Release Programs Research Articles

Oregon’s Transitional Leave Program and Recidivism

The State of Oregon has operated an early prison release program called Short-Term Transitional Leave (STTL) since 1989. The program was designed to improve prison releasee reentry planning and reintegration in the community. In the last 10 years, Oregon expanded STTL several times, with individuals now being released up to 120 days early. We assessed whether differences in recidivism existed between STTL and those completing their planned sentence and if the length of their leave is associated with differential recidivism. We used propensity-score matching (PSM) to create quasi-experimental models. The results indicate no appreciable observed associations between STTL and rearrest, reconviction, or reincarceration. However, there were higher rates of technical violations among STTL participants, especially for those with the longest release time.

Optimization of Brewer's Yeast Quantity in Liquid and Gel Larval Diets for the Mediterranean Fruit Fly.

Several artificial larval diets have been developed, evaluated and used for mass-rearing of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly), Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Teprhitidae). There are several efforts to reduce the cost of rearing and optimize the quality of the produced sterile males that are destined for release in sterile insect release programs. Survival, growth, longevity and reproductive capacity of sterile males are strongly connected with the most expensive ingredient, the brewer's yeast (protein), in the larval diet. The current study focused on settling the optimal content of brewer's yeast in a liquid diet and a gel diet. Egg hatch rates, developmental duration of immatures, pupation rate, pupae and adult survival were recorded as indicators of quantity and quality of the produced adults. Egg hatch was higher and larval developmental duration longer in the gel diet. In contrast to the liquid diet, an increase in brewer's yeast concentration was correlated with increased pupation rate and pupae survival in the gel diet. Reducing brewer's yeast up to 50% of its initial quantity had no significant effect on the survival of the emerging adults regardless of the diet type. Our findings may contribute to the production of low-cost and effective diets for use in mass-rearing facilities of medflies.

Early Results from GLASS-JWST. XXIII. The Transmission of Lyα from UV-faint z ∼ 3–6 Galaxies

Lyα emission from galaxies can be used to trace neutral hydrogen in the epoch of reionization, however, there is a degeneracy between the attenuation of Lyα in the intergalactic medium (IGM) and the line profile emitted by the galaxy. Large shifts of Lyα redward of systemic due to scattering in the interstellar medium can boost Lyα transmission in the IGM during reionization. The relationship between the Lyα velocity offset from systemic and other galaxy properties is not well established at high redshift or low luminosities, due to the difficulty of observing emission lines which trace the systemic redshift. Rest-frame optical spectroscopy with JWST/NIRSpec has opened a new window into understanding Lyα at z > 3. We present a sample of 12 UV-faint galaxies (−20 ≲ M UV ≲ −16) at 3 ≲ z ≲ 6, with Lyα velocity offsets, Δv Lyα , measured from the Very Large Telescope/MUSE and JWST/NIRSpec from the GLASS-JWST Early Release Program. We find a median Δv Lyα of 205 km s−1 and standard deviation of 75 km s−1, compared to 320 and 170 km s−1, respectively, for M UV < −20 galaxies in the literature. Our new sample demonstrates the previously observed trend of decreasing Lyα velocity offset with decreasing UV luminosity and optical line velocity dispersion, which extends to M UV ≳ −20, consistent with a picture where the Lyα profile is shaped by gas close to the systemic redshift. Our results imply that during reionization Lyα from UV-faint galaxies will be preferentially attenuated, but that detecting Lyα with low Δv Lyα can be an indicator of large ionized bubbles.

