Sequential Leaching of Volcanic Soil to Determine Plant-Available Cations and the Provence of Soil Minerals Using Sr Isotopes

Sequential leaching experiments using H₂O, H₂O₂, NH₄Cl, and HCl were performed on surface soils on an andesite substrate at four sites in the Kawakami mountainous area, central Japan. The solutions extracted from the dehydrated soil by H₂O, H₂O₂, and NH₄Cl have relatively constant ratios with respect to Ca, Mg, and Sr, while they have variable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios depending on the site. The elemental ratios and Sr isotopes in the extracted solution are different from those of the soil minerals but identical to those of the soil solution and the plants. Sr isotopic data indicate that the residues after extraction from fine-grained minerals by NH₄Cl and HCl are a mixture of acid-resistant minerals derived from bedrock and from arid areas in China. We suggest that there is a vital exchange of Sr and other cations between plants and the soil pool of exchangeable cations through the soil solution, while soil minerals, except chlorite, do not participate in the exchange reaction.     

Harpinpsta from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci Is Defective and Deficient in Its Expression and HR-inducing Activity

To elucidate the role of harpins produced by Pseudomonas syringae, the corresponding hrpZ gene was isolated from P. s. pv. tabaci. The sequence information revealed that this gene carries a serious mutation with 326 bp lacking in the central region and potentially encodes only 140 N-terminal amino acids because of a frame shift. The investigation of biological properties using recombinant harpin indicated harpin_psta was incapable of inducing HR in both host and nonhost plants. Based on an immunoblot analysis to detect harpin from P. s. pathovars in hrp-inducing medium, the truncated harpin_psta was neither expressed nor secreted into the culture medium. These results suggest that harpin is not the sole determinant of the host-parasite specificity in P. s. pv. tabaci. Received 10 August 2000/ Accepted in revised form 21 December 2000     

Vapor phase reaction of wood with maleic anhydride (I): dimensional stability and durability of treated wood

Reaction between maleic anhydride (MA) and wood specimens was carried out in a vapor phase reaction system. Reaction conditions such as the ratio of supplied MA to wood, initial moisture content, and reaction temperature were optimized. The MA supplied to the reaction system was effectively absorbed by the wood, and a satisfactorily high dimensional stability was achieved even at a low MA/wood ratio. The dimensional stability increased with rising initial moisture content. When the reaction was conducted at an elevated temperature (180°C), high dimensional stability was attained without remarkable weight increase and bulking. The mechanism of dimensional stabilization was discussed on the basis of the dimensional changes at high humidity and during repeated water soaking and drying. It was shown that the dimensional stabilization arises mainly from a decrease of hygroscopicity. When the reaction was conducted at 180°C, the formation of cross-links in the cell wall was apparent. Following the MA treatment, the antifungal property was remarkably enhanced and met the Japanese Industrial Standard K1571. Therefore, MA treatment in the vapor phase is an effective method to attain antifungal properties as well as high dimensional stability with a small amount of nontoxic reagent.     

A case of glomus tumor in a dog

A subcutaneous mass at the digit of the left-hind limb of a 12-year-old, male mongrel dog was examined. A white firm mass, approximately 1 x 2 cm in diameter, was excided surgically. Histopathologically, the mass formed multiple nodules consisting of mixed proliferation of round epithelioid cells arranged in cord or sheet-like structures and small spindle cells forming loose irregular bundles. The epithelioid cells often showed proliferation around the blood vessels. A few giant cells scattering in the neoplastic foci were observed. The neoplastic cells were positive for alpha-smooth muscle actin and vimentin, and were negative for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3), desmin, factor-VIII related antigen, S-100 protein, and neuron specific enolase. On the basis of these findings, this tumor was diagnosed as glomus tumor. Since the present neoplasm had neither recurrence nor distal metastasis during the 12 month after surgical resection, the biological natures of the present neoplasm are supposed to be benign.     

