Relationships between immunoglobulin and fat‐soluble vitamins in colostrum of Japanese Black multiparous cows

Data from 19 Japanese Black multiparous cows were collected to clarify the relationships among immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, β‐carotene, vitamin A and α‐tocopherol contents in colostrum of cows in order to evaluate the role of fat‐soluble vitamins on colostral IgG and IgA production. Mean colostral IgG was 141 mg/mL, ranging from 65 to 208 mg/mL, whereas mean colostral IgA was 8.7 mg/mL, ranging from 1.0 to 34.6 mg/mL. Colostral IgG increased with aging in multiparous cows. There were positive correlations between colostral IgG and colostral vitamin A or colostral α‐tocopherol in cows, and the higher adjusted R² was obtained in the prediction model of colostral IgG from age and colostral vitamin A. Colostral vitamin A was positively correlated with colostral β‐carotene or colostral α‐tocopherol in cows, but there were no relationships between colostral IgA and colostral IgG or colostral fat‐soluble vitamins. These results indicate that fat‐soluble vitamin contents in colostrum of cows may change in similar patterns and high colostral vitamin A is related with high colostral IgG.     

Feasibility of a harvesting system for logging residues as unutilized forest biomass

The concept of a “harvesting system for unutilized forest biomass by a processor and a forwarder” is examined for the purpose of constructing a system to harvest logging residues (or slashes) as a new resource for energy. The rate of slash harvesting, α, and the energy input rate of hauling slashes,p (%), are defined as indices of the possibility of harvesting slashes and the utilization of slashes for energy, respectively. From an analysis of the field experiment, both the volume of logs hauled by the forwarder per day,E _F (m³/day), andp are expressed as functions of the hauling distance,L(m). The productivity of the processor,E _P (m³/day), andL were used to calculate α. Results showed that α was approximately 0.95 for the experiment site, indicating that almost all the slashes could be hauled. It was recognized that the energy utilization of slashes was feasible for this site becausep was less than 1 %. The hauling cost per unit weight of slashes was calculated as 15.4 yen/kg on an oven-dry weight basis. This high cost clarified that the cost must be reduced by taking measures such as enhancing the hauling efficiency of the forwarder. A part of this paper was orally presented at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Japan Forest Engineering Society (1998).     

Contamination of agricultural products and soils with radiocesium derived from the accident at TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station: monitoring,case studies and countermeasures

Five years have passed since the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station that was triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011. Severe damage to agriculture and the environment is still of great concern in Japanese society. We review the contamination status of agricultural products and soils, decontamination efforts and countermeasures to reduce radiocesium concentration in soil and crops, as well as the responses of Japanese ministries. Since rice is an important staple food for Japanese, the impact of radiocesium on rice (Oryza sativa L.) and paddy fields has been extensively investigated since the accident, and, therefore, issues concerning rice receive considerable attention in this review.     

Below-zero storage of fish to suppress loss of freshness

Fisheries Science - The decomposition of ATP in flounder and greenling muscle were compared at 0 and − 2 °C. The decomposition of inosine-5-monophosphate (IMP) and...     

Significance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">CmCCD4a</Emphasis> orthologs in apetalous wild chrysanthemum species,responsible for white coloration of ray petals

Most chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.) flowers have a central capitulum, composed of many disc florets that is surrounded by ray petals. CmCCD4a, a gene that encodes a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD), is expressed specifically in the ray petals of chrysanthemum cultivars, and its expression leads to white ray petals as a result of carotenoid degradation. Here, we show that wild chrysanthemums with white ray petals have CmCCD4a orthologs, whereas those with yellow ray petals lack these orthologs, as is the case in chrysanthemum cultivars. CmCCD4a orthologs also exist in some lines of Chrysanthemum pacificum and Chrysanthemum shiwogiku, even though these species lack ray petals. Interspecific hybridization between C. shiwogiku and a yellow-flowered chrysanthemum cultivar showed that the CmCCD4a orthologs from C. shiwogiku lead to the development of white ray petals. This indicates that the translation products of the CmCCD4a orthologs maintain enzymatic activity that can degrade carotenoids in chrysanthemums, irrespective of whether or not the ray petals that CmCCD4a expression actually occurred.     

Aripuanin, a megastigmane skeleton from Ficus aripuanensis

The isolation and NMR spectra of aripuanin (1), a sesquiterpene from Ficus aripuanensis, are reported.     

Chemical control of Haematobia irritans with 0.5% topical ivermectin solution in cattle.

A field trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of a topical formulation of ivermectin administered at the dose of 500 micrograms/kg against horn flies (Haematobia irritans) in cattle. Eighty-eight cattle in four herds naturally exposed to horn flies were used in the trial. Replicates were formed of two herds. Within replicates, one herd was randomly allocated to the untreated control and the other to the ivermectin treatment group. Horn fly counts were taken on the treatment day (Day 0) and on Days 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 post-treatment. There were no horn flies on any cattle in the treatment group, whereas all the control cattle were continuously infested by horn flies on each examination day.     

Evaluation of the air sac volume of penguins with respiratory diseases using computed tomography

Captive penguins with respiratory diseases exhibit advanced pathological conditions upon the appearance of clinical signs. Therefore, the successful treatment of respiratory diseases remains difficult after the onset of clinical signs, leading to high mortality rates. In this study, we measured air sac volume using computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the respiratory condition of penguins. In a regular quarterly health checkup, blood samples were collected from 45 penguins housed at an aquarium in Hokkaido, Japan. A total of 12 penguins with abnormal blood parameters underwent CT. The air sac volumes were calculated in three-dimensional CT, and the scatter plots of the air sac volumes and body weights were analyzed. No correlation was found between the air sac volume and body weight in both the gentoo and king penguins. Two gentoo penguins with infiltration and one king penguin with multiple nodules on CT were tentatively diagnosed with aspergillosis and treated with oral administration of itraconazole. Follow-up CT examination was performed until the outcome: healed or died. The mean air sac volumes of the two gentoo penguins, which recovered after treatment, increased from 273.9 and 329.0 cm³ before healing to 449.0 and 424.6 cm³ after healing, respectively. Meanwhile, the air sac volume of the king penguin, which subsequently died, decreased from 1,556.9 to 920.6 cm³ despite treatment. Changes of the air sac volume in the same individual could be useful for evaluating the respiratory condition of penguins.     

Preparation of sulfuric acid-catalyzed phenolated wood resin

Summary Birch wood meal was phenolated in the presence of sulfuric acid used as a catalyst by changing several reaction conditions, such as, phenol-to-wood ratio, temperature, time, and catalyst concentration to make novolak-type resin. A phenol-to-wood ratio of 2–5, reaction temperature of 60–150 °C, time of 60–120 min, and acid concentration of 1–3% were found to be usable values for obtaining good enough amounts of combined phenol and less amounts of unreacted wood residue. The flow properties (flow temperature and apparent melt-viscosity) of the phenolated wood obtained increased with the increase in the amount of combined phenol, however, decreased with the increase in the moisture content and free phenol in the phenolated wood. Furthermore, it was found that the solubility of the phenolated wood in the organic solvents depended, greatly, on the hydrogen bonding strength of the solvents.