Monilia mumecola, a new brown rot fungus on Prunus mume in Japan

In 1982, an anamorphic fungus in the genus Monilia was first isolated as the causal agent of brown rot disease of Japanese apricot or mume (Prunus mume) in Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan. Inoculation of flowers, shoots, and fruit of P. mume with the fungus reproduced brown rot disease symptoms similar to those found in nature. The fungus somewhat resembled the colony appearance of Monilinia (anamorph Monilia) laxa, the apricot brown rot fungus, on PSA plates, but it differed from the latter and the other two brown rot fungi, M. fructigena and M. fructicola, in terms of growth rate, temperature optima for mycelial growth and sporulation, morphology and germination pattern of conidia, nuclear number in the conidium, and nucleotide sequences in the ITS region of ribosomal DNA. It is newly described as Monilia mumecola Y. Harada, Y. Sasaki & T. Sano. A key to anamorphic states of four brown rot fungi of fruit trees is provided.     

Effect of stage of gestation and foetal number on plasma concentrations of a pregnancy serum protein (PSP-60) in cattle

This study characterised the peripheral plasma concentration of PSP-60 throughout gestation, and examined the effect of stage of gestation and foetal number on this protein in Holstein cows after non-surgical embryo transfer. Cows (n=12) were divided into two groups; Group 1 contained single embryo recipient cows (n=5), Group 2 contained twin-embryo recipient cows (n=7). Blood was collected approximately every third day from day 0 (first day of standing oestrus), then daily for the last 10 days of gestation and until one day post-partum. Two of the twin-embryo recipient cows had abnormal pregnancies, consequently data from them was considered separately. In both groups PSP-60 increased progressively from about day 20 post-oestrus to 20 days pre-partum (from 0·9 ± 0·2 to 49·7 ± 8·7 ng ml⁻¹, and from 1·3 ± 0·6 to 115 ± 34·9 ng ml⁻¹ (mean ± SEM), in singleton and twin-bearing groups, respectively). The mean concentrations between 20 and 10 days pre-partum increased dramatically by about six-fold (P<0·001) in singleton-bearing cows (from 49·7 ± 8·7 ng ml⁻¹ to 2838 ± 73·7 ng ml⁻¹) to over two-fold in twin-bearing cows (from 115 ± 34·9 ng ml⁻¹ to 284 ± 98·2 ng ml^-1). The mean concentrations of the two groups were indistinguishable between 10 days pre-parturn and parturition. Cows giving birth prematurely to stillborn calves or to a schistosomus reflexus calf exhibited abnormal PSP-60 profiles. Our findings indicate that peripheral plasma PSP-60 concentrations are correlated to the stage of gestation and foetal number, and assist in predicting foeto-placental viability.     

Measurement of telomerase activity in dog tumors

Telomeres are specific structures present at the end of liner chromosomes. DNA polymerase can not synthesize the end of liner DNA and, as a result, the telomeres become progressively shortened by successive cell divisions. To overcome the end replication problem, telomerase adds new telomeric sequences to the end of chromosomal DNA. The enzyme activity is undetectable in most normal human adult somatic cells, in which shortening of the telomere is thought to limit the somatic-cell life span. In contrast to normal somatic cells, many human tumors possess telomerase activity. The present study looked at whether telomerase activity might serve as a marker for canine tumors. Telomerase activity was measured using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. Normal dog somatic tissues showed little or no telomerase activity, while normal testis exhibited a high level of telomerase activity. We measured telomerase activity in tumor samples from 45 dogs; 21 mammary gland tumors, 16 tumors developed in the skin and oral cavity, 7 vascular tumors and 1 Sertoli cell tumor. Greater than 95% of the tumor samples contained telomerase activity (3-924 U/2 micrograms protein). The results obtained in this study indicated that telomerase should be a useful diagnostic marker for a variety of dog tumors, and it may serve as a target for antitumor chemotherapy.     

Biological activities of lipopolysaccharides extracted from porcine vaccine strains

Lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) were purified from Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2, Bordetella bronchiseptica and Haemophilus parasuis serotype 5, which were used for vaccine production in Japan, by the phenol-water procedure. In SDS-PAGE analysis, A. pleuropneumoniae LPS, as well as Escherichia coli LPS, demonstrated a typical ladder profile of a smooth-type LPS. On the other hand, B. bronchiseptica and H. parasuis LPSs lacked the ladder profiles. It was found that the biological activity of these LPSs was comparable to those of E. coli LPS in terms of activation of the clotting enzyme of Limulus amoebocyte lysate, mitogenic activity of mouse spleen cells, stimulation of TNF-alpha and nitric oxide production, but IL-6 production could hardly be observed in any LPS.     

The comparison between the cerebral blood flow directly measures and cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle and basilar cerebral arteries measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) may be useful for determining alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) during excessive hemodynamic changes by non-invasive measurement of the CBF velocity. The purpose of this study was to measure the correlation between CBF and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery (BA) flow velocities, as measured by TCD during excessive hemodynamic changes produced by hypertension and hypotension in adult dogs. The peak, diastolic, and mean flow velocities were measured by TCD. Arterial hypertension was induced by administration of dopamine at 5 and 15 microg/kg/min, and hypotension was induced by hemorrhage. During the hemodynamic changes, the BA velocity correlated more closely with the alteration in the CBF than the MCA velocity. In terms of percentages of the values during anesthesia, there was good correlation between CBF and the MCA and BA velocities. In conclusion, our findings indicate that MCA and BA velocity measurements, as a percentage of the values during anesthesia, both give an equally accurate indication of alterations in CBF during excessive hemodynamic changes.     

