Extracts of black and brown rice powders improve hepatic lipid accumulation via the activation of PPARα in obese and diabetic model mice

Rice powder extract (RPE) from black and brown rice (Oryza sativa L. indica) improves hepatic lipid accumulation in obese and diabetic model mice via peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation. RPE showed PPARα agonistic activity which did not differ between black and brown RPE despite a higher anthocyanin content in black RPE.     

AUTOMATED 35S-LABELLED PROTEIN ELECTROPHORESIS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF STRAINS OF RHIZOBIUM LEGUMINOSARUM bv. TRIFOLII

A technique for strain-level identification within a Rhizobium biovar is described, based on automated sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of ³⁵S-labelled proteins, offering substantial improvements on existing SDS-PAGE methods particularly in the areas of standardization of electrophoresis conditions and rapidity of positive identification. Gels were analysed with a β-scanner, the beta particle emission data being directly relayed to an IBM PC/AT computer for subsequent manipulation. Analysis of the total protein profiles obtained by this method revealed regions of variability between strains of R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii. Automated comparison of these regions enabled identification of strains. The method was successfully used for identifying root nodule isolates obtained from competition studies between known pairs of R. leguminosarum bv. trifolii strains inoculated onto Trifolium repens.     

Absorption and Re-distribution of Nitrogen during Growth and Development of Field Bean, Vicia faba

The absorption of nitrate by field bean plants at different times of development was investigated to determine the distribution and subsequent utilization of N up to the maturity of the beans. Nodulated plants were grown in sand culture and pulse-labelled with ¹⁵NO₃ for 4 short periods during development. Whole plants were sampled at intervals until maturity and analysed for total nitrogen and ¹⁵N. There was a rapid increase in the bean dry weight and total N after fruit set and, at maturity, the beans contained about three times as much N as had ever been in the rest of the plant. Nitrate absorption continued steadily throughout plant development but nodule N fixation made a progressively greater contribution to the total N in the plant. Over a quarter of the total ¹⁵N absorbed was found in the roots immediately after each treatment and little of this was subsequently translocated upwards in spite of the large increase in shoot N taking place. Above ground the most powerful “sink” for recently absorbed and redistributed N was initially the youngest vegetative tissue. However after fruit set competition developed between the growing tip and the developing beans until at the later stages the beans became the more powerful. Quantitatively redistribution made only a small contribution to bean N.     

Influences of seasonal flooding on macroinvertebrate abundance in wetland habitats

SUMMARY. 1. We studied the effects of seasonal flooding on macro-invertebrate abundance by manipulating water regime and detrital level within three contiguous experimental marshes in Manitoba, Canada, over 2 years. One area was seasonally flooded (standing water present through midsummer) with emergent vegetation left undisturbed throughout the study, one was semipermanently flooded (standing water present through the ice-free season) with the vegetation left undisturbed, and one was seasonally flooded with the vegetation harvested at the end of the first summer.
2. Abundances of frequent macroinvertebrate taxa were compared between the seasonally flooded-undisturbed treatment area and each of the other areas.
3. Densities of total invertebrates and of the dominant taxa (Cladocera, Ostracoda and Culicidae) were reduced dramatically by a year of semipermanent flooding, despite high levels of paniculate organic food resources and low populations of predators. Densities were not reduced by lowering the availability of detritus under seasonally flooded conditions.
4. Taxa unaffected by water regime included Dytiscidae, Corixidae, Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae and Ephydridae.
5. Semi-permanent flooding may have eliminated environmental cues necessary for oviposition, embryonic development and hatch among dominant taxa. High invertebrate densities in temporary waters may be more dependent upon life history traits of resident fauna than upon habitat features such as food availability or predation pressure.     

A study of genetic diversity in Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia in the Upper Severn area of the UK using AFLP markers

A survey of amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) was conducted to examine genetic diversity in 146 individuals of British, native black poplar ( Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia ) and three individuals considered by collectors to be non- betulifolia poplars. Using two primer pairs, a total of 147 bands were detected of which 82 (56%) were polymorphic in at least one individual. Cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis of the calculated similarity matrix revealed a low level of genetic diversity, although a loose clustering into five groups could be identified, one of which contained the non- betulifolia individuals. Examination of the spatial distribution of the other four groups (all betulifolia ) revealed a general correlation between geographic proximity and genetic similarity. On the basis of the polymorphism observed, it was possible to identify a small number of individual plants which exhibit maximum diversity and might therefore be suitable for inclusion in a replanting programme designed to maintain at least the existing low level of polymorphism observed within British black poplar.     

Environmental Control of Flowering in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). I. Photoperiod Limits to Long-day Responses, Photoperiod-insensitive Phases and Effects of Low-temperature and Short-day Vernalization

Barley plants were grown at a mean diurnal temperature of 15°C and reciprocally transferred between different photoperiods(from 16 h d^–1 to 8, 10 or 13 h d^–1 or vice versaat 4, 8, 16 or 32 d after germination). Ten contrasting genotypeswere examined, including seven spring-sown types-Mona, BGS T16-2,Athenais, Emir, Funza, USDA-016525 and S-37, and three autumn-sowntypes-Gerbel B, Arabi Abiad and Ager. In the latter two alltreatments were repeated on plants grown from seeds which hadbeen vernalized at 2 °C for 42 d. The results suggest that, between the critical photoperiod (belowwhich there is a delay in flowering) and the ceiling photoperiod(below which there is no further delay), there is a linear relationbetween photoperiod and the reciprocal of the time taken toflower (awn emergence). In all genotypes the ceiling photoperiodwas     

Possible health hazards associated with the collection and handling of post-mortem zoological material

Zoologists handling post-mortem material are at risk to infection by a number of potentially dangerous pathogens. The incidence of such infections is small but that is no reason for complacency. The possible sources of infection and precautions to be taken are reviewed and an annotated checklist of potentially dangerous diseases which might be associated with post-mortem material is given.