Characterization of new photosynthesis-inhibiting imidazolidine derivatives. 1. Interpretation of post-emergence herbicidal performance from photosynthesis-inhibiting activity and systemicity

An attempt was made to account for quantitatively measured herbicidal performance of foliage-applied 5-hydroxy-3-methyl-2–oxo-imidazolidine-1-carboxamide derivatives by their photosynthesis-inhibiting activity and systemicity. Photosynthesis-inhibiting activity was estimated from the increase of chlorophyll fluorescence intensity in Chlorella vulgaris Beijer cells measured by a microplate scanner, and systemicity was also evaluated by computer-aided chlorophyll fluorescence imaging. The highest herbicidal performance was recorded for N-cyclohexyl-5-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-oxo-imidazo～idine-l-carboxamide, a compound with the second strongest photosynthesis-inhibiting activity and intermediate systemicity. Though neither photosynthesis-inhibiting activity nor systemicity showed significant correlation with the actual herbicidal performance in simple regression analyses, a high predictability was found for a multiple regression on both parameters as two independent variables, suggesting that these two factors work cooperatively in the field performance.     

中国广东家蚕微粒子孢子在Antheraea eucalypti细胞系的感染增殖

将中国广东的Ｎｏｓｅｍａ ｂｏｍｂｙｃｉｓ ＣＧＳ,用０２ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＯＨ 处理后,接种感染Ａ．ｅｕｃａｌｙｐｔｉ 细胞系。孢子的发芽率达８７％ ,在Ａ．ｅｕｃａｌｙｐｔｉ 细胞初期感染率为２７ ％ 。发育各阶段具２ 核,可观察到短极丝孢子和二次感染体形成,孢子芽母细胞按二分裂形成２ 个双核的孢子芽,具典型 Ｎｏｓｅｍａ 属特征。Ｎｏｓｅｍａｂｏｍｂｙｃｉｓ ＣＧＳ 生物学特性、血清学类型与日本Ｎｏｓｅｍａ ｂｏｍｂｙｃｉｓ ＮＩＳ００１ 大致相同,但孢子大小、裂殖体的形态、在Ａ．ｅｕｃａｌｙｐｔｉ 细胞寄生的细胞感染率、每个细胞的产孢数,２ 种微孢子虫却有差异。     

Shifts in disease resistance induced by growth regulators

Experiments on the effect of various compounds with plant growth regulating activity led to the hypothesis that conditions inhibitory to indoleacetic acid (IAA) action or leading to a decrease in the IAA level in cucumber seedlings would be unfavourable for the development of cucumber scab, caused byCladosporium cucumerinum. Susceptibility decreased as the result of treatment with growth retardants, which cause an increase in IAA-oxidase activity in the plants, whereas application of indoleacetic acid or compounds expected to decrease the rate of oxidative breakdown of IAA in the seedlings resulted in an increase of susceptibility. Growing the plants under various periods of illumination also influenced both the susceptibility of the plants and the IAA-oxidase activity in the hypocotyl tissue.To obtain further information about the relation between the increase in resistance and the increase in the rate of IAA oxidation, the effect of one compound, viz. L-threo-β-phenylserine (abbr. phenylserine) was studied in more detail. The rate of oxidative breakdown of IAA was increased in extracts of hypocotyls and cotyledons of plants treated with phenylserine as compared with extracts of tissue of untreated plants. Extracts of phenylserine-treated plants were found to contain a higher cofactor and/or a lower inhibitor content than those of control plants. The substances involved were not identified, but this result may indicate a shift in the concentrations of various phenols in the tissue.The question must remain open whether a shift in the concentration of phenols some-how effected by phenylserine treatment determines both degree of susceptibility and rate of IAA oxidation independently, or whether the rate of IAA breakdown and the resulting change in IAA content in the plants is directly related to the degree of susceptibility.     

Comparison of extracapillary and endocapillary blood flow oxygenators for open heart surgery in dogs: efficiency of gas exchange and platelet conservation

The goal of the current study was to compare the efficiency of gas exchange and platelet conservation of a new extracapillary blood flow oxygenator versus an endocapillary blood flow oxygenator during open heart surgery with extracorporeal circulation in dogs. Dilation and remodeling of the right ventricular outflow tract of dogs was performed using a patch graft technique to simulate pulmonary stenosis. Sequential pre- and post-operative blood analysis revealed that gas exchange efficiency and platelet conservation was significantly greater with the extracapillary blood flow oxygenator than with the endocapillary blood flow oxygenator. However, the priming volume of the extracapillary blood flow oxygenator was significantly greater, leading to hemodilution. We conclude that while the extracapillary blood flow oxygenator provided benefits in terms of gas exchange and platelet conservation, development of a smaller extracapillary blood flow type oxygenator to reduce hemodilution effects would be beneficial.     

