Immunoreactive changes in pituitary FSH and LH cells during seasonal reproductive and spawning cycles of female chub mackerel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scomber japonicus</Emphasis>

The physiological functions of pituitary gonadotropins (GtHs) are well established in higher vertebrates, whereas those in teleosts are still poorly understood. To describe the role of GtHs during gonadal development of female chub mackerel Scomber japonicus, changes in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) cells were investigated immunohistochemically during the seasonal reproductive and spawning cycles. FSH and LH cells were identified in the different cell types of the proximal pars distalis (PPD); FSH cells were located in the central PPD, whereas LH cells were localized along the border of the pars intermedia. To examine changes in FSH and LH cells, the percentage of FSH or LH cell-occupying area in the PPD was evaluated and represented as FSHβ-immunoreactive (ir) or LHβ-ir levels, respectively. FSHβ-ir levels increased significantly from immature to the completion of vitellogenesis, whereas LHβ-ir levels were maintained at high levels from early vitellogenesis to post-spawning. During the spawning cycle, which consisted of four stages from just after spawning to the next oocyte maturation, both FSHβ-ir and LHβ-ir levels showed no significant changes among different stages; however, LHβ-ir levels remained relatively high, and FSHβ-ir levels were constantly low. These results suggest that both FSH and LH may be involved in vitellogenesis and LH may act at final oocyte maturation in female chub mackerel, although the role of FSH during the spawning cycle is still unclear.     

Zoogeographical barriers causing discontinuous osteometrical variations in the northern treeshrew skulls

Morphological variation of the skull was examined in the northern treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri) from various localities across Southeast Asia. Through a multivariate analysis, the treeshrews from South Vietnam exhibited distinct morphological characteristics compared to other populations from Thailand and Laos, and Malaysia. The plots of the specimens of North Vietnam are not randomly mixed with Thailand plots segregation in the scatteregrams of canonical discriminant analysis. Since the skulls of the population from North Vietnam were morphologically similar to those form central Laos and northern and northeastern Thailand, the zoogeographical barrier effect of Mekong River was not clearly confirmed. The population of the Kanchanaburi in western Thailand is clearly smaller in size compared to the other populations. The southern border of the distribution of this species is determined by the Isthmus of Kra or Kangar-Pattani Line. In the northern treeshrew, which is distributed from southern China to Bangladesh and southern Thailand, we have detected osteometrical geographical variation driven by geography. These results indicate that the skull morphology in the Tupaia glis-belangeri complex distinctively differs in South Vietnam, western Thailand, and southern Thailand. The zoogeographical barrier and factor separating these districts are expected to clarify in the future.     

Changes in fineroot growth dynamics in response to phosphorus application in an Acacia mangium plantation in Vietnam

Fineroots (≤ 2 mm diameter) are dynamic components of the forest ecosystems and play important role in water and nutrient acquisition in forests. These roots are sensitive to forest fertilization and therefore, the response of fineroots to nutrient application would provide better understanding of the forest carbon and nutrient dynamics that will be helpful in sustainable forest management plans. Two fertilization treatments, including (1) F400: 400 g P₂O₅ (16.5%)/tree and (2) F600: 600 g P₂O₅ /tree, and F0: control (without fertilization), were applied in an Acacia mangium plantation with a planting density of 1100 trees/ha (3 m?×?3 m). The evaluation of fineroot growth across seasons showed that fertilization significantly increased production and subsequent mortality and decomposition. The total decomposition associated with F600 application was 7.95 tons ha^?1 year^?1, equaling 121% of F400 and 160% of the control. Mortality in F600 was 8.75 tons ha^?1 year^?1, equaling 111% of F400 and 198% of F0, while production in F600 was 10.40 tons ha^?1 year^?1, equaling 127% of F400 and 143% of F0. Fineroot production, mortality, and decomposition are seasonally dependent, with higher values measured in the rainy season than in the dry season. Stand basal area increment was significantly correlated with fineroot production (R²?=?0.75), mortality (R²?=?0.44), and decomposition (R²?=?0.48). This study showed that fertilization could facilitate fineroot production, which can then lead to a higher turnover of carbon and nutrients through the decomposition of the greater mass of the fineroots.

