ABSTRACT. Changes in the activities of serum cytokines and in acute phase response were observed in dairy cows with naturally occurring coliform mastitis. Seven cows with severe mastitis showed systemic and mammary inflammatory response throughout the observation period, and 11 cows with mild mastitis recovered and were able to be milked within 3 days of onset of mastitis. Serum interleukin (IL)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activities were higher in the severe group than in the mild group at the first appearance of symptoms. Elevated IL-1 activity was evident in the severe group throughout the observation period. Serum α-1-acidglycoprotein (α1AG) concentration began to rise with the beginning of mastitis in the severe group, and peaked at 9 days. Serum haptoglobin (Hp) concentrations peaked at 3 days, and decreased gradually after 3 days in the severe group. These results showed that there are dynamic changes in serum IL-1 activity and in serum α1AG and Hp concentrations in cows with severe coliform mastitis. KEY WORDS: acute phase protein, coliform mastitis, cytokine.

1. The influence of age, sex and injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the plasma concentration of alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP) was determined in broilers using the single radial immunodiffusion method. 2. Plasma AGP concentration increased in the 3 d after hatching, and then stabilised at 240 +/- 33 micrograms/ml up to 14 d of age. 3. No sex-related differences in plasma AGP concentration were observed up to 6 weeks of age. 4. A single injection of 900 micrograms LPS per chick resulted in a 5-fold increase in AGP concentration compared with that in saline-injected chicks. Multiple injections of LPS (200 micrograms/chick every 2 d for 14 d) caused only a 50% increase in AGP concentration.

1. Changes in plasma alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentration and immune responses following Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection were studied in broiler chickens. 2. Higher plasma AGP concentrations were observed from 12 to 48 h after a single injection of LPS. 3. The highest concentration of plasma AGP was observed on day 2 followed by a gradual decrease in chicks injected with 150 micrograms/kg body weight of LPS every day for 13 d. 4. Plasma AGP concentration in chicks injected daily with LPS at 900 micrograms/kg body weight for 13 d increased on day 2, and decreased on day 4 to the concentration found before the injection. The concentration increased again on day 10. 5. Changes in plasma interleukin-1 (IL-1) like activity were similar to those in plasma AGP concentration when LPS was injected daily at 900 micrograms/kg body weight for 3 d. 6. Responses of blood mononuclear cell (MNC) proliferation to mitogen or concanavalin A, (Con A), and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were positively correlated with changes in plasma AGP concentration. 7. The results suggest that plasma AGP concentration could be used as a positive indicator of changes in blood MNC proliferation to a mitogen and in plasma IL-1 like activity.

A new synthetic route, the shortest reported to date, to access a key intermediate for the synthesis of various triazole antifungal agents was developed. The elusive tetrasubstituted stereogenic center that is essential in advanced triazole antifungal agents was constructed via the catalytic asymmetric cyanosilylation of a ketone. The subsequent transformations were performed in two one-pot operations, enhancing the overall synthetic efficiency toward the intermediate. This streamlined synthetic approach was successfully applied to efficient enantioselective syntheses of efinaconazole (Jublia) and ravuconazole.

The purpose of this study was to assess the validity of v(amax) as an indicator of middle-distance running performance in sub-elite young runners, v(amax) being defined as the quotient maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) divided by the net energy cost of running (Cr) on a treadmill at a submaximal running velocity (280 m x min[-1]). The VO2max, ventilatory threshold, v(amax), and Cr were assessed in 39 young male sub-elite runners having only small variations in performance level. The relationship between each variable and running performance (at 1500 m, 3000 m, and 5000 m) was evaluated. A trend toward a negative correlation existed between Cr and performance although this was not significant. The VO2max and v(amax) were significantly related to performance. The v(amax) accounted for around 50% of the variability in performance whereas other physiological variables selected in this study were responsible, at best, for approximately 39%. The results presented in this study suggested that v(amax) was a useful indicator of middle-distance running performance in sub-elite young runners with similar performance levels as well as in top elite athletes.

