Structure Elucidation and in Vitro Toxicity of New Azaspiracids Isolated from the Marine Dinoflagellate Azadinium poporum

Two strains of Azadinium poporum, one from the Korean West coast and the other from the North Sea, were mass cultured for isolation of new azaspiracids. Approximately 0.9 mg of pure AZA-36 (1) and 1.3 mg of pure AZA-37 (2) were isolated from the Korean (870 L) and North Sea (120 L) strains, respectively. The structures were determined to be 3-hydroxy-8-methyl-39-demethyl-azaspiracid-1 (1) and 3-hydroxy-7,8-dihydro-39-demethyl-azaspiracid-1 (2) by ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR. Using the Jurkat T lymphocyte cell toxicity assay, (1) and (2) were found to be 6- and 3-fold less toxic than AZA-1, respectively.     

Marketing systems of freshwater prawns in three coastal districts of Bangladesh

The present study analyzes the prawn marketing chain before and after the implementation of a Danish-funded project (GNAEP) in three coastal districts of greater Noakhali, southeast region of Bangladesh. The results reveal that, before GNAEP, there was a longer prawn marketing chain with a number of intermediaries who used to share a considerable amount of market margin. However, after implementation of GNAEP, the prawn marketing chain has become shorter with a significant reduction of intermediaries which facilitates direct selling of prawns to processing plants through local Community Based Organizations (CBOs). The present prawn marketing system in the regions is in favor of prawn farmers. Farmers have greater advantages because 1) CBOs provide reasonable market price and actual weight, 2) CBOs can bargain with processing plants as the former are aware of the latest international market prices through Marketing Information System 3) number of intermediaries is lowered and 4) transport and preservation costs are reduced. The displaced intermediaries, some of whom are powerful persons in the society, have again started to influence the prawn market in different ways. This fact has opened up another discussion on how the power structure is shifting in this region and how they are affecting prawn marketing.     

Characteristics of prolactin-releasing response to salsolinol in vivo in cattle

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of salsolinol (SAL), a dopamine (DA)-derived endogenous compound, on the secretion of prolactin (PRL) in cattle. The experiments were performed from April to June using calves and cows. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL (5 mg/kg body weight [BW]) or sulpiride (a DA receptor antagonist, 0.1 mg/kg BW) significantly stimulated the release of PRL in male and female calves (P < 0.05), though the response to SAL was smaller than that to sulpiride. The secretory pattern of PRL in response to SAL or sulpiride in female calves resembled that in male calves. A single i.v. injection of SAL or sulpiride significantly stimulated the release of PRL in cows (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the PRL-releasing response between the SAL- and sulpiride-injected groups in cows. A single intracerebroventricular injection of SAL (10 mg/head) also significantly stimulated the release of PRL in castrated calves (P < 0.05). These results show that SAL is involved in the regulatory process for the secretion of PRL, not only in male and female calves, but also in cows. The results also suggest that the potency of the PRL-releasing response to SAL differs with the physiological status of cattle.     

Response to partial replacement of yellow corn with potato processing waste as non-traditional source of energy on the productive performance of Ossimi lambs

Twenty-one male growing lambs aged 6 months with an average weight 27.6 ± 0.24 kg were used to determine the effects of partial replacing yellow corn with potato processing waste (PPW) on performance of Ossimi lambs. Animals divided into three equal groups and assigned for control and two experimental diets containing PPW which was replaced from yellow corn at 0% PPW (R₁), 25% PPW (R₂), and 50% PPW (R₃). The results showed that tested rations were almost isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on feed intake, while water intake insignificantly decreased. Digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein significantly (P < 0.05) improved. However, dietary treatment had no significant effect on crude fiber and nitrogen-free extract digestibilities. Values of total digestible nutrient and digestible crude protein significantly (P < 0.05) increased. Nitrogen retention was positive for all groups. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on ruminal pH but insignificantly decreased ammonia nitrogen (NH₃–N) concentrations. However, total volatile fatty acid concentration was increased. Dietary treatments increased molar proportion of volatile fatty acids. Final weight, body weight gain, and average daily gain were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased, while feed conversion ratio insignificantly decreased. Inclusion of PPW decreased total daily feeding costs of experimental rations. PPW could be used as a source of energy in lamb rations instead of corn grain. Also, PPW can be successfully fed to lamb without any adverse effect on their performance, and it can be an economical substitute for grain.     

