Effect of prostaglandin F2alpha on ovarian, adrenal, and pituitary hormones and on luteal blood flow in mares

The effect of a single injection of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF) during mid-diestrus on systemic concentrations of progesterone, LH, FSH, estradiol, and cortisol and on blood flow to the corpus luteum was studied in 10 controls and 10 PGF-treated mares. Blood flow was assessed by estimating the percentage of corpus luteum with color-Doppler signals of blood flow during real-time scanning of the entire structure and by the diameter of the vascular pedicle near its attachment to the ovary. Treatment was done 8 days after ovulation and 0 h was immediately before the treatment. Examinations and collection of blood samples were done at 0 h, every 5 min until 1h, and then at 1.5, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h. The concentrations of estradiol did not change, but progesterone, LH, FSH, and cortisol increased significantly within 5 min. Concentrations of LH and FSH in the PGF group remained elevated until a temporarily lower concentration at 8 or 4h, respectively, rebounded to 12h, and then slowly decreased. Cortisol remained elevated, until a decrease between 1 and 4h. Progesterone in the PGF group increased significantly until 10 min after 0 h and then decreased by 40 min to below the concentrations in controls. Within the PGF group, progesterone decreased significantly by 45 min to below the concentrations at 0 h. The values for each of the two indicators of blood flow did not differ significantly between the PGF and control groups until a decrease at 24h in the PGF group. Results did not support the hypothesis that the immediate transient post-PGF increase in progesterone was associated with an increase in luteal blood flow. Luteolysis, as indicated by decreasing progesterone, began well before the beginning of a decrease in luteal blood flow.     

Rare β-Resorcylic Acid Derivatives from a Halophyte-Associated Fungus Colletotrichum gloeosporioides JS0419 and Their Antifungal Activities

Six new β-resorcylic acid derivatives (1–5 and 7) were isolated from a halophyte-associated fungus, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides JS0419, together with four previously reported β-resorcylic acid lactones (RALs). The relative and absolute stereochemistry of 1 was completely established by a combination of spectroscopic data and chemical reactions. The structures of the isolated compounds were elucidated by analysis of HRMS and NMR data. Notably, compounds 1–3 had a β-resorcylic acid harboring a long unesterified aliphatic side chain, whereas the long aliphatic chains were esterified to form macrolactones in 4–9. Among the isolated compounds, monocillin I and radicicol showed potent antifungal activities against Cryptococcus neoformans, comparable to clinically available antifungal agents and radicicol showed weak antifungal activity against Candida albicans. These findings provide insight into the chemical diversity of fungal RAL-type compounds and their pharmacological potential.     

First Identification of 12β-Deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12α-Gonyautoxinol 5) in the Cyanobacterium Dolichospermum circinale (TA04) and 12β-Deoxysaxitoxin (12α-Saxitoxinol) in D. circinale (TA04) and the Dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (Group IV) (120518KureAC)

Saxitoxin and its analogues, paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs), are potent and specific voltage-gated sodium channel blockers. These toxins are produced by some species of freshwater cyanobacteria and marine dinoflagellates. We previously identified several biosynthetic intermediates of PSTs, as well as new analogues, from such organisms and proposed the biosynthetic and metabolic pathways of PSTs. In this study, 12β-deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12α-gonyautoxinol 5 = gonyautoxin 5-12(R)-ol) was identified in the freshwater cyanobacterium, Dolichospermum circinale (TA04), and 12β-deoxysaxitoxin (12α-saxitoxinol = saxitoxin-12(R)-ol) was identified in the same cyanobacterium and in the marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium pacificum (Group IV) (120518KureAC) for the first time from natural sources. The authentic standards of these compounds and 12α-deoxygonyautoxin 5 (12β-gonyautoxinol 5 = gonyautoxin 5-12(S)-ol) were prepared by chemical derivatization from the major PSTs, C1/C2, produced in D. circinale (TA04). These standards were used to identify the deoxy analogues by comparing the retention times and MS/MS spectra using high-resolution LC-MS/MS. Biosynthetic or metabolic pathways for these analogues have also been proposed based on their structures. The identification of these compounds supports the α-oriented stereoselective oxidation at C12 in the biosynthetic pathway towards PSTs.     

稳定碳、氮同位素在牛肉加工过程中的分馏效应

为了探究牛肉及副产物中稳定碳、氮同位素在加工过程中的变化规律,确证稳定碳、氮同位素在牛肉加工制品产地溯源中的稳定性和有效性。本试验通过对牛肉进行不同时间的水煮、烤制和油炸3种处理,其中水煮和烤制加工时间分别为5、10、15、20、25和30 min,油炸加工时间分别为1、2、3、4和5 min;采用元素分析仪-稳定同位素比率质谱仪(EA-IRMS)测定脱脂牛肉、粗脂肪及副产物中δ¹³C和δ¹⁵N值。结果表明,脱脂牛肉中δ¹³C值在水煮、烤制和油炸3种加工方式不同加工时间之间均无显著差异,水煮和烤制后粗脂肪中δ¹³C值无显著变化,油炸后的牛肉粗脂肪δ¹³C值主要受植物油的影响,加工方式及加工时间对其无显著影响;水煮脱脂牛肉δ¹⁵N值在加工25、30 min时与对照组牛肉存在显著差异,但平均差值仅为0.3‰~0.9‰。牛肉稳定碳、氮同位素在不同加工过程中分馏效应较小,可有效用于牛肉加工半成品及成品的原产地溯源。     

