Successful use of prednisolone and radiation therapy in a dog with intracranial histiocytic sarcoma

The ideal treatment for intracranial histiocytic sarcoma (HS) remains unclear. Herein, we report a case of intracranial HS that was successfully treated using prednisolone and radiation therapy. The patient was a 9-year-old spayed female Pembroke Welsh Corgi that presented with epileptic seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing mass adjacent to the right piriform lobe. Prednisolone administration (1 mg/kg/day) decreased the lesion size. Additional palliative radiation therapy (total dose, 37 Gy) resulted in complete disappearance of the lesion. However, on day 164, the dog’s neurological signs deteriorated, and she was euthanized. Necropsy revealed an intracranial metastasis of HS via the cerebrospinal fluid without any extracranial metastasis. Nonetheless, combined prednisolone and radiation therapy might be effective in treating intracranial HS.     

Pseudovitamin B(12) is the predominant cobamide of an algal health food, spirulina tablets.

The vitamin B(12) concentration of an algal health food, spirulina (Spirulina sp.) tablets, was determined by both Lactobacillus leichmannii ATCC 7830 microbiological and intrinsic factor chemiluminescence methods. The values determined with the microbiological method were approximately 6-9-fold greater in the spirulina tablets than the values determined with the chemiluminescence method. Although most of the vitamin B(12) determined with the microbiological method was derived from various vitamin B(12) substitutive compounds and/or inactive vitamin B(12) analogues, the spirulina contained a small amount of vitamin B(12) active in the binding of the intrinsic factor. Two intrinsic factor active vitamin B(12) analogues (major and minor) were purified from the spirulina tablets and partially characterized. The major (83%) and minor (17%) analogues were identified as pseudovitamin B(12) and vitamin B(12), respectively, as judged from data of TLC, reversed-phase HPLC, (1)H NMR spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and biological activity using L. leichmannii as a test organism and the binding of vitamin B(12) to the intrinsic factor.     

Algal-Derived Halogenated Sesquiterpenes from Laurencia dendroidea as Lead Compounds in Schistosomiasis Environmental Control

Schistosomiasis has been controlled for more than 40 years with a single drug, praziquantel, and only one molluscicide, niclosamide, raising concern of the possibility of the emergence of resistant strains. However, the molecular targets for both agents are thus far unknown. Consequently, the search for lead compounds from natural sources has been encouraged due to their diverse structure and function. Our search for natural compounds with potential use in schistosomiasis control led to the identification of an algal species, Laurencia dendroidea, whose extracts demonstrated significant activity toward both Schistosoma mansoni parasites and their intermediate host snails Biomphalaria glabrata. In the present study, three seaweed-derived halogenated sesquiterpenes, (−)-elatol, rogiolol, and obtusol are proposed as potential lead compounds for the development of anthelminthic drugs for the treatment of and pesticides for the environmental control of schistosomiasis. The three compounds were screened for their antischistosomal and molluscicidal activities. The screening revealed that rogiolol exhibits significant activity toward the survival of adult worms, and that all three compounds showed activity against S. mansoni cercariae and B. glabrata embryos. Biomonitored fractioning of L. dendroidea extracts indicated elatol as the most active compound toward cercariae larvae and snail embryos.     

Synthesis and antifungal activity of the proposed structure of a volatile compound isolated from the edible mushroom Hypsizygus marmoreus

We synthesized the proposed structure of an antifungal compound detected in the culture broth of the edible mushroom Hypsizygus marmoreus. Using the Evans aldol and Abiko–Masamune aldol reactions as the key steps, we synthesized all of the stereoisomers of the compound with high stereoselectivity. The GC retention times and the fragmentation patterns in the mass spectra of the synthesized isomers did not match those of the natural product. Therefore, this result may imply that it is necessary to reisolate the natural product and reconsider its structure. All of the synthesized isomers were found to exhibit antifungal activity against the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola. Due to their simple structures, the obtained isomers could be lead compounds for new pesticides.     

Reproduction affects partitioning between new organs of a pulse of 15N applied during seed ripening in Fagus crenata

Seasonal internal nitrogen (N) cycling is an important strategy for trees to uncouple growth from N acquisition. While N uptake, allocation and storage has been intensively studied in association with leaf phenology and vegetative growth, influence of reproduction on these key processes is still poorly understood. Therefore, we applied pulse ¹⁵N labelling to three fruiting and three non-fruiting trees in a 92-year-old Fagus crenata forest on 18 July and traced ¹⁵N content per organ dry mass (¹⁵N_excess) in all new shoot organs from the upper crowns periodically until leaf fall. The amount of ¹⁵N_excess recovered in the whole new shoots in fruiting trees did not differ from non-fruiting individuals, although up to 70% of ¹⁵N_excess was recovered in fruits of fruiting trees but 87% in leaves of non-fruiting individuals. In addition, dramatic increase in ¹⁵N_excess amount in nuts was accompanied by about twofold increase in nut N content. These results indicate that new N uptake from the soil contributed greatly to seed ripening, which in turn resulted in less allocation to leaves in fruiting trees. In non-fruiting individuals, on the other hand, ¹⁵N_excess allocated to leaves was not accompanied by concomitant increase in leaf N content because biomass growth had ceased when ¹⁵N was applied. These results suggest that N uptake in the late growing season contributed to internal N storage in non-fruiting trees. These reproduction-related variations in seasonal N cycle have implications for N dynamics in the plant–soil system during environmental change.

