Use of artificial eggs in studies of washout depth and drift distance for salmonid eggs

Colour-coded artificial trout eggs were used in investigations of washout depth in a natural stream and of drift distance relative to water velocity in an experimental channel and in a section of natural stream.Washout depth was studied in a spawning riffle of a stream whose bankful discharge is 5.6 m³ s^–1. During an experiment when spates never exceeded 6.5 m³ s^–1 egg washout was severe at 5 cm depth within the gravel, variable at 10 cm and negligible at 15 cm. During another experiment when a spate of 9.0 m³ s^–1 (return period 10–20 years) occurred, washout was severe at 5 and 10 cm depth and variable at 15 cm. There was also evidence that some eggs were moved short distances downstream within the gravel without being washed out.Within experimental channels, drift distance could be predicted from multiple regressions relating logarithms of water velocity, percentage of eggs settled and distance from point of release. At a water velocity of 100 cm s^–1 at 0.6 depth, 50% of eggs would settle within 8 m of the point of release. At water velocities of 75 to 100 cm s^–1 drifting eggs would, on average, travel at c. 60% of water velocity and make 1 to 2 bed contacts m^–1 of travel.A similar multiple regression can be applied to data from a natural stream channel. It predicts much larger drift distances (50% settled in 42 m at 100 cm s ^–1 ). However, in the natural channel, settlement appears aggregated and the validity of the concept of permanent settlement is in doubt.     

Some effects of application of mechanical shock at varying stages of development upon the survival and hatching time of British salmonid eggs

A standard mechanical shock, by dropping, was applied to eggs of brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) and Atlantic salmon (S. salar L) at several different stages of development to assess variation in sensitivity to mechanical shock during the course of development. Other experiments tested the effect of drifting along 10 m of experimental channel upon the survival of trout eggs at two stages of development.Survival to hatch in control batches of trout eggs and in batches which were given pre-shock handling but which were not shocked was generally high (c. 95%) and application of shock soon after fertilisation and water-hardening or after eyeing had little effect on survival. Trout eggs suffered mortality of 50 to 60% when given a shock of c. 8000 ergs at between 10 and 20% completion of development to median hatch. Observations on Atlantic salmon eggs suggested a similar pattern but were not conclusive.Trout eggs which drifted 10 m in an experimental channel at 10–20% completed development to median hatch suffered 45–56% mortality — similar to the rate observed in eggs given a shock of c. 8000 ergs. Similar drifting at 60–70% completed development to median hatch had no detectable effect on survival.There is some evidence that application of mechanical shock to trout eggs by dropping or by drift can sometimes modify hatching date.     

Decrease in stream gravel permeability after clear-cut logging: an indication of intragravel conditions for developing salmonid eggs and alevins

Average gravel permeabilities decreased significantly in an Oregon, U.S.A., stream after 82% of the drainage basin was clear-cut. Patterns remained statistically normal in a stream of an unlogged drainage basin and in a stream in a drainage area that was 25% clear-cut, but with riparian buffer strips about 30 m wide left along the stream. It is cautioned that decreases in yearly permeability values can reflect adverse intragravel conditions for developing salmonid eggs and alevins, even if other environmental changes, particularly the amount of sediment fines in gravel, are not as apparent.     

The behaviour of laying workers and the morphology and viability of their eggs in Melipona bicolor bicolor

Abstract. As in many other stingless bees, Melipona bicolor bicolor Lepeletier (Apidae: Meliponinae) workers lay two morphologically distinct types of eggs: slender ones that have a typical patterned chorion, and larger ones that lack this pattern. In this paper we report on the relation between egg morphology and the behaviour of the workers that lay such eggs. In most cases, the laying of each of these egg types is accompanied by a unique sequence of behaviours. After a worker has laid the unpatterned type of egg, she generally leaves the cell, giving the queen the possibility of eating this egg. In the case of the patterned egg type, the worker usually closes the cell immediately after her egg laying. When worker egg laying occurs right after a series of regurgitations, it stops the queen from ovipositing. When, instead, a worker lays an egg after queen oviposition, the cell contains two eggs. This study also revealed cases in which workers laid slender, patterned eggs without closing the cell, and other cases where workers laid large, spherical, unpatterned eggs and instantly closed the cell. Experiments in which worker eggs, destined to be eaten by the queen, were protected by covering the cell artificially with a piece of wax showed that some of these eggs developed into larvae, although they were occasionally relatively small. The occurrence of a range of combinations of egg-laying behaviours and egg morphologies in M. b. bicolor workers is discussed from the perspective of worker egg laying in other stingless bees.     

