Changes in cation exchange capacity of some Andosols with dithionite-citrate treatment

Andosol is a soil widely distributed throughout Japan and is one of the important soils for the agriculture. The name “Ando soil” was given by THORP and SMITH (19) which means dark soil with an organic matter content ranging up to 30 per cent in the darkest members of the group. In 1964, the Soil Correlation Meeting on Volcanic Ash Soils (8), organized by FAO, adopted “Andosol” for volcanic ash soil of which the active fraction is predominated by amorphous material. Andosol, moreover, has many special properties such as high sorption capacity, high accumulation of organic matter, low bulk density and low stickiness. TAYLOR (18), accordingly, named them “amorphic soils”. The latest soil classification system, 7th Approximation (15) includes andosol under the suborder andepts.     

Genetic and environmental variances of body size and morphological traits in communally reared clonal lines from gynogenetic diploid ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis

Four clonal lines of ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis, were produced from mitotic-gynogenetic diploids, mixed before hatching and reared communally. After 9 months, the clonal fish were sacrificed for measurement of body size, morphometric relationships, and meristic counts. DNA fingerprinting was used to confirm the clonal nature of the fish and to identify the clonal line of origin for each fish.

Significant differences were observed among clonal lines for almost all body size, morphometric and meristic measures. Such differences are suggested to represent genotypic difference among clonal lines given the common environmental conditions provided to all the experimental groups, assuming that the genotype-environment interaction was negligible.

By applying the human twin model, genetic and environmental variances in the clonal population was estimated after the clonal lines were separated by DNA fingerprinting. Heritability estimates for data collected at 9 months were relatively high for body size and varied from low to high in meristic and morphometric traits. These results suggest the possible usage of clonal lines as a control fish for estimation of heritability of traits important to aquaculture.     

Among-year variation in deer population density index estimated from road count surveys

A method for obtaining a relative deer population density index with low cost and effort is urgently needed in wildlife protection areas that need their own deer management guidelines. We recorded the number of deer sighted during our daily trips on forest roads by car in Ashiu Forest at Kyoto University, Japan, beginning in 2006. We used generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) to estimate among-year trends in the number of deer sighted. We applied models for the total number of deer (TND), number of adults (NA), and number of fawns (NF) sighted, which included both current-year and 1-year-old fawns. Full models included the terms of year (2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010), weather (fine, cloudy, and rain/snow), and nonlinear effects of season (date) and time (time). The optimal GAMMs for TND, NA, and NF did not include the effect of weather but included those of time, date, and year. The detected among-year trends in deer population may be influenced by differences in snow environments among the years. The modeling of road count data using GAMM quantitatively determined among-year variation in the number of deer sighted. This trend was similar to that of the population density estimated using a block count survey conducted in Ashiu Forest.     

Serum from dogs Infected with Babesia gibsoni inhibits maturation of reticulocytes and erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase activity in vitro

Erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase is thought to be involved in the maturation of erythrocytes. In the present study, in vitro incubation of canine erythrocytes demonstrated that significant inhibition of 5'-nucleotidase activity occurred in the presence of serum from dogs infected with Babesia gibsoni, when the enzyme was assayed with cytidine 5'-monophosphate (5'-CMP) and inosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-IMP) as substrates. The multiplication of B. gibsoni in in vitro culture also resulted in a significant decrease in the enzyme activity of erythrocytes in the culture. Furthermore, the infected serum and 5'-CMP retarded the maturation of canine reticulocytes in vitro. These results suggested that nucleotides such as 5'-CMP and 5'-IMP might accumulate in young erythrocytes and/or serum in dogs infected with B. gibsoni as a result of decreased activity of erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase, resulting in the delayed maturation of reticulocytes.     

Effects of ammonium hydroxide treatment on the in vitro dry matter digestibility and gas production of wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse medium and konara oak rotted by edible basidiomycetes

Wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse medium and konara oak logs used to cultivate edible basidiomycetes were treated with ammonium hydroxide to investigate the relationship between the degree of rotting and the effect of ammonium hydroxide treatment on digestibility. Wheat straw was sampled before inoculation and on days 67 and 97 after inoculation with Pleurotus salmoneostramineus. Similarly, bagasse media were sampled before inoculation and on days 47 and 96 after inoculation with Pleurotus abalonus. Konara oak logs were sampled before inoculation and at 2 and 4 years after inoculation with Lentinula edodes. Aliquots of the samples were treated with ammonium hydroxide (NH₄‐N, 3% dry matter) at 45°C for 10 days. Ammonium hydroxide treatment increased the in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and gas production (IVGP) of all the samples, except the konara oak samples collected before inoculation. The degree of increased digestibility was largest for the samples collected after short cultivation periods, followed by those collected after long cultivation periods and those collected before inoculation. However, the IVDMD and IVGP values after short cultivation periods were lower than those after long cultivation periods. Ammonium hydroxide treatment is effective at improving the digestibility of white‐rotted materials, although the effect is lessened as rotting proceeds.     