Susceptibility of Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) to Neospora caninum infection

Djungarian hamsters were examined for the susceptibility to Neospora caninum infection. After 29 Djungarian hamsters were intraperitoneally inoculated with 5 x 10(6) N. caninum tachyzoites of JPA1 strain, some animals showed symptoms such as ataxia, and many tissue cysts were detected in the brain and a cyst in the muscular tunics of stomach. Especially, more than 100 cysts per head were observed after 5 weeks post inoculation. It is suggested that the Djungarian hamster is a model useful to examine neosporosis.     

Comparison of canine heartworm removal rates using flexible alligator forceps guided by transesophageal echocardiography and fluoroscopy

Fluoroscopy (FS)- or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE)-guided heartworm removal was carried out using flexible alligator forceps to compare the rate of worm removal. As a result, the worm removal rates were similar between the two procedures. However, the TEE-guided procedure does not involve radiation exposure, and facilitates observation of worms in the cardiac chamber and pulmonary artery. Therefore, the TEE-guided procedure is thought to be more useful than the FS-guided procedure in clinical setting.     

Localization of inhibin alpha-, betaA- and betaB-subunits and aromatase in ovarian follicles with granulosa theca cell tumor (GTCT) in 6 mares

To clarify the morphological and immunohistochemical characteristics in mares with granulosa theca cell tumor (GTCT), the localization of inhibin subunits (alpha, betaA, betaB) and aromatase in the granulosa cell layers and theca layers in the ovarian follicles were determined by immunohistochemical staining. The follicles were obtained from the ovaries of 6 mares with GTCT and 4 normal mares as controls. Immunohistochemically, inhibin alpha-subunit was localized in the granulosa cells of all follicles showing different sizes in all GTCT cases and betaA- subunit was localized in two GTCT cases in all sized follicles. But inhibin betaB- subunit and aromatase were not localized in GTCT cases. On the other hand, inhibin alpha-, betaA-, and betaB-subunits and aromatase were localized in the large and medium sized follicles, but inhibin betaA- and betaB-subunits and aromatase were not stained in the small sized follicles in normal cases. These findings suggest that some mares with GTCT can secrete dimeric inhibin (inhibin A), but all GTCT cases cannot secrete inhibin B. By the results of aromatase staining it is clear that testosterone is not converted into estradiol due to the lack of aromatase in the GTCT follicles.     

Effects of propofol-sevoflurane anesthesia on the maternal and fetal hemodynamics blood gases, and uterine activity in pregnant goats

To determine the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on hemodynamics, acid-base balance and uterine activity in pregnant animals, a prospective experimental study was designed by use of ten pregnant goats. Propofol was intravenously administered at a bolus dose of 5 mg/kg and then infused a rate of 0.3 mg/kg/min for 5 min. Following the induction, the animals were incrementally inhaled 2.7 and 4.1% of end-tidal concentration of sevoflurane each for 30 min, and then recovered. The maternal and fetal heart rate (HR), arterial blood pressure (BP) and acid-base balance, the intrauterine pressure (IUP), and the uterine blood flow (UBF) were measured. Following the pre-anesthetic data, the parameters were measured 7 times throughout the anesthetic and recovering periods. The propofol infusion induced 1.37 times of HR increase and produced decrease in PO(2) and a relevant metabolic acidemia in the mother, with no effect in the fetus. Sevoflurane reduced BP in the fetus from 30 (2.7%) to 60 (4.1%) min of inhalation. The uterine contractions disappeared throughout sevoflurane inhalation, and then recurred within 15 min after the cessation of sevoflurane. Propofol injection increases HR, and induces a moderate hypoxemia and metabolic acidemia associated with the suppressed ventilation for pregnant goats, with less effect on the fetal hemodinamics. Sevoflurane causes minimal change in maternal hemodynamics, but induces significant hypotension in the fetus and reduction of uterine activity. These data may be useful in making anesthetic choices combined with analgesia for Caesarian section in goats.     

New potyvirus isolated from <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptotaenia japonica</Emphasis>

 A potyvirus, for which the name Japanese hornwort mosaic virus (JHMV) is proposed, was isolated from Japanese hornwort plants (Cryptotaenia japonica) with mosaic disease symptoms. The virus was used to inoculate mechanically 34 plants belonging to 33 species of 10 families. Of these species seven from two families were infected. Faint chlorotic spots appeared on the inoculated leaves of Chenopodium quinoa and C. amaranticolor, but no systemic infection occurred in these plants. JHMV systemically infected only Umbelliferae plants; they did not infect 26 other species in eight families. JHMV was transmitted in a nonpersistent manner by aphids (Myzus persicae). The virus was a flexuous rod-shaped particle about 750 nm in length. Sequencing the nucleotides in the 3′ terminal region of JHMV revealed that the coat protein contains 280 amino acids with a molecular mass of 32.2 kDa. The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein of JHMV had the highest similarity with that of Zantedeschia mosaic virus (83.3%) compared to those of other potyviruses (57.0%–64.9%). An antiserum against JHMV reacted strongly with JHMV and weakly with Potato virus Y. These results indicate that JHMV is a new potyvirus. Received: September 9, 2002 / Accepted: November 7, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" The nucleotide sequence determined in this work appears in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank nucleotide sequence databases with the accession number AB081518