New lactic acid bacteria for skin health via oral intake of heat‐killed or live cells

Lactic acid bacteria play an essential role in the food industry in the manufacture of many fermented products (cheese, yogurt, fermented vegetables, etc.). Application of these organisms is now being extended to the area of health improvement, as their probiotic activities become known. Probiotics are defined as viable microorganisms that exert a beneficial effect on the health of the host when they are ingested in sufficient quantity. Lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria isolated from the human intestine are the most common probiotics used for human consumption. The development of new probiotics with new beneficial effects is eagerly awaited in the food industry. This review introduces Lactococcus, which are one of the genera of lactic acid bacteria and are mainly isolated from dairy products and fermented vegetables, as new probiotics, focusing especially on Lactococcus lactis H61, which improves skin status in Japanese women with oral intake of heat‐killed or live cells. The deduced mechanisms associated with the beneficial effects of strain H61 are also discussed.     

A newly established bovine intestinal epithelial cell line is effective for in vitro screening of potential antiviral immunobiotic microorganisms for cattle

We evaluated whether a bovine intestinal epithelial (BIE) cell line could serve as a useful in vitro model system for studying antiviral immune responses in bovine intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) and for the primary screening of immunobiotic microorganisms with antiviral protective capabilities. Immunofluorescent analyses revealed that toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) was expressed in BIE cells, and the results of real-time quantitative PCR showed that these cells respond to stimulation with poly(I:C) by up-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines and type I interferons. In addition, we demonstrated that BIE cells are useful for the primary screening of immunobiotic lactic acid bacteria strains which are able to beneficially modulate antiviral immune responses triggered by TLR3 activation in bovine IECs. The characterization of BIE cells performed in the present study represents an important step towards the establishment of a valuable bovine in vitro system that could be used for the development of immunomodulatory feed for bovine hosts.     

Spontaneous Malignant T Cell Lymphoma in a Young Male Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

We histopathologically and immunohistochemically investigated a case of malignant lymphoma that spontaneously developed in a male common marmoset at two years of age. Beginning at two years four months of age, the animal had an enlargement of the submandibular and inguinal lymph nodes, small subcutaneous nodules near the right breast and an approximately fivefold increase in peripheral lymphocyte count compared with the previous examination value. The postmortem findings at two years eight months of age showed lymphadenopathy with enlargement of the thymus and spleen. Small- to intermediate-sized neoplastic lymphocytes had diffusely proliferated in the enlarged nodes. The neoplastic cells were pleomorphic and had irregularly shaped nuclei. The nuclear chromatin staining revealed hyperchromatism in the small-sized cells, and the intermediate-sized cells exhibited vesicular staining. An immunohistochemical examination indicated that the neoplastic lymphocytes were positive for CD3 and negative for CD20, thus suggesting that they had originated from T cells. In addition, the proliferation of high endothelial venules and reactive epithelioid histiocytes was observed. Scattered tingible body-laden macrophages were infrequently detected. Neoplastic lymphocytes were also observed in the thymus, spleen, heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands and femoral and sternal bone marrow. This malignant lymphoma in a young male common marmoset was considered to fit the category of “peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS)” according to the new WHO system of classification.     

叶面喷施寡糖对生菜生长和品质的调节作用

为探究不同单一寡糖和复配寡糖对作物生长发育、产量及品质的影响,选择生长周期较短的生菜品种“意大利耐抽薹”作为研究对象,以80mg·L-1的纤维寡糖（ZH-A）、低聚木糖（ZH-B）、甲壳低聚糖（ZH-C）和以上3种寡糖等质量比的复配寡糖（ZH-M）以及多糖海藻酸钠（GY-D）对定植后的生菜进行4次叶面喷施处理,以喷清水为对照（CK）。从定植后的第3天（三叶一心）开始,每隔2d连续喷施4次,至采收期（定植23d）测定生菜的生长特征（生物量、叶面积、荧光光合）、根系表型特征（根长、根表面积、根体积）以及品质特征（可溶性糖、叶绿素、Vc、硝酸盐）。结果表明：单一寡糖、复配寡糖及海藻酸钠多糖处理均能显著增加生菜生物量;纤维寡糖（ZH-A）对促进根系生长及降低硝酸盐含量具有显著效果;甲壳低聚糖（ZH-C）对叶绿素含量、最大光化学效率Fv/Fm及可溶性糖含量有显著的提高作用;复配寡糖对生菜地上部、地下部及品质的增长和提升效果明显优于单一寡糖和多糖,采收期地上部鲜重及叶面积分别增加52.58%和57.60%,根干重、总根长、总体积及总表面积分别增加35.07%、89.10%、49.23%和40.68%,可溶性糖增加25.20%,叶绿素含量增加21.50%,Vc含量提高12.08%,硝酸盐含量降低27.65%。综上可知,不同寡糖对生菜生长特征和生理性状的作用效果和调控机制具有明显差异;复配寡糖对生菜促生长和提品质的调节效果显著优于单一寡糖。     

Ontogenetic habitat and dietary shifts in Japanese turban snail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Turbo cornutus</Emphasis> at Nagai,Sagami Bay,Japan

