Adsorption of mercury by sugi wood carbonized at 1000°C

The ability of sugi wood carbonized at 1000°C to adsorb mercury was examined using aqueous solutions of mercuric chloride. Parameters studied include contact time, pH, adsorption temperature, and initial concentration of mercury in solution. Results showed that sugi wood carbonized at 1000°C could effectively remove mercury from aqueous solutions. The carbonized wood showed high adsorption ability for mercury at a wide pH range (pH 3–9), but its ability drastically decreased at pH 11. Adsorption decreased with increases in adsorption temperatures, indicating that the processes were exothermic in nature. Adsorption was found to follow the Freundlich isotherm model. The adsorption capacity of carbonized sugi wood was comparable to that of commercial activated carbon.     

Comparison of the glucosinolate-myrosinase systems among daikon (Raphanus sativus, Japanese white radish) varieties

Myrosinase is a cytosolic plant enzyme present in daikon ( Raphanus sativus, Japanese white radish) roots that hydrolyzes 4-methylthio-3-butenyl glucosinolate (MTBGLS) into the natural pungent agent 4-methylthio-3-butenyl isothiocyanate (MTBITC), which possesses antimicrobial, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic properties. The concentration of MTBGLS, myrosinase activity, and production of MTBITC in seven daikon varieties (one conventional and six heirlooms) were determined to rank the activity of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system and identify critical factors influencing the production of MTBITC. The six heirloom varieties produced 2.0-11.5 times higher levels of MTBITC as compared to the conventional variety, Aokubi, which is consumed by the present Japanese population. The myrosinase was located exclusively in the outer epidermal layer in Aokubi, and MTBGLS was widely distributed throughout the root tissue. Although the skin is a potentially rich source of myrosinase in Aokubi, the skin is usually peeled off in the current practice of preparing daikon for cooking. New practices are therefore proposed for the preparation of daikon tubers that eliminate the peeling of the skin to avoid removing the enzyme needed to convert MTBGLS to the health-beneficial MTBITC. It is also concluded that the consumption of heirloom daikon varieties in addition to changes in food preparation will optimize the health benefits of daikon.     

Distribution,body length,and abundance of blue shark and shortfin mako offshore of northeastern Japan,as determined from observed pelagic longline data, 2000–2014

Longline surveys have been conducted in the Northwest Pacific Ocean from 2000 to 2014 using chartered commercial longline vessels. Each year, two cruises were conducted offshore of northeastern Japan from mid‐April to mid‐June. For each longline set during the surveys, onboard scientists collected detailed biological information about the species caught, such as the size and sex, and recorded the catch numbers for all species. Blue shark (Prionace glauca) and shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) have eurythermal distributions, but the application of a generalized additive model (GAM) showed that the sea surface temperatures (SSTs) at catch sites positive for shortfin mako were warmer than those for blue shark. On the basis of the GAM, the probabilities of occurrence of both sharks differed by size category: small sharks had a narrower SST range than that of large sharks. Most catches of both sharks were juveniles, and the nominal catch rate of blue shark was more than 10 times that of shortfin mako. The standardized catch per unit effort (CPUE) for both species was calculated using a generalized linear model (GLM) with negative binomial errors, or a delta‐lognormal GLM. The standardized CPUE for blue shark in the second quarter of the year peaked in the mid‐2000s and then decreased, but it has been increasing since 2012. The CPUE for shortfin mako in the second quarter generally increased, with fluctuations.     

Presence of surfactant proteins in the uteri and placentae of pregnant mares

Immunohistochemical investigations of the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) and surfactant protein D (SP-D) in the uterine and placental tissues of 13 pregnant mares were performed using anti-horse monoclonal primary antibodies. Strong positive reactions for both SP-A and SP-D were observed in the trophoblasts in the microcotyledons of the placentae at 182 to 314 days of gestation; in uterine glandular epithelial cells, faint-to-weak reactions were observed during gestation. This study describes, for the first time, the changes in the SP-A and SP-D expression levels in the endometrium of mares during gestation; the SP-A and SP-D expression levels increased after the second trimester of gestation.     

Genetic relationships of soybean cyst nematode resistance originated in Gedenshirazu and PI84751 on Rhg1 and Rhg4 loci

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) (Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) is one of the most damaging pests of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). Host plant resistance has been the most effective control method. Because of the spread of multiple SCN races in Hokkaido, the Tokachi Agricultural Experiment Station has bred soybeans for SCN resistance since 1953 by using 2 main resistance resources PI84751 (resistant to races 1 and 3) and Gedenshirazu (resistant to race 3). In this study, we investigated the genetic relationships of SCN resistance originating from major SCN resistance genes in Gedenshirazu and PI84751 by using SSR markers. We confirmed that race 1 resistance in PI84751 was independently controlled by 4 genes, 2 of which were rhg1 and Rhg4. We classified the PI84751- type allele of Rhg1 as rhg1-s and the Gedenshirazu-type allele of Rhg1 as rhg1-g. In the cross of the Gedenshirazu-derived race 3-resistant lines and the PI84751-derived races 1- and 3-resistant lines, the presence of rhg1-s and Rhg4 was responsible for race 1-resistance. These results indicated that it was possible to select race 1 resistant plants by using marker-assisted selection for the rhg1-s and Rhg4 alleles through a PI84751 origin × Gedenshirazu origin cross.     