Effects of physical disturbance and canopy cover on attached diatom community structure in an Idaho stream

A field experiment was conducted to determine the effect of disturbance frequency on diatom communities established on artificial substrates within an open canopy site and a closed canopy site of a 3rd order stream. The open canopy site (OCS) had a total of 80 diatom taxa colonizing the substrates, while the closed canopy site (CCS) had only 55 taxa. Cluster analysis revealed that the two sites had distinct diatom communities, although the most common species were similar between sites. There was no effect of disturbance frequency on species diversity (H') at OCS, however species diversity significantly decreased as disturbance frequency increased at CCS. At OCS, Amphora perpusilla increased in abundance as disturbance frequency increased, while Navicula lanceolata abundance decreased as disturbance increased. At CCS, Cocconeis placentula v. euglypta remained dominant regardless of disturbance frequency. The results suggest that some diatom species may be shade adapted, which may explain the site-specific responses. In addition, diatom growth-forms may explain the within site taxon-specific responses to disturbance. For example, Achnanthes sp. and Cocconeis sp., small horizontal forms, were predominant on the high disturbance substrates. Vertical or large horizontal forms may be mechanically removed by frequent physical disturbance allowing such small horizontal forms to become abundant. Frequent disturbance, by maintaining the community in an early stage of development, directly influences the diatom assemblage on rocks in streams.     

A comparison of in vitro and in vivo estimates of the viability of Taenia pisiformis eggs aged under controlled conditions, and their ability to immunise against a challenge infection

Storing the eggs of T. pisiformis for periods of 0 to 9 days at a temperature of 36–38°C and relative humidity of 87–93 % revealed at least 4 stages in the ageing process. Firstly, a stage in which eggs hatched and activated in vitro and were also fully infective for rabbits. Secondly, a stage in which eggs hatched and activated in vitro but underwent only partial development in rabbits. Thirdly, a stage in which eggs hatched and activated in vitro, and presumably therefore in vivo, but no evidence of infection could be found when they were fed to rabbits. Fourthly, a stage in which eggs either did not hatch, or if they did hatch, the oncosphere was rapidly digested. In vitro techniques for assessing viability of T. pisiformis eggs were not a reliable guide to their infectivity for rabbits. ‘Senescent’ eggs, that is eggs which produced evidence of early infection in rabbits but did not complete their development to cysticerci, failed to produce immunity to challenge infection with T. pisiformis eggs.     

Changes in the physical and chemical properties of floodwater and sediment in an experimental ricefield (Reggio Emilia,Italy)

Changes in time and space in the physical and chemical variables connected to the oxygen P/R ratio were studied.Temperature, light transmission, dissolved oxygen and its day-night cycles were measured periodically in the floodwater; in addition, concentrations of total phosphorus, proteins and chlorophyll-a in the particulate suspended matter were measured. Finally, the seasonal evolution of the redox conditions in the water and in the sediment were analysed.Highly significant correlations between pH and D.O. in the water, and oxygen production were found; the pH and Eh values of the water/sediment interface were strictly related to the corresponding values reached in the water. The composition and the size of the particulate suspended matter pool seemed to be relatively stable and unrelated to the physical and chemical characteristics of the water.     

Short-term variations in the abundance and cell volume of bacterioplankton in an artificial tropical lake

Circadian and spatial fluctuations in bacterioplankton abundance and cell volume were examined, for the first time, in the Municipal Lake located in the down town area of Yaoundé (Capital of Cameroon, Central Africa, ca 3° 52′ N, 11° 31′ E). Bacterial cell volumes (range, 0.05 to 0.2 μm3) were consistent with those reported for other aquatic systems while bacterial densities (0.8 to 2 × 108 cells ml-1) were among the highest values reported in pelagic systems. These variables and chlorophyll a and dissolved oxygen concentrations within a single depth-zone varied from 13 to 61%, while water temperature fluctuated only from 2 to 6%. Spatial fluctuations of physical-chemical and biological variables were generally higher during the day-time than during the night-time. A significant diel variation was provided for bacterial cell volume in the surface waters where synchronized cell division was occurring during the night. The measured bacterial abundances in this study were 4 to 17 fold higher than values known from other lakes of similar trophic status, and both cell abundance and volume were not correlated with chlorophyll. We conclude that this was due to the dependence of bacterial populations to different sources of allochthonous substrates, including untreated sewage from the major influents of the lake, resuspension of benthic material, and substrate releasing from macrophytes which are prevalent in the littoral zone of the lake. This revised version was published online in September 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Simultaneous hermaphrodites reproducing in pairs self-fertilize some of their eggs: an experimental test of predictions of mixed-mating and Hermaphrodite's Dilemma theory

Theory predicts (1) that mixed-mating systems (i.e. reproduction through both selfing and outcrossing) should usually not evolve and (2) that reproducing simultaneous hermaphrodites should be in a conflict over the preferred sexual role (The Hermaphrodite's Dilemma). In an in vitro system with the endoparasitic cestode Schistocephalus solidus, a simultaneous hermaphrodite, we tested predictions of both the mixed-mating and the Hermaphrodite's Dilemma theory. Using microsatellite markers, we measured the proportion of selfed offspring and the total reproductive output of each worm within pairs varying in mean weight and weight difference. Worms produced more outbred offspring not only with increasing total weight of the pair, but also with decreasing weight difference between the two paired worms. These results suggest: (1) that this parasite species reproduces by mixed-mating, which may be maintained by stochastic density fluctuations in the definitive host and hence unpredictability of self reproduction and (2) reproductive conflict may prevent worm pairs from achieving an optimal intermediate selfing rate.     

