Correlation analysis of mineral element contents and quality traits in milled rice (Oryza stavia L.)

The relationships among potassium (K), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) contents in milled rice (Oryza stavia L.) of 274 genotypes and the relationships between these mineral element contents and other rice quality traits including 3 cooking quality traits, 17 amino acid contents, and protein content were investigated. The results showed that there were significant correlations among most of mineral element contents. Mg, Fe, and Mn contents were significantly correlated with most of the other mineral element contents, while Cu content had significantly negative associations with the K and Mg contents of rice. The relationships between mineral element contents and cooking quality traits showed that gel consistency (GC) was significantly correlated with K, Cu, and Mn contents of rice. Amylose content (AC) was significantly associated with K, Na, Mg, Cu, and Mn contents. The alkali spreading value (ASV) had closely positive relationships with Ca, Mg, and Mn contents. In addition, 8 mineral element contents had obvious correlations with different amino acid contents. Mg, Ca, and Zn contents were significantly correlated with most of the 17 amino acid contents, but Na content did not correlate with amino acid contents except aspartic acid of rice. Furthermore, significant associations were found between protein content and Na, Mg, Zn, Cu, or Mn content. Six principal components were extracted to explain 84.50% of the total variances and contained the information provided by the original 29 variables according to the principal component analysis.     

Epidemiological study on periodontal diseases and some other dental disorders in dogs

The prevalence of dental disorders in dogs was studied by applying index systems for human with some modifications. A total of 251 mongrel dogs including 143 stray dogs kept in the Animal Protection Offices in Tokyo and Hokkaido and 108 pet dogs visiting veterinary clinicians in Chiba Prefecture and Hokkaido were used. Periodontitis was prevalent among these dogs regardless of their sources and its incidence was increased with age. The lesion was more severe and more frequent in the premolar and molar regions than in the maxillary and mandibular incisor regions. Missing of teeth was observed at a high and increasing incidence with age. The tooth most commonly lost was the first premolar, followed by the other premolars and molars, where severe periodontitis was frequently found. Calculus was seen on many teeth, and aging agravated its prevalence and severity. Dental caries was observed in stray dogs, but neither to a serious degree nor at a significant level. These findings emphasize the necessity of dental hygiene, proper dental care and continuous periodical survey for dogs.     

Transient leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and anaemia associated with severe acute phenobarbital intoxication in a dog

A nine-year-old Labrador retriever dog was admitted to the emergency unit of the Hebrew University Veterinary Teaching Hospital with acute-onset tremors and coma. It had recently ingested a large quantity of phenobarbital and had a high serum phenobarbital concentration. On this basis, a diagnosis of acute phenobarbital intoxication was made. Significant leucopenia, thrombocytopenia and mild anaemia developed on the third day after admission. The leucopenia resolved on day 6 and the thrombocytopenia on day 13. The red blood cell count remained low for the next month. The dog was discharged on day 13 at which time it was ambulatory but weak. It was completely recovered clinically eight days later. In summary, high levels of serum phenobarbital as a result of acute intoxication induced pancytopenia, which improved when the serum phenobarbital level was normalised.     

Survey on the contamination of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in the soil of public parks of Wuhan, China

Toxoplasma gondii of warm-blooded animals and humans is an important pathogenic agent throughout the world. Soil is increasingly recognized as an important source in the transmission of Toxoplasma. To attain the contamination status of T. gondii in the soil of public parks, a total of 252 soil samples were collected from September 2009 to August 2010 at different sites located in 6 public parks of Wuhan, Hubei, China and detected by PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP). The detection limit of PCR/B1, PCR/529 and LAMP was determined to be 50, 5, and 5 tachyzoites in soil, respectively. Forty-one samples were found positive for Toxoplasma DNA by PCR on both genes, whereas LAMP products were generated in 58 samples (χ(2)=3.6328, P=0.0567). All parks were found contaminated and no significant difference was found among the parks (PCR: χ(2)=0.0072, P=0.9325; LAMP: χ(2)=0.6101, P=0.4347). However, contamination was found with significantly different among the four seasons (PCR: χ(2)=11.6066, P=0.0007; LAMP: χ(2)=12.4636, P=0.0004), with a gradual decrease in the prevalence from spring to winter on both analyses. This is the first investigation on soil contamination of public parks in China by T. gondii oocysts. The results indicate that the soil of public parks contaminated with T. gondii oocysts may play a role in the epidemiology of toxoplasmosis and effective preventive measures should be considered. Moreover, the conventional PCR and LAMP used in the present study are applicable to detect T. gondii oocysts in soil samples.     

Alteration of stimulus-specific guard cell calcium oscillations and stomatal closing in Arabidopsis det3 mutant

Cytosolic calcium oscillations control signaling in animal cells, whereas in plants their importance remains largely unknown. In wild-type Arabidopsis guard cells abscisic acid, oxidative stress, cold, and external calcium elicited cytosolic calcium oscillations of differing amplitudes and frequencies and induced stomatal closure. In guard cells of the V-ATPase mutant det3, external calcium and oxidative stress elicited prolonged calcium increases, which did not oscillate, and stomatal closure was abolished. Conversely, cold and abscisic acid elicited calcium oscillations in det3, and stomatal closure occurred normally. Moreover, in det3 guard cells, experimentally imposing external calcium-induced oscillations rescued stomatal closure. These data provide genetic evidence that stimulus-specific calcium oscillations are necessary for stomatal closure.     

