Influences of forested watershed conditions on fluctuations in stream water temperature with special reference to watershed area and forest type

In order to gain insight into the effect of watershed conditions on fluctuations in stream water temperature, we statistically analyzed water temperature data for 1 year, using root mean square (Rms) and harmonic (A Amplitude, φ delay time) methods. The average values of delay time (days) between air and water temperatures (T _a and T _w) of small (< 0.5 ha), medium (0.5–100 ha) and large (> 100 ha) watersheds were 4.53 ± 0.82 days, 11.83 ± 3.88 days and 4.45 ± 1.52 days, respectively. Fluctuations in stream water temperature expressed by Rms (Rms T _w/Rms T _a) and harmonic methods (A −T _w/A −T _a) in the medium-sized watersheds with moderate slope gradients were 0.37 ± 0.09 and 0.56 ± 0.14, respectively. These values increased in the larger watersheds with low slope gradients, including five large rivers covered by various landscapes, with their averages of 0.53 ± 0.09 and 0.78 ± 0.09, respectively, indicating the influences of solar radiation and heat transfer processes. In the smaller watersheds with high slope gradients, these values were 0.73 ± 0.02 and 0.87 ± 0.03, respectively, suggesting that shorter passage time affected water temperatures. With respect to forest type, these values at badly managed hinoki forest watersheds (0.45 ± 0.04 and 0.73 ± 0.07) were larger than those at broadleaf forest (0.34 ± 0.04 and 0.51 ± 0.12) and well-managed hinoki forest (0.33 ± 0.04 and 0.51 ± 0.07) watersheds, indicating different proportions of flow paths.     

The mitochondrial genome of stygobitic sponge Eunapius subterraneus: mtDNA is highly conserved in freshwater sponges

The complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genome of the Eunapius subterraneus (Porifera, Demospongiae), a unique stygobitic sponge, was analyzed and compared with previously published mitochondrial genomes from this group. The 24,850 bp long mtDNA genome is circular with the same gene composition as found in other metazoans. Intergenic regions (IGRs) comprise 24.7% of mtDNA and are abundant with direct and inverted repeats and palindromic elements as well as with open reading fames (ORFs) whose distribution and homology was compared with other available mt genomes with a special focus on freshwater sponges. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenated amino acid sequences from 12 mt protein genes placed E. subterraneus in a well-supported monophyletic clade with the freshwater sponges, Ephydatia muelleri and Lubomirskia baicalensis. Our study showed high homology of mtDNA genomes among freshwater sponges, implying their recent split.     

Different Roles for Lactococcal Aggregation Factor and Mucin Binding Protein in Adhesion to Gastrointestinal Mucosa

Adhesion of bacteria to mucosal surfaces and epithelial cells is one of the key features for the selection of probiotics. In this study, we assessed the adhesion property of Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis BGKP1 based on its strong autoaggregation phenotype and the presence of the mucin binding protein (MbpL). Genes involved in aggregation (aggL) and possible interaction with mucin (mbpL), present on the same plasmid pKP1, were previously separately cloned in the plasmid pAZIL. In vivo and in vitro experiments revealed potentially different physiological roles of these two proteins in the process of adherence to the intestine during the passage of the strain through the gastrointestinal tract. We correlated the in vitro and in vivo aggregation of the BGKP1-20 carrying plasmid with aggL to binding to the colonic mucus through nonspecific hydrophobic interactions. The expression of AggL on the bacterial cell surface significantly increased the hydrophobicity of the strain. On the other hand, the presence of AggL in the strain reduced its ability to adhere to the ileum. Moreover, MbpL protein showed an affinity to bind gastric type mucin proteins such as MUC5AC. This protein did not contribute to the binding of the strain to the ileal or colonic part of the intestine. Different potential functions of lactococcal AggL and MbpL proteins in the process of adhesion to the gastrointestinal tract are proposed.     

Efficiency of genomic prediction for boar taint reduction in Danish Landrace pigs

Genetic selection against boar taint, which is caused by high skatole and androstenone concentrations in fat, is a more acceptable alternative than is the current practice of castration. Genomic predictors offer an opportunity to overcome the limitations of such selection caused by the phenotype being expressed only in males at slaughter, and this study evaluated different approaches to obtain such predictors. Samples from 1000 pigs were included in a design which was dominated by 421 sib pairs, each pair having one animal with high and one with low skatole concentration (≥0.3 μg/g). All samples were measured for both skatole and androstenone and genotyped using the Illumina SNP60 porcine BeadChip for 62 153 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The accuracy of predicting phenotypes was assessed by cross‐validation using six different genomic evaluation methods: genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) and five Bayesian regression methods. In addition, this was compared to the accuracy of predictions using only QTL that showed genome‐wide significance. The range of accuracies obtained by different prediction methods was narrow for androstenone, between 0.29 (Bayes Lasso) and 0.31 (Bayes B), and wider for skatole, between 0.21 (GBLUP) and 0.26 (Bayes SSVS). Relative accuracies, corrected for h², were 0.54–0.56 and 0.75–0.94 for androstenone and skatole respectively. The whole‐genome evaluation methods gave greater accuracy than using only the QTL detected in the data. The results demonstrate that GBLUP for androstenone is the simplest genomic technology to implement and was also close to the most accurate method. More specialised models may be preferable for skatole.     