Leaf‐roll gall formation in Reynoutria × bohemica and its implications for biological control with Aphalara itadori

AbstractThe psyllid Aphalara itadori Shinji (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) is a biocontrol agent against invasive knotweed species (Polygonaceae) in Europe and North America. Despite an extensive release program, successful establishment of the agent has never been confirmed. The slow establishment of A. itadori in its introduced range appears to be predominantly the result of nymphal mortality, either through desiccation, predation, or the adaptation of captive populations to low‐stress environments. In 2016, CABI UK collected a new line of psyllids from Murakami, Niigata Prefecture, in Japan, where it was observed causing severe leaf‐roll galling on one of the many varieties of native knotweeds. The induction of leaf‐roll galls by Murakami psyllids on invasive Bohemian knotweed, Reynoutria × bohemica, has the potential to alleviate some or all of the observed nymphal mortality factors. We conducted a series of growth chamber experiments to explore the psyllid behaviors that initiate leaf‐roll galls, and the ways in which the galls might benefit the psyllids and inhibit invasive knotweed. Reynoutria × bohemica exposed to A. itadori for 4 weeks suffered reduced stem elongation and leaf area compared to control plants. Artificial leaf‐roll galls were consistently utilized by developing A. itadori nymphs, and contributed to their survival. Leaf‐roll galling in R. × bohemica was predominantly initiated by early instar nymphs of A. itadori, and only occurred when leaves were attacked at a very early stage in their development. Our results can inform the knotweed biocontrol program in several key ways. Releases of A. itadori should be timed so that developing nymphs have access to newly emerging leaves. Monitoring efforts at release sites should focus on the growing tips of R. × bohemica, where the highly mobile nymphs appear to migrate. Finally, our results provide motivation to seek additional lines of A. itadori that may affect other invasive knotweed species in similar ways.

Estimating biocontrol agent spread: A case study using introduced dung beetles

Abstract Insect biological control agents may be released in relatively few locations; thus, the rate of spread is critical to predicting the spatial distribution of the agent. Exotic dung beetles have been introduced into Australia since the 1960s to bury dung, reduce bush fly populations, increase pasture productivity and improve livestock health. We use a stochastic cellular automata model to predict the historical occupancy and abundance of introduced dung beetles in the South West agricultural region of Western Australia. The model predicts the spread of four species of dung beetles in six‐month time steps for 10 years following initial release. Our model includes release locations, species‐specific ecological parameters, dung resource availability and weather variables. The average rate of spread varied between species from a high of ca. 79 km/year (Euoniticellus intermedius) to a low of 28 km/year (Onthophagus taurus). Thus, after 10 years, the area of spread varied between 99,175 and 34,175 km2 and abundance varied from 88,100 to 4,189 beetles/km2. These findings provide an estimate of the spread patterns of dung beetles. The model can be used to guide future dung beetle release programmes in Australia and elsewhere.

Mitochondrial DNA variation in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Wolbachia (Hertig 1936) (Rickettsiales: Ehrlichiaceae) has emerged as a valuable biocontrol tool in the fight against dengue by suppressing the transmission of the virus through mosquitoes. Monitoring the dynamics of Wolbachia is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of release programs. Mitochondrial (mtDNA) markers serve as important tools for molecular tracking of infected mitochondrial backgrounds over time but require an understanding of the variation in release sites. In this study, we investigated the mitochondrial lineages of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus 1762) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which is a prospective release site for the "wAlbBQ" Wolbachia-infected strain of this mosquito species. We employed a combination of comprehensive mitogenomic analysis (including all protein-coding genes) and mtDNA marker analysis (cox1 and nad5) using data collected from Jeddah. We combined our mitogenome and mtDNA marker data with those from previous studies to place mitochondrial variation in Saudi Arabia into a broader global context. Our findings revealed the presence of 4 subclades that can be broadly categorized into 2 major mitochondrial lineages. Ae. aegypti mosquitoes from Jeddah belonged to both major lineages. Whilst mitogenomic data offered a higher resolution for distinguishing Jeddah mosquitoes from the wAlbBQ strain, the combination of cox1 and nad5 mtDNA markers alone proved to be sufficient. This study provides the first important characterization of Ae. aegypti mitochondrial lineages in Saudi Arabia and offers essential baseline information for planning future molecular monitoring efforts during the release of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.

