Change in river water chemistry as affected by the confluence of forest drainage water in dairy farming area on Hokkaido Island, Northern Japan

We evaluated i) the difference in river water chemistry between a watershed mainly consisting of pasture and a watershed mainly consisting of forest, and ii) how the chemistry of river draining the pasture is influenced by that of the river draining the forest. We selected one river (designated as the T-river) draining the pasture (3,587 ha), and two rivers draining a forest (738 and 879 ha) in eastern Hokkaido, northern Japan. During higher river flow due to precipitation and thawing, the concentrations of NO ₃ ⁻ , SO ₄ ²⁻ , K⁺, Fe, and Al increased, suggesting the relative importance of the shallow soil layer as their source. On the other hand, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Si decreased, suggesting the relative importance of the source in a deep soil layer. The concentrations of NO ₃ ⁻ , Cl⁻, SO ₄ ²⁻ , K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and Fe were higher in the T-river than in the forest drainage waters, suggesting the contribution of the excretion components from the milk cows. The Si concentration exhibited the opposite pattern. The concentrations of NO ₃ ⁻ , Cl⁻, SO ₄ ²⁻ , K⁺, Na⁺, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ (p<0.001), and Fe (p<0.05) in the T-river decreased after the confluence of the forest drainage waters, while Si concentration increased (p<0.001). The reason for the change in river chemistry was the confluence of the forest drainage waters. These findings suggested the environmental role of the forest in the dilution of the polluted river. Prof. S. Ohata, and Prof. H. Takeda, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, facilitated this study. Prof. T. Sakai, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, offered this study some convenience. Dr. M. Sakimoto, and Dr. M. Katsuyama, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, offered useful advise.     

Dairy cattle behavior classifications based on decision tree learning using 3‐axis neck‐mounted accelerometers

Demand has been increasing recently for an automated monitoring system of animal behavior as a tool for the management of livestock animals. This study investigated the association between the behavior of dairy cattle and the acceleration data collected using three‐axis neck‐mounted accelerometers, as well as the feasibility of improving the precision of behavior classifications through machine learning. In total 38 Holstein dairy cows were used, and kept in four different farms. A logger was mounted to each collar to obtain acceleration data for calculating the activity level and variations. At the same time the behavior of the cattle was observed visually. Characteristic acceleration waves were recorded for eating, rumination, and lying, respectively; and the activity level and variations were significantly different among these behaviors (p < 0.01). Decision tree learning was performed on the data set from Farm A and validated its precision; which proved to be 99.2% in cross‐validation, and 100% in test data sets from Farms B to D. This study showed that highly precise classifications for eating, rumination, and lying is possible by using decision tree learning to calculate the activity level and variations of cattle based on the data obtained by three‐axis accelerometers mounted to a collar.     

Genotyping of Giardia intestinalis from domestic and wild animals in Japan using glutamete dehydrogenase gene sequencing

To determine the genotypes of Giardia intestinalis from domestic and wild animals in Japan, Giardia isolates obtained from feces of 24 dogs kept in households and breeding kennels, three companion cats, five dairy calves and three wild monkeys, Macaca fuscata, were genotyped using the 177 bp sequence of the glutamete dehydrogenase gene (gdh). The genotypes were assemblages A, C, D or A/D for dog isolates, Assemblage F for cat isolates, assemblages A or E for calf isolates and assemblage B for monkey isolates. This is the first report on the genotypes of Giardia isolates from cats, calves and wild monkeys in Japan.     

Induction of immune responses against glycosphingolipid antigens: comparison of antibody responses in mice immunized with antigen associated with liposomes prepared from various phospholipids

The immune responses of mice against glycosphingolipid (GSL) antigens and the effect of the phospholipid composition of liposomes on the immunogenicity in mice of liposome-associated GSL antigens were examined. The immunization with GSL antigen alone was unable to induce any detectable anti-GSL antibody responses. On the other hand, the immune responses against GSL antigens were detected after immunization with liposomes composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) (0.5 micromol), cholesterol (Chol) (0.5 micromol), Salmonella minnesota R595 lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (10 microg) and GSL (0.05 micromol) (DPPC-liposome). However, the administration with liposome composed of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) (0.5 micromol), Chol (0.5 micromol), S. minnesota R595 LPS (10 microg) and GSL (0.05 micromol) and with liposomes composed of distearylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC) (0.5 micromol), Chol (0.5 micromol), and S. minnesota R595 LPS (10 microg) and GSL (0.05 micromol) was ineffective for the induction of the immune responses against GSL antigens. These results suggest that DPPC-liposome would serve effectively as a delivery vehicle for inducing immune responses against GSL antigen.     

Lolitrem B residue in fat tissues of cattle consuming endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass straw.

