Effects of clove oil on the stress response of matrinxã (Brycon cephalus) subjected to transport

Fish transport is one of the most stressful procedures in aquaculture facilities. The present work evaluated the stress response of matrinxã to transportation procedures, and the use of clove oil as an alternative to reduce the stress response to transport in matrinxã (Brycon cephalus). Clove oil solutions were tested in concentrations of 0, 1, 5 and 10 mg/L during matrinxã transportation in plastic bags, supplied with water and oxygen as the usual field procedures in Brazil. Clove oil reduced some of the physiological stress responses (plasma cortisol, glucose and ions) that we measured. The high energetic cost to matrinxã cope with the transport stress was clear by the decrease of liver glycogen after transport. Our results suggest that clove oil (5 mg/l) can mitigate the stress response in matrinxã subjected to transport.

Comparison of advanced waste heat recovery systems with a novel oil heating system

Latest trends in waste heat recovery include systems like Thermo Electric Generation (TEG), Rankine cycle, and active warm up systems. The advantages and disadvantages of different approaches are critically discussed and compared with a novel and effective oil heating system that can deliver between 7% and 12% reductions of CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. The comparison includes the expected CO2 and fuel saving potential related to the legal drive cycle as well as real world driving, effects on regulated exhaust emissions, utilisation of resources, maintenance and service, vehicle performance, comfort, noise, and durability.

The growth performance of Jade Tiger cultured abalone fed diets supplemented with fish oil and vegetable oils

Background
The effects of fish oil (FO) supplementation and the dietary replacement of FO with flaxseed oil (FlaxO) and canola oil (CO) on the growth of cultured abalone was investigated. The study involved three growth experiments: (E1) diets containing 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5% of FO, respectively; (E2) diets in which FO was serially replaced by 25, 50, 75 and 100% FlaxO, respectively; and (E3) diets in which FO was serially replaced by 25, 50, 75 and 100% CO, respectively.

Results
In Experiment 1, abalone fed a diet supplemented with 1.5% FO showed a significantly higher (121.2 ± 1.1 mg day−1) daily growth rate of weight (DGRw) compared to control (70.1 ± 1.71 mg day−1). In Experiment 2, abalone fed 1.5% FO diet and diets containing 25–75% FlaxO showed no significant differences in DGRw. The diet containing 100% FlaxO showed significantly lower (63.3 ± 6.7 mg day−1) DGRw. In Experiment 3, abalone fed diets containing 25% and 50% CO showed similar DGRw as those fed a 1.5% FO diet. The diet containing 75% and 100% CO showed significantly lower (63.7 ± 5.0 to 95.4 ± 5.1 mg day−1) DGRw.

Conclusion
Supplementation with 1.5% of dietary FO can improve growth performance in cultured abalone. It is feasible to replace 75% of dietary FO with FlaxO and 50% of dietary FO with CO, without negative effect on growth performance.

The Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions : protests and public power in post-Saddam Iraq

Since the democratic elections held across Iraq in 2005 and 2010 much attention has understandably been paid to the new Iraqi government. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly clear that much of Iraq’s political elite are practising the type of governance referred to in the literature on other Arab states alternatively as ‘liberalised autocracy’ (Brumberg, 2002), ‘semi-authoritarianism’ (Ottaway, 2003) or ‘pluralised authoritarianism’ (Posusney & Angrist, 2005). That is to say, that the Iraqi government actually utilises (and controls) nominally democratic mechanisms such as elections, media freedoms, political opposition and civil society as part of their strategy to retain power. This is perhaps best demonstrated via the nine month political stalemate that followed the March 2010 elections and PM Maliki’s refusal to step down despite having narrowly lost the election. Not surprisingly, the Iraqi people have become increasingly disillusioned and critical of their political leaders – hence the mass protests that have swept across Iraq in the context of the popular Arab Revolutions of 2010-11.

However, these latest Iraqi protests are only the most recent and overt sign of the hidden geographies that are agitating towards democracy in this deeply troubled and increasingly authoritarian state. Since the invasion of 2003, a complex array of political, religious and ethno-sectarian factions have formed civil society movements; uncensored news has been consumed across the nation; ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to protest key government decisions; and various local councils have been formed, deliberating on key decisions facing their immediate communities (Davis, 2004, 2007). Given this context, this chapter focuses on the specific case of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU), Iraq’s largest and most powerful independent workers union. The IFOU has repeatedly taken the Iraqi government to task over their poor pay and the dangerous nature of their work, as well as the government’s initial kowtowing to US plans to privatise the entire Iraqi oil sector. To do this, the IFOU have utilised a variety of very democratic mechanisms including peaceful strikes and protests, media campaigns and political lobbying. Such moves have met with mixed results in Baghdad – at times the central government has pandered to the requests of IFOU, but it has also gone as far as issuing arrest warrants for its senior members. The IFOU therefore serve as an interesting example of public power in Iraq and may well pose one of the greatest challenges to rising authoritarianism there.

