The influence and impact of tsunamis on the microorganism assembly of Nagatsura-Ura Lagoon,Miyagi, northeastern Japan

Fisheries Science - Two sediment cores were collected from two sites in Nagatsura-Ura Lagoon, the mouth of which was destroyed in the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami. Although sediment conditions differed...     

Effects of food colorants on photooxidation of lipids added to Alaska pollack <Emphasis Type="Italic">Theragra chalcogramma</Emphasis> surimi

Food colorants including rose bengal, erythrosine B, phloxine B and cochineal extracts were added to Alaska pollack Theragra chalcogramma surimi which was previously added with methyl linoleate (MeLe) or ethyl eicosapentaenoate (EPA Et). All the surimi were exposed to a 100-watt light tungsten bulb (4500 lux) in a cold room at 5°C. Four isomeric hydroperoxides, including 13-cis, trans-, 13-trans, trans-, 9-trans,cis- and 9-trans,trans-MeLe hydroperoxides, were generated by oxidation of MeLe added to surimi with and without cochineal extracts after exposure to light for several hours. For the surimi containing rose bengal, erythrosine B and phloxine B, extracted lipids contained not only the above four hydroperoxide isomers but also 12-cis,trans-as well as 10-trans,cis- MeLe hydroperoxides. EPA Et added to surimi which contained rose bengal, erythrosine B and phloxine B generated characteristic isomeric hydroperoxides, including 6-cis,trans- and 17-cis,trans-EPA Et hydroperoxides due to ¹O₂ mediated oxidation. The pro-oxidative potentials of four food colorants in surimi against added EPA Et or MeLe increased as the order of cochineal extracts < phloxine B<erythrosine B<rose bengal. These results clearly demonstrated that the addition of certain food colorants to surimi accelerated ¹O₂ mediated lipid oxidation to result in the generation of characteristic hydroperoxide isomers.     

Acceleration of wound healing by gelatin film dressings with epidermal growth factor

We examined in vivo efficiency of a gelatin film sheet with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for a novel therapeutic device for cutaneous wound repair. NIH3T3 fibroblasts and PAM212 keratinocytes proliferated when the cells were incubated with the homogenate of EGF containing gelatin sheets, indicating that the gelatin sheet retained biologic activity of EGF in the process of sheet formation. To evaluate therapeutic effects, the EGF containing gelatin sheets or control sheets were applied onto partial-thickness skin wounds made on dorsa of hairless dogs. Wound closure in wounds treated with EGF containing gelatin sheets was accelerated when compared to that of wounds treated with control sheets, exhibiting earlier reepithelialization of the epidermis and highly regulated repair of extracellular matrix in the dermis. Therefore, we concluded that the gelatin film is a useful material to keep EGF stable and the EGF containing sheet has the ability to become an efficient therapeutic agent for superficial or deep partial-thickness wounds in the skin.     

MEASUREMENT OF INTERTHALAMIC ADHESION THICKNESS AS A CRITERIA FOR BRAIN ATROPHY IN DOGS WITH AND WITHOUT COGNITIVE DYSFUNCTION (DEMENTIA)

The criteria for brain atrophy in dogs have not yet been established, because of wide variation in the morphology of the ventricles and sulci of the brain depending on the breed and size. In this study, we examined the thickness of the interthalamic adhesion in a transverse magnetic resonance image to investigate normal, to examine the correlation with age, body weight, and breed, and to assess whether measurement would be a useful indicator of brain atrophy. The animals used in this study were of various breeds and weight, and had no identifiable intracranial lesion. They were divided into two groups: a normal group (0.6-15-year-old, n = 66) and a demented aging group (12-18-year-old, n = 12). The interthalamic adhesion thickness in both T1- and T2-weighted transverse images were measured in all dogs. The interthalamic adhesion thickness in the normal and demented groups was 6.79 +/- 0.70 and 3.82 +/- 0.79 mm, respectively. The interthalamic adhesion thickness in the demented group was significantly smaller. In an analysis of the correlation of interthalamic adhesion thickness with age and weight in normal dogs, significant negative and positive correlation was recognized, respectively. However, the strength of these correlations was low. These results suggest that interthalamic adhesion thickness may be a good parameter for evaluating brain atrophy in dogs with cognitive dysfunction.     

