木腐菌对松材线虫病病死树伐桩的作用

采用硫磺菌菌株6600、杂色云芝菌株6923、松生拟层孔菌菌株W11、茯苓菌株6284和粗皮侧耳菌株6221接种处理松材线虫病病死树伐桩,研究5个菌株对伐桩的分解能力以及对伐桩内松材线虫的作用情况.结果表明:硫磺菌菌株6600对伐桩的分解能力以及对伐桩内松材线虫的抑杀作用都最强;对伐桩内松材线虫数量与伐桩样品质量的相关分析表明两者呈极显著的正相关.该研究为今后在实际生产中利用木腐菌处理伐桩奠定了重要的基础.     

The effect of openings on combined bound water and water vapor diffusion in wood

This study was undertaken to estimate the effect of openings between cell walls on combined bound water and water vapor diffusion in wood. Using a newly developed model, the radial and tangential moisture diffusion coefficients can be predicted depending on the opening area. The new model explicitly involves a term for water vapor diffusion through the openings, as well as a term for the combined diffusion of bound water and water vapor. A classical model developed by Stamm and Choong had higher longitudinal moisture diffusion coefficients than that in the parallel model at higher moisture content, which is inconsistent with the Wiener bound rule. The new model suggested in this article is useful for analyzing the experimental results and understanding the variability of the diffusion coefficients.     

Estimation of fire severity by use of Landsat TM images and its relevance to vegetation and topography in the 2000 Samcheok forest fire

The severity of the 2000 Samcheok forest fire was classified by using Landsat TM images, and the effects of vegetation structures and topographic conditions on fire severity were analyzed. The estimated normalized difference vegetation index differences between the pre and post-fire Landsat TM images were used as the criteria in determining the levels of fire severity–low, moderate, and extreme. According to the results from fire severity estimation, of the 10,600 ha forest stands, 28% was severely damaged by crown fires, 38% was moderately damaged, and the remaining 34% was damaged slightly by surface fires. The overall accuracy of the fire severity classification was 83% (Kappa coefficient = 0.76). The results of χ ²-tests showed that fire severity differed significantly with the vegetation and topographic conditions as follows. The coniferous stands, compared with the mixed and broad-leaved, were more vulnerable to fire damage; the higher the slope of fire sites, the greater the fire damage; the south was the most vulnerable aspect; fire severity of coniferous forest stands increased with increasing elevation. However, in the study area it was found that fire severity of broad-leaved forest stands were negatively related to the elevation of the corresponding fire sites and affected more by vegetation conditions rather than by topographic conditions.     

Anticariogenic activity of some tropical medicinal plants against Streptococcus mutans

The methanol extracts of five tropical plants, Baeckea frutescens, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Kaempferia pandurata, Physalis angulata and Quercus infectoria, exhibited potent antibacterial activity against the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans. In particular, G. glabra, K. pandurata and P. angulata conferred fast killing bactericidal effect against S. mutans in 2 min at 50 microg/ml of extract concentration.     

Schisandrin B protects against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury in BJ human fibroblasts

The effects of schisandrin B (Sch B) and its analogs on solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury were examined in BJ human fibroblasts. Sch B and schisandrin C (Sch C) increased cellular reduced glutathione (GSH) level and protected against solar irradiation-induced oxidative injury. The photoprotection was paralleled by decreases in the elastases-type protease activity and matrix-metalloproteinases-1 expression in solar-irradiated fibroblasts. The cytochrome P-450-mediated metabolism of Sch B or Sch C caused ROS production. The results suggest that by virtue of its pro-oxidant action and the subsequent glutathione antioxidant response, Sch B or Sch C may offer the prospect of preventing skin photo-aging.     

Biaxial Extensional Viscosity of Sheeted Noodle Dough

The flows encountered during the sheeting process contain a more extensional component and more stretching than simple shear. Evaluating the properties of the extensional rheological flow of wheat flour dough is essential to better understand the sheeting process and the final quality of the product. Our results show that the curves of biaxial extensional viscosity versus extensional strain rate for dough from different wheat cultivars including Dark Northern Spring (DNS), Hard Red Winter (HRW), and Western White Wheat (WW) with protein contents of 7.81–18.09% and water contents of 32–40% could be discriminated. During a lubricated compression test, the sheeted dough displayed a region of extensional thickening followed by a region of mild extensional thinning, giving rise to an s-shaped extensional stress-strain rate curve. The higher degree of extensional thinning was exhibited for the sheeted dough prepared from the flour of DNS and HRW wheat mixture with an extensional thinning index of n = 0.65–0.74; while the lower degree of extensional thinning was displayed for the DNS wheat with an extensional thinning index of n = 0.89–0.96. The data of biaxial extensional viscosity (η_Bmax) versus water content and protein content could be described by power relationships. The results suggest that biaxial extensional viscosity can be a useful modeling and process design parameter that objectively represents the rheological properties during dough sheeting.     

