Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid findings in the atelectatic regions of anesthetized horses

To evaluate the effects of compression atelectasis on the composition of pulmonary secretions in anesthetized horses, cytological and biochemical examinations were performed on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids obtained from both dependent and independent lung regions. Six horses were anesthetized with isoflurane and oxygen for 120 min, and were positioned in right lateral recumbency. Percentage of neutrophils and total protein concentration in BAL fluids significantly increased at the end of anesthesia, and total phosphorous concentration significantly decreased at 72 hr after anesthesia in dependent lung. Such changes were not observed within 168 hr after anesthesia. These findings suggest that the effects of compression atelectasis on the composition of pulmonary secretions may be eliminated within 168 hr after anesthesia.     

The N-Terminal Region of the Readthrough Domain Is Closely Related to Aphid Vector Specificity of Soybean dwarf virus

ABSTRACT It has been speculated that the N-terminal half of the readthrough domain (RTD) encoded by open reading frame 5 of Soybean dwarf virus (SbDV) is related to the vector specificity. To further investigate this hypothesis, transmissibility via aphids was tested on 17 SbDV isolates and comparisons of the deduced amino acid sequences of the coat protein (CP) and other proteins encoded by the RTD were made between these isolates. Isolates were distinguished into four strains: YS, causing yellowing in soybean and transmittable by Aulacorthum solani; DS, causing dwarfing and transmittable by A. solani; YP, causing yellowing and transmittable by Acyrthosiphon pisum; and DP, causing dwarfing and transmittable by A. pisum. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the trees for the CP and the C-terminal half of the RTD sequences contained clusters of isolates of the same symptom type, whereas the tree for the N-terminal half of the RTD contained clusters of isolates of the same aphid vector type. These results agreed with our previous data of the complete nucleotide sequences of four SbDV isolates, and strongly indicated a close relationship between the N-terminal half of the RTD amino acid sequences and aphid transmission specificity of SbDV.     

Steroid hormones do not reactivate Neospora caninum in ovariectomized mice

The direct effects of three steroid hormones (progesterone, estradiol-17beta and corticosterone) on the growth of Neospora caninum (N. caninum) tachyzoite were examined in Vero cells. Subsequently, ovariectomized BALB/c mice infected with N. caninum were treated with physiological concentrations of the steroid hormones for 1 or 2 weeks. These hormones had no direct effect on the parasite growth in vitro. In the infected mice, there was no significant difference in the parasite distribution and histopathological changes between the hormone-injected and control groups. No mice showed parasitemia at the time of autopsy. These results suggest that physiological levels of steroid hormones (progesterone, estradiol-17beta and corticosterone) do not reactivate N. caninum in mice.     

Species identification method for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scombrops boops</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Scombrops gilberti</Emphasis> based on polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of mitochondrial DNA

ABSTRACT:   Gnomefish Scombrops boops and Scombrops gilberti are commercially important fishes in Japan, but these species are often confused in the markets because of their morphological similarity. To identify these two species, we performed nucleotide sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis on 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and the control region in mitochondrial DNA. Five and 12 nucleotide substitutions were observed between species in the 777-bp 16S rRNA gene and 471-bp control region, respectively. Diagnostic restriction sites for discriminating between S. boops and S. gilberti were found in the 16S rRNA gene, but not in the control region. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–RFLP analysis using two enzymes, Eco NI and Mva I, clearly discriminated between S. boops and S. gilberti identified by meristic characters. The PCR–RFLP analysis identified most of the 168 Scombrops young caught in the coastal waters of the Izu and Miura peninsulas as S. boops , suggesting that S. gilberti juveniles are rare in this area.     

Age and growth of alfonsino Beryx splendens from the Kanto District, central Japan, based on growth increments on otoliths

ABSTRACT:   Age and growth of alfonsino Beryx splendens (Lowe) were studied using counts of presumed daily incremental growth rings on the transverse section of otoliths of fish collected from the Kanto District, central Japan. Microstructural growth increments were observed from the core to the outermost margin of the broadest of approximately 50 branches formed on the surface of an otolith. Of 98 otoliths examined, 46 were readable. The number of increments and fish lengths ranged from 448 (218 mm fork length [FL]) to 3701 (411 mm FL). The ages of these fish were estimated to be 1 year, 2 months and 10 years, 2 months, respectively, assuming that an increment was formed daily. The von Bertalanffy growth equation combined for males and females was expressed as follows: L _t  = 542 {1 −  exp  [−0.133( t  + 2.00)]}, where L _t is fork length (mm) at yearly age t . The results of the present study were compared with those of other researchers who had studied alfonsino from central Japan.     

