Larval fish fauna of a sandy beach and an estuary on Okinawa Island,focusing on larval habitat utilization by the suborder Gobioidei

The Ryukyu Archipelago has a diverse fish fauna, but there have been no comprehensive studies of the larval fish fauna of its coastal habitats. The present study therefore investigated the species composition of larval fish communities on the sandy beach of Sedake and in the estuary of Teima Stream at Oh-ura Bay on Okinawa Island. In total, 12,067 individuals comprising 131 or more species that belong to 114 genera and 48 families were collected at night using a small seine net from January to December 1999. The suborder Gobioidei was the dominant taxon in this collection (86 %) and comprised 53 or more species. Most gobioids were postflexion larvae of amphidromous and estuarine species, at the stage just before they recruited to their adult habitats. Body lengths showed little variance within species. This suggests that they do not spend most of their pelagic larval lives in the estuary and on the sandy beach. These environments appear to be the route by which pelagic larvae move to their adult habitats. However, Rhinogobius and Tridentiger postflexion larvae displayed greater variance in body length and development, suggesting that they stay near the shoreline throughout this larval period.     

A physically based FVM watershed model fully coupling surface and subsurface water flows

A sophisticated modeling approach for simulating-coupled surface and subsurface flows in a watershed is presented. The watershed model developed is a spatially distributed physically based model of composite dimension, consisting of 3-D variably saturated groundwater flow submodel, 2-D overland flow submodel and 1-D river flow submodel. The 3-D subsurface flow is represented by the complete Richards equation, while the 2-D and 1-D surface flows by the diffusive approximations of their complete dynamic equations. For piecewise integration of these equations, the finite volume method (FVM) is employed assuming unknown variables such as the water depth and the pressure head to be volume-averaged state ones. Problem plane geometry is meshed with the unstructured cells of triangular shape which conforms to external as well as internal irregular boundaries such as those between 1-D and 2-D flows. A cell size controlling scheme, referred to as quasi-adaptive meshing scheme, is introduced to keep the local discretization errors caused by topographic elevation gradient even over the entire-meshed geometry. Performance of the model is tested through its practical application to a rugged intermountain watershed. Tuning the values of the three key parameters ensures successful calibration of the model. Once the model is so calibrated, it could reproduce satisfactory runoff response to any rainfall event. Expansion and shrinkage of the contributing area importantly affecting the direct runoff, caused by the vicissitude of rainfall during its total duration, are well reproduced, like what the commonly accepted runoff theory argues. It is thus concluded that the model developed could serve as a powerful watershed simulator usable for investigating and assessing the hydrological aspect of a watershed.     

微生物固体发酵提取杜仲胶工艺参数的筛选

【目的】探讨菌株D-5在不同条件下对杜仲种皮固体发酵时羧甲基纤维素(CMC)酶、果胶酶活力及纤维类物质去除率的变化规律,筛选利用微生物固体发酵提取杜仲胶的发酵工艺参数。【方法】以曲霉D-5为发酵菌株,研究发酵基质不同的含水率、初始pH、起爆剂用量、发酵温度对CMC酶、果胶酶活力及纤维类物质去除率的影响。【结果】发酵基质的含水率、初始pH、起爆剂用量、发酵温度对菌株D-5的酶活力及纤维类物质的去除率有显著的影响。菌株D-5发酵的适宜条件为:基质含水率为60%、初始pH6.0、发酵温度30℃、起爆剂用量1.5%,在此条件下发酵6dCMC酶及果胶酶的活力最高,发酵18d纤维类物质去除率可达86.43%。【结论】利用微生物发酵去除纤维类物质是杜仲胶提取的重要途径之一,菌株D-5在杜仲胶提取中有一定的应用价值。     

Antifungal activities of hyoscyamine and scopolamine against two major rice pathogens: <Emphasis Type="Italic">Magnaporthe oryzae</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizoctonia solani</Emphasis>

