Transmission of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid</Emphasis> by bumblebees (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus ignitus</Emphasis>) in tomato plants

Quantitative PCR revealed that Tomato chlorotic dwarf viroid (TCDVd) was present in substantial amounts in viroid-infected tomato flowers. Healthy tomato plants were arranged in two different glasshouses, and plants were mechanically inoculated with TCDVd. Bumblebees (Bombus ignitus) were then introduced into the glasshouses to reveal whether the viroid was transmitted from infected source plants to neighbouring healthy plants. TCDVd infection was found in neighbouring tomato plants more than 1 month after the introduction of the bees, some of which expressed symptoms, in both glasshouses. Thus, bumblebees transmitted TCDVd from tomato to tomato by pollination activities.     

Effects of high-K+, Na+-deficient solution on contractility of the smooth muscles of the bovine trachea

A high-K+, Na+-deficient (I-154 K+) solution induced contraction followed by gradual relaxation of the smooth muscles of the bovine trachea, while hyperosmotic addition of 65 mM KCl induced a large sustained contraction. Exposure of the muscle to the I-154 K+ solution induced an increase in the ratio of cellular water content and a sustained increase in oxidized flavoprotein fluorescence or reduced pyridine nucleotide fluorescence. The I-154 K+ solution also induced a sustained increase in [Ca2+]i level. Decreases in developed tension and increases in cellular water content were both prevented by the addition of sucrose or NaCl but not pyruvate. Substitution of KI for KCl in the I-154 K+ solution produced a greater inhibition of contraction, while substitution with K-propionate produced no inhibition of contraction. Moreover, decreases in developed tension and increases in cellular water content were both prevented by addition of 100 microM 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulphonic acid (DIDS), but not 10 microM bumetanide or 1 mM acetazolamide. In conclusion, I-154 K+ solution induced-relaxation in the bovine trachea may be due to swelling of smooth muscle cells and the mechanism of swelling is probably involved in DIDS-sensitive anion movement.     

大米蛋白水平对成熟期大鼠体质量及体脂水平的影响

选用蛋白水平(CP)为7%及14%的大米蛋白(R-7,R-14)及酪蛋白(C-7,C-14)喂养20周龄雄性Wistar大鼠2周后,进行大鼠体质量变化、腹腔贮脂水平、血浆总胆固醇、血浆高密度胆固醇、血浆甘油三酯及肝脏胆固醇、甘油三酯含量的测定。与C-7组相比,R-7组大鼠体质量、生长效率、贮藏脂肪含量、血脂及肝脂水平无显著差异。在高蛋白水平(14%)下,R-14组大鼠体质量总增加量、腹腔贮脂水平均低于C-14组,但各组间无显著差异;对比C-14,R-14显著降低了成熟期大鼠血浆总胆固醇、血浆非高密度胆固醇、血浆甘油三酯水平及动脉硬化指数,并且显著降低了肝脏胆固醇及甘油三酯含量。结果表明,蛋白水平是大米蛋白调控体质量及体脂水平主要影响因素之一。随着蛋白水平的增加(7%~14%),大米蛋白能够降低体质量增加量及腹腔贮脂水平,并显著降低成熟期大鼠血浆及肝脏脂质含量,提示大米蛋白潜在的抗肥胖功能与其蛋白水平密切相关。     

Experimental infection of pigs with different doses of the African swine fever virus Armenia 07 strain by intramuscular injection and direct contact

We experimentally infected pigs with the African swine fever virus (ASFV) Armenia 07 strain (genotype II) to analyze the effect of different dose injections on clinical manifestations, virus-shedding patterns, histopathology, and transmission dynamics by direct contact. Each three pigs and four pigs were injected intramuscularly with 0.1 fifty percent hemadsorbing doses (HAD₅₀)/ml, 10¹ HAD₅₀/ml and 10⁶ HAD₅₀/ml of ASFV Armenia 07 strain, respectively. Each two of three pigs injected with 0.1 HAD₅₀/ml and 10¹ HAD₅₀/ml died by 10 days post inoculation. All pigs had a gross lesion of splenomegaly. Perigastric and renal lymph nodes were enlarged and resembled blood clots in nine of ten pigs. It was revealed that 0.1 HAD₅₀/ml of this ASFV was sufficient to infect healthy pigs by intramuscular injection and caused sub-acute lethal disease. For the transmission study, two 8-week-old pigs were injected intramuscularly with 10³ HAD₅₀/ml of the same virus. Each of the experimentally inoculated pigs was co-housed with two 8-week-old naive pigs. All contact pigs exhibited clinical manifestations at 6 or 7 days after the experimentally inoculated pigs developed pyrexia. These findings suggest that this strain may spread slowly within a herd. Histologically, lymph nodes resembled blood clots were formed by severe blood absorption and followed hemorrhage result of disruption of the lymphoid sinus filling with absorbed red blood cells. The severity of the gross and histological lesions depended on duration after infection, regardless of the difference of injection doses in this study.     

