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Sample records for dendropanax trifidus makino

  1. Ommatius: synonyms, new record, redescription of Ommatius erythropus and description of the female of Ommatius trifidus (Diptera: Asilidae: Ommatiinae

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    Sheila Lima

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Ommatius erythropus Schiner, 1867 is redescribed and a lectotype is established. The female of Ommatius trifidus Vieira, Bravo & Rafael, 2010 is described and a new record is provided. Ommatius ruficaudus Curran, 1928 is established as a new synonym of Ommatius pulcher (Engel, 1885. An identification key is presented to the Ommatius costatus species group. A map with the geographic records is provided.

  2. Protective Activity of Dendropanax Morbifera Against Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury

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    Eun-Sun Kim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aims: Drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI has been a severe threat to hospitalized patients, raising the urgent needs to develop strategies to reduce AKI. We investigated the protective activity of Dendropanax morbifera (DP, a medicinal plant which has been widely used to treat infectious and pain diseases, on acute kidney injury (AKI using cisplatin-induced nephropathic models. Methods: Both in vitro renal tubular cells (NRK-52E and in vivo rat models were used to demonstrate the nephroprotective effect of DP. Results: Methanolic extract from DP significantly reduced cisplatin-induced toxicity in renal tubular cells. Through successive liquid extraction, the extract of DP was separated into n-hexane, CHCl3, EtOAc, n-BuOH, and H2O fractions. Among these, the CHCl3 fraction (DPCF was found to be most potent. The protective activity of DPCF was found to be mediated through anti-oxidant, mitochondrial protective, and anti-apoptotic activities. In in vivo rat models of AKI, treatment with DPCF significantly reversed the cisplatin-induced increase in blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine and histopathologic damage, recovered the level of anti-oxidant enzymes, and inhibited renal apoptosis. Conclusion: We demonstrated that DP extracts decreased cisplatin-induced renal toxicity, indicating its potential to ameliorate drug-associated acute kidney damage.

  3. Transcriptome sequencing and differential gene expression analysis in Viola yedoensis Makino (Fam. Violaceae) responsive to cadmium (Cd) pollution

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    Gao, Jian [Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute of Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan (China); Luo, Mao [Drug Discovery Research Center of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan (China); Zhu, Ye; He, Ying; Wang, Qin [Department of Pharmacy of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan (China); Zhang, Chun, E-mail: zc83good@126.com [Department of Pharmacy of Luzhou Medical College, Luzhou, Sichuan (China)

    2015-03-27

    Viola yedoensis Makino is an important Chinese traditional medicine plant adapted to cadmium (Cd) pollution regions. Illumina sequencing technology was used to sequence the transcriptome of V. yedoensis Makino. We sequenced Cd-treated (VIYCd) and untreated (VIYCK) samples of V. yedoensis, and obtained 100,410,834 and 83,587,676 high quality reads, respectively. After de novo assembly and quantitative assessment, 109,800 unigenes were finally generated with an average length of 661 bp. We then obtained functional annotations by aligning unigenes with public protein databases including NR, NT, SwissProt, KEGG and COG. In addition, 892 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were investigated between the two libraries of untreated (VIYCK) and Cd-treated (VIYCd) plants. Moreover, 15 randomly selected DEGs were further validated with qRT-PCR and the results were highly accordant with the Solexa analysis. This study firstly generated a successful global analysis of the V. yedoensis transcriptome and it will provide for further studies on gene expression, genomics, and functional genomics in Violaceae. - Highlights: • A de novo assembly generated 109,800 unigenes and 5,4479 of them were annotated. • 31,285 could be classified into 26 COG categories. • 263 biosynthesis pathways were predicted and classified into five categories. • 892 DEGs were detected and 15 of them were validated by qRT-PCR.

  4. Transcriptome sequencing and differential gene expression analysis in Viola yedoensis Makino (Fam. Violaceae) responsive to cadmium (Cd) pollution

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    Gao, Jian; Luo, Mao; Zhu, Ye; He, Ying; Wang, Qin; Zhang, Chun

    2015-01-01

    Viola yedoensis Makino is an important Chinese traditional medicine plant adapted to cadmium (Cd) pollution regions. Illumina sequencing technology was used to sequence the transcriptome of V. yedoensis Makino. We sequenced Cd-treated (VIYCd) and untreated (VIYCK) samples of V. yedoensis, and obtained 100,410,834 and 83,587,676 high quality reads, respectively. After de novo assembly and quantitative assessment, 109,800 unigenes were finally generated with an average length of 661 bp. We then obtained functional annotations by aligning unigenes with public protein databases including NR, NT, SwissProt, KEGG and COG. In addition, 892 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were investigated between the two libraries of untreated (VIYCK) and Cd-treated (VIYCd) plants. Moreover, 15 randomly selected DEGs were further validated with qRT-PCR and the results were highly accordant with the Solexa analysis. This study firstly generated a successful global analysis of the V. yedoensis transcriptome and it will provide for further studies on gene expression, genomics, and functional genomics in Violaceae. - Highlights: • A de novo assembly generated 109,800 unigenes and 5,4479 of them were annotated. • 31,285 could be classified into 26 COG categories. • 263 biosynthesis pathways were predicted and classified into five categories. • 892 DEGs were detected and 15 of them were validated by qRT-PCR

  5. Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino Preparation promotes sleep by increasing REM sleep.

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    Lin, Sisi; Nie, Bo; Yao, Guihong; Yang, Hui; Ye, Ren; Yuan, Zhengzhong

    2018-05-15

    Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Makino Preparation (PTP) is widely used to treat insomnia in traditional Chinese medicine; however, its specific role is not clear. In this study, PTP was prepared at three concentrations. For locomotor activity tests, mice were treated with PTP and evaluated for 14 days. For polygraph recordings, mice were treated for 14 days and recorded after treatment. The main chemical constituents in PTP were identified by Ultra performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS). The results showed that 0.9 g/mL PTP significantly reduced locomotor activity. The effect was related to the time of treatment. PTP reduced wakefulness and increased sleep in mice. Furthermore, PTP promoted sleep by increasing the number of REM sleep episodes with a duration of 64-128s and increasing the number of transitions from NREM sleep to REM sleep and from REM sleep to wakefulness. A total of 17 compounds were identified.

  6. Potent effects of the total saponins from Dioscorea nipponica Makino against streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus in rats.

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    Yu, Hao; Zheng, Lingli; Xu, Lina; Yin, Lianhong; Lin, Yuan; Li, Hua; Liu, Kexin; Peng, Jinyong

    2015-02-01

    The aim of the present paper was to investigate the effects and possible mechanisms of the total saponins from Dioscorea nipponica Makino (TSDN) against type 2 diabetes mellitus. Streptozotocin (STZ) with high-fat diet induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats were treated with TSDN. Some biochemical parameters, target proteins and genes were investigated. The results showed that TSDN decreased the levels of food/water intake, fasting blood glucose and serum lipid parameters, ameliorated oral glucose and insulin tolerance test levels, markedly increased body weight and serum insulin, reduced excess free radicals and affected ossification and renal protection. Histopathological examination indicated that TSDN increased liver glycogen, decreased the production of lipid vacuoles and lightened liver damage. Further investigation showed that TSDN down-regulated the protein expressions of NF-κB, GRP78, ATF6, eIF2 and the levels of MAPK phosphorylation and up-regulated the protein expressions of IRS-1, GLUT-4, p-Akt and p-AMPK. In addition, TSDN obviously decreased the gene expressions of TNF-a, IL-6, PEPCK, G6Pase, GSK-3β and GSK-3β activity, and increased the gene expressions of PFK, PK and GK activity. These findings show the anti-diabetic activity of total saponins from D. nipponica Makino, which should be developed as a new potent drug for treatment of diabetes mellitus in future. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. Development and Validation of a HPLC-UV Method for Extraction Optimization and Biological Evaluation of Hot-Water and Ethanolic Extracts of Dendropanax morbifera Leaves

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    Hyung-Jae Choi

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Dendropanax morbifera Leveille (Araliaceae has been used in traditional oriental remedies for cancer, inflammation, diabetes, and thrombosis. However, a validated analytical method, standardization, and optimization of extraction conditions with respect to biological activity have not been reported. In this study, a simple and validated HPLC method for identifying and quantifying active substances in D. morbifera was developed. Hot water and ethanolic D. morbifera leaf extracts from different production regions were prepared and evaluated with regard to their chemical compositions and biological activities. The contents of active compounds such as rutin and chlorogenic acid were determined in four samples collected from different regions. The 80% ethanolic extract showed the best antioxidant activity, phenolic content, reducing power, and xanthine oxidase (XO inhibitory activity. The validated HPLC method confirmed the presence of chlorogenic acid and rutin in D. morbifera leaf extracts. The antioxidant and XO inhibitory activity of D. morbifera extract could be attributed to the marker compounds. Collectively, these results suggest that D. morbifera leaves could be beneficial for the treatment or prevention of hyperuricemia-related disease, and the validated HPLC method could be a useful tool for the quality control of food or drug formulations containing D. morbifera.

  8. Herbological studies of Coptidis rhizoma (Part 2): on the old Japanese name of Coptis japonica makino.

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    Kawamoto, M; Mikage, M

    1999-01-01

    The rhizome of Coptis plant of the family ranunculaceae has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a crude drug (Huanglian in present Chinese). In Japan, the rhizome of Coptis japonica Makino (the botanical name of which is "Ohren" in modern Japanese) has been utilized as a crude drug since the Nara era. The Japanese name in those days was "Kakumakusa based on descriptions in old books written in the Heian era. It changed to "Kakumikusa" early in the Edo era, and then changed again to Kakumakusa later in the Edo era. Through this herbological study, it was conjectured as follows: The resemblance between Chinese characters (or MA) and (or MI) in cursive style caused mis-copying of the character. After the "Honzo-wamyo, written in the Heian era, was revised in the late Edo era, and on which the name was accurately written as Kakumakusa, the mistake was corrected.

  9. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE VASCULAR FLORA OF ROMANIA

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    CIOCÂRLAN VASILE

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available There are present and discussed the fact that the legitimate name is Cirsium heterophyllum (L. Hill and the synonime name is Cirsium helenioides auct., non (L. Hill.In the flora of Romania, as well as in Europe, is growing Cirsium heterophyllum (L. Hill; Cirsium helenioides (L. Hill is growing in Central Asia and in Siberie.Follow, it is showed that the taxa Juncus trifidus L. ssp. monanthos (Jacq. Asch. & Graebn. is not growing in the flora of Romania. There is presented an infraspecific taxa, new for the science, namely: Juncus trifidus L. ssp. trifidus var. brevifolia Ciocârlan var. nova., discovered in the Mountains of Cozia (Vâlcea county.Also, in this paper is presented two rare plants in the flora of Romania: Dianthus kladovanus Degen and Thymus longicaulis C. Presl, species listed in the “Red Lists”, discovered by the author in new localities.

  10. Pectinesterase inhibitor from jelly-fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes reduces methanol content in carambola wine.

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    Wu, James Swi-Bea; Wu, Ming-Chang; Jiang, Chii-Ming; Hwang, Ya-Ping; Shen, Szu-Chuan; Chang, Hung-Min

    2005-11-30

    Crude pectinesterase (PE) inhibitor (PEI) extracted from jelly-fig achenes (JFA) (Ficus awakeosang Makino) was added to carambola (Averrhoa carambola L.) puree to determine the change in methanol production during fermentation. Addition of pectin or microbial pectic enzyme to puree increased dose-dependently the methanol content in fermented products. Decreasing ratio (from 1:0 to 1:19, v:v) of pectic enzyme to diluted crude PEI solution in the puree-enzyme mixture decreased the PE activity remarkably. Except for transmittance (%T), addition of crude PEI to puree did not affect apparently the physical and chemical properties of wine; however, it reduced methanol content in the control from 256 to 58 ppm. The degree of esterification (DE) of pectin in starting puree was approximately 70%. It decreased to approximately 27% in the control group and reduced slightly to approximately 67% in fermented puree with crude PEI added after 14 days of fermentation. This reveals that crude PEI solution was potent in inhibiting intrinsic carambola PE activity and appeared to be a potential alternative for methanol reduction in wines.

  11. Effects of polysaccharides from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.), Makino on physical fatigue.

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    Lin-Na, Shan; Yong-Xiu, Shi

    2014-01-01

    Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino has been reported to have a wide range of health benefits in Chinese herbal medicines. Polysaccharides from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (PGP), has been identified as one of the active ingredients responsible for its biological activities. Although many pharmacological activities of PGP have received a great deal of attention, there is limited evidence for the anti-fatigue effects of PGP. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of polysaccharides from PGP on physical fatigue. The rats were divided into four groups, with 10 animals per group: control (C), group, low-treated (LT), group, medium-treated (MT), group, and high-treated (HT), group. The C group received distilled water, while LT, MT and HT groups were given various doses of PGP (100, 200, 400 mg/kg· d). After 30 days, forced swimming test was carried out in an acrylic plastic pool, then the exhaustive swimming time of rats and some biochemical parameters related to fatigue were measured. The data obtained showed that PGP could extend the exhaustive swimming time of the rats, as well as decrease the blood lactic acid (BLA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN), concentrations, and increase the hemoglobin, liver glycogen and muscle glycogen concentrations. The data obtained showed that different doses of PGP could extend the exhaustive swimming time of the rats, as well as decrease the BLA and BUN concentrations, and increase the hemoglobin, liver glycogen and muscle glycogen concentrations, which suggests that PGP had significant anti-fatigue effects on rats. PGP may be of use as a potential anti-fatigue agent, but there is a need for further research on long-term use in order to show its positive effects on physical fatigue.

  12. In Vitro Anticancer Activity of a Nonpolar Fraction from Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb. Makino

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    Yantao Li

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb. Makino (GpM has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. Most previous studies have focused primarily on polar fractions of GpM for anticancer activities. In this study, a nonpolar fraction EA1.3A from GpM showed potent growth inhibitory activities against four cancer cell lines with IC50 ranging from 31.62 μg/mL to 38.02 μg/mL. Furthermore, EA1.3A also inhibited the growth of breast cancer cell MDA-MB-453 time-dependently, as well as its colony formation ability. EA1.3A induced apoptosis on MDA-MB-453 cells both dose-dependently and time-dependently as analyzed by flow cytometry and verified by western blotting analysis of apoptosis marker cleaved nuclear poly(ADP-ribose polymerase (cPARP. Additionally, EA1.3A induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase. Chemical components analysis of EA1.3A by GC-MS revealed that this nonpolar fraction from GpM contains 10 compounds including four alkaloids, three organic esters, two terpenes, and one catechol substance, and all these compounds have not been reported in GpM. In summary, the nonpolar fraction EA1.3A from GpM inhibited cancer cell growth through induction of apoptosis and regulation of cell cycle progression. Our study shed light on new chemical bases for the anticancer activities of GpM and feasibilities to develop new anticancer agents from this widely used medicinal plant.

  13. Production of intergeneric allotetraploid between autotetraploid non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis Makino and autotetraploid radish (Raphanus sativus L.

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    Sun Cheng-Zhen

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Intergeneric hybrids between non-heading Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris ssp. chinensis Makino; 2n = 4x = 40 and radish (Raphanus sativus L.; 2n = 4x = 36 were obtained through ovary culture and embryo rescue. Some hybrid embryos (0.11 per ovary were produced, but only 4 of them germinated. As most hybrid embryos failed to develop into plantlets directly, plants were regenerated by inducing shoots on the cultured cotyledon and inducing roots on the root induction medium. All hybrid plants were morphologically uniform. They resembled the non-heading Chinese cabbage in the long-lived habit, the plant status, the vernalization requirement and the petiole color, while the petiole shape, leaf venation pattern and flowers were more similar to those of radish. Upon examination of the flowers, these were found to have normal pistil, but rudimentary anthers with non-functional pollen grains. The somatic chromosome number of F1 plants was 38. Analysis of SSR banding patterns provided additional confirmation of hybridity.

  14. Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino: An ethnomedical, phytochemical and pharmacological review.

