Effects of polysaccharide derived from black currant on relieving clinical symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

We investigated the efficacy of the polysaccharide derived from black currant, named cassis polysaccharide (CAPS), for inhibiting Japanese cedar pollinosis symptoms and improving quality of life by a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 2006. A total of 28 subjects were enrolled in the study, and 10 subjects in each group completed the trial. Although there was no significant difference between the CAPS and placebo group in the weekly mean value of any symptom in the daily symptom diary at any time, a smaller degree of final symptom aggravation was found in the CAPS group. Significant aggravation of the score was finally observed in the placebo group with inferior conch swelling and with sneezing, itchy nose, itchy eye and watery eye in the Japan rhino-conjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire assessment, while the changes observed in the CAPS group were not significant. In conclusion, our findings clearly indicate that CAPS would be useful as a food supplement in assisting the treatment of Japanese cedar pollinosis.     

Clinical effects of a hop water extract on Japanese cedar pollinosis during the pollen season: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

The clinical effects of an oral administration of a hop water extract (HWE) on the improvement of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCPsis) symptoms were investigated. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 39 subjects took a drink containing either 100 mg of HWE or a placebo for 12 weeks during the pollen season. Nasal symptoms (sneezing attacks, nasal discharge, and nasal obstruction) were assessed from the subjects' diaries. A clinical examination and blood sampling were carried out before and 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment. As a result, a significant difference was observed in the symptom score and in the symptom-medication score 10 weeks after the intervention in comparison with the placebo group. Improvements were observed in nasal swelling, nasal color, amount of nasal discharge, and characteristics of nasal discharge in the intervention group 12 weeks after the treatment. No significant eosinophil infiltration into the nasal discharge was apparent in the intervention group throughout the study period, although it was observed in the placebo group. These findings indicate that an oral administration of HWE may be effective in alleviating the allergic symptoms related to JCPsis.     

Clinical Effects of a Hop Water Extract on Japanese Cedar Pollinosis during the Pollen Season: A Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Trial

The clinical effects of an oral administration of a hop water extract (HWE) on the improvement of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCPsis) symptoms were investigated. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 39 subjects took a drink containing either 100 mg of HWE or a placebo for 12 weeks during the pollen season. Nasal symptoms (sneezing attacks, nasal discharge, and nasal obstruction) were assessed from the subjects’ diaries. A clinical examination and blood sampling were carried out before and 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the initiation of treatment. As a result, a significant difference was observed in the symptom score and in the symptom-medication score 10 weeks after the intervention in comparison with the placebo group. Improvements were observed in nasal swelling, nasal color, amount of nasal discharge, and characteristics of nasal discharge in the intervention group 12 weeks after the treatment. No significant eosinophil infiltration into the nasal discharge was apparent in the intervention group throughout the study period, although it was observed in the placebo group. These findings indicate that an oral administration of HWE may be effective in alleviating the allergic symptoms related to JCPsis.     

In vitro and in vivo anti-allergic effects of ‘benifuuki’ green tea containing O-methylated catechin and ginger extract enhancement

‘Benifuuki’, a tea (Camellia Sinensis L.) cultivar in Japan, is rich in anti-allergic epigallocatechin-3-O-(3-O-methyl) gallate (EGCG3″Me). ‘Benifuuki’ green tea and simultaneous addition of ginger extract remarkably suppressed cytokine (TNF-α and MIP-1α) secretion from mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells after antigen stimulation and, as expected, suppressed delay-type allergy. After drinking ‘benifuuki’ green tea containing 43.5 mg of EGCG and 8.5 mg of EGCG3″Me, the AUC (area under the drug concentration time curve; min μg/ml) of EGCG was 6.72 ± 2.87 and EGCG3″Me was 8.48 ± 2.54 in healthy human volunteers. Though the dose of EGCG was 5.1 times the dose of EGCG3″Me, the AUC of EGCG3″Me was higher than that of EGCG. A double blind clinical study on subjects with Japanese cedar pollinosis was carried out. At the 11th week after starting the study, in the most severe cedar pollen scattering period, symptoms, i.e., blowing the nose and itching eyes, were significantly relieved in the ‘benifuuki’ intake group compared with the placebo group, and blowing the nose, itching eyes and nasal symptom score, and at the 11th and 13th weeks, stuffy nose, throat pain and the nasal symptom medication score were significantly relieved in the ‘benifuuki’ containing ginger extract group compared with the placebo group. These results suggested that over one consecutive month, drinking ‘benifuuki’ green tea was useful to reduce some of the symptoms from Japanese cedar pollinosis, and did not affect any normal immune response in subjects with seasonal rhinitis, and the ginger extract enhanced the effect of ‘benifuuki’ green tea.     

