Heat tolerance in English ivy as measured by an electrolyte leakage technique

Summary

Identification of heat-tolerant English ivy (Hedera helix L.) genotypes for commercial production in hot areas is desirable. The extent to which electrolyte leakage from English ivy leaf discs, measured using a test for cell membrane thermostability (CMT), could be related to the reduction to shoot dry weight induced by heat in the greenhousegrown plants was determined. A curved relationship existed between the relative injury (RI) value occurring in leaf tissue discs of English ivy cultivars and treatment temperature. A single temperature treatment at 50°C resulted in injury values near the midpoint of the response curve and showed the greatest sensitivity in detecting genotypic differences in heat tolerance. The cultivars with a high RI value are those with the lesser CMT and more reduction in shoot dry weights by high day/night temperature at 35/30°C.     

花生褐斑病菌产孢条件的研究

花生褐斑病菌(Cercospora arachidicola Hori)在花生秆汁培养基上的产孢量优于前人推荐的3种培养基。培养过程中,不同光照处理对病菌产孢不敏感;不同温度处理产孢量有显著差异。     

Purification and characterization of a novel extracellular tripeptidyl peptidase from Rhizopus oligosporus

A novel extracellular tripeptidyl peptidase (TPP) was homogenously purified from the culture supernatant of Rhizopus oligosporus by sequential fast protein liquid chromatography. The purified enzyme was a 136.5 kDa dimer composed of identical subunits. The effects of inhibitors and metal ions indicated that TPP is a metallo- and serine protease. TPP was activated by divalent cations, such as Co(2+) and Mn(2+), and completely inhibited by Cu(2+). Enzyme activity was optimal at pH 7.0 and 45 °C with a specific activity of 281.9 units/mg for the substrate Ala-Ala-Phe-pNA. The purified enzyme catalyzed cleavage of various synthetic tripeptides but not when proline occupied the P1 position. Purified TPP cleaved the pentapeptide Ala-Ala-Phe-Tyr-Tyr and tripeptide Ala-Ala-Phe, confirming the TPP activity of the enzyme.     

Effect of Goji (Lycium barbarum) on expression of genes related to cell survival

This study investigated the interrelationship between Lycium barbarum (goji) and gene expression in mouse spleen. Oligomicroarray technology was employed to explore the comprehensive response of gene expression and to screen candidate marker genes in the spleens of mice fed a goji suspension. Goji was micronized by media milling and then used to evaluate the effect of size reduction. The average diameter of nano/submicrometer goji was about 100 nm, which exhibited no cytotoxicity to cell lines IEC-6 (rat normal small intestinal cell line) and Caco-2 (human colon adenocarcinoma cell line). It was found that three genes, TNF, Nfkb1, and Bcl-2, were up-regulated and two genes, APAF-1 and caspase-3, were down-regulated by goji. This phenomenon could be helpful for cytoprotection when cells undergo stress or damage that induces the apoptotic pathway. Size reduction into nano/submicrometer scale enhanced bioactivity.     

Electroacupuncture-induced neural activation detected by use of manganese-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging in rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity detected by use of manganese-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and elucidate the relationship between somatic acupoint stimulation and brain activation. ANIMALS: 40 New Zealand White rabbits. PROCEDURE: Manganese-enhanced fMRI was performed in anesthetized rabbits manipulated with electroacupuncture (EA) on Zusanli (ST-36) and Yanglingquan (GB-34) acupoints. Image acquisition was performed on a 1.5T superconductive clinical scanner with a circular polarized extremity coil. T1-weighted images were acquired sequentially as follows: baseline, after mannitol injection, after manganese infusion, and 5 and 20 minutes after initiation of EA. RESULTS: Changes in focal neural activity were detected by use of manganese-enhanced fMRI. Stimulation on Zusanli (ST-36) for 5 minutes resulted in activation of the hippocampus, whereas stimulation on Yanglingquan (GB-34) resulted in activation of the hypothalamus, insula, and motor cortex. Activation became less specific after 20 minutes of EA. Furthermore, stimulation on ipsilateral acupoints led to bilateral brain activation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Each acupoint has a corresponding cerebral linkage, and stimulation on these points resulted in time-dependent neural activation. Understanding the linkage between peripheral acupoint stimulation and central neural pathways may provide a useful guide for clinical applications of acupuncture.     