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    Li, Ai-Ling; Chen, Bang-Jiao; Li, Guo-Hui; Zhou, Ming-Xing; Li, Yan-Ru; Ren, Dong-Mei; Lou, Hong-Xiang; Wang, Xiao-Ning; Shen, Tao

    2018-01-10

    The calyxes and fruits of Physalis alkekengi L. var. franchetii (Mast.) Makino (Physalis Calyx seu Fructus), have been widely used in traditional and indigenous Chinese medicines for the therapy of cough, excessive phlegm, pharyngitis, sore throat, dysuria, pemphigus, eczema, and jaundice with a long history. The present review aims to achieve a comprehensive and up-to-date investigation in ethnomedical uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicity of P. alkekengi var. franchetii, particularly its calyxes and fruits. Through analysis of these findings, evidences supporting their applications in ethnomedicines are illustrated. Possible perspectives and opportunities for the future research are analyzed to highlight the gaps in our knowledge that deserves further investigation. Information on P. alkekengi var. franchetii was collected via electronic search of major scientific databases (e.g. Web of Science, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Pubmed, Elsevier, SpringerLink, Wiley online and China Knowledge Resource Integrated) for publications on this medicinal plant. Information was also obtained from local classic herbal literature on ethnopharmacology. About 124 chemical ingredients have been characterized from different parts of this plant. Steroids (particularly physalins) and flavonoids are the major characteristic and bioactive constituents. The crude extracts and the isolated compounds have demonstrated various in vitro and in vivo pharmacological functions, such as anti-inflammation, inhibition of tumor cell proliferation, antimicrobial activity, diuretic effect, anti-diabetes, anti-asthma, immunomodulation, and anti-oxidation. P. alkekengi var. franchetii is an important medicinal plant for the ethnomedical therapy of microbial infection, inflammation, and respiratory diseases (e.g. cough, excessive phlegm, pharyngitis). Phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of this plant definitely increased in the past half century. The chemical profiles, including

  15. Preparation of progenin III from total steroidal saponins of Dioscorea nipponica Makino using a crude enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae strain.

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    Liu, Tingqiang; Yu, Hongshan; Liu, Chunying; Bao, Yongming; Hu, Xiangchun; Wang, Yuanhao; Liu, Bing; Fu, Yaoyao; Tang, Sihui; Jin, Fengxie

    2013-05-01

    Progenin III, one of the most active spirostanol saponins, is a potential candidate for anti-cancer therapy due to its strong antitumor activity and low hemolytic activity. However, the concentration of progenin III is extremely low in natural Dioscorea plants. In this paper, the progenin III production from total steroidal saponins of Dioscorea nipponica Makino was studied using the crude enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae DLFCC-38. The crude enzyme converting total steroidal saponins into progenin III was obtained from the A. oryzae DLFCC-38 culture. For enzyme production, the strain was cultured for 72 h at 30 °C with shaking at 150 rpm in 5 % (w/v) malt extract medium containing 2 % (v/v) extract of D. nipponica as the enzyme inducer. The crude enzyme converted total steroidal saponins into major progenin III with a high yield when the reaction was carried out for 9 h at 50 °C and pH 5.0 with the 20 mg/ml of substrate. In the preparation of progenin III, 117 g of crude progenin III was obtained from 160 g of substrate, and the crude product was purified with silica gel column to obtain 60.3 g progenin III of 93.4 % purity.

  16. Effect of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, and Curcuma longa L. on Th1- and Th2-cytokine responses and human leukocyte antigen-DR expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of septic patients.

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    Wu, Huang-Pin; Lin, Yin-Ku

    2018-05-10

    Many traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), such as Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, and Curcuma longa L., have been reported to have various immune-modulatory effects. To determine the effects of extracts from these three TCM on type 1 T help (Th1)- and Th2-cytokine responses and human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DR expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from septic patients. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated PBMCs of healthy controls and septic patients were cultured for 48 hs with or without 0.05/0.1 mg/ml of TCM extract. HLA-DR expression in monocytes was detected using flow cytofluorimetry. The interferon [IFN]-γ, tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α, interleukin (IL)- 2, IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 levels in supernatants were measured with a human enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Treatment with either 0.05 or 0.1 mg/ml of C. longa L. extract significantly restored the percentage of HLA-DR-positive monocytes, which was decreased by LPS in control and patient groups. Treatment with 0.05 or 0.1 mg/ml E. ulmoides Oliv. and C.longa L. extract decreased IL-10 production from LPS-stimulated PBMCs of controls and patients. In patients with sepsis, C. longa L. extract decreased IL-10 production to a greater degree than did E. ulmoides Oliv extract. Although IFN-γ, TNF-α, or IL-13 productions from LPS-stimulated PBMCs were influenced by E. ulmoides Oliv., G. pentaphyllum (Thunb.) Makino, or C. longa L. in control or sepsis groups in this study, only the influence of IL-10 was consistent in both control and sepsis groups. By enhancing monocyte HLA-DR expression and decreasing IL-10 production, C. longa L. might help restore inflammatory responses in septic patients to eradicate pathogens. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Heterologous Expression and Biochemical Characterization of Two Lipoxygenases in Oriental Melon, Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino.

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    Songxiao Cao

    Full Text Available Lipoxygenases (LOXs are a class of non-heme iron-containing dioxygenases that catalyse oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids to produce hydroperoxidation that are in turn converted to oxylipins. Although multiple isoforms of LOXs have been detected in several plants, LOXs in oriental melon have not attracted much attention. Two full-length LOX cDNA clones, CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 which have been isolated from oriental melon (Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino cultivar "Yumeiren", encode 902 and 906 amino acids, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis showed that CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 included all of the typical LOX domains and shared 58.11% identity at the amino acid level with each other. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 were members of the type 2 13-LOX subgroup which are known to be involved in biotic and abiotic stress. Heterologous expression of the full-length CmLOX10 and truncated CmLOX13 in Escherichia coli revealed that the encoded exogenous proteins were identical to the predicted molecular weights and possessed the lipoxygenase activities. The purified CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 recombinant enzymes exhibited maximum activity at different temperature and pH and both had higher affinity for linoleic acid than linolenic acid. Chromatogram analysis of reaction products from the CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 enzyme reaction revealed that both enzymes produced 13S-hydroperoxides when linoleic acid was used as substrate. Furthermore, the subcellular localization analysis by transient expression of the two LOX fusion proteins in tobacco leaves showed that CmLOX10 and CmLOX13 proteins were located in plasma membrane and chloroplasts respectively. We propose that the two lipoxygenases may play different functions in oriental melon during plant growth and development.

  18. Concentrations of Trace Elements in Organic Fertilizers and Animal Manures and Feeds and Cadmium Contamination in Herbal Tea (Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino).

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    Nookabkaew, Sumontha; Rangkadilok, Nuchanart; Prachoom, Norratouch; Satayavivad, Jutamaad

    2016-04-27

    Thailand is predominantly an agriculture-based country. Organic farming is enlisted as an important national agenda to promote food safety and international export. The present study aimed to determine the concentrations of trace elements in commercial organic fertilizers (fermented and nonfermented) composed of pig and cattle manures available in Thailand. Pig and cattle manures as well as animal feeds were also collected from either animal farms or markets. The results were compared to the literature data from other countries. Fermented fertilizer composed of pig manure contained higher concentrations of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) than fertilizer composed of cattle manure. High concentrations of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were also found in fertilizers and manures. Some organic fertilizers had high concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb). The range of As concentration in these fertilizers was 0.50-24.4 mg/kg, whereas the ranges of Cd and Pb were 0.10-11.4 and 1.13-126 mg/kg, respectively. Moreover, pig manure contained As and Cd (15.7 and 4.59 mg/kg, respectively), higher than their levels in cattle manure (1.95 and 0.16 mg/kg, respectively). The use of pig manure as soil supplement also resulted in high Cd contamination in herbal tea (Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino; GP). The Cd concentration in GP plants positively correlated with the Cd concentration in the soil. Therefore, the application of some organic fertilizers or animal manures to agricultural soil could increase some potentially toxic elements in soil, which may be absorbed by plants and, thus, increase the risk of contamination in agricultural products.

  19. APOE and CETP TaqIB polymorphisms influence metabolic responses to Hibiscus sabdariffa L. and Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino tea consumption in hypercholesterolemic subjects.

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    Jeenduang, Nutjaree; Sangkaew, Boonnisa; Chantaracha, Pacharee; Chanchareonsri, Sirada; Plyduang, Thunyaluk; Thitdee, Wanida; Samae, Cathaleeya; Pitumanon, Wacharaporn

    2017-03-01

    Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (HS) and Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino (GP) have been used as traditional medicines to treat diabetes and hypercholesterolemia. Nevertheless, there is interindividual variation in the metabolic responses to HS and GP consumption. This may be due to genetic factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of HS and GP tea consumption on anthropometric data, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and lipid concentrations in hypercholesterolemia subjects with different genotypes of the APOE and CETP TaqIB polymorphisms. Forty-eight subjects with hypercholesterolemia were given either HS or GP tea for 30 days. Anthropometric and biochemical variables were determined, and APOE and CETP TaqIB polymorphisms were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). E4 (p=0.008) and homozygous B1B1 (p=0.010) carriers had significantly decreased HDL-C concentrations after HS consumption; in addition, B2 carriers who consumed HS showed significantly decreased triglyceride (TG) concentrations (p=0.039). Regarding GP consumption, non-E4 carriers had significantly decreased HDL-C (p=0.009) and FBG (p=0.042) concentrations. Furthermore, B2 carriers had significantly decreased total cholesterol (TC) (p=0.045), HDL-C (p=0.004), and FBG (p=0.026) concentrations. HS consumption may have beneficial effects with respect to TG concentrations in the B2 carriers, but it may adversely affect HDL-C concentrations in homozygous B1B1 and E4 carriers. In contrast, GP consumption may have favorable effects on TC and FBG concentrations but not on HDL-C concentrations for B2 and/or non-E4 carriers.

  20. Supplementing with Opuntia ficus-indica Mill and Dioscorea nipponica Makino extracts synergistically attenuates menopausal symptoms in estrogen-deficient rats.

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    Ko, Byoung-Seob; Lee, Hye Won; Kim, Da Sol; Kang, Suna; Ryuk, Jin Ah; Park, Sunmin

    2014-08-08

    Prickly pear cactus grown in Korea (Opuntia ficus-indica Mill, KC) and Buchema (Dioscorea nipponica Makino, B) have been traditionally used in East Asia and South America to treat various metabolic diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the extracts of KC, B, and KC+B can prevent the impairments of energy, glucose, lipid and bone homeostasis in estrogen-deficient ovariectomized (OVX) rats and to explore their mechanisms. OVX rats were divided into 4 groups and fed high fat diets supplemented with either 3% dextrin (control), 3% KC, 3% B or 1.5% KC+1.5% B. Sham rats were fed 3% dextrin. After 12 weeks of diet consumption, energy, lipid, glucose and bone metabolisms were analyzed and Wnt signaling in the femur and hepatic signaling were determined. OVX impaired energy, glucose and lipid metabolism and decreased uterine and bone masses. B and KC+B prevented the decrease in energy expenditure, especially from fat oxidation, in OVX rats, but did not affect food intake. KC+B and B reduced body weight and visceral fat levels, as compared to the OVX-control, by decreasing fat synthesis and inhibiting FAS and SREBP-1c expression. KC+B and B prevented the increases in serum lipid levels and insulin resistance by improving hepatic insulin signaling (pIRS→pAkt→pGSK-3β). KC and KC+B also prevented decreases in bone mineral density (BMD) in the femur and lumbar spine in OVX rats. This was related to decreased expressions of bone turnover markers such as serum osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bone-specific ALP levels, and increased serum P levels. KC and KC+B upregulated low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 and β-catenin in OVX rats, but suppressed the expression of dickkopf-related protein 1. B alone improved energy, lipid and glucose homeostasis, but not bone loss, whereas KC alone enhanced BMD, but not energy, lipid or glucose homeostasis. KC+B synergistically attenuated impairments of bone, energy, lipid and glucose

  1. Distribution of Pink-Pigmented Facultative Methylotrophs on Leaves of Vegetables

    OpenAIRE

    MIZUNO, Masayuki; YURIMOTO, Hiroya; YOSHIDA, Naoko; IGUCHI, Hiroyuki; SAKAI, Yasuyoshi

    2012-01-01

    The distribution of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) on the leaves of various vegetables was studied. All kinds of vegetable leaves tested gave pink-pigmented colonies on agar plates containing methanol as sole carbon source. The numbers of PPFMs on the leaves, colony-forming units (CFU)/g of fresh leaves, differed among the plants, although they were planted and grown at the same farm. Commercial green perilla, Perilla frutescens viridis (Makino) Makino, gave the highest coun...

  2. Chrysosplenium japonicum (Saxifragaceae, Newly Recorded from Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian-Chuan Hsu

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Chrysosplenium japonicum (Maxim. Makino (Saxifragaceae is newly recorded from northeastern Taiwan. Description, color photos and a key to the Chrysosplenium species in Taiwan are provided.

  3. The disposition and pharmacokinetics of Dioscorea nipponica ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-11-19

    Nov 19, 2008 ... INTRODUCTION. In China, the total saponins of dioscorea (TSD) had long been used ... 1), which were extracted from Dioscorea nipponica. Makino. TSD is ..... Press of Science and Technology of Chinese. Medicine: Beijing ...

  4. 75 FR 22384 - Ball Bearings and Parts Thereof From France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-28

    ....)........ 10.97 Makino Milling Machine Company Ltd 10.97 Mazda Motor Corporation 10.97 Nachi- Fujikoshi Corporation 10.97 Nissan Motor Company Ltd 10.97 NSK Ltd 8.48 NTN Corporation 13.46 Sapporo Precision, Inc...

  5. Mobility and plant availability of radioactive Cs in natural soil in relation to stable Cs, other alkali elements and soil fertility

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Varskog, P.; Steinnes, E.; Naeumann, R.

    1994-01-01

    The mobility and plant availability of radioactive Cs from the Chernobyl accident in natural soil-plant systems of varying fertility were studied at three sampling locations situated in subalpine areas of central Norway. The soil samples included litter, humus (0-2 cm and 2-5 cm depth), and mineral soil (8-12 cm and 20-30 cm depth), and the plant species studied were Betula nana, Empetrum hermaphroditum and Juncus trifidus. The lichen Cetraria nivalis was also sampled. The sampling took place in the middle of the growth season during the period 1987-1989. The soil and vegetation samples were analysed with respect to total radiocaesium ( 137 Cs and 134 Cs), Rb, stable Cs and exchangeable 137 Cs (in soil only), K, Ca and Mg. (Author)

  6. Genetic controls on starch amylose content in wheat and rice grains

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2014-04-07

    Apr 7, 2014 ... cuboid in appearance and smaller than wheat or maize. (figure 3; Kaur et al. 2007). ..... gaps in our knowledge. Due to the hexaploid ...... Makino A 2011 Photosynthesis, grain yield, and nitrogen utilization in rice and wheat.

  7. Metal ion coordination in 'R' and 'T' state hybrid hemoglobins as ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    Dedicated to the memory of the late Professor Bhaskar G Maiya. *For correspondence ... tetramer has not been possible and, for the same rea- son, the mechanism of ..... point it is necessary to recall the analysis by Makino and Sugita26 on the ...

  8. Distribution of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs on leaves of vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizuno, Masayuki; Yurimoto, Hiroya; Yoshida, Naoko; Iguchi, Hiroyuki; Sakai, Yasuyoshi

    2012-01-01

    The distribution of pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFMs) on the leaves of various vegetables was studied. All kinds of vegetable leaves tested gave pink-pigmented colonies on agar plates containing methanol as sole carbon source. The numbers of PPFMs on the leaves, colony-forming units (CFU)/g of fresh leaves, differed among the plants, although they were planted and grown at the same farm. Commercial green perilla, Perilla frutescens viridis (Makino) Makino, gave the highest counts of PPFMs (2.0-4.1×10(7) CFU/g) of all the commercial vegetable leaves tested, amounting to 15% of total microbes on the leaves. The PPFMs isolated from seeds of two varieties of perilla, the red and green varieties, exhibited high sequence similarity as to the 16S rRNA gene to two different Methylobacterium species, M. fujisawaense DSM5686(T) and M. radiotolerans JCM2831(T) respectively, suggesting that there is specific interaction between perilla and the PPFMs.

  9. Suaeda japonica Makino Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide- Induced ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    HP

    Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research June 2013; 12 (3): 351-356 ... expression and production of inflammatory mediators determined by Western blot analysis. Results: SJE significantly ..... This work was supported by Business for.

