Successful introduction of modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia in a bovine referral center

This study describes the successful use of modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia with a fixed volume of anesthetic in a bovine referral center. Among the 130 Holstein cattle scheduled for flank surgery, 90 cattle received a mixed anesthetic consisting of 1 ml of xylazine hydrochloride and 3 ml of lidocaine hydrochloride by modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia. Eighteen cattle with dehydration and/or lameness received a mixed anesthetic containing 0.5 ml of xylazine and 3 ml of lidocaine. Infiltration anesthesia was performed in 22 cattle whose epidural space could not be reached in order to perform the flank surgery. The surgeries began about 12 min after the administration of the anesthetic and lasted for about 36 min. The modified method using a fixed volume of anesthetic was successfully introduced and effectively used in a bovine referral center. This modified method will allow veterinarians to save time and effort, thus lowering the cost of each surgery

Potential of Genome-Wide Studies in Unrelated Plus Trees of a Coniferous Species, Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese Cedar)

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted on more than 30,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in unrelated first-generation plus tree genotypes from three populations of Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica D. Don with genomic prediction for traits of growth, wood properties and male fecundity. Among the assessed populations, genetic characteristics including the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and genetic structure differed and these differences are considered to be due to differences in genetic background. Through population-independent GWAS, several significant SNPs found close to the regions associated with each of these traits and shared in common across the populations were identified. The accuracies of genomic predictions were dependent on the traits and populations and reflected the genetic architecture of traits and genetic characteristics. Prediction accuracies using SNPs selected based on GWAS results were similar to those using all SNPs for several combinations of traits and populations. We discussed the application of genome-wide studies for C. japonica improvement

香気成分と組織構造の比較解析による乾燥スィートバジルの品質評価

金沢大学理工研究域自然システム学系生スィートバジルを乾燥する際に引き起こされる香りの変化を，香気成分バランスやスィートバジルの組織構造とそのレオロジー特性について，比較解析を行う事で，生スィートバジルの香りを維持する為に必要とされる因子の探索を行った．スィートバジルの香気寄与成分として特定したシネオール，リナロール，オイゲノール，オクタナール，1-オクタノール，(E)-2-ヘキセナール，(Z)-3-ヘキセノールの7種類の香気成分は官能評価の特徴を説明する因子となると考えられる．その中でも，生スィートバジルの香りを特徴づける因子としては，微量成分バランスが大きな役割を果たし，ハーブ自体には (E)-2ヘキセナールや (Z)-3-ヘキセノールが存在するが，それがハーブティーに溶出されずオクタナールが高い比率で溶出されることが重要であった．そのような性質を持つ組織構造は，葉内部の細胞壁の形状が乾燥工程を経ても維持されており，その状態は貯蔵弾性率の測定でも比較説明が可能であることが明らかになった．これらの結果により，ハーブの組織構造とハーブティーとして溶出される香気成分バランスに密接な関係がある可能性が示唆された．但し，今回確認された (E)-2-ヘキセナールや (Z)-3-ヘキセノールはみどりの香りと称される物質の1つである．これらの物質は植物中のリノレン酸や配糖体を前駆体として酵素が関与し発現するものであり12)，食品加工時に発生することも知られている14）～16) ．今後は配糖体量の変化と酵素の関係についても検討を行い，組織構造変化の香りに対する影響をより明確にしてゆく必要があると考える．しかしながら，細胞壁の損傷が少ない状態であった真空乾燥スィートバジルが生特有の香りを保持していたという事実から，乾燥工程を経ることで喫食時に感じる香りの違いは，単純な香気成分の増減という因子だけではなく，組織構造変化という因子からも説明できる可能性が示唆された．乾燥ハーブの香りに対する品質評価を行う上で，乾燥ハーブからハーブティーに抽出されてゆく香気成分のバランス変化や内部組織構造変化の比較といった多面的なアプローチは，今後の有効な評価手法の1つとなることが期待できる．A quality evaluation method for dried herbs was studied with sweet basil leaves (fresh, air-dried, freeze-dried and vacuum-dried sweet basil leaves) as herbal teas, involving hot-water extraction. Sensory evaluation revealed that the flavor of herbal tea with vacuum-dried sweet basil leaves was similar to that with fresh leaves. Seven odor-active compounds (cineole, linalool, eugenol, octanal, 1-octanol, (E)-2-hexenal and (Z)-3-hexenol) from herbal teas were identified by capillary gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry and olfactometry analysis, and it was considered that three compounds (octanal, (E)-2-hexenal and (Z)-3-hexenol) were key compounds for describing the results of sensory evaluation. The structure of dried sweet basil leaves with water-absorption and fresh leaves was observed by differential interference contact microscopy, and their rheological characteristics were measured for storage modulus. As a result, the characteristics of vacuum-dried sweet basil were similar to those of fresh basil. These results suggest that investigation of the aroma using hot-water extraction, tissue structure and rheological characteristics could be effective approaches to qualitatively evaluate dried herbs

Porphyromonas gingivalis SOD における活性中心近傍に局在するアミノ酸残基の金属特異的活性における関与：Leu ₇2 Trp およびLeu ₇6 Phe の2残基変異による検討

The role of superoxide dismutase (SOD) as a radical scavenger in Porphyromonas gingivalis is well documented. P. gingivalis SOD (Pg SOD), which is characterized by a metal–tolerant activity, can use either iron or manganese as a cofactor. Leu ₇2 and Leu ₇6, located near the active–site metal, are characteristic amino acid sequences of Pg SOD proteins, although they are substituted to Trp in the ₇2 position and Phe in the ₇6 position in most iron–containing SOD (Fe–SOD) proteins. In the present study, we constructed a mutant of the enzyme with changes from Leu ₇2 to Trp and Leu ₇6 to Phe. This mutant SOD was examined with respect to its metal–dependent activity and structural characterization. We herein conclude the integrity of Leu ₇2 and Leu ₇6 is a necessary requisite for the metal–tolerant activity of Pg SOD

Porphyromonas gingivalis スーパーオキシドジスムターゼの構造における72位Leu をTrp に置換した影響

Porphyromonas gingivalis contains a single constitutive superoxide dismutase (SOD) that is active with either iron or manganese at the active site. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of the Leu ₇2 to Trp mutation on the structure of P. gingivalis SOD (Pg SOD) using lectrophoretic characterization. Leu ₇2, which is located near the active site metal, is substituted with Trp in aligned amino acid sequences of iron–containing SOD. The results of electrophoretic characterization and the expressed activity of mutant SOD suggest that mutant SOD have the same gross structure as wild–type SOD. We herein conclude that the integrity of Leu ₇2 is a necessary requisite for the metal–tolerant activity of Pg SOD

Membrane proteins Bqt3 and -4 anchor telomeres to the nuclear envelope to ensure chromosomal bouquet formation

A screen identifies two more bouquet proteins required for meiotic telomere clustering: Bqt4 anchors the telomeres, whereas Bqt3 protects Bqt4 from degradation

金沢大学医学部公衆衛生学生実習 : 本学新入学生におけるスポーツ活動と心電図所見の関連性に関する検討

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