolithic algae because of the absorbance of light by the endosymbiotic dinoflagellates and the carbonate skeleton. When corals bleach (loose dinoflagellate symbionts), however, the tissue of the corals become highly transparent and photosynthetic microendoliths may be exposed to high levels of both thermal and solar stress. This study explores the consequence of these combined stresses on the phototrophic endoliths inhabiting the skeleton of Montipora monasteriata, growing at Heron Island, on the southern Great Barrier Reef. Endoliths that were exposed to sun after tissue removal were by far more susceptible to thermal photoinhibition and photo-damage than endoliths under coral tissue that contained high concentrations of brown dinoflagellate symbionts. While temperature or light alone did not result in decreased photosynthetic efficiency of the endoliths, combined thermal and solar stress caused a major decrease and delayed recovery. Endoliths protected under intact tissue recovered rapidly and photoacclimated soon after exposure to elevated sea temperatures. Endoliths under naturally occurring bleached tissue of M. monasteriata colonies (bleaching event in March 2004 at Heron Island) acclimated to increased irradiance as the brown symbionts disappeared. We suggest that two major factors determine the outcome of thermal bleaching to the endolith community. The first is the microhabitat and light levels under which a coral grows, and the second is the susceptibility of the coral-dinoflagellates symbiosis to thermal stress. More resistant corals may take longer to bleach allowing endoliths time to acclimate to a new light environment. This in turn may have implications for coral survival.

Drifting blooms of the endemic filamentous brown alga Hincksia sordida at Noosa on the subtropical east Australian coast

Since 2002, the usually uncommon endemic filamentous brown alga Hincksia sordida (Harvey) Silva (Ectocarpales, Phaeophyta) has formed nuisance blooms annually during spring/early summer at Main Beach, Noosa on the subtropical east Australian coast. The Hincksia bloom coincides with the normally intensive recreational use of the popular bathing beach by the local population and tourists. The alga forms dense accumulations in the surf zone at Main Beach, giving the seawater a distinct brown coloration and deterring swimmers from entering the water. Decomposing algae stranded by receding tides emit a nauseating sulphurous stench which hangs over the beach. The stranded algal biomass is removed from the beach by bulldozers. During blooms, the usually crowded Main Beach is deserted, bathers preferring to use the many unaffected beaches on the Sunshine Coast to the south of Main Beach. The bloom worsens with north-easterly winds and is cleared from Noosa by south easterly winds, observations which have prompted the untenable proposal by local authorities that the bloom is forming offshore of Fraser Island in the South Pacific Ocean. The Noosa River estuarine system/Laguna Bay is the more probable source of the bloom and the nutrient inputs into this system must be substantial to generate the high bloom biomass. Current mitigation procedures of removing the blooming alga off the beach with bulldozers treat the symptom, not the cause and are proving ineffective. Environmental management must be based on science and the Noosa bloom would benefit greatly from the accurate ecological data on which to base management options. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Co-digestion of terrestrial plant biomass with marine macro-algae for biogas production

This paper investigates factors affecting anaerobic degradation of marine macro-algae (or seaweed), when used as a co-substrate with terrestrial plant biomass for the production of biogas. Using Laminaria digitata, a brown marine seaweed species and green peas, results showed that when only 2% of feedstock of a reactor treating the green peas at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 2.67 kg VS.m3.day-1 was replaced with the seaweed, methane production was disrupted, whilst acidogenesis, seemed to be less adversely affected, resulting in excessive volatile acids accumulation. Reactor stability was difficult to achieve thereafter. The experiment was repeated with a lower initial OLR of green peas of 0.70 kg VS.m3.day-1 before the addition of the seaweed. Although similar symptoms as in first trial were observed, process stability was restored through the control of OLR and alkalinity. These measures led to an increase in overall OLR of 1.25 kg VS.m3.day-1 comprising of 35% seaweed. This study has shown that certain seaweed constituents are more inhibitory to the methanogens even at trace concentrations than to the other anaerobic digestion microbial groups. Appropriate adaptation strategy, involving initial low proportion of the seaweed relative to the total OLR, and overall low OLR, is necessary to ensure effective adaptation of the microorganisms to the inhibitory constituents of seaweed. Where there is seasonal availability of seaweed, the results of this study suggest that a fresh adaptation or start-up strategy must be implemented during each cycle of seaweed availability in order to ensure sustainable process stability.

