α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone directly increases the plasma calcitonin level and involves calcium metabolism in goldfish

International Aquatic Research - The effects of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on calcium metabolism were examined with goldfish. The scales on the left side of goldfish bodies...     

Effects of soil scraping on the reclamation of tsunami-damaged paddy soil

We investigated the possibility of tsunami-damaged paddy soil remediation in Japan using a scraping method. We collected undisturbed soil blocks to maintain the soil structure from paddy damaged by salt from the tsunami. Scraping treatments to remove the top 2 cm of the soil surface were conducted once, twice, and thrice after drying naturally in a greenhouse environment, as well as a noscraping control. Electrical conductivity (EC) of the soil dramatically decreased to < 1.36 dS m^?1 in the residual soils after scraping. The EC values of the residual soils were significantly lower after being scraped twice or thrice compared with a single scraping. Similarly, the mean NaCl removal rates were significantly higher with two (91%) or three scrapings (97.2%) compared with a single scraping (73.3%). The growth of rice plants was almost normal in the residual soils based on a visual score (approximately 3 on average) using a standard evaluation system at 4 weeks after transplantation. There were no significant differences in the grain yields from the residual soils with different scraping frequencies, and the EC values of all the residual soils were < 1.36 dS m^?1. This study clearly indicates that there were reductions in the EC and good plant growth performance in the residual soils after scraping, and there was also a high rate of NaCl removal. Therefore, scraping may be a useful method for the remediation of salt-damaged paddy soils when irrigation or culvert systems are affected severely by tsunamis and earthquakes.     

Termiticidal activity of wood vinegar, its components and their homologues

The termiticidal activity of wood vinegar, its components, and their homologues have been studied. Three kinds of wood vinegar made from the mixed chips ofCryptomeria japonlca andPseudotsga menziesii (wood vinegar A),Quercus serrata (wood vinegar B), andPinus densiflora (wood vinegar C) exhibited high termiticidal activities againstReticulitermes speratus. Acetic acid, which is the largest content of wood vinegar, exhibited high termiticidal acitivity. The contents of organic fraction of wood vinegars and acetic acid might be responsible for the differences in termiticidal activities among these wood vinegars. The structure and termiticidal activity relations of phenols were studied. Phenol with some substituents revealed higher termiticidal activity than benzene derivatives, which have no hydroxyl group; an ortho substituent of phenol plays an important role in termiticidal activity. It has become apparent that high termiticidal activity cannot be obtained by a phenolic hydroxyl group alone; it can be obtained, however, by some substituents, especially an ortho substituent in addition to a phenolic hydroxyl group. The bulkiness of the substituent at the ortho position participates in termiticidal activity; activity decreases as the size of an ortho substituent increases. It is thought that the interaction at the receptor site of termites is affected by the increased size of the ortho substituent.     

Quantification and Understanding of Above and Belowground Biomass in Medium Saline Zone of the Sundarbans,Bangladesh: The Relationships with Forest Attributes

ABSTRACT

The relationship between stand attributes and biomass accumulation pattern in a mangrove forest has been intensively studied in this study. We assessed above (AGM) and belowground mass (BGM) and examined the relationship between forest attributes and aboveground mass in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh. The study was conducted with 18 plots having total area of 1.08 ha. The mean AGM and BGM of the study sites were 234.08 and 132.85 Mg ha^?1 respectively. H. fomes contributed the highest amount (82.9% of total AGM and 80.53% of total BGM) of above (193.56 Mg ha^?1) and belowground mass (107.09 Mg ha^?1) at the study site. Our study revealed structural attributes (tree diameter, height, and basal area) positively correlated with AGM. In contrast, species richness and species diversity negatively correlated with AGM. Our study indicated that lack of positive relationship between species diversity and AGM which may be attributable to high AGM of the dominant species (H. fomes) and may have a considerable consequence in AGM of the study area. Thus, maintaining large trees (DBH and height) rather than species diversity in the Sundarbans mangrove forest might be an effective approach for increasing aboveground mass.     