  10. Microstructural Design for Tough Ceramics

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-10-01

    or Rockwell cones) where the contact pressure (i.e. the ’hardness’) is effectively independent of load (Sperisen, Carry and Mocellin 1986, Makino...148. RrrcHM, R. 0., 1988, Mater. Sci. Engng, A, 103, 15. SPERmEN, T., CARRY, C., and MOCELLIN , A, 1986, Fracture Mechanics of Ceramics, Vol. 8, edited

  11. Zhong et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2014) 11(1):1-14

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    cadewumi

    Yunqing Zhong*1, Xiufeng Wang2, Guanglan Xu,1, Bing Mao3, Wei Zhou3, Jie Min3, Hongli Jiang3, Xiang Diao4 , ..... due to COPD exacerbations, and 1 experienced a cerebrovascular accident. ..... the body (Makino T., 2005b; Hong et al., 2011). ... An, X., Zhang, A.L., Yang, A.W., Lin, L., Wu, D., Guo, X., Shergis, J.L., Thien, ...

  12. Semiaquilegia quelpaertensis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from the Republic of Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Son, Dong Chan; Jeong, Keum Seon; Lee, Kang-Hyup; Kim, Heesoo; Chang, Kae Sun

    2017-01-01

    Semiaquilegia quelpaertensis sp. nov. , a new species belonging to the family Ranunculaceae, from Hallasan National Park in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to Semiaquilegia adoxoides (DC.) Makino, but can be readily distinguished by a thick underground stem, shallowly lobed leaflets, larger flowers, (4-)6 staminodes and conspicuously rugose tuberculate seed surface.

  13. Semiaquilegia quelpaertensis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from the Republic of Korea

    OpenAIRE

    Son,Dong Chan; Jeong,Keum Seon; Lee,Kang-Hyup; Kim,Heesoo; Chang,Kae Sun

    2017-01-01

    Semiaquilegia quelpaertensis sp. nov., a new species belonging to the family Ranunculaceae, from Hallasan National Park in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to Semiaquilegia adoxoides (DC.) Makino, but can be readily distinguished by a thick underground stem, shallowly lobed leaflets, larger flowers, (4–)6 staminodes and conspicuously rugose tuberculate seed surface.

  14. Semiaquilegia quelpaertensis (Ranunculaceae, a new species from the Republic of Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dong Chan Son

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Semiaquilegia quelpaertensis sp. nov., a new species belonging to the family Ranunculaceae, from Hallasan National Park in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to Semiaquilegia adoxoides (DC. Makino, but can be readily distinguished by a thick underground stem, shallowly lobed leaflets, larger flowers, (4–6 staminodes and conspicuously rugose tuberculate seed surface.

  15. Herbal preparation (HemoHIM) enhanced functional maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells mediated toll-like receptor 4

    OpenAIRE

    Lee, Sung-Ju; Kim, Jong-Jin; Kang, Kyung-Yun; Hwang, Yun-Ho; Jeong, Gil-Yeon; Jo, Sung-kee; Jung, Uhee; Park, Hae-Ran; Yee, Sung-Tae

    2016-01-01

    Background HemoHIM, which is an herbal preparation of three edible herbs (Angelicam gigas Nakai, Cnidium offinale Makino, and Peaonia japonica Miyabe), is known to have various biological and immunological activities, but the modulatory effects of this preparation on dendritic cells (DCs)-mediated immune responses have not been examined previously. DCs are a unique group of white blood cells that initiate primary immune responses by capturing, processing, and presenting antigens to T cells. R...

  16. Immunomodulatory and Antidiabetic Effects of a New Herbal Preparation (HemoHIM) on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Jong-Jin; Choi, Jina; Lee, Mi-Kyung; Kang, Kyung-Yun; Paik, Man-Jeong; Jo, Sung-Kee; Jung, Uhee; Park, Hae-Ran; Yee, Sung-Tae

    2014-01-01

    HemoHIM (a new herbal preparation of three edible herbs: Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, and Paeonia japonica Miyabe) was developed to protect immune, hematopoietic, and self-renewal tissues against radiation. This study determined whether or not HemoHIM could alter hyperglycemia and the immune response in diabetic mice. Both nondiabetic and diabetic mice were orally administered HemoHIM (100 mg/kg) once a day for 4 weeks. Diabetes was induced by single injection of streptozo...

  17. Proceedings of the Seventh Joint Magnetism and Magnetic Materials-Intermag Conference 6-9 January 1998 San Francisco, California Volume 83, Number 11, Part 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-06-01

    Takayuki Ichihara, Shigeki Nakagawa C. Ouyang, T. W. Kim, R. J. Gambino, C. Jahnes G. Suran, E. Boumaiz R. Jansen, J. S. Moodera J. F. Bobo, F. B...4A. Makino, T. Hatanai, A. Inoue, and T. Masumoto, Mater. Sei. Eng., A 226-228, 594 (1997). 5Y. Yoshizawa, S. Oguma, A. Hiraki and K. Yamauchi...nanocrystalline Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B alloy by facing targets sputtering Masahiko Naoe, Hiroaki Matsumiya, Takayuki Ichihara, and Shigeki Nakagawa

  18. PENGARUH TEKNIK PENYAYATAN PAHAT MILLING PADA CNC MILLING 3 AXIS TERHADAP TINGKAT KEKASARAN PERMUKAAN BENDA BERKONTUR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irawan Irawan

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Dalam perindustrian penggunaan mesin CNC Milling sangat di andalkan untuk mendapatkan hasil yang optimum baik secara kualitas maupun kuantitas. Akan tetapi muncul permasalahan,bagaimana pengaruh perbedaan teknik penyayatan terhadap nilai kekasaran permukaan benda kerja berkontur dalam proses milling CNC. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh metode penyayatan pahat milling terhadap kekasaran permukaan benda kerja berkontur yang di hasilkan pada proses freis dengan menggunakan mesin milling CNC - 3Axis Makino S33. Peneliitan ini merancang dan membuat molding Cover stop kontak dikarenakan permukaan produk cover stop kontak memiliki permukaan yang berkontur. Molding ini terdiri dari Core dan Cavity. Benda kerja yang akan di ujicoba adalah bagian Core sebanyak 3 buah. Dalam pengerjaanya benda ujicoba diberikan perlakuan yang sama antara lain, kedalaman pemotongan, kecepatan spindle, dan jenis pahat yang di gunakan, kemudian dari ke 3 benda kerja tersebut masing- masing di tentukan 3 titik pengukuran. Dari hasil pengujian yang di peroleh kemudian dilakukan analisis tabel. Nilai kekasaran permukaan terendah (rata-rata kekasaran 0.899µ m dengan waktu permesinan tercepat (waktu proses 1 jam 08 menit pada penggunaan metode penyayatan 3D offset finishing. Penulis menyarankan agar dalam proses freis menggunakan mesin milling CNC 3Axis Makino S33 pada permukaan benda yang berkontur, untuk mendapatkan nilai kekasaran yang terendah disarankan menggunakan metode penyayatan 3D offset finishing.

  19. Life cycle, Ecological Characteristics, and Control of Trachys yanoi (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an Important Pest of Zelkova serrata

    OpenAIRE

    Ohsawa, Masashi

    2017-01-01

    This study was conducted to elucidate the life cycle and the ecological characteristics of Trachys yanoi Y. Kurosawa, an important pest of Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino. Life cycle, mortality rates in developmental stages, annual population dynamics, and early leaf abscission were investigated. Adults emerged from under the bark of Zelkova trees in April and fed on Zelkova leaves. Females laid 49 eggs on average, mainly in May and early June. Eggs hatched after 17 days, and the larvae fed i...

  20. Vegetation structure in the mountain forest in the Turquino National Park, province of Granma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Luis Rodríguez Sosa

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The research was conducted in the Jeringa site of the Turquino National Park in order to characterize the vegetation of a mountain forest fragment with Juglans jamaicensis. Floristic composition, vegetation structure, and the index value of importance were evaluated. Diameter at 1.30 m above the ground and height of all trees greater than 5 cm in diameter was measured. Data were analyzed using canonical correspondence analysis. 776 individuals of 43 species and 41 genera belonging to 30 families, reporting the Rubiaceae family as the richest in species, followed by Amigdalaceae, Araliaceae, Cyatheaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Sapindaceae and Poaceae. The tree species with more IVI were the Pseudolmedia spuria, Oxandra laurifolia, Trophis racemosa, Ocotea leucoxylon, Guarea guara, Dendropanax arboreus and Juglans jamaicensis, mainly due to its abundance in the vegetation, but it was found that the main contributor to the organic weight parameter species was the relative frequency.

  1. Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in a Fern Species Dryopteris uniformis (Makino) Makino and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Potential Against Five Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Gitishree; Park, Seonjoo; Baek, Kwang-Hyun

    2017-05-01

    The fern plant Dryopteris uniformis has traditionally been used in herbal medicine and possesses many biological activities. This study was conducted to explore the endophytic bacterial diversity associated with D. uniformis and evaluate their antibacterial potential against foodborne pathogenic bacteria (FPB). Among 51 isolated endophytic bacteria (EB), 26 EB were selected based on their morphological characteristics and identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis. The distribution of EB was diverse in the leaf and the stem/root tissues. When the EB were screened for antibacterial activity against five FPB, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli O157:H7, four EB Bacillus sp. cryopeg, Paenibacillus sp. rif200865, Staphylococcus warneri, and Bacillus psychrodurans had a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity (9.58 ± 0.66 to 21.47 ± 0.27 mm inhibition zone). The butanol solvent extract of B. sp. cryopeg and P. sp. rif200865 displayed effective antibacterial activity against the five FPB, which was evident from the scanning electron microscopy with irregular or burst cell morphology in the EB-treated bacteria compared to smooth and regular cells in case of the control bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged between 250-500 μg/mL and 500-100 μg/mL, respectively. The above outcomes signify the huge prospective of the selected EB in the food industry. Overall, the above results suggested that D. uniformis contains several culturable EB that possess effective antibacterial compounds, and that EB can be utilized as a source of natural antibacterial agents for their practical application in food industry to control the spread of FPB as a natural antibacterial agent.

  2. Preventative Effect of an Herbal Preparation (HemoHIM) on Development of Airway Inflammation in Mice via Modulation of Th1/2 Cells Differentiation

    OpenAIRE

    Kim, Jong-Jin; Cho, Hyun Wook; Park, Hae-Ran; Jung, Uhee; Jo, Sung-Kee; Yee, Sung-Tae

    2013-01-01

    HemoHIM, an herbal preparation of three edible herbs (Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, Paeonia japonica Miyabe) is known to increase the Th1 immune response as well as reduce the allergic response in human mast cells. Here, our goal was to determine whether or not HemoHIM could induce Th1 cell differentiation as well as inhibit the development of airway inflammation. To study Th1/Th2 cell differentiation, naive CD4(+) T cells isolated from C57BL/6 mouse spleens were cultured w...

  3. Stability of unstably stratified shear flow between parallel plates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujimura, Kaoru; Kelly, R E

    1987-09-01

    The linear stability of unstably stratified shear flows between two horizontal parallel plates was investigated. Eigenvalue problems were solved numerically by making use of the expansion method in Chebyshev polynomials, and the critical Rayleigh numbers were obtained accurately in the Reynolds number range of (0.01, 100). It was found that the critical Rayleigh number increases with an increase of the Reynolds number. The result strongly supports previous stability analyses except for the analysis by Makino and Ishikawa (J. Jpn. Soc. Fluid Mech. 4 (1985) 148 - 158) in which a decrease of the critical Rayleigh number was obtained.

  4. Stability of unstably stratified shear flow between parallel plates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fujimura, Kaoru; Kelly, R.E.

    1987-01-01

    The linear stability of unstably stratified shear flows between two horizontal parallel plates was investigated. Eigenvalue problems were solved numerically by making use of the expansion method in Chebyshev polynomials, and the critical Rayleigh numbers were obtained accurately in the Reynolds number range of [0.01, 100]. It was found that the critical Rayleigh number increases with an increase of the Reynolds number. The result strongly supports previous stability analyses except for the analysis by Makino and Ishikawa [J. Jpn. Soc. Fluid Mech. 4 (1985) 148 - 158] in which a decrease of the critical Rayleigh number was obtained. (author)

  5. Fitossociologia do componente arbóreo na floresta turfosa do Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Phytosociology of the tree component in a peat forest of the National Park Lagoa do Peixe, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lúcia Patrícia Pereira Dorneles

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available A composição florística e a estrutura do componente arbóreo foram analisadas na floresta de restinga turfosa do Parque Nacional da Lagoa do Peixe (31º04' - 31º29'S, 50º461 - 51º09'W, localizado na região central da Planície Costeira do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. O componente arbóreo foi amostrado pelo método de quadrantes centrados, incluindo indivíduos com DAP mínimo de 5cm. Foram amostrados 60 pontos, distribuídos ao longo de quatro transectos paralelos, aproximadamente com a mesma orientação NE-SW do sistema lagunar. A composição florística resultou em 14 famílias, 18 gêneros e 21 espécies. A densidade arbórea total estimada para um hectare foi de 3.479 indivíduos. A família com maior riqueza específica foi Myrtaceae. As espécies mais importantes foram Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham. Glassman, Myrcia multiflora (Lam. DC., Ilex pseudobuxus Reissek, Citharexylum myrianthum Cham. e Dendropanax cuneatum Decne. & Planch. A diversidade específica estimada pelo índice de Shannon (H' foi de 2,601 nats.ind.-1 e a equabilidade (J de 0,854, similar aos resultados obtidos em outros estudos realizados em florestas brejosas ou turfosas do Sul e Sudeste do Brasil.Floristic composition and structure of the tree component were analyzed in a coastal peat forest of the National Park Lagoa do Peixe (31º04' - 31º29'S, 50º46' - 51º09'W, located in the central region of the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The tree component was sampled according to the point-centered quarter method, including individuals with a minimum DBH of 5cm. Sixty sample points were distributed along four parallel transects, approximately with the same NE-SW orientation as the lagoon system. Floristic composition resulted in 14 families, 18 genera and 21 species. The total tree density estimated for one hectare was 3,479 individuals. The family with highest species richness was Myrtaceae. The most important species were Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham

  6. Floristic diversity in relation to geomorphological and climatic factors in the subalpinealpine belt of the Rodna Mountains (the Romanian Carpathians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Coldea, G.

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available As a part of the GLORIA-EUROPE project, the floristic diversity, frequency and species coverage in relation to the main ecological gradients (altitude,aspect were studied in the alpine pasture (Primulo-Caricetum curvulae, Oreochloo-Juncetum trifidi and subalpine dwarf shrub communities (Rhododendro myrtifolii - Vaccinetum of the four summits from the Pietrosul Rodnei massif (Romanian Carpathians. Floristic diversity is higher in the plant communities from lower altitude summits (Golgota, Gropile, while it decreases in communities, to higher summits (Buhaiescu, Rebra. For each 100 m increase in the altitude of subalpine-alpine summits, a decrease of approximately 10% was found in the number of vascular plant species. Arctic-Alpine species (Carex curvula, ¡uncus trifidus, Hieracium alpinum, Oreochloa disticha, etc. and a Carpatho-Balkanic regional species (Rhododendron myrtifolium have the highest frequency and coverage in these plant communities. In northern and eastern slope areas, where the vegetation cover is 15-30% lower than on western and southern slopes and the soil temperature is generally 1-3°C lower during the vegetative season (June-August, the mean number of species per square meter is 25% higher than in southern and western slope areas.

