Congenital cutaneous fibropapillomatosis without evidences of papillomavirus infection in a Holstein-Friesian calf

A male Holstein-Friesian calf was born with multiple, cauliflower-like, pale pink cutaneous masses on the head and limbs. On histopathological examination, the cutaneous masses were diagnosed as congenital cutaneous fibropapillomatosis. Those lesions involved focal proliferation of sebaceous gland in the dermis. There were no histological findings to suggest bovine papillomavirus infection, such as the presence of intranuclear inclusion bodies, large keratohyalin granules, and koilocytosis. Furthermore, papillomaviral antigens and DNA were not detected by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction, respectively. These results suggested that there was no association between these cutaneous lesions and bovine papillomavirus infection, and the lesions were considered as harmartomatous changes.     

Identification of enzyme genes in the liver of the Bleeker’s squid Loligo bleekeri by expressed sequence tag analysis

Expressed sequence tag (EST) analyses were performed with the aim of identifying enzyme genes in the liver of the Bleeker’s squid Loligo bleekeri. Of the 768 ESTs identified and sequenced, 669 were grouped into 324 clusters. Of these clusters, 123 comprising 245 ESTs were found to be homologous to genes reported to date. Among these, 43 clusters were annotated as enzymes according to the Enzyme Commission (EC) numbering system. Two EC groups, oxidoreductases and hydrolases, possessed a large number of ESTs. A cluster homologous to the glutathione peroxidase, an enzyme in the oxidoreductase group, contained 16 ESTs, which accounted for 2.4% of the total ESTs sequenced. There are three serine proteases, three cathepsins, two triacylgricerol lipases, and two chitinases among the clusters homologous to the enzymes in the hydrolase group. Since the squid liver functions in the digestive process, these enzymes would be involved in food digestion. Our data provide information on the various types of enzymes expressed in the squid liver and may provide a useful basis for further characterization of these enzymes.     

Successive changes of hematologic characteristics and plasma chemistry values of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta).

Hematologic characteristics and plasma chemistry values of juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) from the ages of 1 mo to 3 yr were obtained to establish baseline values. Five clinically normal loggerhead turtles were selected from the same clutch and raised in an indoor artificial nesting beach. Blood samples were successively collected and examined for various blood characteristics for a maximum total of 15 times. Hematologic characteristics, including packed cell volume, white blood cell counts, and white blood cell differentials; and plasma chemistry values, including total bilirubin, total protein, albumin, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, gamma-glutamic transpeptidase, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, amylase, triglyceride, total cholesterol, ionized sodium, ionized potassium and ionized chlorine, were measured. These results were used to establish a hematology and blood chemistry baseline for captive juvenile loggerhead turtles and will aid in their medical management.     

The 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake: displacement reaching the trench axis

We detected and measured coseismic displacement caused by the 11 March 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake [moment magnitude (M(W)) 9.0] by using multibeam bathymetric surveys. The difference between bathymetric data acquired before and after the earthquake revealed that the displacement extended out to the axis of the Japan Trench, suggesting that the fault rupture reached the trench axis. The sea floor on the outermost landward area moved about 50 meters horizontally east-southeast and ~10 meters upward. The large horizontal displacement lifted the sea floor by up to 16 meters on the landward slope in addition to the vertical displacement.     

Abscisic acid related compounds and lignans in prunes (Prunus domestica L.) and their oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC)

Four new abscisic acid related compounds (1-4), together with (+)-abscisic acid (5), (+)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl abscisate (6), (6S,9R)-roseoside (7), and two lignan glucosides ((+)-pinoresinol mono-beta-D-glucopyranoside (8) and 3-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxymethyl)-2- (4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-(2R,3S)-dihydrobenzofuran (9)) were isolated from the antioxidative ethanol extract of prunes (Prunus domestica L.). The structures of 1-4 were elucidated on the basis of NMR and MS spectrometric data to be rel-5-(3S,8S-dihydroxy-1R,5S-dimethyl-7-oxa-6-oxobicyclo[3,2,1]oct-8-yl)-3-methyl-2Z,4E-pentadienoic acid (1), rel-5-(3S,8S-dihydroxy-1R,5S-dimethyl-7-oxa-6-oxobicyclo[3,2,1]oct-8-yl)-3-methyl-2Z,4E-pentadienoic acid 3'-O-beta-d-glucopyranoside (2), rel-5-(1R,5S-dimethyl-3R,4R,8S-trihydroxy-7-oxa-6-oxobicyclo[3,2,1]oct-8-yl)-3-methyl-2Z,4E-pentadienoic acid (3), and rel-5-(1R,5S-dimethyl-3R,4R,8S-trihydroxy-7-oxabicyclo[3,2,1]- oct-8-yl)-3-methyl-2Z,4E-pentadienoic acid (4). The antioxidant activities of these isolated compounds were evaluated on the basis of oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC). The ORAC values of abscisic acid related compounds (1-7) were very low. Two lignans (8 and 9) were more effective antioxidants whose ORAC values were 1.09 and 2.33 micromol of Trolox equiv/micromol, respectively.