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PubMed2003

Behavioral and developmental consequences of early rearing experience for captive giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

Mother-reared (MR) and peer-reared (PR) captive giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) cubs were compared to evaluate the effects of early removal from mother on behavioral development. Males and females and twins and singletons were compared to assess the effects of social setting on behavioral development. Subjects included 2 PR females, 3 MR females, 3 MR males, and 3 mothers. MR cubs spent more time manipulating bamboo and fell more often than PR cubs. PR cubs spent more time inactive. Male cubs directed more playful behavior at their mothers. Twins spent more time play fighting with their mothers than with their siblings. The results suggest that peer-rearing does not provide young pandas with the same level of social stimulation as mother-rearing.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

A novel antioxidant 3-O-Caffeoyl-1-methylquinic acid enhances ultraviolet A-mediated apoptosis in immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes via Sp1-dependent transcriptional activation of p21(WAF1/Cip1).

It has become clear that ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation from the solar spectrum is a major environmental challenge to the skin. This necessitates developing novel mechanism-based agents capable of ameliorating UVA-induced effects in the skin. We recently described a novel antioxidant, 3-O-Caffeoyl-1-methylquinic acid (MCGA3) from leaves of bamboo. Here, we investigated the photochemopreventive effects of MCGA3 against UVA-mediated apoptosis in immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes. Pretreatment of MCGA3 rendered cells more sensitive to subsequent UVA irradiation-induced apoptosis as well as completely reversed UVA-induced sustained phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and protein kinase Calpha, downregulation of p21, and reactive oxygen species generation. Interestingly, MCGA3 itself effectively induced p21 protein and mRNA levels. Silencing of p21 by RNA interference revealed a pivotal role of p21 in generating G(1)-S arrest and in enhancing UVA-mediated apoptosis. Transcriptional activation of p21 by MCGA3 was mediated through the proximal region of multiple Sp1 sites regardless of p53-binding site in p21 promoter, and this effect was augmented by desferroioxamine, an iron chelating agent. Additional studies suggested that iron chelation-driven hypoxia by MCGA3 may function in activation of p21. MCGA3 could be a useful agent to prevent photocarcinogenesis via apoptotic elimination of p53 mutant and DNA-repair defective cells caused by UVA radiation.

Antioxidants↗

PubMed2002

Accumulation of metals in the soil of an overland flow wastewater treatment system.

Accumulation of Co, Cu, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn was evaluated in a soil profile of an overland flow system used for the post-treatment of urban wastewater. A pilot version of the overland flow system received urban wastewater from five up-flow anaerobic filters filled with bamboo (Bambusa tuldoides) rings. The anaerobic effluent was applied as feed over 18 months at rates varying from 7 to 28 L min(-1), to a vegetated slope length covered with Tifton 85 (Cynodon) sp. grass. Soil and plant samples were collected in triplicate from the top to the bottom of the slope. In addition, the soils were sampled at the depths 0-20 and 20-40 cm. The metal concentrations found in the overall system were compared to those obtained in a control area located at the beginning of the slope onto which nothing was applied. A month of monitoring the urban wastewater of Limeira City (São Paulo State, Brazil) showed a drastic change in metals concentration due to the irregular discharge of industrial waste. This irregular discharge introduces Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn into the system used to treat domestic wastewater. The mass balance indicates the accumulation of metals in the soil and the translocation to the plants; also that they could be evapotranspirated, percolated and discharged.

Bambusa↗

PubMed2006

The advantage of using carbon nanotubes compared with edge plane pyrolytic graphite as an electrode material for oxidase-based biosensors.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising materials for use in amperometric biosensors. The defect sites at their ends, and on their sidewalls, are considered to be edge plane-like defects and show high electrocatalytic activity toward several biological molecules. However, electrocatalytic activity toward H(2)O(2) has not been compared among bamboo-structured CNTs (BCNTs), which have many defect sites; hollow-structured CNTs (HCNTs), which have few defect sites; edge plane pyrolytic graphite (EPG); and traditional glassy carbon (GC). The advantages of using CNTs in electrodes for biosensors are still equivocal. To confirm the utility of CNTs, we analyzed the electrochemical performance of these four carbon electrodes. The slope of the calibration curve for H(2)O(2) at potentials of both +0.6 V and -0.1 V obtained with a BCNT paste electrode (BCNTPE) was more than 10 times greater than the slopes obtained with an HCNT paste electrode and a GC electrode, reflecting the BCNT's larger number of defect sites. Although the slope with the EPG electrode (EPGE) was about 40 times greater than that with BCNTPE at +0.6 V, the slopes with these two carbon electrodes were nearly equivalent at -0.1 V. EPGE demonstrated excessive electrochemical activity, detecting currents on the basis of consumption of oxygen and oxidation of ascorbic acid, even at -0.1 V. In contrast, BCNTPE could dominantly detect a cathodic current for H(2)O(2) at -0.1 V, even when interfering molecules were added. BCNTPE possesses appropriate electrochemical activity and is an effective electrode materials for developing interference-free oxidase-based biosensors operated by the application of an appropriate potential.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Heroin smoking by 'chasing the dragon': origins and history.

