Growth Responses and Differences in Gene Expression depending on Cultivation Temperature between Alternative type Wheat Varieties

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - Two domestic wheat varieties were grown in the growth chamber set at 17°C, 20°C, 23°C and 26°C on average after the emergence of...     

LED-UV grafting of vinylsulfone dyes onto photo-oxidized wool fabrics

Photografting coloration of wool was carried out under UV-LED irradiation at room temperature using aqueous vinylsulfone dye solution containing vinylsulfonic acid as a comonomer. UV-LED irradiation of the 395 nm emission is more energy efficient, less damaging to the dyes, and much safer to human eyes compared with polychromatic mercury UV lamps. However, in case of the UV-LED lamps, the wool needs to be photo-oxidized either by UV/ozone or polychromatic UV irradiation before the dye photografting. The surface treatments increased the sulfur and oxygen contents in the modified wool surfaces. While the optimally photografted wool fabrics under the UV-LED lamp yielded a K/S value of 9.9, the K/S of the grafted wool increased to 25.2 and 13.6 after the UV/Ozone or polychromatic UV preoxidation at UV energies of 10.6 J/cm² and 25 J/cm² respectively. The color fastness properties of the photografted fabrics were far better than with those of the conventionally reactive-dyed fabrics, implying that the high-molecular-weight photografted dyes seemed to be more durable than the low-molecular dyes.     

Potential Anti-Aging Substances Derived from Seaweeds

Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. The exact mechanisms underlying the aging process are not fully elucidated. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that several pathways, such as sirtuin, AMP-activated protein kinase, insulin-like growth factor, autophagy, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 play critical roles in regulating aging. Furthermore, genetic or dietary interventions of these pathways can extend lifespan by delaying the aging process. Seaweeds are a food source rich in many nutrients, including fibers, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds. The health benefits of seaweeds include, but are not limited to, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obese activities. Interestingly, a body of studies shows that some seaweed-derived extracts or isolated compounds, can modulate these aging-regulating pathways or even extend lifespans of various animal models. However, few such studies have been conducted on higher animals or even humans. In this review, we focused on potential anti-aging bioactive substances in seaweeds that have been studied in cells and animals mainly based on their anti-aging cellular and molecular mechanisms.     

Potential of indigenous Bacillus spp. as probiotic feed supplements in an extruded low‐fish‐meal diet for juvenile olive flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus

A 12‐week feeding trial was designed to assess the probiotic potential of indigenous Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and/or Bacillus subtilis singly or in combination with Bacillus licheniformis in an extruded feed for olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) juveniles. A high fish meal (FM) diet (control) and a low‐FM diet containing an alternative protein blend (30% FM replacement, FM30) were formulated. Three other experimental diets were prepared by inclusion of B. amyloliquefaciens (BA), B. subtilis (BS), or a mixture of B. amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, and B. licheniformis (BASL) into FM30 diet, with a final concentration of 10⁶ CFU/g diet. Results indicated that the FM30 diet was well tolerated by flounder, and the overall performance was not affected by dietary treatments. Lysozyme activity and total immunoglobulin level were significantly reduced in flounders when fed with the FM30 diet compared with the BASL and BA diets, respectively. The Bacillus additives neither enriched the relative abundance of the corresponding Bacillus spp. in the relevant gut microbiota of olive flounder nor modulated the presumptive gene functions of the gut microbiome. Despite the absence of growth‐promoting effect, the tested probiotics could still be economically viable for use as immunostimulants in commercial flounder diets with partial FM replacement.     

Protective effect of butylated hydroxylanisole against hydrogen peroxide-induced apoptosis in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is a synthetic phenolic compound consisting of a mixture of two isomeric organic compounds: 2-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole. We examined the effect of BHA against hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced apoptosis in primary cultured mouse hepatocytes. Cell viability was significantly decreased by H₂O₂ in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, H₂O₂ treatment increased Bax, decreased Bcl-2, and promoted PARP-1 cleavage in a dose-dependent manner. Pretreatment with BHA before exposure to H₂O₂ significantly attenuated the H₂O₂-induced decrease of cell viability. H₂O₂ exposure resulted in an increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation that was significantly inhibited by pretreatment with BHA or N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC, an ROS scavenger). H₂O₂-induced decrease of cell viability was also attenuated by pretreatment with BHA and NAC. Furthermore, H₂O₂-induced increase of Bax, decrease of Bcl-2, and PARP-1 cleavage was also inhibited by BHA. Taken together, results of this investigation demonstrated that BHA protects primary cultured mouse hepatocytes against H₂O₂-induced apoptosis by inhibiting ROS generation.     

