Feasibility of soil washing agents to remove fluoride and risk assessment of fluoride-contaminated soils

Journal of Soils and Sediments - The objectives of this study are to find the most suitable soil washing agent and the optimal concentration for fluoride removal and to further provide insights...     

Synthesis and application of o,o′-dihydroxyazo dyes and their metal complexes

This paper presents the synthesis of metal complex acid dyes obtained from the reaction of o,o′-dihydroxyazo dyes and chromium and cobalt sulfate. The ¹H-NMR, FT-IR and UV/Visible Spectrophotometer, TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) and ICP (Ion Chromatography) of the intermediates and the metal complexes were studied and compared. Their properties such as dyeing, fastness and toxicity on nylon were also assessed according to standard methods.     

Repellency of Cinnamomum cassia bark compounds and cream containing cassia oil to Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) under laboratory and indoor conditions

Patch and skin bioassays were used in laboratory and indoor tests to evaluate the repellency of (E)-cinnamaldehyde, identified in Cinnamomum cassia Blume bark and essential oil, and a cream containing 5% (w/w) cassia oil against Aedes aegypti (L.) females. Results were compared with those of a known C. cassia compound cinnamyl alcohol, N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) and two commercial repellents: MeiMei cream containing citronella and geranium oils and Repellan S aerosol containing 19% DEET. In patch bioassay tests with A. aegypti females, (E)-cinnamaldehyde at 0.153 mg cm(-2) and DEET at 0.051 mg cm(-2) provided 93 and 89% protection at 40 min after exposure. In skin bioassay tests, (E)-cinnamaldehyde at 0.051 mg cm(-2) and DEET at 0.025 mg cm(-2) provided 87 and 95% protection at 30 min after application. (E)-Cinnamaldehyde was significantly more effective than cinnamyl alcohol in both bioassays. In indoor tests with four human volunteers, 5% cassia oil cream provided 94, 83 and 61% protection against A. aegypti females exposed for 30, 50 and 70 min after application respectively. Cassia oil cream was a slightly less effective repellent than MeiMei cream. Repellan S aerosol provided 91% repellency at 120 min after application. Products containing cassia oil merit further study as potential repellents for the protection of humans and domestic animals from blood-feeding vectors and the diseases they transmit.     

Molecular mapping of a new gene for resistance to rice blast (Pyricularia grisea Sacc.)

A single dominant blast resistance gene conferring resistance to a Korean rice blast isolate was identified in rice variety `Suweon 365'. We report the chromosomal localization and molecular mapping of this blast resistance gene designated as Pi-18, which confers resistance to Korean isolate `KI-313' of the blast pathogen. To know whether there is a relationship among genes conditioning resistance to location-specific isolates of the blast pathogen and thereby to identify linked markers to resistance gene for isolate KI-313 collected in Korea, RFLP markers previously reported to be linked to major blast resistance genes in different rice germplasm and other markers mapped to nearby regions were surveyed for polymorphism between a resistant (`Suweon 365') and a susceptible (`Chucheongbyeo') parent. Linkage associations of the RFLP markers with the resistance gene were verified using an F2 and F3 segregating population of known blast reaction. RFLP analysis showed that Pi-18 was located near the end of chromosome 11, linked to a single copy clone RZ536 at a distance of 5.4 centiMorgans (cM) and that this gene was different from Pi-1(t). An allelism test revealed that this gene was also different from Pi-k. Currently, a combination of RAPD and microsatellite primers is being employed to find additional markers in this region. Tightly linked DNA markers will facilitate selection for resistant genotypes in breeding programs and provide the basis for map based cloning of this new blast resistance gene. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of road transportation on metabolic and immunological responses in Holstein heifers

This study examined the effects of road transportation on metabolic and immunological responses in dairy heifers. Twenty Holstein heifers in early pregnancy were divided into non‐transported (NT; n = 7) and transported (T; n = 13) groups. Blood was collected before transportation (BT), immediately after transportation for 100 km (T1) and 200 km (T2), and 24 h after transportation (AT). The T heifers had higher (P < 0.05) blood cortisol and non‐esterified fatty acid concentrations after T1 and T2 than did NT heifers. By contrast, the T heifers had lower (P < 0.05) serum triglyceride concentrations after T1 and T2 than had the NT heifers. The serum cortisol and triglyceride concentrations returned (P > 0.05) to the BT concentrations at 24 h AT in the T heifers. The granulocyte‐to‐lymphocyte ratio and the percentage of monocytes were higher (P < 0.05) after T2 in the T heifers than in the NT heifers, suggesting that transportation stress increased the numbers of innate immune cells. T heifers had higher (P < 0.01) plasma haptoglobin concentrations than NT heifers 24 h AT. In conclusion, transportation increased cortisol secretion and was correlated with increased metabolic responses and up‐regulation of peripheral innate immune cells in dairy heifers.     

