Clean technology in aquaculture — a production without waste products?

A method has been developed for the determination of H₂S and FeS in sediments. FeS is converted into H₂S which is flushed from the samples directly into an excess of chlorine bleach, NaC1O or KClO with some Zn²⁺ added. Either the excess can be titrated back potentiometrically with As₂O₃, or the sulphate formed can be measured colorimetrically. The precision is primarily controlled by the homogeneity of the sediment suspensions and can be better than 99%.     

A covalently bound photoisomerizable agonist. Comparison with reversibly bound agonists at electrophorus electroplaques

After disulphide bonds are reduced with dithiothreitol, trans-3- (α-bromomethyl)-3’-[α- (trimethylammonium)methyl]azobenzene (trans-QBr) alkylates a sulfhydryl group on receptors. The membrane conductance induced by this “tethered agonist” shares many properties with that induced by reversible agonists. Equilibrium conductance increases as the membrane potential is made more negative; the voltage sensitivity resembles that seen with 50 [mu]M carbachol. Voltage- jump relaxations follow an exponential time-course; the rate constants are about twice as large as those seen with 50 μM carbachol and have the same voltage and temperature sensitivity. With reversible agonists, the rate of channel opening increases with the frequency of agonist-receptor collisions: with tethered trans-Qbr, this rate depends only on intramolecular events. In comparison to the conductance induced by reversible agonists, the QBr-induced conductance is at least 10-fold less sensitive to competitive blockade by tubocurarine and roughly as sensitive to “open-channel blockade” bu QX-222. Light-flash experiments with tethered QBr resemble those with the reversible photoisomerizable agonist, 3,3’,bis-[α-(trimethylammonium)methyl]azobenzene (Bis-Q): the conductance is increased by cis {arrow} trans photoisomerizations and decreased by trans {arrow} cis photoisomerizations. As with Bis-Q, ligh-flash relaxations have the same rate constant as voltage-jump relaxations. Receptors with tethered trans isomer. By comparing the agonist-induced conductance with the cis/tans ratio, we conclude that each channel’s activation is determined by the configuration of a single tethered QBr molecule. The QBr-induced conductance shows slow decreases (time constant, several hundred milliseconds), which can be partially reversed by flashes. The similarities suggest that the same rate-limiting step governs the opening and closing of channels for both reversible and tethered agonists. Therefore, this step is probably not the initial encounter between agonist and receptor molecules.     

Palatability and feeding preferences of Uresiphita maorialis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) for three Sophora species

In a three-hour bioassay, we tested the palatability and feeding preferences of Uresiphita maorialis (kōwhai moth) for Sophora tetraptera, Sophora microphylla and Sophora prostrata. Palatability tests showed no differences among the Sophora species. Feeding preferences, on the other hand, showed that S. tetraptera and S. microphylla leaves are preferred over S. prostrata leaves. Our results support our field observations in Wellington city parks and gardens showing that S. tetraptera and S. microphylla plants frequently have higher densities of larvae than S. prostrata.     

Biodeterioration of Mayan buildings at uxmal and tulum,Mexico

Uxmal and Tulum are two important Mayan sites in the Yucatan peninsula. The buildings are mainly composed of limestone and grey/black discoloration is seen on exposed walls and copious greenish biofilms on inner walls. The principal microorganisms detected on interior walls at both Uxmal and Tulum were cyanobacteria; heterotrophic bacteria and filamentous fungi were also present. A dark‐pigmented mitosporic fungus and Bacillus cereus, both isolated from Uxmal, were shown to be acidogenic in laboratory cultures. Cyanobacteria belonging to rock‐degrading genera Synechocystis and Gloeocapsa were identified at both sites. Surface analysis previously showed that calcium ions were present in the biofilms on buildings at Uxmal and Tulum, suggesting the deposition of biosolubilized stone. Apart from their potential to degrade the substrate, the coccoid cyanobacteria supply organic nutrients for bacteria and fungi, which can produce organic acids, further increasing stone degradation.     

A Double-Blind,Randomised, Crossover Trial of Two Botulinum Toxin Type A in Patients with Spasticity

Background

Botulinum toxin type A (btxA) is one of the main treatment choices for patients with spasticity. Prosigne® a new released botulinum toxin serotype A may have the same effectiveness as Botox® in focal dystonia. However, there are no randomized clinical trials comparing these formulations in spasticity treatment. The aim of our study was to compare the efficacy and safety of Prosigne® with Botox® in the treatment of spasticity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We performed a double-blind, randomized, crossover study consisting of 57 patients with clinically meaningful spasticity. The patients were assessed at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks after Prosigne® or Botox® administration. The main outcomes were changes in the patients’ Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) scores and adverse effects related to the botulinum toxin. Both of the toxins were significantly effective in relieving the level of spasticity in adults and children. There were no significant differences found between the Prosigne® and Botox® treatments regarding their MAS, FIM and PEDI scores. Likewise, the incidence of adverse effects was similar between the two groups.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that Prosigne® and Botox® are both efficient and comparable with respect to their efficacy and safety for the three month treatment of spasticity.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00819065","term_id":"NCT00819065"}}NCT00819065.     

