Relations between plasma IGF-I concentrations during treatment with CIDR-based or Ovsynch protocol for timed AI and conception in early postpartum Japanese black beef cows

We examined the relations between plasma insulin-like growth factor (IGF) -I concentrations during treatment with CIDR-based or Ovsynch protocol for timed AI and conception and plasma steroid concentrations in early postpartum Japanese Black beef cows. Cows in the control group (Ovsynch; n = 21) underwent Ovsynch protocol (GnRH analogue on Day 0, PGF(2alpha) analogue on Day 7, and GnRH analogue on Day 9), with AI on Day 10, approximately 20 h after the second GnRH treatment. Cows in the Ovsynch+CIDR group (n = 22) received Ovsynch protocol plus a CIDR for 7 days (starting on Day 0). Cows in the further treatment group (EB+CIDR+GnRH; n = 22) received 2 mg of estradiol benzoate (EB) on Day 0 in lieu of the first GnRH treatment, followed by the same treatment as in the Ovsynch+CIDR protocol. Plasma IGF-I concentrations were determined on Days -7, 0, 7, 9 and 17. Conception rates were improved in the CIDR-combined groups (both CIDR-treated groups were combined) relative to Ovsynch group (P < 0.05) for cows with low IGF-I concentrations (<1,000 ng/ml) on Days -7, 0, and 7, but improved conception rate produced by the CIDR-based protocols did not occur in cows with a high IGF-I concentration (> or =1,000 ng/ml). Plasma estradiol-17beta concentrations increased from Day 0 to 7 (P < 0.05) and were unchanged from Day 7 to 9 in the Ovsynch group with low IGF-I concentrations on Day 0, while they were unchanged from Day 0 to 7 and increased from Day 7 to 9 (P < 0.05) in the Ovsynch group with high IGF-I concentrations on Day 0 and in the CIDR-combined group. Plasma progesterone concentrations in the Ovsynch group with low IGF-I concentrations on Day 0 were higher on Day 14 than in the Ovsynch group with high IGF-I concentrations on Day 0 and in the CIDR-combined group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, CIDR-based protocols may improve conception relative to Ovsynch in early postpartum beef cows with lower plasma IGF-I concentrations at the start of the protocols. This improvement is probably due to prevention of premature increases of estradiol-17beta and progesterone concentrations, which occurred in cows with low IGF-I concentrations treated with Ovsynch, by the CIDR treatment.     

Chilling-injury in cucumber fruits. IV. The analogy between osmotic-stress injury and chilling-injury

At warm temperatures, young cucumber fruit with rigid cell walls was found to suffer osmotic-stress injury when hydrated or dehydrated. The osmotic-stress injury of hydrated fruit was similar to chilling-injury of cucumber fruit stored at 5°C, whereas the stress injury of dehydrated young fruit appeared similar to injury of fruit chilled to 0°C. In contrast, adult fruit, with soft cell walls, did not develop osmotic-stress injury.On the basis of these results, together with previous reports, it is proposed that cell wall rigidity and water stress in the fruit are the direct causes of chilling-injury.     

Ecological studies of Yersinia enterocolitica I. Dissemination of Y. enterocolitica in pigs

Pigs were examined on five farms for carrier status of Yersinia enterocolitica. Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 4, serovar 3, phagovar VIII was isolated consistently from the feces of fattening pigs on one farm and sporadically from those of similar pigs on the other farms and of sows on all five farms, during a one-year period of weekly surveys. Seasonal variation was not a feature of fattening pigs on a highly contaminated farm. In other pigs, however, the organisms were not isolated during the summer months. On a highly contaminated farm, the organisms were excreted in the feces of 8 to 15-week-old pigs within 1–3 weeks of entering pens which were thought to be contaminated with the organisms. On a detailed observation of natural infection of Y. enterocolitica in eight pigs, the organism appeared in the pigs' feces within 2–7 weeks of them being moved to a pen which had been washed thoroughly after becoming contaminated, by a previous group of pigs, with feces containing 10⁵ viable organisms per g. Thus, Y. enterocolitica is apparently transmitted from infected feces or picked up from the floor of a contaminated pen, and the regular schedule of pig movement among the pens is an important factor in the spread of Y. enterocolitica within a piggery. Intestinal colonization continues for a long time and does not occur by re-infection. The organisms were not isolated from eight pigs at the time of slaughter, and their serum O-agglutinin titers were $\text{1}\text{40}$ or less. Thus, circulating antibody may not inhibit intestinal colonization by Y. enterocolitica.     

Ecological studies of Yersinia enterocolitica. III. Cross-protection against fecal excretion between Y. enterocolotica serovars 3 and 5.27 in pigs

Yersinia enterocolitica biovar 4 serovar 3 and biovar 2 serovar 5.27 failed to establish in the intestines of pigs when challenged with the homologous or heterologous strains. After inoculation, the serum O-agglutinin titers were 1/10 or less and were not boosted by challenge with either serovar. Y. enterocolitica were not recovered in any specimens at the time of slaughter.     

Pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris in dog and man - a review

Pemphigus vulgaris is a vesiculobullous disorder that predominantly involves the oral mucous membrane of the canine and human patients. The oral lesions are usually painful erosions and ulcers. This predilection for mucous membrane may reflect the smaller number of desmosomes in the oral epithelium as compared with the epidermis. The discovery of autoantibodies against the intercellular substance of stratified epithelium in patients with pemphigus vulgaris suggests that this disease represents an autoimmune disease. The exact role of these autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris is not clearly understood. The diagnosis is usually based on the presence of the characteristic flaccid bullae and erosions. Biopsy specimen taken from the edge of a fresh blister and adjacent epithelial layers is suitable for routine microscopic examination and direct immunofluorescence study. Combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppresive agents are used for treatment of this disease.     

