Oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroidal materials returned from Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission

Meteorite studies suggest that each solar system object has a unique oxygen isotopic composition. Chondrites, the most primitive of meteorites, have been believed to be derived from asteroids, but oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroids themselves have not been established. We measured, using secondary ion mass spectrometry, oxygen isotopic compositions of rock particles from asteroid 25143 Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Compositions of the particles are depleted in (16)O relative to terrestrial materials and indicate that Itokawa, an S-type asteroid, is one of the sources of the LL or L group of equilibrated ordinary chondrites. This is a direct oxygen-isotope link between chondrites and their parent asteroid.     

Characteristics of soil microbiostasis

No increase in numbers of fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria in 3 days, as measured by selective media, was used as an indication of the presence of fungistasis, actinostasis and bacteriostasis in soil, respectively. The population of fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria did not increase in 9 of 10 soils tested indicating concurrent existence of fungistasis, actinostasis and bacteriostasis in a wide range of soils. When Penicillium funiculosum, Streptomyces scabies and Agrobacterium radiobacter were used as test organisms, these three types of microbiostasis were detected simultaneously in all 8 soils tested. All three groups of microorganisms flourished in autoclaved soil, and microbiostasis was restored to sterilized soil by reinoculation with 1% natural soil or microorganisms including antibiotic and non-antibiotic producers. Soil microbiostasis was annulled completely or partially by addition of different nutrie0nts. Bacteriostasis appeared to be the easiest to overcome with nutrients among these three types of microbiostasis.     

Propagule size: Its relation to population density of microorganisms in soil

Analysis of published data on occurrence of bacteria and fungi in soil revealed an inverse linear relationship between the logarithm of propagule size and the logarithm of population density among these microorganisms. The regression equation Y= 8.841? 0.540.X (in which Y is log numbers of propagules kg^?1 of soil and X is log volumes per 100 propagules), describing the relationship between propagule size and maximum population density of microorganisms in soil, afforded the predicted values of the population density very close to the reported values. The regression equation may also be used for predicting the possible propagule type of a microorganism in soil, if its population density is known.     

Hypolipidemic effect of glycosaminoglycans from the sea cucumber Metriatyla scabra in rats fed a cholesterol-supplemented diet

The purpose of this study was to determine the hypolipidemic effects of the glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) extracted from a sea cucumber, Metriatyla scabra. Using DEAE column chromatography, two major peaks containing GAGs were obtained: peak 1 (P-1) contained mainly GAGs (as hexuronic acid and hexosamine), whereas P-2 contained mostly free glycan (as fucose) with little hexuronic acid or hexosamine. Therefore, we used only the P-1 fraction (with molecular weights in the range 200-500 kDa) for evaluation of hypolipidemic effects. The lyophilized GAGs were administered orally to male Wistar rats at 5, 10, 20, and 50 mg/kg body weight for six consecutive weeks, during which the rats were fed ad libitum a basal laboratory diet with or without 1% cholesterol. The results show that the 1% cholesterol diet significantly increased plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic index. Cholesterol supplementation also significantly increased hepatic TG, cholesterol, phospholipid, and liver weight. When rats fed the 1% cholesterol diet were supplemented orally with the sea cucumber GAGs, plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and atherogenic index were significantly decreased, while HDL-cholesterol was significantly increased, although these effects of the GAGs were only dose-dependent at doses lower than 20 mg/kg b.w. Similarly, the GAGs significantly prevented the increase (p < 0.05) in hepatic contents of triglyceride, cholesterol, and phospholipid. Thus, the present study demonstrates that the sea cucumber GAGs have the potential of being used for reducing the risk of atherosclerosis and hyperlipoproteinemia.     

番木瓜环斑花叶病的电镜观察

 番木瓜环斑花叶是一种危险性的病毒病。用浸出法及2%磷钨酸负染的病叶汁标本,在电子显微镜下观察到线状颗粒,呈长而稍弯的线状构造,直径为10-15nm,平均为12.5nm,长度最长为1200nm,最短为200nm,长度在700-800nm的线状颗粒最多,占总数的69.3%。在病叶的超薄切片中,同样也观察到线状颗粒。这些线状颗粒多达几百个,平行排列,集中成束,位于靠近细胞壁的原生质中。健叶不论采用浸出法或超薄切片制备的标本,均未观察到与上述相同或相似的线状颗粒。所以,我们认为这些线状颗粒不是番木瓜的细胞成分,而是病原病毒的一种构造。
此外,我们还观察到感染细胞内叶绿体变小、变形及其基质和淀粉粒减少的现象。     

Recording uterine motility in the nonanesthetized bitch

Spontaneous and drug-induced uterine motility (UM) was recorded in 5 nonanesthetized bitches for 2 to 4 days. Catheter-tip pressure transducers were surgically implanted in 1 uterine horn, tunneled subcutaneously to exit from the skin over the dorsal lumbar area, and protected by a bandage. On the day after implantation, spontaneous UM was recorded in the awake bitch. Effects of IV prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha (5 micrograms/kg of body weight) and oxytocin (0.05 USP U/kg) and IM PGF2 alpha (25 micrograms/kg) were measured. Estradiol (1 to 25 micrograms/kg) was administered and the study was repeated 24 hours later. In awake bitches, spontaneous UM was 190% greater than UM in anesthetized bitches. Uterine motility was increased by more than 100% after IV PGF2 alpha or oxytocin and by 52% after IM PGF2 alpha. Estradiol abolished spontaneous UM, but did not affect drug-induced responses. Seemingly, spontaneous and drug-induced UM can be documented in the nonanesthetized bitch.     

