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Efficient detection of selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is extremely important for the safety of humans and for the moderation of agriculture. This calls for the design of versatile nanosensors capable of sensing toxic POPs with high sensitivity and selectivity. Inspired by this, the sensing characteristics of carbon nitride (C3N5) monolayers toward selected POPs are reported, such as Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), Methoxychlor (DMDT), Fenthion (FT), Fenitrothion (FNT), and Rennol (RL), employing density functional theory calculations. Analysis of results predicts adsorption energies of −0.93, −1.55, −1.44, −0.98, and −1.15 eV for DDT, DMDT, FT, FNT, and RM, respectively, on C3N5 monolayers. Significant charge transfers among organic pollutants and C3N5 lead to distinct electronic properties of the conjugated complexes, revealed by the density of states, electrostatic potential, and work function calculations. To detect the selected pollutants in high humidity, the effects due to aqueous medium are considered. Additionally, a statistical thermodynamic analysis utilizing the Langmuir adsorption model is utilized to explore the influence of temperature and pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shrimp immune system defends and protects against infection by its naturally expressing antimicrobial peptides. Stylicin is a proline-rich anionic antimicrobial peptide (AMP) that exhibits potent antimicrobial activity. In this study, stylicin gene was isolated from Penaeus vannamei, cloned into vector pET-28a (+), and overexpressed in Escherichia coli SHuffle T7 cells. The protein was purified and tested for its antibiofilm activity against shrimp pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus. It was resulted that the recombinant stylicin significantly reduced the biofilm formation of V. parahaemolyticus at a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 200 µg. Cell aggregation was observed by using scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy, and it was resulted that stylicin administration significantly affects the cell structure and biofilm density of V. parahaemolyticus. In addition, real-time PCR confirmed the downregulation (p < 0.05) of genes responsible for growth and colonization. The efficacy of stylicin was tested by injecting it into shrimp challenged with V. parahaemolyticus and 7 days after infection, stylicin-treated animals recovered and survived better in both treatments (T2—100 µg stylicin, − 68.8%; T1—50 µg stylicin, 60%) than in control (7%) (p < 0.01). Comparative proteomic and mass spectrometry analysis of shrimp hemolymph resulted that the expressed proteins were involved in cell cycle, signal transduction, immune pathways, and stress-related proteins representing infection and recovery, and were significantly different in the stylicin-treated groups. The result of this study suggests that the stylicin can naturally boost immunity and can be used as a choice for treating V. parahaemolyticus infections in shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anantharaja, K.; Krishnan, P.; Menaga, M.; Abuthagir Iburahim, S.; Hemaprasanth, K.P.; Swain, S.K.; Rani, B.; Panigrahi, A., and Routray, P., 2024. Global trends of biofloc research in the aquaculture sector: A metadata scientometric analysis. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(1), 167–178. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Biofloc technology is a sustainable tool for aquaculture production. This study is the first of its kind to provide insights into the quantitative visualization of global biofloc research trends in the aquaculture sector for the last two decades based on metadata analysis. The metadata on biofloc research retrieved during the period 1999–2021 from Web of Science was analysed. The results indicate that Brazil is the most active contributor to biofloc research—followed by China, Mexico, the United States, and India—in terms of number of publications; however, Israel holds the highest average citations per paper. The most cited paper in biofloc research has been cited 513 times, and Avnimelech from Technion Israel institute of Technology is the author of the most cited paper (513 citations) in biofloc research. The most widely studied species are shrimp and tilapia, specifically Penaeus vannamei and Oreochromis niloticus. The journal Aquaculture published a maximum number of research papers on biofloc (153 papers), followed by Aquaculture Research (96 papers) and Aquaculture International (47 papers). The trend analysis revealed that the topics related to disease resistance, different carbon sources, and microbial community are emerging in recent times. This study highlights the trends in biofloc research for its further advancements to guide researchers and policymakers to expedite the adoption of robust aquaculture practices to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an aim to evaluate the culture potential of Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus grow-out farming trials were carried out under different salinity regimes and