The history of heroin smoking and the subsequent development and spread of 'chasing the dragon' are examined. The first heroin smoking originated in Shanghai in the 1920s and involved use of porcelain bowls and bamboo tubes, thereafter spreading across much of Eastern Asia and to the United States over the next decade. 'Chasing the dragon' was a later refinement of this form of heroin smoking, originating in or near Hong Kong in the 1950s, and refers to the ingestion of heroin by inhaling the vapours which result when the drug is heated-typically on tin-foil above a flame. Subsequent spread of 'chasing the dragon' included spread to other parts of South East Asia during the 1960s and 1970s, to some parts of Europe during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and to much of the Indian sub-continent during the 1980s. At the time of writing, 'chasing the dragon' has now been reliably reported from many parts of the world but not from others with an established heroin problem-such as the United States and Australia. The significance of this new form of heroin use is examined, including consideration of the role of the different effect with this new form of use, the different types of heroin, and changing public attitudes to injecting.

Administration, Inhalation↗

PubMed2001

Complete sequence of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) mitochondrial genome and its genetic relationship with related species.

The Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica; JQ) is one of the domesticated fowl species of Japan. To provide DNA sequence information for examination of its phylogenetic position in the order Galliformes, the complete sequence of the JQ mitochondria was determined. Sequence analysis revealed that the JQ mitochondrial genome is a circular DNA of 16 697 basepairs (bp), which is smaller than the chicken mitochondrial DNA of 16 775 bp, but the genomic structure of JQ mitochondria was the same as that of the chicken. The sequence homologies of all mitochondrial genes including those for 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), between Japanese quail and chicken ranged from 78.0 to 89.9%. Because the sequences of NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 and cytochrome b genes had been reported in five species [Phasianus colchicus (ring-neck pheasant: RP), Gallus gallus domesticus (chicken: CH), Perdix perdix (grey partridge: GP), Bambusicola thoracia (Chinese bamboo partridge: CP), and Aythya americana (redhead: RH)], the concatenated nucleotide sequences (2184 bp) and amino acid sequences of these two genes were used in a phylogenetic analysis of JQ against these five species using a maximum likelihood (ML) method. Using the first and second bases of the codons, and the third base of the codons indicated a phylogenic tree of [RH, (RP, GP), (JQ, (CH, CP))]. A phylogenic tree of [RH, JQ, (RP, GP), (CH, CP)] was determined using amino acid sequences. Because the local bootstrap values for the JQ branch in these trees are not high, additional sequence is necessary for construction of a reliable tree.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Association of SPINK5 gene polymorphisms with atopic dermatitis in the Japanese population.

BACKGROUND: Netherton's syndrome (NS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by trichorrhexis invaginata ('bamboo hair'), congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma and an atopic diathesis. NS has recently been shown to be due to a defect in the SPINK5 gene, encoding LEKTI, a 15-domain serine protease inhibitor. SPINK5 maps to chromosome 5q31-q32, and has been suggested to be a locus predisposing to atopy in general. Recently, coding polymorphisms in SPINK5 exons 13 and 14 have been reported to be associated with atopy, asthma and atopic dermatitis (AD). OBJECTIVES: To examine whether these polymorphisms are also associated with AD in Japan. METHODS: We characterized eight polymorphisms in SPINK5 exons 13 and 14 in 124 Japanese patients with AD and 110 healthy controls. The polymorphisms we examined were IVS12-26C-->T, IVS12-10A-->G, 1103A-->G (Asn368Ser, in exon 13), 1156G-->A (Asp386Asn, in exon 13), 1188T-->C (His396His, in exon 13), IVS13-50G-->A, 1258G-->A (Glu420Lys, in exon 14) and IVS14+19G-->A. RESULTS: We found significant associations between seven of these polymorphisms and AD in Japanese patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the previous suggestion of an association between SPINK5 and AD.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA gene and matK gene sequences of Panax vietnamensis and five related species.

