First record of Cryptosporidium infection in a raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus)

Cryptosporidium species have been found in more than 150 species of mammals, but there has been no report in raccoon dogs. Here we found the Cryptosporidium organism in a raccoon dog, Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus, and identified this isolate using PCR-based diagnostic methods. Cryptosporidium diagnostic fragments of the 18S ribosomal RNA, Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein and 70-kDa heat shock protein genes were amplified from the isolate and sequenced to reveal the phylogenetic relationships between it and other Cryptosporidium species or genotypes reported previously. The results showed that the raccoon dog isolate represented the C. parvum cattle genotype which could be a causative agent in human cryptosporidiosis.     

Suppressive effect of secondary metabolites from Streptomyces plumbeus isolate F31D against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici,the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of tomato

Journal of General Plant Pathology - Fusarium wilt of tomato, a disease caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici, causes major losses to tomato production. Chemical...     

Improvement of dimensional stability and weatherability of composite board made from water-vapor-exploded wood elements by liquefied wood resin impregnation

High-density and high-resin-content boards were produced by phenolic resin impregnation into board materials prepared by the water-vapor-explosion process (WVE) to develop high-durability wood composite boards for exterior use. Wet-dry cyclic tests and accelerated weathering tests were conducted, and the fundamental properties were determined to examine the effect of resin impregnation on board qualities. Bending and internal bond strength of resin-impregnated boards (I-board) satisfied the criterion for 18-type particleboard described in JIS A 5908. Thickness swelling (TS) after 24-h water immersion was approximately 2%. Resin impregnation improved the dimensional stability of the boards. In wet—dry cyclic testing, TS of I-board was the same as that of plywood. The retention ratio of modulus of rupture of I-board was large; thus, I-board had high bond durability. Color change of I-board was less than that of ordinary particleboard after a 500-h accelerated weathering test. I-Board had lower surface roughness than boards produced by a spray application method (S-board) and higher water repellency, although the difference in resin contents of the face layer was small. Thus, it is suggested that the surface properties and weatherability of I-board were improved by impregnation of phenolic resin. High-density and resin-impregnated boards made from the WVE elements are expected to withstand actual exterior use. Part of this report was presented at the 54th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Sapporo, August 2004     

Effect of follicle-stimulating hormone on ZPC protein secretion by quail granulosa layer

In avian species, ZPC, a glycoprotein of the inner layer of the vitelline membrane, is synthesized in the granulosa cells of developing follicles. We have previously reported that follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) is one of the factors that stimulate ZPC production in quails. In the present study, we examined the effect of FSH on ZPC secretion, and the mode of ZPC secretion from pieces of granulosa layer. Western blot analysis demonstrated that, in the absence of FSH, the intensity of ZPC bands in the medium faded after 6 h of incubation. The addition of FSH caused an increase in intensity of ZPC bands when incubated for more than 6 h. The ZPC secretion during the first 6 h of incubation was depressed by the addition of either cycloheximide or actinomycin D. These results show that the ZPC found in the medium during short‐term incubation is newly synthesized protein and is secreted from the granulosa cells by the constitutive secretory pathway.     

血管内皮生长因子对日本和牛胚胎卵裂率和4～8细胞期发育率的影响

为了探明血管内皮生长因子对IVM/IVF/IVC生产的日本和牛胚胎的卵裂率和到 4～ 8细胞期胚胎发育率的作用 ,在IVM/IVF/IVC的过程中 ,分别在SOF成熟液、BO液以及SOF培养液中添加 0、0 .1、1、10ng/ml的VEGF。通过对5 33个胚胎的检测得出 ,添加VEGF对胚胎卵裂率和 4～ 8细胞期发育率有促进作用 ,其卵裂率分别从对照的 4 7.3%提高到 5 1.4 % (0 .1ng/ml,P >0 .0 5 )、72 .6 0 % (1ng/ml,P <0 .0 5 )和 6 8.5 % (10ng/ml,P <0 .0 5 ) ;4～ 8细胞期发育率则分别从32 .0 %提高到 36 .4 %、5 9.7% (P <0 .0 5 )、5 2 .9%。结果证明 :VEGF对IVM/IVF/IVC的日本和牛胚胎发育有积极的促进作用。可以提高胚胎的卵裂率和 4～ 8细胞期胚胎发育率 ,这与作者前期从荷斯坦牛上得到的试验结果一致     

Age structure of wind-felled canopy trees for Siebold’s beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus crenata</Emphasis>) in the northernmost population in Karibayama,Hokkaido

To determine the lifespan of Siebold’s beech (Fagus crenata), a dominant canopy tree species of the cool temperate forests of Japan, we estimated the age of 33 mature beech trees felled by a large typhoon in September 2004 at Karibayama, in southern Hokkaido. The study site lies within one of the northernmost distributions of Siebold’s beech populations in Japan. We counted tree rings from tree disks at a height of 1 m, and diameter growth was measured in annual increments. The sample age revealed two major peaks at 240 and 175 years. The diameter growth was good between 40 and 60 years of age and gradually decreased after 70 years of age. Annual diameter increments were noticeably small in good fruiting years, indicating a large allocation of annual carbon gains to the reproductive organs. Bud scale counts of juvenile trees revealed that the age at which the height reached 1 m was approximately 6–13 years. The lifespan of Siebold’s beech in the Karibayama population was therefore estimated to be approximately 250 years, an estimation that is higher than that previously reported for this species in the northernmost populations.     

The supply of matrix containing glucomannans to the innermost surface of S2 layers is associated with changes in turgor pressure of differentiating tracheids in Cryptomeria japonica

We investigated the relationship between turgor pressure and diurnal differences in secondary wall formation of differentiating tracheids. Saplings of Cryptomeria japonica were grown in a growth chamber with 12-h light:12-h dark cycles, and the tangential strain on the inner bark surface was measured as an indicator of the volumetric changes of differentiating cells. The innermost surface of developing secondary walls was then observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy at 1-h intervals after both light and dark periods. Dramatic changes in the aspects of the innermost surface of developing secondary walls occurred 3h after the light was switched on and 4h after the light was switched off. The amorphous material containing glucomannans became evident when the differentiating cells became fully turgid during the dark period. Conversely, cellulose microfibrils became clearly visible when the cell volume was low during the light period. These results suggest that the diurnal periodicity in the supply of hemicellulose-containing matrix to developing secondary walls is associated with the changes in turgor pressure of differentiating tracheids that result from the change in light conditions during the photoperiodic cycle.     

Transformation Strategy for Managing Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems: Case Studies from Bangladesh and the Philippines

This study demonstrates the potential of transformation strategy (an approach that emphasizes strengthening interdependence among social and ecological systems) to rehabilitate degraded land by examining two cases in Bangladesh and one in the Philippines. The study considers the benefits obtained from forests and forest-related activities in the form of income and energy sources as key parameters to link the social system (local people) with the ecological system (forest). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data on land use and socio-economic changes indicates that the transformation strategy improved both the wellbeing of local people and forest cover. In the case of the Philippines, social and ecological linkages were found to be strong, with local people rehabilitating the degraded land while also obtaining a high proportion of their total income from the activity. For the two Bangladesh cases, however, the level of dependency on the forest for livelihood declined as local people used their income from the forest and forest-related activities for diversification to non-forest activities.