Effects of nitrate and phosphate availabilities on growth, photosynthesis and pigment and protein contents in colour strains of Hypnea musciformis (Wulfen in Jacqu.) J.V. Lamour. (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta)

In Brazil, Hypnea musciformis is the main raw material for carrageenan production and the knowledge of nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism in algae is critical for the success of cultivation because these elements can limit seaweed productivity. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nitrate (zero to 100 μM) and nitrate plus phosphate (zero to 25 μM) availabilities on the growth, the contents of photosynthetic pigments (phycobiliproteins and chlorophyll a) and proteins, and the photosynthesis and respiration of the brown (BR) and light green (LG) strains of H. musciformis. The results revealed metabolic differences between the colour strains of H. musciformis for nitrogen metabolism: upon nitrate addition, the LG strain stored nitrogen mainly as proteins, while the BR strain stored it as proteins and pigments. Moreover, the respiration of the LG strain and the photosynthesis of the BR strain increased with nitrate concentrations, indicating that the BR strain fixed more photosynthetic carbon than the LG strain.

Lysine and zinc chelate in diets for brown laying hens: effects on egg production and composition

It was evaluated the effects of levels of digestible lysine and chelate zinc combined in the diet for laying on the egg quality. It was used 720 birds, from 48 to 60 weeks of age, distributed in a completely randomized design in a 3 × 5 factorial scheme with three levels of zinc and five levels of lysine, applied into six replicates in the experimental units of eight birds per plot. The levels were: 137, 309 and 655 ppm zinc and 0.482, 0.527, 0.582, 0.644 and 0.732% digestible lysine. It was not observed any interaction among digestible lysine and zinc for the primary variables of fractions and egg composition. Levels of zinc reduced egg weight, suggesting the lowest efficiency in nutrient intake. At the highest dietary concentration of zinc, the addition of digestible lysine coincided with a linear increase in shell weight. However, zinc addition, regardless of lysine level in the diet, resulted in the reduction of egg weight and of the percentage of mineral matter in the yolk, limiting the efficiency of mineral deposition in this fraction of the egg. Concentration of zinc that produced the best results was 137 ppm inasmuch as higher quantities limit the use of digestible lysine, with effects harming composition and egg quality. The study indicates the following requirement for digestible lysine: 0.639% from the 48th to the 52nd week, 0.679% from the 52nd to 56th week, and 0.635% from the 56th to the 60th week. Considering the total period from 48th to the 60th week, the level 0.638% of lysine or the daily intake of 707 mg of the amino acid met the requirement for egg quality of semi-heavy layers used in this study.

Effects of temperature, sestonic algae features, and seston mineral content on cladocerans of a tropical lake

The effects of temperature on the life table, and of seston quality on the individual growth and reproduction of cladocerans from a tropical lake were tested in the laboratory. Life-table experiments were carried out at 17 degrees C, 23 degrees C, and 27 degrees C. Growth bioassays tested the influence of natural seston fractions, separated by net filtration, on cladocerans. The treatments were: (1) total seston plus Scenedesmus spinosus (1 mg C.L(-1)), (2) seston <= 36 mu m, and (3) seston >36 mu m. Phytoplankton composition, density, and biomass were evaluated during growth experiments, together with sestonic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations. The intrinsic rates of natural increase were higher for Moina micrura and Daphnia ambigua at 27 degrees C compared to 17 degrees C. The age at first reproduction of both species was delayed at 17 degrees C. Growth rates and fecundity of M. micrura were higher in the seston fraction <= 36 mu m than in the fraction > 36 mu m. Higher growth rates and fecundity of Moina minuta were observed in the seston enriched with the green alga in comparison to the seston <= 36 mu m and > 36 mu m. Bosmina longirostris was unable to reproduce at 17 degrees C and to grow in the seston > 36 mu m in one experiment. High densities and/or biomass of large colonial and filamentous algae present in the larger seston fraction could have contributed to reduce growth and reproduction. Episodes of food-quantity limitation may occur, but there was no evidence of mineral limitation, although seston C:P and C:N ratios were always above the limiting values assumed for temperate water bodies. The C:P and C:N ratios arc highly influenced by carbon that originates primarily from resuspended detritus from the lake.