     

热处理过程中杉木压缩木材的材色及红外光谱

为了探讨热处理过程中杉木压缩木材的材色变化规律 ,以及材色和木材化学主成分变化之间的关系 ,该研究测定了空气介质和真空中热处理杉木压缩木材 (热处理温度范围 140～ 2 2 0℃ ,时间范围 0～ 36h)的明度 (L )、色差 (ΔE )以及红外光谱 .同时测定了杉木压缩木材的回复率 ,无压缩对照试材的重量损失率和抗收缩率 .该研究的结论为 :①在相同条件下 ,随着热处理时间延长 ,木材明度减小 ,色差增大 ;空气介质中热处理和真空中热处理相比 ,在处理温度和时间相同的情况下 ,前一种方法处理后的木材明度更小 ,色差更大 .②就热处理过程中木材明度、色差与回复率之间的关系而言 ,两种热处理方式之间的差异不大 ;热处理中木材变定的固定程度与木材颜色的变化程度有关 .③就热处理过程中杉木压缩木材的明度、色差与对照试材的重量损失率、抗收缩率之间的关系而言 ,重量损失率或抗收缩率越大 ,对应的杉木压缩木材的明度越小 ,色差越大 .④红外吸收光谱表明 ,在热处理过程中波数在 1743,16 6 0和 16 0 5cm-1附近的羰基 (C =O)峰的变化趋势最为明显 ,说明在热处理固定杉木压缩木材的过程中 ,至少半纤维素 ,甚至木素发生了化学变化 .     

Mapping of expressed sequence tag markers with a cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism method in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica)

In our previous study, a Kobe‐NIBS Japanese quail (KNQ) linkage map was constructed mainly using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. In order to compare chicken and quail chromosomes, we developed expressed sequence tag (EST) markers derived from cDNA‐AFLP fragments and localized these markers on the linkage map. Using a total of 128 AFLP primer combinations, 24 polymorphic bands were obtained between a neurofilament‐deficient mutant quail line male and a muscular disorder quail line female, which were the parents of the KNQ resource family. Nine of the 24 markers were mapped by linkage analysis. These markers were mapped to seven linkage groups, namely 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 15 and 42. A subsequent homology search using chicken genome sequences strongly suggests that these linkage groups correspond with chicken chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 15, 23 and 26.     

Effect of environmental enrichment by providing trees as rubbing objects in grassland: Grazing cattle need tree-grooming

We examined the role of trees as grooming objects in grazing pasture and investigated their necessity. Four grazing Japanese Black cows were used. Experimental pastures with restricted (RST) and released (RLS) grooming with trees were established. Examination was carried out for 24 h in each RST and RLS. The respective frequencies and duration of self‐grooming, allo‐grooming (social grooming) and grooming with trees was recorded by a continuous scan sampling method, and maintenance behavior was recorded by a 2‐min group animal scan sampling method. Grooming with trees in RLS occurred 29 ± 12 times/24 h and for 1342 ± 475 s/24 h. Total frequencies and duration of grooming in RLS tended to increase from that in RST (P = 0.08, P = 0.06, respectively). However, self‐grooming and allo‐grooming exhibited no differences. The results indicate that cattle may enrich their grooming through the use of trees if the latter are available. Furthermore, they may not substitute grooming with trees with other forms of grooming if no trees are available in the grassland. No difference was observed in the general proportion of their maintenance behavior. These results suggest that trees in grassland provide a good environmental enrichment object that satisfies cattle's potential needs of grooming and did not restrict their general behavior.     

Cloning of cDNAs encoding multiple subtypes of feline interferon-alpha from the feline epitherial cell line

Mammalian interferon (IFN)-alpha consists of a 23-amino acid signal peptide and a 166-amino acid mature protein. Feline (Fe) IFN-alpha has an extra unique molecule consisting of a 171-amino acid mature protein with a 5-amino acid insertion. We cloned eight new subtypes of cDNA encoding FeIFN- alpha from a feline epithelial cell line. Among all the FeIFN-alpha subtypes, including six that have previously been reported, the variations were found to be far less than those of IFN-alphas of other animals.