stocking densities across the coastal states of India (West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala). The growth performance and immunity status were assessed under two different stocking densities (low and high) at each salinity regime (S1: 3–7; S2: 8–15; S3:15–25; S4:25–35; and S5:40–60 ppt) for a period of 80–120 days. Significantly higher growth was observed in the salinity range of 15 to 35 ppt with average daily growth (ADG) up to 0.195 ± 0.032 compared to low ADG of 0.125 ± 0.021 in very low and very high salinity range (< 7 ppt and > 40 ppt). Similarly, the final mean harvest weight of P. indicus reared at 15–25 ppt salinity was significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to other salinity ranges. The lower stocking density treatment ponds demonstrated higher mean harvest weight (18–30 g) with a production ranged from 2200.59 ± 331.09 kg/ha/crop to 3611.02 ± 218.23 kg/ha/crop compared to higher density ponds (12–20 g) which was ranged from 4338.67 ± 650.37 kg/ha/crop to 7817.31 ± 158.78 kg/ha/crop. The total productivity (kg/ha/crop) significantly (p < 0.05) increased with increase in stocking density by 20–30% while it was comparable between salinity ranges. The prophenoloxidase (PPO) activity gradually increased or decreased correspondingly to the salinity level with significantly lower PPO activity being observed at very low (5 ppt) and very high (60 ppt) than other salinity ranges. The serum protein and lysozyme also varied with the salinity range. Different densities did not affect immune parameters much, although lower stocking density was showing marginal increase. This study is based on large data from multi-location trials undertaken across different salinity ranges and stocking densities and provides a field-level assessment of growth potential of this native shrimp species in different geographic locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biofloc culture system is an eco-friendly method, because it limits the water usage and effluent discharge to the surrounding environment. The present study aimed to investigate immune potential, growth, and survival of Indian white shrimp Penaeus indicus, post larvae in the biofloc technology (BFT) with C:N ratio of 15:1 during nursery phase in different salinities (5‰, 15‰, 25‰, 30‰, and 35‰). Experiments were conducted in triplicate in 100-L-reinforced fiber plastic (FRP) tanks, and P. indicus (post larvae 10) were stocked at the density of 120 numbers/tank (1.2post larvae/L). The total suspended solid (TSS) level in each biofloc group was maintained at 200–300 mg/L. The results showed that the final biomass and survival in each treatment were significantly higher in biofloc-reared shrimps when compared to clear water culture (p < 0.05). Among the salinity and BFT treatments, shrimps reared in 15‰ with BFT condition showed better growth and survival than other treatments and achieved a significantly higher final body weight (1.67 g ± 0.067 g). Net shrimp production in terms of growth and survival was 50% higher in the BFT tanks (average body weight = 0.85 ± 0.082 g to 1.67 ± 067 g) than in the control tanks (ABW = 0.61 ± 0.07 g to 0.98 ± 0.07 g). The final survival observed in different biofloc system with varying salinity was significantly higher than respective clear water (CW) system. Total serum protein showed significantly higher levels (120.32 ± 3.68 mg/ml) in 15‰ with BFT treatments than the other. The 15‰ with BFT (0.14 ± 0.011OD/min) and 5‰ with BFT showed more pro-phenol oxidase levels (0.11 ± 0.009 OD/min) of activity than other treatments. Total haemocyte count (THC) was calculated and the highest value of 6.33 ± 0.33 × 106 showed in 15‰ BFT. In conclusion, the lower salinity rearing with biofloc did not show significantly lower growth than optimum range of salinity in case of Penaeus indicus post larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World's most extensive mangrove region, the Sundarbans ecosystem, is highly biodiverse but severely stressed. Past, present, and future potential changes in Sundarbans mangroves have been assessed from multi‐temporal satellite data of 1980, 2000, and 2020, elevation data, and topographical maps using geospatial techniques, digital shoreline analysis system, land change modelling, and ground truth verification. The mangrove loss was 16,025 ha between 1980 and 2020 and is predicted to be 22,286 ha between 2020 and 2050. Major changes were observed in mangroves, waterbodies, mudflats, agriculture, and aquaculture. The shoreline change by endpoint rate indicated the erosion rate by 5.81 m yr−1 in 2000–2020 compared to −0.90 m yr−1 in 1980–2000. The weighted linear regression indicated the average erosion and accretion rate of −5.96 m‐yr −1 and 4.92 m yr−1, respectively, with erosion in 76% of transects and accretion in the remaining 24% between 1980 and 2020. A sea‐level rise by 1 m will inundate 17,486 ha of mangroves. The finding revealed the dynamic nature of mangroves, past and expected future loss, the severely eroding transects, hotspots, and the consequences of mangrove loss on depending the population. As fringe mangroves will be at greater risk, speedy