Clinical efficacy of apple polyphenol for treating cedar pollinosis

A double-blind comparative study was conducted on cedar pollinosis patients in order to evaluate the treatment efficacy of apple polyphenol (Ap). Ap was administered (500 mg) once daily for 12 weeks, starting about 2 weeks prior to cedar pollen dispersion. Pollinosis symptoms during the study were evaluated according to the classification in the guidelines for allergic rhinitis diagnosis and treatment. The results show that the sneezing score was significantly lower for the Ap group than with the placebo group during the early period of pollen dispersion and during the main dispersion period. In addition, no adverse reactions were induced by Ap during the study. These results suggest that Ap may alleviate the symptoms of cedar pollinosis.     

Seasonal changes in the structure of the anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterial community in Lake Shunet, Khakassia

Seasonal studies of the anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial community of the water column of the saline eutrophic meromictic Lake Shunet (Khakassia) were performed in 2002 (June) and 2003 (February-March and August). From the redox zone down, the lake water was of dark green color. Green sulfur bacteria predominated in every season. The maximum number of green sulfur bacteria was 10(7) cells/ml in summer and 10(6) cells/ml in winter. A multi-syringe stratification sampler was applied for the study of the fine vertical distribution of phototrophs in August 2003; the sampling was performed every five centimeters. A five-centimeter-thick pink-colored water layer inhabited by purple sulfur bacteria was shown to be located above the layer of green bacteria. The species composition and ratio of purple bacterial species depended on the sampling depth and on the season. In summer, the number of purple sulfur bacteria in the layer of pink water was 1.6 x 10(8) cells/ml. Their number in winter was 3 x 10(5) cells/ml. In the upper oxygen-containing layer of the chemocline the cells of purple nonsulfur bacteria were detected in summer. The maximum number of nonsulfur purple bacteria, 5 x 10(2) cells/ml, was recorded in August 2003. According to the results of the phylogenetic analysis of pure cultures of the isolated phototrophic bacteria, which were based on 16S rDNA sequencing, green sulfur bacteria were close to Prosthecochloris vibrioformis, purple sulfur bacteria, to Thiocapsa and Halochromatium species, and purple nonsulfur bacteria, to Rhodovulum euryhalinum and Pinkicyclus mahoneyensis.     

Spreading of ESFY Phytoplasmas in Stone Fruit in Catalonia (Spain)

A survey was carried out in nine stone fruit commercial orchards located in Barcelona province where plum and apricot trees of different cultivars showing European stone fruit yellows (ESFY) symptoms were present. A 4‐year survey with visual inspection of symptoms in one apricot orchard showed a rather high ESFY disease spread, also in a Japanese plum plantation newly infected plants were detected every year in a similar rate (about 2%). All the inspected symptomatic trees were polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tested and ESFY phytoplasma identity was confirmed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses and sequencing of ribosomal DNA amplification products. In apricot plantation the detection of ESFY phytoplasma was also tested on 69 asymptomatic trees sampled in summer 2002. The nested PCR with 16SrX group‐specific primers allowed detection of ESFY phytoplasmas in 50% of the trees that indeed showed symptoms by the next winter (2003). The molecular detection of ESFY phytoplasma in asymptomatic apricot trees indicates the risk of maintaining phytoplasma foci in the fields where eradication is based only on visual inspection.     

Hydrocarbon bioremediation potential of an unimpacted Kuwaiti oil-field environment

Seasonal variations in the hydrocarbon-degrading potential of soil samples from an unimpacted site in the Kuwaiti Burgan oil field environment were studied under mesophilic conditions. Hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms occurred but varied all-year-round, and their numbers ranged from 1.3 x 10(7) to 9.3 x 10(7) CFU g(-1) dry soil, while hydrocarbon-degrading fungi ranged from 3.0 x 10(4) - 3.8 x 10(5) CFU g(-1) dry soil, depending on the sampling period. These hydrocarbon-degraders also comprised variable but generally high proportions of the total aerobic heterotrophic organisms (2 to > 98%) for bacteria and lower levels (7-9%) for fungi. The crude oil-degrading capacity of the oil-degrading populations (bacteria and fungi) ranged from 80-95% of the hexane-extractable fractions. Differential inhibition studies carried out on soil samples showed that bacteria were the greater contributors to hydrocarbon degradation (79-92%) than fungi. Pure hydrocarbon substrates, hexadecane and phenanthrene, were degraded to near completion after a 28-day incubation by both the bacterial and fungal portions of the soil flora.     

