Use of amnion and placenta in neonatal screening for canine GM1-gangliosidosis and the risk of diagnostic misclassifications

BACKGROUND: A closed breeding colony of Shiba dogs with GM1-gangliosidosis is maintained at Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Japan). Neonatal genotyping is essential to control the breeding colony genetically as an animal model for the human disease. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to determine the utility of amnion and placenta in the neonatal screening or diagnosis for canine GM1-gangliosidosis. METHODS: Twenty neonatal Shiba dogs of a pedigree with GM1- gangliosidosis were differentiated into 3 genotypes--normal, heterozygous, and affected dogs--by using a previously reported DNA mutation assay. Acid beta-galactosidase activity was measured in amnion and placenta and compared among the 3 genotypes. RESULTS: The level of beta-galactosidase activity in the amnion of affected dogs was negligible and <2% of the mean activity in normal dogs; there was no significant difference among the 3 genotypes. In placenta, beta-galactosidase activity was significantly different among all the genotypes; however, there was wide overlap in enzyme activity between normal and heterozygous dogs. The level of activity in affected dogs was relatively high and >10% of the mean activity in normal dogs. The DNA mutation assay gave correct information about genotype with genomic DNA extracted from amnion but ambiguous information with DNA from placenta. CONCLUSIONS: Amnion and placenta were not useful as enzyme sources in neonatal screening in canine GM1-gangliosidosis because of the risk of misdiagnosis. DNA from amnion is applicable as a template for genotyping, whereas placenta should not be used because canine placenta contains maternal cells.     

Simulation of Pastoral Management in Mongolia: An Integrated System Dynamics Model

High grazing density has given rise to concerns about grassland degradation in periurban areas in Mongolia. Moreover, whether livestock can increase without harming the vegetation in these areas in Mongolia and what types of policy measures should be implemented is not documented. As such, this study develops an integrated simulation model of grassland biomass, animal growth, and livestock management for a forest-steppe area in northern Mongolia and conducts a simulation on long-term changes. The simulations show that, under current conditions, the number of animals will continue to increase, while the grassland biomass will decrease. Cooperative grassland management would lead to an increase in grassland biomass and higher incomes for herders. Furthermore, herders’ population changes would have a significant impact on animal density adjustments, while the effects of conventional economic measures, such as a tax on animals, would be limited if all other conditions remain constant. Consequently, the synergistic effects of herder population changes and cooperative management can contribute toward maintaining the herders’ income while preserving the grassland ecosystem.     

Investigation of fellow eye of unilateral retinal detachment in Shih‐Tzu

Objective To investigate disease in the fellow eye, and consider the relation to rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in Shih‐Tzus. Animals studied The fellow eyes of 49 Shih‐Tzus (27 male, 22 female; median age: 6.8 years) with unilateral RRD diagnosed by funduscopy or ultrasonography at Rakuno Gakuen University Teaching Animal Hospital were assessed in this study. Procedures Ophthalmic examinations (including menace response, pupillary light reflex, slit‐lamp biomicroscopy, and funduscopy) were performed in the subjects. Electroretinography was performed in 12 eyes that developed retinal degeneration. Maximum follow‐up period was 42 months. Results Cataracts and vitreous opacity were observed in 26 (53%) and 32 eyes (65%), respectively, by slit‐lamp biomicroscopy. Retinal degeneration with various degrees of hyper‐reflectivity of the tapetal fundus and/or attenuation of retinal vessels was observed in 35 eyes (71%) on funduscopy. A reduction of amplitude in rod, standard combined and 30 Hz flicker electroretingram was detected in 5 (42%), 10 (83%), and 6 eyes (50%), respectively. During the follow‐up period, RRD was detected in six eyes. Conclusion Retinal degeneration was frequently detected by funduscopy and electroretingrams in the fellow eye in Shih‐Tzus with RRD. In our subjects, vitreous degeneration was also observed frequently. It has been reported that peripheral retinal degeneration is one of the causes of RRD associated with vitreous degeneration in humans. We assume that primary retinal degeneration with secondary vitreous degeneration is one of the causes of RRD in Shih‐Tzus.     

Evaluation of the inhibitory activities of the extracts of Indonesian traditional medicinal plants against Plasmodium falciparum and Babesia gibsoni

Twenty-four kinds of water extracts derived from 22 plants that are traditionally used for the treatment of malaria on Java Island, Indonesia, were screened for their antibabesial and antimalarial activities. Among the extracts, 8 extracts displayed strong antimalarial activity, with an inhibition range from 89.6 to 100%, and 15 showed strong antibabesial activity, with an inhibition range from 84.2 to 98.1%. The extracts of Achillea millefolium, Baeckea frutenscens, Brucea javanica, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Strychnos lucida and Swietenia macrophylla showed both strong antibabesial and antimalarial activities. The antimalarial activities paralleled the antibabesial activities, but the converse was not true.     

P-coumaroyl glycosides of cyanidin and peonidin in the flowers of Japanese garden iris,Iris ensata Thunb.