measures are needed to stabilize the highly eroding regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unplanned aquaculture led to the destruction of important ecosystems worldwide. A multi-criteria land suitability model (MLSM) was developed to locate the suitable regions for aquaculture using satellite images, AHP and Monte Carlo simulation, spatial analysis, resource characteristics, and regulations. Twenty-one variables within four subgroups (land use, water quality, soil characteristics, and infrastructure support) have been integrated for the site suitability. Land availability was the major limiting factor. The area available for aquaculture was 4310 ha in Ramanathapuram District, which consists of 33.3% of most appropriate, 23.1% of appropriate, and 43.6% of moderately appropriate regions. The carrying capacity of rivers indicated that all rivers had sufficient nutrient assimilation capacity, except the Kottagudi River, where the aquaculture planning is to be within the carrying capacity of the river. The sensitivity analysis confirmed that integrated MLSM and carrying capacity approach could be adopted to identify suitable zones to develop aquaculture and save productive ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrimp culture and its export are growing fast in India in tandem with the global demand for protein‐rich seafood. Farmers are always seeking newer technologies and cultural practices to alleviate risks and remain profitable and sustainable. One of the practices that is gaining prevalence in recent years is Penaeus vannamei culture in lined ponds in brackish water and low saline environments. Our study aims to understand the differences in physicochemical and chemical parameters between lined and earthen ponds in simulated experiments and field studies and weighs the economic benefits. Earthen ponds exhibited lower pH fluctuations than lined as soil functions as a buffer against pH variations. The key differentiators were the lower metabolites and higher nutrients in the lined ponds leading to a healthier pond environment. It was complemented by lower vibrio load in the lined ponds, reducing the threat of diseases significantly. Comparatively, 12.5% higher survival rate and 9% higher growth rate were evidenced in the earthen ponds. Economically, lining material increases the initial capital cost and the income per culture was lower due to marginally lower survival and growth rates in lined ponds. However, this reduced profitability was more than offset by the possible higher number of cultures per year and reduced time between cultures. The economic analysis of average culture data established economic advantage of culture in lined ponds over earthen ponds with an incremental Benefit Cost ratio of 2.15. Ultimately, the choice of lined versus earthen culture depends on the investment and risk potential of the farmer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective techniques for the detection of selected viruses detection of their amino acids (AAs) constituents are highly desired, especially in the present COVID pandemic. Motivated by this, we have used density functional theory (DFT) simulations to explore the potential applications of green phosphorene monolayer (GPM) as efficient nanobio‐sensor. We have employed van der Waals induced calculations to study the ground‐state geometries, binding strength, electronic structures, and charge transfer mechanism of pristine, vacancy‐induced and metal‐doped GPM to detect the selected AAs, such as glycine, proline and aspartic, in both aqueous and non‐aqueous media. We find that the interactions of studied AAs are comparatively weak on pristine (−0.49 to −0.76 eV) and vacancy‐induced GPM as compared to the metal‐doped GPM (−0.62 to −1.22 eV). Among the considered dopants, Ag‐doping enhances the binding of AAs to the GPM stronger than the others. In addition to appropriate binding energies, significant charge transfers coupled with measurable changes in the electronic properties further authenticate the potential of GPM. Boltzmann thermodynamic analysis have been used to study the sensing mechanism under varied conditions of temperatures and pressure for the practical applications. Our findings signify the potential of GPM based sensors towards efficient detection of the selected AAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8‐week feeding trial was performed in GIFT tilapia to evaluate the effects of three herbal extracts (jamun leaf, Syzygium cumini (JLE); avaram senna, Cassia auriculata (ASE); and myrobalan seed, Terminalia chebula (ME) on the growth, haemato‐biochemical, immunological parameters, antioxidant indicators and disease resistance against A. hydrophila. Fish were fed with herbal extract 0% (control diet); JLE 10 g/kg diet; ASE 10 g/kg diet; and ME 10 g/kg diet. The herbal extracts supplemented diets exhibited significantly higher growth performances and feed utilization than the control. The blood and serum indices, haemoglobin, MCV, MCH and cholesterol were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in the herbal extracts supplemented diets than in the control. The respiratory burst activity (RBT), myeloperoxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase in GIFT tilapia were significantly higher in herbal extracts supplemented diets than in control during the post‐challenge condition. Furthermore, increase in all immunological and antioxidant parameters was observed in herbal extracts supplemented diets after the challenge. In addition, the percentage of survival was recorded maximum in herbal extracts supplemented diets and less in control after the bacteria challenge test. The results suggest that herbal extracts modulate growth and immune responses, particularly the diet supplemented with jamun leaf extract at 10 g/kg has the potential in enhancing growth, immunity and reduce mortality against bacterial challenge in GIFT tilapia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding experiment (60 days) was conducted to evaluate the effect of Bacillus spp. fermented plant protein mix in Penaeus monodon. A control diet (CNT) contains 25% fishmeal, of which 50% was substituted (w/w) with Bacillus spp. fermented plant protein mix at two different concentrations of 0.25 and 0.50% (PP-0.25 and PP-0.50, respectively), while the diet prepared with untreated ingredients served as a negative control (PP-0). The daily growth coefficient (DGC) did not differ in the groups fed CNT, PP-0.25, and PP-0.50 diets. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was low in the CNT and PP-0.50 diets, while (protein efficiency ratio (PER) and apparent protein utilization (APU) were high in the PP-0.50-fed group. The dietary change did not affect survival and whole-body composition, while free amino acids varied among the treatments. Increased nitrogen intake and oxygen consumption were observed in subadults fed with CNT diet. Increasing Bacillus spp. concentrations significantly lowered ammonia-N excretion by 2.09-11.69%. Regression analysis revealed higher coefficients for oxygen consumption ( R 2 = 0.8625) and O : N ratio ( R 2 = 0.7791), while it was 0.5894 for ammonia-N excretion. The dietary change significantly influenced hemolymph indices and chitinase, glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and arginase activity. Results conclude that Bacillus spp. fermented plant protein mix could be a viable fishmeal substitute in shrimp feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrimp grow-out and hatchery systems are being affected by bacterial disease particularly Vibrios. The use of chemotherapeutic agents in aquaculture practices has to lead to the development of resistance among aquatic bacteria. Thus, health management becomes of major importance in aquaculture. Under this situation, progressing bio-inhibitors from marine resources are most appropriate to be considered against pathogenic bacteria. Molecular docking is an appropriate tool in structural biology and computer-assisted drug design to predict and neutralize a target protein of known diseases. In this study, marine macro-alga Ulva fasciata was aimed at developing inhibitors against luminescence disease-causing pathogenic bacteria Vibrio harveyi. U. fasciata was collected from Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. Extract of U. fasciata was tested against growth and virulence factors of V. harveyi during Penaeus monodon larviculture. Further U. fasciata extract was subjected to GC–MS analysis to identify the biomolecules. The homology modeling of virulent protein, hemolysin of V. harveyi was designed in this study. Hence, it was aimed for molecular docking against the biomolecules identified from U. fasciata extract. During shrimp larviculture, the extract of U. fasciata (200 μg mL−1) exhibited reduction on Cumulative Percentage of Mortality (32.40%) in postlarvae against challenge of V. harveyi infection. Biomolecule Methyl dehydroabietate had showed highest binding affinity among the compounds was evaluated in molecular docking study. Statistical analysis had revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in trials. Therefore, it was proved that the bio-inhibitors from U. fasciata will be a better option for controlling luminescence disease-causing V. harveyi in shrimp grow-out practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 120-day experiment was conducted to understand the growth and immunomodulatory response of Penaeus vannamei reared in biofloc-integrated periphyton system–like natural substrates like bamboo (NS1), sugarcane bagasse (NS2), artificial substrates like polyvinyl chloride mat (AS1), agricultural shed net (AS2), and a control group without biofloc and substrate. Experiments were carried out in 500-L fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks at a stocking density of 100 nos/m3 (0.256 g). Shrimps reared in natural substrate-based treatments, (NS1 and NS2) recorded highest average body weight (ABW) and survival followed by artificial ones (AS1 and AS2), and were significantly higher (P < 0.01) compared with control. Significantly higher chlorophylla, ash-free dry matter (AFDM), and THB load were recorded in NS (1 and 2) followed by AS (1 and 2). Contrastingly, the Vibrio load was higher in control than treatments. Relative percentage survival was higher (P < 