An insight into the sialotranscriptome of the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Background: Rhipicephalus sanguineus, known as the brown dog tick, is a common ectoparasite of domestic dogs and can be found worldwide. R. sanguineus is recognized as the primary vector of the etiological agent of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis. Here we present the first description of a R. sanguineus salivary gland transcriptome by the production and analysis of 2,034 expressed sequence tags (EST) from two cDNA libraries, one consctructed using mRNA from dissected salivary glands from female ticks fed for 3-5 days (early to mid library, RsSGL1) and the another from ticks fed for 5 days (mid library, RsSGL2), identifying 1,024 clusters of related sequences. Results: Based on sequence similarities to nine different databases, we identified transcripts of genes that were further categorized according to function. The category of putative housekeeping genes contained similar to 56% of the sequences and had on average 2.49 ESTs per cluster, the secreted protein category contained 26.6% of the ESTs and had 2.47 EST's/clusters, while 15.3% of the ESTs, mostly singletons, were not classifiable, and were annotated as ""unknown function"". The secreted category included genes that coded for lipocalins, proteases inhibitors, disintegrins, metalloproteases, immunomodulatory and antiinflammatory proteins, as Evasins and Da-p36, as well as basic-tail and 18.3 kDa proteins, cement proteins, mucins, defensins and antimicrobial peptides. Comparison of the abundance of ESTs from similar contigs of the two salivary gland cDNA libraries allowed the identification of differentially expressed genes, such as genes coding for Evasins and a thrombin inhibitor, which were over expressed in the RsSGL1 (early to mid library) versus RsSGL2 (mid library), indicating their role in inhibition of inflammation at the tick feeding site from the very beginning of the blood meal. Conversely, sequences related to cement (64P), which function has been correlated with tick attachment, was largely expressed in the mid library. Conclusions: Our survey provided an insight into the R. sanguineus sialotranscriptome, which can assist the discovery of new targets for anti-tick vaccines, as well as help to identify pharmacologically active proteins.

SSSPM J1102-3431 brown dwarf characterization from accurate proper motion and trigonometric parallax

Context. In 2005, Scholz and collaborators discovered, in a proper motion survey, a young brown dwarf SSSPM J1102-3431 (SSSPM J1102) of spectral type M8.5, probable member of the TW Hydrae Association and possible companion of the T Tauri star TWHya. The physical characterization of SSSPM J1102 was based on the hypothesis that it forms a binary system with TWHya. The recent discovery of a probable giant planet with a very short-period inside the TW Hya protoplanetary disk, as well as a disk around SSSPM J1102, make it especially interesting and important to measure well the physical parameters of SSSPM J1102. Aims. Trigonometric parallax and proper motion measurements of SSSPM J1102 are necessary to test for TWA membership and, thus, to determine the mass and age of this young brown dwarf and the possibility that it forms a wide binary system with TW Hya. Methods. Two years of regular observations at the ESO NTT/SUSI2 telescope have enabled us to determine the trigonometric parallax and proper motion of SSSPM J1102. Results. With our accurate distance determination of 55.2(-1.4)(+1.6) pc and proper motions of (-67.2, -14.0) +/- 0.6 mas/yr, we could confirm SSSPM J1102 as a very probable member of TWA. Assuming the TW Hydrae association age of 5-10 Myr, the evolutionary models compared to the photometry of this young brown dwarf indicate a mass of M = 25 +/- 5 M(Jup) and an effective temperature T(eff) = 2550 +/- 100 K. Conclusions. Our parallax and proper motion determination allow us to precisely describe the physical properties of this low mass object and to confirm its TWA membership. Our results indicate that SSSPMJ1102 may be a very wide separation companion of the star TW Hya.

Transiting exoplanets from the CoRoT space mission XV. CoRoT-15b: a brown-dwarf transiting companion

We report the discovery by the CoRoT space mission of a transiting brown dwarf orbiting a F7V star with an orbital period of 3.06 days. CoRoT-15b has a radius of 1.12(-0.15)(+0.30) R(Jup) and a mass of 63.3 +/- 4.1 M(Jup), and is thus the second transiting companion lying in the theoretical mass domain of brown dwarfs. CoRoT-15b is either very young or inflated compared to standard evolution models, a situation similar to that of M-dwarf stars orbiting close to solar-type stars. Spectroscopic constraints and an analysis of the lightcurve imply a spin period in the range 2.9-3.1 days for the central star, which is compatible with a double-synchronisation of the system.

