Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
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Plant tissue localization and morphological conversion of azospirillum brasilense upon initial interaction with allium cepa L.
Get PDFapplication/pdfThe genus Azospirillum is recognized as plant growth-promoting bacteria that exert beneficial effects on the host plant and is morphologically converted into cyst-like cells (i.e., c-form) in association with poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation in the cells under stress conditions. We constructed Azospirillum brasilense, labeled with reporter genes (gus/gfp, mCherry) and examined the plant tissue localization along with a morphological conversion into the c-form upon its initial interaction with onion seedlings (Allium cepa L.). The PHB granules in the A. brasilense cells were easily detected under fluorescence as “black holes”, rendering it possible to monitor the morphological conversion from vegetative to the c-form cells. The results showed that the A. brasilense cells on the surface of the roots and bulbs (underground stem) began converting at three days following inoculation and that the cell conversion was significantly advanced with time along with the cell population increase. The endophytic infection of A. brasilense into the bulb tissues was also confirmed, although these likely constituted vegetative cells. Moreover, the morphological conversion into the c-form was induced under nitrogen-restricted conditions. Analysis of the biochemical properties of the A. brasilense cells during cell conversion revealed that the acetylene reduction activity correlated positively with the PHB accumulation in the cells converting into the c-form under nitrogen-restricted conditions.journal articl
Seasonal pelage color change of two sympatric arboreal squirrel species in the subarctic region
Get PDFapplication/pdfSome mammal species exhibit pelage color change with seasonal molt. Seasonal molt and pelage color change are beneficial to thermoregulation and concealment, associated with seasonal environmental change. The Eurasian red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 and the Siberian flying squirrel Pteromys volans (Linnaeus, 1758) are arboreal and sympatrically distributed in the subarctic northern Eurasian Continent and Sakhalin and Hokkaido islands. We expect that diurnal S. vulgaris may demonstrate more conspicuous difference between summer and winter pelages than nocturnal P. volans, because of its protective coloration in each season. To test this conjecture, we investigated their seasonal pelage color change. To diminish the effect of geographic variation in pelage color, we chose S. vulgaris orientis Thomas, 1906 and P. volans orii (Kuroda, 1921), which are endemic subspecies of Hokkaido Island, Japan. We used skin and stuffed specimens and frozen materials and categorized them into two pelage groups (summer and winter pelages) based on collection date. Pelage color characteristics were measured with a spectrophotometer for lightness, redness and yellowness. Countershading was examined by comparing dorsal and ventral lightness. Both subspecies showed lighter winter pelage than summer pelage, suggesting their greyish-white winter pelage was beneficial to concealment from predators during winter. As we expected, seasonal changes of redness and yellowness were more clearly recognized in S. vulgaris than in P. volans. As S. vulgaris is diurnal and vulnerable to attack by diurnal avian predators, reddish and yellowish pelage patterns may be important for concealment. Because it is nocturnal, P. volans may not need this reddish and yellowish pelage. Sciurus vulgaris also had a remarkably counter-shaded body, indicating that its body may reduce predation risk from daytime visual predators. Differences in seasonal pelage color change of these two arboreal squirrels may be caused by their different circadian rhythms. © 2019, © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.journal articl
茨城県神栖市波崎海岸におけるキタオットセイの漂着
Get PDFapplication/pdfキタオットセイCallorhinus ursinusは，鰭脚下目アシカ科に属する海生哺乳類で，太平洋北部に分布する．日本近海には冬季から春季に現れ，銚子沖まで回遊することが知られており（小宮2003），日本沿岸では北日本を中心に生体あるいは死体の漂着が報告されている（堀本ら2012；清田・馬場1999）．しかし，オットセイの漂着事例を報告した文献は少なく，特に近年ではマスメディアによってわずかに取り扱われる程度であり（毎日新聞2017），詳細な知見の集積が求められる．我々の知るところでは，2000年以降，茨城県で４例の報告がされている（竹内ら2015；吉田・国府田2001）．ここでは茨城県神栖市の海岸に漂着したキタオットセイの１例について報告する．journal articl
Evaluation of Japanese potatoes using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)
Get PDFapplication/pdfAn understanding of the genetic diversity and structure of a breeding population is fundamental information for breeders to develop strategies for variety improvement. The genetic diversity of 250 diverse North American potatoes was previously characterized using an 8K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array. In this study, using a 12K SNP array, 164 Japanese potatoes including 70 breeding clones for chip processing were characterized and compared with North American and European potatoes. A cluster analysis using 5972 polymorphic SNP loci grouped recently released Japanese chip processing varieties and breeding clones with North American and European chip processing varieties. The other Japanese potatoes, including those for starch processing, were not clearly differentiated to specific market types. A unique group of double-cropping varieties was identified, suggesting that strong selection pressure was applied to the cultivation system (spring-season product is used for fall-season cropping). The inter-populational distance between Japanese and foreign genotypes (mean Euclidean distance of 48.4) was significantly lower than the within-populational distance of foreign genotypes (49.3), indicating that the Japanese potatoes are not uniquely differentiated but are included within the genetic diversity of foreign genotypes. This study demonstrates the usefulness of SNP array technology for performing a cost-effective, robust and direct comparison of genetic diversity among different gene pools. © 2018, Springer Nature B.V.journal articl
