Duration of thermal support for preventing hypothermia induced by anesthesia with medetomidine-midazolam-butorphanol in mice

Hypothermia during anesthetic events is a common adverse effect of anesthesia in laboratory animals. In particular, small rodents such as mice is susceptible to hypothermia during anesthetic events. Therefore, the animals will need additional thermal support by external heating devices during and after anesthesia. In general, the time of recovery from anesthesia is typically longer in case of injectable anesthesia rather than inhalant anesthesia. However, the durations of thermal support have been almost limited to 1 hr from administration of anesthesia in general. Our study objectives are two-fold: 1) to compare the levels of hypothermia induced by injectable anesthesia with medetomidine-midazolam-butorphanol (MMB) and inhalant anesthesia with isoflurane (ISO); 2) to find the adequate durations of thermal support for preventing hypothermia induced by their anesthesia in mice. Adult male ICR mice were anesthetized during 40 min without and with the thermal support for 1 (both anesthetic groups), 2, 3, and 5 hr (in MMB group). Without thermal support, the decrease of body temperature in MMB group were more severe than that in ISO group. The durations of thermal support completely prevented hypothermia at 5 hr-support in MMB group and that at 1 hr-support in ISO group. However, the other short durations did not prevent hypothermia at 1, 2 and 3 hr-support in MMB group. These results suggest that the mice should be received thermal support over 5 hr after injection of MMB anesthesia to prevent hypothermia.     

Permeation of urea through various polyurethane membranes

BACKGROUND: Controlled‐release systems using polymer membranes are very important in agriculture for labour‐saving and effective delivery of pesticides and other agents. Polymer‐coated granules are one of the most useful formulations, and a study of the factors for polymer design is necessary to achieve various release patterns. A permeation study using plain membranes was carried out in order to clarify parameters, and the results were compared with the release from polymer‐coated granules. RESULTS: The permeation coefficient of urea through a plain polyurethane membrane decreased significantly as the urethane and alkyl side chain content increased. The glass transition temperature and crosslink density of the polyurethanes hardly influenced its permeability. The release rate from polyurethane‐coated granules was also reduced by alkyl side chains. However, it was faster than that through a plain membrane because of capsule expansion by continuous water penetration and structural changes in the membrane. CONCLUSION: The release rate of urea through a polyurethane plain membrane and from polyurethane‐coated granules can be controlled by changing the chemical properties of the membrane. In addition, physical properties such as the glass transition temperature T_g or crosslink density should be considered to assess the release profile from polyurethane‐coated granules. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

利用重组自交系群体检测水稻耐铝毒数量性状基因座

利用Kinmaze / DV85 81个重组自交家系(RIL)作图群体,采用苗期单营养液水培鉴定方法,以相对根伸长量（RRE）作为耐铝毒性状的表型值,分析亲本和重组自交系群体对铝毒的耐性表现。利用Windows QTL Cartographer 1.13a软件共检测到5个耐铝毒QTLs,分别位于第1、5、8、9和11染色体上,各个QTL的贡献率在8.64%～18.60%之间,其     

Community-based management of rural pine forests in a suburban village of Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan

Community-based management of a rural pine forest in a small suburban community, was examined and assessed. In particular, the study focused on theMatsutake project, which is an initiative seeking to help in the maintenance of a communal pine forest via the cultivation of theMatsutake mushroom by a local seniors’ group. From an ecological perspective, the maintenance work is found to be effective in the conservation and regeneration of the pine forest ecosystem, including its species diversity, especially in the herb layer. From a sociological perspective, theMatsutake project presented a valuable opportunity to strengthen connections not only within the seniors’ group, but also between senior citizens and other generations. However, subsidies for the project have tended to be gradually reduced, because it is difficult for non-involved community members to appreciate the benefits of the project. For the project to be sustainable, more widespread participation of the community is essential. A framework for wider analysis of local participatory forest management is also deemed necessary.     

Improvement of the survival in the seven-band grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus larvae by optimizing aeration and water inlet in the mass-scale rearing tank

The water flow in larval rearing tanks has been indicated to cause mass mortality of the seven-band grouper Epinephelus septemfasciatus larvae. Therefore, a new aerating method was tested in an actual scale intensive rearing tank (8.0 m in diameter, 1.87 m of water depth, 100 m³ of volume), in which an aerator was positioned at the center of the rearing tank surrounding cylindrical drain (1.2 m in diameter) to generate the flow field, and seven larval rearing trials were performed. The survival rate with the former aeration methods were compared, in which several aerators were located in the rearing tank. The survival rate at 10 days after hatching with the new aeration method (61.5±5.1%, n=7) was approximately three times higher than the former methods (21.2±13.7%, n=6). The flow environment of rearing tanks was also examined by quantifying the flow field, and the relationship between the flow field in the rearing tank, behavior of larvae and survival discussed. It was confirmed that the vertical circulating flow was observed in rearing tanks, and determined effectively the survival and the behavior of grouper larvae in patchiness.     