Fed-batch bioreactor performance and cell line stability evaluation of the artificial chromosome expression technology expressing an IgG1 in Chinese hamster ovary cells

The artificial chromosome expression (ACE) technology system uses an engineered artificial chromosome containing multiple site-specific recombination acceptor sites for the rapid and efficient construction of stable cell lines. The construction of Chinese hamster ovary(CHO) cell lines expressing an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (MAb) using the ACE system has been previously described (Kennard et al., Biotechnol Bioeng. 2009;104:540-553). To further demonstrate the manufacturing feasibility of the ACE system, four CHO cell lines expressing the human IgG1 MAb 4A1 were evaluated in batch and fed-batch shake flasks and in a 2-L fed-batch bioreactor. The batch shake flasks achieved titers between 0.7 and 1.1 g/L, whereas the fed-batch shake flask process improved titers to 2.5–3.0 g/L. The lead 4A1 ACE cell line achieved titers of 4.0 g/L with an average specific productivity of 40 pg/(cell day) when cultured in a non optimized 2-L fed-batch bioreactor using a completely chemically defined process. Generational stability characterization of the lead 4A1-expressing cell line demonstrated that the cell line was stable for up to 75 days in culture. Product quality attributes of the 4A1 MAb produced by the ACE system during the stability evaluation period were unchanged and also comparable to existing expression technologies such as the CHO-dhfr system. The results of this evaluation demonstrate that a clonal, stable MAb-expressing CHO cell line can be produced using ACE technology that performs competitively using a chemically defined fed-batch bioreactor process with comparable product quality attributes to cell lines generated by existing technologies.     

南充金腰燕、家燕繁殖生态比较及易卵易雏实验

2004年3～10月对四川南充地区家燕、金腰燕的繁殖生态进行了观察,比较了其繁殖生态习性及雏鸟的生长特性,进行了家燕、金腰燕之间的易卵易雏实验.结果表明,家燕于2月中旬迁入南充,9月中旬开始迁离;金腰燕迁来较家燕晚,2月底～3月初迁入,9月中旬迁离.家燕于4月初产卵;金腰燕在4月上旬产卵.金腰燕卵的各项量衡度均较家燕的大,出壳时金腰燕雏鸟体重也比家燕雏鸟稍重.金腰燕雏鸟的体长、翅长、尾长、外部器官及体重的增长较家燕的快.而易卵、易雏的金腰燕雏鸟增长曲线则在金腰燕和家燕的雏鸟之间.易卵易雏的实验表明,在孵卵和育雏过程中,金腰燕与家燕之间彼此互换卵可以接受,易换雏鸟也可以接受.     

Natural and artificial selection on a deviant character of the anal papillae in Drosophila melanogaster and their significance for salt adaptation

Artificial selection was carried out on a deviant character of remnants of the anal papillae in pupae of Drosophila melanogaster, i. e. stretched (S) instead of the normal retracted (R) papillae. A chromosomal interchange between the R- and S-selection lines revealed the polygenic determination of the S-character. A comparison of lines with a different number of chromosomes of the S-line shows the importance of properties of the anal papillae for salt adaptation. By a comparison of populations obtained by artificial selection for anal papillae and by natural selection for salt adaptation we could analyse the significance of the deviant character under natural selection on media with increasing percentages of salt. Our results shows that taking into account only one character in natural selection is often a simplification. However, applying artificial selection on components of the phenotype contributing to the adaptation make an important contribution to the analysis of adaptive processes.     

Comparison of the structures and electronic properties of sodalites containing alkali metals and alkali-earth metals and their hydrates

The effects of different alkali and alkali-earth metal ions on the electronic structures and properties of sodalite M_n[AlSiO₄]₆ (M-SOD) and their hydrates M_n[AlSiO₄]₆?8H₂O (M=Li, Na, K, n = 6; M=Ca, n = 3) were studied using density functional theory method. Theoretical calculations predicted that the Al–O–Si bond angle and cation-framework oxide distance in sodalites with alkali metal cations are correlated with cell volumes. The reduced bandwidths in M-SOD (M=Li, Na and K) show that the inter-atomic orbital overlap in sodalites is weaker than those in the hydrate phases. Frontier molecular orbital analysis indicated that oxygen atoms in the frameworks and most metal ions of SOD and their corresponding hydrates exhibit high reactivity. The interactions existing in sodalites and hydrates were qualitative described. The calculated combination energies of metal ions with framework of sodalites are in the order of K⁺< Na⁺< Li⁺< Ca²⁺. This finding confirms the experimental observation for ion exchange.     