A Cucumber mosaic virus isolated from Momordica charantia L.

Momordica charantia L. plants systemically infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were found in Oita Prefecture. The virus isolated from the host plant was characterized by biological, serological, and molecular biological methods. The purified virus was used to mechanically inoculate the host and produced green mottle, green mosaic, and/or chlorotic spots in the noninoculated upper leaves of the host. The virus was identified as an isolate of CMV containing genomic RNA3 derived from subgroup IA by several lines of evidence based on electron microscopy, serological detection, host range, symptoms, and the entire nucleotide sequence of RNA3.     

The effects of cataract stage, lens-induced uveitis and cataract removal on ERG in dogs with cataract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cataract stage, lens-induced uveitis and cataract removal on the electroretinogram (ERG) of dogs with cataract. ANIMALS STUDIED: Fifty-seven dogs diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral cataract whose ERG was recorded at Rakuno Gakuen University Teaching Animal Hospital from 2001 to 2004. PROCEDURES: Four responses were recorded during the ERG: rod ERG, standard combined ERG, single-flash cone ERG and 30-Hz flicker ERG. Cataracts were divided into four stages: incipient, immature, mature and hypermature, and with or without lens induced uveitis (LIU). Noncataractous eyes of dogs with unilateral cataract were used as the control. We compared ERG amplitude, implicit time, and the b- to a-wave amplitude ratio of cataractous vs. noncataractous eyes, preoperative vs. postoperative cataractous eyes, and cataractous eyes with and without LIU. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in ERG amplitude between incipient, immature and hypermature cataractous eyes, while in mature cataractous eyes decreased amplitude was confirmed in all responses compared with control eyes. However, no significant difference in b/a ratio was found at any stage of cataract. In postoperative eyes, increased amplitude was recorded in all responses compared to preoperative values. In eyes with LIU a decreased amplitude in the rod ERG and b-wave of standard combined ERG was recorded and, furthermore, a significant decline was confirmed in b/a ratio. CONCLUSION: ERG values were influenced by cataract stage and LIU. LIU was associated with a reduction in the b/a ratio.     

Development of an in vitro model for the analysis of bovine endometrium using simple techniques

This study aimed to develop an in vitro model for the analysis of the bovine endometrium. Immunofluorescent staining revealed that the hetero‐spheroids and the cultured explants showed almost similar structure in the localization of bovine endometrial epithelial cells and endometrial stromal cells, except the glandular‐like structure of the epithelial cells inside the explants. Gelatin zymography revealed that the hetero‐spheroids did not express matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after 4 days of culture, but strong MMP expressions were observed in the cultured explants until 7 days of culture. Additionally, expression of progesterone receptor (PR), estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), type I interferon receptor 1 (IFNAR1) and 2 (IFNAR2) messenger RNA was observed both in the homo‐ and hetero‐spheroids. The expression of oxytocin receptor (OTR) mRNA in E2 and E2+P4 (1,3,5(10)‐Estratrien‐3, 17β‐diol + 4‐Pregnen‐3, 20‐dinone) treated groups were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of the control group of spheroids. In case of cultured explants, the expression of PR and OTR mRNA were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in E2 treated groups compared to the control groups. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) mRNA expression was also higher in P4 treated groups at 10 days in culture (P < 0.05). In a nutshell, the in vitro model developed in this study for the analysis of the endometrium may provide a new platform for extensive research on bovine endometrial function.     

New lactic acid bacterial strains from traditional Mongolian fermented milk products have altered adhesion to porcine gastric mucin depending on the carbon source

Attachment of lactic acid bacteria to the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract is a major property of probiotics. Here, we examined the ability of 21 lactic acid bacterial strains isolated from traditional fermented milk products in Mongolia to adhere to porcine gastric mucin in vitro. Higher attachment was observed with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains 6‐8 and 8‐1 than with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (positive control). Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strain 7‐1 adhered to mucin as effectively as did strain GG. Heat inactivation decreased the adhesive ability of strains 6‐8 and 8‐1 but did not affect strain 7‐1. The adhesion of strains 6‐8, 7‐1 and 8‐1 was significantly inhibited when the cells were pretreated with periodate and trypsin, indicating that proteinaceous and carbohydrate‐like cell surface compounds are involved in the adhesion of these strains. The adhesion of strain 7‐1 was affected by the type of carbohydrate present in the growth medium, being higher with fructose than with lactose, galactose or xylose as the carbon source. The sugar content of 7‐1 cells grown on various carbohydrates was negatively correlated with its adhesive ability. We provide new probiotic candidate strains and new information regarding carbohydrate preference that influences lactic acid bacterial adhesion to mucin.