Combined effects of temperature and diet on the performance of larvae produced by young and old Palaemon serratus females.

Seasonal variations in environmental conditions determine the success of decapod larval development, and females transmit more energy in sub-optimal conditions to maximise the fitness of their offspring. The objective of this study was to focus on the combined effects of temperature (14, 18 and 22 °C) and food quality on the performance of larvae produced by 5 young (0+) and 5 old (I+) Palaemon serratus females. We prepared 3 diets based on Artemia, in decreasing order of total fatty acid content: freshly hatched nauplii (N), unenriched metanauplii (M) and metanauplii enriched with a mixture of microalgae (ME).

Step-economical synthesis of the marine ascidian antibiotics cadiolide A, B, and D.

A concise, modular and efficient synthesis of the title natural products is reported. Prominent steps include (i) one-pot assembly of a key β-aryl-α-benzoylbutenolide building block by regiocontrolled "click-unclick" oxazole-ynone Diels-Alder cycloaddition/cycloreversion and ensuing 2-alkoxyfuran hydrolysis and (ii) a protecting group-free vinylogous Knoevenagel condensation enabling rapid access to cadiolides A, B, and D from a common precursor.

Recent data on the development of cloned embryos derived from reconstructed eggs with adult cells.

Production of cloned embryos by nuclear transfer from adult somatic cells is a novel and promising technique in animal biotechnology. In spite of numerous reported viable offspring in various species, the efficiency of the technique remains very low. Embryonic and fetal mortality occurs all along pregnancy and during the peri-natal life, even months after birth.