Onset and duration of luteal activity postpartum and their effect on first insemination conception rate in lactating dairy cows

The incidence of different types of luteal activity postpartum and their effect on reproductive performance were studied in 21 postpartum dairy cows. Progesterone concentrations in defatted milk collected 3 times a week were determined by EIA. Reproductive tract examination was undertaken every other week postpartum. Body weight and body condition score (BCS) were measured before and after calving and the average 100-day milk yield was calculated. Nine (42.9%) cows had normal ovarian activity (first luteal activity < or = 50 days postpartum followed by regular cycles), 5 (23.8%) had prolonged luteal phase (PLP; ovarian cycle with luteal activity > or = 20 days pre-service) and in 7 (33.3%) cows the first luteal activity was shown later than 50 days postpartum (DOV). When compared with normal cows, both PLP and DOV had longer interval to first insemination (63.1 +/- 22.0 days versus 77.6 +/- 21.6 and 93.0 +/- 22.3 days, P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively), lower first insemination conception rate (88.9% versus 0.0% and 57.1%, P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively) and greater BCS loss (0.81 +/- 0.2 versus 1.05 +/- 0.21 and 1.04 +/- 0.10, respectively, P<0.01). Cows with PLP showed longer interval to uterine involution than normal and DOV groups (54.0 +/- 8.3 days versus 42.4 +/- 5.5 and 43.3 +/- 8.3 days, respectively, P<0.01) and higher 100-day milk yield (38.8 +/- 2.7 kg versus 33.6 +/- 4.7 and 29.9 +/- 6.1 kg, respectively, P<0.01). In conclusion, more than half of the cows had abnormal luteal activity postpartum, which adversely affected reproductive performance.     

Direct enzyme immunoassay of fecal estrone derivatives in dairy cows

The present study was undertaken to develop a novel, practical and simple procedure for enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay of fecal estrone derivatives (estrone, estrone sulfate and estrone glucuronide) in dairy cows. Fecal solution, prepared by mixing feces with borate buffer, was applied directly to wells without extraction, and incubated with anti‐estrone antibody and horseradish peroxidase‐labeled estrone. Estrone sulfate was used as the standard. The sensitivity of the assay was estimated as 0.15 ng/mL (0.6 ng/g). The intra‐assay and inter‐assay coefficients of variation were 5.3–8.1% and 13.4–15.7%, respectively. The recovery rate was 78–102%. Only 4 h were needed to complete an assay to measure fecal estrone derivative concentrations. A significant positive correlation was established between plasma estrone sulfate concentrations and fecal estrone sulfate equivalent concentrations. When fecal estrone sulfate equivalent concentrations were measured in pregnant dairy cows, a gradual increase from day 150 of pregnancy, and subsequent drastic increases from day 240 to calving date were observed. These results suggest that the direct enzyme immunoassay procedure developed in the present study is a practical and reliable method for measuring fecal estrone derivative concentrations.     

Ratio of rice reflectance for estimating leaf blast severity with a multispectral radiometer

 Rice reflectance was measured to determine the spectral regions most sensitive to leaf blast infection with a multispectral radiometer. As disease severity increased, reflectance also increased in the 400–500 nm (blue), 570–700 nm (red), and 900–2000 nm regions but decreased in the 500–570 nm and 700–900 nm regions. The increased reflectance in the blue and red regions may be attributed to decreased chlorophyll and carotenoid contents in response to the blast infection. The maximum and minimum reflectance differences occurred at 680 nm and 760 nm for the nondiseased and diseased rice, respectively. The spectral location of maximum sensitivity was 675 nm regardless of disease severity. Rice reflectance ratios were evaluated as indicators of leaf blast severity. Two ratios, R550/R675 (reflectance at 550 nm divided by reflectance at 675 nm), and R570/R675 quantified the significant disease severity. These wavelengths were selected based on the sensitivity minima and maxima. The ratios of nondiseased rice plants varied depending on growth stage. The variation in ratios must be considered when they are used to estimate leaf blast severity. Received: April 2, 2002 / Accepted: August 12, 2002     

