Sex-inducing effects toward planarians widely present among parasitic flatworms

Summary Various parasitic flatworms infect vertebrates for sexual reproduction, often causing devastating diseases in their hosts. Consequently, flatworms are of great socioeconomic and biomedical importance. Although the cessation of parasitic flatworm sexual reproduction is a major target of anti-parasitic drug design, little is known regarding bioactive compounds controlling flatworm sexual maturation. Using the planarian Dugesia ryukyuensis, we observed that sex-inducing substances found in planarians are also widespread in parasitic flatworms, such as monogeneans and flukes (but not in tapeworms). Reverse-phase HPLC analysis revealed the sex-inducing substance(s) eluting around the tryptophan retention time in the fluke Calicophoron calicophorum, consistent with previous studies on the planarian Bipalium nobile, suggesting that the substance(s) is likely conserved among flatworms. Moreover, six of the 18 ovary-inducing substances identified via transcriptome and metabolome analyses are involved in purine metabolism. Our findings provide a basis for understanding and modifying the life cycles of various parasitic flatworms.journal articl

Support for UNRWA's survival

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) provides life-saving humanitarian aid for 5·4 million Palestine refugees now entering their eighth decade of statelessness and conflict. About a third of Palestine refugees still live in 58 recognised camps. UNRWA operates 702 schools and 144 health centres, some of which are affected by the ongoing humanitarian disasters in Syria and the Gaza Strip. It has dramatically reduced the prevalence of infectious diseases, mortality, and illiteracy. Its social services include rebuilding infrastructure and homes that have been destroyed by conflict and providing cash assistance and micro-finance loans for Palestinians whose rights are curtailed and who are denied the right of return to their homeland

Seismic exploration at Fuji volcano with active sources : The outline of the experiment and the arrival time data

Fuji volcano (altitude 3,776m) is the largest basaltic stratovolcano in Japan. In late August and early September 2003, seismic exploration was conducted around Fuji volcano by the detonation of 500 kg charges of dynamite to investigate the seismic structure of that area. Seismographs with an eigenfrequency of 2 Hz were used for observation, positioned along a WSW-ENE line passing through the summit of the mountain. A total of 469 seismic stations were installed at intervals of 250-500 m. The data were stored in memory on-site using data loggers. The sampling interval was 4 ms. Charges were detonated at 5 points, one at each end of the observation line and 3 along its length. The first arrival times and the later-phase arrival times at each station for each detonation were recorded as data. P-wave velocities in the surface layer were estimated from the travel time curves near the explosion points, with results of 2.5 km/s obtained for the vicinity of Fuji volcano and 4.0 km5/s elsewhere

Keratin Expression in Mammary Paget’s Disease in situ with Intraductal Invasion

We performed immunohistochemical studies of epithelial keratins in intraductal carcinoma in situ (IDCIS) in mammary Paget’s disease (MPD). K7, K8 and K18 were expressed in IDCIS in MPD. However, K19 was not expressed in IDCIS in MPD. Interestingly, K17 was expressed in some tumor cells in IDCIS. K17, a hyperproliferative keratin, may suggest ductal invasion and poor prognosis in MPD

Biological safety of nasal thallium-201 administration: A preclinical study for olfacto-scintigraphy

Nasal administration of thallium-201 (201Tl) has previously been shown to be useful for the assessment of olfactory nerve connectivity in vivo. We assessed the biological effects of nasal 201Tl administration in mice to determine its safety before conducting clinical trials on humans. 201Tl uptake was evaluated in normal mice (n = 5) in vivo by using a high-resolution gamma camera and radiography 15 min, 1, 2 and 9 d after administration of 201TlCl to the right side of the nasal cavity (10 μl 201TlCl per nostril, 74 MBq/ml). Murine olfactory epithelial thickness (n = 5) was measured 9 d following nasal administration of 201TlCl. We assessed the odor detection ability of normal mice (n = 8) following nasal administration of 201TlCl to both sides of the nasal cavity, by observing cycloheximide solution avoidance behavior. We subsequently administrated 201TlCl (n = 4) or saline (n = 4) to both nostrils to assess the odor detection ability of mice following bilateral olfactory nerve transection. 201Tl uptake by the nasal cavity decreased immediately following nasal administration of 201Tl in normal mice. Nasal administration of 201Tl did not affect the olfactory epithelial thickness or the odor detection ability of normal mice. Recovery of odor detection ability following olfactory nerve transection was not significantly different between mice nasally administered with 201Tl, and mice administered with saline. Thus, nasal administration of 201Tl for the diagnosis of traumatic olfactory impairment did not produce harmful biological effects in vivo