Protective and therapeutic effects of an extract mixture of alder tree, labiate herb, milk thistle green bean-rice bran fermentation, and turnip against ethanol-induced toxicity in the rat

An herbal extract mixture and yogurt added to the herbal extract mixture were tested for their protective and therapeutic effects on ethanol-induced liver injury. The herbal extract mixture, yogurt and commercial drugs were used for treatment for two weeks prior to administering a single oral dose of ethanol (3 g/kg body weight). The herbal extract mixture and yogurt added to the herbal extract mixture were found to provide protection against ethanol-induced toxicity comparable to the commercial drug treatment, according to the serum and histopathological analysis. It was also shown that co-treatment with herbal extract mixture and yogurt against a triple oral dose of ethanol (2 g/kg body weight, over one week) provided protection against ethanol toxicity. After the initial set of experiments, the herbal extract mixture and yogurt treatments were extended for three more weeks. When compared to the positive control, further treatment with both the herbal extract and yogurt significantly reduced liver injury and resulted in a lower grade of lipid deposition.     

Generation of RUNX3 knockout pigs using CRISPR/Cas9‐mediated gene targeting

Pigs are an attractive animal model to study the progression of cancer because of their anatomical and physiological similarities to human. However, the use of pig models for cancer research has been limited by availability of genetically engineered pigs which can recapitulate human cancer progression. Utilizing genome editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 system allows us to generate genetically engineered pigs at a higher efficiency. In this study, specific CRISPR/Cas9 systems were used to target RUNX3, a known tumour suppressor gene, to generate a pig model that can induce gastric cancer in human. First, RUNX3 knockout cell lines carrying genetic modification (monoallelic or biallelic) of RUNX3 were generated by introducing engineered CRISPR/Cas9 system specific to RUNX3 into foetal fibroblast cells. Then, the genetically modified foetal fibroblast cells were used as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer, followed by embryo transfer. We successfully obtained four live RUNX3 knockout piglets from two surrogates. The piglets showed the lack of RUNX3 protein in their internal organ system. Our results demonstrate that the CRISPR/Cas9 system is effective in inducing mutations on a specific locus of genome and the RUNX3 knockout pigs can be useful resources for human cancer research and to develop novel cancer therapies.     

Biological evaluation of neopeptins isolated from a Streptomyces strain

BACKGROUND: Microbial secondary metabolites are a rich source of antifungal agents and have merit as alternatives to synthetic fungicides. To develop disease control agents against powdery mildew, the lipopeptide antibiotic neopeptins were identified from the culture broth of a Streptomyces sp., and in vivo control efficacy of the compounds was evaluated on cucumber plants under glasshouse conditions. RESULTS: The Streptomyces sp. KNF2047 antagonistic against powdery mildew development in cucumber plants was isolated from a soil sample. Antifungal compounds were purified from the culture broth and identified as neopeptin A and B. In vitro microtitre assays revealed the inhibitory activities of the compounds in the range 128-512 microg mL(-1) against the mycelial growth of Alternaria mali, Botrytis cinerea, Cladosporium cucumerinum, Colletotrichum lagenarium, Didimella bryoniae and Magnaporthe grisea. Although neither compound showed remarkable in vitro antifungal activity against other plant pathogenic fungi, a mixture of neopeptins (484 mg of neopeptin A and 290 mg of neopeptin B per gram of partially purified powder) showed potent protective and curative activity against cucumber powdery mildew in vivo. The disease control activity of the neopeptins at a concentration of 2.4 mg L(-1) was 92.1%, which was similar to that of the commercial fungicide fenarimol (89.3% at 63 mg L(-1)) and that of the commercial biocontrol agent Actinovate (67.4% at 2 x 10(7) cfu L(-1)). CONCLUSION: Neopeptin mixtures isolated from Streptomyces sp. KNF2047 showed potent disease control activity against powdery mildew development on cucumber plants. .     

Activation of Akt/protein kinase B mediates the protective effects of mechanical stretching against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

Akt/protein kinase B is a well-known cell survival factor and activated by many stimuli including mechanical stretching. Therefore, we evaluated the cardioprotective effect of a brief mechanical stretching of rat hearts and determined whether activation of Akt through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is involved in stretch-induced cardioprotection (SIC). Stretch preconditioning reduced infarct size and improved post-ischemic cardiac function compared to the control group. Phosphorylation of Akt and its downstream substrate, GSK-3β, was increased by mechanical stretching and completely blocked by wortmannin, a PI3K inhibitor. Treatment with lithium or SB216763 (GSK-3β inhibitors) before ischemia induction mimicked the protective effects of SIC on rat heart. Gadolinium (Gd³⁺), a blocker of stretch-activated ion channels (SACs), inhibited the stretch-induced phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β. Furthermore, SIC was abrogated by wortmannin and Gd³⁺. In vivo stretching induced by an aorto-caval shunt increased Akt phosphorylation and reduced myocardial infarction; these effects were diminished by wortmannin and Gd³⁺ pretreatment. Our results showed that mechanical stretching can provide cardioprotection against ischemia-reperfusion injury. Additionally, the activation of Akt, which might be regulated by SACs and the PI3K pathway, plays an important role in SIC.