A Continuous Measurement of Swelling of Rice Starch During Heating

The changes in size distribution of rice starch granules during heating have been determined continuously using a polarised light microscope in combination with a hot stage and an image analysis system. The size of starch granules increased slightly as the temperature was raised from 35°C to 55°C, with a 3·9% increase in average area; however, a dramatic increase in size of starch granules occurred at 65°C. The swelling of the starch granules reached a maximum 54·7% increase in average area at 75°C which is coincidental with the peak temperature (T_p) of DSC thermograms. Starch granules proceeded to disrupt/dissolve above 75°C. Loss of birefringence occurred at a lower temperature than granule rupture.T_pappeared to be the critical point in the phase change between the stages of swelling and disruption/dissolution of rice starch granules during heating.     

Effects of chromated-phosphate treatment process on the green color protection of ma bamboo ( Dendrocalamus latiflorus )

Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) treated with chromated phosphate (CP) exhibits an excellent green color. To understand the effects of the treatment sequence of CrO₃ and H₃PO₄ and their interactions regarding green color protection, CrO₃-H₃PO₄ and H₃PO₄-CrO₃ two-step treatments plus a H₃PO₄-CrO₃-H₃PO₄ three-step treatment were carried out in this study. Results revealed that the treatment sequence of CrO₃ and H₃PO₄ definitely affects the effectiveness of bamboo color protection. Green color protection of ma bamboo culm could not be achieved by treating it with CrO₃ or H₃PO₄ alone or with the H₃PO₄-CrO₃ two-step treatment. Only by treating it with the CrO₃-H₃PO₄ two-step treatment or the H₃PO₄-CrO₃-H₃PO₄ three-step treatment did ma bamboo exhibit an excellent green color. The results indicated that bamboo reacts first with CrO₃ and then forms an insoluble complex with H₃PO₄, which produces the green color on its epidermis. Chlorophyll analyses demonstrated that chlorophyll is not a key factor for green color protection. The green pigment was also formed when chlorophyll-free bamboo was treated with 2% CP at 60°C for 3h.     

Mycoplasma hyorhinis in Taiwan: diagnosis and isolation of swine pneumonia pathogen

This study attempted to determine whether one multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an effective adjunct method for diagnosing Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and Mycoplasma hyorhinis infection, and whether M. hyorhinis should be considered as an enzootic pneumonia or porcine respiratory disease complex pathogen in Taiwan. To our knowledge, this study is the first to isolate and identify M. hyorhinis as a porcine pathogen in Taiwan. A novel isolation method and a multiplex PCR test were applied to detect and isolate M. hyorhinis. The correlation of M. hyorhinis with swine pneumonia was also examined using a challenge test. Based on weight, 18 pigs were assigned to three groups and housed throughout the study in a specific-pathogen-free (SPF) facility and provided with aseptic feed and water. Groups 1 (n=6) and 2 (n=6) were challenged with 5mL M. hyorhinis culture via tracheal intubation on day 1. The M. hyorhinis strains ATIT-1, -3, and-7 were used to infect group 1 and the strain ATCC 27717 was used for group 2. Culture medium was replaced by phosphate-buffered saline in group 3 (n=6). All pigs were slaughtered on day 28, and their lungs were removed for examination of lesions. Of the six pigs in group 1 challenged with wild-type strains, two had typical mycoplasma pneumonia lesions. No gross lung lesions were observed in groups 2 and 3. Although further examination is necessary to confirm that wild-type strains can cause pneumonia, it appears that M. hyopneumoniae is no longer the only mycoplasma pathogen implicated in the diagnosis of swine enzootic pneumonia (SEP).     

Isolation of Lawsonia intracellularis in Korea and reproduction of proliferative enteropathy in pigs and hamsters

Lawsonia intracellularis (L. intracellularis) was isolated from a Korean pig suffering acute proliferative enteropathy. In vitro culture conditions of L. intracellularis were established in McCoy cells. Pigs and hamsters experimentally infected with the pure culture of L. intracellularis reproduced clinical signs and intestinal lesions of proliferative enteropathy. The presence of L. intracellularis in the intestinal lesions was confirmed by immunohistochemistry with L. intracellularis-specific monoclonal antibodies.