The Effects of Different Feed Enrichments on Survivorship and Growth of Early Juvenile Longsnout Seahorse,Hippocampus reidi

Culturing the longsnout seahorse, Hippocampus reidi, remains challenging because unlike most cultured seahorse species, Artemia is not an optimal first feed. Ideally, more nutritious live feeds such as wild plankton or copepods should be used, but are not always readily available. Therefore, facilities commonly utilize enriched rotifers. Numerous feed enrichment products exist, including Dan's Feed Artemia Enrichment^®, (Dan's Feed) which is a blend of commercially available enrichment products. The aim of this study was to assess the survivorship, growth, and condition factor (CF) of 0–28 DPR (days post release) H. reidi fed with rotifers and Artemia enriched with Dan's Feed. This enrichment was evaluated against (1) rotifers and Artemia enriched with live alga (Isochrysis galbana), and (2) wild plankton and Artemia enriched with Dan's Feed. At 28 DPR, in terms of survivorship and growth, seahorses fed with rotifers and Artemia enriched with Dan's Feed had a lower CF and outperformed those fed rotifers and Artemia enriched with I. galbana. Seahorses fed with rotifers and Artemia enriched with Dan's Feed performed on par with those fed with wild plankton and Artemia with no significant difference in CF. These findings demonstrated that the culture of H. reidi may be feasible with rotifers and Artemia enriched with Dan's Feed .     

Expression of neurotrophic factors in injured spinal cord after transplantation of human-umbilical cord blood stem cells in rats

We induced percutaneous spinal cord injuries (SCI) using a balloon catheter in 45 rats and transplanted human umbilical cord blood derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs) at the injury site. Locomotor function was significantly improved in hUCB-MSCs transplanted groups. Quantitative ELISA of extract from entire injured spinal cord showed increased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3). Our results show that treatment of SCI with hUCB-MSCs can improve locomotor functions, and suggest that increased levels of BDNF, NGF and NT-3 in the injured spinal cord were the main therapeutic effect.     

Efficacy of Liriope platyphylla on Hematology and Immune Response in Olive Flounder,Paralichthys olivaceus,Against Flexibacter maritimus Infection

The effect of different solvent‐based (methanol, ethanol, and aqueous) extracts of Liriope platyphylla at 0, 0.1, 1.0, and 2.0 mg doses on hematology and innate immune response in olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, against Flexibacter maritimus is reported. The red blood cells and white blood cells significantly increased with ethanol and aqueous extracts with any dose against F. maritimus while the hematocrit level significantly increased with methanol or ethanol extracts. However, the hemoglobin content significantly increased irrespective of the doses and type of extracts, whereas the mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration significantly decreased. The lymphocytes and monocytes significantly increased in all doses and extracts, whereas neutrophils increased in ethanol or aqueous extracts. However, the thrombocytes level neither the doses nor extracts did not significant changes to the control against pathogen. Total protein and globulin levels significantly increased with all the doses of ethanol extract while does not significant change in methanol extract. The phagocytic activity and complement activity were significantly enhanced with any dose of ethanol extract while with aqueous extract it was only at 1.0 and 2.0 mg doses. At all the doses of each extract significantly enhanced the leucocytes activity against F. maritimus. The results confirm that the ethanolic and aqueous extracts of L. platyphylla stimulate the immune response against F. maritimus in P. olivaceus.     

Changes in tree ring width and density ofPinus thunbergii growing in the vicinity of industrial complex in Korea

There has been a decline in tree growth since the operation of factories atPinus thunbergii forests around a petrochemical industrial complex in Korea. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of air pollution on tree ring width and ring density ofPinus thunbergii. Soft X-ray densitometrical method was used. Decline of ring width was the highest during 3 years immediately after the operation of factories. The percentage of decrease was almost bigger immediately after operation as compared with before. Maximum density (MAXD), and the difference (DD) between maximum density and minimum density (MIND) generally decreased since operation of factories, while minimum density increased in the beginning of operation of factories. There was a significant correlation between ring width and high temperature, and precipitation in the beginning of growing season, respectively. There was also a negative correlation between annual mean concentration of SO₂ and ring width at 5% level (r=−0.627^*). It is suggested that the decline of ring width after operation of factories was due to compound factors of air pollution and climate. The effect of other factors should be still more studied. A part of this paper was presented at the International Workshop on Asian and Pacific Dendrochronology on March 4–9, 1995 in Tsukuba (Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute), Japan.     

Effects of vegetation history on distribution of Al in surface soils of suburban forests in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

This study examined the distribution of water-extractable Al in soils from forest sites near Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture. The mean concentrations of water-extractable Al in surface soils varied markedly among sites, with the values at site FGB (126 mg/kg) higher than those at sites FG (11.8 mg/kg) and FCB (33.8 mg/kg). Comparisons of the acid buffer capacity of vegetation at the sites revealed that forest cover has a higher capacity for neutralization than the denuded state. We found that the effects of acidic accumulation in the surface soils of suburban forests might depend on vegetation history, and that forest soils that once had no vegetation cover accumulated labile Al due to acidification. The phenomenon was particularly distinct on granite bedrock.     

Characterization of lignin-carbohydrate linkages in the residual lignins isolated from chemical pulps of spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis>) and beech wood (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus sylvatica</Emphasis>)

To investigate the linkage types between carbohydrates and lignin, residual lignins were isolated from three different unbleached pulps [kraft, alkaline sulfite anthraquinone methanol (ASAM), and soda with anthraquinone (AQ) and methanol] of spruce and beech wood and then characterized by oxidation with 2,3-Dichloro-5,6-dicyanobenzoquinone and followed by Prehm’s methylation. In residual lignins, sugar moieties were bound to lignins via benzyl ether bonds. In particular, galactose and mannose are predominantly linked to lignin fragments in residual lignins of spruce wood, while xylose and galactose are favored in the formation of LC bonds in the residual lignins of beech wood. In the case of hexoses, primary hydroxyl groups (C6 position) preferentially take part in benzyl ether linkages. Hydroxyl groups in the C2 and C3 positions of xylose participate in LC bonds and a small portion of arabinose was notably connected to lignin via the C5 position. Approximately seven or eight sugars were connected in soda/AQ/methanol residual lignin per 100 C9 lignin units, while the frequencies of LC bonds in kraft and ASAM residual lignins were distinctively less at one to three sugars per 100 C9 lignin units. The publication of this article was made possible by an Emachu Research Fund. The authors are grateful for the fund.