We report on an extensive characterization of the cracking noise produced by charcoal samples when dampened with ethanol. We argue that the evaporation of ethanol causes transient and irregularly distributed internal stresses that promote the fragmentation of the samples and mimic some situations found in mining processes. The results show that, in general, the most fundamental seismic laws ruling earthquakes (the Gutenberg-Richter law, the unified scaling law for the recurrence times, Omori's law, the productivity law, and Båth's law) hold under the conditions of the experiment. Some discrepancies were also identified (a smaller exponent in the Gutenberg-Richter law, a stationary behavior in the aftershock rates for long times, and a double power-law relationship in the productivity law) and are related to the different loading conditions. Our results thus corroborate and elucidate the parallel between the seismic laws and fracture experiments caused by a more complex loading condition that also occurs in natural and induced seismicity (such as long-term fluid injection and gas-rock outbursts in mining processes).

We report on a large-scale characterization of river discharges by employing the network framework of the horizontal visibility graph. By mapping daily time series from 141 different stations of 53 Brazilian rivers into complex networks, we present an useful approach for investigating the dynamics of river flows. We verified that the degree distributions of these networks were well described by exponential functions, where the characteristic exponents are almost always larger than the value obtained for random time series. The faster-than-random decay of the degree distributions is an another evidence that the fluctuation dynamics underlying the river discharges has a longrange correlated nature. We further investigated the evolution of the river discharges by tracking the values of the characteristic exponents (of the degree distribution) and the global clustering coefficients of the networks over the years. We show that the river discharges in several stations have evolved to become more or less correlated (and displaying more or less complex internal network structures) over the years, a behavior that could be related to changes in the climate system and other man-made phenomena.

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The present research aimed to investigate the existence of clock gene expression rhythms in tilapia, their endogenous origin, and how light and feeding cycles synchronize these rhythms. In the first experiment, two groups of fish were kept under an LD cycle and fed at two different time points: in the middle of the light (ML) or in the middle of the dark (MD) phase. In the second experiment, fish fed at ML was fasted and kept under constant lighting (LL) conditions for 1 day. In both experiments, the samples from central (optic tectum and hypothalamus) and peripheral (liver) tissues were collected every 3 h throughout a 24 h cycle. The expression levels of clock genes bmal1a, clock1, per1b, cry2a, and cry5 were analyzed by quantitative PCR. All the clock genes analyzed in brain regions showed daily rhythms: clock1, bmal1a, and cry2a showed the acrophase approximately at the end of the light phase (ZT 8:43-11:22 h), whereas per1b and cry5 did so between the end of the dark phase and the beginning of the light phase, respectively (ZT 21:16-4:00 h). These rhythms persisted under constant conditions. No effect of the feeding time was observed in the brain. In the liver, however, the rhythms of clock1 and cry5 were influenced by feeding, and a shift was observed in the MD fish group (ZT 3:58 h for clock1 and 11:20 h for cry5). This study provides the first insights into the molecular clock of tilapia, a very important fish species for aquaculture. It also reveals the endogenous origin of clock gene rhythms and the ability of feeding time to shift the phase in some clock genes in the peripheral, but not the central, oscillator.

The endocrine cells (ECs) of the gastrointestinal mucosa form the largest endocrine system in the body, not only in terms of cell numbers but also in terms of the different produced substances. Data describing the association between the relative distributions of the peptide-specific ECs in relation to feeding habits can be useful tools that enable the creation of a general expected pattern of EC distribution. We aimed to investigate the distribution of ECs immunoreactive for the peptides gastrin (GAS), cholecystokinin (CCK-8), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in different segments of the digestive tract of carnivorous fish dorado (Salminus brasiliensis) by using immunohistochemistry procedures. The distribution of endocrine cells immunoreactive for gastrin (GAS), cholecystokinin (CCK-8), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in digestive tract of dorado S. brasiliensis was examined by immunohistochemistry. The results describe the association between the distribution of the peptide-specific endocrine cells and feeding habits in different carnivorous fish. The largest number of endocrine cells immunoreactive for GAS, CCK-8, and CGRP were found in the pyloric stomach region and the pyloric caeca. However, NPY-immunoreactive endocrine cells were markedly restricted to the midgut. The distribution pattern of endocrine cells identified in S. brasiliensis is similar to that found in other carnivorous fishes.

Endocrine cells (ECs) act as a luminal surveillance system responding to either the presence or absence of food in the gut through the secretion of peptide hormones. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of feeding and fasting on the EC peptide-specific distribution along the intestine of Nile tilapia. We assessed the density of ECs producing gastrin (GAS), cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in nine segments of the intestine using immunohistochemistry. Our results show that ECs immunoreactive to CCK-8, GAS, NPY, and CGRP can be found along all the intestinal segments sampled, from the midgut to hindgut, although differences in their distribution along the gut were observed. Regarding nutrient status, we found that the anterior segments of the midgut seem to be the main site responding to luminal changes in Nile tilapia. The NPY+ and CGRP+ EC densities increased in the fasted group, while the amount of CCK-8+ ECs were higher in the fed group. No effects of fasting or feeding were found in the GAS+ EC densities. Changes in ECs density were found only at the anterior segments of the intestine which may be due to the correlation between vagus nerve anatomy, EC location, and peptide turnover. Lastly, ECs may need to be considered an active cell subpopulation that may adapt and respond to different nutrient status as stimuli. Due to the complexity of the enteroendocrine system and its importance in fish nutrition, much remains to be elucidated and it deserves closer attention.

We report feeding studies on hybrid fish (carnivorous × omnivorous) to determine the interactions between protein sources during diet selection trials. We also examined behavioural rhythms (feeding and locomotor activity) using a self‐feeding system mounted with a feeder connected to an infrared photocell. Twenty fish (28.20 ± 0.05 g) were distributed in four aquariums (50 L each). First, the system was tested to evaluate the adaptation of catfish (Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum × Leiarius marmoratus) to self‐feeding (step I). During this 28‐day period, feeding and locomotor activity rhythms were recorded. In the second step, to analyse protein self‐selection, a group of 20 fish (19.10 ± 0.05 g) was released in the aquaria. The hybrid catfish were given free access to diets (soya bean meal protein (SP) vs. bovine liver protein (BP)) through two self‐feeders. The same procedure was used for (SP) vs. fish meal protein (FP). The catfish learned to activate the feeders to demand a daily feed amount equivalent to 1.8% of their body weight. The fish performed most of their actions (89.0% feeding activity and 94.1 0% locomotor activity) in the night. The diet choice by the catfish became clearer with a significantly lower intake of BP (0.37 g per 100 g body weight, 24.6%) vs. SP (1.06 g per 100 g body weight, 75.4%) and SP (0.61 g per 100 g body weight, 38.9%) vs. FP (0.91 g per 100 g body weight, 61.1%). These findings should be considered when discussing feeding behaviour, nutritional targets and protein sources for future aquaculture feeds.

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