Sugar expressions on the vaginal epithelium in pregnant mice

Sugar expressions were examined on the epithelium of both the middle portion of the vagina and the vaginal portion of the cervical canal (CC) in pregnant mice to understand the pathogenesis of bacterial infection in the female reproductive organ by using a panel of lectins. As a result, N-acetylglucosamine was positive before pregnant day (P) 7 but negative after P10 and at diestrus on both the vagina and the CC. In addition, some differences in sugar expressions were seen between them. These results suggest that sugar expressions on the mucosal surface would change not only site-specifically but also time-dependently, and these sugar differences indicate the possibility of the alteration of the settled bacterial species on the vaginal mucosa in pregnancy.     

Genetic diversity of Pinus densiflora pollen flowing over fragmented populations during a mating season

We attempted to evaluate the genetic diversity of long-distance transported pollen flowing over fragmented Pinus densiflora populations during a mating season. A P.?densiflora clonal seed orchard, which was located in a rural area where many fragmented populations exist, was selected for pollen capture. Immigrant pollen captured by three clones having different flowering times was regarded as the pollen flowing over fragmented populations during a mating season. The genetic diversity (H _e) values of the immigrant pollen captured by the three clones were high (H _e?>?0.894). The correlation of paternity (r _p) values of the seeds having immigrant parent generated from the three clones were calculated to be negative. From these parameters, the pollen cloud is considered to have maintained high genetic diversity during the mating season. The genetic composition of the pollen cloud showed slight variation. The pollen captured by different trees (i.e., clonal ramets of the three clones) was significantly different based on analysis of molecular variance. Especially, the pollen pools captured by trees planted in the western side of the orchard were significantly different from the gene pool of the surrounding populations. Factors affecting this differentiation could be that the donors of the pollen transported to the orchard vary with time, as well as nonuniform dispersal of the pollen. From these results, the pollen flowing over fragmented P.?densiflora populations is considered to have high genetic diversity, compensating to some extent for fragmentation.     

Effect of Treadmill Exercise and Hydrogen-rich Water Intake on Serum Oxidative and Anti-oxidative Metabolites in Serum of Thoroughbred Horses

The present study aimed to clarify changes of oxidative stress and antioxidative functions in treadmill-exercised Thoroughbred horses (n=5, 3 to 7 years old), using recently developed techniques for measurement of serum d-ROMs for oxidative stress, and BAP for antioxidative markers. Also, the effect of nasogastric administration of hydrogen-rich water (HW) or placebo water preceding the treadmill exercise on these parameters was examined. Each horse was subjected to a maximum level of treadmill exercise in which the horses were exhausted at an average speed of 13.2 ± 0.84 m/sec. Blood samples were taken 4 times, immediately before the intake of HW or placebo water at 30 min preceding the treadmill exercise, immediately before the exercise (pre-exercise), immediately after the exercise (post-exercise) and at 30 min following the exercise. In all horses, both d-ROMs and BAP values significantly increased at post-exercise. The increase in d-ROMs tended to be lower in the HW trial, as compared to the placebo trial at pre-exercise. The increase in BAP was considerable at approximately 150% of the pre-exercise values in both the HW and placebo treatment trials. The BAP/d-ROMs ratio was significantly elevated at post-exercise in both treatment trials, while a significant elevation was also observed at pre-exercise in the HW trial. BAP, d-ROM, and the BAP/d-ROM ratio tended to decline at 30 min after the exercise, except BAP and BAP/d-ROMs in the placebo trial. These results demonstrate that the marked elevation of oxidative stress and anitioxidative functions occurred simultaneously in the intensively exercised horses, and suggest a possibility that HW has some antioxidative efficacy.     

Rapid discrimination of two cryptic species within Brontispa longissima (Gestro) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) by PCR–RFLP

Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a serious invasive pest of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) supposedly originating from Indonesia and New Guinea. It has recently invaded Southeast and East Asia, where it has caused serious damage to coconut plants. Brontispa longissima as currently defined contains two cryptic species: we herein referred to one as the “Asian clade”, which is distributed over a wide area, including Asia and the Pacific region; and we referred to the other one as the “Pacific clade”, which is found in a limited area in the Pacific region. We developed a PCR–RFLP method for differentiating the two clades. Digestion of the PCR product of a 1,014-bp region within the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) with BslI, HpyCH4III, or NlaIV resulted in clade-specific patterns as estimated by the sequence data. We applied the method to specimens newly obtained from various locations to investigate the geographical distribution of B. longissima. Although B. longissima collected from Samoa in April 2003 had been placed in the Pacific clade, specimens collected from the same island in April 2010 were placed in the Asian clade, suggesting that the predominant clade may have been changing from the former to the latter. On Timor, specimens included both clades in apparently segregated habitats.     

Effect of Maternal Age on the Ratio of Cleavage and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number in Early Developmental Stage Bovine Embryos

Age-associated deterioration in both the quality and quantity of mitochondria occurs in older women. The main aim of this study was to examine the effect of age on mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA number) in early developmental stage bovine embryos as well as the dynamics of mtDNA number during early embryo development. Real-time PCR was used to determine mtDNA number. In vitro-produced embryos 48 h after insemination derived from Japanese black cows, ranging in age from 25 to 209 months were categorized based on their cleavage status. There was an overall negative relationship between the age of the cow and cleavage status, to the extent that the ratio of embryos cleaved over the 4-cell stage was greater in younger cows. The mtDNA number did not differ among the cleaved status of embryos. In the next experiment, oocytes collected from each donor cow were divided into 2 groups containing 10 oocytes each, in order to compare the mtDNA number of mature oocytes and early developmental stage embryos within individuals. Upon comparing the mtDNA number between oocytes at the M2 stage and early developmental stage 48 h post insemination, mtDNA number was found to decrease in most cows, but was found to increase in some cows. In conclusion, age affects the cleaving ability of oocytes, and very old cows (> 180 months) tend to have lower mtDNA numbers in their oocytes. The change in mtDNA number during early development varied among individual cows, although overall, it showed a tendency to decrease.     