Upaya Meningkatkan Budaya Literasi di Sekola Dasar Melalui Implementasi Progam Kampus Mengajar

The Merdeka Learning Campus Merdeka Program (MBKM) was launched by the government, under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbutristek), initiated a program aimed at assisting Elementary Schools impacted by the pandemic. This initiative has been designed to address the challenges faced by each UPTD Elementary School. The primary focus of this service is to assess the effectiveness of the Teaching Campus program in enhancing literacy culture at SDN 1 Bringin. The study adopts descriptive qualitative research techniques to methodically present the observed facts. Data collection involves conducting interviews, documenting information, and directly observing the situation. The process of increasing literacy culture is carried out through the School Literacy Movement (GLS) with a release program, namely: (1) reading circle, (2) living library and (3) reading Tuesday. The results of the study revealed that the "Teaching Campus" program had a positive impact on increasing students' reading interest and literacy skills. Students show increased enthusiasm in literacy activities, especially through their interaction with "Teaching Campus" students.

Quantifying the impact of Wolbachia releases on dengue infection in Townsville, Australia

From October 2014 to February 2019, local authorities in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia continually introduced Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to control seasonal outbreaks of dengue infection. In this study, we develop a mathematical modelling framework to estimate the effectiveness of this intervention as well as the relative dengue transmission rates of Wolbachia-infected and wild-type mosquitoes. We find that the transmission rate of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes is reduced approximately by a factor of 20 relative to the uninfected wild-type population. In addition, the Townsville Wolbachia release program led to a 65% reduction in predicted dengue incidence during the release period and over 95% reduction in the 24 months that followed. Finally, to investigate the potential impact of other Wolbachia release programs, we use our estimates of relative transmissibility to calculate the relationship between the reproductive number of dengue and the proportion of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes in the vector population.

Blind shots: non‐natural mortality counteracts conservation efforts of a threatened waterbird

AbstractWaterbirds are particularly affected by the high hunting pressure they face in many regions, which in some cases is compromising conservation actions for threatened species. The marbled teal Marmaronetta angustirostris is one of the most endangered waterbirds in Europe. In order to restore its population, several conservation actions have recently been undertaken, including a population reinforcement programme in Spain using captive‐bred birds. With the aim of assessing the success of the reinforcement programme to establish a long‐term self‐sustaining population, we identified mortality causes of marbled teal, evaluated the survival of individual birds of the reinforcement programme and estimated the viability of the population under different management scenarios. We used data from wild and captive‐bred individuals tracked by GPS since 2018 (n = 42) and from a mark–recapture programme initiated in 2015 (n = 297). We recovered 15 dead birds or transmitters: 20% died of natural causes, 60% of non‐natural causes (including all anthropic causes) and 20% of unknown causes. Furthermore, the GPS tags of 24 birds unexpectedly stopped transmitting without any indication of malfunction, and for 66.7% of these disappeared birds, the cessation was suspected to be caused by illegal shooting. Survival during the hunting season was higher for males (31.3%) than for females (12.5%), and for the wild (50%) than for the captive‐bred birds (9.4%), probably due to differences in migration patterns to North Africa. Population viability models revealed that maintaining the breeding population at the current mortality rates is only possible with a permanent release programme of captive‐bred individuals, and that in order to establish a self‐sustaining population, non‐natural mortality would have to be reduced by at least 40%. We recommend management measures to reduce marbled teal mortality, such as limiting legal hunting to hours with clear visibility, prosecuting illegal shootings, controlling exotic predators and improving water management to reduce disease outbreaks. Some improvements can be implemented in captive‐breeding programmes, such as earlier release times and incorporating anti‐predator training.

