A serological survey on Bacillus piliformis infection in laboratory rabbits in Japan

A total of 544 rabbit sera obtained from 6 commercial breeding facilities and 9 research institutions during 1985-1990 were tested for Bacillus piliformis antibody by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and indirect immunofluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The antibody was detected in 53 (14.2%) rabbits from 3 breeding facilities and 30 (17.4%) rabbits from 6 research institutions, indicating the prevalence of B. piliformis infection among laboratory rabbits in Japan. The overall agreement with ELISA for immune status was 96.9% (527/544) with IFAT. In tests of the ability of ELISA and IFAT to quantitate antibody, a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.86 (P less than 0.01) was obtained by plotting the measured average log of the ELISA titer against the corresponding log of the IFAT titer.     

Morphometric study of fat cell size in the fascia areolaris and fascia lamellaris of the inguinal region in men, women and pregnant women

The fat cells of the fascia areolaris and fascia lamellaris of men, women, and pregnant women (aged between 20 and 35a) were morphometrically studied. The cell volumes showed the following average values: 4.423 X 10(5) micron3 and 2.004 X 10(5) micron3 for the fasciae areolaris and lamellaris respectively, in men; 6.236 X 10(5) micron3 and 3.964 X 10(5) micron3 in women, and 10.114 X 10(5) micron3 and 4.635 X 10(5) micron3 in the pregnant women. The analysis of variance showed significant differences between both sexes, and fasciae areolaris and lamellaris. The differences between women and pregnant women as far as the cell volume is concerned, in both fasciae, were not significant. As to the fascia areolaris, not the lamellaris, the difference between the sexes was significant.     

Detection of Sendai virus antibody in mouse and guinea pig sera by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with protein A

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using horseradish peroxidase (HRPO)-labeled protein A (P-ELISA) was established for detection of Sendai virus (SV) antibody in mouse and guinea pig sera. Sensitivity and specificity of P-ELISA were compared with those of ordinary ELISA using HRPO-labeled immunoglobulin G (IgG-ELISA) and the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. P-ELISA was 100 to 1,000 times more sensitive than the HI test for detection of the antibody in SV-naturally infected mice. P-ELISA and IgG-ELISA showed similar sensitivities for detection of the antibody in naturally infected mouse and guinea pig sera. A high specificity was demonstrated in P-ELISA with a cut-off optical density value of 0.2 (492 nm), while a non-specific reaction was observed when IgG-ELISA was used to both mouse and guinea pig sera at a low dilution (1:10-20). The antibody in rat sera was not detected by P-ELISA although it was realized by IgG-ELISA.     

Auger effects on bromo-deoxyuridine-monophosphate irradiated with monochromatic X-rays around bromine K-absorption edge

Summary In order to study the enhanced effect by Auger cascade, samples of bromo-deoxyuridine-monophosphate (Br-dUMP) in aqueous solutions were irradiated with monochromatic X-rays at 13.49 keV and 13.43 keV, just above and below the K-absorption edge of bromine, using synchrotron radiation as a source. Radiolytic products such as deoxyuridine-monophosphate (dUMP), uracil and bromo-uracil (Br-uracil) were isolated using high performance liquid chromatography. Their amounts were quantitatively analysed as a function of the absorbed dose in the solutions containing Br-dUMP for the energy of the X-rays.G values for these products were calculated on the basis of the absorbed energy. As the results, the ratios of G values of radiolytic products from Br-dUMP between X-rays of 13.49 keV and 13.43 keV were 2.2 for dUMP, 1.02 for Br-uracil and 1.23 for uracil, suggesting clearly the energy dependent enhancement. On the other hand, little significant difference between X-rays of 13.49 keV and 13.43 keV was observed for theG values of uracil released from dUMP irradiated in aqueous solutions. It seemed to confirm that the Auger electrons from K-shell of bromine atoms might play the main role for energy-dependent enhancement at induction of these radiolytic products.     

RCB-mediated chlorophagy caused by oversupply of nitrogen suppresses phosphate-starvation stress in plants

Inorganic phosphate (Pi) and nitrogen (N) are essential nutrients for plant growth. We found that a five-fold oversupply of nitrate rescues Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants from Pi-starvation stress. Analyses of transgenic plants that overexpressed GFP-AUTOPHAGY8 showed that an oversupply of nitrate induced autophagy flux under Pi-depleted conditions. Expression of DIN6 and DIN10, the carbon (C) starvation-responsive genes, was upregulated when nitrate was oversupplied under Pi starvation, which suggested that the plants recognized the oversupply of nitrate as C starvation stress because of the reduction in the C/N ratio. Indeed, formation of Rubisco-containing bodies (RCBs), which contain chloroplast stroma and are induced by C starvation, was enhanced when nitrate was oversupplied under Pi starvation. Moreover, autophagy-deficient mutants did not release Pi (unlike wild-type plants), exhibited no RCB accumulation inside vacuoles, and were hypersensitive to Pi starvation, indicating that RCB-mediated chlorophagy is involved in Pi starvation tolerance. Thus, our results showed that the Arabidopsis response to Pi starvation is closely linked with N and C availability and that autophagy is a key factor that controls plant growth under Pi starvation.

Disturbance of the carbon/nitrogen ratio induces partial chloroplast degradation via autophagy under phosphate starvation and rescues phosphate starvation stress.     

Halo-shape technique for leadless pacemaker implantations: A case report

A 92-year-old woman underwent an implantation of a leadless pacemaker (Micra; Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, MN) for complete atrioventricular block after a transvenous lead extraction due to a pocket infection of a dual chamber pacemaker. Marked scoliosis and a humpback due to an advanced age made it impossible to direct the tip of the pacemaker delivery catheter towards the right ventricular septum or apex and shape the catheter into a gooseneck-shape. Thus, by attaining a halo-catheter shape of the delivery catheter, the catheter tip could be directed toward the infero-basal portion of the right ventricular septum. The pacemaker was successfully deployed at that site without any complications, and good device parameters were achieved. The halo-shape technique may be also an alternative method for delivering a leadless pacemaker in patients with an unsuccessful delivery of a leadless pacemaker to the right ventricular septum using the conventional gooseneck-shape technique.