The Effect of Methanolic Valeriana officinalis Root Extract on Adipocyte Differentiation and Adiponectin Production in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Adipose tissue is an endocrine organ and its endocrine function is closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) exerts some...     

施用有机肥和有效微生物群对玉米叶片持水力的影响

A red soil derived from Quaternary red clay was employed to study nutrient leaching with woil columns repacked in laboratory,The objective was to identify the effects of fertilization practices on leaching patterns and magnitudes of Ca^2 ,Mg^2 ,K^ ,NH4^ ,and NO3^-,The treatments were CK (as a control),CaCO3, CaSO4,MgCO3,Ca(H2PO4)2,urea,KCl,and multiple (a mixture of the above-mentioned fertilizers),The fertilizers were added to the bare surface of the soil columns,and then the columns were leached with 120 mL deionized water daily through peristaltic pumps over a period of 92 days.Leaching processes of NH4^ ,and NO3^- wer e only measured in CK,ured,and multiple treatments which were directly related to N leaching, Results showed that sole application of CaSO4,and Ca(H2PO4)2 scarcely hd any effect on the leching losses of Ca^2 ,Mg^2 ,and K^ ; the application of MgCO3 sthimulated the leaching of Mg^2 ;the application of CaCO3 promoted the leaching of Ca^2 ,Mg^2 and K^ ; urea treatment also promoted the leaching of K^ and NH4^ ,and NO3^- leaching mainly occurred at late stage of leaching process in particular;under KCl treatment,leaching of Ca^2 ,Mg^2 ,and K^ was promoted to a large extent;under multiple treatment, leaching of Ca^2 ,Mg^2 ,K^ ,NH4^ ,and NO3^- was all increased and NO3^- was mainly leached at the end of leaching process and still had a trend of increase.     

接种根瘤菌对白格、大叶合欢和银合欢生长与结瘤的影响

Effects of inoculation of Rhizobium suspension on nodulation and plant growth were examined with Albizzia procera,Albizzia lebbeck and Leucaena leucocephala seedlings grown on sterilized and non-sterilized soil media.Inoculation resulted in nodule number increases of 28.6,29.02and 23.9 times in sterilized soil and 3.4,3.6and 3.27 times in non-sterilized soil for A.procera,A.lebbeck and L.leucocephala seedlings respectively.Total dry mass increased by 127.6%,66.7%and 60.7% in sterilized soil and 100%,95.5%and 52.65% in non-sterilized soil for these three legume trees,respectively,after a period of two months.Significantly high inoculation responses of oot length,root diameter,collar diameter,shoot length,and dry mass of root,shoot,leaves and nodules were also observed in both steilized and non-sterilized soil media as compared to respective control treatments,The response to inoculation was strong in sterilized and modest in non-sterilized soils.The significantly higher response to Rhizobium inoculation over control in all the species tested suggested that application of Rhizobium greatly enhanced plant growth ,nodulation,biomass production and nitrogen-fixing activity of the nodules.     

喷蒸热压法棉秆无胶碎料板的研制

以棉秆为原料,采用喷蒸热压法研制无胶碎料板,探讨板的密度、蒸汽压力及喷蒸时间对棉秆无胶碎料板的物理力学性能的影响.结果表明:在试验范围内,随着板密度增大,无胶碎料板的静曲强度、弹性模量与内结合强度明显提高;提高蒸汽压力及延长喷蒸时间,能明显降低无胶碎料板的吸水厚度膨胀率.     

有机肥、化肥及接种微生物对甜玉米生理和生长的影响

A pot culture experiment was carried out in a glasshouse to compare the physiology and growth of sweet corn plants(Zea mays L.cv,Honey Bantam) grown under orgainc and chemical fertilizations with or without microbial inoculation(MI).The organic fertilizer used was fermented mainly using rice bran and oil mill sludge,and the MI was a liquid product containing many eneficial microbes such as lactic acid bacteria,yeast,photosynthetic bacteria and actinomycetes.The application amounts of the organic fertilizer and chemical fertilizers were based on the same rate of nitrogen,phosphorus and potassium.Sweet corn plants fertilized with organic materials inoculated with beneficial microbes grew better than those without inoculation.There were no significant differences in physiology and growth of the sweet corn plants between treatments of chemical fertilizers with and without MI.Among the organic fertilization treatments.only the sweet corn plants with organic fertilizer and MI applied 4 weeks before sowing had simlilar photosyntheitic capacity,total dry matter yield and ear yield to those with chemical fertilizers.Sweet corn plants in other organic fertilization treatments were weaker in physiology and grown than those in chemical fertilization treatments.There was no significant variance among chemical fertilization treatments at differenct time.It is concluded form this research that this organic fertilizer would be more effective if it was inoculated with the beneficial microbes.Early application of the organic fertilizer with beneficial microbes before sowing was recommended to make the nutrients available before the rapid growth at the eraly stage and obtain a yield simlar to or higher than that with chemical fertilizations.     

