Population structure of Solanum carolinense along the Takano River in Kyoto, Japan as determined by amplified fragment length polymorphism analysis

Areas infested with Solanum carolinense, an introduced perennial weed, have increased quickly in Japan. The genetic structure of a S. carolinense population along the Takano River in Kyoto, Japan was investigated using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis to reveal how introductions and local spread have contributed to the development of this population. Along a terrace beside the river and an adjacent roadside, we defined a cluster of above‐ground shoots in the population as a subpopulation and 60 subpopulations were identified. Seventeen of these were selected and 165 shoots were analyzed by AFLP analysis using three primer pairs. The AFLP profiles revealed 69 genotypes and the presence of several clones, i.e. genotypes that were present in more than one individual. In total, 19 clones, comprising 2–34 identical genotypes, could be identified in the population. Each of these clones, except one, was allocated within each of the subpopulations. Clustering of the subpopulations was supported by high bootstrap values in all cases. Therefore, introductions from distant regions have mainly contributed to the development of this population, and local spread by seed or vegetative reproduction has rarely been important. The most likely introduction route of S. carolinense to this population was via planting associated with construction works.     

Successful use of prednisolone and radiation therapy in a dog with intracranial histiocytic sarcoma

The ideal treatment for intracranial histiocytic sarcoma (HS) remains unclear. Herein, we report a case of intracranial HS that was successfully treated using prednisolone and radiation therapy. The patient was a 9-year-old spayed female Pembroke Welsh Corgi that presented with epileptic seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing mass adjacent to the right piriform lobe. Prednisolone administration (1 mg/kg/day) decreased the lesion size. Additional palliative radiation therapy (total dose, 37 Gy) resulted in complete disappearance of the lesion. However, on day 164, the dog’s neurological signs deteriorated, and she was euthanized. Necropsy revealed an intracranial metastasis of HS via the cerebrospinal fluid without any extracranial metastasis. Nonetheless, combined prednisolone and radiation therapy might be effective in treating intracranial HS.     

Dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction secondary to hypovolemia in a German Shepard dog with splenic hemangiosarcoma

Dynamic left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (DLVOTO) is a common condition in cats and humans. In this case report, a dog is described with DLVOTO secondary to severe intra-abdominal hemorrhage caused by a hemangiosarcoma. The dog was a 9-year-old, 35.7-kg, spayed female German Shepard dog that presented with a history of tachypnea and collapse. A Levine II/VI systolic murmur was present at the heart base. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a splenic mass and a large amount of ascites. Echocardiography showed a reduced left ventricular diameter and an increased aortic velocity caused by systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve apparatus. The heart murmur and the SAM were resolved after treatment including a splenectomy and a blood transfusion.     

马尾松早期促进开花结实方法的研究

１９９７年在京山县太子山林场５年生马尾松无性系种子园内,用三种生长调节剂Ｃ．Ｃ．Ｃ．ＧＡ,ＢＡＰ分施用量、处理时期、处理次数三个因素进行叶面喷洒实验。结果表明ＢＡＰ有促进开花的作用。１９９８年在中心苗圃３年生嫁接苗实验区,利用１９９７年对促进开花结实有效果的ＢＡＰ进一步分时期、处理次数二因素进行了实验,结果表明ＢＡＰ对马尾松苗期开花也有明显的促进作用。两年的实验结果表明,ＢＡＰ能促进马尾松早期开花,这对缩短马尾松育种周期,加速新品种的开发具有非常现实的意义。     

Endogenous 5-HT outflow from chicken aorta by 5-HT uptake inhibitors and amphetamine derivatives

Chemoreceptor cells aggregating in clusters in the chicken thoracic aorta contain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and have voltage-dependent ion channels and nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which are characteristics typically associated with neurons. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 5-HT uptake inhibitors, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine and clomipramine (CLM), and amphetamine derivatives, p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) and methamphetamine (MET), on endogenous 5-HT outflow from the isolated chick thoracic aorta in vitro. 5-HT was measured by using a HPLC system with electrochemical detection. The amphetamine derivatives and 5-HT uptake inhibitors caused concentration-dependent increases in endogenous 5-HT outflow. PCA was about ten times more effective in eliciting 5-HT outflow than MET. The 5-HT uptake inhibitors examined had similar potency for 5-HT outflow. PCA and CLM increased 5-HT outflow in a temperature-dependent manner. The outflow of 5-HT induced by PCA or 5-HT uptake inhibitors was independent of extracellular Ca²⁺ concentration. The 5-HT outflow induced by CLM, but not that by PCA, was dependent on the extracellular NaCl concentration. These results suggest that the 5-HT uptake system of 5-HT-containing chemoreceptor cells in the chicken thoracic aorta has characteristics similar to those of 5-HT-containing neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS).     

Diagnostic utility of measuring serum amyloid A with a latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay in bovine mastitis: Comparison with haptoglobin and alpha 1 acid glycoprotein

This study established the precision and accuracy of a modified latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay (LATIA) reagent, and evaluated the ability of the measurement of serum amyloid A (SAA) compared to haptoglobin and α1-acid glycoprotein, which are acute phase proteins (APPs), for diagnosis of clinical mastitis. Concentrations of APPs in cows with mastitis were significantly higher than those in healthy cow. Only the plasma SAA concentration in cows with clinical mastitis (44.90 mg/l; n=15) was significantly higher than that in those with subclinical mastitis (10.70 mg/l; n=16), enabling their diagnosis in contrast to other APPs. Thus, the SAA assay using a LATIA reagent is useful in assessing mastitis severity due to its higher sensitivity and specificity than other APP assays.     

Initial design for a fish bioenergetics model of Pacific saury coupled to a lower trophic ecosystem model

A fish bioenergetics model coupled with an ecosystem model was developed to reproduce the growth of Pacific saury. The model spatially covers three different oceanographic spatial domains corresponding to the Kuroshio, Oyashio, and interfrontal (mixed water) regions. In this coupled model, three (small, large, and predatory) zooplankton densities which were derived from the lower trophic level ecosystem model were input to the bioenergetics model of saury as the prey densities. Although certain model parameters were imposed from other species’ bioenergetics, several model parameters were estimated from observational data specific to Pacific saury. The integrated model results reproduced appropriate growth rates of Pacific saury. Model sensitivities to water temperature and prey density are examined and observational methods to evaluate the model parameters are discussed.