Risk factors for iron-deficiency anaemia among pregnant women living in rural Vietnam

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of anaemia in rural Vietnam and to determine its risk factors. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Vietnam, Nghe An Province. STUDY POPULATION: The total number of participants was 439. Of these participants, one was excluded from the study due to a mental disorder. Forty-seven did not participate in the test for parasites and 68 did not complete at least one of the questions. RESULTS: The prevalence of anaemia (haemoglobin (Hb) <11.0 g dl(-1)) was 43.2% and of severe anaemia (Hb <8.0 g dl(-1)) was 0.5%. Taking iron tablets, the consumption of eggs and the preference for Western medicine significantly and positively correlated with Hb concentration in the pregnant women in a multiple regression analysis. Pregnancy duration and hookworm infestation significantly and negatively correlated with Hb concentration in the pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anaemia in rural Vietnam has remained as high as that found in the national anaemia survey in 2000. The results of the present study could aid in the development of an iron-deficiency anaemia programme among pregnant women in rural Vietnam that emphasises iron supplementation, parasite control and improved diet, including the consumption of eggs. The programme's focus should be on women who prefer traditional medicine to Western medicine.     

Age Difference in Morphology and Immunohistology inthe Thymus and Spleen in Crl:CD (SD) Rats

We investigated chronological changes in immunohistochemical phenotyping in the thymus and spleen in Crl:CD rats up to the age of about one year. In the thymus, T cells increased markedly from 3 to 4 weeks of age. Proliferating cells also increased markedly at these points. B cells tended towards an increase with age. In the spleen, white pulp increased until 9 weeks of age and remained fairly stable thereafter. In the periarteriolar lymphoid sheath and marginal zone, T cells gradually increased until 9 weeks of age and became almost flat thereafter. In the lymph follicle, T cells increased with age. B cells tended towards an increase with age in all areas of the spleen. It was concluded that development of the thymus was most marked from 3 to 4 weeks of age and that both the thymus and spleen had matured by 9 weeks of age.     

Characteristic Variation of Concentration and Chemical Form in Sulfur, Nitrate, Ammonium, and Chloride Species Observed at Urban and Rural Sites of Japan

A field survey on the concentration of chemical species in particulate matter and gaseous compounds at two monitoring sites with different site classifications (urban and rural) was conducted over three years. Total (particulate matter + gaseous compounds) concentrations at the rural site were significantly lower than those at the urban site for all species (sulfur $\left( {{\text{SO}}^{{{\text{2 - }}}}_{{\text{4}}} {\left( {\text{p}} \right)}} \right.$ and SO₂(g)), nitrate ${\text{(NO}}_{{{\text{3}}^{{\text{ - }}} }} {\left( {\text{p}} \right)}$ and HNO₃(g)), ammonium ${\text{(NH}}_{{{\text{4}}^{{\text{ + }}} }} {\text{(p)}})$ and ammonia (NH₃(g)), and chloride (Cl^? (p) and HCl (g))), which is thought to reflect classification of the site. The difference in the sulfur concentration at the urban and rural sites was characterized by the difference in SO₂ (g) concentration. Further, a clear seasonality was observed for the nitrate species. The HNO₃ (g) concentration was high in the summer compared with other seasons at both the urban and rural sites. The ${\text{NH}}_4^ + \left( {\text{p}} \right)$ concentration levels were approximately the same as those of NH₃ (g) at both sites. The molar ratios of the particulate matter concentration to the total concentration showed different characteristics; the nitrate, ammonium and ammonia, and chloride species showed a clear seasonal variation: low in summer and high in winter and the values were similar regardless of the site. On the other hand, the sulfur species showed constant values at both the urban and rural sites, however the concentrations were significantly different for the two sites. Ammonium accounted for the largest proportion of cations in the particulate matter, regardless of the site classification. In contrast, ${\text{SO}}_4^{2 - } \left( {\text{p}} \right)$ accounted for the largest proportion of anions at the rural site, whereas ${\text{NO}}_3^ - \left( {\text{p}} \right)$ was comparable to ${\text{SO}}_4^{2 - } \left( {\text{p}} \right)$ at the urban site. Ammonia accounted for the largest proportion of all chemical species at both sites. Seasonal analysis of the proportional distribution in particulate matter and gaseous compounds provides information on atmospheric conditions.     

A comparison of changes in stable isotope ratios in the epidermal mucus and muscle tissue of slow‐growing adult catfish

Although stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for determining diet, migration patterns and the structure of food webs in aquatic systems, the slow response of isotopic ratios in the widely used muscle tissue often hampers this approach, particularly in slow‐growing or adult fishes. We conducted a diet‐switch experiment to compare the changes in the stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C values) in the epidermal mucus and muscle tissue of five‐year‐old catfish (Silurus asotus). The isotope ratios in noninvasively sampled mucus changed more rapidly than those in the muscle tissue. As isotopic change in mucus was relatively rapid, this technique can be used over a finer timescale than traditional isotopic analyses using the muscle tissue. The isotopic change half‐life in our experimental condition was 200 days, which would not be short enough for some research purposes. Examining mucus along with the muscle would enable food habits of slow‐growing fishes to be determined over different timescales. However, the rate of isotopic change in the mucus was negatively affected by the size of fish and was slower than the previously reported rates in juvenile steelhead. These findings suggest that mucus turnover rates need to be determined prior to the field data interpretation.     