Novel variations and loss of heterozygosity of BRCA2 identified in a dog with mammary tumors

OBJECTIVE: To establish novel polymorphic markers for analysis of loss of heterozygosity (LOH), so as to study the possible involvement of BRCA2 in mammary tumors obtained from dogs. SAMPLE POPULATION: Blood samples, mammary gland specimens, or mammary tumors from 3 tumor-bearing dogs and 10 tumor-free dogs. PROCEDURES: Nucleotide sequence analysis was performed with a DNA autosequencer. Loss of heterozygosity analysis was performed for markers established in the present study. The expression level of canine BRCA2 was quantified by real-time PCR analysis. RESULTS: 3 novel microsatellite markers with high heterozygosity rates (> 50%) were established, and the previously reported marker for canine BRCA2 gene locus was improved. These markers were used for the analysis of DNA from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples. By use of these markers, LOH in canine BRCA2 was identified as a result of recombination. In mammary tumor DNA that corresponded to the LOH-positive dog, the level of canine BRCA2 expression was decreased compared with that of nonneoplastic mammary gland tissue; the open reading frame contained 4 missense variations, 1 insertion variation, and 1 silent variation, some of which were localized to functional domains. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: 3 novel polymorphic markers were developed for LOH analysis of canine BRCA2 and identified a dog with LOH with some variations in the functional domains. These markers could be useful for assessing the relevance of BRCA2 variation in mammary tumors of dogs.     

Estimating the three-dimensional structure of canopy foliage based on the light measurements in a Betula ermanii stand

In order to more accurately evaluate the functional activity of forest stands by canopy production and evapotranspiration, we improved the methods for field measurements and statistical modeling to estimate foliage configuration (spatial distribution of leaves) while simultaneously reconstructing the three-dimensional photosynthetically active photon flux density (PPFD) distribution (PPFD pattern) in a forest canopy. By using a sensor (photodiode) array, a PPFD pattern was observed in summer 2002 under the canopy in an even-aged, pure stand of Japanese mountain birch Betula ermanii Cham. (17-years old) in Hokkaido, northern Japan. A Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling technique is developed such that a set of foliage configurations generated by the model referred to as the Gibbs foliage canopy (GFC) approximates the field-measured PPFD pattern. The posterior distribution of the foliage configurations is generated by the parallel tempering MCMC of eight independent series of foliage configurations. The GFC model generated the posterior distribution of the LAI estimates (mean 4.56) that appeared to be appropriate in comparison to other LAI estimates of the B. ermanii stand based on the indirect and nondestructive methods by LAI-2000 (LAI = 3.43) and litterfall traps (LAI = 5.56) because they could be under- and overestimated, respectively. Our evaluations of the canopy production and evapotranspiration rates suggest that the relationship between LAI and canopy functions was not very simple because it depended on the nonlinear functional forms of the leaf responses of photosynthesis and transpiration to PPFD. The current study demonstrates an application of MCMC techniques that can generate a set of possible structures of unobserved/unobservable objects based on the high-resolution dataset obtained by some indirect (or remote-sensing) methods.     

Apple procyanidin oligomers absorption in rats after oral administration: analysis of procyanidins in plasma using the porter method and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry

In this study, we investigated the absorption of apple procyanidins, namely, apple condensed tannins (ACTs), in rats using the Porter method and high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. The apple procyanidin concentrations in the rat plasma reached a maximum 2 h after administration and decreased thereafter. To investigate the limits of the absorption of apple procyanidins in the polymerization degree, we administered the procyanidin oligomer fraction, which was separated from ACT using normal-phase chromatography according to the degree of polymerization. Procyanidins from each dimer to pentamer group were detected in the plasma by the Porter method. Moreover, by the study using reconstituted procyanidins, polymeric procyanidins influenced the absorption of procyanidin oligomers. These results suggest that ACTs are absorbed and directly involved in physiological functions in the rats.     