     

Climatic determinants of lowland rice development

Accurate modelling of plant development is the basis for any assessment of climate change impact on crop yields. Most rice models simulate development (phenology) based on temperature and photoperiod, but often the reliability of these models is reduced beyond the environment they were calibrated for. In our study, we tested the effects of relative air humidity and solar radiation on leaf appearance rate in greenhouse experiments and analysed data sets from field studies conducted in two extremely different rice-growing environments in Nepal and Senegal. We also analysed environmental effects on duration to flowering of one popular IRRI material (IR64) for eight different sites covering the entire temperature range where rice is widely cultivated. Both low relative air humidity and low solar radiation significantly decreased leaf appearance rate. Mean air temperature explained 81% of the variation in duration to flowering across sites, which was furthermore significantly influenced by relative air humidity. Across all sites, a simple linear regression approach including mean air temperature and mean relative humidity in the calculation of duration to flowering led to a root mean square error (RMSE) of 10 days, which was slightly lower than the RMSE of 11 days achieved with an automated calibration tool for parameter optimization of cardinal temperatures and photoperiod sensitivity. Parameter optimization for individual sites led to a much smaller prediction error, but also to large differences in cardinal temperatures between sites, mainly lower optimum temperatures for the cooler sites. To increase the predictive power of phenological models outside their calibration range and especially in climate change scenarios, a more mechanistic modelling approach is needed. A starting point could be including relative air humidity and radiation in the simulation procedure of crop development, and presumably, a closer link between growth and development procedures could help to increase the robustness of phenological models.     

An application of multilevel model for the analysis of factors influencing paddy field productivity in the Northern Vietnamese Mountains

Paddy and Water Environment - In the Northern Vietnamese Mountains, paddy fields are the main source of foods and an important indicator to define wealth in ethnic communities. This paper deals...     

Occurrence of tetrodotoxin in three Nassarius gastropod species in Khanh Hoa Province,Vietnam

Fisheries Science - Neurotoxic poisonings with fatal symptoms caused by consumption of Nassarius gastropods have been reported in Vietnam but the causative toxins have not been confirmed. In the...     

Phosphate absorption of intact komatsuna plants as influenced by phosphite

Phosphite (     ; Pi) uptake in cell suspension culture, information on how Phi affects the Pi uptake of intact plants remains to be determined. The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Phi on Pi absorption of intact komatsuna plants ( Brassica rapa var. peruviridis cv. Ajisai) in hydroponic culture. Phosphite markedly decreased Pi absorption of the intact komatsuna plants under both low (0.05 mmol L⁻¹ ) and high (0.5 mmol L⁻¹) Pi supply, although the growth (both shoots and roots) and water uptake of the high Pi-supplied plants was not affected by Phi. The inhibiting effect of Phi was small at 0.2 mmol L⁻¹, but became large at 2 mmol L⁻¹. Using relatively large seedlings (28 days old) to better assess the influence of Phi on Pi absorption early in the treatment, the results indicated that there was an immediate decrease in Pi absorption within the first 2-day period of Phi treatment when the water absorption of the plants was not affected. Taken together, the results suggested that there was a strong inhibiting effect of Phi on Pi uptake of intact komatsuna plants and this effect is exerted most likely by competition between Phi and Pi at uptake level. We speculate that the application of Phi to plant roots in an environment that is unfavorable for Phi-to-Pi conversion (e.g. hydroponic culture) may need to increase the amount of required Pi fertilization of plants to compensate for the reduction in Pi uptake by Phi. Further research is needed to confirm our results.     

Simulation of mefenacet concentrations in paddy fields by an improved PCPF-1 model

An improved simulation model (PCPF-1) has been evaluated for the prediction of the fate of mefenacet in an experimental paddy field. This model simulates the fate and transport of pesticide in paddy water and the top 1 cm of paddy soil. Observed concentrations of mefenacet in the paddy water and the surface soil exponentially decreased from their maximum concentrations of 0.70 mg litre(-1) and 11.3 mg kg(-1), respectively. Predicted mefenacet concentrations both in the water and surface soil were in excellent agreement with those measured during the first 2 weeks after herbicide application, but concentrations in paddy water were appreciably overestimated thereafter. The model simulated mefenacet losses through runoff, percolation and degradation to be respectively 41.9%, 6.4% and 57.3% of applied, and the mass balance error was about -6%. The model simulation implied that drainage and seepage control, especially shortly after application when herbicide concentrations are high, is essential for preventing pesticide losses from paddy fields. In focusing on pesticide concentrations in this early period the PCPF-1 model can be a beneficial tool for risk assessment of pesticide losses and in the evaluation of agricultural management for reducing pesticide pollution associated with paddy rice production.