    [fr] Dans le cadre du projet GLORIA EUROPE on a étudié la diversité floristique, la fréquence et le recouvrement des espèces, par rapport aux principaux gradients écologiques (altitude, exposition, au sein des associations de prés alpins (Primulo-Caricetum curvulae, Oreochloo-Juncetum trifidi et des buissons subalpins de petite taille (Rhododendro myrtifolii - Vaccinietum, sur quatre sommets dans le massif Pietrosul Mare (Les Carpates Roumaines. La diversité floristique est plus grande chez les associations de plantes des sommets avec des altitudes plus basses (Golgota, Gropile et elle s'abaisse chez les associations des sommets plus hauts (Buhaiescu

  7. Gamma Irradiation does not Cause Carcinogenesis of Irradiated Herbs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thongphasuk, Jarunee; Thongphasuk, Piyanuch; Eamsiri, Jarurut; Pongpat, Suchada

    2009-07-01

    Full text: Microbial contamination of medicinal herbs can be effectively reduced by gamma irradiation. Since irradiation may cause carcinogenicity of the irradiated herbs, the objective of this research is to study the effect of gamma irradiation (10 and 25 kGy) from cobalt-60 on carcinogenicity. The herbs studied were Pueraria candollei Grah., Curcuma longa Linn. Zingiber montanum, Senna alexandrina P. Miller, Eurycoma Longifolia Jack, Gymnostema pentaphylum Makino, Ginkgo biloba, Houttuynia cordata T., Andrographis paniculata, Thunbergia laurifolia L., Garcinia atroviridis G., and Cinnamomum verum J.S.Presl. The results showed that gamma irradiation at the dose of 10 and 25 kGy did not cause carcinogenicity of the irradiated herbs

  8. Medicinal and ethnoveterinary remedies of hunters in Trinidad

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Georges Karla

    2001-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ethnomedicines are used by hunters for themselves and their hunting dogs in Trinidad. Plants are used for snakebites, scorpion stings, for injuries and mange of dogs and to facilitate hunting success. Results Plants used include Piper hispidum, Pithecelobium unguis-cati, Bauhinia excisa, Bauhinia cumanensis, Cecropia peltata, Aframomum melegueta, Aristolochia rugosa, Aristolochia trilobata, Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, Nicotiana tabacum, Vernonia scorpioides, Petiveria alliacea, Renealmia alpinia, Justicia secunda, Phyllanthus urinaria,Phyllanthus niruri,Momordica charantia, Xiphidium caeruleum, Ottonia ovata, Lepianthes peltata, Capsicum frutescens, Costus scaber, Dendropanax arboreus, Siparuma guianensis, Syngonium podophyllum, Monstera dubia, Solanum species, Eclipta prostrata, Spiranthes acaulis, Croton gossypifolius, Barleria lupulina, Cola nitida, Acrocomia ierensis (tentative ID. Conclusion Plant use is based on odour, and plant morphological characteristics and is embedded in a complex cultural context based on indigenous Amerindian beliefs. It is suggested that the medicinal plants exerted a physiological action on the hunter or his dog. Some of the plants mentioned contain chemicals that may explain the ethnomedicinal and ethnoveterinary use. For instance some of the plants influence the immune system or are effective against internal and external parasites. Plant baths may contribute to the health and well being of the hunting dogs.

  9. Medicinal and ethnoveterinary remedies of hunters in Trinidad.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lans, C; Harper, T; Georges, K; Bridgewater, E

    2001-01-01

    Ethnomedicines are used by hunters for themselves and their hunting dogs in Trinidad. Plants are used for snakebites, scorpion stings, for injuries and mange of dogs and to facilitate hunting success. Plants used include Piper hispidum, Pithecelobium unguis-cati, Bauhinia excisa, Bauhinia cumanensis, Cecropia peltata, Aframomum melegueta, Aristolochia rugosa, Aristolochia trilobata, Jatropha curcas, Jatropha gossypifolia, Nicotiana tabacum, Vernonia scorpioides, Petiveria alliacea, Renealmia alpinia, Justicia secunda, Phyllanthus urinaria,Phyllanthus niruri,Momordica charantia, Xiphidium caeruleum, Ottonia ovata, Lepianthes peltata, Capsicum frutescens, Costus scaber, Dendropanax arboreus, Siparuma guianensis, Syngonium podophyllum, Monstera dubia, Solanum species, Eclipta prostrata, Spiranthes acaulis, Croton gossypifolius, Barleria lupulina, Cola nitida, Acrocomia ierensis (tentative ID). Plant use is based on odour, and plant morphological characteristics and is embedded in a complex cultural context based on indigenous Amerindian beliefs. It is suggested that the medicinal plants exerted a physiological action on the hunter or his dog. Some of the plants mentioned contain chemicals that may explain the ethnomedicinal and ethnoveterinary use. For instance some of the plants influence the immune system or are effective against internal and external parasites. Plant baths may contribute to the health and well being of the hunting dogs.

  10. Characterization of Wood-Plastic Composites Made with Different Lignocellulosic Materials that Vary in Their Morphology, Chemical Composition and Thermal Stability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ke-Chang Hung

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In this study, four kinds of lignocellulosic fibers (LFs, namely, those from Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata, Taiwan red pine (Pinus taiwanensis, India-charcoal trema (Trema orientalis and makino bamboo (Phyllostachys makinoi, were selected as reinforcements and incorporated into high-density polyethylene (HDPE to manufacture wood-plastic composites (WPCs by a flat platen pressing process. In addition to comparing the differences in the physico-mechanical properties of these composites, their chemical compositions were evaluated and their thermal decomposition kinetics were analyzed to investigate the effects of the lignocellulosic species on the properties of the WPCs. The results showed that the WPC made with Chinese fir displayed a typical M-shaped vertical density profile due to the high aspect ratio of its LFs, while a flat vertical density profile was observed for the WPCs made with other LFs. Thus, the WPC made with Chinese fir exhibited higher flexural properties and lower internal bond strength (IB than other WPCs. In addition, the Taiwan red pine contained the lowest holocellulose content and the highest extractives and α-cellulose contents, which gave the resulting WPC lower water absorption and flexural properties. On the other hand, consistent with the flexural properties, the results of thermal decomposition kinetic analysis showed that the activation energy of the LFs at 10% of the conversion rate increased in the order of Taiwan red pine (146–161 kJ/mol, makino bamboo (158–175 kJ/mol, India-charcoal trema (185–194 kJ/mol and Chinese fir (194–202 kJ/mol. These results indicate that the morphology, chemical composition and thermal stability of the LFs can have a substantial impact on the physico-mechanical properties of the resulting WPCs.

  11. Electrostatic potential map modelling with COSY Infinity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maloney, J.A.; Baartman, R.; Planche, T.; Saminathan, S.

    2016-01-01

    COSY Infinity (Makino and Berz, 2005) is a differential-algebra based simulation code which allows accurate calculation of transfer maps to arbitrary order. COSY’s existing internal procedures were modified to allow electrostatic elements to be specified using an array of field potential data from the midplane. Additionally, a new procedure was created allowing electrostatic elements and their fringe fields to be specified by an analytic function. This allows greater flexibility in accurately modelling electrostatic elements and their fringe fields. Applied examples of these new procedures are presented including the modelling of a shunted electrostatic multipole designed with OPERA, a spherical electrostatic bender, and the effects of different shaped apertures in an electrostatic beam line.

  12. In vitro and in vivo antifungal activity, liver profile test, and mutagenic activity of five plants used in traditional Mexican medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge Cornejo-Garrido

    Full Text Available Berberis hartwegii Benth., Berberidaceae, Hamelia patens Jacq., Rubiaceae, Dendropanax arboreus (L. Decne & Planch., Araliaceae, Erythrina herbacea L., Fabaceae, and Zanthoxylum caribaeum Lam., Rutaceae, acetone extracts were selected on the basis of their use in traditional Mexican medicine to treat scabies or skin diseases. Anti-dermatophyte activity in vitro was evaluated using the agar dilution assay, and the therapeutic efficacy of B. hartwegii and Z. caribaeum were tested against experimental tinea pedis. The infected animals were treated intragastrically daily for seven days with 2.5 and 5 mg/kg of acetone extracts. The acetone extract of H. patens exhibited 100% growth inhibition against T. mentagrophytes and E. floccosum at 100.0 and 50.0 µg/ml, respectively, and B. hartwegii inhibited growth of M. canis and T. mentagrophytes at 100.0 µg/ml. Effective treatments with 2.5 mg/kg of Z. caribaeum and B. hartwegii extract were comparable with 1 mg/kg of clotrimazole in mice. Liver profile tests and histological analyses did not exhibit any signs of toxicity and the Ames test indicated that both extracts were safe when evaluated in strains TA98, TA100 and TA102. Our results suggest the potential for the future development of new antifungal drugs from B. hartwegii or Z. caribaeum.

  13. Additional Remarks on Ranunculaceae in Taiwan (8 -Revision of Ranunculaceae in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T.Y. Aleck Yang

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available This is a taxonomic study of the genera of Ranunculaceae in Taiwan, including Aconitum L., Anemone L., Calathodes L., Cimicifuga Hook.f. & Thomson, Coptis L., Dichocarpum L., Ranunculus L., Semiaquilegea Makino, Thalictrum L. and Trollius L. Anemone vitifolia Buch.-Ham. ex DC. var. matsudae Yamam. is recognized in Taiwan; the concept of the genus Cimicifuga is still accepted, excluding genus Actaea. A key to the genera, keys to the taxa under each genus and synonyms of each taxon are provided. The taxonomic descriptions of taxa are only for those published after 1996. For easy understanding and checking of Taiwanese Ranunculaceae, phenology, distribution and specimens examined in each taxon are also presented. Totally, there are 11 genera and 51 taxa (including 41 species, 2 subspecies and 8 varieties of family Ranunculaceae in Taiwan.

  14. Medicinal flowers. XXXX . Structures of dihydroisocoumarin glycosides and inhibitory effects on aldose reducatase from the flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla var.thunbergii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jiang; Nakamura, Seikou; Zhuang, Yan; Yoshikawa, Masayuki; Hussein, Ghazi Mohamed Eisa; Matsuo, Kyohei; Matsuda, Hisashi

    2013-01-01

    Six dihydroisocoumarin glycosides, florahydrosides I and II, thunberginol G 8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, thunberginol C 8-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, 4-hydroxythunberginol G 3'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, and thunberginol D 3'-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, have been isolated from the flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla Seringe var. thunbergii Makino (Saxifragaceae) together with 20 known compounds. The chemical structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of chemical and physicochemical evidence. Among the constituents, acylated quinic acid analog, neochlorogenic acid, was shown to substantially inhibit aldose reductase [IC50=5.6 µm]. In addition, the inhibitory effects on aldose reductase of several caffeoylquinic acid analogs were examined for structure-activity relationship study. As the results, 4,5-O-trans-p-dicaffeoyl-d-quinic acid was found to exhibit a potent inhibitory effect [IC50=0.29 µm].

  15. Penggunaan Jodoushi dan Keiyoushi dalam Kalimat pada Komik Doraemon Seri 25-35

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frieska Sekar Nadya

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Every language in many countries has its own uniqueness to express wish. In Indonesian, the word “ingin” means want to, or wish to. But in Japanese, there are two classes of word, both have meaning of want or wish. They are jodoushi「~たい」and keiyoushi「ほしい」. These two classes of word usually people find when learning Japanese, especially when reading Japanese comics for children. Therefore, in order to be able to differ the use of those two classes of word and the use of their sentences pattern, as well as the analysis, this research uses Doraemon vol.25-35. As for analyzing all the data, the use of theories from Tomita Takayuki, Seichi Makino and Michio Tsutsui, Naomi Hanaoka McGloin, and also Fumiko Koide will suit them respectively.  

  16. Distinct Phylogeographic Structures of Wild Radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. raphanistroides Makino in Japan.

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    Qingxiang Han

    Full Text Available Coastal plants with simple linear distribution ranges along coastlines provide a suitable system for improving our understanding of patterns of intra-specific distributional history and genetic variation. Due to the combination of high seed longevity and high dispersibility of seeds via seawater, we hypothesized that wild radish would poorly represent phylogeographic structure at the local scale. On the other hand, we also hypothesized that wild radish populations might be geographically differentiated, as has been exhibited by their considerable phenotypic variations along the islands of Japan. We conducted nuclear DNA microsatellite loci and chloroplast DNA haplotype analyses for 486 samples and 144 samples, respectively, from 18 populations to investigate the phylogeographic structure of wild radish in Japan. Cluster analysis supported the existence of differential genetic structures between the Ryukyu Islands and mainland Japan populations. A significant strong pattern of isolation by distance and significant evidence of a recent bottleneck were detected. The chloroplast marker analysis resulted in the generation of eight haplotypes, of which two haplotypes (A and B were broadly distributed in most wild radish populations. High levels of variation in microsatellite loci were identified, whereas cpDNA displayed low levels of genetic diversity within populations. Our results indicate that the Kuroshio Current would have contributed to the sculpting of the phylogeographic structure by shaping genetic gaps between isolated populations. In addition, the Tokara Strait would have created a geographic barrier between the Ryukyu Islands and mainland Japan. Finally, extant habitat disturbances (coastal erosion, migration patterns (linear expansion, and geographic characteristics (small islands and sea currents have influenced the expansion and historical population dynamics of wild radish. Our study is the first to record the robust phylogeographic structure in wild radish between the Ryukyu Islands and mainland Japan, and might provide new insight into the genetic differentiation of coastal plants across islands.

  17. Performance of Two Bioswales on Urban Runoff Management

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    Qingfu Xiao

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available This study evaluated the effectiveness of two bioswales eight years after construction in Davis, California. The treatment bioswale measured 9 m × 1 m × 1 m (L × W × D. Engineered soil mix (75% native lava rock and 25% loam soil replaced the native loam soil. Four Red Tip Photinia (Photinia × fraseri Dress trees and two Blueberry Muffin Hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis umbellata (Thunb. Makino shrubs were planted in the bioswale. Runoff flowed into the bioswale from an adjacent 171 m2 panel of turf grass. An identically sized control bioswale consisting of non-disturbed native soil was located adjacent to the treatment bioswale. Surface runoff quantity and quality were measured during three experiments with different pollutant loads. When compared to the control, the treatment bioswale reduced surface runoff by 99.4%, and reduced nitrogen, phosphate, and total organic carbon loading by 99.1%, 99.5%, and 99.4%, respectively. After eight years, tree growth characteristics were similar across both sites.

  18. Hábitos alimentarios del venado cola blanca Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae en el Parque Natural Sierra Nanchititla, Estado de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulises Aguilera-Reyes

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available El venado cola blanca es una especie con una gran plasticidad conductual y de adaptación en diferentes hábitat. En el Parque Sierra Nanchititla en el Estado de México se realizó un estudio para determinar los hábitos alimentarios en el bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM y bosque de pino-encino (BPE. De junio 1990 a mayo 1992 se recolectaron 104 muestras de excremento de venado en las dos zonas de estudio. Aplicamos el índice de Morisita y la correlación de Spearman para determinar la preferencia alimentaria. Se utilizó el análisis histológico de heces fecales para herbívoros las cuales se compararon con muestras de tejidos vegetales de plantas de la zona de estudio. Los resultados muestran que consume el 79.44% de especies vegetales del BMM y 20.56% del BPE. Existe cierta tendencia en la selectividad de 12 de las 14 especies de plantas localizadas en el BMM, mientras que para el BPE no se aprecia tal tendencia. Las especies clave que for- man parte de la alimentación elemental del venado fueron: Acalypha setosa, Smilax pringlei, Psidium sartorianum y Dendropanax arborea. El consumo de plantas no varió sig- nificativamente entre la época seca y lluviosa en función de la forma biológica (X2=12, p=0.21. Sin embargo, durante la época seca existe cierta tendencia a consumir árboles y a finales de la época de lluvia a consumir hierbas (Z=1.61, p=0.95. Los datos indican que el venado puede ser selecti- vo con plantas del BMM, mientras que para el BPE tiende a ser oportunista.Food habits of the white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae in Nanchititla Natural Park, Mexico. White-tailed deer is a species with a large behavioral plasticity and adapta- tion to different habitats, including their food habits. This study was conducted with the aim to determine the food habits of this species in the cloud (BMM and pine-oak (BPE forests. Deer scats and plant samples were obtained following standard methods, from Sierra

  19. Morphological, Genome and Gene Expression Changes in Newly Induced Autopolyploid Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium (Fisch. ex Trautv. Makino

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ri Gao

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Autopolyploidy is widespread in higher plants and plays an important role in the process of evolution. The present study successfully induced autotetraploidys from Chrysanthemum lavandulifolium by colchicine. The plant morphology, genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenetic changes between tetraploid and diploid plants were investigated. Ligulate flower, tubular flower and leaves of tetraploid plants were greater than those of the diploid plants. Compared with diploid plants, the genome changed as a consequence of polyploidization in tetraploid plants, namely, 1.1% lost fragments and 1.6% novel fragments occurred. In addition, DNA methylation increased after genome doubling in tetraploid plants. Among 485 common transcript-derived fragments (TDFs, which existed in tetraploid and diploid progenitors, 62 fragments were detected as differentially expressed TDFs, 6.8% of TDFs exhibited up-regulated gene expression in the tetraploid plants and 6.0% exhibited down-regulation. The present study provides a reference for further studying the autopolyploidization role in the evolution of C. lavandulifolium. In conclusion, the autopolyploid C. lavandulifolium showed a global change in morphology, genome and gene expression compared with corresponding diploid.