Vitamin D Status in Different Stages of Disease Severity in Dogs with Chronic Valvular Heart Disease

Background

In humans with heart disease, vitamin D deficiency is associated with disease progression and a poor prognosis. A recent study showed that serum 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration, the hallmark of vitamin D status, was lower in dogs with heart failure than in normal dogs, and a low concentration was associated with poor outcome in dogs with heart failure.

Objectives

To elucidate the vitamin D status of dogs with chronic valvular heart disease (CVHD) at different stages of disease severity.

Animals

Forty‐three client‐owned dogs with CVHD.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, dogs were divided into 3 groups (14 dogs in Stage B1, 17 dogs in Stage B2, and 12 dogs in Stage C/D) according to ACVIM guidelines. Dogs underwent clinical examination including echocardiography. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations were measured in each dog.

Results

Serum 25(OH)D concentration was significantly lower in Stage B2 (median, 33.2 nmol/L; range, 4.9–171.7 nmol/L) and C/D (13.1 nmol/L; 4.9–58.1 nmol/L) than in Stage B1 (52.5 nmol/L; 33.5–178.0 nmol/L) and was not significantly different between Stage B2 and Stage C/D. Among clinical variables, there were significant negative correlations between 25(OH)D concentration and both left atrial‐to‐aortic root ratio and left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter normalized for body weight.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

These results indicate that vitamin D status is associated with the degree of cardiac remodeling, and the serum 25(OH)D concentration begins to decrease before the onset of heart failure in dogs with CVHD.     

Status of giant clam resources around Okinawa‐jima Island,Ryukyu Archipelago,Japan

1. Giant clams provide and support valuable functions to coral reefs, as well as represent a sustainable resource for traditional fisheries throughout the Indo‐Pacific region. The Ryukyu Archipelago (southern Japan) is known to be the northern latitudinal limits of giant clam distribution, but there is only limited information in the literature regarding species diversity, status, and distribution in this region.
2. In this study, we report findings from a rapid survey in 2016, the first of its kind for the Ryukyu Islands, to determine species distribution and abundance of giant clams (tridacnines) around Okinawa‐jima Island.
3. Results indicate the presence of four species with an overall density of 5.03 per 100 m², from most to least abundant: Tridacna crocea, Tridacna maxima, Tridacna squamosa, and Tridacna noae. The previously reported species Tridacna gigas and Hippopus hippopus were both absent from the surveys. The densities and distributions of tridacnines varied among species and sites, which are likely attributable to efforts in replenishing and protecting stocks of selected species.
4. The most abundant species, T. crocea, is an important fishery species in Okinawa, and has been widely cultured and restocked to augment depleted populations. In comparison, restocking efforts for less popular species, such as T. squamosa, have been limited, and their current sizes and numbers suggest recruitment constraints.
5. Given the importance of the giant clam fishery in this region and the current declines of various species (except T. crocea), further regulations should focus on the protection of larger and mature clams that function as broodstock necessary to maintain spawning and natural recruitment.

     

A typology of agricultural production systems: Capability building trajectories of three Asian economies

Analysing the agricultural sectors of Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore, this paper examines the capability‐building process that encourages productivity and innovation. It describes and explains the origins and subsequent evolution of three forms of agricultural production system, each generating different farming capabilities and distinct forms of competitive advantages. The paper argues that Taiwan's rice‐oriented agricultural production system stimulates both productivity and innovation, helping Taiwanese farmers raise their income level and living standards. The active deployment of state institutions and a malleable labour force, evidenced in the Malaysian palm oil industry, is effective in raising farming productivity but not the ability to innovate. Singapore's aquaculture‐oriented agricultural production system is somewhat useful in stimulating productivity and innovation. Yet the city‐state's inherent lack of space and open international trade regime have circumscribed the potential of its aquaculture industry. It now relies on the regional ethnic Chinese business networks to expand the aquaculture industry's knowledge base and its industrial commons. The principles discussed in this paper provide policy lessons, or at least some initial guidance, for other developing economies aspiring to modernise their agricultural sector.     

Tapered conduits can buffer hydraulic conductance from path-length effects

The model of West, Brown and Enquist showed that total hydraulic resistance in trees can be independent of path length, provided that vascular conduits taper sufficiently. This model assumes that the tree branch network is volume-filling, so that segment lengths increase exponentially from tree top to base. We show that partial buffering of hydraulic resistance from path-length effects can occur even for moderate tapering, and that this effect is stronger when segment lengths are fixed. Still needed are measurements of tracheary size and hydraulic resistance designed to test this model, which shows how hydraulic limitation of tree height growth may be mitigated.