Panax vietnamensis was discovered recently in Vietnam. Its bamboo-like rhizomes, called Vietnamese Ginseng, have attracted considerable attention because of their specific pharmacological activities. In order to define the taxonomic position of this new species and include it in the molecular authentication of Ginseng drugs, the 18S ribosomal RNA gene and matK gene sequences of P. vietnamensis were determined and compared with those of its related taxa, P. japonicus var. major and P. pseudo-ginseng subsp. himalaicus, besides previously reported P. ginseng, P. japonicus and P. quinquefolius. The 18S rRNA gene sequences were found to be 1809 bps in length. The sequence of P. vietnamensis was identical to that of P. quinquefolius, and presented one base substitution from those of both P. japonicus var. major and P. pseudo-ginseng subsp. himalaicus. The matK gene sequences of 6 taxa were found to be 1509 bps in length. The sequence of P. vietnamensis differed from those of P. japonicus var. major, P. pseudo-ginseng subsp. himalaicus, P. ginseng, P. japonicus and P. quinquefolius at 4, 5, 9, 9 and 10 nucleotide positions, respectively. The phylogenetic tree reconstructed by the combined 18S rRNA-matK gene analysis using the maximum parsimony method showed that P. vietnamensis was sympatric with other Panax species and had a close relationship with P. japonicus var. major and P. pseudo-ginseng subsp. himalaicus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1987

[Development of cancer (vulvar cancer) in the Netherton syndrome (ichthyosis, hair anomalies, atopic diathesis)].

So far there has been only one incidence of a malignant tumour associated with Netherton's syndrome, a rare skin disease consisting of congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, atopic dermatitis and trichorrhexis nodosa (bamboo hair). The aetiology and clinical consequences are discussed on the occasion of a carcinoma of the vulva occurring in a case of a patient with Netherton's syndrome, both phenomena being interlinked.

Biopsy↗

PubMed2005

Evidence of a false thumb in a fossil carnivore clarifies the evolution of pandas.

The "false thumb" of pandas is a carpal bone, the radial sesamoid, which has been enlarged and functions as an opposable thumb. If the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and the red panda (Ailurus fulgens) are not closely related, their sharing of this adaptation implies a remarkable convergence. The discovery of previously unknown postcranial remains of a Miocene red panda relative, Simocyon batalleri, from the Spanish site of Batallones-1 (Madrid), now shows that this animal had a false thumb. The radial sesamoid of S. batalleri shows similarities with that of the red panda, which supports a sister-group relationship and indicates independent evolution in both pandas. The fossils from Batallones-1 reveal S. batalleri as a puma-sized, semiarboreal carnivore with a moderately hypercarnivore diet. These data suggest that the false thumbs of S. batalleri and Ailurus fulgens were probably inherited from a primitive member of the red panda family (Ailuridae), which lacked the red panda's specializations for herbivory but shared its arboreal adaptations. Thus, it seems that, whereas the false thumb of the giant panda probably evolved for manipulating bamboo, the false thumbs of the red panda and of S. batalleri more likely evolved as an aid for arboreal locomotion, with the red panda secondarily developing its ability for item manipulation and thus producing one of the most dramatic cases of convergence among vertebrates.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Potential sources of sugar for the phlebotomine sandfly Lutzomyia youngi (Diptera: Psychodidae) in a Colombian coffee plantation.

Sugar-deprived Lutzomyia youngi were exposed to each of the five most numerous plant species in a Colombian coffee plantation for 24 h and then tested for the presence of fructose by the cold anthrone assay. Many flies exposed to coffee (Coffea arabica) (up to 55% in an individual test) and guamo (Inga edulis) (up to 28.0%) gave positive results. Although some flies also took sugar from red-flowered balsam (Impatiens balsamina) and bamboo (Bambusa angustifolia), none of the insects exposed to plantain (Musa paradisiaca) gave a positive result unless the plants were infested with aphids (Pentalonia sp.). Although sandflies were successfully marked in the laboratory by exposing them to coffee and guamo plants whose roots had been treated with RbCl at 5000 p.p.m., RbCl was not detected by atomic emission spectrometry in wild specimens caught in the vicinity of RbCl-labelled coffee and guamo.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Paecilomyces lilacinus (Thom) Samson, from systemic infection in an armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus).