  20. Immunomodulatory and Antidiabetic Effects of a New Herbal Preparation (HemoHIM) on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong-Jin; Choi, Jina; Lee, Mi-Kyung; Kang, Kyung-Yun; Paik, Man-Jeong; Jo, Sung-Kee; Jung, Uhee; Park, Hae-Ran; Yee, Sung-Tae

    2014-01-01

    Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, and Paeonia japonica Miyabe) was developed to protect immune, hematopoietic, and self-renewal tissues against radiation. This study determined whether or not HemoHIM could alter hyperglycemia and the immune response in diabetic mice. Both nondiabetic and diabetic mice were orally administered HemoHIM (100 mg/kg) once a day for 4 weeks. Diabetes was induced by single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 200 mg/kg, i.p.). In diabetic mice, HemoHIM effectively improved hyperglycemia and glucose tolerance compared to the diabetic control group as well as elevated plasma insulin levels with preservation of insulin staining in pancreatic β-cells. HemoHIM treatment restored thymus weight, white blood cells, lymphocyte numbers, and splenic lymphocyte populations (CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T), which were reduced in diabetic mice, as well as IFN-γ production in response to Con A stimulation. These results indicate that HemoHIM may have potential as a glucose-lowering and immunomodulatory agent by enhancing the immune function of pancreatic β-cells in STZ-induced diabetic mice.

  1. Two Alkaloids from Bulbs of Lycoris sanguinea MAXIM. Suppress PEPCK Expression by Inhibiting the Phosphorylation of CREB.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yun, Young Sook; Tajima, Miki; Takahashi, Shigeru; Takahashi, Yuji; Umemura, Mariko; Nakano, Haruo; Park, Hyun Sun; Inoue, Hideshi

    2016-10-01

    In the fasting state, gluconeogenesis is upregulated by glucagon. Glucagon stimulates cyclic adenosine monophosphate production, which induces the expression of key enzymes for gluconeogenesis, such as cytosolic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C), which are involved in gluconeogenesis through the protein kinase A/cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) pathway. Using a luciferase reporter gene assay, a methanol extract of the bulbs of Lycoris sanguinea M AXIM. var. kiushiana Makino was found to suppress cAMP-enhanced PEPCK-C promoter activity. In addition, two alkaloids, lycoricidine and lycoricidinol, in the extract were identified as active constituents. In forskolin-stimulated human hepatoma cells, these alkaloids suppressed the expression of a reporter gene under the control of cAMP response element and also prevented increases in the endogenous levels of phosphorylated CREB and PEPCK mRNA expression. These results suggest that lycoricidine and lycoricidinol suppress PEPCK-C expression by inhibiting the phosphorylation of CREB and may thus have the potential to prevent excessive gluconeogenesis in type 2 diabetes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  2. Características tecnológicas de la madera de Sac-Chacah de Campeche en diferentes zonas del árbol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Martínez Trinidad

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad ampliar el conocimiento de las características tecnológicas de la madera de Dendropanax arboreus (L. Planch & Decne. Para lo cual se realizó un estudio anatómico, se determinaron las propiedades físicas, la madera de tensión y los índices de calidad de pulpa para papel, y se calcularon a partir de la densidad las propiedades mecánicas. Se utilizaron muestras de madera de siete alturas y tres zonas de la sección transversal de cinco árboles. Los vasos presentaron placa perforada escaleriforme, longitud de 959.48µ y diámetro de 73.31µ; y las fibras una longitud de 1343.73µ, un diámetro de 27.73µ y un grosor de pared de 4.68µ. La madera presentó densidad básica media (0.44 g⋅cm-3, contracción volumétrica total media (11.17 %, contracciones lineales altas (7.0 T y 4.14 %R, relación de anisotropía baja (1.69, índices de calidad de pulpa para papel buenos y las propiedades mecánicas resultaron de bajas a muy bajas. La madera de tensión se encontró en forma dispersa y aislada. En general, no se presentó una tendencia marcada por parte de las variables analizadas en los diferentes diámetros o alturas estudiadas. En función de los resultados, la madera presenta un amplio espectro de utilización excepto para usos estructurales.

  3. Immunomodulatory and Antidiabetic Effects of a New Herbal Preparation (HemoHIM on Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong-Jin Kim

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available HemoHIM (a new herbal preparation of three edible herbs: Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, and Paeonia japonica Miyabe was developed to protect immune, hematopoietic, and self-renewal tissues against radiation. This study determined whether or not HemoHIM could alter hyperglycemia and the immune response in diabetic mice. Both nondiabetic and diabetic mice were orally administered HemoHIM (100 mg/kg once a day for 4 weeks. Diabetes was induced by single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 200 mg/kg, i.p.. In diabetic mice, HemoHIM effectively improved hyperglycemia and glucose tolerance compared to the diabetic control group as well as elevated plasma insulin levels with preservation of insulin staining in pancreatic β-cells. HemoHIM treatment restored thymus weight, white blood cells, lymphocyte numbers, and splenic lymphocyte populations (CD4+ T and CD8+ T, which were reduced in diabetic mice, as well as IFN-γ production in response to Con A stimulation. These results indicate that HemoHIM may have potential as a glucose-lowering and immunomodulatory agent by enhancing the immune function of pancreatic β-cells in STZ-induced diabetic mice.

  4. Florística e estrutura do componente arbustivo-arbóreo de uma floresta higrófila da bacia do rio Jacaré-Pepira, SP, Brasil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marques Márcia C. M.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available As florestas higrófilas são formações ribeirinhas caracterizadas por ocorrerem em solo permanentemente encharcado e restritas a pequenos fragmentos junto a outros tipos vegetacionais. Neste trabalho caracterizaram-se a florística e a estrutura do componente arbustivo-arbóreo (plantas com DAP>5cm de uma área de 0,36ha de floresta higrófila localizada em Brotas (48º06'W 22º16'S, 470m.s.m., Estado de São Paulo, usando-se método de parcelas (total de 24 parcelas. No total foram amostrados 735 indivíduos, distribuídos em 32 famílias e 51 espécies. As espécies que se destacaram na comunidade devido aos elevados valores de importância foram Calophyllum brasiliense Camb., Protium almecega L. Marchand, Podocarpus sellowii Klotzch., Tapirira guianensis Aubl. e Dendropanax cuneatum DC. Decne. & Planch. O índice de diversidade de Shannon foi igual a 2,81, valor pouco superior aos descritos para florestas semelhantes. Na comunidade, as espécies generalistas com relação ao encharcamento do solo e as de solo drenado contribuíram na riqueza total (juntas 62% do total de espécies amostradas, enquanto as espécies de solo encharcado tiveram maior contribuição na composição da dominância (66% da dominância total e densidade (67% da densidade total relativas. A diversidade de situações topográficas e a entrada de espécies da vegetação do cerrado adjacente permitiram que espécies com diferentes exigências hídricas se estabelecessem na área relativamente pequena da floresta e influenciaram fortemente a florística e estrutura da comunidade.

  5. Hábitos alimentarios del venado cola blanca Odocoileus virginianus (Artiodactyla: Cervidae en el Parque Natural Sierra Nanchititla, Estado de México

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ulises Aguilera-Reyes

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available El venado cola blanca es una especie con una gran plasticidad conductual y de adaptación en diferentes hábitat. En el Parque Sierra Nanchititla en el Estado de México se realizó un estudio para determinar los hábitos alimentarios en el bosque mesófilo de montaña (BMM y bosque de pino-encino (BPE. De junio 1990 a mayo 1992 se recolectaron 104 muestras de excremento de venado en las dos zonas de estudio. Aplicamos el índice de Morisita y la correlación de Spearman para determinar la preferencia alimentaria. Se utilizó el análisis histológico de heces fecales para herbívoros las cuales se compararon con muestras de tejidos vegetales de plantas de la zona de estudio. Los resultados muestran que consume el 79.44% de especies vegetales del BMM y 20.56% del BPE. Existe cierta tendencia en la selectividad de 12 de las 14 especies de plantas localizadas en el BMM, mientras que para el BPE no se aprecia tal tendencia. Las especies clave que for- man parte de la alimentación elemental del venado fueron: Acalypha setosa, Smilax pringlei, Psidium sartorianum y Dendropanax arborea. El consumo de plantas no varió sig- nificativamente entre la época seca y lluviosa en función de la forma biológica (X2=12, p=0.21. Sin embargo, durante la época seca existe cierta tendencia a consumir árboles y a finales de la época de lluvia a consumir hierbas (Z=1.61, p=0.95. Los datos indican que el venado puede ser selecti- vo con plantas del BMM, mientras que para el BPE tiende a ser oportunista.

  6. Identification and partial characterization of C-glycosylflavone markers in Asian plant dyes using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mouri, Chika; Laursen, Richard

    2011-10-14

    Flavonoids in the grasses (Poaceae family), Arthraxon hispidus (Thunb.) Makino and Miscanthus tinctorius (Steudel) Hackel have long histories of use for producing yellow dyes in Japan and China, but up to now there have been no analytical procedures for characterizing the dye components in textiles dyed with these materials. LC-MS analysis of plant material and of silk dyed with extracts of these plants shows the presence, primarily, of flavonoid C-glycosides, three of which have been tentatively identified as luteolin 8-C-rhamnoside, apigenin 8-C-rhamnoside and luteolin 8-C-(4-ketorhamnoside). Two of these compounds, luteolin 8-C-rhamnoside (M=432), apigenin 8-C-rhamnoside (M=416), along with the previously known tricin (M=330) and several other flavonoids that appear in varying amounts, serve as unique markers for identifying A. hispidus and M. tinctorius as the source of yellow dyes in textiles. Using this information, we have been able to identify grass-derived dyes in Japanese textiles dated to the Nara and Heian periods. However, due to the high variability in the amounts of various flavonoid components, our goal of distinguishing between the two plant sources remains elusive. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Burning velocity of the heterogeneous flame propagation in the SHS process expressed in explicit form

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makino, A.; Law, C.K.

    1995-01-01

    The combustion behavior of the self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process has been the subject of many analytical and experimental investigations. Recently, a theory based on spray combustion was proposed for the SHS flame structure and propagation. In contrast to previous studies based on the homogeneous premixed flame, this theory accounts for the premixed-mode of propagation of the bulk flame and the non-premixed reaction of the dispersed nonmetal (or higher melting-point metal) particles which supports the bulk flame. Finite-rate reaction at the particle surface and the temperature-dependent, Arrhenius nature of mass diffusion are both incorporated. The heterogeneous nature of the theory has satisfactorily captured the effects of particle size on the flame propagation speed. The final solution of Makino and Law was obtained numerically and hence presented parametrically. The authors have since then derived an approximate analytical expression for the burning velocity, which explicitly displays the functional dependence of the burning velocity on the various system parameters. This result is presented herein. Applicability of this expression is examined by comparing it with the numerical results for Ti-C, Ti-B, Zr-B, Hf-B, and Co-Ti systems. A fair degree of agreement has been shown as far as the general trend and approximate magnitude are concerned

  8. A cell-based high-throughput protocol to screen entry inhibitors of highly pathogenic viruses with Traditional Chinese Medicines.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yong; Cheng, Han; Yan, Hui; Wang, Peng-Zhan; Rong, Rong; Zhang, Ying-Ying; Zhang, Cheng-Bo; Du, Rui-Kun; Rong, Li-Jun

    2017-05-01

    Emerging viruses such as Ebola virus (EBOV), Lassa virus (LASV), and avian influenza virus H5N1 (AIV) are global health concerns. Since there is very limited options (either vaccine or specific therapy) approved for humans against these viruses, there is an urgent need to develop prophylactic and therapeutic treatments. Previously we reported a high-throughput screening (HTS) protocol to identify entry inhibitors for three highly pathogenic viruses (EBOV, LASV, and AIV) using a human immunodeficiency virus-based pseudotyping platform which allows us to perform the screening in a BSL-2 facility. In this report, we have adopted this screening protocol to evaluate traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) in an effort to discover entry inhibitors against these viruses. Here we show that extracts of the following Chinese medicinal herbs exhibit potent anti-Ebola viral activities: Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, Citrus aurantium L., Viola yedoensis Makino, Prunella vulgaris L., Coix lacryma-jobi L. var. mayuen (Roman.) Stapf, Pinellia ternata (Thunb.) Breit., and Morus alba L. This study represents a proof-of-principle investigation supporting the suitability of this assay for rapid screening TCMs and identifying putative entry inhibitors for these viruses. J. Med. Virol. 89:908-916, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Oviposition inhibitor in umbelliferous medicinal plants for the common yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morino, Chisato; Morita, Yusuke; Minami, Kazuki; Nishidono, Yuto; Nakashima, Yoshitaka; Ozawa, Rika; Takabayashi, Junji; Ono, Naoaki; Kanaya, Shigehiko; Tamura, Takayuki; Tezuka, Yasuhiro; Tanaka, Ken

    2018-01-01

    Umbelliferous medicinal plants, such as Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa and Angelica dahurica Bentham et Hooker filius ex Franchet et Savatier, account for a large percentage of crude drug consumption in Japan. The most serious problem in the cultivation of umbelliferous medicinal plants is the feeding damage caused by the common yellow swallowtail (Papilio machaon hippocrates C. & R. Felder, 1864). When we compared the numbers of eggs laid by P. machaon on six umbelliferous medicinal plants, the eggs on A. acutiloba, A. dahurica, and Glehnia littoralis Fr. Schmidt ex Miquel were the most numerous, those on Saposhnikovia divaricata Schischkin and Cnidium officinale Makino were rare, and Bupleurum falcatum Linné was not oviposited at all. To identify oviposition inhibitors for P. machaon in B. falcatum, S. divaricata, and C. officinale, the volatile chemical constituents of these umbelliferous medicinal plants were compared with GC-MS. We carried out multivariate analysis of gas chromatographic data and concluded that germacrene D, α-humulene, and trans-caryophyllene play important roles in protecting plants from oviposition by P. machaon. Their oviposition repellent activity was confirmed by the fact that the number of eggs laid on the leaves around a repellent device containing a mixture of germacrene D, α-humulene, and trans-caryophyllene was reduced by 40% compared to a control.

  10. Predictions of the Potential Geographical Distribution and Quality of a Gynostemma pentaphyllum Base on the Fuzzy Matter Element Model in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zefang Zhao

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Specific spatial information about medicinal plants is becoming an increasingly important part of their conservation. Gynostemma pentaphyllum (Thunb. Makino is a traditional Chinese medical plant, and gypenosides is one of the main active components of G. pentaphyllum. In our research, many samples of G. pentaphyllum and the data of gypenosides content in these samples were collected from 43 sampling sites, and based on the Fuzzy Matter Element model (FME, the relationships between gypenosides content and 19 environmental variables were established. Then, the maximum entropy model was used to determine the relative importance of each environmental variable, and thus determine the most limiting habitat criteria. Finally, the weighted average method was applied to determine the potential distribution of G. pentaphyllum in China, which was based on the content of gypenosides. The results showed that the areas of marginally suitable and suitable habitats for G. pentaphyllum in China were approximately 1.2 × 106 km2 and 0.3 × 106 km2, respectively. The suitable habitats were mainly located in southern China, including Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, Anhui, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Shaanxi, and other regions. In conclusion, the FME model could accurately evaluate the habitat suitability of G. pentaphyllum, quantify the area of a suitable habitat, and analyze the spatial distribution.

  11. Hataedock treatment has preventive therapeutic effects for atopic dermatitis through skin barrier protection in Dermatophagoides farinae-induced NC/Nga mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cha, Ho-Yeol; Ahn, Sang-Hyun; Cheon, Jin-Hong; Park, Sun-Young; Kim, Kibong

    2017-07-12

    Hataedock treatment is traditionally used for the purpose of preventing the future skin disease by feeding herbal extracts to the newborn in traditional Chinese and Korean medicine. This study investigated the preventive therapeutic effects of Hataedock (HTD) treatment for atopic dermatitis (AD) through skin barrier protection in Dermatophagoides farinae-induced NC/Nga mice. To the HTD treatment group, the extract of Coptis japonica Makino and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer, which analyzed with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)-fingerprint for quality consistency, was administered orally to the 3-week-old mice before inducing AD. After that, Dermatophagoides farinae was applied except the control group to induce AD-like skin lesions. We confirmed the effects of HTD on morphological changes, protection of skin barrier, regulation of Th2 differentiation, inflammation regulation and induction of apoptosis through histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. HTD effectively reduced edema, angiogenesis and skin lesion. HTD also increased the levels of liver X receptor (LXR) and filaggrin but decreased the level of protein kinase C (PKC) (pprotection of skin barrier. Therefore, HTD may have potential applications for alternative and preventive treatment in the management of AD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The stimulating effects of polyphenol and protein fractions from jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino achenes against proliferation of leukemia cells

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    Yi-Zhen Shih

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to investigate the direct and immune-stimulated antiproliferative activities of jelly fig achenes fractions including pectinesterase inhibitors, crude polyphenols extract, and purified polyphenols extract (PP. Beside the measurement of cell viability of U937, the quantity of cytokines in conditioned medium and morphologic changes in leukemia were observed. After surveying all fractions in jelly fig, the obtained fractions of polyphenol exhibited the highest stimulating effects and directly cytotoxic effects against leukemia with the lowest effect found in protein fractions. The leukemia treated by our PP fraction showed dose-dependent response between the concentration and G2/M cell numbers of the U937 cells. The PP fraction had more pronounced effect on immune-stimulated than direct antiproliferative activities. The finding was also supported by morphological analysis by showing the formation of apoptotic bodies and differentiation from immature U937 cells into mature monocytes/macrophages on cells cultured with PP-conditioned medium. In conclusion, polyphenol fraction of pectinesterase inhibitors from jelly fig showed the immune-stimulated antiproliferative activities against U937 cell.