The antifungal activities of hyoscyamine and scopolamine, major alkaloids extracted from the desert plant Hyoscyamus muticus, against two rice pathogens, Magnaporthe oryzae and Rhizoctonia solani, were studied. The minimum inhibitory concentration of hyoscyamine that resulted in distinctive inhibition (MIC₅₀) was 1 μg/ml for both fungi. Exposure to hyoscyamine caused the leakage of electrolytes from the mycelia of both fungi. Hyoscyamine (>1 μg/ml) irreversibly delayed or inhibited conidial germination and appressorium formation in M. oryzae grown on polystyrene plates. Hyoscyamine effectively inhibited the attachment of conidia to the surface of rice (Oryza sativa) leaves and inhibited appressorium formation on the leaves. A high concentration of scopolamine (1000 μg/ml) also delayed or inhibited conidial germination in M. oryzae, but conidial germination was restored after washing the conidia with water. Antifungal activity of hyoscyamine was reduced by scopolamine. Magnaporthe oryzae infection was significantly suppressed (by >95%) in leaves of intact rice plants treated with hyoscyamine (10 μg/ml). Moreover, 10 μg hyoscyamine/ml significantly reduced the disease severity index for sheath blight to ≤0.2, when compared with the disease index of control plants (>7.0). Hyoscyamine (>20 μg/ml) completely inhibited sclerotial germination and development of R. solani by delaying the initiation, maturation, and melanization of the sclerotia. These results suggest that tropane alkaloids may be useful for controlling blast and sheath blight diseases of rice and for studying the mechanisms that regulate conidial germination in M. oryzae and sclerotial germination and development in R. solani.     

Evaluation of drag coefficients of poplar-tree crowns by a field test method

To estimate the wind force that causes windthrow damage to a tree, the drag coefficients of actual-sized trees were evaluated by a field test method. In this method, wind velocity and stem deflection were monitored simultaneously. The wind force acting on a tree crown was calculated from stem deflection; stem stiffness was evaluated by conducting tree-bending tests. The results of tests conducted on three poplar trees showed that drag coefficient decreased with an increase in wind velocity. Although the variation in the drag coefficient was large at low wind velocity because of the vibrating behavior of the stem subjected to variable wind force, the variation at wind velocities above 10 m/s was small. The average drag coefficient at a wind velocity of 30 m/s was estimated by the curve-fitting of a power function to the wind velocity-drag coefficient relationship to be 0.102, which was smaller than that of actual-sized conifers studied in previous wind tunnel experiments. The drag coefficients of these crown areas in the defoliation season were smaller than those measured in the leafy season.     

Effect of a Large Dose of Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) on Hepatic Peroxisome in Cynomolgus Monkeys (Macaca Fascicularis)

To elucidate the effect of a large dose of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), a plasticizer and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) agonist, on hepatic peroxisomes, we orally administered 1,000 mg/kg/day, once daily, to 3 male and 4 female cynomolgus monkeys for 28 days consecutively. Light-microscopic and electron microscopic examinations of the liver were carried out in conjunction with measurement of the hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation system (FAOS), carnitine acetyltransferase (CAT) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activities, which are peroxisomal and/or mitochondrial enzyme activities. Electron microscopically, enlargement of the mitochondria was observed with lamellar orientation of the cristae along the major axis. Although the number of peroxisomes showed a tendency to increase when compared with those in a biopsied specimen before treatment, no abnormality in morphology was observed. A slight increase in CPT activity was noted at termination. No changes were noted in hepatic FAOS or CAT activity. In conclusion, although repeated oral treatment of cynomolgus monkeys with a large dose of DEHP induced a subtle increase in the numbers of peroxisomes with slight enlargements of the mitochondria, this low-sensitivity response to peroxisome proliferators in cynomolgus monkeys was considered to be closer to the response in humans than that in rodents.     