Paecilomyces lilacinus was recovered in culture from pulmonary lesions and other internal organs of a captive armadillo. Impression films and smears of the lung tissue revealed numerous budding yeast-like cells, many of them appearing encapsulated and resembling intracellular forms of Histoplasma capsulatum. Yeast-like forms developed in culture on appropriate media at 35 degrees C. The armadillo isolate was compared in culture at both 27 degrees C and 35 degrees C with bamboo rat and human isolates of Penicillium marneffei. The two species were also subjected to serologic and pathogenicity studies. Sensitivities of the armadillo isolate to five antifungal agents in vitro were consistent with those of three human isolates of this species but contrasted sharply with those of P. marneffei.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Transnasal intracranial entry of a flying wire fragment.

A 7-year-old boy was playfully revolving a partly insulated electric wire which accidentally struck a bamboo pole in its path. He soon found that his left nostril was hit and blood trickled from the site. Unsuspected on investigation, a small fragment of the wire was found within the brain. The sequence of events is reported.

Brain↗

PubMed2003

Housing improvement projects in Indonesia: responding to local demand.

For more than three decades, environmental health programmes in Indonesia have emphasized prevention and treatment of the high incidence of disease among villagers. One of the main causes of disease is the unhygienic conditions of typical rural houses - two-room constructions with dirt floors and walls of lightly fired bricks or woven bamboo skins. While most houses have few or no windows, the occupants frequently cook, eat, sleep and even keep animals in a single room. The main objective of the housing improvement programme was to improve air circulation and introduce more sunlight to kill bacteria, avoid dampness and eliminate smoke from cooking. The programme encourages villagers to construct a permanent floor, enlarge existing windows or insert new windows for good ventilation. This presentation will share the 'success stories' of housing improvement projects in Indonesia that adopted demand-responsive approaches instead of the conventional 'supply approach'. Through exercises like Wealth Classification and Social Mapping, a demand-responsive approach lets the community decide who is eligible for assistance, resulting in higher participation and accurate information on community demand and on materials needed. In addition to the successes, the failures will be discussed at field level. This presentation will discuss the lessons learned from: the World Bank-funded Kalisemut Case Study; government's Family Welfare Movement; Plan International's project in Yogyakarta, and AusAID-funded Sustainable Development through Community Participation Project in Lombok.

Communicable Disease Control↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anti-apoptotic effect and the mechanism of orientin on ischaemic/reperfused myocardium.

We investigated the anti-apoptotic effect of orientin, from bamboo leaves (Phyllostachys nigra), on rat heart after treatment with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), and on rat cardiomyocytes injured by hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). I/R injury was induced by occluding the left anterior descending coronary artery for 45 min and restoring perfusion for 240 min. Orientin (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg kg(-1)) or its vehicle was injected i.v. 10 min prior to ischemia. Cultured cardiomyocytes were subjected to hypoxia for 120 min, then reoxygenated for 60 min to induce H/R. Vehicle or orientin (3, 10, 30 micromol l(-1) was added 10 min before hypoxia and reoxygenated. TUNEL assay and DNA fragmentation assay demonstrated that myocardium apoptosis was attenuated by pretreatment with orientin (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg kg(-1). Flow cytometric analysis also showed that apoptosis of cardiomyocytes was reduced by pretreatment with orientin (3, 10 and 30 micromol l(-1)). In addition, results of immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis showed that orientin increased the expression of bcl-2 and reduced Bax expression, resulting in up-regulation of the bcl-2/Bax ratio. Cytochrome c (Cyt-c) and caspase-3 expression was also reduced in myocardium and cardiomyocytes injured by I/R and H/R. These observations indicate that orientin exerts a potent cardioprotective effect on I/R- and H/R-treated myocardium and cardiomyocytes, and inhibits apoptosis by preventing activation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway (cytochrome c-caspase-3).

Animals↗

PubMed2006

An outbreak of botulism in Thailand: clinical manifestations and management of severe respiratory failure.