The edge-on protoplanetary disk HH 48 NE

Context. The abundance and distribution of ice in protoplanetary disks is critical for an understanding of the link between the composition of circumstellar matter and the composition of exoplanets. Edge-on protoplanetary disks are a useful tool for constraining this ice composition and its location in the disk because the spectral signatures of the ice can be observed in absorption against the continuum emission that arises from the warmer regions in the central disk. Aims. The aim of this work is to model ice absorption features in protoplanetary disks and to determine how well the abundance of the main ice species throughout the disk can be determined within the uncertainty of the physical parameter space. The edge-on proto-planetary disk around HH 48 NE, a target of the James Webb Space Telescope Early Release program Ice Age, is used as a reference system. Methods. We used the full anisotropic scattering capabilities of the radiative transfer code RADMC-3D to ray-trace the mid-infrared continuum. Using a constant parameterized ice abundance, we added ice opacities to the dust opacity in regions in which the disk was cold enough for the main carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen carriers to freeze out. Results. The global abundance relative to the dust content of the main ice carriers in HH 48 NE can be determined within a factor of 3 when the uncertainty of the physical parameters is taken into account. Ice features in protoplanetary disks can be saturated at an optical depth of ≲1 due to local saturation. Ices are observed at various heights in the disk model, but in this model, spatial information is lost for features at wavelengths &gt;7 µm when observing with James Webb Space Telescope because the angular resolution decreases towards longer wavelengths. Spatially observed ice optical depths cannot be directly related to column densities, as would be the case for direct absorption against a bright continuum source, because of radiative transfer effects. Vertical snowlines will not be a clear transition because the height of the snow surface increases radially, but their location may be constrained from observations using radiative transfer modeling. Radial snowlines are not really accessible. Not only the ice abundance, but also the inclination, the settling, the grain size distribution, and the disk mass have a strong impact on the observed ice absorption features in disks. Relative changes in the ice abundance can only be inferred from observations if the source structure is well constrained.

The meaning of wild: Genetic and adaptive consequences from large-scale releases of domestic mallards

The translocation of individuals around the world is leading to rising incidences of anthropogenic hybridization, particularly between domestic and wild congeners. We apply a landscape genomics approach for thousands of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) samples across continental and island populations to determine the result of over a century of supplementation practices. We establish that a single domestic game-farm mallard breed is the source for contemporary release programs in Eurasia and North America, as well as for established feral populations in New Zealand and Hawaii. In particular, we identify central Europe and eastern North America as epicenters of ongoing anthropogenic hybridization, and conclude that the release of game-farm mallards continues to affect the genetic integrity of wild mallards. Conversely, self-sustaining feral populations in New Zealand and Hawaii not only show strong differentiation from their original stock, but also signatures of local adaptation occurring in less than a half-century since game-farm mallard releases have ceased. We conclude that ‘wild’ is not singular, and that even feral populations are capable of responding to natural processes. Although considered paradoxical to biological conservation, understanding the capacity for wildness among feral and feral admixed populations in human landscapes is critical as such interactions increase in the Anthropocene.

Improving Utilization of the Chemotherapy Unit through Implementing the Medication Early Release Project.

The outpatient oncology infusion unit is very busy, serving 60 to 70 patients per day. Due to a limited number of nurses, treatment chairs, only one pharmacy hood for bio-hazardous drug preparation, and other factors, patients wait a long time before starting their treatment, which affects the patient experience negatively. We conducted a quality improvement project to reduce the waiting time before starting the treatment, improve the patients' experience, and allow the unit to work more effectively through better resource utilization and accommodating more patients. A committee was formed with representatives from oncology nursing and the quality specialist, chemotherapy pharmacy supervisor, data manager, and a medical consultant (team leader). We studied baseline data of patient waiting times from January to March 2019 and the factors that contributed to delays before starting the treatment. The charge nurse identified patients who could safely have their medication released early in the morning at 7 am, enabling the pharmacy to dispense at 8 am without their actual presence being required in the infusion suite (i.e., medication early release program or MERP). Multiple plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles were implemented to achieve a wait time from check-in to medication administration of less than 60 minutes. Data collected included check-in time, chair time, vital signs time, administration time, and discharge time. Additionally, reasons for drug wastage were assessed for patients who did not receive the prepared medication. A patient satisfaction survey was conducted with the patients before and after being enrolled in the program. At baseline, average waiting time for patients receiving similar medications in the MERP was 2 hours and 27 minutes. After the first intervention, average waiting time was reduced to 1 hour and 24 minutes, and small improvements were observed after each PDSA cycl. A major breakthrough occurred after an intensive patient education program and enforcement of strict compliance with the criteria in selecting the patients appropriate for theMERP. Average waiting time wasreduced to ≤ 60 minutes, and in November 2022, it was 30 minutes on average. Drug wastage was identified as a balancing measure. We were successful in reducing drug wastage by implementing several changes and patient education measures and achieved zero wastage. The patient satisfaction survey showed better satisfaction with the new changes. A positive impact was achieved in this quality improvement project, with a significant reduction in the average waiting time for patients to start receiving chemotherapy. The outcome of this project has been maintained for 4 years and is still ongoing.

