Effects of different gestation housing types on reproductive performance of sows

This study evaluated the effects of different gestation housing types on reproductive performance of sows. A total of 60 sows (218 ± 24 kg body weight) with mixed parity were used. During gestation, 28 sows were housed in groups with electronic sow feeders (space allowance = 1.26 m²/sow) and 32 sows were housed in individual stalls (space allowance = 1.20 m²/sow). Sows from both housing types were moved to farrowing crates on day 109 of gestation and stayed until weaning (18 days post‐farrowing). Typical corn‐soybean meal diets were provided to sows during gestation and lactation. Measurements were reproductive performance of sows at farrowing as well as performance of sows and their litter during lactation. Similar total numbers of piglets born at farrowing were observed for sows gestated in both housing types. However, group‐housed gestation sows had more mummies (0.321 vs. 0.064; P < 0.05) and stillbirths (0.893 vs. 0.469; P = 0.073) at farrowing than individual‐housed gestation sows. Consequently, individual‐housing type had higher percentage of piglets born alive (95.5 vs. 90.4%; P < 0.05) than the group‐housing type. Therefore, improved reproductive performance of sows from individual gestating housing was confirmed in this study.     

Density calculation of wood by portable X-ray tube with consideration of penetrating depth

A portable X-ray apparatus generates soft X-rays which have a continuous wavelength (wide range). When using continuous wavelength X-rays, the mass attenuation coefficient of the soft X-rays is changed as the penetrating depth in wood increases, unlike monochromatic X-rays which are usually used for medical purposes. In safety inspections of historic buildings, penetrating depth varies in an X-ray radiograph. Computerized tomography (CT) is a powerful tool that helps determine the density information of the inner sections of buildings. Because only portable X-rays can be used in historic buildings and the penetrating depth can vary, the mass attenuation coefficient of wood according to penetrating depth needs to be investigated. Therefore, in this study, we developed a statistical method which takes into account the influence of the penetrating depth on a density calculation made by a portable X-ray apparatus. X-ray tests were conducted on wood specimens of various depths. From the results, a statically determined mass attenuation coefficient (SMAC) ( $ \mu = - 0.214\ln (t) + 0.7251 $ ), which is the equation of mass attenuation coefficient according to the penetrating depth in wood, was derived to convert radiographs to density radiographs. All projections were converted into density profiles using two methods, average mass attenuation coefficient and SMAC. Based on the density profile for each projection, a density distribution of a cross-section was reconstructed by filtered back projection. Compared with the cases using a consistent mass attenuation coefficient, SMAC provided much higher precision in density prediction than the average mass attenuation coefficient.     

Effect of Daily Feeding Ratio on Growth and Body Composition of Subadult Olive Flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus, Fed an Extruded Diet during the Summer Season

A 10‐wk feeding trial to determine the effect of daily feeding ratio on growth and body composition of subadult olive flounder fed the extruded pellet (EP) was performed during the summer season. Thirteen flounder (an initial body weight of 319 g) per tank were distributed into fifteen 500‐L flow‐through tanks. Five treatments of feeding ratio in 5% decrement were prepared in triplicate: 100 (satiation), 95, 90, 85, and 80% of satiation. Fish in the control group (100% of satiation) were hand‐fed to apparent satiation twice a day. Then, feed allowance in the rest of the four groups was determined based on average feed consumption of fish in the control group. Weight gain of fish fed to 100% of satiation was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of fish fed to 85 and 80% of satiation but not significantly (P > 0.05) different from that of fish fed to 95 and 90% of satiation. Serum total protein, glucose, and glutamic pyruvic transaminase were not significantly (P > 0.05) affected by feeding ratio but triglyceride and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase were. In considering these results, it can be concluded that optimum daily feeding ratio for growth of subadult olive flounder seemed to be 90% of satiation when fish were fed the EP twice a day during the summer season.     

Relationship between sea-surface temperature and catch fluctuations in the Pacific stock of walleye pollock in Japan

ABSTRACT:   This paper investigates the relationship between sea-surface temperature (SST) and catch fluctuations in the Pacific stock of walleye pollock Theragra chalcogramma in Japan. Incorporating time lags between years of birth and harvest, the correlation coefficients between the catch and SST in two regions off the east coast of Hokkaido were calculated. The catch in year t had a high negative correlation with the SST during January–April and November–December of the years t- 2 and t- 3 in the spawning area. These results coincided well with the correlation observed in the northern 'Sea of Japan' stock. Both analyses suggested that the long-term catch fluctuations of the two stocks could be explained by the same mechanism, that is, the fluctuations would be explained by the SST in their spawning area during the spawning season using 2–3 or 3–5 years time lags, which corresponded to the dominant age of the catch within these two stocks.     