An introduction to markers, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and marker-assisted selection for crop improvement: The basic concepts

Recognizing the enormous potential of DNA markers in plant breeding, many agricultural research centers and plant breeding institutes have adopted the capacity for marker development and marker-assisted selection (MAS). However, due to rapid developments in marker technology, statistical methodology for identifying quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and the jargon used by molecular biologists, the utility of DNA markers in plant breeding may not be clearly understood by non-molecular biologists. This review provides an introduction to DNA markers and the concept of polymorphism, linkage analysis and map construction, the principles of QTL analysis and how markers may be applied in breeding programs using MAS. This review has been specifically written for readers who have only a basic knowledge of molecular biology and/or plant genetics. Its format is therefore ideal for conventional plant breeders, physiologists, pathologists, other plant scientists and students.     

Identification of coumarins from lemon fruit (Citrus limon) as inhibitors of in vitro tumor promotion and superoxide and nitric oxide generation.

Three coumarins were isolated as siginificant inhibitors of tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) activation in Raji cells from the peel of lemon fruit. They were identified as 8-geranyloxypsolaren (LE-1), 5-geranyloxypsolaren (bergamottin, LE-2), and 5-geranyloxy-7-methoxycoumarin (LE-3), respectively, by spectroscopic analysis. Three isolates had no potential O(2)-scavenging and markedly suppressed TPA-induced superoxide (O(2)(-)) generation in differentiated human promyelocytic HL-60 cells. Furthermore, LE-1 and LE-3 reduced both lypopolysaccharide (LPS) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced nitric oxide (NO) generation in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Similarly, they were found to be NO generation inhibitors rather than scavengers by measuring the extracellular L-citrulline levels. The occurrence of these coumarins in a lemon fruit was abundant in the flavedo of the peel based on quantitative analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The present study suggests that the coumarins in lemon fruit are promising chemopreventive agents by inhibiting radical generation.     

Loss of pendimethalin in runoff and leaching from turfgrass land under simulated rainfall

A field study was undertaken to investigate runoff and leaching loss of the herbicide pendimethalin in turfgrass land of loamy sand soil. A series of plots constructed in a golf course fairway were surface-applied with pendimethalin SC formulation at the rate of 2. 25 or 4.50 kg a.i./ha and subjected to simulated rainfall at 2.0 cm/day for 10 consecutive days. Runoff losses of pendimethalin were the highest at the first rainfall and then gradually decreased with time. The first runoff event contained pendimethalin in its highest concentration, and in subsequent runoff samples the concentration decreased exponentially. The ranges of pendimethalin concentration were 80.9-18.2 and 177.4-48.6 microgram/L in the standard and double doses, respectively. Total losses by 20 cm of rainfall for 10 days reached 0.81 and 1.22% of the initial deposits at 2.25 and 4.50 kg a. i./ha, respectively. Pendimethalin concentration in the leachate collected at 30-cm soil depth was quite lower than that in the runoff, and the concentration rapidly decreased from 4.3-4.7 to 0. 2-0.4 microgram/L during the 10 days of rainfall treatment. Soil residue analysis at 45 and 90 days after pendimethalin treatment showed that more than 90% of the residue remained at the top 10 cm of soil depth. Low runoff and leaching confirmed that lateral and downward movement of the herbicide should be limited in turf soil. The half-life of pendimethalin under field conditions was 23-30 days and was not affected by application dose and rainfall treatment, but longer persistence was observed under laboratory conditions. Considering low runoff and leaching, as well as relatively short persistence in soil, it is concluded that little environmental carryover of pendimethalin would be expected in turfgrass land.     

Genetic typing of classical swine fever virus

Three regions of the classical swine fever virus (CSFV) genome that have been widely sequenced were compared with respect to their ability to discriminate between isolates and to segregate viruses into genetic groups. Sequence data-sets were assembled for 55 CSFVs comprising 150 nucleotides of the 5' non-translated region, 190 nucleotides of the E2 envelope glycoprotein gene and 409 nucleotides of the NS5B polymerase gene. Phylogenetic analysis of each data-set revealed similar groups and subgroups. For closely related viruses, the more variable or larger data-sets gave better discrimination, and the most reliable classification was obtained with sequence data from the NS5B region. No evidence was found for intertypic recombination between CSFVs. A larger data-set was also analysed comprising 190 nucleotides of E2 sequence from 100 CSFVs from different parts of the world, in order to assess the extent and global distribution of CSFV diversity. Additional groups of CSFV are evident from Asia and the nomenclature of Lowings et al. (1996) [Lowings, P., Ibata, G., Needham, J., Paton, D., 1996. J. Gen. Virol. 77, 1311-1321] needs to be updated to accommodate these. A tentative assignment, adapting rather than overturning the previous nomenclature divides CSF viruses into three groups with three or four subgroups: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3; 2.1, 2.2, 2.3; 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4. The expanding data-base of CSFV sequences should improve the prospects of disease tracing in the future, and provide a basis for a standardised approach to ensure that results from different laboratories are comparable.