Retention behavior of size and aluminum components on handsheets in rosin-ester size/alum systems

Anionic emulsion sizes consisting of rosin triglyceride esters and partly fortified rosin acids (i.e., rosin-ester sizes), have recently been used as internal sizes for alkaline papermaking. In this study, handsheets were prepared from pulp suspensions with alum and a rosin-ester size under various conditions, and sizing degree and size and aluminum contents of the handsheets were determined. Aluminum compounds originating from alum added to the pulp suspensions behave as retention aids of the rosin-ester size even in alkaline papermaking under limited conditions. Carboxyl groups in pulp are the primary retention sites of aluminum compounds in pulp suspensions. They form cationic sites on pulp fibers, and thus the anionic size emulsion particles are adsorbed on pulp fibers by electrostatic interactions. However, the cationic charges of aluminum compounds on pulp fibers decrease and finally disappear completely with the lapse of time after the alum addition by forming ionic bonds between the cationic sites and OH^– ions. Thus, pH values of the pulp suspensions and timing of the size addition strongly influence the retention values of the rosin-ester size and the resultant sizing features.This research was presented in part at the 1995 autumn meetings of the Society of Fiber Science and Technology Japan in Hamamatsu, October 1995     

Absolute configuration of new bisaboranoids from Yaku-sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) wood

The absolute configuration of bisabolanoids isolated from Yaku-sugi wood were compared with those of dihydrocarvone and dihydrocarveol isomers based on their¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance data and optical rotations.     

Attaining inter-subgeneric hybrids in fragrant azalea breeding and the inheritance of organelle DNA

Inter-subgeneric hybrids were successfully obtained in reciprocal cross combinations between evergreen azaleas (Rhododendron nakaharae and its hybrids) and fragrant deciduous azaleas (R. arborescens and R. viscosum) for the purpose of fragrant evergreen azalea breeding. Nuclear and organelle DNA of these hybrids was investigated using PCR-RFLP markers. Viable hybrid seedlings have nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) inherited biparentally, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from the seed parent, and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) from the deciduous azalea, regardless of cross combination. These results suggest that the chloroplast genome from deciduous azaleas and the nuclear genome from evergreen azaleas are compatible in viable hybrid progenies.     

Spore-breaking capabilities of collembolans and their feeding habitat within sporocarps

To examine the relationship between the spore-breaking capability of collembolans and their localization within fungal sporocarps we investigated the proportion of broken spores in the feces of four collembolan species of the genus Hypogastrura using the spores of Hypsizygus marmoreus and analyzed the spatial distribution of the collembolan species within sporocarps as an index of their feeding habits. The collembolan species with a higher capability to break spores were observed more frequently from the spore-bearing surfaces of sporocarps. The collembolan species with a lower capability to break spores were found more frequently from the non-spore-bearing interiors of the sporocarps. These results suggest that the relative value of spores in the diet varied with the capability of collembolans to break spores.     

Differential overstory leaf flushing contributes to the formation of a patchy understory

Understory individuals were found to form patches in a 100-year-old deciduous broad-leaved forest. The closed forest canopy was uniform, and so the light conditions at various locations across the forest floor differed little after the leaf flush of the overstory. To explain the distribution pattern in the understory, a hypothesis was proposed: in spring, the forest floor is divided into patches according to the timing of leaf flush of the overstory individuals, and the light conditions are more favorable for understory plants under the crowns of trees with later-flushing leaves. In the plot, three groups of early, intermediate, and late, were recognized in the overstory concerning the timing of leaf flush. As for the start of leaf flush, a difference of 31.6 days was recognized among tree species, and for the end of leaf flush, a difference of 40.3 days. In the spring of 1998, the relative photosynthetic-photon-flux density under an intensively studiedCastanea crenata tree (late-flushing species) usually showed higher values than that under a similarly studiedAcer mono tree (early-flushing species). Analysis of the spatial-distribution pattern using Morisita’s1δ index revealed that the understory community had an aggregated distribution. In the overstory, the late- and the intermediate-flushing-species groups showed aggregated distributions, while the early-flushing-species group showed random distribution. Spatial correlation between the understory and the overstory was analyzed by using Morisita’sRδ index. The distribution of whole understory community spatially co-occurred with that of the late-flushing-species group of the overstory. In contrast, the understory community was less developed below the members of the early-flushing-species group of the overstory. We consider that the data presented here support our hypothesis, and we suggest that the growth and survival of understory individuals were promoted in the places receiving light for long periods in spring.