Breaking the dormancy of rice seeds with various dormancy levels using steam and high temperature treatments in a steam nursery cabinet

This study aimed to determine the appropriate steam treatment conditions, using a steam nursery cabinet, to break the dormancy of Japanese rice cultivar seeds exhibiting various dormancy levels. The influence of the temperature and duration of the steam treatments on the germination percentage and germination rate was investigated. In highly dormant ‘Takanari’ seeds, the steam treatment at 40 °C for 7 d increased the germination percentage and decreased the 50% germination time (T_50S; based on seed number); this treatment was as effective as the dry heat treatment at 50 °C for 7 d. For the medium dormant ‘Moeminori’ and ‘Hitomebore’ seeds, the steam treatment at 40 °C for 5 d decreased T_50S sufficiently and more effectively than did the dry heat treatment at 50 °C for 7 d. For the slightly dormant ‘Moeminori’ seeds, the steam treatment at temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 40 °C for 7 d decreased T_50S without a corresponding decrease in germination percentage to <90%. For the non-dormant ‘Moeminori’ and ‘Takanari’ seeds, the same steam treatments had no, or a little if any, useful effect on the germination percentage and T_50S. Therefore, we concluded that, for the highly dormant seeds, steam treatment at 40 °C for 7 d was appropriate. Moreover, for less dormant seeds, steam treatment at 40 °C for 5 d was appropriate, and the steam treatment was not necessary for the non-dormant seeds.     

Effects of addition of sodium lauryl sulfate on frozen-thawed canine spermatozoa

The addition of Orvus ES paste (OEP) to extender may be essential for preparing frozen dog semen. The major ingredient of OEP is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). In this study, we compared the effect of SLS on frozen dog semen with that of OEP. There were no significant differences between the 2-mg/ml SLS group and OEP group concerning sperm motility, viability and the percentage of viable sperm with intact acrosomes after freeze-thawing. These results suggest that the effectiveness of frozen dog semen extender containing 2 mg/ml of SLS is similar effective to that demonstrated for OEP.     

Carrier rate of Factor XI deficiency in stunted Japanese black cattle

Blood examinations and genotyping of Factor XI (F11) were performed in growth retardation Japanese Black cattle and their dams. Genotyping of F11 revealed that the recessive homozygous and heterozygous genotype frequencies were 5.2% and 50.0% in the Claudin-16 (CL-16) deficiency group (n=58), 0% and 14.2% in the renal dysplasia group (n=7), 0% and 26.1% in the non-CL-16 deficiency nephritis group (n=23), 8.9% and 46.7% in the hypogenesis syndrome group (n=45), 6.2% and 25.0% in the neonatal weak calf syndrome group (n=32), 9.1% and 38.6% in the respective dams group (n=44), 0% and 23.1% in the normal cattle group (n=13), and 5.9% and 38.2% in total (n=222), respectively. These results showed that the carrier rate of F11 deficiency was high in Japanese Black cattle, and that the CL-16 deficiency, hypogenesis syndrome, neonatal weak calf syndrome, and dams groups had a large amount of recessive homozygous genotype than the other groups. No abnormal bleeding was observed clinically in the present study, and 4 of the recessive homozygous dams showed normal growth and parturition.     

Effects of liquid nitrogen vapor sensitization conditions on the quality of frozen-thawed dog spermatozoa

The freezing conditions for preparation of frozen canine semen by the plunging method were investigated with regard to the period of sensitization in liquid nitrogen (LN2) vapor and the height from LN2, and the semen qualities after thawing were compared with those of canine semen prepared by the simple freezer method previously reported by us. In the plunging method, 9 semen straws were prepared under the same conditions, horizontally kept at 5, 7, and 10 cm above the LN2 surface in a styrene foam box for 5, 10, and 15 min, and then plunged into LN2. The semen qualities immediately after thawing were high in the 7 cm/10 min (cooling rate: -4 to -22 degrees C/min) and 10 cm/15 min groups (cooling rate: -6 to -10 degrees C/min). On comparison of frozen semen prepared by the plunging method (7 cm/10 min) with frozen semen prepared by the simple freezer method, sperm motility and viability were significantly higher for the frozen semen prepared by the plunging method. The cooling rate in freezing was higher for the simple freezer method (cooling rate: -6 to -50.9 degrees C/min) than the plunging method. Based on these findings, horizontal placement of canine semen straws above LN2 to reduce the temperature at a slow cooling rate of about -10 degrees C/min, followed by plunging into LN2 after sensitization for 10-15 min, provides good semen qualities after thawing.     

Humoral and cellular immune responses in pigs immunized intranasally with crude rhoptry proteins of Toxoplasma gondii plus Quil-A

We evaluated the humoral and cellular immune responses in pigs immunized intranasally with crude rhoptry proteins of Toxoplasma gondii plus Quil-A. The experiment used 13 mixed-breed pigs divided into the following three groups: G1 (vaccinated-challenged, n=6), which received the rhoptry vaccine (200(g/dose); G2 (adjuvant-challenged, n=4), which received PBS plus Quil-A; and G3 (unvaccinated-challenged, n=3), which was the control group. The treatments were performed intranasally at days 0, 21, and 42. Three pigs from G1 produced IgG and IgM antibody levels above the cut-off in the ELISA on the challenge day. Partial protection was observed in G1 at the chronic phase of infection when compared with G3. The preventable fractions were 41.6% and 6.5%, in G1 and G2, respectively. The results of this study suggest that rhoptry proteins plus Quil-A stimulated humoral, local, and systemic immune responses, which were able to partially protect the brain from cyst formation.     

Adenomyosis with severe inflammation in the uterine cervix in a dog

A dog with purulent vulval discharge was found to have many cysts containing purulent mucus in the uterine cervix. The uterine horns did not contain any pus. Histological examination revealed a cervical adenomyosis infiltrated by many neutrophils. After an ovariohysterectomy including the whole cervix, the dog recovered well.     

Evaluation of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), PCR and parasitological tests for detection of Trypanosoma evansi in experimentally infected pigs

Six surra negative piglets (6-week-old) were infected with Trypanosoma evansi and two uninfected piglets were used as negative controls. Detection performances of various diagnostic tests (LAMP, PCR and parasitological tests) were compared by analysing blood samples collected weekly over a period of 11 weeks. With a two by two analysis without a gold standard, all methods were 100% specific. MI had the highest sensitivity of 65%, while LAMP, PCR, MHCT and TBS had sensitivities of 45, 33, 38 and 24%, respectively. However, when the analysis was done using MI as a gold standard, the sensitivity of MHCT was the highest at 53% followed by LAMP, PCR and TBS at 49, 44 and 35%, respectively. All methods gave high specificity above 60%. This study validates LAMP as an alternative method for the diagnosis of surra.