Borna disease virus infection in domestic cats: evaluation by RNA and antibody detection

Borna disease virus (BDV) infection has been suggested to cause spontaneous neurological disease in cats referred to as staggering disease. However the evaluation of BDV infection in neurologically asymptomatic cats remained unclear. In the present study, BDV infected, asymptomatic cats in Tokyo were surveyed both by the presence of plasma antibodies against BDV-p24 and -p40 and by RNA detection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Seven of 32 domestic cats (21.9%) were serologically or genetically judged to be BDV-infected. Six cats were positive for anti-BDV antibody and two cats were positive for BDV RNA. Within the 2 RNA-positive cats, only one was positive for anti-BDV antibodies. Furthermore, the findings of anti-BDV-p40 and anti-BDV-p24 antibody-positive cats did not completely overlap. These results suggest that there are neurologically asymptomatic domestic cats infected with BDV present in the Tokyo area.     

The comparison between the cerebral blood flow directly measures and cerebral blood flow velocity in the middle and basilar cerebral arteries measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) may be useful for determining alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) during excessive hemodynamic changes by non-invasive measurement of the CBF velocity. The purpose of this study was to measure the correlation between CBF and the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery (BA) flow velocities, as measured by TCD during excessive hemodynamic changes produced by hypertension and hypotension in adult dogs. The peak, diastolic, and mean flow velocities were measured by TCD. Arterial hypertension was induced by administration of dopamine at 5 and 15 microg/kg/min, and hypotension was induced by hemorrhage. During the hemodynamic changes, the BA velocity correlated more closely with the alteration in the CBF than the MCA velocity. In terms of percentages of the values during anesthesia, there was good correlation between CBF and the MCA and BA velocities. In conclusion, our findings indicate that MCA and BA velocity measurements, as a percentage of the values during anesthesia, both give an equally accurate indication of alterations in CBF during excessive hemodynamic changes.     

Effect of Stock Density and Ploidy in Jundia,Rhamdia quelen,Larvae Performance

The performance (growth and survival) of diploid and triploid jundia, Rhamdia quelen, was evaluated at six different stocking densities (10, 60, 110, 160, 210, 260 larvae/liter) during 31 days after rearing in an intensive larviculture system. Triploid fish exhibited a significantly higher survival rate than diploids at all stocking densities (27.1 ± 4.3% vs. 12.1 ± 3.3%; P < 0.01). Survival was not affected by stocking density (P > 0.05). Length gain was not affected by either ploidy or stocking density. Diploid fish gained more weight than triploids (P < 0.05), though this difference could result from lower fish densities in diploid treatments resulting from the higher mortality rate of diploid fish. This hypothesis is strengthened by the higher biomass present in triploid treatments (P < 0.01).     

Long-term influence of stream water chemistry in Japanese cedar plantation after clear-cutting using the forest rotation in central Japan

Because both natural and anthropogenic disturbances affect biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems, monitoring is needed to separate their influences. Chronosequence is very useful for such studies. In our study area, plantation through forest rotation on a watershed basis resulted in more than 40 adjacent watersheds of between 0 and 87 years of stand age, kind of chronosequence. Here, we examined the biological similarity of the watersheds and the long-term effects of clear-cutting on stream water chemistry. The stream water NO₃⁻–stand age relationship was similar between the two observation years; stream water NO₃⁻ concentrations increased dramatically in the watersheds after clear-cutting and decreased in 7–10-year-old replanted watersheds. The slope of stream water NO₃⁻ concentrations between the different watersheds covered by same age stand was significant, at 1:1. Additionally, stream water NO₃⁻ concentrations were more strongly correlated between the different watersheds covered by same aged stand than between the observations at 4 years intervals within a watershed. These findings indicate that stream water NO₃⁻ concentration is mainly regulated by stand age, i.e., by vegetation regrowth, rather than watershed-specific characteristics. Hence, adjacent watersheds are biologically similar apart from stand age and can be regarded as a chronosequence. While there was a clear relationship between stream water NO₃⁻ concentration and stand age, there was significant correlation with stream water SO₄²⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻ or Na⁺ between two observations in the same watershed. This indicates that watershed-specific characteristics, rather than vegetation regrowth, control stream SO₄²⁻, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl⁻, and Na⁺ concentrations. After 25 years of clear-cutting Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ concentrations significantly increased. It is likely the contribution of forest floor accumulation with stand development. Based on these results, clear-cutting influences stream chemistry, not only NO₃⁻, but also the major cation and the influence of clear-cutting continues for several decades at this study site.     

Detection of Salmonella invA by isothermal and chimeric primer-initiated amplification of nucleic acids (ICAN) in Zambia

The isothermal and chimeric primer-initiated amplification of nucleic acids (ICAN) is a new isothermal DNA amplification method composed of exo Bca DNA polymerase, RNaseH and DNA–RNA chimeric primers. We detected invA of Salmonella from chicken carcasses, egg yolk and cattle fecal samples. Fifty-three of 59 isolates were invA-positive in ICAN-chromatostrip detection. The result was consistent with those obtained by standard PCR. Salmonella invA was detected in 12 of 14 carcass rinses by ICAN, while in 7 of 14 rinses by standard PCR. These results indicate that ICAN is an efficient, sensitive and simple system to detect invA of Salmonella species in developing countries such as Zambia.