Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) safety measures in Japan

Since the first identification of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan in September 2001, a series of safety measures was introduced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Food Safety Commission of the Cabinet Office. These measures included blanket BSE testing and removal of specified risk materials at slaughterhouses, surveillance of risk animals and a ban on the use of meat-and-bone meals and traceability on all farms. The Japanese experience over the past five years has shed light on several issues in countries that have a low BSE incidence.     

Evaluation of left ventricular Tei index (index of myocardial performance) in healthy dogs and dogs with mitral regurgitation

The left ventricular (LV) Tei index (index of myocardial performance) has been demonstrated to be clinically useful in estimating comprehensive LV function, including the systolic and diastolic performances, in various human cardiac diseases. The purposes of this study were to validate the correlation between the LV Tei index and LV function obtained by cardiac catheterization in healthy dogs, and to evaluate the LV Tei index in dogs with naturally occurring mitral regurgitation (MR). In healthy dogs, the LV Tei index was significantly correlated with the LV peak +dP/dt (r = -0.89) and LV peak -dP/dt (r=0.87). The LV Tei index significantly increased in dogs with MR compared with normal dogs and significantly increased with progressively more severe clinical signs due to heart failure. The elevation of the LV Tei index in dogs with symptomatic MR appears to be associated with shortening of ejection time. The LV Tei index significantly increased with age and was not correlated with heart rate and body weight in normal dogs. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that the LV Tei index was measurable in dogs and not influenced by heart rate and body weight. The LV Tei index significantly increased with the progression of clinical signs in MR dogs. In particular, the elevation of the LV Tei index in dogs with symptomatic MR due to shortening of ejection time may suggest LV systolic dysfunction and the decrement of forward stroke volume.     

Phylogenetic characterization of Isospora jaracimrmani oocysts from a veiled chameleon (family Chamaeleonidae; Chamaeleo calyptratus) reared at a zoo in Ishikawa,Japan

Oocysts of Isospora sp. were detected in the feces of a veiled chameleon (family Chamaeleonidae; Chamaeleo calyptratus) kept at a zoo in Ishikawa, Japan. Phylogenetic analysis placed the sequence in the cluster of Isospora spp. isolated from reptiles. Based on a comparison of morphological data of ten previously reported Isospora species from the Chamaeleonidae family, this isolate was morphologically similar to I. jaracimrmani, which has been considered to be a virulent species. This case study suggests the possibility that species of Isospora might not always cause disease because the animal that shed these oocysts showed no symptoms for more than two months.     

Alternaria host-selective toxins: determinant factors of plant disease

Seven diseases caused by pathotypes of Alternaria alternata, which produced host-selective toxins (HSTs), a diverse group of low-molecular-weight secondary metabolites, are known, and each HST has an essential role as a determinant of pathogenicity in all interactions between the plant host and A. alternata. Although these HST-producing pathotypes are morphologically indistinguishable, each has a distinct host range and can be distinguished by its specificity on the respective host plant, hence their designation as pathotypes of A. alternata. In 1933, Tanaka made the first discovery of a HST; fungus-free culture filtrates of A. kikuchiana (now called A. alternata Japanese pear pathotype) were toxic to susceptible cultivar Nijisseiki, but not to resistant cultivars. Over the 80 years since then, the structure of HST molecules, target sites and mode of actions of HSTs, and the molecular genetics of HST production regulating by supernumerary chromosomes encoding HST gene clusters have been studied extensively. We focus this review on studies of low-molecular-weight HSTs produced by A. alternata and give an overview of various types of HST studies.     

Evaluation of the in vitro growth-inhibitory effect of epoxomicin on Babesia parasites

Epoxomicin potently and irreversibly inhibits the catalytic activity of proteasomal subunits. Treatment of proliferating cells with epoxomicin results in cell death through accumulation of ubiquinated proteins. Thus, epoxomicin has been proposed as a potential anti-cancer drug. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of epoxomicin on the in vitro growth of bovine and equine Babesia parasites were evaluated. The inhibitory effect of epoxomicin on the in vivo growth of Babesia microti was also assessed. The in vitro growth of five Babesia species that were tested was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) by nanomolar concentrations of epoxomicin (IC₅₀ values = 21.4 ± 0.2, 4 ± 0.1, 39.5 ± 0.1, 9.7 ± 0.3, and 21.1 ± 0.1 nM for Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia ovata, Babesia caballi, and Babesia equi, respectively). Epoxomicin IC₅₀ values for Babesia parasites were low when compared with diminazene aceturate and tetracycline hydrochloride. Combinations of epoxomicin with diminazene aceturate synergistically potentiated its inhibitory effects in vitro on B. bovis, B. bigemina, and B. caballi. In B. microti-infected mice, epoxomicin caused significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of the growth of B. microti at the non-toxic doses of 0.05 and 0.5 mg/kg BW relative to control groups. Therefore, epoxomicin might be used for treatment of babesiosis.     

Potassium acetate-catalyzed acetylation of wood at low temperatures I: simplified method using a mixed reagent

Ezomatsu wood blocks were acetylated in a mixture of acetic anhydride and acetic acid containing excess potassium acetate (KAc). The mixture method enabled rapid acetylation at 120°C: a 20% weight gain (weight percent gain; WPG) was achieved within 30 min while the WPG did not exceed 18% after 120 min of conventional uncatalyzed acetylation. At 40°C, however, a satisfactory WPG was not achieved with the mixture method because both the wood swelling and KAc concentration in the reagent solution were limited at that temperature. In addition, the antiswelling efficiency attained by the mixture method was irregularly low, probably because of nonuniform reaction involving shrinkage of the cell lumina. These results suggest that the mixture method is not advantageous for low-temperature acetylation, whereas it enables simple and rapid acetylation at high temperature.     

日本温棚菌草栽培鹿角灵芝

通过改造日本当地蔬菜温棚,采用棚项喷水降温的方式来调控温度,菌草栽培鹿角灵芝适宜温度17℃～22℃,CO:浓度尽可能高,鹿角灵芝菌丝满袋需51 d,从开袋至原基形成需9 d,第一潮灵芝采收需26 d,其后让菌丝恢复10 d,第二潮灵芝采收需32 d,鹿角灵芝平均长度31 cm,单芝平均干重19 g,单袋干芝产量86 g.