Preparation of lime from mussel shelf waste

A process is described for the utilisation of mussel shell wastes by their conversion into lime, which may be used for white washing and plastering.

Association of early growth response-1 gene polymorphisms with total IgE and atopy in asthmatic children

Early growth response-1 (Egr-1) is expressed in human airways and found to modulate tumor necrosis factor, immunoglobulin E (IgE), airway responsiveness, and interleukin-13-induced inflammation in mice. We investigated the effects of Chinese-tagging singl

On the ice-storage characteristics of Catla catla and Labeo fimbriatus

The ice-storage characteristics of Catla catla and Labeo fimbriatus are reported. Muscle pH, moisture, total volatile nitrogen, alpha amino nitrogen and peroxide value and also the changes in total bacterial count are studied. C. catla and L. fimbriatus both could be stored in ice for 18 days.

氨基酸残基可及性与蛋白质家族成员结构的保守性

在细胞色素c族蛋白和免疫球蛋白家族中一些蛋白质片段的序列比较和分析的基础上,通过计算其氨基酸残基的可及性,对残基可及性与蛋白质序列及其三维结构的保守性之间的关系进行了分析和探讨。结果表明,序列中凡是保守的残基,其可及性都较低,而且这些低可及性的保守性残基与维持蛋白质特有的三维结构相关。作者认为,同一家族的蛋白质中,在进化上相距较远的各成员之间,结构的保守性主要是体现在其三维结构上;序列中的保守性残基,对于维持整个蛋白质分子特定的三维结构和功能有着重要的意义;此外,序列中的保守性残基一般均位于其整个分子结构的内部,因而具有较低的可及性。鉴于“可及性”本身只具有相对的意义,故可及性较低的残基不一定是保守的,而保守的残基则是低可及性的。

分子系统学在生物保护中的意义

综述了近年来分子系统学的原理和方法及其在生物多样性保护中的应用和发展。分子系统学方法可以很好地确定物种保护的基本单元--进化显著性单元,并可用于推测群体的发展状态,从而为物种的保护提供了一项新的具很强操作性的科学手段。

Levels of cadmium in seafood products

The concentrations of total cadmium were determined in 448 samples of processed fishery products comprising crustaceans, molluscs, marine fish and brackish water fish. Shrimp product, the major export item, contained on average 0.122 ppm cadmium and 20% of crustaceans analysed did not contain cadmium on detectable level. Average content of cadmium in 68 marine fish of 9 species was 0.153 ppm and 35% of the samples did not contain the element. Of the total number of crustaceans analysed only 2% showed a level > 0.5 ppm. All the 174 samples of molluscan products, except 3 canned oysters, showed cadmium concentration far below the limit allowed. The average cadmium content in molluscan products was 0.552 ppm.

Enhancement of the anti-herpetic effect of trichosanthin by acyclovir and interferon

Trichosanthin (TCS) is a type I ribosome-inactivating protein that has a wide range of pharmacological activities. The present study investigated the effectiveness of TCS on herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). The anti-viral activity and toxicity of TCS on Vero

A beta-galactose-specific lectin isolated from the marine worm Chaetopterus variopedatus possesses anti-HIV-1 activity

A 30 kDa beta-galactose-specific lectin named CVL was isolated from the polychaete marine worm Chaetopterus variopedatus (Annelida) and its anti-HIV-1 activity in vitro was determined. Results showed that CVL inhibited cytopathic effect induced by HIV-1 a

Optimization of dose of methyltestosterone (MT) hormone for sex reversal in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

This paper describes the optimization of dose of methyltestosteronei (MT) hormone for masculinization of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Five treatments (i.e. T1 T2, T2, T4 and T5) with different doses such as 0, 40, 50, 60 and 65 mg of MT hormone were mixed with per kg of feed for each treatment and fed the fry four times a day up to satiation for a period of 30 days. The stocking density was maintained 10 spawn/liter of water. The growth of fry at different treatments was recorded weekly and mortality was recorded daily. At the end of hormone feeding the fry were reared in hapas fixed in ponds for another 70 days and at the 100th day the fish were sexed by the gonad squashing and aceto-carmine staining method. The analysis of growth data did not show any significant variation in length and weight of fish among the different treatments. High mortality of fry ranging 66% to 81.6% was observed in different treatments and highest mortality was observed during the first twelve days of the experiment. The sex ratio analysis showed that T2 (40 mg/kg) and T5 (65 mg/kg) produced 93.33% of sex reversed male and T3 (50 mg/kg) and T4 (60 mg/kg) produced 96.66% sex reversed male, and these ratios were significantly (p<0.05) different from 1:1 male: female sex ratio. The control, T1 (0 mg/kg) contained 43.33% male progeny. From these results it is suggested that either 50 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg of MT with a feeding period of 30 days could be considered as an optimum dose for masculinization of tilapia (O. niloticus).

Quantitative analysis of land mammal zoogeographical regions in China and adjacent regions

Quantitative analysis of land mammal zoogeographical regions in China and adjacent regions. Zoological Studies 43(1): 142-160. In this paper, our aim was to determine, by means of quantitative analysis, the distribution patterns of the land mammals in China and, adjacent regions using physiographical regions as operative geographical units (OGUs). Based, on the pre-sence or absence of 11 orders, 42 families, 197 genera, and 577 species of land mammals in their zoogeographical regions, which were used as OGUs, we studied the biotic boundary between the Oriental Region (OR) and the Palaearctic Region (PR), as well as subregion boundaries. The boundary's statistical significance was tested by G-test as described by McCoy et al. A significantly strong biotic boundary was found to separate the PR from the OR, and there is a weak biotic boundary in the PR, which divides it into 2 subregions. We concluded that the biotic boundary which separates the PR and OR is a strong boundary. We suggest that the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau should be regarded as a subregion of the PR, which can embody its characteristics of high elevations and a frigid climatic, which is called the Qing-Zang subregion of the PR (QZSP).

