The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of concurrent measurement of
serum phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit (pNF-H) concentration and intramedullary
T2W hyperintensity in paraplegic to paraplegic dogs. Our hypothesis was that concurrent
measurement of these would provide a more accurate prediction of functional outcome in
dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH). A prospective case-control
clinical study was designed using 94 dogs with acute onset of thoracolumbar IVDH. The
association of serum pNF-H concentration, T2W hyperintensity on sagittal MRI (T2H/L2),
deep pain perception and surgical outcome were evaluated with logistic regression analysis
after three months for all 94 surgically treated dogs. Sensitivity to predict
non-ambulatory outcome was compared among pNF-H and T2H/L2 and combination of both.
Logistic regression analysis indicated that serum pNF-H concentration and T2H/L2 were
significantly correlated with surgical outcome (P<0.05); however, deep
pain perception was not (P=0.41). The results of logistic regression
analysis indicated that the odds ratios of unsuccessful long-term outcome were 2.6 for
serum pNF-H concentration, 1.9 for T2H/L2 and 2.3 for deep pain sensation. The sensitivity
and specificity to predict non-ambulatory outcome for using serum parameter pNF-H>2.6
ng/ml, using T2H/L2 value of>0.84 and using both
serum pNF-H and T2H/L2, were 95% and 75.7%, 65% and 86.5%, and 90.0% and 97.5%,
respectively. Therefore, combined measurements of serum pNF-H and T2H/L2 might be useful
for predicting long-term outcome in dogs with thoracolumbar IVDH. 相似文献
Journal of Pest Science - The invasive, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a severe economic insect pest native to East Asia. A strong effort has been made to identify natural egg... 相似文献
Myosin was isolated from two types of muscle, ordinary and dark muscles, of three species of fish living in sea water. The
compositions of light chains were visualized by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), and the
mechanochemical activity was examined by in vitro motility and ATPase assays. Ordinary muscle myosin of either species had three species of light chain, whereas dark muscle
myosin had another two species of light chain judged by SDS-PAGE. Sliding velocity of ordinary muscle myosin was in the range
of 4.92–6.89 μm/S, whereas that of dark muscle myosin was in the range of 3.07–4.25 μm/s. Therefore, ordinary muscle myosin
showed 1.26–1.95 times higher sliding velocity than dark muscle myosin in either species. The ratios of Vmax of actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity of ordinary to dark muscle myosins were correlated quite well to the ratios of sliding velocity. Activity
of ordinary muscle myosin was comparable to that of mammalian fast muscle myosin, but that of dark muscle myosin was twice
of that of mammalian slow muscle myosin. These results may reflect the essential role of fish dark muscle myosin always used
in slow cruising. 相似文献
In Japanese flounder aquaculture, hypermelanosis occurs widely on the blind side. Rearing flounders in a net-lined tank was recently reported to prevent hypermelanosis. To effectively apply this method to larger tanks for aquaculture farming, the net setting method was examined. Juvenile flounders without darkened areas on the blind side [total length (TL) 13 cm] were selected, and reared for 6 months (TL 32 cm). In the control tank without a net, the median value of darkened area ratio (darkened area to blind side area) was 46%. By only covering the tank bottom with slack net, the darkened area ratio was suppressed to 8%, less than 1/5 of that in the control tank. At the end of experiment, bottom coverage ratios of 0%, 10%, 30%, 50%, and 100% revealed a negative correlation between bottom net coverage and darkened area ratio. In this experiment, the darkening area in the tank with 50% bottom net coverage decreased to 1/3 of the control. Although the occurrence of hypermelanosis differs depending on the production lot, these results are expected to serve as a reference for selecting the suitable net size to meet the level of clearness of the blind side.
We examined the contribution of rubberwood to the timber export markets of Malaysia and Thailand. In Malaysia, rubberwood
has grown from 26% of total exported wood products in 1998 to 35% in 2007. A high proportion of furniture products (80%) is
rubberwood, whereas the contribution of rubberwood to other wooden products is less than 20%. Only 10% of sawn timber and
logs is rubberwood. In Thailand, rubberwood contributes to around 60% of total exported wood products, arising from a high
share of not only furniture products (70%) but also other wood products (around 50%) and sawn timber and logs, which have
increased in share from 40% in 1998 to 79% in 2007. We conclude that the high proportion of rubberwood products in the wood
export markets of these two countries is a result of: (1) scarcity of raw wood materials because of strict controls on the
logging of natural forests; and (2) governmental support to rubberwood production, including financial support to rubber planters
and technical assistance to downstream timber processors. 相似文献
Soil carbon (C) stocks in forest ecosystems have been widely estimated to a fixed soil depth (i.e., 0-30 cm) to clarify temporal changes in the C pool. However, surface elevations change as a result of compaction or expansion of the soil under forest management and land use. On the other hand, the calculation of soil C stocks based on “equivalent soil mass” is not affected by compaction or expansion of forest soil. To contribute to the development of a forest C accounting methodology, we compared changes in soil C stocks over 4 years between depth- and mass-based approaches using original soil data collected at 0-30 cm depths in young plantations and secondary forests in West Java, Indonesia. Our methodology expanded on the mass-based approach; rather than using one representative value for the mass-based calculation of soil C stocks, we adjusted individual values, maintaining the coefficient of variance in soil mass. We also considered the effect of an increase or decrease in soil organic matter on equivalent soil mass. Both increasing and decreasing trends in soil C stocks became clearer when the mass-based approach was used rather than the depth-based approach. The trends in soil C stocks based on equivalent soil mass were particularly evident in the surface soil layers (0-5 cm) and in plantation sites, compared with those for soil profiles including subsurface soil layers (0-30 cm) and in secondary forests. These trends in soil C stocks corresponded with temporal trends in litter stocks. We suggest that equivalent mass-basis soil C stock for the upper 30 cm of soil be calculated based on multiple soil layers to reduce estimation errors. Changes in soil organic matter mass had little effect on the estimation of soil C stock on an equivalent mass basis. For the development of a forest C accounting system, the mass-based approach should be used to characterize temporal trends in soil C stocks and to improve C cycle models, rather than simpler methods of calculating soil C stocks. These improvements will help to increase the tier level of country-specific forest C accounting systems. 相似文献
By using an ionic liquid of 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, we uniformly dispersed single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) as chemically stable dopants in a vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer matrix to form a composite film. We found that the SWNT content can be increased up to 20 weight percent without reducing the mechanical flexibility or softness of the copolymer. The SWNT composite film was coated with dimethyl-siloxane-based rubber, which exhibited a conductivity of 57 siemens per centimeter and a stretchability of 134%. Further, the elastic conductor was integrated with printed organic transistors to fabricate a rubberlike active matrix with an effective area of 20 by 20 square centimeters. The active matrix sheet can be uniaxially and biaxially stretched by 70% without mechanical or electrical damage. The elastic conductor allows for the construction of electronic integrated circuits, which can be mounted anywhere, including arbitrary curved surfaces and movable parts, such as the joints of a robot's arm. 相似文献