Lingual squamous cell carcinoma in a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus).

A 28-yr-old female California sea lion (Zalophus californianus) in a commercial aquarium developed an ulcerated lingual tumor and died. Necropsy revealed a moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining and electron microscopic studies revealed that the tumor cells were strongly positive with anti-keratin-cytokeratin antibody and had abundant tonofibrils and desmosomes. The neoplasm had metastasized to a mandibular lymph node.     

Plasma concentration of anti-diuretic hormone and urine volume in response to intraruminal administration of acetate, propinata and butyrate in suckling calves

Acetate, propionate, and butyrate were intraruminally administered to dry feed-fed suckling calves to evaluate their effects on plasma ketone bodies, anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) concentrations, and urine volume. Four male Holstein calves (5–7 weeks old) were given 1.0 L of warm water or 0.5 mole of one of the acids in 1.0 L of warm water. A 4 × 4 Latin square design was adopted for the experiment. The acetate group showed significantly higher plasma acetate concentrations than the other three groups between 0.25 h and 2.0 h after administration ( P  < 0.01). Plasma glucose concentrations did not differ markedly among the groups. The butyrate group showed significantly higher plasma ketone body concentrations than the other three groups until the end of the experiment ( P  < 0.01). Plasma ADH concentrations quickly rose in the butyrate group and remained significantly higher than in the other three groups from 0.25 h to 2.5 h after administration ( P  < 0.05). In accordance with the elevation of plasma ADH levels, the butyrate group showed decreases in urine volume and increases in urine osmolarity ( P  < 0.05). Plasma osmolarity and hematocrit values (Ht) were not different among the groups. These results suggest that the administration of acetate and propionate had little effect on ADH secretion.     

B‐cell lymphoma with Mott cell differentiation in a cat

A 12‐year‐old, male castrated Domestic Shorthair cat was presented to Animal Medical Center of Gifu Univeristy with anorexia and vomiting. Physical examination revealed an enlarged left tonsil and right mandibular lymph node (approximately 2–3× the normal size), and a submucosal mass on the right side of the epiglottis (1.5 × 2.0 cm). On computed tomography images, an enlarged left tonsil, and enlarged right mandibular, right pharyngeal, and left and right cervical lymph nodes were observed. Cytologic examination of smears of tonsil and lymph nodes revealed numerous medium‐ to large‐sized neoplastic lymphoid cells, approximately half of which contained one or several light‐blue homogenous globoid cytoplasmic inclusions (5–10 μm), which stained magenta with periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) stain. Histopathologic examination of the left tonsil revealed diffuse proliferation of medium‐ to large‐sized neoplastic lymphoid cells effacing the original lymphoid architecture. Half of the cells contained one or several eosinophilic globoid cytoplasmic inclusions, which stained magenta with PAS and showed positive immunohistochemical reactions for immunoglobulin M (IgM) and λ light chain. Neoplastic lymphoid cells were also CD20⁺, Pax5⁺, and MUM1⁺, and CD3^?. Thus, the neoplastic lymphoid cells expressed a B‐cell immunophenotype, and the globoid cytoplasmic inclusions represented an aberrant IgM λ light chain accumulation, similar to Russell bodies. B‐cell lymphoma with Mott cell differentiation was diagnosed based on cytologic, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical features. This is the first report of B‐cell lymphoma with Mott cell differentiation in a cat.     

A case study of improving milking cow performance and milking system performance with using a flow simulator

Efforts to improve dairy performance have been focused on increasing milk productivity of cows through improved feeding systems and genetic potential. However, methods for evaluating milking system performance based on milk productivity have not yet been established. Milking system performance was evaluated by measuring the claw vacuum at five flow rates (1.9–8.7 kg/min) produced using a flow simulator for a single eight‐swing milking parlor with a high‐line system. Based on these results, a double eight‐parallel milking parlor with a low‐line system was installed and tested. Farmers can take data obtained from evaluations of milking system performance into account for future management decisions, such as renewing the milking system. By renewing the milking system, average milking productivity, somatic cell linear score (LS) of bulk milk, and LS of each cow were significantly improved in the year after installing the new system (p < .01). In addition to checking conventional milking systems, this novel diagnostic method using a flow simulator can be used for checking new installations and also for proposing renovations.     