The role of fish-poultry integration on fish growth performance,yields and economic benefits among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa,Tanzania

Aquaculture practices from sub-Saharan Africa are characterised by low production, owing to improper technology. Production can be increased through integrating fish farming with other existing on-farm activities, particularly livestock husbandry. We assessed the role of fish-poultry integration on all male Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus growth performance, yields and economic benefits among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania. The study also compared phytoplankton species composition, abundance and biomass between the fish-poultry integration and non-integrated system. After 180 days of the experiment, all male O. niloticus cultured under fish-poultry integration exhibited significantly higher growth rates than those in the non-integrated system (p < 0.05). Gross fish yield (GFY), net fish yield (NFY) and net annual yields (NAY) obtained from fish-poultry integration were significantly higher than those from non-integrated system (p < 0.05). Partial enterprise budget analysis revealed that fish-poultry integration was more profitable than the non-integrated system. Moreover, fish-poultry integrated system produced significantly higher phytoplankton abundance and biomass than those from the non-integrated system. Results demonstrate that rural smallholder farmers can achieve higher growth rate, farm net yields and income by integrating all male O. niloticus with other on-farm activities than practising a stand-alone fish culture system.     

Carbon source utilization profiles as a method to identify sources of faecal pollution in water

AIMS: Carbon source utilization profiles as a phenotypic fingerprinting methodology for determining sources of faecal pollution in water were evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-five Enterococcus isolates were collected from known faecal sources in four different geographical regions and were identified to species with the commercial Biolog system. Discriminant analysis (DA) was used to identify the substrate-containing wells that best classified the 365 isolates by source. By using 30 of the 95 wells for the analysis, the average rate of correct classification (ARCC) by source was 92.7% for a human vs non-human two-way classification when isolates from all regions were combined into one library. Corresponding ARCCs for other classification schemes were 81.9% for a four-way classification of human vs livestock vs wildlife vs domestic pets, and 85.7% for a three-way classification without human isolates. When three individual libraries were made based on classification of sources within Enterococcus species, the ARCC was 95.3% for the Ent. faecalis library, 95.8% for the Ent. gallinarum library and 94.7% for the Ent. mundtii library. Thirty Enterococcus isolates (unknown sources) were obtained from each of three stream sites where a specific source of pollution was apparent; 90.0% of the isolates from a human-suspected source were classified as human, 86.6% were classified as livestock from a livestock-suspected site, and 93.3% were classified as wildlife from a wildlife-suspected site. CONCLUSIONS: Phenotypic fingerprinting with carbon source utilization profiles provided levels of correct classification by sources from an Enterococcus library that were in the upper range of those reported in the literature. ARCCs for three Enterococcus species-specific libraries were very high and may be the best approach for further developing this concept and methodology. SIGNIFICANCE ANC IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The results, based on a modest Enterococcus library and a preliminary field validation test, demonstrated the potential for carbon source utilization profiles to be employed as a phenotypic method for determining sources of faecal pollution in water.     

Inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitors suppress airway inflammation in mice through down-regulation of chemokine expression

Growing evidence demonstrates that inducible NO synthase (iNOS) is induced in the airways of asthmatic patients. However, the precise role of NO in the lung inflammation is unknown. This study investigated the effect of both selective and nonselective iNOS inhibitors in an allergen-driven murine lung inflammation model. OVA challenge resulted in an accumulation of eosinophils and neutrophils in the airways. Expression of iNOS immunostaining in lung sections together with an increase in calcium-independent NOS activity in lung homogenates was also observed after OVA challenge. Treatment with iNOS inhibitors from the day of challenge to the day of sacrifice resulted in an inhibition of the inflammatory cell influx together with a down-regulation of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 production. In contrast, eosinophilic and neutrophilic inhibition was not observed with treatment during the sensitization. Both treatments induced an increased production of Th2-type cytokines (IL-4 and IL-5) with a concomitant decrease in production of Th1-type cytokine (IFN-gamma). In vitro exposure of primary cultures of murine lung fibroblasts to a NO donor, hydroxylamine, induced a dose-dependent release of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. Our results suggest that lung inflammation after allergen challenge in mice is partially dependent on NO produced mainly by iNOS. NO appears to increase lung chemokine expression and, thereby, to facilitate influx of inflammatory cells into the airways.