Circulating testosterone and inhibin levels at different ages in the male beluga (Delphinapterus leucas)

This study is the first report on circulating testosterone and inhibin levels in a species of whales, the beluga. Circulating testosterone and immunoreactive (ir-) inhibin levels in two captive male belugas ("Nack", originally from Canada and "Duke", from the Okhotsk Sea) were measured every month for 9 years between 1995 and 2003. Assuming that clearly increased testosterone levels in the circulation indicates that the belugas had reached sexual maturity, at the ages of 10 ("Nack") and 11 years old ("Duke"). Their testosterone levels before the significant increase (pre-pubertal) were 0.42 ± 0.07 ng/ml (n=18) and 0.35 ± 0.10 ng/ml (n=18) and, those of after the increase (maturity) were 1.65 ± 0.14 ng/m l (n=74) and 2.06 ± 0.14 ng/ml (n=74). Circulating ir-inhibin levels before sexual maturity were 0.78 ± 0.04 ng/ml (n=18) and 0.64 ± 0.04 ng/ml (n=15) and, after sexual maturity were 0.52 ± 0.02 ng/ml (n=56) and 0.43 ± 0.02 ng/ml (n=67). Seasonal changes were observed in the testosterone levels after sexual maturity and the levels increased during March and April in Canadian origin "Nack", and peaked in February in Okhotsk origin "Duke". Circulating ir-inhibin level gradually decreased as they aged. A negative correlation between the circulating testosterone and ir-inhibin was observed. No seasonal changes were observed in the ir-inhibin levels after sexual maturity. These data will surely correspond to clarification of endocrinology and the successful reproduction of the beluga.     

Thermal constants of wood during the heating process measured with the laser flash method

The thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of 13 species of wood were measured by means of the laser flash method to investigate the thermal properties of wood during the heating process. The temperature ranged from room temperature to 270°C in air or under vacuum. The thermal diffusivity varied little during the heating process up to 240°C. The values in air were larger than those under vacuum. There was a linear relation between the specific heat and the ambient temperature, and the specific heat under vacuum was larger than that in air at high temperature. The thermal conductivity increased with density and the ambient temperature. To discuss the effects of the atmospheric conditions on the thermal constants of wood, a theoretical model of thermal conductivity was proposed and its validity examined, where the wood was assumed to be a uniformly distributed material composed of cell walls and air.Part of this paper was presented at the 47th annual meeting of Japan Wood Research Society at Kochi, April 1997     

Cryopreservation of in vitro-grown meristems of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) by encapsulation-vitrification

Alginate-coated meristems from in vitro-grown strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) were successfully cryopreserved following dehydration by a vitrification solution. Excised meristems from cold-hardened plantlets at 4 °C for two weeks in the dark were encapsulated into alginate-gel beads containing a mixture of 2 M glycerol plus 0.4 M sucrose. These encapsulated and cryoprotected meristems were dehydrated with a highly concentrated vitrification solution (designated PVS2) for 2 hr at 0 °C prior to a plunge into liquid nitrogen. Successfully encapsulated vitrified meristems remained green and then developed shoots within one week after plating without intermediary callus formation. The average rate of shoot formation of encapsulated vitrified meristems amounted to nearly 90%. The cryogenic protocol was successfully applied to four cultivars of strawberry. It was also confirmed that encapsulated vitrified meristems cooled to - 196 °C produced higher shoot formation than encapsulated dried meristems. Besides, the recovery growth was much earlier than the latter. The encapsulation-vitrification method is easy to handle and produces high levels of shoot formation. Thus, the protocol promises for cryopreservation of strawberry germplasm. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Decreased apoptotic polymorphonuclear leukocyte rate in dogs with pyometra

Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) apoptosis was examined in three dogs with pyometra by TUNEL assay in a 24-hr incubation period and compared with that in healthy control dogs (n=5). The incidence of apoptotic PMNs in dogs with pyometra was 26.4 +/- 5% and that in healthy dogs was 54.3 +/- 7%. The results indicated that apoptotic PMN rates in dogs with pyometra were significantly lower than those in control dogs (p<0.05), suggesting the prolongation of PMN survival.     

Adsorption capacities and related characteristics of wood charcoals carbonized using a one-step or two-step process

Sugi (Cryptomeria japonlca D. Don) wood powder was carbonized at varying temperatures by a onestep process up to 1000C and a two-step process using wood charcoal as the raw material up to 1600C. This study was conducted to evaluate the adsorptive properties of wood charcoal and discuss the mechanism of its adsorptive function in relation to the physical and anatomical characteristics of wood after carbonization. Anatomical characteristics of carbonized wood materials were directly observed under heating using an environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM); the cell wall structures were analyzed by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The largest weight losses were observed at the highest temperatures, in both the one-step and twostep processes but leveled off above 800C. Shrinkages in the tangential, radial, and longitudinal directions increased with carbonization temperature, peaking at 1000C. Direct observations by ESEM showed distinct shrinkage at around 400C. The first trial observations by HRTEM on the changes in the ultrastructure of cell walls of wood charcoals were done, and it was assumed to affect the formation of micropores. Adsorption was found to follow the Langmuir isotherm model. With the one-step carbonization process, the iodine adsorption capacities of the carbonized wood powders increased with increasing carbonization temperature, peaking at 800C, but decreased at higher temperatures. The wood powder carbonized at 1000C with the two-step process showed the highest capacity, but further heating up to 1400C drastically decreased the adsorption. The shrinkage of cells was related to the increases and decreases in its specific surface area. Specific surface area and total pore volume were evidently related to the adsorptive properties.Part of this paper was presented at the Second International Wood Science Seminar, Indonesia, November 6–7, 1998