Home gardens contribute to conservation of the critically endangered Wollemi Pine: Evaluation of a botanic garden‐led horticultural release programme

Societal Impact StatementBotanic gardens play a leading role in conserving plant species worldwide. Wollemi Pine, a critically endangered species described as new to science in 1994, has been the subject of botanic garden‐led conservation efforts, including widespread horticultural cultivation. An online survey found that gardeners hold a wealth of knowledge on the response of Wollemi Pine to local environmental conditions and horticultural regimes and a high level of awareness of the importance of plant conservation. This information could increase the success of future ex situ conservation efforts, such as the development of a genetically diverse, globally dispersed metacollection of Wollemi Pines.Summary The Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis; Araucariaceae) is a critically endangered conifer and the source of public and horticultural fascination since its identification in 1994. An ex situ population of Wollemi Pine was initially established in a botanic garden for conservation purposes. Subsequently, a commercial propagation programme was developed to satisfy the demand for this tree as a garden plant, with the release of plants internationally in 2005. We sought to understand how well the original aim of the Wollemi Pine horticultural release programme (to safeguard the species in the wild by promoting its widespread use in horticulture and thereby reduce the risk of illegal and harmful collection) has been met and the factors correlated with Wollemi Pine presence and growth in gardens. We developed an online community science survey to gather data on the location and growth characteristics of Wollemi Pines in garden environments globally. We received 1510 individual responses from 31 countries on five continents. The key factors correlated with the presence of Wollemi Pine were: a temperate climate with mean monthly minimum and maximum temperatures between 3.2 and 25.4°C, respectively, and above‐average rainfall. Plants in the ground were favoured by loamy soil. Wollemi Pines are established in gardens in many parts of the world and are amenable to a variety of horticultural situations. The results of this survey inform future conservation horticulture of this species, such as the development of genetically diverse metacollections, by ensuring the selection of participating botanic gardens and arboreta in environmentally appropriate locations.

Applications of MOFs in Drug Delivery

The main research focus of this article is the application of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) in drug delivery applications. The review primarily concentrates on the methods used for loading drugs into MOFs, their response to stimuli, potential applications, and limitations. The article begins with discussing the limitations of traditional drug delivery systems and introduces MOFs as a potential solution to these limitations. The drug loading strategy section describes the three main methods for loading drugs into MOFs, including their respective benefits and drawbacks. The stimulus response release program section explores various stimuli that can trigger drug release from MOFs, including physical, chemical, and biological factors, and provides examples of how MOFs can respond to these stimuli. The section on application and challenges provides an overview of current studies exploring the potential of MOFs in biomedical applications, including cancer therapy, antibacterial therapy, and anti-inflammatory therapy, while also highlighting the key challenges facing MOFs research, such as biocompatibility and toxicity. Finally, the article concludes by offering prospects for future developments in MOFs research. This review article provides a significant resource for drug delivery researchers and practitioners who wish to investigating the possibility of utilizing MOFs as novel drug delivery vehicles.

Hospital Use and Mortality Among Decarcerated Individuals With Substance Use Disorder After a Large-scale COVID-19 Emergency Prison Release Program

This cohort study examines hospital use and mortality among persons with substance use disorder (SUD) who were released from New Jersey state prisons after a COVID-19 emergency prison release program.

