A releaser pheromone that attracts methyltestosterone- treated immature fish in the urine of ovulated female rainbow trout

SUMMARY: Behavioral experiments concerning a releaser pheromone in the urine of female rainbow trout were performed using immature fish administered orally with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during the non-spawning season. The urine was collected by catheter. The frequency of entries of test fish was recorded in each channel scented by test and control solutions in a Y-maze trough. The behavior of both MT-treated and control fish demonstrated that they could not discriminate the differences between distilled and environmental water as control solutions. There was also no difference between MT-treated and control fish when distilled and environmental water were introduced. The MT-treated immature fish were attracted to the channel scented by ovulated female urine. Neither coelomic fluid nor the immature female urine had any effect on the behavioral responses of MT-treated fish, while immature control fish had no preference for the urine of ovulated females. These results suggest in rainbow trout that ovulated female urine contains a releaser pheromone to attract mature males, and that androgens are involved in the sensory mechanisms detecting the releaser pheromone in fish.     

Seasonal variation in pigmentation and anthocyanidin phenetics in commercial Eustoma flowers

The seasonal change in petal color and pigmentation of 29 commercial Eustoma cultivars was studied. The flowers are basically divided into four groups according to the major anthocyanidin phenotype in association with petal coloration, i.e., delphinidin (Dp)-based (purple flower), cyanidin (Cy)-based (reddish purple flower), pelargonidin (Pg)-based (pink flower), and none (white flower) groups. The constitution of petal anthocyanidins was not changed by forcing treatment in most of the flowers. Lightness (L^*) and chroma (C^*, color saturation) showed a change along with the increase/decrease of hue angle difference (ΔH^*), thus simultaneously the chromatic tonalities tended to move to redder and bluer, respectively. Floral pigment clustering described two flower groups in a dendrogram, based on anthocyanidin constitutions as phenetic markers, which are apparently the Dp- and Pg-based phenotypes of anthocyanidin syntheses. The Cy-based flowers made a subcluster with the Pg-based flowers, indicating a close relationship in the biosynthesis of the two anthocyanidins, and suggesting the Dp- and Pg-syntheses complement one another.     

Phylogenetic characterization of rabies virus isolates from Carnivora in Brazil

The incidence of canine rabies has been widely reported in Brazil, and new rabies virus (RV) variants, genetically similar to canine RV, have recently been isolated from foxes. In order to derive the epidemiological characteristics of Brazilian Carnivora RV, Brazilian RVs isolated from dogs, cats, and foxes were genetically analyzed. Brazilian Carnivora RV isolates were divided into 2 main lineages. The predominant lineage was found in dogs and cats, which included the Argentinean and Bolivian Carnivora RV isolates, and was extensively distributed throughout Brazil and surrounding countries. The other lineage consisted of three sublineages containing Brazilian dog and fox RV isolates, with the dog sublineages located on an internal branch of 2 fox sublineages, suggesting that RV transmission events might have occurred between foxes and dogs in the past. These results suggest that contact between dogs and wildlife has the potential to generate new rabies variants and that it is important to control RV infection cycles in both dogs and wildlife to prevent spread of rabies infection.     

3D modeling and reconstruction of plants and trees: A cross-cutting review across computer graphics,vision, and plant phenotyping

This paper reviews the past and current trends of three-dimensional (3D) modeling and reconstruction of plants and trees. These topics have been studied in multiple research fields, including computer vision, graphics, plant phenotyping, and forestry. This paper, therefore, provides a cross-cutting review. Representations of plant shape and structure are first summarized, where every method for plant modeling and reconstruction is based on a shape/structure representation. The methods were then categorized into 1) creating non-existent plants (modeling) and 2) creating models from real-world plants (reconstruction). This paper also discusses the limitations of current methods and possible future directions.     

Nutrient Digestibility of Cereal Grain Products and By‐products in Extruded Diets for Nile Tilapia

Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) provide estimates of nutrient availability in feedstuffs and can be used as a tool for selecting ingredients to compound cost‐effective diets for fish. Extrusion process is one factor that could influence ADC values. Thus, a digestibility trial was undertaken to evaluate ADC of protein, energy, and dry matter, and apparent amino acid availability (AAAA) in five cereal grain products/by‐products (corn, wheat middlings, broken rice, rice bran, and sorghum) in compounded diets for Nile tilapia. Chromic oxide was used as an external inert marker. The digestibility values of energy and dry matter in ingredients, in decreasing order, were highest for broken rice (95.34 and 96.45%), sorghum (82.37 and 87.29%), corn (67.34 and 82.21%), rice bran (57.58 and 55.59%), and wheat middlings (48.94 and 45.88%). Protein digestibility value was higher for corn (72.86%) and the lowest value was observed for sorghum (56.77%), while broken rice, wheat middlings, and rice bran presented values ranging from 63.01 to 66.88%. AAAA values were higher for corn (70.05%) and the lowest methionine and cystine availability values were recorded for wheat middlings and broken rice, respectively. Broken rice appears as one of the most indicated ingredient for using in Nile tilapia diets because of its highest values of nutrient digestibility when compared to the other energetic sources. The use of this information should aid more precise and economic diet formulation for Nile tilapia.     