0.01) in treatments when challenged against V. parahaemolyticus. Serum protein level, phenoloxidase activity, and superoxide dismutase assay were significantly higher in natural and artificial substrate groups when compared to control. Immunomodulatory effects through immune gene study revealed a two fold to four fold upregulation in cytMn-SOD and mtMn-SOD genes in NS groups. Similarly, the lysozyme and prophenoloxidase genes were significantly upregulated in the treatment groups. The results conclude that biofloc with natural followed by artificial periphytic substrates were observed to deliver better performances, protective response, and immunomodulatory effects in pacific white shrimp P. vannamei culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 28‐day experiment was carried out to evaluate different C/N ratios (10:1, 15:1 and 20:1) on growth performance, water quality, survival rate and gene expression related to metabolic pathways of Penaeus vannamei in a biofloc system. To maintain the C/N ratio of the feed input, different carbon sources (molasses, rice bran and wheat flour) in combination were applied after fermentation for a day with biofloc consortium. Results showed that shrimps reared in C/N 10 (630 mg) and C/N 15 (646 mg) biofloc systems showed significantly (p =.0229 and.0263) higher growth when compared to C/N 20 (528 mg) and control (374 mg). With regard to the production of extracellular enzymes, protease, lipase and xylanase were found predominantly in colonized bacteria isolated from biofloc treatments, whereas amylase was commonly found in all the treatments. The proPO activity was considerably increased in C/N 10 and 15 treatments than C/N 20 and control. The ranges of relative expression levels of potential genes entailed in metabolite pathway like hexokinase (HK‐ 6.57–8.17), pyruvate kinase (PK‐5.79–7.96), crustacean hyperglycaemic hormone (CHH‐ 6.99–7.66) and fatty acid synthase (FAS‐ 6.57–8.86), triacylglycerol lipase (TGL‐6.99–8.66) and immune gene (Toll receptor‐ 4.57–4.86) fold up‐regulated expression were observed in the biofloc treatments than that of the control. The overall findings indicate that the rearing of P. vannamei shrimp in C/N 10 and 15 biofloc systems could improve the growth performance, water quality and development of immune and metabolic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments were conducted to explore the colonization of beneficial bacteria in shrimp Penaeus vannamei grown in different sources of biofloc and clear water. Beneficial effect in terms of extracellular enzyme production and antibiofilm activity of the isolated strains was determined. Heterotrophic bacterial population were isolated by using different agar plates and resulted in isolation of 94 isolates in total. Extracellular enzyme production such as amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, xylanase, and pectinase were screened. Antibiofilm activity of culture supernatants of enzymatic strains against pathogenic Vibrio was also determined. Out of 94 strains screened, 36 strains were found to produce amylase enzyme, 20 strains protease, 27 strains lipase, 6 strains cellulase, and 8 strains xylanase. Totally, 21 isolates selected for further identification and different species of Cobetia, Exiguobacterium, Bacillus, Marinilactibacillus, Staphyllococcus, and Novosphingobium genera from biofloc treatments were identified. In control group animals, strains of Bacillus and Exiguobacterium were isolated and identified. The genus Exiguobacterium was found common in all the different treatments and control. The result showed that shrimp grown on biofloc system allows colonizing more beneficial bacteria in gut than control. Few promising strains under Bacillus genus were found to produce all the extracellular enzymes along with antibiofilm activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shyne Anand, P.S.; Balasubramanian, C.P.; Francis, B.; Panigrahi, A.; Aravind, R.; Das, R.; Sudheer, N.S.; Rajamanickam, S., and Vijayan., K.K., 2019. Reproductive performance of wild brooders of Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus: Potential and challenges for selective breeding program. In: Jithendran, K.P.; Saraswathy, R.; Balasubramanian, C.P.; Kumaraguru Vasagam, K.P.; Jayasankar, V.; Raghavan, R.; Alavandi, S.V., and Vijayan, K.K. (eds.), BRAQCON 2019: World Brackishwater Aquaculture Conference. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 86, pp. 65-72. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus, has been identified as a national priority species for domestication and genetic improvement. Although breeding and farming of this species has been studied before the inception of commercial shrimp farming in India, reproductive and hatchery performance of this species on a mass scale has not been addressed so far. To evaluate the reproductive performance of wild P. indicus brooders, a total of 2164 brooders from the broodstock fishery along the Indian east coast were used. The experiment was carried out in two phases; in trial 1, brooders from Odisha, Kanyakumari, as well as Chennai, were used, whereas, in trial 2 brooders from Chennai coast alone was used. Only 16-32% of eyestalk ablated animals spawned successfully, whereas remaining stock was found to be nonresponsive to eyestalk ablation. Ablated females had a latency period of 7-10 days with 2-3 times spawning per brooder. The average fecundity of wild spawner was 220000±56000. Eggs per gram body weight for wild and ablated spawners were 8126±3502 and 1481±863, respectively. The egg hatchability was 80% for wild spawners whereas ablated spawners recorded 50-70% hatchability. During larval rearing cycle a lack of synchronized moulting was noticed during protozoea to mysis conversion (91.5% protozoea and 8.5% mysis 1), and mysis 3 to postlarvae (PL) conversion (30-50% of mysis 3 in PL1/PL2 stage). The study provides a deeper understanding of the reproductive performance of wild broodstock of native P. indicus, which can be used as a reference database for future breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antony, J.; Sandeep, K.P.; Aravind, R.; Panigrahi, A., and Balasubramanian, C.P., 2019. Growth, survival, and osmoregulation of Indian white shrimp Penaeus indicus juveniles reared in low salinity amended inland saline groundwater and seawater. In: Jithendran, K.P.; Saraswathy, R.; Balasubramanian, C.P.; Kumaraguru Vasagam, K.P.; Jayasankar, V.; Raghavan, R.; Alavandi, S.V., and Vijayan, K.K. (eds.), BRAQCON 2019: World Brackishwater Aquaculture Conference. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 86, pp. 21–31. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Growth, survival and osmoregulation of Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus juveniles were assessed in two water types' namely inland saline groundwater (ISGW) and seawater (SW). Raw ISGW is deficient in potassium (K+) and causes poor survival of shrimp. Amended ISGW (Na+/K+ ratio – 44:1; Mg2+/Ca2+ ratio – 1.8:1) of salinities 5, 10, and 15 ppt were artificially prepared by mixing of different salts in freshwater. The SW of salinities 5, 10, 15, and 27 ppt were prepared from oceanic water. Juvenile shrimp (∼0.069 g) were stocked to triplicate 120 L tanks (30 shrimp per tank) filled with amended ISGW and SW of different salinities and reared for 45 days (average water temperature, 26.7±0.1°C). All shrimp survived the experimental duration in SW of 10 ppt and amended ISGW of 10 and 15 ppt. Survival was significantly lower in SW of 5, 15 and 27 ppt (75.5–81.1%), and that in amended ISGW of 5 ppt (91.1%) was similar to other treatments. Final mean body weight of shrimp (1–1.2 g) and other growth parameters was not affected by water types and salinities. Serum osmolality was significantly lower for juveniles in amended ISGW of 5 and 10 ppt over those reared in SW of similar salinity. However, the osmoregulatory capacity of juveniles did not vary between amended ISGW and SW of identical salinities. Iso-osmotic point of shrimp in amended ISGW and SW were 793.8 (26.5 ppt) and 779.2 mOsmol Kg-1 (25.9 ppt) respectively. Tail muscle moisture content was significantly lower for shrimp in amended ISGW of 5 and 10 ppt, though hepatopancreas moisture contents did not vary between treatments. Penaeus indicus juveniles are efficient osmoregulators and exhibit typical euryhaline behaviour with identical growth parameters over a wide range of salinity. Data suggests that amended ISGW of Na+/K+ ratio ∼45:1 is suitable for P. indicus culture and commercial farming of the species is feasible at low and intermediate salinities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the 70:30 replacement method and chromium as an inert marker, the digestibility of four fermented oilseed meals/cakes (soybean meal (FSBM), groundnut oil cake (FGNC), rapeseed meal (FRSM), and sunflower oil cake (FSFC)) were determined in Penaeus monodon and Penaeus indicus. Apparent dry matter digestibility (ADMD) of fermented ingredients was ranked as FSBM > FGNC > FRSM > FSFC. The critical variations in apparent protein digestibility (APD) in P. monodon (0.816%) and P. indicus (0.608%) were lower than the ADMD. Appaprent amino acid digestibility (AAD) was >90% in FSBM for both the species and was lower for other ingredients. Protein had a higher digestibility than total amino acids and was in the range of 0.69%–2.71% in P. monodon and 0.32%–2.75% in P. indicus. A correlation between the ADC of total amino acids and protein was found to be r = 0.8229 in P. indicus and r = 0.7447 in P. monodon. Data were further subjected to two way analysis of variance for assessing the digestibility variations between the species. It was observed that P. indicus had higher values of ADMD than P. monodon in FSBM (2.97%) and FRSM (1.22%) and the reverse was true in FGNC and FSFC. The APD was high in P. indicus for FSBM, FGNC and FRSM but not for FSFC. However, significant variations could be noticed in AAD between the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 16‐week indoor culture trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of varying C:N ratio on growth performance, physico‐chemical parameters, microbial dynamics, feed utilization, and immunological parameters. The experiment comprised of five biofloc treatment groups (with varying C:N ratio 5:1, 