Congenital malformations of the external and middle ear accompanied by temporal bone anomaly in a calf

A 7-month-old female Holstein calf presented with bilateral microtia and absent external acoustic meatus. The real-time polymerase chain reaction test was negative for bovine viral diarrhea virus and bovine leukemia virus. The calf’s dam had a normal reproductive history. Computed tomography confirmed bilateral atresia of external auditory canals, aplasia of tympanic cavities and the ossicular chain, and temporomandibular joint abnormality. Necropsy revealed a severe malformation of the temporal bone. In the tympanic region, the external acoustic pore, tympanic bulla, and muscular process were absent bilaterally. The bilateral inner ear structure was normal. Based on these findings, we diagnosed the present case as congenital malformations of the external and middle ear accompanied by temporal bone anomaly.     

Effects of dietary protein level in the early fattening period on free amino acids and dipeptides in the blood and Longissimus thoracis muscle in Japanese Black steers

The effects of crude protein (CP) concentration in feed using soybean meal as its source in the early fattening period on the levels of free amino acids (FAAs) and dipeptides in the blood, and the levels in the M. longissimus thoracis after slaughter were studied in Japanese Black steers. Sixteen steers were divided into four groups and given feed with a CP content of 12, 14, 16, or 18% of dry matter (DM) from 10 to 20 months old, and they were fed with the same level of CP (13.5–13.9% of DM) until slaughter at 30 months of age. There was no significant difference in the weight gain, carcass weight or marbling score between the groups. Concerning the serum FAA and dipeptide contents at 20 months of age, the alanine, tyrosine and tryptophan levels decreased, while the carnosine (Car) level increased, with increases in the CP level in the feed. Although there were no significant differences in the FAA contents of the Longissimus thoracis muscle between the groups, the Car content decreased with increases in the feed protein level.     

Increasing nitrate removal at low temperatures by incorporating organic matter into paddy fields

Denitrification of paddy fields is a key process for improving water quality in fields where nitrate concentrations are high. The objective of the present study was to understand the effects of incorporating organic carbon (C) into soil on the denitrification rate of paddy fields in winter. On 11 December 2007, separate paddy field plots were prepared by incorporating 5 Mg ha⁻¹ of rice straw (RS), 11 Mg ha⁻¹ of rice straw compost (RSC) or a control. A field with a high concentration of nitrate in the water (averaging 18 mg N L⁻¹) was irrigated until 29 March. During the experiment, the daily average soil temperature at a depth of 0.05 m ranged between 3 and 15°C. The nitrate concentration in the surface water in the RS plot, where the residence time was 2 days, decreased more than the concentration in the control or RSC plots. The total estimated nitrate removal from each plot in relation to the other plots was RS > RSC = control. Measurements of the soil from each plot on 29 February 2008 showed that incorporation of RS significantly increased the denitrification potential, even at low temperatures (5–10°C). Furthermore, the RS plot contained more dissolved organic C than the control or RSC plots. This result indicates that supplying RS effectively increases denitrification under low-temperature conditions.     

Efficacy of a novel in ovo-attenuated live vaccine and recombinant vaccine against a very virulent infectious bursal disease virus in chickens

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) causes severe economic damage to the poultry industry worldwide. To prevent IBD virus (IBDV) infection, live virus vaccines have been widely used in chickens having wide-ranging levels of maternally derived antibodies. But, the risks of infection with other pathogens because of lesions related to atrophy of the bursa of Fabricius in vaccinated chickens are a concern. To resolve the problems, a recombinant turkey herpesvirus (HVT) vaccine expressing IBDV-VP2 protein (rHVT-IBD) has been developed. However, the induction of neutralizing antibodies by rHVT-IBD against a virulent IBDV might be delayed compared with that by the live IBD vaccine, leading to the high risks of IBDV infection for young chickens. To find the best selection of IBDV vaccine for the onset of immunity, we examine the protective efficacy of a novel in ovo-attenuated live IBDV (IBD-CA) vaccine and the rHVT-IBD vaccine in young chickens challenged with a very virulent IBDV (vvIBDV) strain. We show that the protective efficacy of IBD-CA vaccine was higher than that of the rHVT-IBD vaccine in 14-day-old chickens challenged with the vvIBDV strain, leading to the risk of IBDV infection for young chickens when vaccinated with rHVT-IBD. Our results suggest that farmers should select the best vaccines to maximize vaccine efficacy in consideration of the vaccine characteristics, prevalence levels of IBDV in the areas, and initial MDA levels of the chickens since the attenuated live and recombinant vaccines play a role in the different vaccine efficacies.     