  13. The n-butanolic extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten enhances long-term memory in the passive avoidance task in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong Min; Kim, Dong Hyun; Park, Se Jin; Park, Dong Hyun; Jung, Seo Yun; Kim, Hyoung Ja; Lee, Yong Sup; Jin, Changbae; Ryu, Jong Hoon

    2010-08-16

    Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten Makino (Cactaceae) is used to treat burns, edema, dyspepsia, and asthma in traditional medicine. The present study investigated the beneficial effects of the n-butanolic extract of O. ficus-indica var. saboten (BOF) on memory performance in mice and attempts to uncover the mechanisms underlying its action. Memory performance was assessed with the passive avoidance task, and western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to measure changes in protein expression and cell survival. After the oral administration of BOF for 7 days, the latency time in the passive avoidance task was significantly increased relative to vehicle-treated controls (P<0.05). Western blotting revealed that the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), phosphorylated cAMP response element binding-protein (pCREB), and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) 1/2 were significantly increased in hippocampal tissue after 7 days of BOF administration (P<0.05). Doublecortin and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine immunostaining also revealed that BOF significantly enhanced the survival of immature neurons, but did not affect neuronal cell proliferation in the subgranular zone of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. These results suggest that the subchronic administration of BOF enhances long-term memory, and that this effect is partially mediated by ERK-CREB-BDNF signaling and the survival of immature neurons. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Crop candidates for the bioregenerative life support systems in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chunxiao, Xu; Hong, Liu

    The use of plants for life support applications in space is appealing because of the multiple life support functions by the plants. Research on crops that were grown in the life support system to provide food and oxygen, remove carbon dioxide was begun from 1960. To select possible crops for research on the bioregenerative life support systems in China, criteria for the selection of potential crops were made, and selection of crops was carried out based on these criteria. The results showed that 14 crops including 4 food crops (wheat, rice, soybean and peanut) and 7 vegetables (Chinese cabbage, lettuce, radish, carrot, tomato, squash and pepper) won higher scores. Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.), rice ( Oryza sativa L.), soybean ( Glycine max L.) and peanut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) are main food crops in China. Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. communis), lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. var. longifolia Lam.), radish ( Raphanus sativus L.), carrot ( Daucus carota L. var. sativa DC.), tomato ( Lycopersicon escalentum L.), squash ( Cucurbita moschata Duch.) and pepper ( Capsicum frutescens L. var. longum Bailey) are 7 vegetables preferred by Chinese. Furthermore, coriander ( Coriandum sativum L.), welsh onion ( Allium fistulosum L. var. giganteum Makino) and garlic ( Allium sativum L.) were selected as condiments to improve the taste of space crew. To each crop species, several cultivars were selected for further research according to their agronomic characteristics.

  15. Preventative effect of an herbal preparation (HemoHIM) on development of airway inflammation in mice via modulation of Th1/2 cells differentiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Jong-Jin; Cho, Hyun Wook; Park, Hae-Ran; Jung, Uhee; Jo, Sung-Kee; Yee, Sung-Tae

    2013-01-01

    HemoHIM, an herbal preparation of three edible herbs (Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, Paeonia japonica Miyabe) is known to increase the Th1 immune response as well as reduce the allergic response in human mast cells. Here, our goal was to determine whether or not HemoHIM could induce Th1 cell differentiation as well as inhibit the development of airway inflammation. To study Th1/Th2 cell differentiation, naive CD4(+) T cells isolated from C57BL/6 mouse spleens were cultured with or without HemoHIM. To examine airway inflammation, C57BL/6 mice were fed HemoHIM for 4 weeks before sensitization and provocation with ovalbumin (OVA). In an in vitro experiment, naive CD4(+) T cells displayed increased Th1 (IFN-γ(+) cell) as well as decreased Th2 (IL-4(+) cell) differentiation in a HemoHIM concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, in an airway inflammation mice model, eosinophil numbers in BALF, serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and IgG1, and cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13) levels in BALF and the supernatant of splenocytes all decreased upon HemoHIM (100 mg/kg body weight) pretreatment (4 weeks). These results show that HemoHIM attenuated allergic airway inflammation in the mouse model through regulation of the Th1/Th2 balance.

  16. Preventative effect of an herbal preparation (HemoHIM on development of airway inflammation in mice via modulation of Th1/2 cells differentiation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jong-Jin Kim

    Full Text Available HemoHIM, an herbal preparation of three edible herbs (Angelica gigas Nakai, Cnidium officinale Makino, Paeonia japonica Miyabe is known to increase the Th1 immune response as well as reduce the allergic response in human mast cells. Here, our goal was to determine whether or not HemoHIM could induce Th1 cell differentiation as well as inhibit the development of airway inflammation. To study Th1/Th2 cell differentiation, naive CD4(+ T cells isolated from C57BL/6 mouse spleens were cultured with or without HemoHIM. To examine airway inflammation, C57BL/6 mice were fed HemoHIM for 4 weeks before sensitization and provocation with ovalbumin (OVA. In an in vitro experiment, naive CD4(+ T cells displayed increased Th1 (IFN-γ(+ cell as well as decreased Th2 (IL-4(+ cell differentiation in a HemoHIM concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, in an airway inflammation mice model, eosinophil numbers in BALF, serum levels of OVA-specific IgE and IgG1, and cytokine (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 levels in BALF and the supernatant of splenocytes all decreased upon HemoHIM (100 mg/kg body weight pretreatment (4 weeks. These results show that HemoHIM attenuated allergic airway inflammation in the mouse model through regulation of the Th1/Th2 balance.

  17. Antimetropia in a 10-year-old boy with unilateral tilted disc syndrome

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    Makino S

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Shinji MakinoDepartment of Ophthalmology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, JapanAbstract: Antimetropia is a condition in which one eye is myopic, while the fellow eye is hyperopic. This report describes a case of antimetropia associated with unilateral tilted disc syndrome. A 10-year-old boy presented with the complaint of diminished vision for distant objects in his right eye for several months. His uncorrected distance visual acuity was 0.15 in the right eye and 1.0 in the left eye. Best corrected visual acuity was 1.0, with -6.00 D/-2.00 D 170° in the right eye and +1.50 D in the left eye. The cover test revealed right esotropia and hypertropia. Bifoveal fixation was achieved using a 14 prism diopter (PD base at 220° in the right eye. Fundus examination revealed a tilted disc with inferior staphyloma in the right eye, but no abnormal findings were observed in the left eye. In addition, the patient occasionally experienced diplopia under casual viewing conditions. A cycloplegic refraction revealed -6.00 D/-2.00 D 170° in the right eye and +1.50 D/-2.00 D 5° in the left eye. Thus, prism glasses were prescribed. While wearing the prism glasses, the patient has shown no diplopia and maintains good binocular function.Keywords: amblyopia, strabismus, anisometropia, staphyloma

  18. Herbal preparation (HemoHIM) enhanced functional maturation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells mediated toll-like receptor 4.

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    Lee, Sung-Ju; Kim, Jong-Jin; Kang, Kyung-Yun; Hwang, Yun-Ho; Jeong, Gil-Yeon; Jo, Sung-kee; Jung, Uhee; Park, Hae-Ran; Yee, Sung-Tae

    2016-02-19

    HemoHIM, which is an herbal preparation of three edible herbs (Angelicam gigas Nakai, Cnidium offinale Makino, and Peaonia japonica Miyabe), is known to have various biological and immunological activities, but the modulatory effects of this preparation on dendritic cells (DCs)-mediated immune responses have not been examined previously. DCs are a unique group of white blood cells that initiate primary immune responses by capturing, processing, and presenting antigens to T cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of HemoHIM on the functional and phenotypic maturation of murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) both in vitro and in vivo. The expression of co-stimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80, CD86, MHC I, and MHC II) and the production of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12p70, and TNF-α) were increased by HemoHIM in BMDCs. Furthermore, the antigen-uptake ability of BMDCs was decreased by HemoHIM, and the antigen-presenting ability of HemoHIM-treated mature BMDCs increased TLR4-dependent CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses. Our findings demonstrated that HemoHIM induces TLR4-mediated BMDCs functional and phenotypic maturation through in vivo and in vitro. And our study showed the antigen-presenting ability that HemoHIM-treated mature BMDCs increase CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell responses by in vitro. These results suggest that HemoHIM has the potential to mediate DC immune responses.

  19. [Assay of Tetramethylpyrazine in Szechwan Lovage Rhizome and Cnidium Rhizome by HPLC-DAD-MS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Yuan-lin; Jin, Yu-qing; Yao, Yi-xin; Lin, Mao-yi; Wei, Bo-ping; Jiang, Wei-dong; Lu, Guang-hua

    2015-01-01

    To quantity the amount of tetramethylpyrazine in Szechwan Lovage Rhizome (Chuanxiong, the rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort., CX) and Cnidium Rhizome(Japanese Chuanxiong, the rhizome of Cnidium officinale Makino, JCX) for quality assessment. An HPLC-DAD-MS technique was employed to detect tetramethylpyrazine in 27 CX and 10 JCX samples. Tetramethylpyrazine was separated on a Waters Symmetry C,, column (250 mm x 4. 6 mm, 5 µm). The mobile phase was methanol-acetonitrile-water(27: 1: 72) at a flow rate of 1. 0 mL/min. The column temperature was 35 °C. DAD detection wavelength was 280 nm, while electrospray ionization detector was set at positive mode to collect MS spectrum. In the total of 37 herb samples, 11 samples were found to contain tetramethylpyrazine with the mean amount of 2. 19 µg/g(n = 11). 6 of 27 CX samples and 5 of 10 JCX sample were found the existence of tetramethylpyrazine with the amount of 0. 60 - 11. 75 µg and 0. 61 - 3. 05 µg/g,respectively. The correlation was not found between tetramethylpyrazine and the cultivation area, morphological character, processing or storage method for CX and JCX samples. It was possible that tetramethylpyrazine resulted from the microbes in soil. The developed method is accurate to quantify tetramethylpyrazine in CX and JCX herbs. Both the two herbs indeed contain tetramethylpyrazine, but it is not suitable to be a chemical marker to assess the quality of CX and JCX owing to low content.

  20. Life cycle, Ecological Characteristics, and Control of Trachys yanoi (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an Important Pest of Zelkova serrata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohsawa, Masashi

    2017-03-24

    This study was conducted to elucidate the life cycle and the ecological characteristics of Trachys yanoi Y. Kurosawa, an important pest of Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makino. Life cycle, mortality rates in developmental stages, annual population dynamics, and early leaf abscission were investigated. Adults emerged from under the bark of Zelkova trees in April and fed on Zelkova leaves. Females laid 49 eggs on average, mainly in May and early June. Eggs hatched after 17 days, and the larvae fed inside the leaves. They developed through three instars. In July, leaves with the final stage of larvae were abscised. Four days after abscission, the larvae pupated. New adults eclosed from pupae seven days after pupation, and the adults emerged from abscised leaves after an additional two days. In total, 1650 adults emerged per 1 m² of forest floor, resulting in a major population increase. The newly emerged adults fed on the remaining Zelkova leaves, compounding the damage. In October, adults overwintered under the tree bark. Mortality rates in the egg, larval, and pupal stages were 41%, 58%, and 31%, respectively. The mortality rate among overwintering individuals was 43%. Because only Zelkova leaves that were abscised in July contained the larvae, and because only a small number of beetles emerged from non-abscised, mined leaves, the removal of abscised leaves at nine-day intervals over period of early leaf abscission is a simple and effective way to control the beetle.

  1. Kinetics of hydrogen peroxide elimination by astrocytes and C6 glioma cells analysis based on a mathematical model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makino, Nobuo; Mise, Takeshi; Sagara, Jun-Ichi

    2008-06-01

    Oxidative stress is implicated in a variety of disorders including neurodegenerative diseases, and H(2)O(2) is important in the generation of reactive oxygen and oxidative stress. In this study, we have examined the rate of extracellular H(2)O(2) elimination and relevant enzyme activities in cultured astrocytes and C6 glioma cells and have analyzed the results based on a mathematical model. As compared with other types of cultured cells, astrocytes showed higher activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) but lower activities for GSH recycling. C6 cells showed relatively low GPx activity, and treatment of C6 cells with dibutyryl-cAMP, which induces astrocytic differentiation, increased catalase activity and H(2)O(2) permeation rate but exerted little effect on other enzyme activities. A mathematical model [N. Makino, K. Sasaki, N. Hashida, Y. Sakakura, A metabolic model describing the H(2)O(2) elimination by mammalian cells including H(2)O(2) permeation through cytoplasmic and peroxisomal membranes: comparison with experimental data, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1673 (2004) 149-159.], which includes relevant enzymes and H(2)O(2) permeation through membranes, was found to be fitted well to the H(2)O(2) concentration dependences of removal reaction with the permeation rate constants as variable parameters. As compared with PC12 cells as a culture model for neuron, H(2)O(2) removal activity of astrocytes was considerably higher at physiological H(2)O(2) concentrations. The details of the mathematical model are presented in Appendix.

  2. N-body simulation for self-gravitating collisional systems with a new SIMD instruction set extension to the x86 architecture, Advanced Vector eXtensions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanikawa, Ataru; Yoshikawa, Kohji; Okamoto, Takashi; Nitadori, Keigo

    2012-02-01

    We present a high-performance N-body code for self-gravitating collisional systems accelerated with the aid of a new SIMD instruction set extension of the x86 architecture: Advanced Vector eXtensions (AVX), an enhanced version of the Streaming SIMD Extensions (SSE). With one processor core of Intel Core i7-2600 processor (8 MB cache and 3.40 GHz) based on Sandy Bridge micro-architecture, we implemented a fourth-order Hermite scheme with individual timestep scheme ( Makino and Aarseth, 1992), and achieved the performance of ˜20 giga floating point number operations per second (GFLOPS) for double-precision accuracy, which is two times and five times higher than that of the previously developed code implemented with the SSE instructions ( Nitadori et al., 2006b), and that of a code implemented without any explicit use of SIMD instructions with the same processor core, respectively. We have parallelized the code by using so-called NINJA scheme ( Nitadori et al., 2006a), and achieved ˜90 GFLOPS for a system containing more than N = 8192 particles with 8 MPI processes on four cores. We expect to achieve about 10 tera FLOPS (TFLOPS) for a self-gravitating collisional system with N ˜ 10 5 on massively parallel systems with at most 800 cores with Sandy Bridge micro-architecture. This performance will be comparable to that of Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) cluster systems, such as the one with about 200 Tesla C1070 GPUs ( Spurzem et al., 2010). This paper offers an alternative to collisional N-body simulations with GRAPEs and GPUs.

