Discovery of a multispecies shark aggregation and parturition area in the Ba Estuary,Fiji Islands

Population declines in shark species have been reported on local and global scales, with overfishing, habitat destruction and climate change posing severe threats. The lack of species‐specific baseline data on ecology and distribution of many sharks, however, makes conservation measures challenging. Here, we present a fisheries‐independent shark survey from the Fiji Islands, where scientific knowledge on locally occurring elasmobranchs is largely still lacking despite the location's role as a shark hotspot in the Pacific. Juvenile shark abundance in the fishing grounds of the Ba Estuary (north‐western Viti Levu) was assessed with a gillnet‐ and longline‐based survey from December 2015 to April 2016. A total of 103 juvenile sharks identified as blacktip Carcharhinus limbatus (n = 57), scalloped hammerhead Sphyrna lewini (n = 35), and great hammerhead Sphyrna mokarran (n = 11) sharks were captured, tagged, and released. The condition of umbilical scars (68% open or semihealed), mean sizes of individuals (±SD) (C. limbatus: 66.5 ± 3.8 cm, S. lewini: 51.8 ± 4.8 cm, S. mokarran 77.4 ± 2.8 cm), and the presence of these species over recent years (based on fishermen interviews), suggest that the Ba Estuary area is a critical habitat for multiple species that are classified as “Near Threatened” or “Endangered.” Specifically, the area likely acts as a parturition ground over the studied period, and potentially as a subsequent nursery area. We identified subareas of high abundance and found that temperature, salinity and depth acted as small‐scale environmental drivers of shark abundance. The data suggests a tendency for species‐specific spatial use, both horizontally (i.e., between sampling areas) and vertically (i.e., across the water column). These results enhance the understanding of shark ecology in Fiji and provide a scientific basis for the implementation of local conservation strategies that contribute to the protection of these threatened species.     

The food and feeding relationships of larval and 0+ year juvenile fishes in lowland rivers and connected waterbodies. I. Ontogenetic shifts and interspecific diet similarity

Many fish species are zooplanktivorous at the onset of exogenous feeding, but distinct shifts in their foraging biology may occur with development. This study investigated the food and feeding relationships of the larvae and 0+ year juveniles of 13 fish species in 'main river', 'marina' and 'pond' macrohabitats in the lower River Trent, England. Young larvae had narrow diet spectra, with feeding diversity and the importance of species-specific traits increasing with development. Two main ontogenetic shifts in diet were differentiated, corresponding with the transition from finfold to finformed larvae, and from the larval to the juvenile period. Dietary overlap was generally greatest among ecologically similar species, with competition and resource partitioning most likely where prey availability was lowest. The greater availability of zooplankton in connected waterbodies compared with main river channels provides suitable prey for a wide range of fish species, and may enhance recruitment success.     

基于混合效应模型的人工红松节子属性

基于黑龙江省孟家岗林场60株人工红松1534个节子数据,利用SAS软件中的NLMIXED和GLIMMIX模块构建人工红松节子属性因子(基径、健全节长度、死亡年龄、角度)的混合效应预测模型.采用赤池信息准则(AIC)、贝叶斯信息准则(BIC)、对数似然值(-2LL)和似然比检验(LRT)评价指标对所构建模型的精度进行比较.结果表明:考虑树木效应的混合模型模拟精度均高于传统回归模型.含有b_1、b_2随机参数组合的节子基径模型是最优混合效应模型;含有b_1、b_3随机参数组合的节子健全节长度模型是最优混合效应模型;含有节子基径随机参数的广义线性混合模型为节子死亡年龄的最优模型;含有截距、节子基径、健全节长度3种随机效应参数组合的广义线性混合模型为节子角度的最优模型.混合效应模型比传统回归模型更能有效地描述节子属性.红松是东北主要的用材树种,利用节子属性预测模型结合合理的整枝方案可以提高木材质量.     

胸段食管癌术后淋巴结转移情况及其对患者5 年生存期的影响研究

目的:探讨胸段食管癌术后淋巴结转移情况及其对患者5年生存期的影响。方法:对125例胸段食管癌患者的病例资料进行回顾性研究,统计其淋巴结转移情况以及转移度、转移数、转移域数等相关数据资料,并分析各种淋巴结转移情况对患者5年生存期的影响,再对基于不同淋巴结转移情况"手术组"与"手术+放疗组"的5年生存率进行比较。结果:有无淋巴结转移、淋巴结转移度、淋巴结转移数以及淋巴结转移域数均对胸段食管癌患者的5年生存率有显著影响(P0.01);有淋巴结转移患者手术组的5年生存率显著低于手术+放疗组(P0.01),同时术后加行放疗治疗对转移度0、≤20%及转移数≥2枚的患者的5年生存率有显著影响(P0.01)。结论:淋巴结转移是胸段食管癌患者术后效果的重要影响因素,淋巴结转移数0、1、及≥2枚的三级别分类或可更准确地反应胸段食管癌患者淋巴结转移数与5年生存率的关系;术后预防性放疗能提高有淋巴结转移、转移0、≤20%及转移数≥2枚的患者的5年生存率。     

Temporal patterns in the intertidal faunal community at the mouth of a tropical estuary

The use of intertidal sandy beaches by fish and macrocrustaceans was studied at different temporal scales at the mouth of a tropical estuary. Samples were taken along the lunar and diel cycles in the late dry and rainy seasons. Fish assemblage (number of species, density and biomass), crustaceans and wrack biomass, showed significant interactions among all studied factors, and the combination of moon phase and diel cycle, resulting in different patterns of environmental variables (depth, water temperature and dissolved oxygen), affected habitat use by the different species. Variances in faunal community were detected between seasons, stimulated by salinity fluctuations from freshwater input during the rainy season. These differences suggest an important cycling of habitats and an increase in connectivity between adjacent habitats (estuary and coastal waters). Moreover, the results showed that this intertidal sandy beach also provides an alternative nursery and protected shallow‐water area for the initial development phase of many marine and estuarine species. In addition, this intertidal habitat plays an important role in the maintenance of the ecological functioning of the estuarine–coastal ecosystem continuum.     

