Movements of dams milked for fermented horse milk production in Mongolia

Airag, (Fermented horse milk) is a traditional milk product in Mongolia. Herders separate foals from their dams and tie them at a milking site during the daytime to produce airag. To evaluate the effects of horse management on the movement of dams, we tracked three dams in a herd in camp 1 during summer and camp 2 during autumn of 2013 and analyzed their movements during the milking (daytime) and non‐milking (nighttime) periods in an area famous for its high‐quality airag. Dams were gathered every 1.7 ± 0.0 h between 07.46 and 15.47 hours at the milking sites and milked 4.6 ± 0.2 times/day during the study period (86 days). Daily cumulative and maximum linear distances from the milking sites were longer (P < 0.01) during the non‐milking period than during the milking period. Daily home ranges were 91 and 26 times greater during the non‐milking period (P < 0.001) in camps 1 and 2, respectively. The greater range during the non‐milking period would reflect the spatial distributions of water, salt and forage. The dams initially used similar areas and gradually shifted their daily home ranges after several days. This shift suggests that the dams grazed farther afield as forage availability declined around the milking site. For better airag production and sustainable pasture use, our results provide insights useful for evaluating the effects of milking management on vegetation and soil in those pastures, for selecting the appropriate milking times and frequency, and for choosing the right timing to shift milking sites.     

Quality Characteristics of Waxy Hexaploid Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.): Properties of Starch Gelatinization and Retrogradation

The viscoelastic properties and molecular structure of the starch isolated from waxy (amylose-free) hexaploid wheat (WHW) (Triticum aestivum L.) were examined. WHW starch generally had lower gelatinization onset temperature, peak viscosity, and setback than the starch isolated from normal hexaploid wheat (NHW). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that WHW starch had higher transition temperatures (T_o, T_p, and T_c) and enthalpy (ΔH) than NHW starch. However, when compared on the basis of amylopectin (AP) content, ΔH of WHW starch was almost statistically identical to that of its parental varieties. Typical A-type X-ray diffraction patterns were observed for the starches of WHW and its parental varieties. Somewhat higher crystallinity was indicated for WHW starch. WHW starch was also characterized by having greater retrogradation resistance. The high-performance size-exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) of amylopectin showed that each amylopectin yielded two fractions after debranching. Although WHW amylopectin had somewhat long B chains, little difference was observed in the ratio of Fr.III/ Fr.II between WHW and its parental varieties.     

Suppression subtractive hybridization library construction and identification of epidermal bladder cell related genes in the common ice plant,Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., a halophytic species, displays modified trichomes, epidermal bladder cells (EBC), on the surfaces of its aerial organs. EBCs serve to sequester excessive salt from underlying metabolically active tissues. To elucidate the molecular determinants governing EBC development in the common ice plant, we constructed a cDNA-based suppression subtractive hybridization library and identified genes differentially expressed between the wild-type and the EBC-less mutant. After hybridization, 38 clones were obtained. Among them, 24 clones had homology with plant genes of known functions, whose roles might not be directly related to EBC-morphology, while 14 clones were homologous to genes of unknown functions. After confirmation by northern blot analysis, 12 out of 14 clones of unknown functions were chosen for semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis, and the results revealed that three clones designated as MW3, MW21, and MW31 preferentially expressed in the EBC-less mutant, whereas the other two designated as WM10 and WM28 preferentially expressed in the wild type. Among these genes, the expression of a putative jasmonate-induced gene, designated as WM28 was completely suppressed in the EBC-mutant. In addition, the deletion of C-box cis-acting element was found in the promoter region of WM28 in the EBC-less mutant. Overexpression of WM28 in Arabidopsis resulted in increased trichome number due to the upregulation of key trichome-related genes GLABRA1 (GL1), and GLABRA3 (GL3). These results demonstrate that WM28 can be an important factor responsible for EBC formation, and also suggest the similarity of developmental mechanism between trichome in Arabidopsis and EBC in common ice plant.     

