This study explored adequate water temperature ranges for maintaining stable water quality in a biofloc-based zero-water exchange culture system. Five experimental tanks with the following temperatures were set up: 10℃, 15℃, 20℃, 25℃, and 30℃. First, a biofloc-based culture system was developed in the experimental tanks; then, the tanks were stocked with goldfish and went without a water exchange for 60 days. Conditions for developing a biofloc-based culture system and stable water quality in low concentrations of inorganic nitrogen compounds at 10℃, 15℃, 20℃, 25℃, and 30 o C were maintained after 17, 26, 43, 68, and 78 days, respectively. Beginning from when the goldfish were stocked in the biofloc-based culture tanks, concentrations of NH4 + -N remained constant and at low levels at 10℃ and 15℃, but they showed a gradual increase at 20℃, 25℃, and 30℃. Concentrations of NO2 --N and NO3 --N at 10℃ and 15℃ did not remain at low levels and immediately increased. While NO2 --N concentrations at above 20℃ remained constant and stable at relatively low levels, NO3 --N concentrations showed a gradual increase. Conditions of 15℃ and below could not maintain low and stable concentrations of NO2 --N. In the pH range of 4.0 to 6.0, NH4 + -N concentration decreased as the pH rose. However, there was no correlation between pH and NH4 + -N concentration in the pH range of 6.0 to 8.0. These results indicate that pH levels should be kept at pH 6.0 and above to maintain a low and stable concentration of NH4 + -N at above 20℃.

This study was performed to determine whether stem bark extract containing saponin of Albizzia julibrissin in the diet influences gonadal maturation and spawning in medaka (Oryzias latipes). The crude extraction containing saponin (HaBC) was partially purified from n-BuOH extraction of A. julibrissin stem bark by Diaion HP-20, Silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 chromatographies. We fed diets supplemented with HaBC to medaka. We then studied the effects of the HaBC supplement on the suppression of gonadal maturation and spawning in female medaka that were reared in aquaria with recirculation systems. In the experiment with immature female medaka, the periods of initiation of gonadal maturation and spawning were delayed in the fish that were fed diets supplemented with at least HaBC 20 mg/g-feed. In the experiment with mature female medaka, the fish that were fed diets supplemented with at least HaBC 20 mg/g-feed had lower GSIs than the control diet group did. The results showed that the growth of the immature medaka was not correlated with the amount of supplementation of HaBC in the diet. However, the condition factors (CF) in the medaka that were fed diets supplemented with at least HaBC 20 mg/g-feed were higher than in the medaka fed on the control diet. We concluded that extracts containing saponin from the stem bark of A. julibrissin have the potential to inhibit gonadal maturation in female medaka, but they did not act as growth stimulation. Further studies are required to determine the mechanism of the action.

Although the level of neuroscience research is rapidly developing with the introduction of new technologies, the method of neuroanatomy education remains at the traditional level and requires improvement to meet the needs of educators and trainees. We developed a new three-dimensional (3D) printed device (human braincutting mold, HBCM) for creating human brain slices; moreover, we demonstrated a simple method for creating semi-permanent ultraviolet (UV) resin-mounted brain slice specimens for neuroanatomy education. We obtained brain slices of uniform thickness (3 mm) through the HBCM; the resultant brain slices were optimal for assessing morphological details of the human brain. Furthermore, we used an agar-embedding method for brain-slicing with the HBCM, which minimized geometrical distortions of the brain slices. Also, we prepared semi-permanent brain serial specimens using an acrylic brain slice frame and UV-curable resin, which was highly compatible with moist bio-specimens. During UV resin curing, neither air bubble formation nor color change occurred. The resultant UV resin-mounted brain slices produced definite coronal sections with high transparency and morphological accuracy. We also performed 3D modeling by stacking brain slice images that differentiated the cortical area and nine subcortical regions via manual segmentation. This method could be a reliable alternative for displaying high-quality human brain slices and would be helpful for students and trainee to understand anatomical orientation from 2D images to 3D structures. Also, this may present an innovative approach for preparing and preserving coronal sections of the normal or pathological human brain.