Patient-specific embryonic stem cells derived from human SCNT blastocysts

Patient-specific, immune-matched human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are anticipated to be of great biomedical importance for studies of disease and development and to advance clinical deliberations regarding stem cell transplantation. Eleven hESC lines were established by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) of skin cells from patients with disease or injury into donated oocytes. These lines, nuclear transfer (NT)-hESCs, grown on human feeders from the same NT donor or from genetically unrelated individuals, were established at high rates, regardless of NT donor sex or age. NT-hESCs were pluripotent, chromosomally normal, and matched the NT patient's DNA. The major histocompatibility complex identity of each NT-hESC when compared to the patient's own showed immunological compatibility, which is important for eventual transplantation. With the generation of these NT-hESCs, evaluations of genetic and epigenetic stability can be made. Additional work remains to be done regarding the development of reliable directed differentiation and the elimination of remaining animal components. Before clinical use of these cells can occur, preclinical evidence is required to prove that transplantation of differentiated NT-hESCs can be safe, effective, and tolerated.     

Temperature-dependent index of mitotic interval τ0 in greenling Hexagrammos otakii

ABSTRACT:   The aim of this study was to establish effective procedures for chromosome manipulation in greenling Hexagrammos otakii Jordan et Starks, which has enormous aquacultural potential. To accomplish this, temperature-dependent measurements of the mitotic intervals (τ₀) were carried out. The τ₀ in this fish was determined by averaging the duration of the first and third embryonic divisions at temperatures ranging 5–25°C. At higher temperatures, eggs developed faster and underwent more identical development. For greenling, τ₀ were 341.1 ± 3.60 min at 5°C, 275.5 ± 4.53 min at 10°C, 189.7 ± 6.93 min at 15°C, 99.2 ± 8.27 min at 20°C and 34.2 ± 8.74 min at 25°C. There were strong, negative correlations between the τ₀ and water temperatures at all temperatures studied ( Y  = −79.3 X  + 425.3, R ² = 0.9968, where Y is the mitotic interval and X is the temperature).     

Curcuma longa L. constituents inhibit sortase A and Staphylococcus aureus cell adhesion to fibronectin

The inhibitory activity of Curcuma longa L. (turmeric) rhizome constituents against sortase A, a bacterial surface protein anchoring transpeptidase, from Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538p was evaluated. The activity of the isolated compounds (1-4) was compared to that of the positive control,p-hydroxymecuribenzoic acid (pHMB). The biologically active components of C. longa rhizome were characterized by spectroscopic analysis as the curcuminoids curcumin (1), demethoxycurcumin (2), and bisdemethoxycurcumin (3). Curcumin was a potent inhibitor of sortase A, with an IC50 value of 13.8 +/- 0.7 microg/mL. Bisdemethoxycurcumin (IC50 = 31.9 +/- 1.2 microg/mL) and demethoxycurcumin (IC50 = 23.8 +/- 0.6 microg/mL) were more effective than pHMB (IC50 = 40.6 +/- 1.2 microg/mL). The three isolated compounds (1-3) showed no growth inhibitory activity against S. aureus strain Newman, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) greater than 200 microg/mL. Curcumin also exhibited potent inhibitory activity against S. aureus cell adhesion to fibronectin. The suppression of fibronectin-binding activity by curcumin highlights its potential for the treatment of S. aureus infections via inhibition of sortase activity. These results indicate that curcumin is a possible candidate in the development of a bacterial sortase A inhibitor.     

Studies of Spatial Variabilities of Airborne Metals Across Four Different Land-Use Types

The concentrations of seven metals (Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Cd, Cu, and Cr) associated with the total suspended particles (TSPs) were analyzed regularly from the four sampling sites of different land-use types within the boundary of Won Ju city, Korea during1991 through 1995. The mean concentration data for the four sitesselected to represent grassland, residential, commercial, and industrial areas fell in a relatively broad range of: 1440–2240 (Fe), 88–326 (Pb), 2–4 (Cd), 8–21 (Cr),194–469 (Cu), 32–95 (Mn), and 15–26 (Ni) ng m^-3. The data, when compared across the different study sites, generally exhibited systematic trends in accordance withthe site-selection scheme; most metals exhibited increase in their concentration levels across grassland through industrial site. Examinations of data also indicated the possibility that spatial factors play complicated roles on both long- and short-term distribution of metals. From all four sites studied, severalmetals (e.g., Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, and Cd) consistently showed theirseasonal trends characteristic of high winter/spring values. In addition, the analysis of long-term distribution trendsindicated that the concentrations of many metals droppedsteadily at four sites (e.g., Fe, Pb, and Mn). When these metaldata were compared among different sites (land-use types), significant correlations were seen frequently for such metals asFe, Pb, Cd, and Cr. Investigations of inter-metal relationshipsindicated that strong correlations were more abundant from such metal pairs as Fe-Pb, Pb-Mn, and Mn-Fe. In addition, the cases for such strong correlations were seen more abundantly from grassland (and residential) than industrial (and commercial) site. Factor analysis was also conducted to distinguish sourceprocesses affecting metal distributions in the study area. Results of this analysis suggest that the metal distributions ofthe individual sites may be affected most significantly by distinctive source processes of their own.