Effects of reduced glutathione supplementation in semen freezing extender on frozen-thawed bull semen and in vitro fertilization

During cryopreservation, spermatozoa may suffer cold and cryo-induced injuries ―associated with alterations in cell defense systems― that are detrimental to their function and subsequent fertility. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of supplementing the semen freezing extender with the antioxidant reduced glutathione (GSH) in cattle. Semen was collected from four bulls and diluted in a freezing extender supplemented with or without GSH (0, 1, 5, and 10 mM) before the cooling step of the cryopreservation process. After thawing, the quality of the frozen-thawed semen was investigated for motility, viability, acrosomal and DNA integrity, and subsequent embryo development after in vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes. Additionally, semen from one of the bulls was used to analyze semen antioxidative potential, sperm penetration into oocytes, male pronucleus formation rate, and embryo DNA integrity. The sperm quality varied among bulls after GSH supplementation. One bull had decreased sperm total motility, and two bulls had decreased sperm DNA integrity. GSH supplementation had positive effects on embryo development for three bulls. Two of them showed both improved cleavage and blastocyst formation rates, while the other one only showed an improved cleavage rate. We observed positive effects on early male pronucleus formation and no negative effects on DNA integrity and cell number in blastocyst stage embryos. Although the effect varies depending on individual bulls and GSH concentration, GSH supplementation in semen may improve in vitro embryo production from frozen semen.     

昆虫神经活性物质章鱼胺受体激动剂的设计、合成及其构效关系研究

以章鱼胺能系统为靶标,设计并合成了72个取代苄基亚胺基-2-(口恶)唑烷和取代苯胺基2-(口恶)唑啉化合物。测定了目标化合物对美州大蠊神经索腺苷酸环化酶的活化作用。结果发现配体取代基的变化可引起对章鱼胺受体活性的较大幅度改变。邻氯苄基亚胺基-4-苯基-2-(口恶)唑啉显示与 OA 受体的较高亲和力(V_(max)=33.39,Km=0.33μmol·L~(-1)。应用 Hansch-Fujita 方法、RSA、MFA、药效团分析和分子模型技术等计算机辅助设计方法对它们的结构活性关系进行剖析并建立了一些可信度高的模型。     

Diffusion tensor imaging-based quantitative analysis of the spinal cord in Pembroke Welsh Corgis with degenerative myelopathy

Canine degenerative myelopathy (DM) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of the spinal cord. The diagnosis is based on the observation of clinical signs, genetic testing, and exclusion of other spinal cord diseases, and a definitive diagnosis of DM can only be confirmed by postmortem histopathological findings. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic ability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for DM. Eight DM-affected Pembroke Welsh Corgis, thirteen dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH), and six healthy control dogs were included. All dogs were scanned using a 3.0-T MRI system. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) values were calculated for each intervertebral disk level slice between T8–T9 and L2–L3 intervertebral disk levels, and the entire area of the thoracolumbar spinal cord between T8–T9 and L2–L3 intervertebral disk levels (T8–L3 region). The ADC and FA values of the T8–L3 region were significantly lower in the DM group than in the IVDH group. The ADC values for the T8–L3 region had a moderate negative correlation with clinical duration (r_s= −0.723, P=0.043); however, the FA values of other intervertebral disk levels and T8–L3 region had no correlation with clinical durations. The measurement of DTI indices can be used to quantitatively assess neurodegeneration and may have diagnostic value for DM. In particular, the ADC value of the T8–L3 region may aid in making a non-invasive premortem diagnosis of DM.     

Measurement of feline lipase activity using a dry-chemistry assay with a triolein substrate and comparison with pancreas-specific lipase (Spec fPLTM)

Pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (Spec fPL) is currently considered to be the most accurate blood test for the diagnosis of feline pancreatitis. In this study, we measured lipase activity in cats using a newer catalytic lipase assay of dry-chemistry system (FDC-v-LIP) to determine the reference range and compared the results with those for Spec fPL. Based on the results of healthy cats, the reference range of FDC-v-LIP was determined to be less than 30 U/l. FDC-v-lip did not show a strong correlation with Spec fPL in cats with various diseases, which resulted in the low sensitivity and positive predictive value. However, the relatively high (>90%) specificity and negative predictive value indicated that FDC-v-LIP could be a useful patient-side screening test for the exclusion of feline pancreatitis.     

Characterization of novel avian paramyxovirus strain APMV/Shimane67 isolated from migratory wild geese in Japan

An avian paramyxovirus (APMV) isolated from goose feces (APMV/Shimane67) was biologically, serologically and genetically characterized. APMV/Shimane67 showed typical paramyxovirus morphology on electron microscopy. On hemagglutination inhibition test, antiserum against APMV/Shimane67 revealed low reactivity with other APMV serotypes and vice versa. The fusion (F) protein gene of APMV/Shimane67 contained 1,638 nucleotides in a single open reading frame encoding a protein of 545 amino acids. The cleavage site of F protein contained a pair of single basic amino acid (VRENR/L). The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the F gene of APMV/Shimane67 had relatively low identities (42.9–62.7% and 28.9–67.3%, respectively) with those of other APMVs. Phylogenetic analysis showed that APMV/Shimane67 was related to NDV, APMV-9 and APMV-12, but was distinct from those APMV serotypes. These results suggest that APMV/Shimane67 is a new APMV serotype, APMV-13.