Effects of Cumin and Ginger as Antioxidants on Dough Mixing Properties and Cookie Quality

The effects of cumin and ginger as antioxidants on dough mixing properties and cookie quality were evaluated. Antioxidant activities in cookies were estimated by total phenolic compounds (TPC) contents and free radical scavenging activities. The cookie dough development was evaluated using Mixolab equipment which showed that addition of cumin did not change dough stability and C2, but decreased C3 and C4. While the addition of 5% ginger decreased dough stability (from 8.4 in the control sample to 6.7 min with 5% ginger addition), C2 (from 0.49 in the control sample to 0.31 N·m with 5% ginger addition), C3, and C4. Cookies formulated with addition of cumin and ginger had increased spread ratios, were softer, and had lower L* and b* values (were darker) than the control. Sensory analysis showed that cookies with cumin and ginger additions had overall acceptability similar to that of the the control with a slightly darker appearance, as confirmed by color determination. Using cumin and ginger significantly increased TPC contents from 78.5 in the control to 93.0 and 109.8 mg of gallic acid equivalent/100 g, respectively. Similar results were observed in the antioxidant activity measured by 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), which increased from 41.0% in the control to 51.5% and 64.6%, respectively, for cookies with 5% addition of cumin and ginger.     

Physicochemical Properties and In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Cooked Rice from Commercially Available Cultivars in Canada

The influence of amylose content, cooking, and storage on starch structure, thermal behaviors, pasting properties, and rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and resistant starch (RS) in different commercial rice cultivars was investigated. Long grain rice with high‐amylose content had a higher gelatinization temperature and a lower gelatinization enthalpy than the other rice cultivars with intermediate amylose content (Arborio and Calrose) and waxy type (glutinous). The intensity ratio of 1047/1022 cm^–1 determined by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT‐IR), which indicated the ordered structure in starch granules, was the highest in glutinous and the lowest in long grain. Results from Rapid ViscoAnalyser (RVA) showed that the rice cultivar with higher amylose content had lower peak viscosity and breakdown, but higher pasting temperature, setback, and final viscosity. The RDS content was 28.1, 38.6, 41.5, and 57.5% in long grain, Arborio, Calrose, and glutinous rice, respectively, which was inversely related to amylose content. However, the SDS and RS contents were positively correlated with amylose content. During storage of cooked rice, long grain showed a continuous increase in pasting viscosity, while glutinous exhibited the sharp cold‐water swelling peak. The retrogradation rate was greater in rice cultivars with high amylose content. The ratio of 1047/1022 cm^–1 was substantially decreased by cooking and then increased during storage of cooked rice due to the crystalline structure, newly formed by retrogradation. Storage of cooked rice decreased RDS content and increased SDS content in all rice cultivars. However, no increase in RS content during storage was observed. The enthalpy for retrogradation and the intensity ratio 1047/1022 cm^–1 during storage were correlated negatively with RDS and positively with SDS (P ≤ 0.01).     

Lethal Effects of Pulsed High-Voltage Discharge on Marine Plankton and Escherichia coli

Ballast seawater is considered globally as a major vector for invasions of non-indigenous organisms. Several technologies have been tested for their ability to remove organisms from ballast water. In the present study, we constructed a novel pulsed high-voltage discharge (PHVD) system that could operate in either high current mode with several hundred amperes or shockwave generating mode with relatively lower current in seawater. In laboratory-scale experiments, the PHVD system with shockwave-generating mode was found to be more effective in killing zooplankton (1.9- to 4.0-fold) and phytoplankton (3.3-fold) than high current mode at discharge with 300–500 pulses at 7.1 kV. Further experiments were carried out at different voltages and pulse-numbers to examine effects of the shockwave-generating PHVD system on viabilities of one zooplankton larva, two phytoplankton species, and an indicator bacterium suspended in seawater in a static chamber. For zooplankton, live cells were not detected at discharge with 400 pulses at 13 kV. For phytoplankton, the initial live cells of a dinoflagellate was decreased by 77?±?0.5%, and the initial chl a concentration of a diatom was decreased by 76?±?6% at discharge with 700 pulses at 13 kV. For an indicator bacterium Escherichia coli, live cells were not detected at discharges with 200 or 700 pulses at 13 kV. Measurements of ATP content of organisms showed congruent results with those obtained by the above methods, suggesting it may be a rapid method for evaluating treatment efficiency. Though further scale-up studies are necessary, these results suggest that the PHVD system have a high potential for applying to ballast seawater treatment.     

Effects of diosmin, a flavonoid glycoside in citrus fruits, on P-glycoprotein-mediated drug efflux in human intestinal Caco-2 cells

The effects of citrus flavonoids on P-glycoprotein (P-gp)-mediated drug efflux were examined in human intestinal Caco-2 cells. The cellular accumulation of rhodamine-123 was measured using 10 citrus flavonoids for preliminary screening. Among the flavonoids tested, diosmin significantly increased the accumulation of rhodamine-123 in Caco-2 cells. In the bidirectional transport of digoxin, diosmin increased the apical-to-basal (A-to-B) transport but decreased the basal-to-apical (B-to-A) transport in both concentration- and time-dependent manners. The digoxin transport ratio (B-A/A-B) was estimated to be 2.3 at a concentration of 50 microM of diosmin, which was significantly lower than the 15.2 found in the control. The apparent Ki values for P(app,A-B) and P(app,B-A) were 16.1 and 5.7 microM, respectively. These results demonstrated that diosmin effectively inhibited the P-gp-mediated efflux in Caco-2 cells. Diosmin is one of the main components in citrus fruits, and the intake of food supplements containing this compound may potentially increase the absorption of drugs able to act as P-gp substrates. The clinical relevance of this interaction should be further evaluated using in vivo experiments.