Genomic analyses indicate two blue swimmer crab species in Australia, evidence for natural interspecific hybridization and genetic structure within species with implications for fisheries management and stock enhancement

Blue swimmer crab species are widely distributed in Indian and west Pacific Oceans including the coastline around Australia and have been identified as potential candidates for stock enhancement. A recent taxonomic review revealed the presence of two blue swimmer crab species in Australia, namely Portunus armatus which is found around most of the Australian coastline, and Portunus pelagicus which is found in the northern coast where it is sympatric with P. armatus. It is important to understand population structure and genetic diversity of Portunus spp. to efficiently manage stocks. In the present study we investigated species classification and population structure of Portunus spp. in Australia using full and partial genomic information, namely mitochondrial COX1 gene sequences derived from whole genome sequencing and single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers developed from partial genome sequencing. Blue swimmer crab samples were collected from the western (n = 52), northern (n = 17) and eastern (n = 110) coasts of Australia. Genetic diversity and population genetic structure were assessed for within and between region variation. Our genomic results indicated the presence of two blue swimmer crab species in Australia. One, namely, P. pelagicus was found only in Northern Territory (Darwin), and other, namely P. armatus was found around Australia. There was evidence of natural hybridisation between two species in Northern Territory (Darwin) where they were sympatric. P. armatus populations from the western, northern and eastern regions were genetically different although there were no significant genetic differences observed between the Queensland and New South Wales populations nor between the two neighbouring populations in Western Australia. Results found in the present study supports the view that the P. armatus populations in western, northern and eastern regions of Australia should be treated as at least three different stocks. A lack of genetic structuring along the eastern coast suggests blue swimmer crabs can be considered as a single stock along the sampled range at least in relation to fisheries enhancement, release programs and broodstock management.

Circadian Activity and Clock Genes in Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae: Implications for Field Applications and Circadian Clock Mechanisms of Parasitoid Wasps.

Despite the importance of circadian rhythms in insect behavior, our understanding of circadian activity and the molecular oscillatory mechanism in parasitoid wasp circadian clocks is limited. In this study, behavioral activities expected to be under the control of the endogenous circadian system were characterized in an ectoparasitoid wasp, Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae. Most adults exhibited emergence between late night and early morning, while mating only occurred during the daytime, with a peak at midday. Oviposition had three peaks in the early morning, late day, or early night and late night. Additionally, we identified eight putative clock genes from P. vindemmiae. The quantitative PCR (qPCR) results indicate that most clock genes showed significant rhythmic expressions. Our comparative analysis of clock genes in P. vindemmiae and 43 other parasitoid wasps revealed that none of the wasps possessed the timeless and cry1 genes commonly found in some other insect species, suggesting that the circadian clock system in parasitoid wasps is distinct from that in other non-Hymenoptera insects such as Drosophila. Thus, this study attempted to build the first hypothetical circadian clock model for a parasitoid wasp, thus generating hypotheses and providing a platform for the future functional characterization of P. vindemmiae clock genes as well as those of other parasitoid wasps. Finally, these findings on P. vindemmiae circadian activity will aid the development of effective field release programs for biological control, which can be tested under field conditions.

A natural variation-based screen in mouse cells reveals USF2 as a regulator of the DNA damage response and cellular senescence.