Characterization of Embryonic Stages through Variations in the Egg＇s Contents in Spodoptera fitura

This paper describes the embryonic development of the common cutworm Spodoptera litura （Fabricius） （Lepidoptera： Noctuidae） which is divided into eight embryonic stages, through variations in the egg＇s contents. Experiments were conducted on the eggs ofS. litura under laboratory conditions. The highest concentration of the protein （min.-max.： 32-! 40 lag/egg） and the lowest of the carbohydrate （min.-max.： 3.0-44.0 lag/egg） were obtained; similarly, the DNA content was smaller （min.-max.： 1.0-38.2 lag/egg） than the RNA （min.-max.： 9.2-360.0 lag/egg） throughout the embryogenesis. Three peaks of ecdysteroid titre were observed which were responsible for appearance of particular events during embryogenesis. The last highest peak of 400_＋33.4 lag/egg was appeared at 84 h after oviposition when larva was ready to hatch. Therefore, it is concluded that eight embryonic stages in S. litura were characterized by fluctuation in the egg＇s contents, which were responsible for gradual-progressive embryonic development. The egg-larval development did not show a normal distribution of embryonic developmental-time.     

氮肥溶液磁化灌溉下土壤入渗特征和水氮迁移规律研究

为探明不同浓度氮肥溶液磁化前后土壤入渗特征和水氮迁移规律,采用恒定磁场强度300 mT对质量浓度分别为0、0.4、0.7、1.1 g/L的硝酸钾溶液进行磁化处理,以未磁化处理为对照,测定各处理溶液的电导率、pH值、溶氧量、表面张力、累积入渗量、湿润锋运移距离和入渗后不同土壤剖面水氮迁移分布。试验结果表明：磁化处理溶液溶氧量显著提高,电导率和表面张力显著减小,并随溶液浓度变化有显著影响,但对pH值无显著影响。氮肥溶液磁化入渗增大了相同入渗时间内的湿润锋运移距离和累积入渗量,Philip、Green-Ampt、一维代数入渗模型拟合所得参数土壤吸渗率S、饱和导水率K_s以及有效土壤水扩散率■均增大,湿润峰处的土壤水吸力S_f、土壤水分特征曲线和非饱和导水率综合形状系数m均减小,增渗效果随氮肥溶液浓度增大而增大。磁化氮肥溶液可提高土壤持水能力,且随溶液浓度增大持水能力增强,一维代数入渗公式可较好描述不同磁场强度下各浓度溶液土壤入渗结束时的土壤含水率分布情况。氮肥溶液和磁化作用对土壤硝态氮含量的影响呈显著正相关关系,二者共同作用下,磁化高浓度溶液硝态氮含量...     

香蕉园主要节肢动物群落多样性研究

香蕉园主要节肢动物群落组成有７４科１５２种。优势种包括香蕉冠网蝽（Ｓｅｐｈａｎｉｔｉｓ ｔｙｐｉｃａ）、茶袋蛾（Ｃｒｙｐｔｏｔｈｅｌｅａ ｍｉｎｕｓｃｕｌａ）、香蕉交脉蚜（Ｐｅｎｔａｌｏｎｉａ ｎｉｇｒｏｎｅｒｕｏｓａ）、广西抚蛛（Ｕｌｏｂｏｒｕｓ ｇｕａｎｇｘｉｅｎｓｉｓ）、草间钻头蛛（Ｈｙｌｙｐｈａｎｔｅｓ ｇｒａｍｉｎｉｃｏｌｕｍ）、幼豹蛛（Ｐａｒｄｏｓａ ｐｕｓｉｏｌａ）、立毛蚁（Ｐａｒａ