Compliance rate of livestock vehicles with welfare standards, and behavior of feeder cattle at loading ramp

The objective of the present study was to assess cattle welfare during transportation. Vehicle inspection and observation of cattle behavior during loading operations were conducted at two major livestock markets (T and M) in Japan. Market T provided young feeder cattle (Wagyu and cross‐bred aged 6.8–9.0 months) mainly for regions farther than 1500 km. Market M provided young cattle (Wagyu aged 6.6–11.2 month) and calves (crossbred and Holstein aged 0.7–1.5 month) for nearby regions within 500 km. Market T had loading platforms 1.0 m high, whereas market M had partial allocation of platforms and forced most transporters to load cattle from the ground. Vehicles were inspected according to the welfare standards for beef cattle of the RSPCA. Number of vehicles inspected was 36 and 31 in markets T and M, respectively. Cattle hesitations (kneeling down, slipping, balking, backing down, turning around, jumping and eliminating) were observed at the loading ramp. Vehicles inspected at the markets complied with most requirements of the welfare standards, but non‐compliance was found in two requirements: in market M, 71.0% of vehicles had the loading ramp at a >20% incline, whereas 17.1% of vehicles did in market T (P < 0.001). Slope of the loading ramp was steeper in market M than in market T (33.9 ± 17.3% vs. 14.9 ± 8.9%, P < 0.001). Market M had higher proportion of vehicles that did not comply with the requirement ‘Both loading ramps and tail boards must be appropriately designed and covered with litter, to prevent animals from falling off or slipping’ compared with market T (83.9% vs. 17.1%, P < 0.001). Higher frequencies were observed in two kinds of hesitating behavior in market M than in market T (both P < 0.01): mean frequencies (times/head) of slipping and balking were 1.3 ± 1.2 and 2.0 ± 1.8 in market M, and 0.2 ± 0.2 and 0.7 ± 0.5 in market T, respectively. Steeper loading ramp was correlated with higher frequencies of kneeling down (r = 0.53), slipping (r = 0.59), balking (r = 0.45) and backing down (r = 0.42) (all P < 0.05).     

Comparison of behavior, physical condition and performance of laying hens in four molting methods

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the welfare level of hens in four molting methods by comparing their behavior, physical condition and performance. In total, 96 White Leghorn layers (72 weeks of age) were used. The four molting methods consisted of 10 days of feeding and the first 3 days of water withdrawal WFW); 10 day feed withdrawal (WF) followed by ad libitum access to a layer diet from day 11, 28 days of restricted feeding (RF) and 28 days without withdrawing their feed (NW). The RF and NW hens were fed a low energy diet. The WFW and WF hens showed two clear phases of behavior during the 10‐day fasting period. Explorative and stereotyped behavior increased for WFW and WF hens just after their fast. Standing‐resting then increased for WFW and WF hens while lying‐resting decreased. In contrast, RF and NW hens did not show clear behavioral changes during the 28‐day molt period. The weight loss of the NW hens was more gradual compared with the other three methods. No significant differences were seen in any productive trait among the four methods during the postmolt period. In conclusion, the welfare level of RF and NW, especially NW, was higher compared with WFW and WF.     

Insecticidal and neuroexciting actions of DDT analogs

The neuroexciting activity of DDT and its analogs to produce repetitive responses on the nerve cord of Periplaneta americana was determined using the extracellular electrode method. The convulsive activity on P. americana and the insecticidal effect on Callosobruchus chinensis were also examined. It was found that the convulsive and insecticidal activities increase almost proportionally with increase in the neuroexciting activity within a set of p,p′-substituted DDT analogs. The intimate connections among these biological effects suggest that symptoms such as convulsion and death caused by DDT analogs are closely related with their neuroexcitory effect and there is a common mode of action in spite of differences in insect species.     

Relationship between inbreeding coefficients and plant height of 1-year-old seedlings in crosses among Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) cultivars/selections

Plant height, a vigor trait, in 1-year-old seedlings made from Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia) cultivars/selections was measured using 994 individuals from 29 families. The family mean of plant height was negatively correlated (r = −0.72**) to the inbreeding coefficients (F). The regression of the family mean (Fm) on the F value (Fm = 130 − 104F) showed that inbreeding depressions were 8%, 20%, and 40% for F = 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5, respectively. According to the regression, the family mean at F = 0 was estimated at 130 cm. These results showed that the vigor was greatly influenced by inbreeding in Japanese pear. Within-family variances, the genetic segregation of offspring in a family, differed according to family. The proportions of offspring with plant height above 130 cm (estimated Fm for F = 0) were extremely low, i.e., 0–17% for 0.5 ≤ F < 0.60 and 0–8% for F = 0.75.     