Effect of pH and oxalic acid on the reduction of Fe(3+) by a biomimetic chelator and on Fe(3+) desorption/adsorption onto wood: Implications for brown-rot decay

Fenton reaction is thought to play an important role in wood degradation by brown-rot fungi. In this context, the effect of oxalic acid and pH on iron reduction by a biomimetic fungal chelator and on the adsorption/desorption of iron to/from wood was investigated. The results presented in this work indicate that at pH 2.0 and 4.5 and in the presence of oxalic acid, the phenolate chelator 2,3-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,3-DHBA) is capable of reducing ferric iron only when the iron is complexed with oxalate to form Fe mono-oxalate (Fe(C(2)O(4))(+)). Within the pH range tested in this work, this complex formation occurs when the oxalate:Fe(3+) molar ratio is less than 20 (pH 2.0) or less than 10 (pH 4.5). When aqueous ferric iron was passed through a column packed with milled red spruce (Picea rubens) wood equilibrated at pH 2.0 and 4.5. it was observed that ferric iron binds to wood at pH 4.5 but not at pH 2.0, and the bound iron could then be released by application of oxalic acid at pH 4.5. The release of bound iron was dependent on the amount of oxalic acid applied in the column. When the amount of oxalate was at least 20-fold greater than the amount of iron bound to the wood, all bound iron was released. When Fe-oxalate complexes were applied to the milled wood column equilibrated in the pH range of 2-4.5, iron from Fe-oxalate complexes was bound to the wood only when the pH was 3.6 or higher and the oxalate:Fe(3+) molar ratio was less than 10. When 2,3-DHBA was evaluated for its ability to release iron bound to the milled wood, it was found that 2,3-DHBA possessed a greater affinity for ferric iron than the wood as 2,3-DHBA was capable of releasing the ferric iron bound to the wood in the pH range 3.6-5.5. These results further the understanding of the mechanisms employed by brown-rot fungi in wood biodegradation processes. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peach brown rot incidence related to pathogen infection at different stages of fruit development in an organic peach production system

Brown rot, caused by Monilinia fructicola, is the most widespread disease for organic peach production systems in Brazil. The objective of this study was to determine the favorable periods for latent infection by M. fructicola in organic systems. The field experiment was carried out during 2006, 2007 and 2008 using the cultivar Aurora. After thinning fruits were bagged using white paraffin bags, and the treatments were performed by removing the bags and exposing the fruit for four days to the natural infection during each of seven fruit stages from pit hardening to harvest. Throughout the entire growing season, the conidial density and the weather variables were measured and related to the disease incidence using multiple regression analyses. At the fourth day after harvest in each season, the cumulative disease incidence was assessed, and it ranged from 40 to 98%. The incidence of brown rot on fruit that were exposed during the embryo growing stage was lower than that of unbagged fruit throughout the entire season in 2006 and 2008. The relative humidity and the conidia density were significantly correlated to disease incidence. Based on our results, M. fructicola can infect peaches during any stage of fruit development, and control of the disease must be revised to account for organic peach production systems. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of Brazilian lager and brown ale beers based on color, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity using chemometrics

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological studies have shown that beer has positive effects on inhibiting atherosclerosis, decreasing the content of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides, by acting as in vivo free radical scavenger. In this research, the antioxidant activity of commercial Brazilian beers (n = 29) was determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and 1,1 -diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH(center dot)) assays and results were analyzed by chemometrics. RESULTS: The brown ale samples (n = 11) presented higher (P < 0.05) flavonoids (124.01 mg L(-1)), total phenolics (362.22 mg L(-1)), non-flavonoid phenolics (238.21 mg L(-1)), lightness (69.48), redness (35.75), yellowness (55.71), color intensity (66.86), hue angle (59.14), color saturation (0.9620), DPPH(center dot) values (30.96% inhibition), and ORAC values (3,659.36 mu mol Trolox equivalents L(-1)), compared to lager samples (n = 18). Brown ale beers presented higher antioxidant properties (P < 0.05) measured by ORAC (1.93 times higher) and DPPH (1.65 times higher) compared to lager beer. ORAC values correlated well with the content of flavonoids (r = 0.47; P = 0.01), total phenolic compounds (r = 0.44; P < 0.01) and DPPH (r = 0.67; P < 0.01). DPPH values also correlated well to the content of flavonoids (r = 0.69; P < 0.01), total phenolic compounds (r = 0.60; P < 0.01), and non-flavonoid compounds (r = 0.46; P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that brown ale beers, and less significantly lager beers, could be sources of bioactive compounds with suitable free radical scavenging properties. (C) 2010 Society of Chemical Industry