  3. Physiological responses of biomass allocation, root architecture, and invertase activity to copper stress in young seedlings from two populations of Kummerowia stipulacea (maxim.) Makino.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Luan; Pan, Yuxue; Lv, Wei; Xiong, Zhi-ting

    2014-06-01

    In the current study, we hypothesize that mine (metallicolous) populations of metallophytes form a trade-off between the roots and shoots when under copper (Cu) stress to adapt themselves to heavy metal contaminated habitats, and thus, differ from normal (non-metallicolous) populations in biomass allocation. To test the hypothesis, two populations of the metallophyte Kummerowia stipulacea, one from an ancient Cu mine (MP) and the other from a non-contaminated site (NMP), were treated with Cu(2+) in hydroponic conditions. The results showed that MP plants had higher root/shoot biomass allocation and more complicated root system architecture compared to those of the NMP plants when under Cu stress. The net photosynthetic capacity was more inhibited in the NMP plants than in the MP plants when under Cu stress. The sugar (sucrose and hexose) contents and acid invertase activities of MP plants were elevated while those in NMP plants were inhibited after Cu treatment. The neutral/alkaline invertase activities and sucrose synthase level showed no significant differences between the two populations when under Cu stress. The results showed that acid invertase played an important role in biomass allocation and that the physiological responses were beneficial for the high root/shoot biomass allocation, which were advantageous during adaptive evolution to Cu-enriched mine soils. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Quantitative determination of salvinorin A, a natural hallucinogen with abuse liability, in Internet-available Salvia divinorum and endemic species of Salvia in Taiwan

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    Po-Xiang Lin

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, recreational use of Salvia divinorum (Lamiaceae, a herbal drug that contains a hallucinogenic ingredient, salvinorin A, has become a new phenomenon among young drug users. In Taiwan, as in many other countries, dry leaves of S. divinorum and its related concentrated extract products are available via the Internet. Besides S. divinorum, there are many endemic Salvia species whose salvinorin A content is yet unknown. To understand the abuse liability of these products, the aim of this study was to assess the concentration of salvinorin A in endemic Salvia species and Internet-available salvinorin A-related products. Samples of S. divinorum were purchased via the Internet and samples of eight endemic species of Salvia were collected in Taiwan, including S. arisanensis Hayata, S. coccinea Juss. ex Murr, S. hayatana Makino ex Hayata, S. japonica Thumb. ex Murr, S. nipponica Miq. Var. formosana (Hayata Kudo, S. scapiformis Hance, S. tashiroi Hayata. Icon. PI. Formosan, and S. keitaoensis Hayata. The content of salvinorin A was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. Salvinorin A was extracted from the dry leaves of S. divinorum and endemic species of Salvia with methanol and analyzed on a C-18 column by isocratic elution with a mobile phase of acetonitrile–water. Salvinorin A was detected in S. divinorum, but not in the endemic Salvia species of Taiwan. Therefore, endemic species of Salvia in Taiwan may not possess hallucinogenic potential. However, the potential harm from S. divinorum available via the Internet should be thoroughly assessed in Taiwan, and control measures similar to those implemented in many other countries should be considered.

  5. Efficacy of chlorhexidine gluconate ointment (Oronine H® for experimentally-induced comedones

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    Yamakoshi T

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Takako Yamakoshi,1 Teruhiko Makino,1 Kenji Matsunaga,1 Yoko Yoshihisa,1 Mati Ur Rehman,1 Taisuke Seki,2 Yoshito Hayashi,3 Tadamichi Shimizu11Department of Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama-shi, Toyama; 2Seki Dermatological Clinic, Toyama-shi, Toyama; 3Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory Inc, Naruto-shi, Tokushima, JapanBackground: Oronine H® ointment, which contains chlorhexidine gluconate as its active component, is a well known disinfectant, and has been widely used for treatment of acne in Japan. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of this ointment on the formation of comedones induced by application of 50% oleic acid on the orifices of the external auditory canals of rabbits.Methods: The application sites were observed with a dermatoscope, and the area of the hair pores was measured using an Image analysis software program.Results: The chlorhexidine gluconate ointment inhibited comedone formation significantly more effectively than the liquid paraffin used as a control (P < 0.001. We also investigated the therapeutic effect of this ointment on comedones. After starting application of chlorhexidine gluconate ointment or liquid paraffin on the comedone area, the hair pore size was gradually decreased in the group treated with chlorhexidine gluconate ointment compared with the hair pore size at baseline.Conclusion: These results suggest that chlorhexidine gluconate ointment is effective for inhibiting comedone formation as well as for treating already formed comedones. Chlorhexidine gluconate ointment is a useful topical medicine for the treatment of early-stage acne and for preventing acne.Keywords: chlorhexidine gluconate ointment, comedones, dermatoscope, oleic acid

  6. Maintenance of remission with low-dose olopatadine hydrochloride for itch in well-controlled chronic urticaria

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    Makino T

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Teruhiko Makino,1 Yoshiaki Takegami,1 Mati Ur Rehman,1 Yoko Yoshihisa,1 Waka Ishida,2 Takashi Toyomoto,3 Tadamichi Shimizu11Department of Dermatology, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan; 2Department of Dermatology, Niigata Central Hospital, Joetsu, Japan; 3Department of Dermatology, Saiseikai Takaoka Hospital, Takaoka, JapanBackground: The long-term follow-up of chronic urticaria (CU is important to ensure the adequate treatment of patients. Olopatadine hydrochloride is one of the second-generation nonsedating antihistamines.Methods: This study was designed to assess the optimal dose of olopatadine to suppress symptoms of chronic urticarial itch in well-controlled patients. After CU patients were treated with 10 mg olopatadine, patients having a visual analogue scale (VAS itch score of less than 20 were randomly allocated into one of three groups: 10 mg/day (n = 35, 5 mg/day (n = 30, or no medication (n = 32.Results: The suppressive effects of both the 5 mg and 10 mg olopatadine treatments on the VAS itch score were more significant and longer lasting over a period of 4 weeks than the no-medication treatment. Both the 5-mg group and the 10-mg group showed improved urticarial symptoms and maintained their VAS itch score within normal limits compared to the no-medication group. The differences between the 5-mg and 10-mg groups were not significant.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that treatment with olopatadine at a dose of 5 mg once daily is effective and safe for the management and prevention of CU symptoms for itch in well-controlled patients.Keywords: chronic urticaria, olopatadine, dose, antihistamine, itch, histamine

  7. Cloning and characterization of acid invertase genes in the roots of the metallophyte Kummerowia stipulacea (Maxim.) Makino from two populations: Differential expression under copper stress.

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    Zhang, Luan; Xiong, Zhi-ting; Xu, Zhong-rui; Liu, Chen; Cai, Shen-wen

    2014-06-01

    The roots of metallophytes serve as the key interface between plants and heavy metal-contaminated underground environments. It is known that the roots of metallicolous plants show a higher activity of acid invertase enzymes than those of non-metallicolous plants when under copper stress. To test whether the higher activity of acid invertases is the result of increased expression of acid invertase genes or variations in the amino acid sequences between the two population types, we isolated full cDNAs for acid invertases from two populations of Kummerowia stipulacea (from metalliferous and non-metalliferous soils), determined their nucleotide sequences, expressed them in Pichia pastoris, and conducted real-time PCR to determine differences in transcript levels during Cu stress. Heterologous expression of acid invertase cDNAs in P. pastoris indicated that variations in the amino acid sequences of acid invertases between the two populations played no significant role in determining enzyme characteristics. Seedlings of K. stipulacea were exposed to 0.3µM Cu(2+) (control) and 10µM Cu(2+) for 7 days under hydroponics׳ conditions. The transcript levels of acid invertases in metallicolous plants were significantly higher than in non-metallicolous plants when under copper stress. The results suggest that the expression of acid invertase genes in metallicolous plants of K. stipulacea differed from those in non-metallicolous plants under such conditions. In addition, the sugars may play an important role in regulating the transcript level of acid invertase genes and acid invertase genes may also be involved in root/shoot biomass allocation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. COMPOSICIÓN FLORÍSTICA Y ESTRUCTURA DE LOS BOSQUES RIBEREÑOS DE LA CUENCA BAJA DEL RÍO PAUTO, CASANARE, COLOMBIA

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    Diego Mauricio Cabrera-Amaya

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Se caracterizó la composición florística y aspectos de la estructura de la vegetación en bosques ribereños de la cuenca baja del río Pauto (Colombia, Casanare utilizando la información de nueve parcelas de 20 x 50 m (1000 m², se midieron el diámetro a la altura del pecho (DAP, la altura total y cobertura de la copa. Se analizó la riqueza y los valores de importancia por especie y por familia. Se realizó un análisis para establecer una clasificación local de los tipos de bosque, los cuales se describieron en términos de clases diamétricas y altimétricas, diagramas estructurales e índice de predominio fisionómico. Se registraron 185 especies, 127 géneros y 56 familias, la mayor riqueza florística se agrupó en las familias Rubiaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae, Fabaceae y Bignoniaceae y en los géneros Ficus, Piper, Psychotria e Inga. Las familias con mayor IVF fueron Arecaceae, Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae y Verbenaceae. Las especies más importantes según su IVI fueron: Attalea butyracea, Clarisia biflora, Sarcaulus brasiliensis, Dendropanax arboreus e Inga interrupta. Se encontraron seis comunidades, de las cuales sólo la primera se ha mencionado con anterioridad: 1 Palmar de Mauritia flexuosa y Euterpe precatoria, 2 Bosque de galería de Copaifera pubiflora y Homalium racemosum, 3 Bosque de vega de Discocarpus spruceanus y Sloanea terniflora, 4 Bosque de vega de Attalea butyracea y Garcinia madruno, 5 Bosque de galería de Attalea butyracea e Inga interrupta, y 6 Bosque de vega Attalea butyracea y Clarisia biflora. Los bosques presentan múltiples estratos con alturas del dosel desde los 18 m sobre las riberas de los caños, hasta 25 m en las vegas de los ríos. La riqueza y la composición concuerdan con los patrones florísticos de la Orinoquía colombiana, especialmente a nivel de familia, pero son menos las coincidencias a nivel de género y especie. La concentración de individuos en clases diamétricas pequeñas es

  9. Chemical Constituents and Structural Characterization of Polysaccharides from Four Typical Bamboo Species Leaves

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    Cheng-Zhang Wang

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In order to find bamboo leaves with high contents of bioactive polysaccharides, 32 samples were chosen to analyze their polysaccharide content by GC and sulfuric acid-anthrone colorimetric assays. Purified polysaccharides (BLPS were separated from the four varieties P. nigra (Lodd. Munro (PN, P. vivax McClure (PV, Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Fenzi Makino (CQ, and P. bambussoides cv. Tanakae (PB by ultrasound extraction, solution precipitation, ion exchange resin, DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. BLPS structural characterization was accomplished by HPLC-GPC, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR and NaIO4-HIO4 oxidation reactions. The results showed that the total polysaccharides of the bamboo leaves in samples 1–32 ranged between 1.4% and 5.4%, Samples No. 29–No. 32 (PN, PV, CQ, and PB contained 2–3 fold more polysaccharides than No. 1~No. 28 among the 32 different species, particularly the content of galactose was in a range of 21.5%–34.1% for these four typical bamboo species leaves, which was also more than 2–3 fold higher than in No. 1–No. 28. Sugar analysis indicated that PN-PBLPS-1, PV-PBLPS-1, CQ-PBLPS-1 and PB-PBLPS-1 from the four varieties were homogeneous polysaccharides with molecular weights of 2.04 × 104, 1.15 × 104, 8.75 × 104 and 1.48 × 104 Da, respectively. PB-PBLPS-1 was a mixture of α-galactopyranose and β-d-glucopyranose linkages with α-(1→6 or β-(1→6glycosidic bonds, while PN-PBLPS-1, PV-PBLPS-1, and CQ-PBLPS-1 had α galactopyranose linkages with α-(1→6 glycosidic bonds.

  10. Transcriptome analysis of Crossostephium chinensis provides insight into the molecular basis of salinity stress responses.

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    Haiyan Yang

    Full Text Available Soil salinization is becoming a limitation to the utilization of ornamental plants worldwide. Crossostephium chinensis (Linnaeus Makino is often cultivated along the southeast coast of China for its desirable ornamental qualities and high salt tolerance. However, little is known about the genomic background of the salt tolerance mechanism in C. chinensis. In the present study, we used Illumina paired-end sequencing to systematically investigate leaf transcriptomes derived from C. chinensis seedlings grown under normal conditions and under salt stress. A total of 105,473,004 bp of reads were assembled into 163,046 unigenes, of which 65,839 (40.38% of the total and 54,342 (33.32% of the total were aligned in Swiss-Prot and Nr protein, respectively. A total of 11,331 (6.95% differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified among three comparisons, including 2,239 in 'ST3 vs ST0', 5,880 in 'ST9 vs ST3' and 9,718 in 'ST9 vs ST0', and they were generally classified into 26 Gene Ontology terms and 58 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG pathway terms. Many genes encoding important transcription factors (e.g., WRKY, MYB, and AP2/EREBP and proteins involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, amino acid biosynthesis, plant-pathogen interactions and carbohydrate metabolism, among others, were substantially up-regulated under salt stress. These genes represent important candidates for studying the salt-response mechanism and molecular biology of C. chinensis and its relatives. Our findings provide a genomic sequence resource for functional genetic assignments in C. chinensis. These transcriptome datasets will help elucidate the molecular mechanisms responsible for salt-stress tolerance in C. chinensis and facilitate the breeding of new stress-tolerant cultivars for high-saline areas using this valuable genetic resource.

  11. From Detailed Description of Chemical Reacting Carbon Particles to Subgrid Models for CFD

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    Schulze S.

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available This work is devoted to the development and validation of a sub-model for the partial oxidation of a spherical char particle moving in an air/steam atmosphere. The particle diameter is 2 mm. The coal particle is represented by moisture- and ash-free nonporous carbon while the coal rank is implemented using semi-global reaction rate expressions taken from the literature. The submodel includes six gaseous chemical species (O2, CO2, CO, H2O, H2, N2. Three heterogeneous reactions are employed, along with two homogeneous semi-global reactions, namely carbon monoxide oxidation and the water-gas-shift reaction. The distinguishing feature of the subgrid model is that it takes into account the influence of homogeneous reactions on integral characteristics such as carbon combustion rates and particle temperature. The sub-model was validated by comparing its results with a comprehensive CFD-based model resolving the issues of bulk flow and boundary layer around the particle. In this model, the Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the energy and species conservation equations were used to solve the problem by means of the pseudo-steady state approach. At the surface of the particle, the balance of mass, energy and species concentration was applied including the effect of the Stefan flow and heat loss due to radiation at the surface of the particle. Good agreement was achieved between the sub-model and the CFD-based model. Additionally, the CFD-based model was verified against experimental data published in the literature (Makino et al. (2003 Combust. Flame 132, 743-753. Good agreement was achieved between numerically predicted and experimentally obtained data for input conditions corresponding to the kinetically controlled regime. The maximal discrepancy (10% between the experiments and the numerical results was observed in the diffusion-controlled regime. Finally, we discuss the influence of the Reynolds number, the ambient O2 mass fraction and the ambient

  12. Dendritic cells fused with different pancreatic carcinoma cells induce different T-cell responses

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    Andoh Y

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Yoshiaki Andoh,1,2 Naohiko Makino,2 Mitsunori Yamakawa11Department of Pathological Diagnostics, 2Department of Gastroenterology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, JapanBackground: It is unclear whether there are any differences in the induction of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL and CD4+CD25high regulatory T-cells (Tregs among dendritic cells (DCs fused with different pancreatic carcinomas. The aim of this study was to compare the ability to induce cytotoxicity by human DCs fused with different human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines and to elucidate the causes of variable cytotoxicity among cell lines.Methods: Monocyte-derived DCs, which were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs, were fused with carcinoma cells such as Panc-1, KP-1NL, QGP-1, and KP-3L. The induction of CTL and Tregs, and cytokine profile of PBMCs stimulated by fused DCs were evaluated.Results: The cytotoxicity against tumor targets induced by PBMCs cocultured with DCs fused with QGP-1 (DC/QGP-1 was very low, even though PBMCs cocultured with DCs fused with other cell lines induced significant cytotoxicity against the respective tumor target. The factors causing this low cytotoxicity were subsequently investigated. DC/QGP-1 induced a significant expansion of Tregs in cocultured PBMCs compared with DC/KP-3L. The level of interleukin-10 secreted in the supernatants of PBMCs cocultured with DC/QGP-1 was increased significantly compared with that in DC/KP-3L. Downregulation of major histocompatibility complex class I expression and increased secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor were observed with QGP-1, as well as in the other cell lines.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the cytotoxicity induced by DCs fused with pancreatic cancer cell lines was different between each cell line, and that the reduced cytotoxicity of DC/QGP-1 might be related to the increased secretion of interleukin-10 and the extensive induction of Tregs

  13. Long-term effect of cinacalcet hydrochloride on abdominal aortic calcification in patients on hemodialysis with secondary hyperparathyroidism