Purification of larval Taenia solium antigens by gel filtration.

Crude larval Taenia solium extracts were fractionated by Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration into four fractions (W1-W4). The sensitivities of the fractions to rabbit and pig antiserum against Taenia solium were tested by double immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, and ELISA. Fraction W2 which was highly sensitive to antisera was shown by immunoblotting to contain antigen B (95 and 105 kDa). The four fractions were shown to contain antigenic determinants common with pig serum proteins and crude extracts of other Platyhelminthes (especially Taenia hydatigena). Fraction W2 has the potential to be used as a serodiagnostic antigen.     

Detection and sequence analysis of avian polyomavirus and psittacine beak and feather disease virus from psittacine birds in Taiwan

Avian polyomavirus (APV) and psittacine beak and feather disease virus (PBFDV) are the most common viral diseases of psittacine birds. In Taiwan, however, the existence of these viruses in psittacine birds has not been established. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methodology was therefore employed to ascertain whether APV and PBFDV genomes were present in isolates from psittacine birds of Taiwan. A total of 165 psittacine birds belonging to 22 genera were examined between 2002 and 2005. Findings revealed an APV-positive rate of 15.2%, a PBFDV-positive rate of 41.2%, and an APV/PBFDV dual infection rate of 10.3%. After cloning and sequencing, sequences of the PCR products were compared with sequences obtained from GenBank. For APV, the nucleotide identity among VP1 and t/T antigen coding regions ranged from 97.5% to 100% and 97.6% to 100%, respectively. For PBFDV, the nucleotide identity of ORF V1 and ORF C1 sequences ranged from 92.2% to 100% and 83.3% to 100%, respectively. The derived amino acid sequence alignment for PBFDV ORF V1 fragments revealed the conservation of two replication motifs and of the nucleotide binding site motif. In PBFDV, six of 42 deduced positions in the ORF C1 amino acid sequence were considered hypervariable. The established phylogenetic trees based on the four genome fragments examined in this study did not allow the assignment of particular APV or PBFDV nucleotide sequences to distinct avian species.     

The expression of genes related to adipocyte differentiation in pigs

The purpose of this study was to detect differential expression of genes related to adipocyte differentiation in pigs by suppression subtractive hybridization. Adipocytes and stromal vascular cells (a fraction containing preadipocytes) from pig adipose tissue were isolated for mRNA extraction. The cDNA from preadipocytes was subtracted from the cDNA from adipocytes. The subtracted gene fragments were cloned into pGEM-T Easy TA cloning vector. We selected 384 clones for gene sequence determination and for further analysis. These genes were subjected to a differential screening procedure to confirm the differential expression of genes between the 2 cell types. We found that at least 36 genes were highly expressed in the adipocytes compared with preadipocytes. Among these, 6 genes including 2 novel genes with the greatest differences were selected and confirmed by Northern analysis. We found that angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE), ataxia-telangiectasia mutated protein (ATM), calpain 1, and stearoyl coenzyme A desaturase 1 (SCD1) were highly expressed in adipocytes compared with preadipocytes (P < 0.05). The relative mRNA abundance of ACE, ATM, calpain 1, SCD1, and 2 novel genes discovered in the current study was increased at the later stages of adipocyte differentiation (P < 0.05). The results confirmed that the genes involved in lipid metabolism and adipocyte differentiation were highly expressed in porcine adipocytes. However, further investigation is needed to demonstrate specific functions of the novel genes discovered in the current study.     

Effects of intravenous diazepam or microdose medetomidine on propofol-induced sedation in dogs

This crossover study tested the hypothesis that both diazepam and microdose medetomidine would comparably reduce the amount of propofol required to induce sedation. Four different medications, namely high-dose diazepam (0.4 mg/kg intravenously [IV]), low-dose diazepam (0.2 mg/kg IV), medetomidine (1 mug/kg IV), and placebo (0.5 mL physiological saline IV) were followed by propofol (8 mg/kg IV) titrated to a point where intubation could be performed. The effects of medetomidine were comparable to the effects of high-dose diazepam and significantly better than the effects of low-dose diazepam or placebo. Dogs in all treatment groups had transient hypoxemia, and induction and recovery qualities were similar.