A case of canine multiple inflammatory colorectal polyps treated by endoscopic polypectomy and argon plasma coagulation

Endoscopic polypectomy and argon plasma coagulation (APC) were performed in a refractory case of inflammatory colorectal polyps in a 7-year-old male Miniature Dachshund. Colonoscopic examination revealed a large sessile polyp and multiple diffuse small polyps, localized to the descending colon and rectum. The case showed a poor therapeutic response to prednisolone and cyclosporine. Under anesthesia, piecemeal resections were performed by polypectomy. APC was carried out to cauterize the polyp remnants. After treatment, reduction of the lesions and the improvement in clinical signs were observed, without recurrence of lesions for at least 10 months. Endoscopic treatment by polypectomy and APC is suggested to be a therapeutic option for refractory cases of inflammatory colorectal polyps in dogs.     

Analysis of 46-kDa protein in the perivitelline membrane of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

The extracellular matrix surrounding the oocyte before ovulation is called the perivitelline membrane (PL) in avian species. The PL is constructed with two major glycoproteins, ZPC and ZP1, which are synthesized in the ovarian granulosa cells and the liver, respectively. Although the properties of the major components in the PL have been examined, knowledge about the nature of its minor constituents is lacking. In this study we focused on PL protein, which migrates at 46‐kDa in the gel of SDS‐PAGE. N‐terminal sequence analysis demonstrated that the 46‐kDa protein is the C‐terminal fragment of ZP1. Analysis of lysylendopeptidase digests or cyanogens bromide‐degraded fragments of ZP1 confirmed this postulate. Western blot analysis using antiserum against 46‐kDa protein indicated the absence of 46‐kDa protein in the serum. Moreover, small immunoreactive bands, thought to be cleaved fragments of ZP1, were detected in the PL lysate by western blot analysis using antiserum against the N‐terminal peptide of ZP1. These results indicated that the N‐terminal proteolytic processing of ZP1 might take place after the arrival of ZP1 at the ovary, and the resulting product, 46‐kDa protein, is incorporated into the PL.     

Software development for estimating the concentration of radioactive cesium in the skeletal muscles of cattle from blood samples

The 2011 earthquake severely damaged the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP), resulting in the release of large quantities of radioactive material into the environment. The deposition of these radionuclides in rice straw as livestock feed led to the circulation of contaminated beef in the market. Based on the safety concern of the consumers, a reliable method for estimating concentrations of radioactive cesium in muscle tissue is needed. In this study, we analyzed the concentrations of radioactive cesium in the blood and skeletal muscle of 88 cattle, and detected a linear correlation between them. We then developed software that can be used to estimate radioactive cesium concentrations in muscle tissue from blood samples. Distribution of this software to the livestock production field would allow us to easily identify high‐risk cattle, which would be beyond the safety regulation, before shipping out to the market. This software is planned to be released as freeware. This software would contribute to food safety, and aid the recovery of the livestock industry from the damage creacted by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.     

Stochastic control modeling for forest stand management under uncertain price dynamics through geometric brownian motion

In this paper, a stochastic control model is constructed by incorporating geometric Brownian motion to capture uncertain price dynamics into a one-stage and two-state stochastic dynamic programming model. The proposed model is designed to search for optimal harvest timing under price uncertainty without considering other forestry operations,e.g., thinning. We consider the option of abandoning forest management for an alternative use of forest land besides replantation. Our experimental analysis shows that the optimal harvest timing under stochastic log prices is delayed when a price level is crucially low for maintaining the management. It is also shown that when the current log price is sufficiently high, the optimal harvest timing derived from both the stochastic and deterministic approach becomes the same. With a downward trend of stochastic price dynamics, the optimal harvest timing tends to be hastened overall. This is because of the depreciation effect on the future return, which stimulates harvesting in an earlier period. This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No.11660155) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.     

Evaluation of carbon sequestration and thinning regimes within the optimization framework for forest stand management

Due to the urgent demand for thinning in planted forests and the tend towards sustainable forest resource management, the forest stand age class eligible for the thinning subsidy in Japan was expanded during the period from 2000 to 2004. Currently, further expansion is under consideration in line with meeting the Kyoto Protocol target of carbon sequestration. In this paper, we conducted evaluation analyses of carbon sequestration and subsidy effects within the optimization framework for the forest stand management. The optimal forest stand management model called Dynamic Programming model for Kyushu Stand Simulator (DP-KYSS) was utilized for the analysis of the target sugi (Cryptomeria japonia) forest stand in the Kyushu region, Japan. Our results showed that the thinning subsidy was effective to stimulate thinning activities at the eligible age class for the subsidy, and that 20% of the current or proposed payment was appropriate to give an incentive to forest owners for conducting the same optimal thinning regime. The amount of carbon sequestered in remaining trees at final harvest was not always shown to increase over time. Depending upon the subsidy condition, it could decrease. The average annual amount of carbon sequestered under no subsidy showed its maximum at age 35, while under the other subsidy conditions, it was shortened to age 25. The net present value of cost per unit carbon loss associated with subsidy became the highest for the rotation age of 35 years for all subsidy policies considered here.