Mercury Speciation in the Water of Minamata Bay, Japan

The speciation of mercury (Hg) in Minamata Bay (Japan) was studied over a 2-year period (2006?C2008). Concentrations of dissolved total Hg, dissolved methylmercury (MeHg), particulate total Hg, and suspended solids were 0.43?±?0.14 ng/l (mean?±?standard deviation), 0.10?±?0.06 ng/l, 3.04?±?2.96 ng/l, and 5.94?±?2.10 mg/l, respectively. Correlations between concentrations of particulate total Hg and suspended solids at four depths (surface: 0 m; mid-depth: ?6 m, ?10 m; and bottom +1 m layer) were only significant in the bottom +1 m layer. The mean dissolved MeHg concentration and the ratio of dissolved MeHg to dissolved total Hg were considerably higher in summer compared to other seasons. The data suggest that bottom sediment was not the sole source of MeHg, and that MeHg may be produced in the water column by the conversion of divalent Hg eluted from resuspended bottom sediment. The correlation between seawater characteristics such as salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and dissolved MeHg concentration indicates that Hg methylation could be influenced by the heterotrophic activity of microorganisms in the seawater. In particular, inverse correlations were observed between DO, salinity, and MeHg concentration. However, dissolved MeHg concentrations did not correlate with seawater characteristics such as pH or chlorophyll-a.     

Genome‐wide association studies reveal additional related loci for fatty acid composition in a Duroc pig multigenerational population

The aim of the present study was to detect quantitative trait loci affecting fatty acid composition in back fat and intramuscular fat in a Duroc pig population comprising seventh‐generation pedigrees using genome‐wide association studies (GWAS). In total, 305 animals were genotyped using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) array and five selected SNPs from regions containing known candidate genes related to fatty acid synthesis or metabolism. In total, 24 genome‐wide significant SNP regions were detected in 12 traits, and 76 genome‐wide suggestive SNP regions were detected in 33 traits. The Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 7 at 10.3 Mb was significantly associated with C17:0 in intramuscular fat, while the SSC9 at 13.6 Mb was significantly associated with C14:0 in intramuscular fat. The SSC12 at 1.0 Mb was significantly associated with C14:0 in back fat and the SSC14 at 121.0 Mb was significantly associated with C18:0 in intramuscular fat. These regions not only replicated previously reported loci containing some candidate genes involved in fatty acid composition (fatty acid synthase and stearoyl‐CoA desaturase) but also included several additional related loci.     

Insect growth regulating activity of 1,5-disubstituted imidazoles against Bombyx mori and Oncopeltus fasciatus

Seventeen 1,5-disubstituted imidazoles possessing a variety of substituents were tested on Bombyx mori and Oncopeltus fasciatus. All compounds induced precocious metamorphosis from 4th-instar larvae of B. mori. Of the compounds tested, 1-benzyl-5-[(E)-2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadienyl]imidazole (KK-42) was the most active against B. mori larvae. However, none of the compounds induced precocious metamorphosis in O. fasciatus nymphs, although several showed delayed toxicity. Treated nymphs died during or immediately after the moult. A series of 1-isobutylimidazoles exhibited high activity against O. fasciatus, whereas KK-42 was inactive even at high doses. There was no apparent correlation between the ability of imidazoles to cause precocious metamorphosis in B. mori and the delayed toxicity for O. fasciatus.     

Purification and characterization of a lipolytic enzyme active at low temperature from Norwegian Typhula ishikariensis group III strain

An extracellular lipolytic enzyme active at low temperature was purified from the culture filtrate of the snow mold fungus, Typhula ishikariensis group III, strain 6-1-1. The molecular mass of enzyme was approximately 83 kDa (SDS-PAGE). The lipolytic enzyme was most active for p-nitrophenyl palmitate at 30 –C (pH 9.0). The lipolytic activity was 23.4% of the maximum at 4 –C, the temperature of culture. Thus, the isolated T. ishikariensis lipolytic enzyme is thought to represent a new member of a group of enzymes active at low temperature.