Successful introduction of modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia in a bovine referral center

This study describes the successful use of modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia with a fixed volume of anesthetic in a bovine referral center. Among the 130 Holstein cattle scheduled for flank surgery, 90 cattle received a mixed anesthetic consisting of 1 ml of xylazine hydrochloride and 3 ml of lidocaine hydrochloride by modified dorsolumbar epidural anesthesia. Eighteen cattle with dehydration and/or lameness received a mixed anesthetic containing 0.5 ml of xylazine and 3 ml of lidocaine. Infiltration anesthesia was performed in 22 cattle whose epidural space could not be reached in order to perform the flank surgery. The surgeries began about 12 min after the administration of the anesthetic and lasted for about 36 min. The modified method using a fixed volume of anesthetic was successfully introduced and effectively used in a bovine referral center. This modified method will allow veterinarians to save time and effort, thus lowering the cost of each surgery.     

Ecotypic variation of water-soluble carbohydrate concentration and winter hardiness in cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.)

The variation of the water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration in foliage and stubble and winter hardiness among cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) ecotypes originated from diverse countries were studied in the field in order to find a breeding material for the improvement of WSC. The total WSC concentration of foliage was found to be highest in Japanese cultivars and lowest in ecotypes from northern Europe in summer and autumn. The variation of fructan concentration in stubble among ecotypes was larger than the variation of mono and disaccharide concentrations in stubble and that of total WSC concentration in foliage in both winters over which this study was conducted. The total WSC and fructan concentrations in the stubble of ecotypes from Spain and southern Europe, derived from the Mediterranean region, were highest in summer. Ecotypes from Japan showed the highest concentration of total WSC in stubble, and were especially high in fructan concentration in autumn. Ecotypes from France, central Europe and central Asia, like Japanese cultivars, also showed a high fructan concentration. The latitude of origin was negatively correlated with WSC concentration and plant vigor in autumn. The altitude of origin was negatively correlated with plant vigor in autumn and positively correlated with fructan concentration in stubble, winter hardiness and snow endurance. Typhula snow blight resistance was related with the amount of the increase in fructan in the plants and with their growth habits in autumn. The fructan concentration of foliage and stubble in autumn was found to be closely related with winter hardiness in cocksfoot ecotypes. A breeding material which has a high WSC concentration in the foliage could not be found among the ecotypes in this study. However, some ecotypes that showed disease resistance, good winter hardiness and plant vigor would be useful as breeding materials for Hokkaido.     

Analysis of Ferulic and p‐Coumaric Acids in Japanese Rice for Sake Brewing

Ferulic and p‐coumaric acids were analyzed in 50 rice (Oryza sativa L.) samples from 32 cultivars harvested in Japan. In brown rice, ferulic and p‐coumaric acid levels ranged from 309 to 607 mg/kg and from 49 to 100 mg/kg, respectively. In 70% polished rice, ferulic and p‐coumaric acid levels ranged from 27 to 103 mg/kg and from 0.4 to 3.5 mg/kg, respectively. Ratios of average phenolic acid levels in the 70% polished rice to the brown rice were 13.9% for ferulic acid and 1.9% for p‐coumaric acid. The ferulic acid level was highly correlated between brown and 70% polished rice (R = 0.815; P < 0.01), but there was no clear correlation for p‐coumaric acid. Phenolic acid levels in the 70% polished rice did not show any clear correlations between the analytical index measurements for sake brewing suitability (weight of 1,000 grains, water absorption, digestibility, crude protein, and potassium content). Phenolic acid levels in the 70% polished rice directly affected levels in the rice koji enzyme digest. The results indicated that phenolic acid levels in sake were affected by the levels in ingredient rice grains, which may then influence the sensory quality of sake.     

Changes in qualities and quantities of consecutively ejaculated feline semen

Cats show repeated copulation, but changes in semen qualities and quantities with repetition of ejaculation have not previously been clarified. We collected semen 4 times consecutively from 5 cats using the artificial vagina method and observed the semen qualities and quantities. No significant changes were noted in the semen volume, frequency of abnormal sperm or incidence of immature sperm, but the number of sperm and sperm motility and viability decreased with repetition, and in particular, the number of sperm in the first semen accounted for 55.0% of the total number in the 4 consecutive ejaculations, showing a significant difference from those in the 2nd-4th semen (P<0.01).