Safety and efficacy of adzuki bean extract in subjects with moderate to high LDL-C: a randomized trial
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A field experiment on green walls taking into consideration wind flow in the hot-humid climate of Indonesia
Get PDFapplication/pdfThis paper presents the results of a preliminary experiment using test cells constructed in Bandung, Indonesia. We particularly analysed the thermal effects by comparing green walls with wooden blinds in contrast with those of no covering materials to determine the factors affecting the improvements of indoor thermal conditions in hot-humid climates. The results showed that, unexpectedly, indoor thermal conditions were not improved when green walls/blinds were installed, at least at the center of the units. Nevertheless, air temperatures behind the green walls were found to be lower than those of the other conditions. Moreover, the factors affecting the Standard Effective Temperature (SET*) were analysed in detail by dividing SET* into four thermal factors in terms of temperature, including air temperature, radiation, humidity and wind speed. The further analysis showed that the increases in SET* in the units with green walls were mainly attributed to the reduction of wind velocities (36–45%). It can be concluded that the airflow blockage effect by the green walls was larger than its transpiration cooling effect at the center of the units.journal articl
ウマ子宮胎盤組織におけるアクチビン受容体の発現
Get PDFapplication/pdfアクチビンはウマの子宮腺から分泌され、ウマの妊娠成立および維持に需要な役割を果たしている。本研究では7頭の妊娠馬（妊娠88、120、161、269、290、331、335日）の子宮胎盤組織について、アクチビン受容体のタイプIA/BおよびIIA/Bの発現を、免疫組織化学的手法を用いて探索した。採取した子宮胎盤組織は4%のパラホルムアルデヒドを用いて固定し、研究に用いた。その結果、アクチビン受容体の4種類全てが子宮内膜上皮、子宮腺、胎盤栄養膜、および子宮平滑筋に妊娠期間を通して発現していることが判明し、ウマの子宮胎盤組織においてアクチビンが作用している可能性が考えられた。journal articl
Analysis of the relationship between bread-making quality and dough stress during the proofing process using near-isogenic lines of ‘harunoakebono’
Get PDFapplication/pdfThe physical properties of various white bread doughs made from the flours of ‘Harunoakebono’ and 10 genotypes of its near-isogenic lines with different compositions of high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMWGs) were measured with the Creep method based on a Maxwell–2–element model. The expansion stress in the proofing process of various doughs was obtained by a numerical calculation method. The results indicated that doughs with high elastic characteristics, namely large relaxation time (τ0) and regularity coefficient of viscosity (ηN), have high dough stress throughout the proofing process and high stress at the proofing end (σend) and conversely, the low elastic dough with the small τ0 and ηN has the completely opposite tendency. This study also showed that there are significantly high correlations between the calculated σend and bread-making quality (BMQ) such as gas retention of dough and specific loaf volume (SLV). These results showed that BMQ, represented by SLV, of various white bread doughs were greatly influenced by the dough’s physical properties, especially τ0 and ηN, which change with differences in the compositions of the HMWGs.journal articl
Molecular characterization of a virulent strain of Newcastle disease virus isolated from a diseased chicken in Kyrgyzstan in 2016
Get PDFapplication/pdfNewcastle disease (ND) is a contagious viral disease affecting birds throughout the world and causing economic losses in the poultry industry. At present, little is known about the genetic causes of the ND outbreak that occurred in commercial poultry farms in Kyrgyzstan in 2016. In the current study, we isolated and confirmed a strain of ND virus (NDV) isolated from one out of two samples obtained from an unvaccinated flock. Based on phylogenetic analyses, this NDV strain was clustered in the class II subgenotype VIId and was closely related to the Chinese NDV isolate. Phylogenetic analyses also revealed that the isolated NDV strain has an origin different from the four NDV strains previously identified in Kyrgyzstan. According to a multibasic amino acid (aa) sequence at the F0 proteolytic cleavage site (112R-R-Q-K-R-F117), the NDV isolate was determined as a virulent strain. Several mutations in the neutralizing epitopes (notably, E347→K) and the global head were observed in the hemagglutininneuraminidase protein of the new isolate. The present study represents the first molecular characterization of the coding region of NDV genome obtained from Kyrgyzstan in 2016. This essential information may be useful for ND diagnostics and control.journal articl
Insulin resistance: Relationship between indices during late gestation in dairy cows and effects on newborn metabolism
Get PDFapplication/pdfTo investigate the relationship between insulin resistance indices [“Revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index” (RQUICKI; RQ), “Revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index - β-hydroxybutyrate” (RQUICKIBHB; RQBHB), and “Homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance” (HOMA-IR; HR)], and metabolic parameters in dams during late gestation, and their newborn calves. Blood was sampled twice weekly during the experimental period in 30 dry Holstein cows. In calves, blood sampling and body weight measurements were performed immediately after birth, and in 1-week-old male calves, liver and muscle biopsy samples were obtained for determining metabolic factor mRNA levels. RQ and RQBHB were negatively correlated with insulin, nonesterified fatty acid, BHB, and albumin and were positively correlated with leptin levels in blood during late gestation (p <.05). RQ, rather than RQBHB, reflected metabolism of dams, while stronger positive correlations were present between HR and blood insulin concentrations than other parameters, and calves of dams with high HR had low body weight, and high liver and muscle expression of growth hormone and insulin receptor mRNA (p <.05). RQ and HR of dams during late gestation could serve as indicators of dam metabolism and predictors of metabolism in newborn calves respectively.journal articl