Restocking of the Western School Prawn (Metapenaeus dalli) in the Swan Canning Riverpark

This report provides the first comprehensive investigation into the biology and ecology of the Western School Prawn (Metapenaeus dalli) in the Swan-Canning Estuary in south-western Australia. It provides knowledge to help manage the fishery and evaluate release strategies for the aquaculture-based enhancement of this species. The study involved Murdoch University, the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) (formerly Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Swan River Trust) and the Australian Centre for Applied Aquaculture Research (ACAAR). It was designed to complement a concurrent project to develop aquaculture techniques to produce and release M. dalli and re-engage the local community with prawning and the estuary (led by ACAAR, DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service and the West Australian Fish Foundation), funded by the Recreational Fishing Initiatives Fund. The Fisheries Research and Development Corporation provided matching funds for the current study. Biological data on M. dalli were collected from 20 sites in nearshore and 16 in the offshore waters of the Swan-Canning Estuary, ranging from the mouth of the system to ~40 and 30 km upstream in the Swan and Canning rivers, respectively, in every lunar month between October 2013 and March 2016. Laboratory studies were also completed to investigate the survival and growth of larval prawns in different salinity, water temperature and algal food conditions. Results were presented as part of the Prawn Watch program to engage the community in the research and encourage stewardship of the fishery and the estuary

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

A methodology to develop aquaculture-based release strategies with an application to Metapenaeus dalli in the Swan-Canning Estuary: the Survival-Maximisation-at-Release Tool (SMART)

Aquaculture-based enhancement, a method of releasing cultured organisms into the wild to boost fishery productivity, is becoming increasingly popular as a management option for restoring depleted fish stocks and increasing fishery yields. In the first section of this Thesis, I review and synthesise how the effectiveness of aquaculture-based enhancements can be optimised to maximise survival of released individuals. Two specific areas were identified that have a major influence on the short-term survival of released animals (i) “training” or acclimation in the hatchery to conditions in natural systems, e.g. habitats, water flows, natural (live) food and the smell and sight of predators through predator avoidance training and (ii) the development of a sound release strategy, involving the selection of site, time and size at release. The objective of the second section of this Thesis was to create a tool to inform the development of an optimal release strategy, by evaluating site selection and time of release for the release of post-larval Western School Prawns Metapenaeus dalli in the Swan-Canning Estuary. This was achieved by developing the Survival-Maximisation-At-Release-Tool (SMART), a quantitative tool that collated factors and variables considered to influence the survival of released M. dalli at potential sites around the estuary to determine a SMART score (0-100) for each potential release site and time (Month, Year, Day/Night). Statistical analyses on the resultant SMART scores determined that region of release was the most influential factor for the survival of released M. dalli, followed by year and then month. Due to the wide range of values for the salinity variable and sediment composition and predation factors among sites and time, these had the most influence on overall SMART score. Across the 16 nearshore sites sampled in five consecutive months in each of three years, the optimal site of release was at Deep Water Point in the Lower Canning Estuary during the night in January 2014. Recommendations for future improvements to the SMART methodology for releases of M. dalli were identified and mechanisms for adapting this tool for its application to other species and aquatic ecosystems are discussed. The SMART provides output that can be readily conveyed to diverse audiences (i.e. fishers, researchers, managers and the community) to enhance discussions on optimal release strategies

Thigh-length compression stockings and DVT after stroke

Controversy exists as to whether neoadjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with invasive bladder cancer, despite randomised controlled trials of more than 3000 patients. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of such treatment on survival in patients with this disease

Dynamic metabolomics reveals that insulin primes the adipocyte for glucose metabolism

Insulin triggers an extensive signaling cascade to coordinate adipocyte glucose metabolism. It is considered that the major role of insulin is to provide anabolic substrates by activating GLUT4-dependent glucose uptake. However, insulin stimulates phosphorylation of many metabolic proteins. To examine the implications of this on glucose metabolism, we performed dynamic tracer metabolomics in cultured adipocytes treated with insulin. Temporal analysis of metabolite concentrations and tracer labeling revealed rapid and distinct changes in glucose metabolism, favoring\ua0specific glycolytic branch points and pyruvate anaplerosis. Integrating dynamic metabolomics and\ua0phosphoproteomics data revealed that insulin-dependent phosphorylation of anabolic enzymes occurred prior to substrate accumulation. Indeed, glycogen synthesis was activated independently of\ua0glucose supply. We refer to this phenomenon as metabolic priming, whereby insulin signaling creates a demand-driven system to "pull" glucose into specific anabolic pathways. This complements the supply-driven regulation of anabolism by substrate accumulation and highlights an additional role for insulin action in adipocyte glucose metabolism