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    Nakayama K

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Kazunori Nakayama,1,2 Kazushi Nakao,1,2 Yuji Takatori,1,2 Junko Inoue,1 Shoichirou Kojo,1 Shigeru Akagi,1,2 Masaki Fukushima,2 Jun Wada,1 Hirofumi Makino11Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2Shigei Medical Research Hospital, Okayama, JapanBackground: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT is one of the common complications in dialysis patients, and is associated with increased risk of vascular calcification. The effects of cinacalcet hydrochloride treatment on bone and mineral metabolism have been previously reported, but the benefit of cinacalcet on vascular calcification remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of cinacalcet on abdominal aortic calcification in dialysis patients.Subjects and methods: Patients were on maintenance hemodialysis with insufficiently controlled SHPT (intact parathyroid hormone [PTH] >180 pg/mL by conventional therapies. All subjects were initially administered 25 mg cinacalcet daily, with concomitant use of calcitriol analogs. Abdominal aortic calcification was annually evaluated by calculating aortic calcification area index (ACAI using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT, from 12 months before to 36 months after the initiation of cinacalcet therapy.Results: Twenty-three patients were analyzed in this study. The mean age was 59.0±8.7 years, 34.8% were women, and the mean dialysis duration was 163.0±76.0 months. After administration of cinacalcet, serum levels of intact PTH, phosphorus, and calcium significantly decreased, and mean Ca × P values significantly decreased from 67.4±7.9 mg2/dL2 to 52±7.7 mg2/dL2. Although the ACAI value did not decrease during the observation period, the increase in ACAI between 24 months and 36 months after cinacalcet administration was significantly suppressed.Conclusion: Long-term administration of cinacalcet was associated with reduced progression of

  14. Envisioning the Shôjo Aesthetic in Illustrations of Miyazawa Kenji’s Literature.

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    Helen Claire Kilpatrick

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Despite an ever-growing body of scholarship on the shôjo (girl in manga and anime, little has been written about representations of the ‘girl’ in Japanese picture books. Shôjo literature and culture have grown exponentially in Japan since about the 1980s, but there has been a tendency in popular media to overemphasise the 'cute', disempowering aspects of the ‘girl’. By using Takahara Eiri's (1999 concept of “girl consciousness” and Honda Masuko's (1992 envisioning of the girl’s imagined freedom through a hirahira (fluttering aesthetic, notions of the powerless or mindlessly consuming shôjo can be dispelled. Such concepts help demonstrate that the girl ‘has her own creative, critical and cultural, if not social or political, power’ (Aoyama 2008: 286. This paper examines the shôjo tropes in contemporary illustrations that were produced to accompany two tales by the renowned author Miyazawa Kenji (1896-1933, Futago no Hoshi (Twin Stars and Ginga Tetsudô no Yoru (Night of the Milky Way Railway. Although Kenji (as he is known is not generally considered a shôjo author, some of his works incorporate gently transgressive shôjo themes reminiscent of, for example, Yoshiya Nobuko’s Hana Monogatari (Flower Tales from the 1920s. I argue that the current artwork of two award-winning artists, Makino Suzuko and Azuma Itsuko, reflects and enhances Kenji’s ‘girlish’ verbal images, bringing them to the fore in their accompanying imagery for Futago and Ginga by drawing on shôjo art, manga and literature. The artists thus bring into play intertextual references that occur not only across different historical temporalities but also through relations between the author, the artist, the text(s, the protagonists and the reading/viewing audience. The analysis of their striking artwork shows how they bring Kenji’s 1920s’ works firmly into the arena of the contemporary ‘girl’, expanding the abstract consciousness of the shôjo to

  15. Evaluation of the transporter-mediated herb-drug interaction potential of DA-9801, a standardized dioscorea extract for diabetic neuropathy, in human in vitro and rat in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Im-Sook; Kong, Tae Yeon; Jeong, Hyeon-Uk; Kim, Eun Nam; Kwon, Soon-Sang; Kang, Hee Eun; Choi, Sang-Zin; Son, Miwon; Lee, Hye Suk

    2014-07-17

    Drug transporters play important roles in the absorption, distribution, and elimination of drugs and thereby, modulate drug efficacy and toxicity. With a growing use of poly pharmacy, concurrent administration of herbal extracts that modulate transporter activities with drugs can cause serious adverse reactions. Therefore, prediction and evaluation of drug-drug interaction potential is important in the clinic and in the drug development process. DA-9801, comprising a mixed extract of Dioscoreae rhizoma and Dioscorea nipponica Makino, is a new standardized extract currently being evaluated for diabetic peripheral neuropathy in a phase II clinical study. The inhibitory effects of DA-9801 on the transport functions of organic cation transporter (OCT)1, OCT2, organic anion transporter (OAT)1, OAT3, organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1, OATP1B3, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) were investigated in HEK293 or LLC-PK1 cells. The effects of DA-9801 on the pharmacokinetics of relevant substrate drugs of these transporters were also examined in vivo in rats. DA-9801 inhibited the in vitro transport activities of OCT1, OCT2, OAT3, and OATP1B1, with IC50 values of 106, 174, 48.1, and 273 μg/mL, respectively, while the other transporters were not inhibited by 300 μg/mL DA-9801. To investigate whether this inhibitory effect of DA-9801 on OCT1, OCT2, and OAT3 could change the pharmacokinetics of their substrates in vivo, we measured the pharmacokinetics of cimetidine, a substrate for OCT1, OCT2, and OAT3, and of furosemide, a substrate for OAT1 and OAT3, by co-administration of DA-9801 at a single oral dose of 1,000 mg/kg. Pre-dose of DA-9801 5 min or 2 h prior to cimetidine administration decreased the Cmax of cimetidine in rats. However, DA-9801 did not affect the elimination parameters such as half-life, clearance, or amount excreted in the urine, suggesting that it did not inhibit elimination process of cimetidine, which is

  16. Optimization of accelerator parameters using normal form methods on high-order transfer maps

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snopok, Pavel [Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI (United States)

    2007-05-01

    in a way that is easy to understand, such important characteristics as the strengths of the resonances and the tune shifts with amplitude and various parameters of the system are calculated. Each major section is supplied with the results of applying various numerical optimization methods to the problems stated. The emphasis is made on the efficiency comparison of various approaches and methods. The main simulation tool is the arbitrary order code COSY INFINITY written by M. Berz, K. Makino, et al. at Michigan State University. Also, the code MAD is utilized to design the 750 x 750 GeV Muon Collider storage ring baseline lattice.

  17. Synthesis of polystyrene with high melting temperature through BDE/CuCl catalyzed polymerization

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    WAN; Xiaolong

    2001-01-01

    Lecomte, P., Drapier, I., Dubios, P. et al., Controlled radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of palladium acetate, triphenyl phosphine, and carbon tetrachloride, Macromolecules, 1997, 30: 7631.[12]Kotani, Y., Kamigaito, Y., Sawamoto, M., Re(V)-mediated living radical polymerization of styrene: ReO2I(PPh3)2/RI initiating system, Macromolecules, 1999, 32: 2420.[13]Makino, T., Tokunaga, E., Hogen-Esch, T. E., Controlled atom transfer radical polymerizations of methyl methacrylate under micellar conditions, Polym. Prep., 1998, 39(1): 288.[14]Gaynor, S. G., Qiu, J., Matyjaszewski, K., Controlled/"living" radical polymerization applied to water-borne system, Macromolecule, 1998, 31: 5951.[15]Qiu, J., Gaynor, S. G., Matyjaszewski, K., Controlled/"living" radical polymerization of n-butyl methacrylate by reverse atom transfer radical polymerization, Macromolecules, 1999, 32: 2872.[16]Shipp, D. A., McMurtry, G. P., Gaynor, S. G. et al., Water-borne block copolymer synthesis and a simple and effective one-pot synthesis of acrylate-methacrylate block copolymers by atom transfer radical polymerization, Polym. Prep., 1999, 40(2): 448.[17]Nishikawa, T., Kamigaito, M., Sawamoto, M., Living radical polymerization in water and alcohols: suspension polymerization of methyl methacrylate with RuCl2(PPh3)3 complex, Macromolecules, 1999, 32: 2204.[18]Wan, X. L., Ying, S. K., "Living" radical emulsion polymerization of styrene under Cu0/Bpy/CCl4 and CuCl2/Bpy/AIBN system, Chinese J. Polym. Sci., 2000, (1): 27.[19]Wan, X. L., Ying, S. K., Controlled radical polymerization catalyzed by Cu/BDE complex in water medium, 1. Polymerization of styrene and synthesis of poly(St-b-MMA), J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2000, 75(1): 802.[20]Wan, X. L., Ying, S. K., Synthesis of block copolymers by emulsion "living"/controlled radical polymerization of vinyl monomers in sequence, Polym. Prep., 1999, 40: 1055.[21]Keller, R. N., Wycoff, H. D., The synthesis

  18. Редкие виды сосудистых растений на территории национального парка «Земля леопарда» (Приморский край, Россия

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    E. A. Pimenova

    2016-06-01

    оответственно делению территории НП. В результате было собрано более 1500 образцов сосудистых растений, хранящихся в гербарной коллекции БСИ ДВО РАН (VBGI. В статье приводится аннотированный перечень 28 редких видов, выявленных на территории НП «Земля леопарда» и подтвержденных гербарными образцами. К редким отнесены 3 вида, включенные в “The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species”(2014, 14 видов из Красной книги РФ (2008, 20 видов из Красной книги Приморского края (2008 и 5 видов, редко встречающихся на исследуемой территории в силу различных природных или антропогенных факторов. Из наиболее редких видов в статье приведены: Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., Codonopsis pilosula Nannf., Meehania urticifolia Makino, Clematis koreana Kom.

  19. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geologia - Teses Defendidas 1998 - Doutorado - Instituto de Geociências - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    1998-01-01

    -se individualizar 14 biozonas, o que representa um incremento considerável em termos de resolução bioestratigráfica. Da base para o topo da seção, as biozonas receberam as seguintes denominações e atribuições cronoestratigráficas: Nannoconus fragilis, N-240, Aptiano-Albiano; Braarudosphaera ex. gr., Braarudosphaera africana, N-252, Albiano; Axopodorhabdus albianus, N-260.1, Albiano-Cenomaniano; Radiolithus planus, N-260.3, Cenomaniano-Turoniano; Eprolithus eptapetalus, N-260.4, Turoniano-Coniaciano; Eprolithus floralis, N-260.5, Conaciano-Santoniano; Lithastrinus moratus, N-260.7, Santoniano; Lithastrinus grillii, N-260.9, Santoniano-Campaniano; Eiffellithus eximius, N-265, Campaniano; Aspidolithus parcus s.l., N-270, Campaniano- Maastrichtiano; Uniplanarius trifidus, N-280, Maastrichtiano; Glaukolithus compactus, N-290.3a, Maastrichtiano; Gartnerago obliquum, N-290.3b, Maastrichtiano; Cribosphaera ehrenbergii, N-290-3c, Maastrichtiano. As unidades de código N-260.1 a N-260.9 foram agrupadas na superzona Lithastrinus sp. (N-260. Aquelas de código N- 290.3a até N-290.3c, por outro lado, foram consideradas como subzonas da unidade Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis, N-290. Durante as investigações bioestratigráficas, reconheceram-se 82 espécies, agrupadas em 50 gêneros. 127 Anuário do Instituto de Geociências - UFRJ Volume 21 / 1998 Nome: Maria Eugênia de Carvalho Marchesini Santos Título: Reconstituições Paleobiológicas nas Bacias do Parnaíba e de São Luís Orientador: Cândido Simões Ferreira Resumo: A bacia sedimentar do Parnaíba, situada em área epicontinental tem registros de antigas faunas e floras, indicativas da alternância de influências continentais e marinhas, durante a história fanerozóica. Possibilitam as análises estratigráficas referenciadas às variações globais do nível do mar. A história geológica compreende as interações entre os fenômenos geológicos e biológicos, pela reconstituição de antigos ecossistemas. Estes s

  20. AD, Plotz PH, Decker JL. Therapy of lupus nephritis. Controlled trial of prednisone and cytotoxic drugs. N Engl J Med. 1986 Mar 6;314(10:614-619. Boumpas DT, Austin HA 3rd, Vaughn EM, Klippel JH, Steinberg AD, Yarboro CH, Balow JE. Controlled trial of pulse methylprednisolone versus two regimens of pulse cyclophosphamide in severe lupus nephritis. Lancet. 1992;340:741- 45. Gourley MF, Austin HA 3rd, Scott D, Yarboro CH, Vaughan EM, Muir J, Boumpas DT, Klippel JH, Balow JE, Steinberg AD. Methylprednisolone and cyclophosphamide, alone or in combination, in patients with lupus nephritis. A randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med. 1996;125:549-557. Walsh M, James M, Jayne D, Tonelli M, Manns BJ, Hemmelgarn BR. Mycophenolate mofetil for induction therapy of lupus nephritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007;2:968-975. Dooley MA, Hogan S, Jennette C, Falk R. Cyclophosphamide therapy for lupus nephritis: poor renal survival in black Americans. Glomerular Disease Collaborative Network. Kidney Int. 1997;51:1188-1195. Austin HA 3rd, Boumpas DT, Vaughan EM, Balow JE. Predicting renal outcomes in severe lupus nephritis: contributions of clinical and histologic data. Kidney Int. 1994;45:544-550. Bakir AA, Levy PS, Dunea G. The prognosis of lupus nephritis in African-Americans: a retrospective analysis. Am J Kidney Dis. 1994;24:159-171. Barr RG, Seliger S, Appel GB, Zuniga R, D’Agati V, Salmon J, Radhakrishnan J.Prognosis in proliferative lupus nephritis: the role of socio-economic status and race/ethnicity. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2003;18:2039-2046. Hochberg MC. Updating the American College of Rheumatology revised criteria for the classification of systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1997;40:1725. Weening JJ, D’Agati VD, Schwartz MM, Seshan SV, Alpers CE, Appel GB, Balow JE, Bruijn JA, Cook T, Ferrario F, Fogo AB, Ginzler EM, Hebert L, Hill G, Hill P, Jennette JC, Kong NC, Lesavre P, Lockshin M, Looi LM, Makino H, Moura LA

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    César Augusto Restrepo Valencia

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of calcineurin ciclosporin and tacrolimus inhibitors to induce remission in patients with refractory lupus nephritis. Patients, materials and methods: Patients with lupus nephritis class IV-G who despite receiving the rapy with high doses of steroid and with a cytostatic (cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate for 3 months had not been able to induce some kind of remission.The exclusion criteria were creatinine levels greater than 3 mg / dl, pregnancy, previous history of exposure to calcineurin inhibitors, cancer, active infections, uncontrolled hypertension, and negligence with medication intake. The recommended dose of cyclosporine was 3 mg / kg / day and tacrolimus 0.1 mg / kg / day, in joint with prednisone 0.3 mg / kg / day, cyclophosphamide 1 mg / kg / day or mycophenolate mofetil 1 gram every 12 hours. The cyclophosphamide was administered only during 6 months, after which it was changed to azathioprine at doses of 1 mg / kg / day. Still, mycophenolate was continued at the same dose. All patients completed a minimum period of 12 months follow-up, it was considered that patients achieved partial remission when proteinuria decreased by 50% of the baseline value or its value decreased to less than 1 gram in 24 hours, decrease of leukocytes count and red blood cells in urine of 50%, and creatinine values were stable. A complete remission was considered when there was a reduction in proteinuria in a value less than 300 mg per 24 hours, urinary sediment with less than 3 red blood cells, less than 5 leukocyte for each high power microscopic field, and a creatinine value reduction by 50% or reaching a normal value. Results: Twelve patients met the inclusion criteria and initiated the calcineurin inhibitor protocol. Two presented accelerated deterioration in their function and required chronic dialysis therapy. Ten patients with active treatment completed 12 months of followup, of which 4 (40% had partial remission (PR, 5 (50% complete remission (RC. One patient had no significant modification to his baseline values. The following findings were made for all the patients with any significant degree of remission: their creatinine levels were reduced significantly from an average value of 1,34 +/-0,7 mg/dl to an average of 0,96 +/- 0,3 mg/dl and 0,97 +/- 0,24 mg/dl for measurements taken 6 and 12 months respectively after the start of the treatment (p<0,05. The protein levels in the urine in a timeframe of 24 hours changed from a baseline value of 2865 +/- 2586.7 milligrams to 824 +/- 981.9 milligrams at 6 months, and 488 +/- 697.7 milligrams at 12 months (p <0.05. On average, in both PR and CR patients, the C3 levels raised unlike the values for antinuclear antibodies that were diminished. No patients died, nor were there significant side effects trigge red by medications. No patient presented relapses during the follow-up time. Conclusion: The calcineurin inhibitors at low doses are an important alternative to induce partial or complete remission in patients with refractory lupus nephritis compared to classic steroid and cytostatic treatment. It is required to do a long-term follow-up to establish its safety profile at low doses and relapse rate after suspension.