In steep mountainous regions, deep catastrophic landslides that involve weathered bedrock as well as soils can cause serious damage. However, there is currently no widely used method for estimating spatial patterns of susceptibility to deep catastrophic landslides. We propose a new method to estimate landslide susceptibilities for many small catchments (~1 km 2) over relatively large areas (hundreds of square kilometers). Our method identifies catchments prone to deep catastrophic landslides according to three criteria: (1) catchments with ancient deep catastrophic landslide scars, (2) catchments with faults and landforms caused by long-lasting mass movements, and (3) catchments with many steep slopes that have large upslope contributing areas. We demonstrated the applicability of this method using data from Mount Wanitsuka, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, where deep catastrophic landslides occurred during a typhoon in 2005.

The effect of dietary protein concentration on stress responses against injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was studied in male broiler chickens. Chickens (7 d of age) were fed on a 100 (low-protein; LP) or 300g protein/kg (high-protein; HP) diet for 2 weeks. LPS was injected intraperitoneally every 2 d during the final 6 d, or once 16 h before the end of the experiment, at a concentration of 900 pglchick. The LPS injection did not affect body-weight gain, feed intake, gain:intake ratio, or plasma Fe concentration. The single injection of LPS reduced plasma Zn concentration, but the repeated injections did not. Feeding the H P diet increased the response of plasma Zn concentration to the single injection of LPS. Plasma albumin concentration was reduced by LPS injection. Feeding the HP diet resulted in a higher plasma a l-acid glycoprotein (AGP) concentration than feeding the L P diet, in chicks untreated with LPS. An increase in plasma AGP concentration observed after LPS injection in chicks fed on the LP diet was greater than that seen in chicks fed on the H P diet. No significant changes in plasma AGP concentration in response to repeated injections of LPS were observed in chicks fed on the H P diet. Plasma interleukin-1 (IL-l)-like activity was greater in chicks fed on the L P diet than in those fed on the HP diet, when LPS was injected. The response of plasma IL-1-like activity to the single injection of LPS in chicks fed on the LP diet was the greatest among the treatment groups. These results suggest that acute-phase responses to LPS injection are much greater in chicks fed on a LP diet than in those fed on a H P diet, and multiple injection of LPS weakens the responses.Acute-phase response : Dietary protein: Lipopolysaccharide Exposure of animals to infectious or inflammatory agents not only induces immune responses in the host, but also causes metabolic changes that lead to decreased rates of gain and feed consumption. Cytokines are involved in communication between immune cells, and between immune cells and other cells of the animal body. Cytokines also act indirectly on the liver by creating a hormonal milieu for enhancing production of acute-phase proteins. Thus, leucocyte products, cytokines, play significant roles in immunity, nutrient metabolism and the endocrine system. It is well known that of all cytokines, interleukin (IL)-l, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF) are important regulators of metabolic responses during the early stages of inflammation.Nutrition can influence the release of IL-1, IL-6 and TNF following an immune response and consequently the outcome of infectious

Bovine alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (alpha 1AG) was purified from pooled normal bovine sera by successive ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatographies and gel filtration. Bovine alpha 1AG had a molecular weight of 42,000 +/- 2,000 and a sedimentation coefficient of 3.4S. It contained 26.6% carbohydrate. Gel isoelectric focusing revealed a microheterogeneity with 7 to 8 bands in a pI range of 3.2 to 3.7. It migrated to the alpha 1-globulin region upon immunoelectrophoresis. Single radial immunodiffusion was developed for the quantitative measurement of bovine alpha 1AG in serum. The mean serum value of alpha 1AG in 152 healthy Holstein cattle (1-12 years old) was 283.2 +/- 82.3 micrograms/ml. Elevated values (cut-off value = 450 micrograms/ml) were observed in cattle with traumatic pericarditis (100%), arthritis (100%), mastitis (91%), pneumonia (70%), and mesenteric liponecrosis (43%).