Uterine disorders diagnosed by ventrotomy in 47 rabbits

The type, ages of occurrence, primary complaints, clinical signs and mortality in forty-seven cases of uterine disorders diagnosed by ventrotomy in rabbits were analyzed retrospectively. Endometrial hyperplasia (29.8%) was most frequently observed, followed by uterine adenocarcinoma (21.3%). Tumorous lesions were seen in 46.8% of the cases. The age of occurrence ranged from two years and two months to seven years and six months, with a peak at four to five years of age. The most common primary complaint was bleeding (62.2%), followed by mammary gland abnormality (12.8%) and increased abdominal circumference (10.6%). Physical examinations revealed mammary gland disorders such as mammary cysts in 31.9% of the cases. Uterine disorders were detected by palpation in 15 out of 32 cases with a primary complaint of bleeding. Ultrasonography showed uterine disorders in 21 out of 24 cases, suggesting that ultrasonography could be useful in the diagnosis of uterine disorders. The outcome seemed to be influenced by physical status rather than malignancy of lesions. The mortality was higher in cases with symptoms such as anorexia, emaciation, severe anemia, and dehydration.     

Parathyroid hormone‐related protein‐induced hypercalcemia due to osteosarcoma in a cat

A 15‐year‐old castrated male mixed‐breed cat was presented with a history of sarcoma of the distal right hind limb. Biochemical analysis revealed increased concentrations of blood urea, creatinine, total calcium, ionized calcium, and parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP). The mass was removed surgically by amputation of the hind limb. Osteosarcoma was diagnosed based on histopathologic examination. All abnormal serum analyte concentrations improved immediately after surgery, including azotemia, total calcium, ionized calcium, and PTHrP. The biochemical results were attributed to osteosarcoma causing PTHrP‐induced hypercalcemia.     

Molecular and genealogical analysis of grain dormancy in Japanese wheat varieties,with specific focus on MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 on chromosome 3A

In the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar ‘Zenkoujikomugi’, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the promoter of MOTHER OF FT AND TFL1 on chromosome 3A (MFT-3A) causes an increase in the level of gene expression, resulting in strong grain dormancy. We used a DNA marker to detect the ‘Zenkoujikomugi’-type (Zen-type) SNP and examined the genotype of MFT-3A in Japanese wheat varieties, and we found that 169 of 324 varieties carry the Zen-type SNP. In Japanese commercial varieties, the frequency of the Zen-type SNP was remarkably high in the southern part of Japan, but low in the northern part. To examine the relationship between MFT-3A genotype and grain dormancy, we performed a germination assay in three wheat-growing seasons. On average, the varieties carrying the Zen-type SNP showed stronger grain dormancy than the varieties carrying the non-Zen-type SNP. Among commercial cultivars, ‘Iwainodaichi’ (Kyushu), ‘Junreikomugi’ (Kinki-Chugoku-Shikoku), ‘Kinuhime’ (Kanto-Tokai), ‘Nebarigoshi’ (Tohoku-Hokuriku), and ‘Kitamoe’ (Hokkaido) showed the strongest grain dormancy in each geographical group, and all these varieties, except for ‘Kitamoe’, were found to carry the Zen-type SNP. In recent years, the number of varieties carrying the Zen-type SNP has increased in the Tohoku-Hokuriku region, but not in the Hokkaido region.     

Fruit antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid, total phenol, quercetin, and carotene of Irwin mango fruits stored at low temperature after high electric field pretreatment

Greenhouse-grown tree ripe (TR) and mature green (MG) mangoes (cv. Irwin) were exposed to high electric field treatment before 20 and 30 days of storage at 5 degrees C. MG fruits were allowed to ripen at room temperature after low-temperature storage. Fruit physical quality attributes, ascorbic acid, carotene, quercetin, total phenols, and antioxidant capacity were estimated before and after the storage period. Antioxidant capacity of fruit juice was estimated using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Fruit firmness decreased significantly during storage. Titratable acidity decreased 20 days after storage. Total soluble solids did not change during storage. Antioxidant capacity of fruits remained unchanged up to 20 days of storage period and decreased thereafter. Total phenol and carotenes increased during storage. Antioxidant capacity of fruits was significantly correlated only to ascorbic acids. Peel color and carotenes were higher in TR fruits, whereas titratable acidity and firmness were higher in MG fruits. There was no significant difference in other parameters between the stages of picking. Electric field pretreatment affected the respiration and antioxidant capacity of TR fruits and did not have any significant affect on other parameters. TR mangoes of cv. Irwin are more suitable for low-temperature storage and can be successfully stored for up to 20 days at 5 degrees C without any significant losses in functional properties and quality attributes.     