Analysis of mesh breaking loads in cotton gill nets: Possible solution to ghost fishing

ABSTRACT:   A small number of fishers in Chiba Prefecture of eastern Japan use cotton gill nets to catch Japanese spiny lobster Panulirus japonicus. To examine the advantages of cotton gill nets, we analyzed changes in mesh breaking load of a new cotton gill net used in a fishing operation. A new cotton gill net was also soaked in a seawater tank to simulate ghost fishing conditions. The average mesh breaking load of new cotton mesh was 50.3 N. This value decreased to 19.0 N after 38 days (∼912 h), and after 82 days (∼1968 h) the mesh could be easily torn (breaking load 0.07 N). Under fishing conditions, the cumulative soak time was only 744.4 h over 19 months. The average breaking load at the end of this period was 43.1 N, a strength 86% that of the presoaked mesh. The mesh breaking load of a cotton gill net continuously soaked for 744.4 h was 26.1 N, as estimated from tank experiment data. Thus, a cotton gill net maintains reasonable strength under typical use conditions, but will degrade if lost at sea.     

Purification and characterization of two anionic trypsins from the hepatopancreas of carp

SUMMARY: Two trypsins, designated as trypsin A and trypsin B, have been purified from the hepatopancreas of carp. The purification procedures consisted of ammonium sulfate fractionation, and chromatographies on DEAE-Sephacel, Ultrogel AcA54 and Q-Sepharose. Trypsin A was purified to homogeneity with the molecular mass of approximately 28 kDa, while trypsin B gave two close bands of 28.5 kDa and 28 kDa on sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis both under reducing and non-reducing conditions. On native-PAGE, both trypsin A and trypsin B showed a single band. Trypsin A and trypsin B revealed optimum temperature of 40°C and 45°C, respectively, and shared the same optimum pH 9.0 using Boc-Phe-Ser-Arg-MCA as substrate. Both enzymes were effectively inhibited by trypsin inhibitors and their susceptibilities were similar. The NH₂-terminal amino acid sequences of trypsin A and trypsin B were determined to 37th and 40th amino acid residue, respectively. Their sequences were very homologous, but not identical to that of a trypsin-type serine proteinase from carp muscle and these of other trypsins. Immunoblotting test using the antibody raised against trypsin A cross-reacted with trypsin B positively.     

Dietary apigenin suppresses IgE and inflammatory cytokines production in C57BL/6N mice

Flavonoids ubiquitously exist in plants, vegetables, fruits, and teas. We evaluated the effect of dietary apigenin, one of the well-known flavonoids, on the immune system in C57BL/6N mice. Mice were fed experimental diets containing apigenin for 2 weeks. After the experimental period, there was no significant difference in body and organ weights between the control and the apigenin group. The total immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels in mice fed apigenin were significantly suppressed, whereas levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA were not affected. We also examined the effect of the apigenin diet on cytokine expression in mice sera using a cytokine array. The production of regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) in mice sera was down-regulated by the apigenin diet. These results suggest that a diet containing apigenin can reduce serum IgE and inflammatory cytokines such as RANTES and sTNFRI in mice.     

The incredible fungal genus —Drechslera — and its phytotoxic ophiobolins

ManyDrechslera species that haveCochliobolus sp. as a perfect stage produce a related group of ophiobolins, sesterterpenoids (C-25’s), which are phytotoxic to a wide range of plants. One of the most toxic ophiobolins is 6-epiophiobolin A and it is produced by all of theDrechslera species thus far studied. On the other hand, some novel ophiobolins have been found inD. oryzae: ophiobolin J, 6-epiophiobolin I, and 8-deoxyophiobolin J. Potentially, genetic crosses made between these fungi could yield novel organisms, producing novel combinations of the ophiobolins, and thus new pathotypes. Ophiobolins are being used in tissue culture systems to screen plants for sensitivity to these toxins. Paper presented at the Bat-Sheva Seminar on Host - Fungus Interaction, Jerusalem, Israel (March 14–25,1988).