Lolitrems are neurotoxins found in endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass. Lolitrems, primarily lolitrem B, are the causative agents of ryegrass staggers in livestock. To guarantee the safety of meat produced from cattle consuming endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass, lolitrem B concentrations in tissues of Japanese Black cattle were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Lolitrem B was not detected in muscle, liver, kidney, or cerebrum of a Japanese Black cow with signs of ryegrass staggers. In contrast, perirenal fat contained 210 ppb lolitrem B. Three cows that received half as much perennial ryegrass straw as the cow with ryegrass staggers showed no clinical signs of ryegrass staggers. However, low concentrations of lolitrem B (less than 150 ppb) were detected in their fat tissue. These observations indicate that human exposure to the neurotoxic effect of lolitrem B through beef is unlikely. The amount of lolitrem B consumed by cattle can be estimated by the determination of lolitrem B in fat tissue.     

Susceptibilities to methamidophos and enzymatic characteristics in 18 species of pest insects and their natural enemies in crucifer vegetable crops

The susceptibilities to methamidophos as well as the kinetic and inhibitory parameter of acetylcholinesterases (AChE) and the activities of carboxyestsrases (CarE) and glutathione-S-transferases (GST) were studied in 18 species field populations of insects collected in Fuzhou, China during April and May 2000 and 2001. The insect species included five hymenopteran endoparasitoids, one hymenopteran exoparasitoid, one hymenopteran hyperparasitoid, one dipteran predator, four coleopteran predator ladybirds, six herbivorous pest insects of lepidoptera, diptera, homoptera, and coleoptera, respectively. There existed significant correlations between the susceptibility to methamidophos and the k_i values of AChE to methamidophos, dichlorvos, and carbofuran and between the k_i and V_max values of AChE among 18 species of insects. The six herbivorous pests and four ladybirds showed significantly low k_i and V_max values of AChE compared to the seven parasitoids and predator Epistrophe balteate. It was difficult to correlate the susceptibility to methamidophos or the k_i values with the K_m values of AChE, or with the activity of CarE and GST. The activities of CarE and GST varied depending on the different insect species. Significant synergisms of piperonyl butoxide (PB), triphenyl phosphate (TPP), and diethyl maleate (DEM) with methamidophos were observed in 14 pest insects and their natural enemies. Synergisms of PB were found to be the greatest. Reduced k_i values suggested that insensitive AChE might play a critical role in the tolerance to methamidophos in the 18 insect species. The detoxification enzymes, mixed-function oxidase (MFO), CarE, and GST, were believed to be involved in the tolerance to methamidophos. MFO might play the most important role, and CarE or GST might be important in the tolerance in some insect species. Different models of tolerance to methamidophos and enzymatic potential were existed in parasitoids, predators, and herbivores based on the different selection of insecticide pressure (either directly by exposing to the spray in the field, or indirectly by the insecticides penetrated into the body of host insects) as well as different ecological and biological habitats.     

Pythium rot of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis) caused by Pythium aphanidermatum

Severe rot was found at the base of leaves and stems of Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis) in Ibaraki Prefecture every year in early September from 2002 through 2004. The causal fungus was identified as Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitzpatrick. This is the first report of P. aphanidermatum on Chinese cabbage. A similar disease of Chinese cabbage caused by P. ultimum Trow var. ultimum is known as Pythium rot. We propose adding P. aphanidermatum as a new pathogen of this disease.     

Tea catechin supplementation increases antioxidant capacity and prevents phospholipid hydroperoxidation in plasma of humans.

The effect of green tea catechin supplementation on antioxidant capacity of human plasma was investigated. Eighteen healthy male volunteers who orally ingested green tea extract (254 mg of total catechins/subject) showed 267 pmol of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg) per milliliter of plasma at 60 min after administration. The plasma phosphatidylcholine hydroperoxide (PCOOH) levels attenuated from 73.7 pmol/mL in the control to 44.6 pmol/mL in catechin-treated subjects, being correlated inversely with the increase in plasma EGCg level. The results suggested that drinking green tea contributes to prevent cardiovascular disease by increasing plasma antioxidant capacity in humans.     

Genetic relatedness (diversity) and cultivar identification by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers in teasle gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.)

Genetic relationship and variation of 29 accessions of teasle gourd (Momordica dioica Roxb.) and 1 accession of Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng. (wild relatives of teasle gourd) were examined by RAPD analysis using 44 dodecamer oligonucleotide primers. A total of 496 fragments were produced by 44 primers of which 95% bands were polymorphic. Using presence or absence of specific RAPD markers or combination of primers, 23 out of 30 accessions were identified. The genetic relatedness or genetic distance based on Nei and Li's genetic similarity varied from 0.86 to 0.65 with an average of 0.74 among 29 M. dioica accessions (when M. cochinchinensis excluded). In the phenetic dendrogram developed from cluster analysis using UPGMA method, M. cochinchinensis was out grouped as single accession, while others showing relatively weak grouping formed four groups. Clustering pattern did not demonstrate any relationship between geographical origin and genetic diversity. A DNA extraction method has been standardized. This is the first report of using RAPD techniques in teasle gourd. It was concluded that RAPD analysis is a useful tool for genotypic identification and estimation of genetic similarity in teasle gourd.