Thermal constants of wood during the heating process measured with the laser flash method

The thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and thermal conductivity of 13 species of wood were measured by means of the laser flash method to investigate the thermal properties of wood during the heating process. The temperature ranged from room temperature to 270°C in air or under vacuum. The thermal diffusivity varied little during the heating process up to 240°C. The values in air were larger than those under vacuum. There was a linear relation between the specific heat and the ambient temperature, and the specific heat under vacuum was larger than that in air at high temperature. The thermal conductivity increased with density and the ambient temperature. To discuss the effects of the atmospheric conditions on the thermal constants of wood, a theoretical model of thermal conductivity was proposed and its validity examined, where the wood was assumed to be a uniformly distributed material composed of cell walls and air.Part of this paper was presented at the 47th annual meeting of Japan Wood Research Society at Kochi, April 1997     

Adsorption of mercury by sugi wood carbonized at 1000°C

The ability of sugi wood carbonized at 1000°C to adsorb mercury was examined using aqueous solutions of mercuric chloride. Parameters studied include contact time, pH, adsorption temperature, and initial concentration of mercury in solution. Results showed that sugi wood carbonized at 1000°C could effectively remove mercury from aqueous solutions. The carbonized wood showed high adsorption ability for mercury at a wide pH range (pH 3–9), but its ability drastically decreased at pH 11. Adsorption decreased with increases in adsorption temperatures, indicating that the processes were exothermic in nature. Adsorption was found to follow the Freundlich isotherm model. The adsorption capacity of carbonized sugi wood was comparable to that of commercial activated carbon.     

The relationship between plasma leptin concentrations and the distribution of body fat in crossbred steers

The objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between plasma leptin levels and fat distribution in crossbred steers. Twenty-four crossbred steers (Japanese Black × Holstein) were used in this study. Six steers belonged to the growing phase (11 months of age), and 18 steers to the finishing phase (from 21 to 28 months of age). Plasma leptin levels correlated positively with body fat weight ( r  = 0.807, P  < 0.01), body fat percentage ( r  = 0.802, P  < 0.01), visceral fat weight ( r  = 0.807, P  < 0.01), visceral fat percentage ( r  = 0.780, P  < 0.01), subcutaneous fat weight ( r  = 0.745, P  < 0.01), subcutaneous fat percentage ( r  = 0.734, P  < 0.01), intermuscular fat weight ( r  = 0.793, P  < 0.01), intermuscular fat percentage (0.775, P  < 0.01), renal fat weight ( r  = 0.694, P  < 0.01), renal fat percentage ( r  = 0.642, P  < 0.01), subcutaneous fat thickness ( r  = 0.755, P  < 0.01), intermuscular fat thickness ( r  = 0.721, P  < 0.01), beef marbling score ( r  = 0.706, P  < 0.01) and the crude fat content of Musculus longissimus thoracis ( r  = 0.592, P  < 0.01). The location of fat deposits did not affect the correlation values. However, when steers were divided into growing ( n  = 6) and finishing ( n  = 18) groups, there was no significant correlation between plasma leptin levels and the carcass characteristics related to fat deposition (fat weight, fat percentage, carcass traits) in either group. These results suggest that plasma leptin levels in crossbred steers positively correlate with body fat content and carcass traits when these parameters vary widely.     

Effects of recloning on the efficiency of production of alpha 1,3-galactosyltransferase knockout pigs

Obtaining sufficient transgenic cells via selective cultivation of genetically manipulated somatic cells is difficult due to the limited number of cell divisions. Additionally, if irreversible mutations in a cell's chromosomes occur during selective cultivation and the cell is used as the nuclear donor, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos often exhibit abnormal development. On the other hand, a SCNT method in which fetal cells derived from SCNT embryos are used as the nuclear donor (recloning method) is an effective technique for obtaining large quantities of transgenic cells. In this study, we compared the in vivo development rate of SCNT embryos produced from porcine alpha1-3 galactosyltransferase gene knockout (GTKO) cells by a recloning method with that of SCNT embryos produced without recloning from porcine GTKO cells (direct method). In the direct method, 557 and 462 cloned embryos were produced using two types of activation methods, the two-step activation (TA) method and the delayed activation (DA) method, and then transferred into 6 and 4 recipients, respectively, but no piglets were born from these recipients. In the recloning method, 956 and 1038 cloned embryos were produced using the TA and DA methods, respectively, and then transferred to 8 and 7 recipients, respectively. Two piglets were born from one recipient in the TA group and 6 piglets were born from 3 recipients in the DA group. This report indicates that the recloning method improved the developmental capacity of SCNT embryos reconstructed with gene-targeted somatic cells.     

Effect of supplementation with the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 on semen quality and antioxidant status in dogs with poor semen quality: Three case studies

Oxidative stress owing to an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants, such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), is a major contributor to male infertility. We investigated the effects of the reduced form of CoQ10 (ubiquinol) supplementation on semen quality in dogs with poor semen quality. Three dogs received 100 mg of ubiquinol orally once daily for 12 weeks. Semen quality, serum testosterone, and seminal plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were examined at 2-week intervals from 2 weeks before ubiquinol supplementation to 4 weeks after the treatment. Ubiquinol improved sperm motility, reduced morphologically abnormal sperm, and increased seminal plasma SOD activity; however, it had no effect on testosterone level, semen volume, and sperm number. Ubiquinol supplementation could be used as a non-endocrine therapy for infertile dogs.     

Decreased apoptotic polymorphonuclear leukocyte rate in dogs with pyometra

Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) apoptosis was examined in three dogs with pyometra by TUNEL assay in a 24-hr incubation period and compared with that in healthy control dogs (n=5). The incidence of apoptotic PMNs in dogs with pyometra was 26.4 +/- 5% and that in healthy dogs was 54.3 +/- 7%. The results indicated that apoptotic PMN rates in dogs with pyometra were significantly lower than those in control dogs (p<0.05), suggesting the prolongation of PMN survival.     

Presence of surfactant proteins in the uteri and placentae of pregnant mares

Immunohistochemical investigations of the expression of surfactant protein A (SP-A) and surfactant protein D (SP-D) in the uterine and placental tissues of 13 pregnant mares were performed using anti-horse monoclonal primary antibodies. Strong positive reactions for both SP-A and SP-D were observed in the trophoblasts in the microcotyledons of the placentae at 182 to 314 days of gestation; in uterine glandular epithelial cells, faint-to-weak reactions were observed during gestation. This study describes, for the first time, the changes in the SP-A and SP-D expression levels in the endometrium of mares during gestation; the SP-A and SP-D expression levels increased after the second trimester of gestation.