扰动环境中不同刈割方式柠条营养生长补偿的影响

 柠条（Caragana korshinskii）在地上组织破坏后进行补偿性生长,这是重复利用柠条资源的基础,但对 柠条不同刈割方式下营养生长补偿的模式有待探讨。该文通过5种刈割方式：去除主枝长的30%（30%RSL） 、去除主枝长的60%（60%RSL）、去除分枝数的25%（25%RSN）、去除分枝数的50%（50%RSN）和去除分枝 数的100%（100%RSN）来研究柠条的营养生长补偿。结果表明：刈割处理的柠条生物量当年发生了超补偿 ,当年生枝数/枝、当年生枝长、当年生枝生物量/枝、当年生枝生物量/株比对照高。对照、30%RSL和 60%RSL 处理未长出基梢。 100%RSN处理的基梢数/刈割枝、基梢长、单个基梢平均生物量显著高于25%RSN 和50%RSN处理,基梢生物量/株随刈割去除生物量的增加而增加。100%RSN 处理未结果,其它处理果实产量 表现出超补偿或精确补偿。对照处理营养生长和生殖生长均低,其它处理当年生枝生物量与果实产量成显 著负相关。从整个生长季节来看,营养生长主要集中在果实成熟之前。我们认为,100%RSN处理是柠条地上 组织破坏后尽快恢复的合理方式,其当年生生物量远高于其它处理。顶端优势的破坏促使休眠芽的萌发, 根冠比的改变使地上组织获得较多养分和水分,根系储存的碳水化合物的供应是促使刈割柠条营养生长超 补偿的的可能机制,而减少生殖生长对资源的消耗,是100%RSN处理地上生物量尽快恢复的另一重要因素 。     

Simultaneous determination of ginsenosides in Panax ginseng with different growth ages using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

The contents of ginsenosides in Panax ginseng not only vary in different parts of the root, but also exhibit yearly variation. In this study, an HPLC-MS method was established in order to simultaneously analyse ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rf, Rg1 and Rg2. The concentration of ginsenosides in the tap root and root fibre were compared and the yearly variations of nine ginsenosides elucidated. The results indicate that the total content of ginsenosides in the main root and the root fibre both attain a maximum level in the fourth year of growth, although the amount in the former is much higher than in the latter. The variation in the content of ginsenosides during a 2-6 year period suggests that cultivated P. Ginseng can be harvested after the fourth year. The current results will provide useful information for the quality control and good agricultural practice farming of ginseng.     

Diet and feeding niches of juvenile Gadus morhua, Melanogrammus aeglefinus and Merlangius merlangus during the settlement transition in the northern North Sea

A study on the feeding ecology of juvenile cod Gadus morhua, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus and whiting Merlangius merlangus during the pelagic to demersal transition was carried out on fishes sampled throughout their settlement season at a local nursery ground in the north-western North Sea, off the Scottish east coast. A comprehensive quantitative taxonomic analysis of the diets, as described in the paper, showed the emergence of distinctive feeding niches, minimizing the potential for competition between species and size categories. The diet of the juveniles changed with fish size, water depth, time of year and distance offshore. Small G. morhua were present in the study area earlier in the season, settled further inshore and ate a higher proportion of pelagic prey (copepods) and as size increased they moved into deeper waters and targeted larger, more benthic prey. As M. aeglefinus grew larger and moved into deeper waters, a diet of largely copepods, amphipods, pelagic Ammodytes spp., cyprids and pelagic gastropods evolved to one dominated predominantly by fishes and benthic invertebrates. In the case of M. merlangus, widespread ages and sizes throughout the sampling season, a consequence of their more protracted spawning season, resulted in dietary changes which were more likely to be influenced by seasonal changes in the prey field, in addition to developmental (size) changes, than the diets of the other two species.     

Rapid and sensitive detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chlorinated water and aerosols targeting gyrB gene using real-time PCR

Aims: This study aimed to assess the contamination risk of Escherichia coli in commercial lettuce grown under three different irrigation systems (overhead sprinkler, subsurface drip and surface furrow). Methods and Results: Three replicated field trials were conducted. In an initial trial, we consistently observed higher mesophilic bacteria counts under sprinkler irrigation but visual quality was found to be dependent on the water potential of leaves at harvest. Further, in the other two trials, E. coli K‐12 strains LMM1010 and ATCC 25253, was injected into the water stream of the different irrigation systems to determine survival in the field. Results showed that product samples were positive for E. coli up to 7 days when using sprinkler irrigation, whereas only one product sample was found positive for E. coli when using other irrigation methods. Survival of bacteria in soil persisted longer in furrow‐irrigated areas, ranging from an estimated 17 days in winter months to 5 days during the warmer summer periods. This finding combined with results from a parallel 3‐year survey of canal waters indicate that while highest risk of finding E. coli in irrigation water is in warmer months, the survival in soil is lower during the same time period. Conclusions: Our results in a study set under common commercial conditions confirmed the enhanced risk of E. coli contamination when using sprinkle irrigation. Furthermore, E. coli persistence in furrow‐irrigated soil validates the importance of an early irrigation termination for both sprinkler and furrow methods. Significance and Impact of the Study: Stringent monitoring and in‐field food safety controls should be emphasized during the last few days before harvest.