Determination of maximum allowable concentration and LC50 96h of Sefidroud River sediments for Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) fingerlings

The impact of Sefidroud River sediments on the fingerlings of Persian Sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) was studied in 2005. The tests were done in 20 liter aquariums each containing 10 Persian Sturgeons fingerlings weighing 3-5 grams each. We devised 6 treatments and a control with 3 repetitions in the four day investigation through which the lethal concentration (LC50 96h) of Sefidroud sediments were studied. During the test, physicochemical parameters of water such as pH, oxygen and temperature were measured as 8, 8.5mg/1 and 25±1°C respectively. The results showed that LC5096h and LC50 24h of sediments on Persian sturgeon were 15367.39mg/1 and 124882.04mg/1 respectively. We determined the maximum allow-able concentration (M.A.C) of sediments to be I 536.74mg/l

Description of the bias introduced by the transition from Conventional Manual Measurements to Automatic Weather Station through the analysis of European and American parallel datasets (+ Australia, Israel & Kyrgyzstan)

Presentación realizada en: 10th EUMETNET Data Management Workshop celebrado en St. Gallen, Suiza, del 28 al 30 de octubre de 2015.In this work, we approach the description of the biases introduced by automation in temperature records. This is one of the first studies in the framework of The Parallel Observations Scientific Team (POST). POST is a newly created group of the International Surface Temperature Initiative (ISTI), with the support of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The goals of POST (http://www.surfacetemperatures.org/databank/parallel_measurements) are the study of climate data inhomogeneities at the daily and sub-daily level through the compilation and analysis of parallel measurements. Long instrumental climate records are usually affected by non-climatic changes, due to, e.g., relocations and changes in instrumentation, instrument height or data collection and manipulation procedures. These so-called inhomogeneities distort the climate signal and can hamper the assessment of trends and variability. Thus to study climatic changes we need to accurately distinguish non-climatic and climatic signals. The most direct way to study the influence of non-climatic changes on the distribution and to understand the reasons for these biases is the analysis of parallel measurements. A parallel measurement is composed of two or more time series, which measure a climatic variable with two different systems (for example, Montsouris and Stevenson Screens) or in two different locations (for example, city centre and airport). They mimic the situation “before” and “after” a homogeneity break. Most parallel measurements are obtained from collocated or nearly collocated series and can help us to understand the size and shape of different typical sources of inhomogeneity, which affect the climate series. Here we study the transition from conventional temperature manual measurements (CON) to Automatic Weather Stations (AWS), using several parallel datasets distributed over Europe and America. The variables studied in the analysis presented here are daily maximum and minimum temperature. First of all, the metadata – when available - is gathered to gain knowledge on the exact setting of the parallel series. Secondly, the difference (temperature) series AWS-CON are submitted to quality control, to remove obvious errors and inspected to detect internal inhomogeneities and split if necessary. In a third step, each segment is studied to understand the bias introduced by the transition, its seasonality as well as changes in the empirical distributions. When additional variables are available, an attempt is made to study the effects of other variables on the observed biases.With the support of Grant CGL2012-32193, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MINECO, España and FP7-SPACE-2013-1 grand 607193, Uncertainties in Ensembles of Regional Reanalyses (UERRA)

Investigation of breeding and culture in Iranian cichlid (Iranocichla hormuzensis) as endemic and ornamental species

Iranian Cichlid is an invaluable ornamental species which is domesticated in Iran and called Iranocichla hormuzensis scientifically, is living in the Hormoz zone, Shahou River (between Bandar Abbas and Haji Abad). The first phase of the research project started in September of 2012 and lasted about 18 months, focused on adapting the wild cichlids to cope with the aquarium environment. Therefore, about 63 male and female of Iranian cichlids collected from the natural habitat, Shahou River, then moved to the nearest city, Bandar Abbas to and released in aquariums which were filled by water of River where they were living. After few days they moved to “innovative aquaculture technologies research station” and reared in 100 liter glass tanks to monitor their behaviors. By initial days, the Cichlids seemed to be stressed out significantly, they were flashing, hitting them to the aquarium, trying to jump out and get discolored due to strange environment. By days, the stressful treats decreased and the experiments coped with the new environment. At the next step, schools of 5-7 fish organized to pear up. The mortality rate collected daily and accidental biometry recorded fortnightly. The rearing temperature adjusted and was stable at 37˚C. Finally, the Cichlids were completely adopted and prepared for mating and breeding

Gene Transfer to Chicks Using Lentiviral Vectors Administered via the Embryonic Chorioallantoic Membrane

The lack of affordable techniques for gene transfer in birds has inhibited the advancement of molecular studies in avian species. Here we demonstrate a new approach for introducing genes into chicken somatic tissues by administration of a lentiviral vector, derived from the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), into the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of chick embryos on embryonic day 11. The FIV-derived vectors carried yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) or recombinant alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) genes, driven by the cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Transgene expression, detected in chicks 2 days after hatch by quantitative real-time PCR, was mostly observed in the liver and spleen. Lower expression levels were also detected in the brain, kidney, heart and breast muscle. Immunofluorescence and flow cytometry analyses confirmed transgene expression in chick tissues at the protein level, demonstrating a transduction efficiency of ∼0.46% of liver cells. Integration of the viral vector into the chicken genome was demonstrated using genomic repetitive (CR1)-PCR amplification. Viability and stability of the transduced cells was confirmed using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, immunostaining with anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (anti-PCNA), and detection of transgene expression 51 days post transduction. Our approach led to only 9% drop in hatching efficiency compared to non-injected embryos, and all of the hatched chicks expressed the transgenes. We suggest that the transduction efficiency of FIV vectors combined with the accessibility of the CAM vasculature as a delivery route comprise a new powerful and practical approach for gene delivery into somatic tissues of chickens. Most relevant is the efficient transduction of the liver, which specializes in the production and secretion of proteins, thereby providing an optimal target for prolonged study of secreted hormones and peptides

Translational readthrough in Tobacco necrosis virus-D

AbstractThe plus-strand RNA genome of Tobacco necrosis virus-D (TNV-D) expresses its polymerase via translational readthrough. The RNA signals involved in this readthrough process were characterized in vitro using a wheat germ extract translation system and in vivo via protoplast infections. The results indicate that (i) TNV-D requires a long-range RNA-RNA interaction between an extended stem-loop (SL) structure proximal to the readthrough site and a sequence in the 3'-untranslated region of its genome; (ii) stability of the extended SL structure is important for its function; (iii) TNV-D readthrough elements are compatible with UAG and UGA, but not UAA; (iv) a readthrough defect can be rescued by a heterologous readthrough element in vitro, but not in vivo; and (v) readthrough elements can also mediate translational frameshifting. These results provide new information on determinants of readthrough in TNV-D and further support the concept of a common general mechanism for readthrough in Tombusviridae