Summary The anthocyanins in outer perianths of seven varieties and one telotrisomic line of Japanese garden iris, Iris ensata Thunb., were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography procedures. Two new anthocyanins, peonidin 3RGac5G and cyanidin 3RGac5G were putatively detected in this species, and peonidin 3RGac5G was the major anthocyanin for all the varieties except Telotri-1 and cyanidin 3RGac5G the major anthocyanin for Telotri-1. Moreover, cyanidin 3RGac5G and peonidin 3RGac5G are useful anthocyanins for the breeding of red and magenta flowers. Finally, the breeding strategy for new flower varieties using cyanidin 3RGac5G and peonidin 3RGac5G was discussed.Contribution from the Laboratory of Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Miyazaki University, Japan, No. 84.     

Rheumatoid factor secretion from human Leu-1+ B cells

A human B cell subpopulation identifiable by the expression of the cell surface antigen Leu-1 (CD5) is responsible for most of the immunoglobulin M rheumatoid factor secreted in vitro after the cells are stimulated with Staphylococcus aureus. The ability of B cells bearing the Leu-1 marker (Leu-1+) to secrete rheumatoid factor is present early in development and extends to adulthood, since Leu-1+ B cells from cord blood and from peripheral blood lymphocytes of both normal adults and patients with certain autoimmune conditions secrete rheumatoid factor in comparable amounts. The neonatal enrichment of Leu-1+ B cells, the presence of Leu-1+ B cells in increased frequencies in patients with autoimmune disease, and the involvement of Leu-1+ B cells in autoantibody secretion suggest both developmental and functional homologies between this human B cell subpopulation and the murine Ly-1 B cell subpopulation.     

Genetic and environmental variances of body size and morphological traits in communally reared clonal lines from gynogenetic diploid ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis

Four clonal lines of ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis, were produced from mitotic-gynogenetic diploids, mixed before hatching and reared communally. After 9 months, the clonal fish were sacrificed for measurement of body size, morphometric relationships, and meristic counts. DNA fingerprinting was used to confirm the clonal nature of the fish and to identify the clonal line of origin for each fish.

Significant differences were observed among clonal lines for almost all body size, morphometric and meristic measures. Such differences are suggested to represent genotypic difference among clonal lines given the common environmental conditions provided to all the experimental groups, assuming that the genotype-environment interaction was negligible.

By applying the human twin model, genetic and environmental variances in the clonal population was estimated after the clonal lines were separated by DNA fingerprinting. Heritability estimates for data collected at 9 months were relatively high for body size and varied from low to high in meristic and morphometric traits. These results suggest the possible usage of clonal lines as a control fish for estimation of heritability of traits important to aquaculture.     

Among-year variation in deer population density index estimated from road count surveys

A method for obtaining a relative deer population density index with low cost and effort is urgently needed in wildlife protection areas that need their own deer management guidelines. We recorded the number of deer sighted during our daily trips on forest roads by car in Ashiu Forest at Kyoto University, Japan, beginning in 2006. We used generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to estimate among-year trends in the number of deer sighted. We applied models for the total number of deer (TND), number of adults (NA), and number of fawns (NF) sighted, which included both current-year and 1-year-old fawns. Full models included the terms of year (2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010), weather (fine, cloudy, and rain/snow), and nonlinear effects of season (date) and time (time). The optimal GAMMs for TND, NA, and NF did not include the effect of weather but included those of time, date, and year. The detected among-year trends in deer population may be influenced by differences in snow environments among the years. The modeling of road count data using GAMM quantitatively determined among-year variation in the number of deer sighted. This trend was similar to that of the population density estimated using a block count survey conducted in Ashiu Forest.     

Mangroves as a coastal protection from waves in the Tong King delta,Vietnam

The wave reduction (wave period; 5–8 sec.) was investigated in amangrove reforestation area (Kandelia candel) close toaquaculture ponds in the Tong King delta, Vietnam.On one site where only young mangrove trees grew, the wavereduction due to the drag force on the trees was hardlyeffective. On the other site where mangrove trees weresufficiently tall, the rate of wave reduction per 100 m was aslarge as 20%. Due to the high density of vegetation distributedthroughout the whole water depth, the effect of wave reductionwas large even when the water depth increased. These resultsdemonstrate the usefulness of mangrove reforestation for coastalprotection.     

Effects of feeding high volumes of milk replacer on reproductive performance and on concentrations of metabolites and hormones in blood of Japanese black heifer calves

We evaluated the effects of feeding high volumes of milk replacer on growth and reproductive performances in Japanese black heifers. Fifty-one heifers were fed milk replacer at 9 L/day for 60 days (9 L × 60 days; n = 18) or 41 days (9 L × 41 days; n = 15), or at 7 L/day for 40 days (7 L × 40 days; n = 18). Artificial insemination (AI) was performed on heifers with ≥270 kg body weight and ≥116 cm body height at 300 days of age. The age at the first AI was 0.35 month later for 7 L × 40 days than the other groups (p < .01). However, age at calving did not differ among treatments (22.1 months). The interval from the first AI to pregnancy tended to be ~2 months longer for the 9 L × 60 days than the other groups (p = .07). Our results showed that feeding high volumes of milk replacer may reduce the age at calving via an improved rate of growth. In addition, we propose that feeding a maximum of 7 L milk replacer for 40 days may be the most appropriate rearing regime because the success of pregnancy per AI may be reduced in calves fed a maximum of 9 L for 41 and 60 days.