Oil unions and democracy in post-Saddam Iraq

Since the invasion of 2003, a complex array of political, religious and ethno-sectarian factions have formed civil society movements; uncensored news has been consumed across the nation; ordinary citizens have taken to the streets to protest key government decisions; and various local councils have been formed, deliberating on key decisions facing their immediate communities. Given this context, this paper focuses on the specific case of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU), Iraq’s largest and most powerful independent workers union. The IFOU has repeatedly taken the Iraqi government to task over their poor pay and the dangerous nature of their work, as well as the government’s initial kowtowing to US plans to privatise the entire Iraqi oil sector. To do this, the IFOU have utilised a variety of very democratic mechanisms including peaceful strikes and protests, media campaigns and political lobbying. Such moves have met with mixed results in Baghdad – at times the central government has pandered to the requests of IFOU, but it has also gone as far as issuing arrest warrants for its senior members. The IFOU therefore serve as an interesting example of public power in Iraq and may well pose one of the greatest challenges to rising authoritarianism there.

Potential of cottonseed oil as fish oil replacer in European Sea Bass feed formulation

Triplicate groups of 20 European sea bass (35 g) were fed five diets in which the added lipid was 100% fish oil (FO), 40% (CSO40), 60% (CSO60), 80% (CSO80) and 100% (CSO100) refined cottonseed oil (CSO), for a period of 120 days. Overall fish growth, feed conversion ratio and protein utilization were unaffected by dietary treatment, but hepatosomatic and visceral fat indexes increased with increasing dietary CSO. Fillet fatty acid composition of total lipids reflected the fatty acids in the test diets. The monounsaturated fatty acids were significantly higher in fillet of fish fed diet FO, CSO40 and CSO60 compared to other treatments while saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were not affected by the dietary treatment. Some fatty acids (18:0, 18:1n-9, 20:5n-3 and 22:6n-3) were present in higher concentration in fillet lipid than in the CSO100 dietary lipid indicating accumulation in fillet relative to test diets. Retention of n-3 LC-PUFA within the fillet was increasingly inefficient among fish fed increasing levels of FO. Thus, this study suggests that CSO can be considered as a relatively effective substitute for fish oil in European sea bass (35 g) in terms of growth performances and feed efficiency as far as fish meal is present in the diet.

Changes in oil content, lipid class and fatty acid composition of the microalga Chaetoceros calcitrans over different phases of batch culture

 Abstract
The diatom Chaetoceros calcitrans is a microalgal species used as food for larva in aquaculture for many species worldwide. Chaetoceros calcitrans is an important source of omega 3 long chain (C ≥ 20) polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFA), chiefly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3). This article reports lipid content, lipid class composition and fatty acid profiles of each lipid class during the growth cycle of batch cultures of C. calcitrans. Total lipid content and the concentration of neutral lipid were highest in the late stationary growth phase (day 12). However, the amount of EPA was highest during the logarithmic growth phase (1.24 pg/cell on day 4). EPA was initially concentrated in the glycolipid fraction, but this fraction decreased during logarithmic growth, coinciding with the increase in neutral lipid. Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) (0.91 pg/cell) was reported as a major fatty acid (>10 mg/100 g) in all lipid classes on day 1. DHA was depleted quickly from the neutral lipid and glycolipid classes, but at a slower rate from the polar lipid fraction. This work confirms that C. calcitrans is a good source of lipid, in particular EPA, for larval and adult filter feeders in aquaculture.

Rubber latex yield and physiology of rubber tree with tea tree oil treatments

To examine the effects of tea tree oil on rubber latex yield and the resulting latex physiological parameters of rubber tree （Hevea brasiliensis），clean water and 20%，40%，60%，80% and 100% of tea tree oil were applied on the tapping cut of rubber trees. The data were analyzed by Duncan test and its results showed that when compared to clean water （ck），80% and 100% of tea tree oil stimulation significantly promoted rubber latex yield（P＜0.05）. In addition，the latex physiological parameters changed with the sucrose content（P＜0.01），magnesium ion content （P＜0.01） and inorganic phosphorus content （P＜0.01） of latex significantly increasing and thiol content significantly deceasing （P＜0.01）. The effect of tea tree oil treatments on rubber yield was similar to the impact of 0.5% ethrel stimulation. However，compared to ethrel stimulation，100% tea tree oil treatment significantly increased dry rubber and sucrose contents （P＜0.01） and decreased thiol content （P＜0.01）. Thus，tea tree oil treatment involved different latex yield promotion mechanisms than that of ethrel stimulation.