Biological performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eucalyptus camaldulensis</Emphasis> leaf oils from Thailand against the subterranean termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Coptotermes formosanus</Emphasis> Shiraki

The antitermitic activities of leaf oils and their constituents, taken from three clones of Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh. in Thailand, against Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki were investigated in contact and noncontact tests. The termiticidal mechanism was also examined. Antitermitic tests demonstrated that E. camaldulensis leaf oils were both contact toxicants and fumigants to C. formosanus with LC₅₀ values ranging between 12.68 and 17.50 mg/g by the contact method, and between 12.65 and 17.50 mg/petri dish (100 cm³) by the noncontact method. p-Cymene and γ-terpinene were primarily responsible for the contact toxicity and 1,8-cineole was responsible for fumigation. From the investigation of termiticidal mechanism, E. camaldulensis leaf oils exhibited the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity and showed the common symptoms of a neurotoxic mode of action against C. formosanus. Part of this report was presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society, Tsukuba, March 2008     

Long-lived volcanism on the lunar farside revealed by SELENE Terrain Camera

We determined model ages of mare deposits on the farside of the Moon on the basis of the crater frequency distributions in 10-meter-resolution images obtained by the Terrain Camera on SELENE (Selenological and Engineering Explorer) (Kaguya). Most mare volcanism that formed mare deposits on the lunar farside ceased at approximately 3.0 billion years ago, suggesting that mare volcanism on the Moon was markedly reduced globally during this period. However, several mare deposits at various locations on the lunar farside also show a much younger age, clustering at approximately 2.5 billion years ago. These young ages indicate that mare volcanism on the lunar farside lasted longer than was previously considered and may have occurred episodically.     

Inhibitory function of whey acidic protein in the cell-cycle progression of mouse mammary epithelial cells (EpH4/K6 cells)

Although the biological role for whey acidic protein (WAP) in milk has been suggested, its true function is not known. This paper describes evidence for WAP function in the cell-cycle progression of EpH4/K6 (EpH4), mammary epithelial cells in vitro. The forced expression of exogenous WAP significantly impaired the proliferation of EpH4 cells, whereas it did not affect that of NIH3T3 cells. Apoptosis was not enhanced in the EpH4 cells with stable expression of WAP (WAP-clonal EpH4 cells). The analyses of BrdU incorporation revealed that forced WAP expression significantly reduced incorporation of BrdU in WAP-clonal EpH4 cells compared with control cells transfected with empty plasmid. Among G1 cyclins, the level expression of cyclins D1 was significantly lower in the WAP-clonal EpH4 cells than in control cells. The inhibitory action of WAP on the proliferation of EpH4 cells was enhanced by the presence of extracellular matrix (ECM), but not by the presence of a single component comprising ECM. The cultured medium of WAP-clonal EpH4 cells inhibited the proliferation of control cells without WAP expression. The present results indicate that WAP plays a negative regulatory role in the cell-cycle progression of mammary epithelial cells through an autocrine/paracrine mechanism.     

Increased locomotor activity,increased food and water intake and decreased PVN neurons in H1 calponin gene-deficient mice

Calponin (h1 or basic) is an actin-binding protein that is expressed abundantly in smooth muscle. Our previous study using h1 calponin-null mutant mice demonstrated that h1 calponin inhibits the shortening velocity of smooth muscle contraction without significantly affecting the amplitude of force production. Furthermore, early onset of osteogenesis and increased bone formation have been reported in mutated mice. In the present study, we examined the effect of h1 calponin depletion on the metabolism and behavior of mice and found that the mutated mice showed increased locomotor activity, as well as increased intake of food and water, associated with the decreased number of neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN).     

Localization of CCK-1R in the omasum and role of CCK in the regulation of omasal contractions in sheep

The present study examined localization of cholecystokinin receptor (CCK-R) mRNA in the muscle layer of the ovine omasum and role of CCK-R type 1 (CCK-1R) in the regulation of muscle contraction of the omasum. We demonstrated that not only CCK-R type 2 (CCK-2R) mRNA but also CCK-1R mRNA is highly expressed in the muscle layer of the ovine omasum. Application of CCK-8 to muscle strips of the greater curvature of the ovine omasum at 1-100 nM induced tonic contraction in a concentration-dependent manner, and the contractile effect of CCK-8 was inhibited by both CCK-1R antagonist lorglumide (IC(50) 2.7 and 7.9 microM in the longitudinal and circular muscle, respectively) and CCK-2R antagonist PD135,158 (IC(50) 51.4 microM in the longitudinal muscle), indicating that not only CCK-2R but also CCK-1R is functionally expressed in the plasma membrane of smooth muscles in the omasum and mediates action of exogenous CCK. Contractile effect of intravenous infusion of CCK-8 (1-30 pmol/kg/min) on omasal contraction was also confirmed in the in vivo experiments using conscious sheep in the absence and presence of atropine infusion (14.4 nmol/kg/min), and showed that circulating CCK increases omasal electromyographic (EMG) activity at lower plasma concentration than that it inhibits ruminal contractions. Taking account of our previous results in the in vivo study using other CCK-1R antagonist, it is suggested that circulating CCK, even at normal range of plasma concentration, plays a physiological role as a regulator of omasal contractions in sheep and CCK-1R mediates the action of CCK.     

