Do method and species lifestyle affect measures of maximum metabolic rate in fish?

The rate at which active animals can expend energy is limited by their maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR). Two methods are commonly used to estimate MMR as oxygen uptake in fishes, namely during prolonged swimming or immediately following brief exhaustive exercise, but it is unclear whether they return different estimates of MMR or whether their effectiveness for estimating MMR varies among species with different lifestyles. A broad comparative analysis of MMR data from 121 fish species revealed little evidence of different results between the two methods, either for fishes in general or for species of benthic, benthopelagic or pelagic lifestyles

An experimental model for the study of long-term parenteral nutrition in pig. Morbidity, microbiological and biochemical findings

We have established an animal model for studies of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) regimen. Pigs were given long-term lipid based TPN after a formula recommended to children. Central venous catheter colonization rate was not significantlyraised in entirely parenterally fed animals. In the same animals, intestinal microflora-associated characteristics and light microscopic evaluation of the intestinal mucosa indicated a quantitative intact mieroflora and absence of mucosal atrophy.Still morbidity was significantly higher in entirely parenterally fed animals given the same caloric load as enterally ted. Since there was a dietary substance (lat, protein and carbohydrate) unbalance, however, it is impossible to conclude whetherthe TPN was insufficient or had adverse efleets. The model will permit further investigtion of such TPN effects

Statistical properties of ionospheric stimulated electromagnetic emissions

We have analysed the statistical properties of the stimulated electromagnetic emissions (SEE) spectral features in the steady state, reached after a long period of continuous HF pumping of the ionosphere in experiments performed at the Sura ionospheric radio research facility in Russia. Using a digital filter bank method, we have been able to analyse complex valued signals within narrow frequency bands. Each of the SEE spectral features are thereby separated into a number of narrow spectral components. Statistical tests were performed for all these spectral components and the distributions of the spectral amplitudes and phases were evaluated. Also, a test for sinusoidal components was performed. These tests showed that all observed SEE features were indistinguishable from coloured Gaussian noise. The test results exclude that the SEE features can be the result of a single isolated coherent process, but does not rule out that there could be many statistically independent parametric wave-wave processes taking place simultaneously at various parts of the HF-pumped ionosphere, as long as the superposition from all these is incoherent. Furthermore, from the test results, we cannot exclude the possibility that the waveforms of some, or all, of the SEE features may be chaotic

Model estimates of metazoans' contributions to the biological carbon pump

Funding: This work was supported by the Centre for Ocean Life, a VKR Centre of Excellence funded by the Villum Foundation, and by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (grant no. 5479). André W. Visser was funded in part through the Horizon 2020 project ECOTIP (grant no. 869383). Andrew S. Brierley and Roland Proud were funded in part through the EU BG3 project “SUMMER” and BG8 project “Mission Atlantic”. Collated echo-sounder data obtained from the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) included observations made during the Atlantic Meridional Transect. The Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) is funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council through its National Capability Long-term Single Centre Science Programme, Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science (grant number NE/R015953/1).The daily vertical migrations of fish and other metazoans actively transport organic carbon from the ocean surface to depth, contributing to the biological carbon pump. We use an oxygen-constrained, game-theoretic food-web model to simulate diel vertical migrations and estimate near-global (global ocean minus coastal areas and high latitudes) carbon fluxes and sequestration by fish and zooplankton due to respiration, fecal pellets, and deadfalls. Our model provides estimates of the carbon export and sequestration potential for a range of pelagic functional groups, despite uncertain biomass estimates of some functional groups. While the export production of metazoans and fish is modest (∼20 % of global total), we estimate that their contribution to carbon sequestered by the biological pump (∼800 PgC) is conservatively more than 50 % of the estimated global total (∼1300 PgC) and that they have a significantly longer sequestration timescale (∼250 years) than previously reported for other components of the biological pump. Fish and multicellular zooplankton contribute about equally to this sequestered carbon pool. This essential ecosystem service could be at risk from both unregulated fishing on the high seas and ocean deoxygenation due to climate change.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Extreme ultraviolet interferometry measurements with high-order harmonics