Hair cortisol levels of lactating dairy cows in cold‐ and warm‐temperate regions in Japan

We compared the hair cortisol levels of lactating dairy cows in a cold‐ and a warm‐temperate region out of four climatic zones in Japan. We simultaneously investigated the effects of calving number, lactation period and month of hair sampling. Hair of nine Holstein lactating cows chosen from each region (i.e. 18 cows per sampling) was sampled in March, June, September and December. Number of calvings (1, 2, ≥3) and lactation duration (early: <100, middle: 101–200, and late: >201 days) were balanced between regions. Cortisol was extracted from hair by methanol, and its level was determined with a cortisol immunoassay kit. A multi‐way analysis of variance revealed that the effects of month of hair sampling (P < 0.001) and its combination with region (P < 0.05) were significant. In a multiple comparison test, significant differences (P < 0.01) in hair cortisol level (pg/mg of hair) were found between June (13.0 ± 1.0) and the other 3 months, and between September (1.6 ± 0.2) and December (4.5 ± 0.3). The rise in cortisol level from March to June was more intense in the cold‐temperate region. These results demonstrate the necessity of considering seasonal variations in each climatic region when we use hair cortisol level as an indicator of stress.     

Proton Budgets of Forest Ecosystems on Volcanogenous Regosols in Hokkaido,Northern Japan

The proton budgets of deciduous and coniferous forest ecosystems on volcanogenous regosols in Hokkaido, northern Japan, were studied by measuring the biogeochemical fluxes (atmospheric deposition, canopy leaching, vegetation uptake and leaching from soil) at each site during a three year period. The proton budgets were developed for individual compartments of the ecosystem: vegetation canopy, organic and mineral soil layers. At both sites, atmospheric S deposition was the dominant proton source in the vegetation canopy. In organic horizons, dissociation of weak acids (bicarbonate and/or organic acids) and vegetation uptake of base cations were the dominant proton sources, and the net mineralization of base cations was the dominant proton sink. Atmospheric acid deposition was almost neutralized in the forest canopy and organic horizon. At both sites, weathering and/or ion exchange of base cations and protonation of weak acids (mainly bicarbonate) were the dominant proton sinks in the mineral soil. In both organic and mineral soil, internal proton sources (mainly vegetation uptake of base cations and dissociation of weak acids) exceeded external proton sources, indicating that acid deposition was not the main driving force of soil acidification in the studied forest ecosystems.     

Identification of a blue photoluminescent composite material from a combinatorial library

A quaternary combinatorial masking strategy was used in conjunction with photolithography to generate compositionally diverse thin-film phosphor libraries containing 1024 different compositions on substrates 2.5 centimeters square. A parallel imaging system and scanning spectrophotometer were used to identify and characterize compositions in the library with interesting luminescent behavior. Optimal compositions were identified with the use of gradient libraries, in which the stoichiometry of a material was varied continuously. This process led to the identification of an efficient blue photoluminescent composite material, Gd3Ga5O12/SiO2. Experimental evidence suggests that luminescence in this material may arise from interfacial effects between SiO2 and Gd3Ga5O12.     

Juveniles of threadsail filefish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Stephanolepis cirrhifer</Emphasis>, can survive and grow by feeding on moon jellyfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aurelia aurita</Emphasis>

We conducted feeding experiments on threadsail filefish Stephanolepis cirrhifer juveniles for 16 days to evaluate the efficacy of moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita as a prey item. Four treatments, each with 40 individuals, were prepared to compare fish growth performance. The treatments consisted of filefish that were starved (control) (S), fed only jellyfish (J), fed only krill (K), and fed both jellyfish and krill (JK). Fish in the S treatment exhibited a 50% mortality rate and reduced body weight, whereas the J treatment exhibited a zero mortality rate and increased body weight. Fish in the JK treatments showed a significantly faster growth than those in the K treatment. Filefish consumed as much as 24 and 13 times their own body weight in jellyfish per day in the J and JK treatments, respectively. This is the first report showing that growth can be sustained by feeding a marine fish only jellyfish, and indicates the potential of jellyfish as a fish prey in both nature and captivity.     

Amberjack <Emphasis Type="Italic">Seriola dumerili</Emphasis> interleukin-10 negatively suppresses host cell-mediated immunity

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine and negatively regulates cell-mediated immunity (CMI) induction by inhibiting cytokine production in type 1 T helper cells. IL-10 genes have been isolated from several fish, and inflammatory cytokine inhibition by IL-10 has been well examined. However, a CMI regulator of IL-10 in fish has not yet been identified. In this study, we cloned the IL-10 gene in amberjack Seriola dumerili and analyzed its function using its recombinant protein (rIL-10). In an in vitro culture experiment, gene expression of inflammatory cytokines was suppressed in leukocytes incubated with rIL-10 compared with cells that only received Nocardia seriolae stimulation. This result suggests amberjack IL-10 has conserved function as an inflammatory cytokine inhibitor. Bactericidal activity of amberjack cells against intracellular pathogen stimulation was decreased in a rIL-10 dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, a significant reduction in the T-bet/GATA-3 ratio was observed in N. seriolae living cell (LC)?+?rIL-10-injected fish. Taken together, these results suggest amberjack rIL-10 suppresses CMI induction both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the number of IgM⁺ cells among spleen leukocytes in N. seriolae?+?rIL-10-injected fish was higher than in only N. seriolae LC, suggesting that Th2-dominant immunity was induced by adding rIL-10.     

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone directly increases the plasma calcitonin level and involves calcium metabolism in goldfish

International Aquatic Research - The effects of α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) on calcium metabolism were examined with goldfish. The scales on the left side of goldfish bodies...