Ontogenic and morphological study of gonadal formation in genetically-modified sex reversal XYPOS mice

Mammalian sexual fate is determined by the presence or absence of sex determining region of the Y chromosome (Sry) in the “bipotential” gonads. Recent studies have demonstrated that both male and female sexual development are induced by distinct and active genetic pathways. Breeding the Y chromosome from Mus m. domesticus poschiavinus (POS) strains into C57BL/6J (B6J) mice (B6J-XY^POS) has been shown to induce sex reversal (75%: bilateral ovary, 25%: true hermaphrodites). However, our B6N-XY^POS mice, which were generated by backcrossing of B6J-XY^POS on an inbred B6N-XX, develop as males (36%: bilateral testis with fertility as well as bilateral ovary (34%), and the remainder develop as true hermaphrodites. Here, we investigated in detail the expressions of essential sex-related genes and histological features in B6N-XY^POS mice from the fetal period to adulthood. The onsets of both Sry and SRY-box 9 (Sox9) expressions as determined spatiotemporally by whole-mount immunohistochemistry in the B6N-XY^POS gonads occurred 2–3 tail somites later than those in B6N-XY^B6 gonads, but earlier than those in B6J-XY^POS, respectively. It is possible that such a small difference in timing of the Sry expression underlies testicular development in our B6N-XY^POS. Our study is the first to histologically show the expression and ectopic localization of a female-related gene in the XY^POS testes and a male-related gene in the XY^POS ovaries. The results from these and previous experiments indicate that the interplay between genome variants, epigenetics and developmental gene regulation is crucial for testis development.     

The combined effect of clothianidin and environmental stress on the behavioral and reproductive function in male mice

Neonicotinoids, some of the most widely used pesticides in the world, act as agonists to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) of insects, resulting in death from abnormal excitability. Neonicotinoids unexpectedly became a major topic as a compelling cause of honeybee colony collapse disorder, which is damaging crop production that requires pollination worldwide. Mammal nAChRs appear to have a certain affinity for neonicotinoids with lower levels than those of insects; there is thus rising concern about unpredictable adverse effects of neonicotinoids on vertebrates. We hypothesized that the effects of neonicotinoids would be enhanced under a chronic stressed condition, which is known to alter the expression of targets of neonicotinoids, i.e., neuronal nAChRs. We performed immunohistochemical and behavioral analyses in male mice actively administered a neonicotinoid, clothianidin (CTD; 0, 10, 50 and 250 mg/kg/day), for 4 weeks under an unpredictable chronic stress procedure. Vacuolated seminiferous epithelia and a decrease in the immunoreactivity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase 4 were observed in the testes of the CTD+stress mice. In an open field test, although the locomotor activities were not affected, the anxiety-like behaviors of the mice were elevated by both CTD and stress. The present study demonstrates that the behavioral and reproductive effects of CTD become more serious in combination with environmental stress, which may reflect our actual situation of multiple exposure.     

Pathology of lethal peripartum broad ligament haematoma in 31 Thoroughbred mares

Reasons for performing study: Broad ligament haemorrhage in peripartum mares is a life‐threatening disease and there are few reports on the aetiology and pathogenesis of broad ligament haematoma. Objectives: To obtain information regarding the sites for the early diagnosis and pathogenesis of broad ligament haematoma of mares. Methods: Thirty‐one mares that died of broad ligament haematoma peripartum were examined pathologically for bleeding sites. The arterial distribution of 5 young mares with several parities served as negative controls. Results: Age and/or multiparity were the predisposing factors for the disease. Arterial injuries were most commonly observed in the uterine artery (24 of 31 mares). Among these, the proximal uterine artery that lies within 15 cm of the bifurcation of the iliac artery was the most frequent site for rupture (18 mares). The lesions occurred preferentially at the bifurcations, lateral part of curvatures and abrupt flexures of the artery. The morphology of the injuries was classified into 3 types: ruptures with and without longitudinal fissures, and transections. Histologically, the arterial wall adjacent to the rupture showed atrophy of smooth muscle cells with fibrosis of the tunica media and disruption and/or calcification of the internal elastic lamina. Conclusions: Arterial injuries that led to broad ligament haematoma in peripartum mares occurred most frequently in the proximal uterine artery, and atrophy of smooth muscle cells with fibrosis of the arterial wall was as one of the predisposing factors in aged and multiparous mares. Potential relevance: Monitoring small aneurysms, mural tearing, medial fibrosis at the proximal uterine artery by transrectal echography could provide useful information for the early diagnosis and possible prevention of broad ligament haematoma of peripartum mares.