Assessment of rabbit spleen size using ultrasonography

Assessment of spleen size using the ultrasonography has become a standard practice in human. However, the assessment is not established method in experimental animals. To establish the index to assess the spleen size using ultrasonography, we measured the cross-section image of rabbit spleen during endotoxin shock. The image of the cross-section was appeared as triangle, and the height of the triangular image was defined as the spleen index. This spleen index showed strong correlation with the spleen weight. In conclusion, this method is suitable for observation of changes in rabbit spleen size and may reduce the number of rabbit in the longitudinal studies.     

Role of the hyaluronan receptor CD44 during porcine oocyte maturation

Previous our studies have shown that CD44, the principal receptor for hyaluronan, is present on cumulus cells during oocyte maturation. Although hyaluronan-CD44 interaction has been implicated in cumulus expansion and/or oocyte maturation, the full significance of CD44 remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to further investigate the role of CD44 in cumulus expansion and oocyte maturation in pigs. We demonstrate here in that CD44 has a key role in oocyte maturation but not in cumulus expansion. Previous studies have reported the physiological significance of cumulus expansion in oocyte maturation. However, our results suggest that cumulus expansion is a necessary condition for oocyte maturation, but that it is not sufficient on its own. Furthermore, western blot analysis demonstrated that the CD44 of the in vitro-matured cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) had a larger molecular weight and more terminal sialic acid, which has been proven to inhibit the hyaluronan-binding ability of the receptor, than the CD44 of the in vivo-matured COCs, indicating that the hyaluronan-CD44 interactions during in vitro maturation might be insufficient compared with those in vivo. The insufficient interactions of hyaluronan-CD44 during in vitro maturation may cause the inferior capacity of fertilization and development of oocytes matured in vitro.     

Androgen induces production of male effect pheromone in female goats

Previously we showed that the primer pheromone responsible for the "male effect" was produced in specific skin regions of castrated male goats by androgen treatments. In the present study, we examined whether androgen can also induce production of the male effect pheromone in female goats. Capsules containing dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or testosterone (T) were subcutaneously implanted into six ovariectomized (OVX) goats for 28 days. Small skin samples were collected from the head and rump regions, and the pheromone activity of their ether extracts was examined using a bioassay that monitors the electrophysiological manifestation of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator as multiple-unit activity. Behaviors of OVX goats towards ovary-intact estrous goats were also examined before and at the end of DHT or T treatment. Before androgen treatment, neither the head nor rump skin samples in OVX goats showed pheromone activity. DHT treatment induced pheromone activity in the head skin sample of six OVX goats and in the rump skin sample of two OVX goats. Similar results were obtained by T treatment. In addition, OVX goats treated with T showed masculine-type sexual behaviors such as courtship and mounting behaviors towards the estrous goats. These results demonstrate that androgen is capable of inducing primer pheromone activity in the female and suggest that the synthesis pathway of the male effect pheromone exists in both sexes in the goat.     

草地贪夜蛾对我国玉米产业的潜在经济损失评估

草地贪夜蛾Spodoptera frugiperda,又称秋黏虫,起源于美洲。自2019年1月入侵我国云南以来,目前已扩散至我国25个省、市(区)。目前在我国发现的草地贪夜蛾主要为害玉米,本研究在收集了草地贪夜蛾的为害及防治情况,玉米的产量、面积、价格等相关数据的基础上,利用随机模型@RISK分别预测了其在防治与不防治场景下对我国玉米产业的潜在经济损失。结果表明,在不防治场景下,草地贪夜蛾对我国玉米的潜在经济损失总量的90%置信区间为375.68亿～3 283.45亿元,投入防治后可挽回的潜在经济损失90%置信区间为254.78亿～2 918.93亿元。因此,为保护我国玉米种植业的安全生产,应加强田间防治来降低其对我国玉米产业造成的潜在经济损失。     

木耳菌渣稻苗基质化利用难点及解决技术

为有效转化利用废弃木耳菌渣,解决木耳菌渣稻苗基质化利用过程中出现的稻苗黄化现象问题,通过分析木耳菌渣理化性质及对水稻种子采取硫酸亚铁溶液浸种处理的方法,进行木耳菌渣稻苗基质化利用研究。结果表明:1)虽然腐熟菌渣的有机质含量、保水性及速效养分等特性有利于做水稻育苗基质,但盐分浓度较高、偏碱性、密度较小不适宜单一菌渣做育苗基质;2)单一菌渣基质培育稻苗,会出现黄化现象,原因在于单一菌渣基质有效铁含量偏低,造成了叶片含铁量少;3)硫酸亚铁浸种处理可以控制稻苗黄化现象,但会诱导植株株高伸长;4)0.014mol/L硫酸亚铁与0.051mmol/L多效唑混合浸种液在20℃下浸种处理3d,能够有效控制稻苗黄化现象和植株的徒长。同体积的腐熟菌渣和稻田土混合配制成的育苗基质,稻种采用硫酸亚铁溶液与多效唑溶液混合浸种处理的方法,能够育出壮实的大龄机插秧苗。     