Cellular senescence is a program of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis resistance, and cytokine release induced by stress exposure in metazoan cells. Landmark studies in laboratory mice have characterized a number of master senescence regulators, including p16INK4a, p21, NF-κB, p53, and C/EBPβ. To discover other molecular players in senescence, we developed a screening approach to harness the evolutionary divergence between mouse species. We found that primary cells from the Mediterranean mouse Mus spretus, when treated with DNA damage to induce senescence, produced less cytokine and had less-active lysosomes than cells from laboratory Mus musculus. We used allele-specific expression profiling to catalog senescence-dependent cis-regulatory variation between the species at thousands of genes. We then tested for correlation between these expression changes and interspecies sequence variants in the binding sites of transcription factors. Among the emergent candidate senescence regulators, we chose a little-studied cell cycle factor, upstream stimulatory factor 2 (USF2), for molecular validation. In acute irradiation experiments, cells lacking USF2 had compromised DNA damage repair and response. Longer-term senescent cultures without USF2 mounted an exaggerated senescence regulatory program-shutting down cell cycle and DNA repair pathways, and turning up cytokine expression, more avidly than wild-type. We interpret these findings under a model of pro-repair, anti-senescence regulatory function by USF2. Our study affords new insights into the mechanisms by which cells commit to senescence, and serves as a validated proof of concept for natural variation-based regulator screens.

Deterministic processes dominate microbial community assembly in artificially bred Schizothorax wangchiachii juveniles after being released into wild.

Fish artificial breeding and release is an important method to restore wild populations of endemic fish species around the world. Schizothorax wangchiachii (SW) is an endemic fish in the upper Yangtze River and is one of the most important species for the artificial breeding and release program implemented in the Yalong River drainage system in China. It is unclear how artificially bred SW adapts to the changeable wild environment post-release, after being in a controlled and very different artificial environment. Thus, the gut samples were collected and analyzed for food composition and microbial 16S rRNA in artificially bred SW juveniles at day 0 (before release), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 after release to the lower reaches of the Yalong River. The results indicated that SW began to ingest periphytic algae from the natural habitat before day 5, and this feeding habit is gradually stabilized at day 15. Prior to release, Fusobacteria are the dominant bacteria in the gut microbiota of SW, while Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria generally are the dominant bacteria after release. The results of microbial assembly mechanisms illustrated that deterministic processes played a more prominent role than stochastic processes in the gut microbial community of artificially bred SW juveniles after releasing into the wild. Overall, the present study integrates the macroscopic and microscopic methods to provide an insight into the food and gut microbial reorganization in the released SW. This study will be an important research direction to explore the ecological adaptability of artificially bred fish after releasing into the wild.

Entrapment of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) in herring weirs in the Bay of Fundy, Canada

Harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are small coastal cetaceans vulnerable to mortality in fishing operations. Not all interactions are fatal, however, and each year many porpoises swim into and are subsequently released from herring weirs in the Bay of Fundy, Canada through a targeted release programme. This study examines catch composition, body condition, characteristics associated with mortality and factors affecting entrapment of porpoises in weirs between 1992-2001. A total of 886 porpoises were recorded in weirs during this period. A total of 657 animals were involved in attempted releases: 588 were released alive and 69 were incidentally killed during release. The remainder of the animals swam out on their own or their fates were unknown. Estimated annual mortality represents less than 0.01% of the Bay of Fundy/Gulf of Maine population and only 1.03% of its annual potential biological removal level. The number of porpoises caught in weirs varied from eight in 1996 to 312 in 2001. Of the 390 animals released with a numbered identification tag, 25 were recaptured in weirs and 4 of those porpoises entered a weir a third time. Males comprised 63.5% of entrapments. Weirs and demersal gillnets captured animals from the same population, but the weir bycatch was biased towards younger, smaller animals. Porpoises that became trapped in weirs exhibited measures of body condition similar to those killed in gillnets and by gunshot wounds in the same waters. None were considered emaciated. Mortality in weirs appeared to be random; porpoises that died during release attempts were of the same age and sex composition and body condition as the individuals that survived. The use of a specialised large-mesh seine significantly increased the probability of successful release. Observations of the stomach contents data of porpoises killed in weirs indicate that porpoises feed while trapped in weirs, but perhaps not at the same rate as animals killed in gillnets. Entrapments peaked in August, concurrent with the highest landings of Atlantic herring, the target species of the weir fishery. Based on a logistical regression model, porpoises are 3.3 times more likely to swim into a weir on a night in which high tide falls during darkness. Weir entrapments do not have a significant effect on this population, largely because of on-going efforts to release porpoises from weirs.