Dietary apigenin suppresses IgE and inflammatory cytokines production in C57BL/6N mice

Flavonoids ubiquitously exist in plants, vegetables, fruits, and teas. We evaluated the effect of dietary apigenin, one of the well-known flavonoids, on the immune system in C57BL/6N mice. Mice were fed experimental diets containing apigenin for 2 weeks. After the experimental period, there was no significant difference in body and organ weights between the control and the apigenin group. The total immunoglobulin (Ig) E levels in mice fed apigenin were significantly suppressed, whereas levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA were not affected. We also examined the effect of the apigenin diet on cytokine expression in mice sera using a cytokine array. The production of regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor I (sTNFRI) in mice sera was down-regulated by the apigenin diet. These results suggest that a diet containing apigenin can reduce serum IgE and inflammatory cytokines such as RANTES and sTNFRI in mice.     

A plant vacuolar protease, VPE, mediates virus-induced hypersensitive cell death

Programmed cell death (PCD) in animals depends on caspase protease activity. Plants also exhibit PCD, for example as a response to pathogens, although a plant caspase remains elusive. Here we show that vacuolar processing enzyme (VPE) is a protease essential for a virus-induced hypersensitive response that involves PCD. VPE deficiency prevented virus-induced hypersensitive cell death in tobacco plants. VPE is structurally unrelated to caspases, although VPE has a caspase-1 activity. Thus, plants have evolved a regulated cellular suicide strategy that, unlike PCD of animals, is mediated by VPE and the cellular vacuole.     

Synthesis,insecticidal activity and pyrethroidal mode of action of new tin ether derivatives

A novel range of trimethylstanniomethyl ethers of well known pyrethroid alcohols were synthesised, and their insecticidal activities and modes of action as insecticides were investigated. Among them, ethers from three types of alcohol (3-phenoxybenzyl, 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzyl and 6-phenoxy-2-pyridylmethyl) showed remarkable insecticidal activities against rice stem borers, houseflies and German cockroaches. According to electrophysiological studies on the abdominal nerve cords of German cockroaches, trimethylstanniomethyl 6-phenoxy-2-pyridylmethyl ether induced a rapid decline in spontaneous firing similar to that from tetramethrin. However, insecticidal trimethyltin chloride caused an entirely different response. These observations suggest that the present tin ether derivatives resemble pyrethroids, rather than the insecticidal tin compounds known so far.     

Development of the Cardiac Conducting System in the Chick Embryo

Chick embryos at 3 to 15 days of incubation were examined for the developmet and differentiation of the "four rings" of the heart. It was clarified that nodes and bundles of the impulse conducting system in the adult chicken were derived from these rings. This finding was very important for understanding the cardiac conducting system in birds and mammals.     

Synthesis and insecticidal activity of benzoheterocyclic analogues of N'-benzoyl-N-(tert-butyl)benzohydrazide: Part 3. Modification of N-tert-butylhydrazine moiety

Nineteen analogues were synthesized by modifying the tert-butylhydrazine moieties of N'-tert-butyl-N'-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-5-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxine-6-carbohydrazide and N'-tert-butyl-N'-(3,5-dimethylbenzoyl)-5-methylchromane-6-carbohydrazide (chromafenozide), and the synthesized analogues were evaluated for their insecticidal activity against Spodoptera litura F. While all of the synthesized analogues had insecticidal activity inferior to those of the lead compounds, several of the analogues nonetheless showed high insecticidal activity. Chromafenozide has shown very high selectivity toward lepidopteran species.     

Passive protection of dogs against clinical disease due to Canine parvovirus-2 by specific antibody from chicken egg yolk

The protective effect of immunoglobulins derived from chicken egg yolk (IgY) against infection by Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) was evaluated in 10 beagle dogs orally challenged with a strain of the virus. The 2-mo-old dogs were divided into 3 groups and treated with powders containing CPV-2 IgY or normal egg yolk for 7 d after the challenge. The 4 dogs receiving normal egg yolk (control group) demonstrated mild symptoms typical of CPV-2 infection, such as vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. No symptoms were observed by 16 d after challenge in the 3 dogs receiving 2 g of IgY powder. Of the 3 dogs receiving 0.5 g of IgY powder, 2 had clinical CPV-2 disease; however, the manifestations were less severe than in the control group. Furthermore, the IgY-treated groups had significantly greater weight gain and shorter duration of virus shedding than the control group. These results indicate that IgY is useful in protecting dogs from CPV-2-induced clinical disease.     

Optimal application timing of simeconazole granules for control of rice kernel smut and false smut

We investigated the optimal timing of simeconazole (RS-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)-3-trimethylsilylpropan-2-ol) application for controlling rice kernel smut in field trials in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, using formulations of simeconazole (1.5% granules). The field tests revealed that a submerged application of simeconazole granules (450–600 g ai/ha) at 1–5 weeks before heading was highly effective against kernel smut, with treatments 1–2 weeks before heading being the most effective. Submerged application of the fungicide at 2–5 weeks before heading was also highly effective against false smut, with treatment 3 weeks before heading being the most effective. These periods overlap the timing for optimal application of simeconazole to control rice sheath blight and ear blight. Consequently, we concluded that treatment with simeconazole 2–3 weeks before heading can be a useful tool for controlling all four diseases.     

The method for designing the profile of forest roads supported by genetic algorithm

This study examines a method for designing an optimum profile of a forest road in a short matter of time. In this method, a genetic algorithm (GA) searches for points where the gradient changes and dynamic programing (DP) designs the longitudinal slope. This method can be applied to the ground heights of an actual forest road. The evaluation function of the DP assesses the total expenditure. The inverse of this function is the fitness function. Crossover and mutation are operators of an evolution simulation of a GA. They are each repeated 20 times and 420 profiles are designed and assessed, all within about 10 min. A comparison of the profile designed by the GA with that of an actual forest road shows only one section where the formation level differed substantially. Overall, both profiles seem to show a high degree of correspondence. From this result, we believe that the profile designed by the GA is best, or the one of the best. A conventional method takes about 65 h to calculate all changing points of gradients. However, by using the GA, the calculation time was reduced to about 1/389 that of the coventional method, showing that the method which uses the GA through the profile design is very useful.     

中国竹子的种植前途

在过去,中国竹类资源主要被农户作为林副产品自用,很少与市场关联。近年来,由于谷物供应的过剩和农业环境的恶化,大家都在寻找既能够保护环境又能满足市场需求的替代作物。竹子紧密关联着农、林二业,完全有可能用以应对中国农业面临的新挑战。在有记载的534种中国竹子中,153种生产可食竹笋,其中56种为优秀种;139种竹子可用于木材生产,其中58种为优秀种;116种竹子可生产优质竹篾,其中22种为优秀种;88种竹子适用于公园种植,其中34种为优秀种;45种竹子可生产纸浆,其中18种为优秀种。图5附录5参32。     

Plantation future of bamboo in China

In the past, utilization of bamboo resources in China has been traditionally dominated by direct consumption of local farmers as minor forest products with weak linkage with market. In recent years, the over-supply of grains and rapid degradation of agricultural environment call for alternative crops that can be developed through integrating the environmental plantation with the market demands. Closely associated with forestry and agriculture, bamboo is able to deal with the new challenges which China‘s agriculture is facing. Of 534 documented bamboo species in China, 153 species produce edibleshoots and of which 56 species are recommended for agricultural plantation; 139 species provide timbers and of which 58 species recommended; 116 species can be splited as good strips for weaving and of which 22 species recommended; 88 species are considered as garden bamboos and of which 34 species recommended; 45 species are able to produce paper pulp and of which 18 species recommended.