Amyloidogenic properties of the artificial protein albebetin and its biologically active derivatives. The role of electrostatic interactions in fibril formation

The artificial protein albebetin (ABB) and its derivatives containing biologically active fragments of natural proteins form fibrils at physiological pH. The amyloid nature of the fibrils was confirmed by far UV circular dichroism spectra indicating for rich beta-structure, thioflavin T binding assays, and examination of the obtained polymers by atomic force microscopy. Fusing of short peptides--octapeptide of human alpha(2)-interferon (130-137) or hexapeptide HLDF-6 (41-46) of human leukemia differentiation factor--with the N-terminus of ABB led to increased amyloidogenicity of the protein: the rate of fibril formation increased and the morphology of fibrils became more complex. The presence of free hexapeptide HLDF-6 in the ABB solution had the same effect. Increasing ionic strength also activated the process of amyloid formation, but to less extent than did the peptides fused with ABB or added to the ABB solution. We suggest an important role of electrostatic interactions in formation of ABB fibrils. The foregoing ways (addition of salt or peptides) allow decrease in electrostatic repulsion between ABB molecules carrying large negative charge (-12) at neutral pH, thus promoting fibril formation.     

The artificial incubation of crayfish eggs: review and report from an experimental study concerning the effects of offspring origin (maternal or artificial incubation) on the survival and growth of juvenile signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus, Astacidae)

The development of artificial incubation techniques in astacid crayfish has attracted attention from scientists in many countries ever since the nineteenth century. It is only in the last few years that these techniques, along with studies on egg storage and transport, have provided reliable options for improving the reproductive phase in farming. The juveniles produced need to be reared until they reach a sufficient size both for restocking and for growing purposes. In view of the current level of knowledge of rearing juvenile astacids, two 80-day experiments were carried out under controlled conditions to compare the survival and growth of Stage 2 juvenile signal crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) from two origins: maternal or artificial incubation. In the first experiment, three treatments were tested: juveniles from artificially incubated eggs with formaldehyde treatments, juveniles from maternal incubation and a mixture from both origins (50% each). Survival rates ranged from 87.8% to 93.3% with no significant differences among treatments. Crayfish from artificial incubation grew significantly faster (11.47 mm carapace length (CL), 373.80 mg weight) than crayfish from maternal incubation. In the second experiment, a bifactorial design included four treatments: the crayfish was derived from artificial or from maternal incubation and was fed once a day or twice a day. Final survival rates ranged from 68.89% to 77.78%, with no significant differences among treatments. Crayfish from artificial incubation grew significantly faster than crayfish from maternal incubation. The highest CL (14.54 mm) and weight (780.13 mg) were reached by the juveniles from artificial incubation that were fed once a day. No significant differences were found between the two feeding frequencies. Results showed that artificial incubation with formaldehyde treatments had no harmful effects and made it feasible to get a better performance from the juveniles obtained.     

Assessing the influence of water and substratum quality on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in a metal-polluted stream: an experimental approach

SUMMARY 1. Field and laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the relative influence of water quality and substratum quality on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the Animas River, a metal-polluted stream in south-western Colorado (U.S.A.).
2. A community-level in situ toxicity test measured direct effects of Animas River water on benthic invertebrates collected from a reference stream (Elk Creek). The effects of metal-contaminated biofilm were examined by comparing macroinvertebrate colonisation of clean and contaminated substrata placed in Elk Creek. A feeding experiment with the mayfly Baetis tricaudatus Dodds (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) examined metal bioaccumulation and effects of metal-contaminated biofilm on growth and survival.
3. Animas River water was acutely toxic to most taxa, with greatest effects observed on mayflies (Heptageniidae, Ephemerellidae) and stoneflies (Taeniopterygidae and Capniidae).
4. Although Animas River biofilm was characterised by high concentrations of metals and low algal biomass, most taxa colonised substratum from the reference stream and the Animas River equally. The exceptions were Ephemerellidae, Taeniopterygidae and Simuliidae, which were less abundant on Animas River substratum. Mayflies grazing Animas River biofilm accumulated significantly more metals and showed reduced growth compared with organisms feeding on Elk Creek biofilm.
5. Results of our experiments demonstrated that effects of heavy metals on benthic community structure in the Animas River were complex, and that responses to metals in water and contaminated substratum were species-specific. Predicting recovery of benthic communities following remediation requires an understanding of these species-specific responses.