BACKGROUND: Northern Thailand's biggest botulism outbreak to date occurred on 14 March 2006 and affected 209 people. Of these, 42 developed respiratory failure, and 25 of those who developed respiratory failure were referred to 9 high facility hospitals for treatment of severe respiratory failure and autonomic nervous system involvement. Among these patients, we aimed to assess the relationship between the rate of ventilator dependence and the occurrence of treatment by day 4 versus day 6 after exposure to bamboo shoots (the source of the botulism outbreak), as well as the relationship between ventilator dependence and negative inspiratory pressure. METHODS: We reviewed the circumstances and timing of symptoms following exposure. Mobile teams treated patients with botulinum antitoxin on day 4 or day 6 after exposure in Nan Hospital (Nan, Thailand). Eighteen patients (in 7 high facility hospitals) with severe respiratory failure received a low- and high-rate repetitive nerve stimulation test, and negative inspiratory pressure was measured. RESULTS: Within 1-65 h after exposure, 18 of the patients with severe respiratory failure had become ill. The typical clinical sequence was abdominal pain, nausea and/or vomiting, diarrhea, dysphagia and/or dysarthria, ptosis, diplopia, generalized weakness, urinary retention, and respiratory failure. Most patients exhibited fluctuating pulse and blood pressure. Repetitive nerve stimulation test showed no response in the most severe stage. In the moderately severe stage, there was a low-amplitude compound muscle action potential with a low-rate incremented/high-rate decremented response. In the early recovery phase, there was a low-amplitude compound muscle action potential with low- and high-rate incremented response. In the ventilator-weaning stage, there was a normal-amplitude compound muscle action potential. Negative inspiratory pressure variation among 14 patients undergoing weaning from mechanical ventilation was observed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis identified a shorter period of ventilator dependency among patients receiving botulinum antitoxin on day 4 (P=.02). CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving botulinum antitoxin on day 4 had decreased ventilator dependency. In addition, for patients with foodborne botulism, an effective referral system and team of specialists are needed.

Botulism↗

PubMed1997

Case-control study of risk factors for Penicillium marneffei infection in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in northern Thailand.

A case-control study was done in Chiang Mai, Thailand, comparing risk-related behavior and exposures in 80 incident cases of disseminated Penicillium marneffei infection in patients with AIDS and 160 control patients with AIDS who did not have P. marneffei infection. All subjects were admitted to Chiang Mai University Hospital between December 1993 and October 1995. Cases were younger than controls (16-30 years vs. > 30 years of age; odds ratio [OR] = 2.22; 95% CI, 1.22-4.07). Patients with a recent history of occupational or other exposure to soil, especially during the rainy season (May to October), were more likely to present with P. marneffei infection (OR = 1.91; 95% CI, 1.04-3.52). History of exposure to or consumption of bamboo rats, the only known nonhuman hosts of P. marneffei, was not a risk factor for infection. Our data suggest that recent exposure to a potential environmental reservoir of organisms in the soil may be associated with disseminated P. marneffei infections among patients with AIDS in Northern Thailand.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Effects of resource heterogeneity on nitrogen translocation within clonal fragments of Sasa palmata: an isotopic (15N) assessment.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Clonal fragments of the rhizomatous dwarf bamboo Sasa palmata, which widely predominates in temperate regions of Japan, were grown under heterogeneous resource conditions such as gap understories or nutrient-patchy grassland. Clonal fragments develop multiple ramets with long rhizomes and appear to be physiologically integrated by the translocation of assimilates. The glasshouse experiment reported here was designed to clarify the mechanisms of physiological integration of nitrogen more precisely. METHODS: To assess how resource conditions influence the amount of nitrogen translocation, and which organ acts as the strongest sink, two experiments were conducted that traced movement of 15N label between interconnected pairs of ramets to compare homogeneous and heterogeneous light and soil nitrogen conditions. KEY RESULTS: The amount of 15N translocated to leaves was between 9% and 11% greater in high-N and high-light ramets in the heterogeneous compared with homogeneous treatments. Under heterogeneous soil nitrogen conditions, translocation increased from individual ramets in resource-rich patches to ramets in resource-poor patches, while the reverse was true under heterogeneous light environments, reflecting differences in the positions of leaves that act as the strongest sinks. Neither the mass increments nor the total mass of clonal fragments was significantly affected by heterogeneity of either light or nutrients, possibly because the experimental period was too short for differences to manifest themselves. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly demonstrated that nitrogen is readily translocated between ramets, particularly under heterogeneous resource conditions. The translocation patterns were governed by functional 'division of labour' mechanisms that resulted in net nitrogen movement from understory sites to gaps, thereby enhancing the carbon acquisition of the whole fragment. Thus, physiological integration may provide benefits for S. palmata when it is growing under heterogeneous conditions in which there are deficits of certain environmental resources.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