Effects of food and water withdrawal and high temperature exposure on diurnal variation in blood viscosity of broiler chickens

1. Three experiments were conducted to investigate the diurnal variation of blood viscosity in broilers. In experiment 1 food and water were supplied freely at 20C (20-FW). In experiment 2 food and water were withdrawn at 20C (20-NFW), while in experiment 3 food and water were withdrawn at 30C (30-NFW). 2. Blood sampling time points were 09.00 h, 15.00 h, 21.00 h, 03.00 h and 09.00 h the next day in each experiment. 3. In all experiments, whole blood viscosity (WBV), red blood cell count (RBC) and haematocrit (HCT) were greater during the dark (21.00 h and 03.00 h) than during the light period. During the dark period, there were no differences in WBV, RBC and HCT between 20-FW and 20-NFW, or between 20-NFW and 30-NFW. At 09.00 h, WBV and HCT were higher in 20-FW than in 20-NFW. At 15.00 h and 09.00 h (day 2), WBV and HCT were greater in 20-NFW than in 30-NFW. 4. There were no light-dark differences in plasma viscosity (PV), plasma protein concentration (PPC) or mean corpuscular volume (MCV) in any experiment. However, 20-NFW birds had a lower PPC and higher MCV compared with 20-FW, and a higher PPC and lower MCV compared with 30-NFW, while no difference was found in PV. 5. WBV increased linearly with RBC and HCT. PV increased with PPC, while MCV decreased. 6. These results indicate that there is diurnal variation in whole blood viscosity, which is greater during the dark than during the light period. During the light period it is strongly influenced by high environmental temperature and food and water withdrawal. C     

The ability of a carriages developed for a mobile tower yarder: A comparison of the hauling force and walking time in a line pulling out process

The ability of a newly developed carriage equipped with a remote control lock and self line extraction system manufactured by Oikawa motors Co., Ltd. was analyzed. The study investigated the reduction of the work load of the choker setter in the haul line-pulling out process of a cable logging system by a mobile tower yarder. The main objective was to compare the walking time, pulling out time, and the tension force using the three types of cable setting method, a running skyline with a simple carriage, a fixed skyline with a simple carriage and a fixed skyline with a newly developed carriage. The measuring of haul line pulling out was conducted on different slope gradients at different distances from the tower spar by four choker setters. The study showed that choker setters could reduce the force exerted by about 33%, and a decrease in the heart beat rate of 12%, when using the fixed skyline with the newly developed carriage as opposed to the running skyline with the simple carriage. The fixed skyline with the newly developed carriage resulted in more pulling speed than the running skyline with the simple carriage on the slope gradient of over 2° and the fixed skyline with simple carriage on the slope gradient of over 7°. With the newly developed carriage the pulling tension, time and heart rate are lower, when the haul line is pulled out. Thus it can be concluded that the new carriage is more productive than the simple carriage in the line pulling out process.     

Dental incremental lines in Sika deer (Cervus nippon); polarized light and fluorescence microscopy of ground sections

Periodic growth incremental lines are found universally in dental hard tissues. This periodicity theoretically allows for estimation of age, even in days, which would be useful in studies of wild animals. In the present study, enamel and dentin increments of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) were observed in ground sections with a polarized light microscope, and their periodicity was examined by the use of a chronological labeling method with fluorochromes. Enamel increments occurred at a mean interval of 10.6 (SD=1.5) microm, and mean spacing of dentin increments was 17.3 (SD=1.8) microm. Fluorochromic marking revealed that incremental lines form each day in enamel and almost every second day in dentin. The fluorescence-labeled lines suggest that enamel formation of the first molar is complete by the age of 5 months. Due to its longer interval of incremental lines and longer term of formation, we conclude that dentin is more suitable than enamel for day-age estimation in sika deer. Experimental confirmation of incremental growth periodicity in various species can improve the reliability of use of tooth increments for age estimation and life history reconstruction.     

Withdrawal of ovarian steroids stimulates prostaglandin F2alpha production through nuclear factor-kappaB activation via oxygen radicals in human endometrial stromal cells: potential relevance to menstruation

The present study was undertaken to investigate whether withdrawal of estrogen and progesterone (EP-withdrawal) stimulates prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) production through oxygen radical (ROS)-induced NF-kappaB activation in human endometrial stromal cells (ESC). To study the EP-withdrawal, ESC that had been treated with estradiol (E, 10(-8) M) and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA, 10(-6) M) for 12 days were then incubated with or without E+MPA for a further 11 days. PGF2alpha concentrations in the medium and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA levels were significantly increased after EP-withdrawal, while they were unchanged by the continuous treatment with E+MPA. When ESC were incubated with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (Nac, 50 mM), an antioxidant, during EP-withdrawal, Nac blocked the increases in PGF2alpha production and COX-2 mRNA expression caused by EP-withdrawal. Next, we examined whether ROS generated in response to EP-withdrawal acted through NF-kappaB activation. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that EP-withdrawal caused marked increases in NF-kappaB DNA binding activity, which was completely suppressed by Nac. Furthermore, when ESC were incubated with MG132 (3 microM), which inhibits NF-kappaB activation, during EP-withdrawal, MG132 blocked the increases in PGF2alpha production and COX-2 mRNA expression caused by EP-withdrawal. In conclusion, EP-withdrawal stimulates COX-2 expression and PGF2alpha production through ROS-induced NF-kappaB activation, suggesting a possible mechanism for menstruation.