Convection of waters in Lakes Maninjau and Singkarak,tropical oligomictic lakes

The ecology of a lake is mainly controlled by mixing processes; particularly, in tropical oligomictic lakes, the occurrence frequency and magnitude of convection govern the vertical mixing of chemicals and organisms. In this study, vertical profiles of water temperature, dissolved oxygen, electric conductivity, turbidity, and chlorophyll a were measured in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 in two Sumatran deep lakes, Lakes Maninjau and Singkarak. In Lake Maninjau, intensive surveys on the profiles were also conducted in three different seasons in 2018. The comparison of the profiles between 2015 and 2017 indicated the events of large convection down to the lake bottoms happened in both of the lakes. Similarly, small convection down to around 30 m depth was found in the period between May and Jul, 2018. Air temperature drops up to five degrees centigrade were observed in these periods, confirmed by the changes in lake surface temperature estimated by MODIS imagery for the lakes. The magnitudes of the convective events were discussed with the observed amounts of heat loss and the estimated heat transfer through lake surface. Furthermore, the influences of such events on anoxic hypolimnetic waters were evaluated and considered from the view of climate change.

     

Analysis of stream water temperature changes during rainfall events in forested watersheds

Despite continued interest in stream water temperature (Tw) analysis, there are few studies of Tw response to rainfall events at forested watersheds. We examined 61 sets of data on Tw for 21 rainfall events at 16 watersheds with various slope gradients (from 0.08 to 0.56) in four regions of Japan from June 2004 to December 2005. The investigation focused on the changes of specific discharge (ΔQs) and ΔTw at medium-sized watersheds (0.5–100 ha). The results clearly demonstrated different flow patterns expressed by Qs vs. Tw hysteretic loops. Those were clockwise in Period I (April–September) and counterclockwise in Period II (October–March), except for lower slope gradient at Aichi, where counterclockwise loops were observed in both periods. These differences in hysteretic loops could be explained by the differences in Tw and in response times to rainfall between surface/subsurface and groundwater flows. The response times were probably determined by the slope gradient and the vertical level of groundwater. We also found that the changes in air temperature (ΔTa) influenced ΔTw to a lesser degree than Qs. The average rainfall intensities in Period I and Period II (9.3 ± 1.7 and 5.4 ± 0.2 mm/h, respectively) affected the average values of ΔQs and ΔTw (6.62 ± 4.08 mm/h and 1.7 ± 0.4°C; 0.85 ± 0.68 mm/h and 0.9 ± 0.3°C, respectively). This indicates that slope gradient and Qs influenced ΔTw by changing the relative proportions of flow paths. In addition, the water table changes influenced the percentage of groundwater flow to the stream.     

The role of the nutrition in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett's oesophagus and oesophageal adenocarcinoma

This paper aims at evaluating the role of improper nutrition in the pathogenesis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), Barrett's oesophagus (BE), and oesophageal adenocarcinoma (EADC). It also tries to examine the influence of the alcohol, nicotine and coffee consumption in the development of the mentioned diseases. There were 180 subjects included in the trial, 109 males and 71 females, which were divided in the four groups (70 patients with GERD, 20 patients with BE, 20 patients with EADC, and 70 healthy examinees composing a control group). Their dietary habits were investigated by the usage of the dietary questionnaires. The results show that the fast eating and the insufficient mastication were present in 64.3-85.0% patients with GERD, BE, and EADC in comparison with only 15% of the examinees from the control group. Furthermore, very hot was preferred by 25.0-42.9% of the mentioned patients in comparison with only 12.9% from the control group. Similarly, 60.0-75.0% of them preferred strongly spiced food on contrary with 17.1% of the healthy examinees. Moreover, strong alcoholic beverages were consumed three or more times per week by 55.0-75.0% of the mentioned patients in comparison with only 15.7% from the control group. Finally, there were 15.7-55.0% heavy smokers among the patients with GERD, BE, and EADC contrary to 1.4% in the control group.     

Effects of aurothiomalate and gold(III) complexes on spontaneous motility of isolated human oviduct

Organic gold complexes have different biological activity, depending on their potential for interactions with key functional molecules.The aim of this study was to investigate potential of several newly synthesized organic gold complexes to influence spontaneous motility of the Fallopian tubes.The effects of [Au(bipy)Cl(2)](+) (dichloride(2,2'-bipyridyl)aurate(III)-ion), aurothiomalate, [Au(DMSO)(2)Cl(2)]Cl and DMSO on spontaneous motility of Fallopian tubes were tested on the isolated tube segments in vitro. Aurothiomalate (from 2.9?×?10(-9) to 4.9?×?10(-4)?M/l), [Au(bipy)Cl(2)]Cl (from 3.3?×?10(-9) to 4.2?×?10(-5)?M/l) and DMSO (from 1.9?×?10(-8) to 1.0?×?10(-5)?M/l) did not affect spontaneous contractions of the isolated Fallopian tube ampulla, while [Au(DMSO)(2)Cl(2)]Cl (from 2.9?×?10(-9) to 4.2?×?10(-5)?M/l) showed concentration-dependent increase (stimulation) of spontaneous contractions of the isolated Fallopian tube isthmus, and remained without effect on the isolated ampulla.The drugs designed as organic gold complexes with weaker bonds between the gold itself and organic part of a molecule could adversely affect motility of the Fallopian tubes, and theoretically fertility of women taking such drugs in their reproductive age.     

Sister-chromatid exchanges in newborns after normal and progesterone-treated pregnancies

Two groups of newborns were selected for SCE analyses, one consisting of infants born after progesterone-treatment during pregnancy (PTP) and a control group. A slight, but statistically significant difference in the number of SCEs was found: in the control group 5.55 +/- 0.62, and in the PTP group 7.99 +/- 0.88. This effect also proved to be true in an in vitro system, where various concentrations of progesterone were tested. The authors offer two possible explanations: one involving the biochemical pathways of progesterone and the influence on the level of excretory products; the other involving a direct relationship between progesterone and DNA.