Analysis and comparison of glucocerebroside species from three edible sea cucumbers using liquid chromatography-ion trap-time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Sphingolipids constitute a highly diverse and complex class of molecules and exhibit important physiological functions. Glucocerebrosides are anticipated to play a positive role in human nutrition. In this study, complicated glucocerebrosides from three specimens of edible sea cucumbers, specifically, Acaudina molpadioides, Cucumaria frondosa, and Apostichopus japonicus, were rapidly identified using liquid chromatography-ion trap-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LCMS-IT-TOF), which is a powerful analysis tool. [M + H](+), [M + Na](+), and [M + H - H(2)O](+) in positive electrospray ionization (ESI) mode were used for MS/MS analysis to obtain product ion spectra. Various long-chain bases of glucocerebrosides were found in these sea cucumbers. Two of the most common long-chain bases were 2-amino-1,3-dihydroxy-4-heptadecene (d17:1) and 4,8-sphingadienine (d18:2), which were acylated to form saturated and monounsaturated nonhydroxy and monohydroxy fatty acids with 18-25 carbon atoms. The glucocerebroside molecular species were the most complicated in the sea cucumber C. frondosa and were the simplest in the sea cucumber A. molpadioides.     

A seasonal behavior of surface soil moisture condition in a reclaimed tropical peatland

Soil moisture condition is essential to regulate the release of soil carbon from a drained peatland since aerobic microbial activities can be encouraged through oxygen supply associated with dewatering the soil layer while they may be discouraged under too dry conditions. Aiming to characterize the soil moisture condition in a reclaimed tropical peatland, we monitored the volumetric water content at 5?cm depth (θ _5?cm), groundwater level (GWL) and rainfall for 20 months from March 2010 to November 2011 in an oil palm field in Nakhon-Si-Thammarat, Thailand. We also measured the soil water retention curve and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (k) for a series of matric potential (h) to simulate the moisture condition monitored in the field by using the Buckingham-Darcy's flux law. During the dry season in 2010, the θ _5?cm consistently stayed lower than 0.35?m³?m^–3 with the GWL lower than a depth of 30?cm. In the transition from the dry season to the rainy season in 2010, the GWL rose to the land surface with peaks and dips across the time for about one month with the θ _5?cm increasing toward saturation. During the rainy season where the GWL stayed near or above the land surface, the θ _5?cm remained the field-saturated value of 0.58?m³?m^–3 on average, less than the laboratory-saturated value of 0.63?m³?m^–3, suggesting the development of a significant amount of entrapped air-phase. Hysteretic behavior in the measured θ _5?cm–GWL relation also supported that the top soil layer refuses to absorb water in wetting processes. The simulated θ _5?cm based on the measured k(h) and soil water retention curves demonstrated that the ease with which the top soil dries during a dry season was due mainly to the low k(h) value in the dried condition, while the slope of the θ(h) curve was so moderate that the soil layer could retain moisture for maintaining liquid water supply to the surface from the dropped GWL. Sensitivity analyses while varying the magnitude of both k(h) and evaporation rate (E) suggested that the k(h) function was more deterministic than the value of E in making the land surface easily dried. As the GWL stayed lower than 30?cm in depth for a total of 187 days out of the year monitored, while surface-ponding conditions took place for 120 days of the year, it was concluded that either the extremely dried condition or the saturated-moisture condition had dominantly occurred in the study site through a year and, thus, there may only be a limited time when soil organic matter near the land surface is in favorable moisture conditions for aerobic decomposition.     

The role of macronutrients in cabbage-head formation

Abstract

Cabbage plants were grown at graded levels of nitrogen supply and light intensity, and the combined effects on cabbage-head development were studied during the spring and autumn seasons.

The cabbage-head yield (i.e. dry weight of inner head leaves) was the highest at 50 ppm N in the nutrient solution, followed by 500 and 5 ppm N at full light intensity, and decreased with decrease in the, light intensity by shading. The decrease in cabbage-head yield caused by the shading was greater at high nitrogen levels during the autumn (low solar energy) season than during the spring (high solar energy) season. As the nitrogen supply increased or the light intensity decreased during both the spring and autumn seasons, nitrogen, especially soluble N, accumulated and the carbohydrate (sugar and starch) content decreased in the plants. Cabbage-head development occurred efficiently when the total N content in the outer leaves remained at about 2–3% and the carbohydrate production was large at full light intensity.     

