Rapid production of high-strength cement-bonded particleboard using gaseous or supercritical carbon dioxide

This study deals with the effects of curing treatment with gaseous and supercritical carbon dioxide on the properties of cement-bonded particleboard (CBP) manufactured by the conventional cold-pressing method. The hydration of cement and the mechanism of improvement were examined using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermal gravimetry (TG-DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. The results are as follows: (1) The curing of cement was accelerated concomitantly with the improvement in mechanical and dimensional properties of CBP significantly by curing with gaseous or supercritical carbon dioxide. (2) Supercritical carbon dioxide curing imparted boards optimal properties at a faster rate than did gaseous curing. (3) Accelerated formation of calcium silicate hydrate and calcium carbonate and the interlocking of those hydration products on the wood surface are potentially the main reasons for the superior strength of carbon dioxide-cured boards.     

Nutrient starvation affects expression of LC3 family at the feto-maternal interface during murine placentation

LC3 − the mammalian homolog of Atg8 − was found as autophagosome membrane binding protein in mammals and widely used as an autophagosomal marker. LC3A, B and C show different expression patterns in each tissue. The aim of this study was to reveal the differences of expression patterns among LC3 families in mouse placenta under normal condition and nutrient starving condition. LC3A and B were highly expressed in decidual cells. LC3A and B were increased in D14 compared with D12 and D16 in mouse placenta, while LC3C was decreased. Starvation induced increase in LC3B expression specifically. Immunohistochemistry showed different expression patterns among LC3A, B and C. LC3A expression in syncytiotrophoblast was vanished by starvation. The results of real time RT-PCR suggested differences between D12 and D16 in autophagic cascade induced by starvation. Taken together, this study suggests that autophagy could play a role in placental invasion system and that nutrient starvation affects LC3B expression.     

Variations in the morphology of Rhizomucor pusillus in granulomatous lesions of a Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus)

This report presents a new case of mucormycosis encountered in penguin characterized by morphological variation of hyphae and presence of sporangia with numerous sporangiospores. A 4.5-year-old Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) died after exhibiting anorexia, poor nutritional condition and dyspnea. Multiple nodular lesions were observed in the thoracic and abdominal regions. Histopathologically, hyphae of various sizes were seen in the lungs, air sac and nodular lesions. Myriad sporangiospores and several sporangia were observed in/around the bronchi or parabronchi. The very narrow and short hyphae in the nodules were not consistent with the characteristics of Mucorales. However, for most hyphae, including those in the nodules, sporangiospores and sporangia, immunohistochemistry revealed Mucorales-positive reactions. In addition, these fungi were identified as Rhizomucor pusillus by gene analysis.     

A method for calculating numerical estimates of gear selectivity curve

The present paper proposes a method for estimating the numerical curve of gear selectivity without the assumption of function of selectivity curve and estimating confidence intervals, using data of catch per unit effort at length for several nets of different mesh sizes obtained from fishing experiments. The paper assumes such geometric similarity as the selectivity is the same if the rate of fish length to mesh size is the same. The basic idea is due to a technique of numerical integration that uses the derivatives at various points. The natural logarithm of selectivity is expressed by an approximation equation using its cumulated derivatives. The values of derivatives at various lengths are calculated from the data. The confidence intervals are made from the bootstrap samples. The method was applied to the data of catch at length by mesh size of gill net for pink salmon Oncorhynchus gorbuscha . Data collection, modification and issues of the method are discussed.     

The effectiveness of a new physical property evaluation method of kamaboko which applied the principal component analysis to the puncture and stress relaxation tests

ABSTRACT:   The physical properties of 49 commercial kamabokos were measured by the puncture and stress relaxation tests. The principal component analysis was applied to the physical parameters of both tests, and their cumulative contribution ratios were over 90% with the first and second principal components, respectively. The comparison among the kamabokos was carried out using the synthetic physical parameters. The kamabokos produced in same area showed the peculiar distribution. The relative positional relation of kamabokos measured by the stress relaxation test was different from that by the puncture test for many of the kamabokos. Physical property evaluation using a principal component analysis is very effective for intensiveness of many measurement parameters. If much more kamabokos were measured by this method, regional characteristics of kamabokos would be clarified.     

Effect of soybean husk supplementation on the fecal fermentation metabolites and microbiota of dogs

In vitro fermentation and in vivo feeding experiments were conducted to characterize the effects of soybean (Glycine max) husk on the fecal fermentation metabolites and microbiota of dogs. An in vitro fermentation study using feces from three Toy Poodle dogs (6.5 ± 3.5 months in age and 2.9 ± 0.4 kg in body weight) revealed that the fecal inoculum was able to ferment soybean husk (supplemented at 0.01 g/mL culture) and increased levels of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) and Bifidobacterium, irrespective of pre‐digestion of the husk by pepsin and pancreatin. In a feeding experiment, four Shiba dogs (7–48 months in age and 7.5 ± 1.7 kg in body weight) fed a commercial diet supplemented with 5.6% soybean husk showed an increase in SCFA, such as acetate and butyrate, and lactate, and a decrease in indole and skatole in the feces compared to those fed a 5.6% cellulose diet. Real‐time PCR assay showed that soybean husk supplementation stimulated the growth of lactobacilli, Clostridium cluster IV including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Clostridium cluster XIVa, Bacteroides‐Prevotella‐Porphyromonas group but inhibited the growth of Clostridium cluster XI. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that soybean husk supplementation improves gastrointestinal health through optimization of beneficial organic acid production and increase of beneficial bacteria. Therefore, soybean husk is suggested to be applicable as a functional fiber in the formulation of canine diets.