Suitable stocking density of tilapia in an aquaponic system

An aquaponic system was studied through the integrated culture of mono-sex GIFT and two types of vegetables viz. morning glory, Ipomoea reptans and taro, Colocasia esculenta in a recirculating system for 15 weeks. Tilapia fry of uniform size of 0.76 g were released in three treatments (stocking densities): 106 fish/m³ (T1), 142 fish/m³ (T2) and 177 fish/m³ (T3) to assess the effect of stocking density on the growth performance of fish. Fish were fed with a commercial feed containing 25% protein. Weight gain (g) of tilapia ranged from 19.41 to 32.67 g and was inversely related with stocking density. Percent weight gain varied between 2553.99 and 4298.68% and was significantly different among the treatments. SGR ranged from 3.09 to 3.59% per day and varied significantly. FCR varied from 2.19 to 2.69 and had a positive correlation with stocking density. The highest survival rate (%) was achieved in T1 (99%) followed by T2 (98%) and T3 (96%). Production of fish ranged from 3.43 to 3.52 kg/m³ and was inversely related with stocking density. The present study demonstrated that 106 fish/m³ was the best stocking density in terms of growth, food conversion ratio, survival and production for tilapia culture in the aquaponic system.

Effect of adrenalectomy and corticosterone replacement on prepulse inhibition and locomotor activity in mice

1 Stress is a risk factor in psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of different circulating levels of the adrenal steroid corticosterone (CORT) on locomotor hyperactivity and prepulse inhibition of acoustic startle, two behavioural animal models of aspects of schizophrenia. 2 Male C57BL/6J mice (n = 10 per group) were anaesthetised with isoflurane and sham-operated or adrenalectomised (ADX). ADX mice were implanted with 50 mg pellets consisting of 100% cholesterol, or 2, 10 or 50 mg of CORT mixed with cholesterol. CORT pellet implantation dose dependently increased plasma CORT levels 3 weeks after surgery. Starting 1 week after surgery, mice were tested for prepulse inhibition after injection of saline or 5 mg kg(-1) of haloperidol. 3 In intact mice and in mice implanted with 10 mg of CORT, haloperidol treatment significantly increased prepulse inhibition (average values from 38 - 42 to 52%). Similar results were observed when testing the mice for amphetamine-induced locomotor hyperactivity (5 mg kg(-1)). In contrast, there was no significant effect of haloperidol in mice implanted either with cholesterol or 2 or 50 mg of CORT. 4 These results in behavioural animal models of schizophrenia suggest an important role of the stress hormone CORT in modulating dopaminergic activity in this illness.

Study of density, distribution and yield on benthic fauna and brown trout (Salmo trutta fario) feeding in Laar reservoirs

Lar lake, with the international UTM specification of 39S 579680 3976567 & 39S 589930 3976184 is Situated in Lar national Park with an aerial distance of 55 Km of Tehran along Haraz road. The present research is carried out as part of a comprehensives Plan for assessment of bioresearches of Lar lake & the rivers flowing into it. This research includes examination of there benthic Samplings performed in Lar lake and each of the related rivers including Delichaee, Ab-e-sefid , Alarm & Lar (Kamardasht).Tubifex and Chironomus genus were found to have the highest frequencies of occurrence in the lake with %77.117 & %21.823 respectively followed by Chironomidae and Simulidae from the Diptera order which accounted for %72.328 and %13.812 occurrences in four rivers examined in the Study. The benthic biomass at various examined Sites and the average wet weight of the benthic biomass in station No one in the lake Was 17.397g and the figure for the examined site in Alarm was 20.242 g which were the highest level among Other examination stations the index for the abundance of species in Alarm river was greater than the rest of the examined rivers with 12.57. A sum of 354 Pieces of brown trouts was caught in the course of sampling which were closely investigated in terms of their digestive tract Content. It was identified that Daphniidae and Chironomus constituted the bulk of eaten items from the lake with %17.985 and %63.973 respectively. Meanwhile, Chironomidae and Simuladae were the most frequently eanten benthos by the fish with %81.47 and %7.93 respectively.The index for the relative length of gut was recorded at 0.49± 0.08 which is well indicative of the carnivorous diet of the fish.The index for the feeding intensity amounted to 138  83 showing that the one year old fish were of more feeding intensity.The coefficient of condition (K) was estimated at 1.02  0.142 for all the caught fish. The average wet weight of the benthos was 10.348 g per square meter which if extended to 700ha surface area of the lake, the total macrobenthic production in the lake would amount to 72730Kg of wet weight or 6510 Kg of dry weight. Since the Secondary Production of macrobenthos have always been double that of their biomass, it is reasonable to assume that the Secondary Production of macrobenthos amount to 145640 Kg by their wet weight and Since the energy transfer in the food chain of the lake from benthos to fish is 10 percent, the fish production Capacity Coming from benthic resources of the lake (Lar) would be 14.5 MT, half of which (7000-8000MT) could annually be harvested. Further more, the actual fish Production Capacity might exceed the projected level Since Daphnia, Rotifers and Ostracoda which belong to Zooplanktons, play a part in the natural diet of trout. Meanwhile, rivers Play a major role in fish nutrition and the annual fish production in Delichaee river is about 4481.8Kg while the figures for Ab-e-sefid, Alerm and Lar rivers are 2370.7 4848.7 and 2586.2 Kg respectively, that further increase fish Production in the area and every year half of these resources can be exploitable from the river & the lake.Nevertheless, due to ecological & biological importance of rivers and the probability of environmental Pollution, devastation of natural fish habitats & their nursery grounds, Sport fishing is not recommended at all.