Growth and age composition of northern shrimp Pandalus eous estimated by multiple length frequency analysis

We examined growth of northern shrimp Pandalus eous in the Sea of Japan, off western Hokkaido, to improve estimations of catch-at-age for stock assessment. Multiple length frequency analysis based on length frequency data collected by a scientific research vessel was conducted to examine length-at-age in the shrimp population. Multi-normal distributions estimated using maximum likelihood indicated a good fit to length distributions. AIC values and regression analyses revealed annual growth variation and a decreasing trend in the length at several age classes in the shrimp population. We revised the method for estimating catch-at-age from the age-conversion table (ACT), which is a simple method for age determination, to age–length keys (ALK) calculated from the results of multiple length frequency analysis. Abundant year classes caught successively year after year could be more easily identified from the catch-at-age data computed using ALK than by using ACT. Our results suggested not only that the mean size of commercial landings fluctuated based on changes in age composition but also that a decrease in the length-at-age in the population influenced the consistent size decrease of commercial landings.     

Cytologic,histologic, and immunohistochemical features of maxillofacial alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma in a juvenile dog

Abstract: A 15‐month‐old castrated male dog with a history of intermittent epistaxis and sneezing was admitted for the examination of a maxillofacial mass. An impression smear of a biopsy sample from the cauliflower‐shaped gingival mass contained numerous round cells, 5–25 μm in diameter, which contained a moderate amount of clear to pale blue cytoplasm and resembled lymphoid cells. Mitotic figures were frequently observed. The mass was diagnosed as malignant round cell neoplasia. On histologic examination the tumor was composed of diffusely arranged, small, atypical round cells with a small amount of fibrovascular stroma. Immunohistochemically, the cells were negative for CD3, CD18, CD20, CD79α, cytokeratin, melan‐A, chromogranin A, α‐smooth muscle actin, and myoglobin but positive for vimentin and desmin. The cells also had strong positive nuclear staining for myogenin and MyoD1. A diagnosis of solid‐pattern alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma was made on the basis of morphologic and immunohistochemical results. Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors in juvenile dogs, especially when cytologic findings reveal round, undifferentiated cells.     

Histological examination of callogenesis and adventitious embryogenesis in immature ovary culture of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

Summary

Histological examinations of callogenesis and adventitious embryogenesis in immature ovary culture of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. ‘Neo Mat’) were carried out during different phases of ontogenetic development. Adventitious embryos and/or embryogenic calli were obtained when immature ovary explants were cultured on a callus induction medium (C medium) for two months followed by transfer of callus-forming explants onto an embryogenesis induction medium (E medium). Microscopic observations of serial sections of the explants revealed that the calli formed on C medium were initiated preferentially from receptacle parenchyma cells. No cell division in the embryo sac was observed and most of them degenerated four weeks after the onset of culture. Two to four weeks after transfer of the explants onto E medium, calli characterized by dense cytoplasm, conspicuous nuclei and thick cell walls were newly formed in the initially-formed, receptacle-derived ones. Proembryos simultaneously developed in the newly formed calli, indicating that they were embryogenic calli. Cell division of embryo sacs was never observed even on E medium, and adventitious embryos and embryogenic calli were hence of somatic origin. Adventitious embryos developed asynchronously and passed through globular, heart, torpedo and cotyledonary stages. These adventitious embryos germinated and developed into plantlets following their transfer onto a plant growth regulator-free medium.     

Influence of surface printing materials on the degradability of biodegradable plastic films in soil

Effect of surface printing on the biodegradability of plastic films was studied. Biodegradable films (polybutylene-succinate (PBS)) printed with four kinds of gravure inks were placed in soil for 1 year. The inks consisted of carbon black-pigment with four kinds of resins: poly-(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), nitrocellulose-polyamide blended resin (NT), polyvinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer (V), and nitrocellulose (NC). Degradation of film specimens printed on one side and both sides as well as the control film without printing was monitored every 3 months by collecting sample specimens for the measurement of weight loss. No appreciable degradation was observed until 6 months after placement in soil for the control specimens and until 9 months for the printed specimens. And the degradation of the PCL- and NC-printed specimens with one-side printing and V-printed specimens with both-side printing was significantly slower than that of the control specimens without printing after 9-month placement at p < 0.05. Only after 12 months of placement, was the degradation significantly faster for the specimens printed on one side than for those printed on both sides except of the specimens printed with NC. There was no difference in biodegradability among PCL, NT, NC, and V resins. Specimens printed on both sides did not show any appreciable weight loss after 1 year in soil (percentage of maintenance of weight exceeding 98%). Microscopic observation indicated that the degradation mainly proceeded from the non-printed side to the printed side cross-sectionally.