Protected area co-management and land use conflicts adjacent to Phu Kao – Phu Phan Kham National Park,Thailand

This study examined land use conflicts between three villages and Phu Kao – Phu Phan Kham National Park in northeast Thailand that resulted from its access and utilization during 2013–2015. The source of conflict is usufruct rights, a government entitlement program designed to honor villagers who lived on the land before it was established as a national park or forest reserve. Ironically, designation of protected areas is not a safeguard for biodiversity. A complex set of rules and regulations control access to resources, but compliance is subject to government oversight and economic pressure to improve quality of life. Granting usufruct rights may reduce certain land use conflicts, but they fail to address agricultural expansion inside park and forest boundaries. For example, agricultural encroachment in this protected area increased by 13.1% during the study period, mainly through cassava plantings. Cassava requires a small amount of maintenance and has a high market value since it is being promoted as an energy crop by the Thai government. A variety of management strategies are needed for sustainable forestry, such as regular forest patrols, reduction of agricultural-based income, and community-based initiatives.     

High yield and nutritional quality of rice for animal feed achieved by continuous irrigation with treated municipal wastewater

Paddy and Water Environment - Two consecutive pilot-scale experiments were conducted to investigate the potential reuse of treated municipal wastewater (TWW) as an irrigation source for cultivating...     

Preparation of liquid polyesterpolyols from glucose and its methyl derivative

Preparation of liquid polyols from d-(+)-glucose (Glc) and its derivative, methyl--d-glucoside (m-Glc), has been studied. Direct reaction of -caprolactone (CL) with Glc (CL:Glc = 2:1–5:1 in weight ratio) at 150°C using tin(II) 2-ethyl hexanoate (SnEht₂) (series A), in which melted Glc was suspended in CL, resulted in a dark-brown coloration of the reactants. The reaction was accompanied by formation of high molecular weight resins, a pH drop, production of water, and a considerable decrease in the hydroxyl value from the theoretically expected one. In the case of Glc/ethylene glycol (EG)/CL reaction system with SnEht₂ catalyst at 150°C (series B), in which the weight ratio of Glc to EG was fixed at 1:1, Glc dissolved in the EG/CL mixture, but the brown coloration of the reactant mixture still occurred. In this case, the formation of water was enhanced, but the other effects found in series A were suppressed to a considerable extent. In the m-Glc/CL/SnEht₂ reaction system (series C), in which m-Glc reacted with two to five times weight amounts of CL under the same conditions adopted in series A, development of the color, the production of high molecular weight materials and water, and the changes in pH and hydroxyl value were not observed. These results are discussed based on the chemical structural differences: Glc exists mostly in the hemiacetal form, but tautomerizes to the aldehyde, whereas m-Glc is an acetal and is protected from reversion to the aldehyde.     

A comparison of changes in stable isotope ratios in the epidermal mucus and muscle tissue of slow‐growing adult catfish

Although stable isotope analysis is a powerful tool for determining diet, migration patterns and the structure of food webs in aquatic systems, the slow response of isotopic ratios in the widely used muscle tissue often hampers this approach, particularly in slow‐growing or adult fishes. We conducted a diet‐switch experiment to compare the changes in the stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C values) in the epidermal mucus and muscle tissue of five‐year‐old catfish (Silurus asotus). The isotope ratios in noninvasively sampled mucus changed more rapidly than those in the muscle tissue. As isotopic change in mucus was relatively rapid, this technique can be used over a finer timescale than traditional isotopic analyses using the muscle tissue. The isotopic change half‐life in our experimental condition was 200 days, which would not be short enough for some research purposes. Examining mucus along with the muscle would enable food habits of slow‐growing fishes to be determined over different timescales. However, the rate of isotopic change in the mucus was negatively affected by the size of fish and was slower than the previously reported rates in juvenile steelhead. These findings suggest that mucus turnover rates need to be determined prior to the field data interpretation.     

Conditioning of karyoplasts for producing somatic nuclear transferred gonadal germ cells in domestic chickens

The objective of this study was to establish a protocol for generating karyoplasts that can be used to produce somatic nuclear transferred gonadal germ cells (snt-GGCs) in domestic chickens. Karyoplasts were produced by centrifuging cultured fibroblasts from 10-day-old chick embryos at 10,000 x g in the presence of 1.0 microg/ml cytochalasin B. The number of karyoplasts was significantly (P<0.05) higher and the diameters of the karyoplasts were significantly (P<0.05) smaller when fibroblasts were centrifuged for 60 min than for 10 or 30 min. It was possible to generate snt-GGCs by electrofusion of GGCs with karyoplasts produced from cryopreserved or serum-starved fibroblasts. These results indicate that karyoplasts generated from 10-day-old chick embryos can be used to produce snt-GGCs even after cryopreservation and serum starvation of the fibroblasts.