Polysaccharide-induced protection of carp, Cyprinus carpio L., against bacterial infection

Abstract. The efficacy of 10 polysaccharides (curdlan, inulin, krestin, laminaran, lentinan, levan, schizophylian, selerogiucan, yeast glucan and zymosan) to enhance protection of carp, Cyprinus carpio L., against bacterial infection was investigated. Carp were intraperitoneally injected with the polysaceharides (2–l0 mgkg^-1) on days 1 and 4, and challenged with Edwardsiella tarda on day 7. Among the polysaccharides tested, lentinan, schizophyllan and scleroglucan, which are l,6-branchcd-β-l,3-glucans, significantly increased the survival rate. They also induced a protective effect against Aeromonas hydrophila at a dose of 5 mg kg^-1. The ability of the polysaccharides to activate the alternative complement pathway (ACP) was examined by incubating the polysaccharides with carp serum and measuring the residual ACP activity. At a final concentration of 0.l mgml^-1, l,6-branched-β-1,3-glucans greatly reduced (76–77%) the ACP activity. Therefore, it is suggested that the protective effect of the l,6-branched-β-1,3-glucans may be associated with the activation of ACP.     

USE OF 123IODINE METAIODOBENZYLGUANIDINE SCINTIGRAPHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS OF A PHEOCHROMOCYTOMA IN A DOG

A 13-year-old neutered female Yorkshire terrier presented with a history of progressive episodic weakness and disorientation of 4 months duration. Physical and neurologic examinations were normal at presentation. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a mass involving the right adrenal gland. Standard planar scintigraphy was performed at 4, 18, and 24 hours after intravenous injection 185 MBq (5mCi) of ¹²³I-labeled metaiodobenzylguanidine (¹²³I-MIBG). An area of focal intense uptake was identified in the area of the right adrenal gland. A pheochromocytoma was confirmed histologically after surgical excision.     

TheEstimationofStemTaperCurvefromtheRadialInformationatThreeLocationsontheStem

该文探讨了不用编制削度表直接建立高精度立木干曲线的方法．当采用干曲线是３次多项式时，通常根据１０分法测定树干各部位直径，用最小二乘法求出该方程式的参数．从数学角度，只要知道树干任意３个部位的直径，就可以用最小二乘法或联立方程式求解干曲线参数．本文以樟子松为例，探讨用树干哪３个部位直径拟合的干曲线最接近实际干曲线，为建立立木干曲线提供有效方法．利用９个部位半径（方法Ⅰ）和利用其中３个部位半径（方法Ⅱ，２８种组合）分别拟合干曲线，结果表明方法Ⅱ的６种半径组合的精度良好，其中的３种组合，（ｒ１．３，ｒ０．３，ｒ０．７），（ｒ１．３，ｒ０．４，ｒ０．７）和（ｒ１．３，ｒ０．４，ｒ０．８）是拟合现实干曲线的有效方法．     

Lack of effect of recombinant bovine interferon alpha I1 in the treatment of experimentally-induced bovine warts.

Fifteen four-month old calves were inoculated, on five scarified sites on each side of the neck, with a suspension of ground wart tissue from a steer naturally infected with bovine papilloma virus 1. Warts started to appear about one month postinfection and were measurable in ten calves two months postinfection, when the trial started. After stratification on the size of the warts, all fifteen calves were allocated randomly to one of the following treatment groups: twice weekly intramuscular injections of 5 mg recombinant bovine interferon alpha I1 (rBoIFN alpha I1), weekly injection of 5 mg of rBoIFN alpha I1 or placebo, for three weeks. The biggest wart on each calf at the beginning of the trial was measured and photographs of all warts were taken weekly for five weeks. An analysis of covariance on the log of the volumes of warts during the five weeks of the trial showed a significant difference between groups (p = 0.026). Warts in treated groups tended to grow faster than in the placebo group.     

The ACVD task force on canine atopic dermatitis (VI): IgE-induced immediate and late-phase reactions, two inflammatory sequences at sites of intradermal allergen injections.

Intradermal testing is a common diagnostic procedure used in the evaluation of dogs with suspected atopic dermatitis (AD). To do this, most investigators assess the appearance of wheals that develop at the sites of intradermal allergen injections. However, wheals are rarely seen in dogs with naturally occurring AD. Furthermore, infiltration of inflammatory cells into the injection sites can occur 6-24h later, a phenomenon known as the late-phase reaction. The histological appearance of these late-phase reactions closely approximates that seen in the natural disease, suggesting that they might be more relevant than the immediate reactions. In this paper, we review the literature on immediate and late-phase reactions and re-assess the evidence for using current intradermal testing procedures as a diagnostic test in dogs.     