We demonstrate that high-order harmonics generated by short, intense laser pulses in gases provide an interesting radiation source for extreme ultraviolet interferometry, since they are tunable, coherent, of short pulse duration, and simple to manipulate. Harmonics from the 9th to the 15th are used to measure the thickness of an aluminum layer. The 11th harmonic is used to determine the spatial distribution of the electron density of a plasma produced by a 300-ps laser. Electronic densities higher than 2-10(20) electrons/cm(3) are measured. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America. OCIS codes: 190.0190, 190.4160, 190.7110, 120.3180, 140.7240, 350.4500

COMBINATORIAL EFFECT OF D-AMINOACIDS AND TETRACYCLINE AGAINST PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA BIOFILM

Objective: The present study attempted to evaluate the anti-biofilm activity of D-amino acids (D-AAs) on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and determine if the combination of D-AAs with tetracycline enhances the anti-biofilm activity in vitro and ex vivo.Methods: Different D-AAs were tested for antibiofilm activity against wild type P. aeruginosa PAO1 and two multidrug resistant P. aeruginosa clinical strains in the presence of sub inhibitory concentrations of tetracycline using crystal violet microtitre plate assay. Results were further validated using in vitro wound dressing and ex vivo porcine skin models followed by cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility studies.Results: D-tryptophan (5 mmol) showed 61 % reduction in biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa. Interestingly combinatorial effect of 5 mmol D-tryptophan and 0.5 minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (7.5µg/ml) tetracycline showed 90% reduction in biofilm formation. 5 mmol D-methionine shows 28 % reduction and combination with tetracycline shows 41% reduction in biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa. D-leucine and D-tyrosine alone or in combination with tetracycline did not show significant anti-biofilm activity. D tryptophan-tetracycline combination could reduce 80 % and 77 % reduction in biofilm formation in two multi drug resistant P. aeruginosa clinical strains. D-tryptophan-tetracycline-combination could also reduce 76% and 66% reduction in biofilm formation in wound dressing model and porcine skin explant respectively. The cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility studies did not show significant toxicity when this combination was used.Conclusion: The results established the potential therapeutic application of D-tryptophan alone or in combination with tetracycline for treating biofilm associated clinical problems caused by P. aeruginosa

XUV interferometry using high-order harmonics: Application to plasma diagnostics

In this paper, we present and compare the two different XUV interferometric techniques using high-order harmonics that have been developed so far. The first scheme is based on the interference between two spatially separated phase-locked harmonic sources while the second uses two temporally separated harmonic sources. These techniques have been applied to plasma diagnostics in feasibility experiments where electron densities up to a few 1020 e[minus sign/cm3 have been measured with a temporal resolution of 200 fs. We present the main characteristics of each technique and discuss their respective potentials and limitations

Influence of experimental set-up and methodology for measurements of metabolic rates and critical swimming speed in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar

In this study, swim‐tunnel respirometry was performed on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar post‐smolts in a 90 l respirometer on individuals and compared with groups or individuals of similar sizes tested in a 1905 l respirometer, to determine if differences between set‐ups and protocols exist. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) derived from the lowest oxygen uptake rate cycles over a 20 h period was statistically similar to SMR derived from back extrapolating to zero swim speed. However, maximum metabolic rate (MMR) estimates varied significantly between swimming at maximum speed, following an exhaustive chase protocol and during confinement stress. Most notably, the mean (±SE) MMR was 511 ± 15 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 in the swim test which was 52% higher compared with 337 ± 9 mg O2 kg−1 in the chase protocol, showing that the latter approach causes a substantial underestimation. Performing group respirometry in the larger swim tunnel provided statistically similar estimates of SMR and MMR as for individual fish tested in the smaller tunnel. While we hypothesised a larger swim section and swimming in groups would improve swimming performance, Ucrit was statistically similar between both set‐ups and statistically similar between swimming alone v. swimming in groups in the larger set‐up, suggesting that this species does not benefit hydrodynamically from swimming in a school in these conditions. Different methods and set‐ups have their own respective limitations and advantages depending on the questions being addressed, the time available, the number of replicates required and if supplementary samplings such as blood or gill tissues are needed. Hence, method choice should be carefully considered when planning experiments and when comparing previous studies.publishedVersio