High-Voltage Methods for Mushroom Fruit-Body Developments

High-voltage electrical stimulation is effective for promotion of fruit-body development in mushroom cultivation. The high voltage applying to cultivation bed of mushroom generates intense electric field inside the bed substrate. The intense electric field accelerates the hypha move owing to the electrostatic force. As a result, some parts of hyphae are cut and scratched. The cutting and scratching of hypha work as stimulation for promotion of the fruit-body development. The promotion effect of high-voltage stimulation to sawdust-based substrate of L. and natural logs hosting Lentinula edodes, Pholiota microspora and Hypholoma lateritium are confirmed through the experiment in the cultivation field. The fruit-body formation of mushrooms increases 1.3–2.0 times in terms of the total weight. The accumulated yield of L. edodes for four cultivation seasons is improved from 160 to 320 g by applying high voltage of 50 or 100 kV. However, the yield decreases from 320 to 240 g upon increasing applied voltage from 100 to 130 kV. The yield of the other types of mushrooms shows tendencies similar to those of L. edodes by applying high voltage. An optimal voltage exists for efficient fruiting body induction

Establishment of an animal model of a pasteurized bone graft, with a preliminary analysis of muscle coverage or FGF-2 administration to the graft

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pasteurized bone grafting is used following the excision of a bone tumor for the purpose of eliminating neoplastic cells while preserving bone-inducing ability. In the hopes of guaranteeing the most favourable results, the establishment of an animal model has been urgently awaited. In the course of establishing such a model, we made a preliminary examination of the effect of muscle coverage or fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) administration radiographically.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty pasteurized intercalary bone grafts of the Wistar rat femur treated at 60°C for 30 min were reimplanted and stabilized with an intramedullary nail (1.1 mm in diameter). Some grafts were not covered by muscle after the implantation, so that they could act as a clinical model for wide resection, and/or these were soaked with FGF-2 solution prior to implantation. The grafts were then divided into 3 groups, comprising 12 grafts with muscle-covering but without FGF-2 (MC+; FGF2-), 12 grafts without muscle-covering and without FGF-2 (MC-; FGF2-) and 16 grafts without muscle covering but with FGF-2 (MC-; FGF2+).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At 2 weeks after grafting, the pasteurized bone model seemed to be successful in terms of eliminating living cells, including osteocytes. At 4 weeks after grafting, partial bone incorporation was observed in half the (MC+; FGF2-) cases and in half the (MC-; FGF2+) cases, but not in any of the (MC-; FGF2-) cases. At 12 weeks after grafting, bone incorporation was seen in 3 out of 4 in the (MC+; FGF2-) group (3/4: 75%) and in 3 out of 8 in the (MC-; FGF2+) group (3/8: 38%). However, most of the grafted bones without FGF-2 were absorbed in all the cases, massively, regardless of whether there had been muscle-covering (MC+; FGF2-; 4/4: 100%) or no muscle-covering (MC-; FGF2-; 4/4: 100%), while bone absorption was noted at a lower frequency (2/8: 25%) and to a lower degree in the (MC-; FGF2+) group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, we have established an animal pasteurized bone graft model in rats. Pasteurized bone was able to maintain bone induction ability. Despite the low number of cases in each group, the results of each group suggest that muscle-covering has an effect on bone incorporation, but that it is not able to prevent bone absorption to the pasteurized bone. However, an application of FGF-2 may have a positive effect on bone incorporation and may be able to prevent bone absorption of the graft in cases of pasteurized bone graft.</p

Nutritional Intake and Longevity -International Comparative Study-

We tried to make the relation between the state of nutritional intake and the life span of human beings clear by comparing them internationally. 1. Observing the correlation of nutrition and life span of both advanced and the other nations, the tendency is almost the same with that of the middle and low developed nations. It can be concluded that in any case the more the nutritional intake is, the more favorable influence is given upon the life span. Examining only about the advanced nations, however, it resulted that the correlations of the both are either very low or opposite to each other. It can be said that the people taking so much nutrition are having a bad influence upon the life span and death. It is especially true with the animal origin calorie and fats and oils. 2. Generally speaking, the influence of nutritional intakes upon the life span seems to change from the better or the worse at the following points. As for the total calorie it changes somewhere around 3000 kcal per capita a day, 35-40 % for the ratio of animal origin calorie, around 90g for protein, 50-60g for fats and oils. 3. Observing the relation between the two in the yearly transition of 7 nations, the intakes of total calorie, the ratio of animal origin calorie, protein, fats and oils, meat and eggs pararelled well especially with arteriosclerotic and degenerative heart diseases both in ranking by each nation and in yearly transition. Especially with intake of meat, it traces the most alike excess of ranking

Effects of Fipronil on Non-target Ants and Other Invertebrates in a Program for Eradication of the Argentine Ant, Linepithema humile

Pesticides are frequently used to eradicate invasive ant species, but pose ecological harm. Previous studies assessed non-target effects only in terms of the increase or decrease of abundance or species richness after pesticide applications. Positive effects of the release from pressure caused by invasive ant species have not been considered so far. To more accurately assess pesticide effects in the field, the non-target effects of pesticides should be considered separately from the positive effects of such releases. Here, we used monitoring data of ants and other invertebrates collected in a program for the eradication of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), using fipronil. First, we separately assessed the effects of L. humile abundance and fipronil exposure on non-target ants and other invertebrates using generalized linear models. The abundance of L. humile and the number of pesticide treatments were negatively associated with the total number of non-target individuals and taxonomic richness. We also noted negative relationships between the number of individuals of some ant species and other invertebrate taxonomic groups. The L. humile × pesticide interaction was significant, suggesting that the abundance of L. humile affected the level of impact of pesticide treatment on non-target fauna. Second, we evaluated the dynamics of non-target ant communities for 3 years using principal response curve analyses. Non-target ant communities treated with fipronil continuously for 3 years recovered little, whereas those treated for 1 year recovered to the level of the untreated and non-invaded environment