Practicable group testing method to evaluate weight/weight GMO content in maize grains

Because of the increasing use of maize hybrids with genetically modified (GM) stacked events, the established and commonly used bulk sample methods for PCR quantification of GM maize in non-GM maize are prone to overestimate the GM organism (GMO) content, compared to the actual weight/weight percentage of GM maize in the grain sample. As an alternative method, we designed and assessed a group testing strategy in which the GMO content is statistically evaluated based on qualitative analyses of multiple small pools, consisting of 20 maize kernels each. This approach enables the GMO content evaluation on a weight/weight basis, irrespective of the presence of stacked-event kernels. To enhance the method's user-friendliness in routine application, we devised an easy-to-use PCR-based qualitative analytical method comprising a sample preparation step in which 20 maize kernels are ground in a lysis buffer and a subsequent PCR assay in which the lysate is directly used as a DNA template. This method was validated in a multilaboratory collaborative trial.     

Antigenic variation and resistance to neutralization in poliovirus type 1

Mutations have been identified in variants of poliovirus, type 1 (Mahoney) on the basis of their resistance to neutralization by individual monoclonal antibodies. The phenotypes of these variants were defined in terms of antibody binding; the pattern of epitopes expressed or able to be exploited for neutralization were complex. Single amino acid changes can have distant (in terms of linear sequence) and generalized effects on the antigenic structure of poliovirus and similarly constituted virions.     

Three-dimensional underwater shape measurement of tuna longline using ultrasonic positioning system and ORBCOMM buoy

ABSTRACT:   The installation depth of the hook in longline fishing gear has previously been measured with micro depth loggers. Research that assumes the catenary shape of longline fishing gear by a simulation based on these data has been done. However, it was not known whether the branch line was tangled with the main line or flowed with the current. In this research, an ultrasonic positioning system generally used to investigate the underwater behavior of marine organisms, and a buoy with a communications satellite, have been used, and the 3-dimensional underwater shape of tuna longline fishing gear was measured. It was possible to monitor changes in fishing gear in real time. The possibility of high precision measurement was suggested with future technical improvement.     

Dataset of CarboEastAsia and uncertainties in the CO2 budget evaluation caused by different data processing

The datasets of net ecosystem CO₂ exchange (NEE) were acquired from 21 forests, 3 grasslands, and 3 croplands in the eastern part of Asia based on the eddy covariance measurements of the international joint program, CarboEastAsia. The program was conducted by three networks in Asia, ChinaFLUX, JapanFlux, and KoFlux, to quantify, synthesize, and understand the carbon budget of the eastern part of Asia. An intercomparison was conducted for NEE estimated by three gap-filling procedures adopted by ChinaFLUX, JapanFlux, and KoFlux to test the range of uncertainty in the estimation of NEE. The overall comparison indicated good agreement among the procedures in the seasonal patterns of NEE, although a bias was observed in dormant seasons depending on the different criteria of data screening. Based on the gap-filled datasets, the magnitude and seasonality of the carbon budget were compared among various biome types, phenology, and stress conditions throughout Asia. The annual values of gross primary production and ecosystem respiration were almost proportional to the annual air temperature. Forest management, including clear-cutting, plantation, and artificial drainage, was significant and obviously affected the annual carbon uptake within the forests. Agricultural management resulted in notable seasonal patterns in the crop sites. The dataset obtained from a variety of biome types would be an essential source of knowledge for ecosystem science as well as a valuable validation dataset for modeling and remote sensing to upscale the carbon budget estimations in Asia.     

A neuroendocrine carcinoma of undetermined origin in a dog

In this report, we describe a case of neuroendocrine carcinoma of undetermined origin in a dog. Necropsy revealed scattered small neoplastic nodules in the bilateral lungs and a small nodule in the parapancreatic lymph node. Histopathologically, both pulmonary and lymph nodal nodules showed a similar histologic pattern, with neoplastic cells being arranged in diffusely proliferating sheet-like cellular nests separated by variable amounts of fibrous septa, sometimes forming rosettes and duct-like structures. Scattered small necrotic foci and invasion to fibrous septa were typically observed. Neoplastic cells showed round to oval-shaped nuclei with prominent nucleoli and abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm that were positive for Grimelius' silver impregnation staining and immunostaining with cytokeratin, synaptophysin, vasoactive intestinal peptide and chromogranin A, indicative of the development of a neuroendocrine carcinoma. However, judging from the distribution of tumors lacking the portion suggestive of the primary site in any organ examined, as well as no further indication of differentiation potential of neoplastic cells, this tumor has so far been diagnosed as neuroendocrine carcinoma of undetermined origin.