Unilateral femoral arterial thrombosis in a dog with malignant mammary gland tumor: clinical and thermographic findings, and successful treatment with local intra-arterial administration of streptokinase

An 8-year-old intact female dog presented with a sudden onset of unilateral hindlimb paralysis of 3 days duration. Based on the history and results of physical, neurological, and histopathological examinations, and blood work, an arterial thrombosis was suspected as a complication of the hypercoagulability from a malignant mammary gland tumor. Thermography provided evidence of the unilateral femoral thrombus. Initially, thrombolysis with streptokinase administered by intravenous infusion was ineffective. Thereafter, the direct delivery of streptokinase to the site of thrombus was attempted. The approach was curative. These results suggest that thermography could describe the site of the arterial thrombus, and local intra-arterial administration of streptokinase may be an effective therapy for the canine arterial thrombosis complicated by malignant mammary gland tumor.     

Curative effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma on a large cutaneous lesion in a dog

A dorsal tail mass (1 × 1.2 cm) was observed on a 10-year-old castrated male, Shih-tzu dog. A biopsy of the mass was performed and diagnosed histopathologically as a follicular cyst. A necrotic lesion (2.5 × 3 cm) developed at the biopsy site 1 week after sampling and failed to respond to 2 weeks of normal saline cleansing and systemic antibiotic administration. Autologous platelet-rich plasma was applied to the lesion which gradually improved over a 4-week period possibly by a contribution to the secretion of growth hormone, which can accelerate tissue regeneration. This case report suggests that autologous PRP may be beneficial in the management of large skin defects or in delayed wound healing.     

Use of phages for identifying the citrus canker bacterium Xanthomonas campestris pv. citri in Taiwan

Phages CP115 and CP122, which were isolated from canker lesions on grapefruit and Liucheng sweet orange, respectively, showed a high degree of specificity with respect to lysis of test bacterial strains. When used jointly, they lysed 135 (97·8%) out of 138 Xanthomonas campestris pv. citri strains isolated from the canker lesions on leaves, twigs, and fruits of various citrus species, cultivars, and hybrids grown throughout Taiwan, but they did not lyse other X. campestris pathovars and other phytopathogenic bacteria, nor other bacteria isolated from soil, clinical or environmental samples. Of 252 CP115/CP122-sensitive and 78 CP115/CP122-resistant bacterial strains with colony characteristics typical of or similar to those of X. campestris pv. citri , isolated from canker lesions of various citrus plants in diverse growing regions in Taiwan, 250 (99·2%) and 76 (97·4%) strains were pathogenic and non-pathogenic, respectively, when inoculated into Liucheng sweet orange or Mexican lime. Thus, phages CP115 and CP122, when used jointly, appear to be applicable for identifying X. campestris pv. citri in Taiwan.     

Inhibition of growth hormone secretagogue receptor antagonist, [D-Lys-3]-GHRP-6, in adipogenesis of ovine and rat adipocytes

Ghrelin and growth hormone secretagogues receptor (GHS‐R or ghrelin receptor) have been reported as being one of the factors of adipogenesis in adipocytes. To investigate the involvement of ghrelin and GHS‐R in adipocytes, the effect of the GHS‐R antagonist, [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 (His‐D‐Trp‐D‐Lys‐Trp‐D‐Phe‐Lys‐NH₂), on the process of adipogenesis in ovine and rat adipocytes was evaluated. [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 (10^?7 mol/L) significantly inhibited adipogenic differentiation of ovine and rat preadipocytes prepared from adipose tissues. The level of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ2 mRNA, an adipogenic marker, was decreased during the differentiation of adipocytes treated with [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 for 10 days. Ghrelin stimulated adipogenesis, also causing an increment of glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and upregulation of PPAR‐γ2. Furthermore, the antilipolytic effect of ghrelin was attenuated by treatment with [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6 in both types of isolated adipocytes. Overall, the results of the present study highlight that GHS‐R in adipogenesis can be blocked by treatment with [D‐Lys‐3]‐GHRP‐6.     

Allelopathic potential of K21, selected as a promising allelopathic rice

The agronomic characteristics of a newly bred potent allelopathic rice, K21, including morphological appearance, resembled its female parent, Dongjinbyeo, except for 8 days' earlier heading and 9 cm shorter plant height. The water extract of K21 showed a greater inhibitory effect on the shoot and root growth of barnyardgrass than its female parent, but less than the male parent, Kouketsumochi. At the highest extract concentration of 5.0%, the inhibitory effect of K21 on the shoot growth of barnyardgrass was ≈ 64%, similar to its male parent. The dry weight of the barnyardgrass shoot was reduced by 13.0% when grown with K21 and 30.2% when grown with its male parent. There was no inhibitory effect on the shoot dry weight of barnyardgrass when grown with the female parent. The activity of cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase in K21 was ≈ 1.8-fold higher than that of the female parent, but significantly lower than that of the male parent. The ρ-coumaric acid content in K21 was ≈ 60% higher than that of the female parent, but it was about half of the male parent. The total amount of phenolic compounds in K21 was ≈ 11.5% higher than in the female parent, but about half of the male parent. The results obtained suggest that the newly bred K21 contains desirable allelopathic traits derived from the male parent, Kouketsumochi, and acceptable agronomic traits from its female parent, Dongjinbyeo.     

