ABSTRACT. The terminal airways and microvasculature of five adult Baird's beaked whales (Berardius bairdii) lungs have been examined by means of light and scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts. The respiratory system of the Baird's beaked whale has various anatomical features which allow them to attain great depths and remain submerged for long periods. The whale lung has components including hyaline cartilage and smooth muscle throughout, reaching as far as the peripheral bronchi, sphincters surrounding the terminal bronchioles, the thick alveolar septa with a connective tissue core and a bi-layer capillary bed, and a distinctive venous plexus of the pulmonary veins. The well-developed venous plexuses of the pulmonary vein are found in the interlobular connective tissue, and around the airways and pulmonary arteries with close apposition. The hyaline cartilage throughout the airways may increase the effective dead air space that accommodates most of the air forced from the collapsed alveoli during a dive. The sphincter might serve as a cock for regulating buoyancy and for trapping air in the alveoli to prevent their complete collapse and a sucking in of alveolar tissue as the dive becomes deeper. The venous plexuses might be for pooling the large volume of blood in the lung to conserve oxygen for deep and prolonged diving. KEY WORDS: Baird's whale, corrosion cast, functional anatomy, SEM, terminal airways.

Abstract. Hematological findings in a female killer whale (Orcinus orca) undergoing rehabilitation after sudden severe anorexia revealed continuing increases in serum lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase activities as well as fibrinogen concentration. Serologic evidence of herpesvirus infection and skin vesicles were detected 2 weeks into the treatment regimen of antibiotics and corticosteroids. The whale showed signs of improvement after treatment with anti-herpesvirus drugs, but sudden severe anorexia reappeared, along with marked elevation of fibrinogen concentration that continued until the death. Postmortem examination revealed multiple light tan foci of necrosis in the skeletal and cardiac muscles, and lung consolidation. Microscopic findings indicated disseminated fungal granulomas in the skeletal and cardiac muscles, as well as myocarditis, mycotic embolic thromboarteritis of cardiac blood vessels, and bronchopneumonia with numerous typical Aspergillus-like fungi. Mucor-like structures in granulomas in the heart and skeletal muscle and Aspergillus-like fungi in the lungs were identified using periodic acid-Schiff, Gomori methenamine silver stain, and immunohistochemistry. The present case involves dual infection with Mucor and Aspergillus species in a killer whale with concurrent herpesvirus.

ABSTRACT. Lungs were obtained from five adult Baird's beaked whales (Berardius bairdii) and examined by means of light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy of corrosion casts. The alveolar septa of these whales are thick with a connective tissue core and a bi-layer capillary bed. A double capillary network is regularly found in the alveolar duct and alveolar septa. Occasionally, septa adjacent to alveoli and alveoli themselves show only a single capillary layer. The distance between the two capillary layers has a tendency to decrease toward the end of airspaces, suggesting an end result of capillary fusion. Vascular replicas of venous vessels have an nular furrows at regular intervals of 50 to 100 µm, which are caused by focal aggregations of collagen fibers circularly oriented and located immediately underneath the endothelium. The first valves appear in the collecting venules gathering alveolar capillaries. These valves are quite characteristic of flap-, funnel-and/or chimney like structures.

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Strobilae having no scolex of diphyllobothriid tapewDrms were fQund from both a kiUer whale ， Orcinus orca captured off the Kii Peninsula ， Japan and a bottlenose dolphin ， T 舘 rsiops truncattts born in a sea water pool of Taili Whale Museum ． These animals have been artificially maintained in the sea water pool for several years ． Two kinds of strobilae obtained appeared to be identical species of di − phyllobothriid tapeworms morphologically ， and the strobila from コ 「 ． trnncatzrs was considered in somewhat immature form ． The strobilae in the present study were identified as ヱ) φ勿〃obothrium ／ blhmaanni Hstt 1935 based on morphological characteristics of transverse and sagittal sections of segments and the eggs despite lack of the scolex ． Two mar 面e marnmals ， Orcinus orca and TurSioPs tntncatus are the new record of natu − ral defin 辻ive host for D ． fahuaanni ． Moreover， the authors also mentioned this important point in regard to the marine mamnlalian sources of infection ．

Physiological changes in the photosynthesis, respiration and cell division of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a freshwater green alga, in response to adenine nucleotides were investigated. In advance of this investigation, two adenine nucleotides, di(2'-O-methyl)-cyclic bis(3'-5')diadenylic acid (1) and its N-benzoyl-protected analog 2 were synthesized from the commercially available adenosine phosphoramidite. The respective analogs significantly promoted the cell division (cell number) of C. reinhardtii strains 137c mt + and BR mt +. Moreover, they significantly enhanced the O 2 evolution (photosynthesis) and O 2 uptake (respiration) of both strains. c-di-AMP analogs seem to play an effective role as a physiological activator in planta.

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