Efficacy of Oral Administration of a Heat-Killed Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 on Patients of Japanese Cedar Pollinosis with High Japanese-Cedar Pollen-Specific IgE

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to determine whether oral administration of heat-killed Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2809 would affect the immune response and reduce the symptoms of Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP) in subjects with JCP. Following a 1-week pre-observation period, the subjects were randomly divided into two groups and were orally administered a placebo or tablets containing 100 mg of L. gasseri OLL2809 per d for 8 weeks during the pollen season in 2007. The results showed no obvious differences between the groups. Supplementary subgroup analysis revealed that the OLL2809 subgroups with CAP-RAST scores of 4 or 5 exhibited improvement in nasal symptoms scores and serum allergy-related items, including Japanese cedar pollen-specific IgE levels. L. gasseri OLL2809 was found to be effective in reducing symptoms in subjects with a high predisposition to allergies by modulating systemic immune systems.     

Germination inhibitor from the Japanese cedar Cryptomeria japonica

(1S,6R)-2,7(14),10-Bisabolatrien-1-ol-4-one was identified as a germination inhibitor from the methanol extract of Japanese cedar wood, Cryptomeria japonica. The occurrence of this compound in 1 g fresh wood was 2.0 mg, and showed a maximum of 60% germination inhibition at the dose of 20 mg/filter paper (157 microg/cm(2)) against both of lettuce and rice seeds for 4 d. A selective activity between Dicotyledoneae and Monocotyledoneae seeds was not observed.     

Relationships among Indoor,Outdoor, and Personal Airborne Japanese Cedar Pollen Counts

Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP) is an important illness caused by the inhalation of airborne allergenic cedar pollens, which are dispersed in the early spring throughout the Japanese islands. However, associations between pollen exposures and the prevalence or severity of allergic symptoms are largely unknown, due to a lack of understanding regarding personal pollen exposures in relation to indoor and outdoor concentrations. This study aims to examine the relationships among indoor, outdoor, and personal airborne Japanese cedar pollen counts. We conducted a 4-year monitoring campaign to quantify indoor, outdoor, and personal airborne cedar pollen counts, where the personal passive settling sampler that has been previously validated against a volumetric sampler was used to count airborne pollen grains. A total of 256 sets of indoor, outdoor, and personal samples (768 samples) were collected from 9 subjects. Medians of the seasonally-integrated indoor-to-outdoor, personal-to-outdoor, and personal-to-indoor ratios of airborne pollen counts measured for 9 subjects were 0.08, 0.10, and 1.19, respectively. A greater correlation was observed between the personal and indoor counts (r = 0.89) than between the personal and outdoor counts (r = 0.71), suggesting a potential inaccuracy in the use of outdoor counts as a basis for estimating personal exposures. The personal pollen counts differed substantially among the human subjects (49% geometric coefficient of variation), in part due to the variability in the indoor counts that have been found as major determinants of the personal pollen counts. The findings of this study highlight the need for pollen monitoring in proximity to human subjects to better understand the relationships between pollen exposures and the prevalence or severity of pollen allergy.     

Stromatinia cryptomeriae sp. nov., the teleomorph ofGloeosporidina cryptomeriae causing twig blight of Japanese cedar

A new species,Stromatinia cryptomeriae, is described based on a specimen collected in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. It was found on fallen dead branches and twigs of Japanese cedar,Cryptomeria japonica. The morphology of isolates on potato-dextrose agar (PDA), which were obtained from single ascospores ofS. cryptomeriae, was identical withGloeosporidina cryptomeriae, the causal fungus of Japanese cedar twig blight. In an inoculation test using single ascospore isolates, many minute black spots (sclerotioid bodies; sclerotules) and acervuli ofG. cryptomeriae were formed on the necrotic lesions, which developed into typical symptoms of Japanese cedar twig blight. These results show thatStromatinia cryptomeriae is the teleomorph ofG. cryptomeriae. On PDA, the fungus grew over a range of about 1 to 25°C, with the optimum growth at about 15–20°C.     