Hardness distribution on wood surface

For better understanding wood hardness, we developed a new hand-operated hardness tester that works with Brinell's method. With this tester we investigated the hardness distribution of wood minutely using a 2mm diameter ball tip. The following results were obtained: (1) On preliminary examination with medium-density fiberboard, we found that the value of Brinell's hardness decreased with the increase in the tip ball's diameter but that it was almost constant with the indenting velocity. (2) By using a small diameter tip, the difference of the hardness became clearer between earlywood and latewood. (3) With radial and tangential sections, we obtained hardness distribution patterns similar to those of wood grain. It seems that the hardness distribution reflects the distribution of density on wood surfaces.     

Accessory corpora lutea formation in pregnant Hokkaido sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) investigated by examination of ovarian dynamics and steroid hormone concentrations

Generally, sika deer conceive a single fetus, but approximately 80% of pregnant females have two corpora lutea (CLs). The function of the accessory CL (ACL) is unknown; moreover, the process of ACL formation is unclear, and understanding this is necessary to know its role. To elucidate the process of ACL formation, the ovarian dynamics of six adult Hokkaido sika deer females were examined ultrasonographically together with peripheral estradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations. ACLs formed in three females that conceived at the first estrus of the breeding season, but not in those females that conceived at the second estrus. After copulation, postconception ovulation of the dominant follicle of the first wave is induced by an increase in estradiol-17β, which leads to formation of an ACL. A relatively low concentration of progesterone after the first estrus of the breeding season is considered to be responsible for the increase in estradiol-17β after copulation.     

Growth,Reproductive Performance,Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality in F1 and F2 Progenies of Somatic Cell-Cloned Pigs

The objective of this study was to examine the health and meat production of cloned sows and their progenies in order to demonstrate the application of somatic cell cloning to the pig industry. This study compared the growth, reproductive performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Landrace cloned sows, F1 progenies and F2 progenies. We measured their body weight, growth rate and feed conversion and performed a pathological analysis of their anatomy to detect abnormalities. Three of the five cloned pigs were used for a growth test. Cloned pigs grew normally and had characteristics similar to those of the control purebred Landrace pigs. Two cloned gilts were bred with a Landrace boar and used for a progeny test. F1 progenies had characteristics similar to those of the controls. Two of the F1 progeny gilts were bred with a Duroc or Large White boar and used for the progeny test. F2 progenies grew normally. There were no biological differences in growth, carcass characteristics and amino acid composition among cloned sows, F1 progenies, F2 progenies and conventional pigs. The cloned sows and F1 progenies showed normal reproductive performance. No specific abnormalities were observed by pathological analysis, with the exception of periarteritis in the F1 progenies. All pigs had a normal karyotype. These results demonstrate that cloned female pigs and their progenies have similar growth, reproductive performance and carcass quality characteristics and that somatic cell cloning could be a useful technique for conserving superior pig breeds in conventional meat production.     

Effects of temperature on food consumption, growth and oxygen consumption of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man 1879) postlarvae

Effects of temperature on food consumption, growth and oxygen consumption were estimated for the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii postlarvae at 23 °C, 28 °C and 33 °C in the laboratory. The results showed that the animal's initial body weight had a close linear relationship with food consumption and growth. Food consumption increased directly with temperature. Consumption rates (C; mg day^?1 ind^?1 ) of the 28 °C and 33 °C groups were much higher than that of the 23 °C group (P < 0.001), and the 33 °C group's consumption rate was higher than that of the 28 °C group (P < 0.05). The relationship of food consumption with temperature and initial body weight (W; mg) could be described as: C = 0.0679W + 0.185t? 3.17. Growth increased significantly with increased temperature. The relationship among specific growth rate, temperature and initial body weight was as follows: SGR = ?0.110W + 0.213t + 0.176. However, temperature showed no effect on growth efficiency. Oxygen consumption increased significantly with temperature (P < 0.01). The weight‐specific oxygen consumption rates (mg O₂ g^?1 h^?1) at 23 °C, 28 °C and 33 °C were 0.83, 1.16 and 1.49 mg O₂ g^?1 h^?1 for 61.92 mg M. rosenbergii.