Plasma oestrone and oestradiol concentrations throughout gestation in cattle: relationship to stage of gestation and fetal number

The objectives of the study were to characterise the peripheral plasma oestrone (E1) and oestradiol-17beta (E2) concentrations throughout gestation in the cow and to correlate this with the stage of gestation and fetal number. Cows (n = 10) were equally divided into two groups after non-surgical embryo transfer of in-vitro matured and in-vitro fertilised (IVM - IVF) embryos; Group 1 received a single embryo, Group 2 received twin embryos. Blood was collected about every third day from day 0 (day 0 was defined as first day of standing oestrus), then daily for the last 10 days of gestation and sampling was stopped one day post partum. Plasma E1 concentration exceeded that of E2 throughout gestation in both groups of cows. The time trend concentrations of plasma E1 were significantly affected by the stage of gestation (P < 0.01) and fetal number (P < 0.01) in the last two trimesters of gestation. The time trend concentrations of plasma E2 were significantly affected by the stage of gestation (P<0.01) but not foetal number (P = 0.09). In both groups there was marked preparturient increase in E1 and E2 concentrations. Plasma E2 profile between days 10 prepartum to parturition paralleled E1 in cows carrying a single foetus but was disparate during the same period in the twin-bearing cows.To conclude, our results indicate that although plasma E1 concentration was greater than E2 throughout gestation, both were related to the stage of gestation and that fetal number was correlated with circulating E1 levels in the last two trimesters of gestation.     

Biomass carbon sinks in Japanese forests: 1966-2012

The role of forests in absorbing atmospheric carbon has beenrecognized under the Kyoto Protocol, which allows signatorycountries to use forests as a mitigation option. Although severalstudies have estimated carbon stock changes in Japanese forests,most only estimate changes up to 1995 or ignore carbon stockchanges in natural forests. This study is the first attemptto estimate carbon stock changes in Japanese forests from 1966to 2012, to coincide with the final year of the Kyoto Protocol'sfirst commitment period. Forest area and growing stock datawere analysed. Then, two models for predicting the change inforest area and growing stock were developed. Results showedthat most natural forest loss resulted from conversion to plantationforest. The total above-ground and below-ground carbon stockin Japanese forests has been estimated to have increased from1114.8 TgC in 1966 to 2076.0 TgC in 2012, representing an increaseof 20.9 TgC year^-1 over the same period. During the first commitmentperiod of the Kyoto Protocol (2008–2012), annual carbonsinks were estimated at 20.1 TgC, of which 76.9 per cent weresequestered in plantation forests. Of the 20.1 TgC year^-1, eligiblecarbon sinks are estimated at 10.2 TgC or 78.7 per cent of themaximum or capped amount as allowed under the Marrakesh Accord.Although further effort is needed so that the capped amountof 13 TgC year^-1 could be achieved, this study suggests thatcarbon sinks through forest management could be used to offsetindustrial carbon emissions.     

Manufacture of compressed wood fixed by phenolic resin impregnation through drilled holes

An aqueous solution of phenolic resin was impregnated through drilled holes in wood, and we manufactured compressed wood with the deformation fixed by the phenolic resin. The methods of impregnation used in this study were an in-liquid platen-pressing method and a vacuum treatment. The effect of the drilled holes on solution retention was examined. Moreover, the control of solution retention was examined under the application of compression drying. The impregnation of resin into the specimens without drilled holes was insufficient, and the deformation could not be fixed. On the other hand, sufficient impregnation was possible in the specimen with drilled holes, and the deformation fixation was observed. At the stage of compression when the solution was squeezed out of the specimen, the solution retention of each specimen was accurately controlled in the specimens with drilled holes. At the stage of compressive deformation and deformation fixation using a hot press, the specimens without drilled holes could not be processed normally because swelling occurred. However, swelling did not occur in the specimens with drilled holes. Part of this report was presented at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Chubu Branch of the Japan Wood Research Society in Matsumoto, November 2006     

B细胞亚群与牛白血病发生的关系

对8头流行性白血病病牛,用8种单克隆杭体（McAb）,经过免疫组织化学ABC法和免疫荧光流式细胞检测法,观察了其免疫病理组织变化和外周血及肿瘤组织的B细胞亚群变化。结果7例病牛的BoCD5、BoCD11b和sIgM为阳性反应,表明肿瘤细胞来源于B1a细胞;1例病牛的BoCD11b和sIgM呈阳性反应,而BoCD5则呈阴性反应,说明该肿瘤细胞来源于B1b细胞。另外,在免疫组织化学染色肿瘤组织切片上在浸润的淋巴细胞中不仅见有较多的CD3和CD5阳性细胞,而且也见有较多的CD3和CD5阳性肿瘤细胞。表明流行性牛白血病的肿瘤细胞主要来源于Bla细胞,其他类型的淋巴细胞也有可能突变为白血病的肿瘤细胞。