Diversification and genetic differentiation of cultivated melon inferred from sequence polymorphism in the chloroplast genome

Molecular analysis encouraged discovery of genetic diversity and relationships of cultivated melon (Cucumis melo L.). We sequenced nine inter- and intra-genic regions of the chloroplast genome, about 5500 bp, using 60 melon accessions and six reference accessions of wild species of Cucumis to show intra-specific variation of the chloroplast genome. Sequence polymorphisms were detected among melon accessions and other Cucumis species, indicating intra-specific diversification of the chloroplast genome. Melon accessions were classified into three subclusters by cytoplasm type and then into 12 subgroups. Geographical origin and seed size also differed between the three subclusters. Subcluster Ia contained small-seed melon from Southern Africa and South and East Asia and subcluster Ib mainly consisted of large-seed melon from northern Africa, Europe and USA. Melon accessions of subcluster Ic were only found in West, Central and Southern Africa. Our results indicated that European melon groups and Asian melon groups diversified independently and shared the same maternal lineage with northern African large-seed melon and Southern African small-seed melon, respectively. Cultivated melon of subcluster Ic may have been domesticated independently in Africa. The presence of 11 cytoplasm types in Africa strongly supported African origin of cultivated melon and indicated the importance of germplasm from Africa.     

A cardiac rhabdomyoma in a Guinea pig

A guinea pig (9-week-old) that had been placed in a control group for a pharmacological test was found to have a single nodule on the surface of the right ventricular wall. In a transverse section of the heart after fixation, a whitish mass was found that extended from the subendocardium to the subepicardium of the right ventricular wall. Histopathological examination revealed a spongy network consisting of vacuolated spaces in the myocardium of the right ventricle extending to the myocardium and subepicardium of the right atrium. The vacuolated space was PAS-positive. Immunohistochemical examinations revealed that the lesions contained striated fibers that were positive for anti-desmin and anti-myoglobin. Electron micrographs revealed the lesions resulting in affected striated muscle fibers and accumulations of many glycogen granules. Based on the findings, the lesions were diagnosed as a cardiac rhabdomyoma. This is the first report of application of immunohistochemical examinations to diagnosis of cardiac rhabdomyoma in the guinea pig.     

Histopathological Features of Cultured Japanese Amberjack Seriola quinqueradiata with Ascites Occurring in the Winter

A winter outbreak of ascites in cultured Japanese amberjack Seriola quinqueradiata was examined. Affected fish displayed bloody ascitic fluid in the peritoneal cavity, their hearts were covered with a white membrane, their livers were congested and their kidneys were swollen. Renal tubular epithelia displayed extensive necrosis and often contained hyaline droplets, while some glomeruli showed atrophy and necrosis. Hematopoietic tissue in the kidney contained some swollen reticular cells. In the heart, an inflammatory reaction accompanied by edema, hemorrhage and fibrin deposition occurred in the epicardium of the atrium and ventricle and in the pericardial cavity. The epicardium and pericardium were partially adhered to each other. Hepatic lesions included dilatation of sinusoids accompanied by severe edema and congestion. Edema and fibrin deposition were often observed in the hepatic serosa and perivascular tissue. Splenic tissues with atrophied pulp showed definite increases in trabecula thickness. These findings suggest that the examined fish might have a systemic circulatory disturbance due to cardiac lesions associated with renal failure.     

The influence of Borna disease viral infection on dairy cow reproduction

We investigated the influence of Borna disease virus (BDV) infection on the clinical state of dairy cows. Sera from 149 cows were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting detect antibodies to the BDV-nucleoprotein antigen. Among 149 investigated cows, 25 (16.8%) showed a positive reaction to BDV antigen. No significant difference existed in milk production or medical history between seropositive and seronegative cows. Although the estrus cycle appeared normal even in the seropositive cows, the frequency of artificial insemination and calving-to-conception intervals significantly increased in seropositive cows. Therefore, fertilization failure was recognized in the BDV-antibody positive cows.