A field survey and a laboratory experiment were conducted to examine ontogenetic shifts in habitat and diet of the turban snail Turbo cornutus. The main habitat of turban snail juveniles smaller than 10 mm shell height (SH) was turfs of articulated coralline algae, and that of adults larger than 50 mm SH was kelp beds of Ecklonia bicyclis and Ecklonia cava. However, the ontogenetic habitat shift during the juvenile stage of 20–50 mm SH was unclear. From the results of a long-term feeding experiment and stable isotope analysis, the gelidiacean alga Gelidium elegans was assumed to be more important as a food source for juvenile turban snail than E. cava in the field. However, the frequency of individuals inhabiting gelidiacean algal turfs was low in both juvenile and adult stages. Thus, the ontogenetic shifts in habitat and diet did not coincide and other factors, i.e., daytime refuge, are important. As the growth rate was higher in the juveniles fed on the two algal species than those fed on single algal species, co-occurrence of various algal habitats in rocky shore ecosystems as a coastal ecosystem complex may enhance growth of turban snail juveniles feeding on a combination of different algal species.     

Effects of patch cutting on leaf nitrogen nutrition in hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endlicher) at different elevations along a slope in Japan

Leaf nitrogen nutrition of hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endlicher) was investigated at three positions along a slope over a period of 3 years. At each slope position, nitrogen properties were compared in patch-cut plots (0.06–0.09 ha) and uncut control plots (0.04 ha). Nitrogen cycling at the lower slope was characterized by a higher rate of soil nitrogen mineralization, and higher nitrogen concentration in fresh leaves and leaf-litter. The soil nitrogen mineralization rate and fresh-leaf nitrogen concentration in the patch-cut plots were higher than those in the control plots. However, leaf-litter nitrogen concentration did not differ between the patch-cut and control plots. The results suggest that slope position strongly affects leaf nitrogen nutrition of hinoki cypress and soil nitrogen availability. By contrast, patch cutting does not affect leaf-litter nitrogen concentration. These findings indicated that hinoki cypress would not enhance forest nitrogen cycling through changes in leaf-litter nitrogen concentration after patch cutting.     

A viewpoint to apply water pricing to the Asian humid tropics

The OECD has introduced a water pricing mechanism and listed eight categories gleaned from experience in OECD countries. However, in the Asian humid tropics, it is too early to apply water pricing because there is seldom a concept of water right, or practical organization of water management. In almost all irrigation projects in Japan, area charge has been applied, and collected fees have recovered entire operation and maintenance costs. Although effective volumetric charge is employed in several regions in Japan, most farmers pay area-based annual charges at several times of the year via Land Improvement Districts. In the Asian humid tropics, it is important to facilitate the establishment of sound management organizations of irrigation water before introducing a strict water pricing mechanism to levy the charge.     

Growth and yield responses of upland NERICAs to variable water management under field conditions

This study aimed to investigate the possible causes for inconsistent performances of upland New Rice for Africa (NERICA) varieties in uplands and lowlands, while identifying important determinants in grain yield under deficient soil moisture. We compared the growth and yield of NERICA 1 and NERICA 5 to those of Yumenohatamochi, a Japanese upland variety, and Hinohikari, a Japanese lowland variety, subjected to different water management regimes (continually flooded, supplementary irrigation, and non-irrigation). Under conditions of deficient soil moisture, panicle number per square meter, spikelet number per panicle, and 1000-grain weight of NERICAs decreased, whereas the panicle number of the Japanese varieties experienced little change. In contrast, the grain filling ratio was unaffected by water management, irrespective of variety. The primary source of yield reduction under low soil water conditions was a decrease in spikelet number per panicle, and water stress intensity was the primary factor for the degree of this reduction. Variation in the abortion of secondary rachis-branches caused differences between NERICAs in their spikelet number response to soil moisture deficiency. The inconsistency in NERICA performance across uplands vs. lowlands can be partially attributed to variation in yield response to low soil water conditions. Moreover, water stress intensity and the presence of a water gradient along the vertical soil profile may combine to affect the fluctuation in NERICA performance under upland conditions.     

Oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroidal materials returned from Itokawa by the Hayabusa mission

Meteorite studies suggest that each solar system object has a unique oxygen isotopic composition. Chondrites, the most primitive of meteorites, have been believed to be derived from asteroids, but oxygen isotopic compositions of asteroids themselves have not been established. We measured, using secondary ion mass spectrometry, oxygen isotopic compositions of rock particles from asteroid 25143 Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft. Compositions of the particles are depleted in (16)O relative to terrestrial materials and indicate that Itokawa, an S-type asteroid, is one of the sources of the LL or L group of equilibrated ordinary chondrites. This is a direct oxygen-isotope link between chondrites and their parent asteroid.     

不同施氮量对甜椒碳、氮营养分配的影响

 通过水培试验，利用 N和”C双示踪技术研究了不同施氮量对甜椒结果期碳、氮营养分配的影响 结果表明：结果前期吸收的 N在低氮(NO3一N 2．5 mol·L～，NH4+一N 0．25 mol·L )营养处理下分配于果实中的比率高于中氮(NO；一N 5．0 mol·L～，NH —N 0．5 mol·L )和高氮(NO；一N 11．0 mol‘L～，NH4+一N 1．0 mol·L )营养处理。氮水平制约着 N在各器官中的分配和再运转，很少影响”C在器官间的分配，但却制约着”C的运转和再分配，表现为中氮营养最有利于 C向果实中的再运转。碳氮营养平衡有利于碳素向生殖器官的运转和积累，这是低氮营养产量前高后低，高氮营养产量前低后高，中氮营养前后期产量均较高的根本原因。