10:1, 15:1, 20:1) and a control with three replicates each, having 100 nos/m3 as stocking density in 500 L tanks with constant aeration. The C:N ratios of the treatments were manipulated using molasses as an organic carbon source whereas there was no carbon source added in control. The water quality parameters monitored throughout the experiment were found to be within permissible limits in shrimp culture. At the end of the experiment, it was observed that there were significant differences between the treatment groups and the control regarding absolute growth, SGR, FCR, PER, and FER. Furthermore, a considerable difference in immunological parameters, namely, THC, phagocytosis, and PO activity (17.5 × 106 cells per ml, 43.5%, 0.112 Units min−1 mg min−1), was recorded among the treatments compared to that of the control groups (6.2 × 106 cells per ml, 31.5%, 0.051 Units min−1 mg min−1) respectively. Enhanced growth and survival with substantial disease resistance were recorded in C15 treatment. The results indicate that the CN15 ratio coupled with minimal water exchange is optimal for improved survival, growth, and immune activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To compare production and economic performance of polyculture systems with different species combinations, a 210‐day trial was carried out. In the first combination (T1), milkfish (Chanos chanos) and mudcrabs (Scylla serrata), and in the second (T2), mullets (Mugil cephalus, Liza tade and Liza parsia at 0.5:0.5:0.5 ratio) and mudcrabs were stocked keeping fish and mudcrabs at 15,000 numbers per ha, respectively, in both treatments. The finfish were fed floating pellet at 2%–3% and mudcrabs were fed fresh and farm made feed at 5%–8% body weight. Growth parameters of mudcrabs were similar in both T1 (407.64 ± 105.78 g) and T2 (418.89 ± 105.24 g), with no significant differences. Among finfish, M. cephalus attained highest final body weight, 241.55 ± 26.44 g followed by milkfish, 200.46 ± 11.82 g whereas lowest growth noticed in L. parsia (63.69 ± 6.62 g). Length–weight analysis of fish indicated negatively allometric growth (b < 3) for grey mullets, parsia and milkfish while L. tade recorded perfect cube low (b = 2.99). Male mudcrabs recorded positive allometric (b = 3.3) and female crab exhibited negative allometric growth (b = 2.68). The total productivity was 4,533 and 3,694 kg/ha with mudcrab contributes 53.69% and 60.56% to the total productivity in T1 and T2 respectively. The economic analysis indicated benefit–cost ratio (BCR) of 1.57 and 1.73 in T1 and T2 respectively with 10% and 35% insignificant increase (p > 0.05) in BCR and profit per kg, respectively, in T2 compared with T1. The study elucidates polyculture of mudcrabs with finfish can be a taken up as a profitable venture for sustainable diversification of brackishwater farming in Sundarbans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthy shrimp culture system is always in harmony with the ecology of the pond environment. This can be manipulated by developing a dense heterotrophic bacterial community that takes care of waste generated in the system through in situ bioremediation. Considering the importance to reduce an occurrence of luminous vibriosis in shrimp aquaculture, countless studies have been carried out with an objective to screen anti-vibrio biological agents, which can be used as an alternative to antibiotics. In such studies, microalgae, bacteriophage, and probiotic bacteria have been found to have potential benefits in reducing vibriosis. Eco-based shrimp farming, green water technology, bio-floc technology, phage therapy, and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), since their inception, hold a promising alternative to antibiotics in the near future. This article seeks to secure all the available information on different biological agents, their involvement in lowering Vibrio load, and strategies to control Vibrio infection in shrimp aquaculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory Simul. Efficient Sensing of Selected Amino Acids as Biomarker by Green Phosphorene Monolayers: Smart Diagnosis of Viruses (Adv. B Surface Wrinkling versus Global Buckling Instabilities in Thin Film-Substrate Systems b In article 2200357, Panigrahi, Hussain and coworkers have used density functional theory simulations to explore the potential applications of green phosphorene monolayers as efficient nanobio-sensors. [Extracted from the article]