Effects of glucose and amino acids on ghrelin secretion in sheep

Two experiments were conducted to elucidate the effects of post‐ruminal administration of starch and casein (Exp. 1), plasma amino acids concentrations (Exp. 2), and plasma glucose and insulin concentrations (Exp. 2) on plasma ghrelin concentrations in sheep. In Exp. 1, plasma ghrelin concentrations were determined by four infusion treatments (water, cornstarch, casein and cornstarch plus casein) in four wethers. Abomasal infusion of casein increased plasma α‐amino N (AAN) concentrations. Infusion of starch or casein alone did not affect plasma ghrelin concentrations, but starch plus casein infusion increased plasma levels of ghrelin, glucose and AAN. In Exp 2, we investigated the effects of saline or amino acids on ghrelin secretion in four wethers. Two hours after the initiation of saline or amino acid infusion into the jugular vein, glucose was also continuously infused to investigate the effects of blood glucose and insulin by hyper‐glycemic clump on plasma ghrelin concentrations. Infusion of amino acids alone raised plasma levels of ghrelin, but the higher plasma glucose and insulin concentrations had no effect on plasma ghrelin concentrations. These results suggest that high plasma levels of amino acids can stimulate ghrelin secretion, but glucose and insulin do not affect ghrelin secretion in sheep.     

Bacterial community composition of sediments from a milkfish Chanos chanos Forsskål farm

Bacterial communities in sediments underneath milkfish cages and adjacent off‐cage areas in Bolinao, Lingayen Gulf, West Philippine Sea were characterized using PCR‐denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis to assess influence of the fish farming to the sediments. The sediments in the fish cage (FC) area showed anoxic conditions [redox potential of ?165 to ?213 mV and acid‐volatile sulphide‐sulphur (AVS‐S) of 0.55–1.88 mg g^?1 (dry weight)] compared to the relatively oxic off‐cage area [redox potential of 72–81 mV and AVS‐S of 0.09–0.14 mg g^?1 (dry weight)]. The composition of the microbial populations revealed influence of the fish feed sedimentation with higher dominance of putative sulphate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) in the FC area. Compositions of the bacterial taxa showed dominance of the Bacteroidetes group and Deltaproteobacteria. The results suggest that the fish feeds created a new suitable environment, in which reductive microorganisms such as SRB, ferric‐ion‐reducing bacteria and nitrate‐reducing bacteria can thrive. Organic load from the feed and quantity of its leftover constituents may be the key factors that influence the structure of the bacterial community in the sediments of the milkfish farms.     

Comparison of changes in sugars and ethylene production of cherimoya fruit grown at different seasons

Summary

Changes in fruit weight, total soluble solids (TSS), sugar content and postharvest ethylene production during fruit development were compared on fruit of cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill., cv. Big Sister) pollinated at different times (early, at the beginning of April, 1995 and late, at the end of May, 1994). Fruit weight increased by growth, independently of pollination times. Changes in TSS and sugar content were strongly affected by pollination time. In late pollinated fruits, both TSS and sugar content increased during the growth period, 110–160 d after pollination, while neither increased with fruit growth in early pollinated fruit. Moreover, changes in TSS and sugar content after ripening depended not only on pollination time but also on the growth period. With late pollination, fruit harvested after 140 d became edible after ripening. The TSS and total sugar contents, (the sum of fructose, glucose and sucrose contents) increased to about 20° Brix and above 16%, respectively. But early pollinated fruits were not edible after ripening, since total sugar content increased only to about 7%, even though they kept growing for 160 d on the tree. The maximum rate of ethylene production declined and the number of days to the ethylene peak from harvest is also reduced with growth in both cases. These changes were closely correlated with days after pollination (r>0.9) regardless of pollination time. Comparisons of accumulated temperature suggest that temperature at pollination time and during the resting period of growth affected fruit development. These results indicate that neither fruit weight nor number of days after pollination is a suitable index for harvesting time.