The effect of membrane filtration on dissolved trace element concentrations

The almost universally accepted operational definition for dissolved constituents is based on processing The almost universally accepted operational definition for dissolved constituents is based on processing whole-water samples through a 0.45-μm membrane filter. Results from field and laboratory experiments indicate that a number of factors associated with filtration, other than just pore size (e.g., diameter, manufacturer, volume of sample processed, amount of suspended sediment in the sample), can produce substantial variations in the ‘disolved’ concentrations of such elements as Fe, Al, Cu, Zn, Pb, Co, and Ni. These variations result from the inclusion/exclusion of colloidally-associated trace elements. Thus, 'dissolved' concentrations quantitated by analyzing filtrates generated by processing whole-water through similar pore-sized membrane filters may not be equal/comparable. As such, simple filtration through a 0.45-μm membrane filter may no longer represent an acceptable operational definition for dissolved chemical constituents. This conclusion may have important implications for environmental studies and regulatory agencies.     

Food-drug interaction between ferulic acid and nateglinide involving the fluorescein/H+ cotransport system

In clinical, patients usually take many kinds of drugs at the same time. Thus, drug-drug interactions involving transporters can often directly affect the therapeutic safety and efficacy of many drugs. However, there have been few studies on food-drug interactions involving transporters. Dietary polyphenols have been widely assumed to be beneficial to human health. Polyphenols are commercially prepared and used as functional foods. We report here for the first time that ferulic acid, which is widely used as a functional food, affects the transport of clinical agents. It is important to be aware of the potential of food-drug interactions and to act in order to prevent undesirable and harmful clinical consequences.     

Genetic factors determining varietal differences in characters affecting yield between two rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties,Koshihikari and IR64

The yield of Koshihikari, a Japanese premium rice variety, is relatively lower than that of modern high yielding varieties. IR64 carries several well-known genes such as GS3, an important gene for grain size, sd-1, a semi-dwarf gene, and NARROW LEAF1 (NAL1), a gene for small, narrow flag leaves. In this study, we used two sets of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs), from Koshihikari and IR64, and attempted to evaluate the genetic factors that cause differences between parents by analyzing the function of chromosome regions affecting a trait (CRATs). For 28 traits, we identified 312 CRATs in the Koshihikari background and 275 in the IR64 background. In these, donor alleles had positive effects in 84 and 103 CRATs, respectively. Among these, the CRAT related to GS3 and those for grain number expanded the potential sink size in Koshihikari, although this did not affect final yield. The combination of CRATs that enhances source ability may increase grain yield. Although the sd-1 gene might improve resistance to lodging, the yield of CSSLs with sd-1 decreased by 28.7 %. These results suggest that the smaller biomass conferred by sd-1 might reduce canopy photosynthesis. In the Koshihikari background, the CRAT related to NAL1 and those located on chr. 6 increased SPAD value but had the opposite effect on leaf size. Two CRATs that were detected on chr. 6 and 7 increased leaf area without any effect on the SPAD value. The combination of these CRATs for area and SPAD value might improve source ability.     

太行山羊遗传检测

应用随机整群抽样方法，对太行山羊的两个群体共72只成年羊，用淀粉凝胶电泳法测定了33个血液蛋白座位，并对毛色和外形特征进行了检测。结果表明，运铁蛋白（Tf）、前白蛋白－3（Pa－3）、肽酶－B（Pep-B）、碱性磷酸酶（Alp）、亮氨酸胺肽酶（LAP）和酯酶－D（Es-D)6个血液蛋白座位表现多态性，多态位点比例为0．1818；12个类别 25种外型特征中7个有变异体；4个毛色座位有变异。平均杂合度分析表明，太行山羊变异程度较大（H＝0．555），说明太行山羊群体有效规模较大，目前尚未面临急 待保种的局面.     

Development of a Simple Method for Evaluation of Water Absorption Rate and Capacity of Rice Flour Samples

A simple method employing a commercially available canister was developed for the determination of mode of water absorption of rice flour samples. The samples prepared by four different grinding methods were used to analyze water absorption. The total amount of water in a flour sample was described by using an exponential model. Capacity and rate of water absorption of the samples were determined, and the relationship to baking quality of partially substituted rice bread was investigated. The water absorption was highly dependent on the method of grinding. Flours produced by wet jet‐milling of the grains, which absorbed a small amount of water at high speed, were most suitable for rice bread. The method was applicable to other food powders, provided that flour particles do not stick together or swell immediately upon contact with water.     

Improvement of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for equine herpesvirus type 4 by using a synthetic-peptide 24-mer repeat sequence of glycoprotein G as an antigen

To increase the sensitivity of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) that uses a 12-mer peptide of glycoprotein G (gG4-12-mer: MKNNPIYSEGSL) [4], we used a longer peptide consisting of a 24-mer repeat sequence (gG4-24-mer: MKNNPIYSEGSLMLNVQHDDSIHT) as an antigen. Sera of horses experimentally infected with EHV-4 reacted much more strongly to the gG4-24-mer peptide than to the gG4-12-mer peptide. We used peptide ELISAs to test paired sera from horses naturally infected with EHV-4 (n=40). gG4-24-mer ELISA detected 37 positive samples (92.5%), whereas gG4-12-mer ELISA detected only 28 (70.0%). gG4-24-mer ELISA was much more sensitive than gG4-12-mer ELISA.     

Experimental infection of recent field isolates of feline herpesvirus type 1

Two field isolates of feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) designated as 00-015 and 00-035, were obtained from cats diagnosed as feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) in Japan. To analyze the character of recent FHV-1, these two isolates and our laboratory strain C7301 were inoculated experimentally to specific-pathogen-free cats. Although all cats showed typical FVR symptoms, more severe clinical symptoms were observed on cats infected with the isolates 00-015 and 00-035 compared with those of C7301-infected cats. Severe ocular lesions including conjunctivitis were found in the cats infected with the isolates, indicating that the recent FHV-1 has a potential to induce severe FVR symptoms including ocular lesions.     

Induction of T cell anergy by the treatment with IL-10-treated dendritic cells

In order to apply for reducing graft versus host disease in allogeneic stem cell transplantation, the study concerning the induction of specific T cell anergy was designed. Normal allogeneic lymphocytes, which were co-cultured with IL-10-treated immature dendritic cells in the first mixed leukocyte culture (MLC), were cultured with mature dendritic cells of the same origin as IL-10-treated immature dendritic cells in the second MLC. By co-culturing with IL-10-treated immature dendritic cells, the response of normal lymphocytes to mature dendritic cells cultured from the same individual as that of IL-10-treated dendritic cells was markedly reduced, compared with the lymphocytes cultured with non-treated dendritic cells or IL-10-treated dendritic cells from a third party individual. The present study demonstrated that antigen specific T cell anergy was generated by priming allogeneic lymphocytes with IL-10-treated immature dendritic cells. These data suggested the applicability of IL-10-treated recipient dendritic cells for the induction of recipient cell-specific donor T cell anergy in donor graft.