Radiographic interpretation of normal skeletal variations and pseudolesions in the equine foot.

Effective radiographic interpretation requires a veterinarian who is knowledgeable of equine limb anatomy and the various principles that affect the resulting image. The normal and its variations must be recognized and understood before the abnormal can be confidently identified as pathologic. Proper patient positioning and sound radiographic technique are mandatory if reliable diagnostic radiographs are to be produced. This review emphasizes equine foot radiographic variations of normal and pseudolesions that occur with commonly used radiographic views performed in equine practice.     

Compatible measurements of volumetric soil water content using a neutron probe and Diviner 2000 after field calibration

Field calibrations for a neutron probe and a capacitance sensor (Diviner 2000) for measuring the soil water content of a shrinking–swelling clay soil were substantially different from commonly used default values. Using our field calibrations, the two instruments estimated similar changes in the cumulative water content of a soil profile (0–1 m depth) over one growing season.     

A novel approach to studying the effects of temperature on soil biogeochemistry using a thermal gradient bar

The temperature dependence of chemical reaction rates and microbial metabolism mean that temperature is a key factor regulating soil trace gas emissions and hydrochemistry. Here we evaluated a novel approach for studying the thermal response of soils, by examining the effects of temperature on gas emissions and hydrochemistry in (a) peat and (b) soil from a Sitka spruce plantation. A thermal gradient was applied along an aluminium bar, allowing soil to be incubated contemporaneously from 2 to 18 °C. The approach demonstrated clear differences in the biogeochemical responses of the two soil types to warming. The peat showed no significant emission of CH₄ at temperatures below 6 °C, while above 6 °C, a marked increase in the rate of release was apparent up to 15 °C (Q₁₀ = 2.5) with emissions being similar between 15 and 18 °C. Conversely, CH₄ emissions from the forest soil did not respond to warming. Nitrate availability in the peat decreased by 90% between 2 and 18 °C (P < 0.01), whereas concentrations in the forest soil did not respond. Sulphate availability in the peat decreased significantly with warming (60%, P < 0.01), while the forest soil showed the opposite response (a 30% increase, P < 0.01). Conventionally, thermal responses are studied by incubating individual soil samples at different temperatures, involving lengthy preparation and facilities to incubate samples at different temperatures simultaneously. Data collected on a given thermal response is usually limited and thus interpolated or extrapolated. The thermal gradient method overcomes these problems, is simple and flexible, and can be adapted for a wide range of sample types (not confined to soil). Such apparatus may prove useful in the optimization of management practices to mitigate the effects of climate change, as thermal responses will differ depending on land use and soil type.     

Contribution of Metallogenium-Siderococcus bacteria to the postvolcanic transformation of igneous material (Kamchatka)

The transformation of recent igneous rock occurs with participation of microorganisms associated with the deposition of iron and aluminum on their cell surface. An identity of morphological structures was found in the microorganisms in both cases, and this fact counts in favor of their similarity and wide distribution in the rock being transformed. The polymorphous acid-resisting organism identified by our studies was tentatively classified with the Metallogenium-Siderococcus group.     

Characteristics of cytotoxic cells induced by Toxoplasma lysate antigen in mouse spleen.

Spleen cells from Toxoplasma lysate antigen (TLA)-sensitized BALB/c mice showed the strong cytotoxic activity against both natural killer (NK)-sensitive cells (YAC-1 and RL male-1) and NK-insensitive cells (P-815), when incubated with TLA or recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2). The increment of TLA concentration in culture medium increased the cytotoxic activity. Treatment of effector cells; spleen cells from TLA-sensitized mice incubated with TLA, with anti-asialo GM1 or anti-Thy-1 plus complement inhibited the cytotoxic activity of effector cells, whereas treatment with anti-mouse Lyt-2.2 serum plus complement had no effect on the cytotoxic activity. Treatment of spleen cells from TLA-sensitized mice with anti-asialo GM1 and/or anti-Thy-1 plus complement inhibited cytotoxic activities of effector cells. These results suggested that spleen cells sensitized with TLA both in vivo and in vitro were asialo GM1 positive and Thy-1 positive, and the majority of cytotoxic cells induced by TLA were similar to lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells induced by IL-2.