Recording cerebellar neuron activities in swimming goldfish

ABSTRACT:   Neuronal activities were investigated in the cerebellum of immobilized and swimming goldfish Carassius auratus . Extracellularly recorded neural activities of the cerebellum in immobilized goldfish were characterized and classified into five types. Based on the waveforms and recording depths, these five neural activity types were estimated to originate from three identified classes of cerebellar neurons: Purkinje cells, eurydendroid cells, and granule cells. Chronic recording of cerebellar neuron activities in unrestrained goldfish was performed for more than 100 h. During the chronic recordings, a submersible amplifier attached to the goldfish head, and a multielectrode array developed for the present study were used. Neuronal activities in the cerebellum of free-swimming fish could also be classified into five types as in the immobilized condition. Firing patterns of two neurons identified as Purkinje cells and eurydendroid cells were analyzed during turning movements of the goldfish. The firing patterns of these neurons changed in relation to turning movements. Although some improvements are required, the chronic recording method developed in the present study can be applied to further investigations concerning the direct relationship between brain neural activities and certain behavior.     

Ecology,physiology and genetics of a phycodnavirus infecting the noxious bloom-forming raphidophyte <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterosigma akashiwo</Emphasis>

Abstract:   Heterosigma akashiwo virus (HaV) is a large icosahedral virus (∼0.2 μm) harboring a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome (∼294 kbp). The virus is the only member of the genus Raphidovirus in the family Phycodnaviridae. Since its first discovery, a number of ecologic, physiologic and genetic studies about HaV have been conducted; especially, the relationship between H. akashiwo and HaV in nature was studied and viral infection is now regarded as a significant factor influencing the dynamics and termination of H. akashiwo blooms. HaV infection has considerable impacts on H. akashiwo populations in both aspects of fluctuation in biomass (quantity) and changes in clonal composition (quality). Partial sequencing of the HaV genome revealed that a number of genes showed considerable similarity to those of other protist-infecting viruses; still, the phylogenetic position of HaV suggested a number of enigmas in host–virus coevolution. Here are summarized the ecology, physiology and genetics of HaV especially from the viewpoint of the host–virus relationship.     

根癌农杆菌介导ACS反义基因转化香蕉的研究

以香蕉(Musa spp.)品种‘天宝蕉’(Musa spp.,AAA类群)为试材,对以根癌农杆菌介导法的香蕉遗传转化体系进行较全面的研究,并以该系统进行了ACS反义基因转化香蕉的研究。结果表明:不经预培养的香蕉茎尖横切薄片,侵染前用附加0.1 mg/L甘露醇的高渗固体培养基前处理4 h,农杆菌重悬液浓度为OD600在1.0左右,重悬液中含100 g/L蔗糖,接菌时间为10~15 min,于26℃黑暗条件下共培养4 d,共培养培养基pH值为5.8是较为适合的转化条件;采用附加100 mg/L卡那霉素、2 mg/L AgNO3筛选培养基对共培养后的香蕉横切薄片进行筛选,共获得5个转ACS反义基因的抗性芽系;经GUS组织化学法及PCR检测,gus基因已整合进香蕉基因组。     

Influence of volcanic ash sediments on spore adhesion of the red alga Gelidium elegans from the coastal seabed around Miyakejima Island, Japan

The populations of red alga Gelidium elegans along the coast of Miyakejima Island were severely damaged by a volcanic eruption in 2000. The effect of this volcanic eruption has been long lasting, and populations of this red alga still have not recovered. We investigated the effect of seabed sediment particles derived from volcanic ash on the substrate adhesion of G.?elegans spores. The analysis provides evidence that increasing amounts of sediment particles result in lower adhesion rates of G.?elegans spores, and that smaller sediment particles have a greater influence on adhesion. The amount of seabed sediment particles around Miyakejima Island was 9.3?C1815.4?mg/cm². This amount has changed greatly from year to year. The adhesion rate of G.?elegans spores in water around Miyakejima Island was 0?% at all points in 2008 and 2010, but it was estimated as 6.3?C38.6?% in 2009. These results suggest that there is significant inhibition of algal spore adhesion by seabed sediment particles derived from volcanic ash around Miyakejima Island.     

Effect of amending materials on growth of radish plant in salinized soil

The critical Na levels in soil which restricted seed germination and growth of radish, and effect of the amending materials on reducing the salinity hazard were determined by performing petri dish and pot experiments. The plants were grown in amended salinized soil in a phytotron for 21 days. Excess accumulation of Na in cells suppressed seed germination and plant growth. The critical Na level in control soil which restricted germination and growth was 12.5mg Na/g soil. At the same salinity level, amending materials promoted seed germination and plant growth mainly by inhibiting the excess flow of Na into the cell through ion holding mechanism. Among the materials used, the commercial manure of 4 months old held greater amount of Na(3.7mg/g) and thus more efficiently reduced the ion damage. Plants grown under such treatment had the highest dry matter yield (28.Gmg/plant), water content was normal(84%), and the ratio for Na in root to Na in plant's shoot was 2.4. As for the case of plant grown in control soil the respective data were 8. 5mg, 54%, and 4.8.