Distribution of photoperiod-insensitive allele Ppd-A1a and its effect on heading time in Japanese wheat cultivars

The Ppd-A1 genotype of 240 Japanese wheat cultivars and 40 foreign cultivars was determined using a PCR-based method. Among Japanese cultivars, only 12 cultivars, all of which were Hokkaido winter wheat, carried the Ppd-A1a allele, while this allele was not found in Hokkaido spring wheat cultivars or Tohoku-Kyushu cultivars. Cultivars with a photoperiod-insensitive allele headed 6.9–9.8 days earlier in Kanto and 2.5 days earlier in Hokkaido than photoperiod-sensitive cultivars. The lower effect of photoperiod-insensitive alleles observed in Hokkaido could be due to the longer day-length at the spike formation stage compared with that in Kanto. Pedigree analysis showed that ‘Purple Straw’ and ‘Tohoku 118’ were donors of Ppd-A1a and Ppd-D1a in Hokkaido wheat cultivars, respectively. Wheat cultivars recently developed in Hokkaido carry photoperiod-insensitive alleles at a high frequency. For efficient utilization of Ppd-1 alleles in the Hokkaido wheat-breeding program, the effect of Ppd-1 on growth pattern and grain yield should be investigated. Ppd-A1a may be useful as a unique gene source for fine tuning the heading time in the Tohoku-Kyushu region since the effect of Ppd-A1a on photoperiod insensitivity appears to differ from the effect of Ppd-B1a and Ppd-D1a.     

Starch Damage and Pasting Properties of Rice Flours Produced by Dry Jet Grinding

Milling method and particle size affect some properties of rice flour. To prepare ultra‐fine rice flour of <30 μm, hammer and dry jet grinding methods were examined and the effect of particle size on starch damage and pasting properties of the flour were elucidated. A jet mill could make finer flour (<10 μm mean size) with a narrower particle size distribution than a hammer mill could. Starch damage increased dramatically at a mean size of <10 μm. Particles of a similar size (<60 μm) had different levels of starch damage between mills. Not only the particle size, but also the milling method affected the level of damaged starch. Flour samples of ≥45 μm mean size had similar viscosity curves, but samples of <20 μm had different curves. Peak viscosity and final viscosity decreased sharply at <10 μm. Setback viscosity for particles of 3 μm from both brown rice and white rice were higher than the peak viscosity. Stability to heat and shearing stress were decreased for <20 μm flours as the breakdown viscosities decreased. Starch damage and pasting properties of flour ground from the nonwaxy japonica cultivar Koshihikari changed dramatically at a mean size of <10 μm.     

Involvement of circadian clock in crowing of red jungle fowls (Gallus gallus)

The rhythmic locomotor behavior of flies and mice provides a phenotype for the identification of clock genes, and the underlying molecular mechanism is well studied. However, interestingly, when examining locomotor rhythm in the wild, several key laboratory‐based assumptions on circadian behavior are not supported in natural conditions. The rooster crowing ‘cock‐a‐doodle‐doo’ is a symbol of the break of dawn in many countries. Previously, we used domestic inbred roosters and showed that the timing of roosters' crowing is regulated by the circadian clock under laboratory conditions. However, it is still unknown whether the regulation of crowing by circadian clock is observed under natural conditions. Therefore, here we used red jungle fowls and first confirmed that similar crowing rhythms with domesticated chickens are observed in red jungle fowls under the laboratory conditions. Red jungle fowls show predawn crowing before light onset under 12:12 light : dim light conditions and the free‐running rhythm of crowing under total dim light conditions. We next examined the crowing rhythms under semi‐wild conditions. Although the crowing of red jungle fowls changed seasonally under semi‐wild conditions, predawn crowing was observed before sunrise in all seasons. This evidence suggests that seasonally changed crowing of red jungle fowls is under the control of a circadian clock.