Acoustic evaluation of the vertical distribution of dwarf ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis in Lake Biwa

SUMMARY: The vertical distribution of dwarf ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis in the pelagic waters of Lake Biwa was evaluated from June to September in 1995–97 from eight acoustic surveys using a quantitative echosounder. In each survey, echoes from a depth range of 3 m to the sea bottom were collected at a station every 2.7 s for 24 h together with measurements of vertical profiles of water temperature and chlorophyll-a. The ayu's echoes were identified using an underwater video camera. The ayu were observed near the maximum chlorophyll-a depth and above the thermocline. Their density was highest at depths of 4–11 m with 2–4 individuals/m ³ and was almost zero below 20 m. Echo signs were recorded as having a frequent duration of more than 1 h at night, whereas were of a shorter duration in the day. The fish stay in the epilimnion during the day without any clear vertical migration, but are distributed more uniformly at night. The advantages of remaining in the epilimnion are discussed in terms of food availability and predator avoidance.     

茄子早熟育种研究Ⅱ选择指数与早熟性选择

研究结果表明,由性状果实最大周长,果实体积,门茄显蕾期,单株产量等性状构成的选择指数较好;进一步进行遗传相关分析结果认为,应用选择指数时应注意果实体积这个性状,单株产量是一个重要的辅助性状,门茄显蕾期是一个限制性因子。应用选择指数对品种评价结果认为,早熟性较好的品种有:天津早茄、西安绿茄、二民、七叶茄、白线茄和汉中荷包。     

北京地区规模化奶牛场牛病毒性腹泻病血清学调查

对北京郊区6个未进行牛病毒性腹泻病（BVD）免疫牛场的546份奶牛血清样品,使用牛病毒性腹泻抗体ELISA试剂盒进行检测,并对其中3个牛群进行牛病毒性腹泻病毒（BVDV）血清抗原筛查。共检出阳性血清514份,总阳性率94.1%,其中5个牛场的场内血清抗体阳性率在95%以上。牛病毒性腹泻持续性感染牛（PI牛）筛查的3个牛群均有阳性牛检出。结果表明,北京地区规模化奶牛场存在牛病毒性腹泻感染和接触史,应采取净化措施进行控制。     

Sporadic endemicity of zoonotic Paragonimus in raccoon dogs and Japanese badgers from Miyazaki Prefecture,Japan

Paragonimiasis is a zoonotic trematode infection caused by Paragonimus spp. To determine the recent status of Paragonimus infections in wild animals, this study investigated Paragonimus spp. in 39 raccoon dogs and 54 Japanese badgers from March 2019 to January 2021 in Miyazaki Prefecture, and examined metacercariae in freshwater crabs. Triploid P. westermani was found in one raccoon dog (2.6%), and metacercariae were recovered from Eriocheir japonica captured near the infected animal collected. One Japanese badger (1.9%) harbored P. skrjabini miyazakii; this prevalence was lower than the approximately 30% that was reported in the 1970s. Results indicated that zoonotic Paragonimus was sporadically prevalent in wild animals. Further investigation in various animals is awaited to elucidate current wildlife reservoirs for those Paragonimus.     

考虑可控非可控因素动态特性的含水层系统有限元模拟模型

本文提出了考虑可控非可控因素动态特征的水资源系统有限元动态模拟模型，将各单元逐时段系统输入输出信息的动态计算模型引入到模型中，然后由于这些量的动态特性，加之需要模拟识别的参数繁多，给有限元模拟模型的求解工作增加了很大的难度，我们在分析各类参数及曲线精度及物理概念的基础上，先固定一部分参数和曲线，然后从剩余参数的物理概念出发，确定其初值及其相互间的逻辑关系，最后由有限元模拟模型识别出这些参数，通过验证表明了模拟参数的准确性，也充分说明了有限元各项项信息量确定的准确，系统输入输出信息量计算模型合理可靠。     

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG SpaC pilin subunit binds to the carbohydrate moieties of intestinal glycoconjugates

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) is a well‐established probiotic strain. The beneficial properties of this strain are partially dependent on its prolonged residence in the gastrointestinal tract, and are likely influenced by its adhesion to the intestinal mucosa. The pilin SpaC subunit, located within the Spa pili structure, is the most well studied LGG adhesion factor. However, the binding epitopes of SpaC remain largely unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the binding properties of SpaC to the carbohydrate moieties of intestinal glycoconjugates using a recombinant SpaC protein. In a competitive enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, SpaC binding was markedly reduced by addition of purified mucin and the mucin oligosaccharide fraction. Histochemical staining revealed that the binding of SpaC was drastically reduced by periodic acid treatment. Moreover, in the surface plasmon resonance‐based Biacore assay, SpaC bound strongly to the carbohydrate moieties containing β‐galactoside at the non‐reducing terminus of glycolipids. We here provide the first demonstration that SpaC binds to the oligosaccharide chains of mucins, and that the carbohydrate moieties containing β‐galactoside at the non‐reducing termini of glycoconjugates play a crucial role in this binding. Our results demonstrate the importance of carbohydrates of SpaC for mucus interactions.     

An index for evaluating the flood-prevention function of paddies

Urbanization is expanding in and around small to medium-sized cities as well as in large cities, and the expansion includes low-lying areas where the flood risk is high. Flood risk in small watersheds has been evaluated using precise mathematical models. However, these models cannot be applied to larger basins due to the complexity of data collection and analysis. As a result, quantitative evaluations of flood risk at macro scales and the flood-prevention function of paddies around urban areas have not been made. This paper proposes a method and an index that can be used to evaluate the flood-prevention function of paddies on a regional scale. In addition, the use of this system for basin-wide management is illustrated by an example for the Kinu and Kokai rivers, which are tributaries of the Tone River of Japan. The applicability of the approach is evaluated using data from a major flood that occurred in the study area.     

Characterization of an Alginate Lyase,FlAlyA, from Flavobacterium sp. Strain UMI-01 and Its Expression in Escherichia coli

A major alginate lyase, FlAlyA, was purified from the periplasmic fraction of an alginate-assimilating bacterium, Flavobacterium sp. strain UMI-01. FlAlyA showed a single band of ~30 kDa on SDS-PAGE and exhibited the optimal temperature and pH at 55 °C and pH 7.7, respectively. Analyses for substrate preference and reaction products indicated that FlAlyA was an endolytic poly(mannuronate) lyase (EC 4.2.2.3). A gene fragment encoding the amino-acid sequence of 288 residues for FlAlyA was amplified by inverse PCR. The N-terminal region of 21 residues except for the initiation Met in the deduced sequence was predicted as the signal peptide and the following region of six residues was regarded as propeptide, while the C-terminal region of 260 residues was regarded as the polysaccharide-lyase-family-7-type catalytic domain. The entire coding region for FlAlyA was subjected to the pCold I—Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) expression system and ~eight times higher yield of recombinant FlAlyA (recFlAlyA) than that of native FlAlyA was achieved. The recFlAlyA recovered in the periplasmic fraction of E. coli had lost the signal peptide region along with the N-terminal 3 residues of propeptide region. This suggested that the signal peptide of FlAlyA could function in part in E. coli.