Conditioning of karyoplasts for producing somatic nuclear transferred gonadal germ cells in domestic chickens

The objective of this study was to establish a protocol for generating karyoplasts that can be used to produce somatic nuclear transferred gonadal germ cells (snt-GGCs) in domestic chickens. Karyoplasts were produced by centrifuging cultured fibroblasts from 10-day-old chick embryos at 10,000 x g in the presence of 1.0 microg/ml cytochalasin B. The number of karyoplasts was significantly (P<0.05) higher and the diameters of the karyoplasts were significantly (P<0.05) smaller when fibroblasts were centrifuged for 60 min than for 10 or 30 min. It was possible to generate snt-GGCs by electrofusion of GGCs with karyoplasts produced from cryopreserved or serum-starved fibroblasts. These results indicate that karyoplasts generated from 10-day-old chick embryos can be used to produce snt-GGCs even after cryopreservation and serum starvation of the fibroblasts.     

An avirulence gene homologue in the tomato wilt fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici race 1 functions as a virulence gene in the cabbage yellows fungus F. oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans

Six4, a small protein secreted by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol) in tomato xylem sap during infection, triggers Fol race 1-specific resistance (I) in tomato. SIX4 is regarded as an avirulence gene. Although SIX4 is considered unique to Fol race 1, we detected this gene in the cabbage yellows fungus F. oxysporum f. sp. conglutinans (Foc) by PCR. Because the genes from Foc and SIX4 in Fol were >99 % identical at the nucleotide level, the Foc gene was designated FocSIX4. The expression of FocSIX4 was detected by RT-PCR in stems and roots of cabbage 8 days after infection with Foc. In contrast with Fol, disruption of FocSIX4 in Foc did not increase virulence to Foc-resistant cabbage cvs. Shutoku-SP and Koikaze. On the contrary, the disruptants had reduced virulence not only on Foc-resistant cultivars but also on Foc-susceptible cv. Shikidori. These results suggested that FocSIX4 is involved in virulence, but not in avirulence, in the cabbage yellows fungus.     

Effect of calcium supply on the physiology of fruit tissue in ‘Andesu’ netted melon

Summary

Fruit development and physiological traits were evaluated in ‘Andesu’ netted melon plants grown with and without calcium. Calcium exclusion accelerated softening, alcoholic fermentation and ethylene evolution of fruit compared with those supplied with calcium, but the opposite trend occurred with sucrose accumulation. A significant difference of calcium concentrations in the fruit between treatments was observed at the developing stage of the fruit (P<0.05), but the difference became smaller as fruit matured. In the mesocarp tissue from the basal hemisphere, calcium concentrations in the NaCl soluble fraction at ripe fruit stage differed significantly (P<0.05) between calcium treatments but no significant difference was detected in the inner mesocarp of the distal hemisphere. Calcium exclusion did not lead to the development of water-soaked symptoms in the mesocarp tissue of ripe fruit. Uronic acid concentrations in ionically bound pectin fraction did not differ between calcium treatments throughout fruit development. In covalently-bound pectin fraction, however, uronic acid concentration of ripe fruit was significantly lower in calcium-excluded plants than in calcium-supplied plants (P<0.05). Our results suggest that: first, accelerated fruit softening under calcium deficient conditions might result from promoted ethylene evolution rather than from the shortage of ionically-bound calcium in cell walls, second, calcium deficient condition does not necessarily lead to water-soaked symptoms in tissue of ‘Andesu’ melon fruit.     

Identification of bitterness-masking compounds from cheese

Bitterness-masking compounds were identified in a natural white mold cheese. The oily fraction of the cheese was extracted and further fractionated by using silica gel column chromatography. The four fractions obtained were characterized by thin-layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The fatty acid-containing fraction was found to have the highest bitterness-masking activity against quinine hydrochloride. Bitterness-masking activity was quantitated using a method based on subjective equivalents. At 0.5 mM, the fatty acid mixture, which had a composition similar to that of cheese, suppressed the bitterness of 0.008% quinine hydrochloride to be equivalent to that of 0.0049-0.0060% and 0.5 mM oleic acid to that of 0.0032-0.0038% solution. The binding potential between oleic acid and the bitter compounds was estimated by isothermal titration calorimetry. These results suggest that oleic acid masked bitterness by forming a complex with the bitter compounds.     

Anticancer activities of thelephantin O and vialinin A isolated from Thelephora aurantiotincta

Thelephora aurantiotincta is an edible mushroom belonging to the genus Thelephora; it grows in symbiosis with pine trees. Recently, phytochemical investigations have revealed that the genus Thelephora is an abundant source of p-terphenyl derivatives. However, their bioactivity has not yet been well characterized. In screening for natural materials with anticancer activity, a T. aurantiotincta ethanol extract (TAE) was found to decrease cell viability in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). In this study, a new p-terphenyl derivative, thelephantin O, and a known compound, vialinin A, were isolated as the principal bioactive components of TAE. These compounds decreased cell viability in HepG2 and human colonic carcinoma cells (Caco2), but not in noncancerous human hepatocytes. This is the first report of the isolation from T. aurantiotincta of selective cytotoxic agents against cancer cells.