基于K_means硬聚类算法的葡萄病害彩色图像分割方法

为了提高植物病害图像的分割精度与效果,根据植物病害症状及图像的特点,提出了一种基于K_means硬聚类算法（HCM）的葡萄病害彩色图像非监督性分割处理方法。该方法是在L*a*b*颜色空间模式下利用ab二维数据空间的颜色差异,以平方欧式距离作为像素间的相似度距离、以均方差作为聚类准则函数对颜色进行二分类聚类,并通过数学形态学运算对聚类结果进行校正。利用该方法对3种葡萄病害彩色图像进行分割的结果表明,该方法能够较为准确地将病斑区域从彩色图像中分割出来,对葡萄病害彩色图像的分割处理比较理想,鲁棒性好,分割准确率     

Effects of part and whole straw returning on soil carbon sequestration in C3–C4 rotation cropland

Long‐term no‐tillage management and crop residue amendments to soil were identified as an effective measure to increase soil organic carbon (SOC). The SOC content, SOC stock (SOCs), soil carbon sequestration rate (CSR), and carbon pool management index (CPMI) were measured. A stable isotopic approach was used to evaluate the contributions of wheat and maize residues to SOC at a long‐term experimental site. We hypothesized that under no‐tillage conditions, straw retention quantity would affect soil carbon sequestration differently in surface and deep soil, and the contribution of C3 and C4 crops to soil carbon sequestration would be different. This study involved four maize straw returning treatments, which included no maize straw returning (NT‐0), 0.5 m (from the soil surface) maize straw returning (NT‐0.5), 1 m maize straw returning (NT‐1), and whole maize straw returning (NT‐W). The results showed that in the 0–20 cm soil layer, the SOC content, SOCs, CSR and CPMI of the NT‐W were highest after 14 years of no‐tillage management, and there were obvious differences among the four treatments. However, the SOC, SOCs, and CSR of the NT‐0.5 and NT‐W were the highest and lowest in 20–100 cm, respectively. The value of δ¹³C showed an obviously vertical variability that ranged from –22.01‰ (NT‐1) in the 0–20 cm layer to –18.27‰ (NT‐0.5) in the 60–80 cm layer, with enriched δ¹³C in the 60–80 cm (NT‐0.5 and NT‐1) and 80–100 cm (NT‐0 and NT‐W) layers. The contributions of the wheat and maize‐derived SOC of the NT‐0.5, NT‐1 and NT‐W increased by 11.4, 29.5 and 56.3% and by 10.7, 15.1 and 40.1%, relative to those in the NT‐0 treatment in the 0–20 cm soil layer, respectively. In conclusion, there was no apparent difference in total SOC sequestration between the NT‐0.5, NT‐1, and NT‐W treatments in the 0–100 cm soil layer. The contribution of wheat‐derived SOC was higher than that of maize‐derived SOC.     

外源硒对60Co-γ辐射下菜豆幼苗生长和生理的影响

为探讨外源硒对⁶⁰Co-γ辐射下菜豆幼苗生长以及生理的影响,以菜豆品种‘13-6-1-2’和‘紫冠’为试验材料,通过外源喷施50 μg/mL的亚硒酸钠(Na₂SeO₃)溶液,研究⁶⁰Co-γ辐射(120 Gy)下外源Se对菜豆的表型、抗氧化酶活性(POD、SOD、CAT)、丙二醛(MDA)、叶绿素以及硒含量的影响。结果显示,⁶⁰Co-γ辐射下外源硒显著提高了菜豆幼苗体内的硒含量,也不同程度提高了抗氧化酶活性及MDA和叶绿素的含量。研究表明,叶面喷施适当浓度的外源硒可以促进菜豆的生长发育,提高菜豆自身的硒含量,提高其抗氧化能力,缓解⁶⁰Co-γ射线对菜豆幼苗生长的影响。     

Processing tomato quality as affected by irrigation scheduling

In Southern Italy the paucity of water is a very important problem and due to the fundamental importance of the water for the processing tomato, in this study the influence of irrigation on processing tomato quality was investigated in the years 2002 and 2003. A hybrid processing tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L. Mill cv. Ability) was treated with different water regimes obtained combining amount of water and irrigation interval. The effects of the trials were evaluated taking into account the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruits, as well as the content in antioxidants moieties. Furthermore, the relationship among all the quality parameters and the seasonal amount of irrigation water was evaluated.The results, comparing different water regimes obtained combining amount of water and irrigation interval, gave useful indications on the possibility to improve nutritional tomato quality by reducing irrigation water during tomato cropping. In particular, relatively to the Mediterranean areas of tomato cultivation and to the texture of the soil considered in this study, the best compromise between quality and quantity of the processing tomato fruit was achieved both with the extension of the irrigation interval (L40 or L60) and with the limitation of irrigation volume for the second part of the tomato crop cycle (thesis 100-50). Extending the irrigation interval and limiting irrigation volume for the second part of the tomato crop cycle, appeared to be the best management strategy to optimize the yield and nutritional quality of processing tomato.