Effect of cryoprotectant composition on in vitro viability of in vitro fertilized and cloned bovine embryos following vitrification and in-straw dilution

In this study the efficacy of the combination of glycerol (GLY) and ethylene glycol (EG) as cryoprotectants in a vitrification method developed for direct embryo transfer was evaluated by in vitro development of in vitro fertilized (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos after vitrification. The IVF and SCNT blastocysts were vitrified in either 40% GLY, 30% GLY + 10% EG, or 20% GLY + 20% EG using French straws. After warming, the straws were held vertically for 1 min without shaking and were then placed horizontally for 5 min to dilute the cryoprotectants. After washing, the vitrified-warmed embryos were cultured in vitro for 72 h. There were no differences among the vitrification solutions with respect to the rates of vitrified-warmed IVF and SCNT embryos surviving and developing to the hatched blastocyst stage. However, the rates of development to the hatched blastocyst stage of the SCNT embryos vitrified with 40% GLY tended to be higher than those vitrified with 30% GLY + 10% EG or 20% GLY + 20% EG (26% vs. 7-8%, respectively). The development rates to the hatched blastocyst stage of the IVF and SCNT embryos vitrified with solution containing EG were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of non-vitrified embryos. These results suggest that use of the combination of GLY and EG as cryoprotectants had no beneficial effect on the viability of embryos after in-straw dilution. However, this method is so simple that it can be used for practical direct transfer of vitrified embryos in the field.     

Supplementary immunocytochemistry of hepatocyte growth factor production in activated macrophages early in muscle regeneration

Regenerative intramuscular motor‐innervation is thought to reside in the spatiotemporal expression of axon‐guidance molecules. Our previous studies showed that resident myogenic stem cells, satellite cells, up‐regulate a secreted neural‐chemorepellent semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) during the early‐differentiation period, in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) elevated in injured muscle. However, a paracrine source of the HGF release is still unknown. Very recently, we proposed a possible contribution of anti‐inflammatory macrophages (CD206‐positive M2) by showing that M2 cells infiltrate predominantly at the early‐differentiation phase (3–5 days post‐injury) and produce/secrete large amounts of HGF. However, in understanding this concept there still remains a critical need to examine if phagocytotic pro‐inflammatory macrophages (CD86‐positive M1), another activated‐phenotype still present at the early‐differentiation phase concerned, produce HGF upon muscle injury. The current immunocytochemical study demonstrated that the HGF expression is negative for M1 prepared from cardiotoxin‐injured Tibialis anterior muscle at day 5, in contrast to the intense fluorescent‐signal of M2 served as a positive control. This supplementary result advances our understanding of a spatiotemporal burst of HGF secretion from M2 populations (not M1) to impact Sema3A expression, which ensures a coordinated delay in attachment of motoneuron terminals onto damaged and generating fibers during the early phase of muscle regeneration.     

Effects of air injection on properties of particleboard manufactured using a radio-frequency hot press

The effectiveness of air injection for preventing the blowout of particleboards manufactured using a radio-frequency hot press was investigated by evaluating the board properties under artificially created conditions that were conducive to blowout. For evaluation, 10-mm-thick boards with densities of 0.7 and 0.8 g/cm³ and 20-mm-thick boards with a density of 0.7 g/cm³ were manufactured. Pressing times for the 10-mm-thick boards were 2, 4, 6, and 8 min, and those for the 20-mm-thick boards were 4, 6, 8, and 10 min. Without air injection, blowout occurred in all manufactured boards. With air injection, however, blowout did not occur in the 10-mm-thick boards with a density of 0.7 g/cm³. Moreover, air injection prevented blowout even when the board density and board thickness were increased to 0.8 g/cm³ (for 10-mm-thick boards) and 20 mm (the density was kept at 0.7 g/cm³), respectively. Air-injection radio-frequency pressing reduced the pressing time from 4 to 2 min for 10-mm-thick boards, and from 6 to 4 min for 20-mm-thick boards. Moreover, this reduction in the pressing time was achieved without a large reduction in the internal bond strength of the boards.     

Properties of particleboard manufactured using an air-injection radio-frequency hot press

A hot press was used to manufacture particleboards (H boards). A radio-frequency hot press (for RH boards) and an air-injection radio-frequency hot press (for ARH board) were also used, and the effects of air injection on preventing blowout and board properties were analyzed. The thicknesses and densities of manufactured boards were 10 and 30 mm, and 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8 g/cm³, respectively. The investigation ascertained the effects of air injection in preventing blowout when a radio-frequency hot press is used. The increasing order of temperature was ARH board > RH board > H board during the final pressing stage. For the 30-mm-thick boards, the temperature of H board increased to 100 °C and remained constant at 100 °C even when the pressing time was extended. The temperature of the RH board increased to 100 °C more quickly than in the case of the H board and remained constant at 110–118 °C. The temperature of the ARH board increased linearly to 130–142 °C. For both the 10- and 30-mm-thick boards, the internal bond strength of the RH board was almost the same as that of the ARH board at densities of 0.6 and 0.7 g/cm³. In contrast, the internal bond strength of the RH board was lower than that of the ARH board at a density of 0.8 g/cm³. For the 10-mm-thick boards, the thickness swelling in the RH board was almost the same as that in the ARH board irrespective of the density. However, for the 30-mm-thick boards, the thickness swelling in the RH board was higher than that in the ARH board. The low plasticization of particles due to air injection presumably results in a high degree of thickness swelling.