Comparative in vitro effects of closantel and selected β-ketoamide anthelmintics on a gastrointestinal nematode and vertebrate liver cells

PNU-87407 and PNU-88509, β-ketoamide anthelmintics that are structurally related to each other and to the salicylanilide anthelmintic closantel, exhibit different anthelmintic spectra and apparent toxicity in mammals. The basis for this differential pharmacology was examined in experiments that measured motility and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in larval and adult stages of the gastrointestinal nematode, Haemonchus contortus , and in a vertebrate liver cell line and mitochondria. PNU-87407 and PNU-88509 both exhibited functional cross-resistance with closantel in larval migration assays using closantel-resistant and -sensitive isolates of H. contortus . Each compound reduced motility and ATP levels in cultured adult H. contortus in a concentration- and time-dependent manner; however, motility was reduced more rapidly by PNU-88509, and ATP levels were reduced by lower concentrations of closantel than the β-ketoamides. Tension recordings from segments of adult H. contortus showed that PNU-88509 induces spastic paralysis, while PNU-87407 and closantel induce flaccid paralysis of the somatic musculature. Marked differences in the actions of these compounds were also observed in the mammalian preparations. In Chang liver cells, ATP levels were reduced after 3 h exposures to 0.25 μ M PNU-87407, 1 μ M closantel or 10 μ M PNU-88509. Reductions in ATP caused by PNU-88509 were completely reversible, while the effects of closantel and PNU-87407 were irreversible. PNU-87407, closantel and PNU-88509 uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation in isolated rat liver mitochondria, inhibiting the respiratory control index (with glutamate or succinate as substrate) by 50% at concentrations of 0.14, 0.9 and 7.6 μ M , respectively.     

Trade Reorientation and Its Effects on Regional Port Systems: The Korea‐China Link along the Yellow Sea Rim

ABSTRACT Owing to its competitive labor costs, its open‐market policy, and a substantial amount of capital investments, China has become a global manufacturing pole and an export‐based economy replicating the conventional Asian model but on a much wider scale. This is creating acute competition on other Asian export‐based economies such as Korea that have to adapt to the “China effect.” Consequently, many Korean manufacturing companies have repositioned their capital and equipment in China to enlarge their market potential as well as to reduce their production costs. Because Korea is adjacent to China—both are sharing the Yellow Sea Rim—this shift is creating a unique geographical dimension with a high level of functional integration of Sino‐Korean manufacturing supply chains. This transition has also brought substantial changes in the regional logistic network by organizing new flows of raw materials, parts, and final products, most of them along the Yellow Sea Rim. New logistic flows have given substantial influences on regional port competition by creating diverse links. These changes are bringing a reorientation of the regional maritime industry and of the port system.     

NATURAL REGENERATION OF VEGETATION AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOR GREENING SAND-FILLED RECLAIMED LAND IN SINGAPORE

Land reclamation projects have been implemented in Singapore to increase the republic's land area. Not all reclaimed lands have been used to date, and some of those that remain idle have been allowed to regenerate. This paper examines one such sand-filled reclaimed area and studies the pattern of, and factors favouring, the natural regeneration of Casuarina equisetifolia whose seeds come mainly from a row of established mother trees planted by the roadside nearby. Based on the extent of coverage of this species over the reclaimed land and the mean trunk-wood volume build-up after 14 years, natural regeneration of this kind appears to be an effective alternative to the greening of sand-filled reclaimed land, or any derelict land of this nature, at very low cost. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time series analyses reveal transient relationships between abundance of larval anchovy and environmental variables in the coastal waters southwest of Taiwan

We investigated environmental effects on larval anchovy fluctuations (based on CPUE from 1980 to 2000) in the waters off southwestern Taiwan using advanced time series analyses, including the state-space approach to remove seasonality, wavelet analysis to investigate transient relationships, and stationary bootstrap to test correlation between time series. For large-scale environmental effects, we used the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) to represent the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO); for local hydrographic conditions, we used sea surface temperature (SST), river runoff, and mixing conditions. Whereas the anchovy catch consisted of a northern species ( Engraulis japonicus ) and two southern species ( Encrasicholina heteroloba and Encrasicholina punctifer ), the magnitude of the anchovy catch appeared to be mainly determined by the strength of Eng. japonicus (Japanese anchovy). The main factor that caused the interannual variation of anchovy CPUE might change through time. The CPUE showed a negative correlation with combination of water temperature and river runoff before 1987 and a positive correlation with river runoff after 1988. Whereas a significant negative correlation between CPUE and ENSOs existed, this correlation was driven completely by the low-frequency ENSO events and explained only 10% of the variance. Several previous studies on this population emphasized that the fluctuations of larval anchovy abundance were determined by local SST. Our analyses indicated that such a correlation was transient and simply reflected ENSO signals. Recent advances in physical oceanography around Taiwan showed that the ENSOs reduced the strength of the Asian monsoon and thus weakened the China Coastal Current toward Taiwan. The decline of larval anchovy during ENSO may be due to reduced China Coastal Current, which is important in facilitating the spawning migration of the Japanese anchovy.