长江口附近海域春季浮游硅藻的种类组成和生态分布

2002年春季,在长江口附近海域典型赤潮高发区28个大面站位采集了53个样品,从中共鉴定出隶属于31个硅藻属的80个种和变种;其中种类多样性较高的属为圆筛藻属(Coscinodiscus),有17个种,斜纹藻属(Pleurosigma),有8个种和变种;数量上较优势的种为柔弱拟菱形藻(pseudo-nitzschia delicatissma),为3．48×10^3cells·L-1,占28．54％;具槽直链藻(Melosira sulcata),为1．43×10^3cells·L-1,占16．98％;尖刺拟菱形藻(Pseudo-nitzschia pungens),为0．71×10^3cells·L-1,占9．85％．它们在大部分站位中都有出现;柔弱拟菱形藻和尖刺拟菱形藻的高细胞密度区主要出现在1230E断面的站位,而具槽直链藻则主要出现在长江口的31～32°N断面的站位．浮游硅藻总细胞丰度变化于0．43×10^3～23．3×10^3cells·L-1,平均4．61×10^3cells·L-1;在123°E、30．5°N的DDl5站位,无论表层还是中层,浮游硅藻总细胞丰度均最高(表层,1．85×10^4cells·L-1;中层,2．33×10^4cells·L-1)．从水平分布看,浮游硅藻呈不均匀分布态势,从垂直分布看,大部分站位的表层浮游硅藻丰度高于中层．     

缢蛏滩涂养殖环境的细菌群落组成及分析

1引言滩涂贝类养殖由于实行生态养殖,目前已成为宁波市海水养殖业的一大热点.近几年来,随着沿海经济的高速发展,滩涂环境污染问题日趋严重,养殖贝类大规模死亡的现象时有发生,给海洋水产经济造成了严重损失.而微生物数量及种群分布与区域环境有着密切联系,它可直接或间接地反映区域环境的营养水平、污染程度及底质状况等.目前有关养殖环境微生物学的研究主要是针对水体及养殖池底泥中的细菌[1,4,7～10],而对养殖滩涂环境细菌的研究很少[15,18,19].为此,本文以宁波市昆亭缢蛏滩涂养殖区为研究对象,从细菌生态学角度对滩涂缢蛏养殖环境进行研…     

Intermingled basins in a two species system

We present simple examples of (competitive) two species systems with complicated dynamic behaviour. From almost all initial conditions one of the two species dies out. But the survivor is unpredictable: The basins of the two chaotic one-species attractors are everywhere dense and intermingled.First version 15 July 1998. This paper has been presented at conferences in Oberwolfach (1999), Kevo (2001), London (Ontario) (2001), Tokyo (2002), Utrecht (2002), and at seminars in Jerusalem (2002) and Warwick (2003).Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 37E05, 92D25Revised version: 10 October 2003     

Moso bamboo and Japanese cedar seedlings differently affected soil N2O emissions

毛竹和日本柳杉幼苗对土壤氧化亚氮排放的影响及微生物机制 毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis)向日本柳杉(Cryptomeria japonica)林的扩张现象越发普遍,其扩张对大 气重要温室气体氧化亚氮(N₂O)排放的影响也引起了更多的关注,而其微生物机制尚不明确。本研究通过添加微生物抑制剂链霉素和扑海因分别抑制细菌和真菌活性,连续观测土壤N₂O排放速率以及相关土壤养分和植物生物量。研究结果表明：(i)毛竹土壤N₂O的排放速率显著高于日本柳杉;与对照相比,细菌抑制剂、真菌抑制剂及其交互作用均对N₂O排放速率具有显著抑制效应,但三者之间无显著差异;(ii)毛竹生物量显著高于日本柳杉;(iii)日本柳杉土壤有机质、全氮和铵态氮显著高于毛竹土壤,日本柳杉土壤pH和全磷显著低于毛竹土壤。真菌抑制剂降低了土壤有机质含量,细菌抑制剂降低了土壤硝态氮含量。真菌抑制剂与物种在影响土壤pH、全磷和铵态氮方面具有显著交互作用。细菌抑制剂与物种在影响土壤全氮方面有显著交互作用。综上所述,毛竹和日本柳杉在生长过程中土壤N₂O排放速率不同,毛竹幼苗土壤N₂O排放及生物量均高于日本柳杉。细菌抑制剂和真菌抑制剂对N₂O的排放速率均具有一定抑制作用。因而,在全球气候变化背景下,应进一步深入了解森林生态系统物种组成和变化对N₂O排放的影响,以有效评估毛竹扩张等导致的生物多样性变化对全球N₂O排放的贡献。     

Seasonal variation of immature stages of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in Citrus sinensis orchards under two management systems

Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton is considered an important pest of citrus, causing both direct (reduction on the photosynthetic area) and indirect damage (facilitation of invasion by bacteria that cause citrus canker). The lack of information about the population dynamics of P. citrella, considering the cultivation systems and varieties grown in citrus orchards in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, motivated this study. It aimed to evaluate the seasonal variation of immature stages of P. citrella, from June 2002 to July 2003, in two orchards of Citrus sinensis, cv. 'Valencia', one maintained according to organic management principles and the other under conventional ones. Fortnightly samplings were carried out, being one shoot collected from each one of 27 randomly chosen plants. The leaves were analyzed for the presence of eggs, larvae, pupae and mines of P. citrella. Leafminer was recorded from October 2002 to April 2003 in the organic orchard, and from November 2002 to July 2003 in the conventional one. A relationship between population size and resource availability (young leaves) was observed. However, population establishment does not depend exclusively on the existence of resources, but also on suitable climatic conditions. This was evidenced by the absence of attacks on the first shooting, which began in late winter. Meteorological factors and resource availability as a whole explain about 64% and 53% of the observed variation in the population size of P. citrella, respectively in the organic and conventional orchards.     

Anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial community of Lake Shira (Khakassia)

The anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial community of the brackish meromictic Lake Shira (Khakassia) was investigated in August 2001, July 2002, and February-March 2003. In all the periods of investigation, the prevailing microorganisms were purple sulfur bacteria similar to Lamprocystis purpurea in morphology and pigment composition. Their highest number (3 x 10(5) cells/ml) was recorded in July 2002 at the depth of 15 m. According to 16S rRNA gene analysis, the strain of purple sulfur bacteria isolated in 2001 and designated ShAm01 exhibited 98.6% similarity to the type strain of Thiocapsa roseopersicina and 94.4-97.1% similarity to the type strains of Tca. pendens, Tca. litoralis, and Tea. rosea. The minor microorganisms of the anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial community within the period of investigation were nonsulfur purple bacteria phylogenetically close to Rhodovulum strictum (98.3% similarity, strain ShRb01), Ahrensia kielensis (of 93.9% similarity, strain ShRb02), Rhodomicrobium vannieli (of 99.7% similarity, strain ShRmc01), and green sulfur bacteria, phylogenetically close to Chlorobium limicola (of 98.7% similarity, strain ShCl03).     

Oral immunotherapy with transgenic rice seed containing destructed Japanese cedar pollen allergens,Cry j 1 and Cry j 2, against Japanese cedar pollinosis

Transgenic rice accumulating the modified major Japanese cedar pollen allergens, Cryptomeria japonica 1 (Cry j 1) and Cryptomeria japonica 2 (Cry j 2), which were deconstructed by fragmentation and shuffling, respectively, in the edible part of the seed was generated by transformation of a good‐tasting rice variety, ‘Koshihikari’. These modified cedar pollen antigens were deposited in ER‐derived protein bodies (PB‐I), which are suitable for delivery to the mucosal immune system in gut‐associated lymphoid tissue when orally administered because antigens bioencapsulated in PB‐I are resistant against hydrolysis by intestinal enzymes and harsh environments. Mice fed transgenic seeds daily for three weeks and then challenged with crude cedar pollen allergen showed marked suppression of allergen‐specific CD4⁺ T‐cell proliferation, IgE and IgG levels compared with mice fed nontransgenic rice seeds. As clinical symptoms of pollinosis, sneezing frequency and infiltration of inflammatory cells such as eosinophils and neutrophils were also significantly reduced in the nasal tissue. These results imply that oral administration of transgenic rice seeds containing the structurally disrupted Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 antigens, serving as universal antigens, is a promising approach for specific immunoprophylaxis against Japanese cedar pollinosis.     

Potentials of Shigella flexneri Y strain TSF21 as a candidate vaccine against shigellosis: safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy in Bonnet monkeys

A thymine-requiring and temperature-sensitive mutant of Shigella flexneri Y was tested in Bonnet monkeys for safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy. A dose of 10(11) cells when fed orally mimicked natural infection in having invaded epithelial cells, but was otherwise clinically non-reactogenic. Animals immunized with two oral doses, each dose consisting of 1 x 10(11) mutant bacteria, were fully protected when challenged, with respect to the lack of any clinical symptoms or detectable histological abnormalities in the intestinal mucosa. Unimmunized animals when similarly challenged developed frank dysentery and the intestinal mucosa showed severe histological abnormalities. Titres of serum antibodies increased by about 11-fold of the base level in animals immunized with a dose of 10(11) cells, but not with lower doses. The challenge bacteria appeared to be phagocytised by macrophages. In some monkeys of a particular group, congestive patches were seen in the stomach, but not in any other part of the gut, after the animals were fed with the virulent parent strain. The lesions were relatively severe in the immunized groups of animals.