Soil and water interactions and their influence on growth and production in different densities ( SD8 & SD16) under zero water exchange were studied in two successive crops of Penaeus monodon in Tamil Nadu, India during 2007 and 2008. Scraping and tilling during pond preparation increased the mineralization rate than scraping only. During crop, there was no significant difference in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen between the SDs. However, as the crop progressed, organic carbon and total nitrogen content of the soil showed significant difference under both the SDs. Between the SDs, nitrate and phosphate content in water significantly differed, whereas the progress of the crop significantly increased both available and total nutrients. Mass balance of nitrogen indicated that applied feed contributed to 97.4-98.5% of input nitrogen, of which nitrogen in sediment accounted for 16.5-27.3%, nitrogen recovery in shrimp was 34.2-43.6% and the nitrogen lost through denitrification and volatilization varied from 4.7% to 34.7%. Zero water exchange system is highly efficient as nitrogen recovery is higher in shrimp and lower in discharge water. Lack of significant difference in metabolites between the SDs indicates the role of aeration and probiotics in sustaining SD16 cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is high growth of elderly in the total population in the globe and it is also true for India as well. The increasing number of elderly will have some of the socio-economic implications such as health care facility, social security measure, adjustment, dependency, elderly care, living arrangements, etc. However, little is known about the living arrangements of a growing number of elderly in India. It is expected and common belief that they are well cared by their children with whom they tend to co reside. Living arrangement of the elderly has great importance to understand elderly status and wellbeing. In this paper an attempt has been made to look into the living arrangements patterns of the elderly and their determinants by considering two states in India namely Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. The major data source for this paper is, from the census of India and NSS (National Sample Survey) 60th round have been used. In total there are 34,831 elderly (age 60 years and above) persons were interviewed in the 60th round of the survey, of which 4,715 and 1,766 elderly persons are from the state of Uttar Pradesh and Kerala respectively. Both bi-variate and multi-variate statistical techniques have been used for data analysis. From the analysis it is found the high proportions of elderly are in co residence. Mostly the co residence is with spouse and other members (47.2%) or without spouse but with children (32.6%). However, there is significant proportions (16%) of elderly are either living alone or with spouse only. It is interesting to find the living arrangements of elderly which is broadly based on the background characteristics of the elderly. The living arrangements of elderly are varies with age, gender, marital status, number of surviving children, level of education, occupation and economic dependency. From the logistic regression analysis it is found that those elderly are male, having surviving children and economically dependent on others are more likely to live with family in comparison to their counter parts female, not having children and economically not dependent on others. There is no significant difference in living arrangements of elderly in Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. This study brought out suitable policy and suggestions for strengthening the welfare of the elderly through their living arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether it is better to use viable or non-viable probionts in aquaculture is still a matter of debate. In this study, the molecular immunomodulation in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss induced by viable or killed forms of the probiont Lactobacillus rhamnosus JCM 1136 was investigated. Three forms of this probiont: (1) heat-killed (HK), (2) live spray (LI) and (3) freeze-dried (FD) were incorporated into a basal (control) diet for rainbow trout O. mykiss. The LI and FD diets are referred to as viable diets. A rearing trial, in triplicate, was conducted for 30 days, with the control and probiotic diets as treatments. The cytokine genes such as the tumour necrosis factor (TNF), transforming growth factor (TGF-β), interferon (IFN) and immune gene Immunoglobulin (Ig) found in tissues from the kidney and spleen were assessed for their expression pattern by real-time polymerase chain reaction. The tested immune genes were up-regulated in the treatment groups, sometimes even in many folds like in the case of the Ig gene. The TNF gene was found to be highly ( P<0.05) up-regulated (5000-fold) in groups fed both viable forms (LI, FD). With regard to the TGF-β gene, the spleen of the HK and FD groups showed significant up-regulation of 20- and 30-folds respectively. The IFN gene was up-regulated ( P<0.05) in all treatments, but more in the viable diet treatments. Kidney and spleen tissues showed similar expression patterns, i.e. all of these genes were up-regulated more with the viable diets that with the control, and in most cases, the viable diets induced a higher expression of the immune genes than the HK diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the different living arrangement preferences within the elderly in Orissa, India. The field study was conducted among 300 elderly persons, with 150 from the urban Orissa and 150 from the rural. The study shows that most of the elderly prefer to live alone, and the demographic characteristics affect their living arrangement preferences. It adds that majority of the elderly prefer a living arrangement due to economic conditions.