Horizontal distribution and seasonal variability of the epipelagic chaetognath Sagitta elegans in relation to hydrography in the western subarctic Pacific Ocean

The spatial distribution and seasonal variability of epipelagic chaetognaths along the Kurile Islands and off south-east Hokkaido, in the western subarctic Pacific Ocean. were investigated during the period from May 1990 to October 1992. Sagitta elegans was the dominant species among the epipelagic chaetognaths in the study area. Juvenile S. elegans were distributed mainly along the path of the mixed water which was determined by the acceleration potential anomaly (APA) at the iso-pycnal density surface of 26.6 σθ. The location of the path of The mixed water meandered around cyclonic and anticyclonic eddies. Catches of S. elegans were made at temperatures ranging from 4.5 to 22.2C. The juvenile distribution, however, was mostly restricted to between 1 and 4C of the potential temperature determined at the isopycnal density surface of 26.6 σθ. Variability in the juvenile abundance within the path of the mixed water could be caused by predation rather than by food limitation because microzooplankton, which are known to he prey for juveniles, were abundant enough to meet the food requirements of juveniles in the study area. Adults occurred in spring (April-May) and young individuals (juvenile and stage 1) were abundant in summer (June-July), when a strong thermocline developed. The main spawning period appears to be during April-May, with a possible second spawning period in the autumn.     

Variability in timing and magnitude of spring bloom in the Oyashio region, the western subarctic Pacific off Hokkaido, Japan

The spring bloom of phytoplankton is a well-established, regular, seasonal event in the western subarctic Pacific and is considered one of the most important conditions of massive production of pelagic fishes. A series of 12 cruises was conducted from 1990 to 1992 to examine the timing and magnitude of the spring phytoplankton bloom in the Oyashio region, the western subarctic Pacific off Hokkaido, Japan. An interannual variability in the bloom events was also analysed. On the basis of hydrographical characteristics, the study area was divided into three water masses: the Oyashio Water Mass, the Mixed Water Mass, and the Coastal Water Mass. Spring blooms were observed first in April in the Oyashio and the Coastal Water Masses, and continued to May in 1991 and 1992. However, no bloom was recorded in the Mixed Water Mass. High nutrient supply into the surface mixed layer during winter is likely to be one of the factors supporting an intense spring bloom in the Oyashio Water Mass. A significant positive relationship between log-transformed surface chlorophyll a concentration and maximum density gradient (MDG) within the euphotic layer was obtained in April, indicating the importance of vertical stability of the water column in the initiation of spring blooms in the Oyashio and the Coastal Water Masses. The spring blooms in 1991 were much more extensive and lasted longer than in 1990. It is suggested that meteorological conditions and abundance of grazers were responsible for this interannual difference.     

Establishment of an Invasive Prostate Cancer Model in Transgenic Rats by Intermittent Testosterone Administration

We have established a transgenic rat for adenocarcinoma of the prostate (TRAP) model that features uniform adenocarcinoma development in prostatic lobes at high incidence within a short experimental period. However, no invasive carcinomas with reactive stroma characteristics similar to those in man were observed. We therefore have focused on a new model for invasive carcinoma of the prostate using TRAP rats. In experiment 1, male TRAP rats in groups 1 and 2 were treated with orchiectomy at day 0 of the experiment. Rats in groups 1–3 underwent testosterone propionate (TP) implantation from weeks 1 to 4 and from weeks 6 to 16. Rats in groups 1 and 3 were given 3,2’-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenyl (DMAB) after TP implantation. The rats of group 4 served as controls. In experiment 2, the rats were divided into three groups, none of which received DMAB or orchiectomy, treated with TP continuously or with the treatment withdrawn once or twice. In experiment 1, invasive adenocarcinomas with abundant collagenous stroma were found in the dorsolateral and anterior prostate, some of which showed perineural space invasion at week 16. The number of invasive carcinoma foci was most frequent in group 3. In experiment 2, invasive adenocarcinoma development in the lateral prostates was correlated with the number of TP administration/withdrawal cycles. In conclusion, our newly established rat model for invasive adenocarcinoma of the prostate could serve as a useful preclinical model for evaluating the in vivo efficacy of preventive and therapeutic agents targeting of the tumor microenvironment.