Clinicopathological features of canine neuroaxonal dystrophy and cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in Papillon and Papillon-related dogs

Neuroaxonal dystrophy (NAD) was examined in two Papillon dogs and a mix breed dog between Papillon and Chihuahua. In addition, cerebellar cortical abiotrophy (CCA) in a Papillon dog, which had similar clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features to those of NAD, was also investigated. The common clinical symptoms of all dogs affected with NAD and CCA, were pelvic limb ataxia and cerebellar ataxia including intention tremor, head tremor, and hypermetria in the early onset. These clinical signs were progressed rapidly, and two dogs with NAD were euthanized by owner's request and the other two died by aspiration pneumonia. MRI examinations and gross observations at necropsy revealed moderate to severe cerebellar atrophy in all cases of NAD and CCA. The most typical histological change of NAD was severe axonal degeneration with marked spheroid-formation in the dorsal horn of the spinal cords, the nuclei gracilis, cuneatus, olivalis and its circumference in the medulla oblongata. The spheroids were characterized as large eosinophilic or granular globes within the enlarged myelin sheaths, sometimes accompanied by moderate accumulation of microglias and/or macrophages. In contrast, such spheroid formation was minimal in the brain of CCA. In the cerebellum, mild to moderate loss of the Purkinje and granular cells were recognized in three dogs with NAD, whereas these changes were more prominent in a dog with CCA. Although the clinical signs and MRI findings relatively resembled between NAD and CCA, the histopathological features considered to be quite differ, suggesting distinct pathogenesis and etiology. Since both NAD and CCA are proposed as the autosomal recessive hereditary disorders, careful considerations might be needed for the breeding of Papillon and Chihuahua dogs.     

Fucoxanthin and Its Metabolites in Edible Brown Algae Cultivated in Deep Seawater

Three metabolites of fucoxanthin were isolated from a brown alga, Scytosiphon lomentaria, and the structure of a new compound was determined by NMR. The content of fucoxanthin, a biologically active carotenoid, in four edible brown algae, cultivated in deep seawater, was studied.     

Evidence for surfactant solubilization of plant epicuticular wax

The solubilization of isolated, reconstituted tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) fruit and broccoli (Brassica oleracaea var. botrytis L.) leaf epicuticular waxes (ECW) by nonionic octylphenoxypolyethoxy ethanol surfactant (Triton X-100) was demonstrated in a model system by TLC and fluorescence analysis using pyrene as a fluorescent probe. ECW was solubilized at or above the surfactant critical micelle concentration; solubilization increased with an increase in micelle concentration. As shown by the fluorescence quenching of pyrene, surfactant solubilization of the ECW increased rapidly for the first 12 h, then approached a plateau, increased linearly with an increase in temperature (22--32 degrees C), and decreased linearly with the log of the polyoxyethylene chain length (range 5--40 oxyethylenes). These data are discussed in relation to surfactant effects on phytotoxicity and performance of foliar spray application of agrochemicals.     

Recovery mechanism of the antioxidant activity from carnosic acid quinone,an oxidized sage and rosemary antioxidant

A solution of carnosic acid quinone, which is a radical chain-termination product having no antioxidant activity in the antioxidant reaction of carnosic acid, recovers potent antioxidant activity upon standing. The HPLC analysis of an aged solution of carnosic acid quinone revealed that several antioxidants are produced in the solution. From the time-course and quantitative analyses of the formation of the products and their structural analysis, an antioxidant mechanism from carnosic acid quinone is proposed that includes a redox reaction of carnosic acid quinone in addition to the isomerization to lactone derivatives. In the first stage of antioxidation, carnosic acid, the reduction product from carnosic acid quinone, contributes to the potent antioxidant activity of the solution. This proposed mechanism can explain one of the reasons for the strong antioxidant activity of the extract of the popular herbs sage and rosemary.     

Genetic diversity among Japanese local populations of an edible and medicinal coastal plant Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq.

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - To assess the current genetic status of a useful coastal plant Glehnia littoralis F. Schmidt ex Miq. in Japan, the genetic diversity within and among natural...     

Large-scale survey of frequency of forest walking and related factors in a Japanese population inhabiting a large city, and comparison of an urban area and a rural area

The frequency of forest walking among the general population is a major topic of study in forest science. The objectives of this study were threefold: to assess the frequency of forest walking among Japanese residents of Nagoya, a large city; to evaluate differences among frequency of forest walking by participants from a large city, an urban area (Shizuoka; 4,666 participants), and a rural area (Yakumo Town, Hokkaido; 397 participants) in previous studies; and to examine factors related to frequency of forest walking. The survey, by self-administered questionnaire, in the major city of Nagoya was conducted between June 2008 and May 2010. In all, 5,158 participants (M/F, 1,466/3,692; mean age ± SD [range], 52.5 ± 10.3 [35–69] years) were included in the analysis. The proportions of frequency of forest walking ≥ once/month and ≥ once/year were 10.9 % (M/F, 15.1/9.3 %) and 46.1 % (51.0/44.1 %), respectively. In multiple logistic regression analysis, significant differences were noted among study sites for the adjusted odds ratio for frequency of forest walking. Overall, the order of highest to lowest frequency of forest walking was Shizuoka > Nagoya > Yakumo. Factors related to frequency of forest walking were common among the three study sites. Higher frequency of forest walking was associated with male sex and older age; the most relevant factor related to frequency of forest walking was its enjoyment level. Further studies will be required to clarify why these factors are related to frequency of forest walking.