Anatomical and histological characterization of ileal and jejunal Peyer's patch in lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus)

Tragulidae is a primitive ungulate family within the order Cetartiodactyla, suborder Ruminantia. Domestic ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goat have two types of Peyer's patches (PP): jejunal and ileal PP, in which there are morphological and functional differences. In this study, lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) PP was studied by gross anatomical and histological procedures. At the fetal stage, both types of PP were formed in the small intestine. Ileal PP was observed as a single continuous aggregation of lymphatic follicles extending cranially from the ileo-caecal junction. However, jejunal PP was observed as multiple and discrete accumulations of lymphatic follicles. This study showed that the lesser mouse deer has two types of PP in the small intestine. In addition, the anatomical and histological characteristics of jejunal and ileal PP are quite similar to those of other ruminants' jejunal and ileal PP. Further studies are needed to analyze immune function of both PP in lesser mouse deer in order to determine the evolutionary process of Cetartiodactyla.     

Detection of Cryptosporidium sp. Oocyst and Giardia sp. cyst in faucet water samples from cattle and goat farms in Taiwan

A survey on the presence of Cryptosporidium oocyst and Giardia cyst in livestock drinking water as well as the urban tap water throughout Taiwan was carried out. Water examination for the presence of the protozoa was conducted by filtering through a PTFE membrane followed by immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and immunostaining the sediment with commercially available monoclonal antibody against Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Of the 55 different water samples from various sources examined, 2 were found to contain both of Cryptosporidium oocyst and Giardia cyst, 1 was found to contain Cryptosporidium oocyst only. These protozoa-positive water samples, originating from underground well and from the mountain spring, were also used as drinking water for livestock. However, no Cryptosporidium oocyst was found in the city tap water. This is the first report of Cryptosporidium oocyst and Giardia cyst being found in the drinking water for livestock.     

Effect of feeding wood kraft pulp on the growth performance,feed digestibility,blood components,and rumen fermentation in Japanese Black fattening steers

This study aimed to examine the effects of feeding kraft pulp (KP) on the growth performance, feed digestibility, and rumen fermentation of Japanese Black fattening steers. Ten Japanese Black fattening steers (aged 26 months) were randomly divided into control and KP groups. The control group (n = 5) was fed concentrate feed without KP, and the KP group (n = 5) was fed concentrate feed containing 10% KP. Both the groups were provided rice straw as roughage. The experiment was conducted over a period of 12 weeks. There was no significant difference in dry matter intake, daily body weight gain, and nutrient digestibility between both groups. No difference was observed in the ruminal concentrations of volatile fatty acids among the groups. At weeks 8 and 12 after the onset of the experiment, the acetate‐to‐propionate ratio in the ruminal fluid of the KP group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The average daily pH of ruminal fluid and activity of ruminal lipopolysaccharide did not differ between the groups. Our results suggested that the growth performance and feed digestibility in the Japanese Black fattening steers were not influenced by replacing concentrate feed with KP.     

Effect of flutianil on the morphology and gene expression of powdery mildew

Flutianil, a fungicide effective only on powdery mildew, was previously reported to affect the host cell''s haustorial formation and nutrient absorption. Studies were conducted to investigate flutianil''s primary site of action on Blumeria graminis morphology using transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation and RNA sequencing (RAN-seq) techniques. TEM observation revealed that flutianil caused the extra-haustorial matrix and fungal cell wall to be obscured, without remarkable changes of other fungal organelles. RNA-seq analysis indicated that, unlike other powdery-mildew fungicides, flutianil did not significantly affect the constantly expressed genes for the survival of B. graminis. Genes whose expression is up- or downregulated by flutianil were found; these are the three sugar transporter genes and various effector genes, mainly expressed in haustoria. These findings indicate that the primary site of action of flutianil might be in the haustoria.     

Displacement above the hypocenter of the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake

The moment magnitude (M(w)) = 9.0 2011 Tohoku-Oki mega-thrust earthquake occurred off the coast of northeastern Japan. Combining Global Positioning System (GPS) and acoustic data, we detected very large sea-floor movements associated with this event directly above the focal region. An area with more than 20 meters of horizontal displacement, that is, four times larger than those detected on land, stretches several tens of kilometers long along the trench; the largest amount reaches about 24 meters toward east-southeast just above the hypocenter. Furthermore, nearly 3 meters of vertical uplift occurred, contrary to observed terrestrial subsidence.     

Control mechanism of the circadian clock for timing of cell division in vivo

Cell division in many mammalian tissues is associated with specific times of day, but just how the circadian clock controls this timing has not been clear. Here, we show in the regenerating liver (of mice) that the circadian clock controls the expression of cell cycle-related genes that in turn modulate the expression of active Cyclin B1-Cdc2 kinase, a key regulator of mitosis. Among these genes, expression of wee1 was directly regulated by the molecular components of the circadian clockwork. In contrast, the circadian clockwork oscillated independently of the cell cycle in single cells. Thus, the intracellular circadian clockwork can control the cell-division cycle directly and unidirectionally in proliferating cells.     

Outbreak of human infections with uncommon Salmonella serotypes linked to pet bearded dragons, 2012–2014

Reptiles are one of the fastest growing sectors in the United States pet industry. Reptile‐associated salmonellosis (RAS) continues to be an important public health problem, especially among children. We investigated an outbreak of human Salmonella infections resulting from serotypes Cotham and Kisarawe, predominately occurring among children. An outbreak of illnesses was identified in persons with exposure to pet bearded dragon lizards. Human and animal health officials, in cooperation with the pet industry, conducted epidemiologic, traceback and laboratory investigations. Onsite sampling was conducted at two US breeding facilities, one foreign breeding facility, and a large pet retail chain. A total of 166 patients in 36 states were identified with illness onset dates from 02/2012–06/2014. The median patient age was 3 years (range, <1–79 years), 57% were aged ≤5 years, and 37% were aged ≤1 year. Forty‐four patients (37%) were hospitalized, predominantly children. Sampling at breeding facilities and a national pet store chain resulted in isolation of outbreak serotypes at each facility; isolation proportions ranged from 2%–24% of samples collected at each facility.Epidemiologic, microbiologic and traceback evidence linked an outbreak of uncommon Salmonella serotypes to contact with pet bearded dragons. The high proportion of infants involved in this outbreak highlights the need to educate owners about the risk of RAS in children and the potential for household contamination by pet reptiles or their habitats. Strategies should be developed to improve breeding practices, biosecurity and monitoring protocols to reduce Salmonella in the pet reptile trade.     

Steroid hormones do not reactivate Neospora caninum in ovariectomized mice

The direct effects of three steroid hormones (progesterone, estradiol-17beta and corticosterone) on the growth of Neospora caninum (N. caninum) tachyzoite were examined in Vero cells. Subsequently, ovariectomized BALB/c mice infected with N. caninum were treated with physiological concentrations of the steroid hormones for 1 or 2 weeks. These hormones had no direct effect on the parasite growth in vitro. In the infected mice, there was no significant difference in the parasite distribution and histopathological changes between the hormone-injected and control groups. No mice showed parasitemia at the time of autopsy. These results suggest that physiological levels of steroid hormones (progesterone, estradiol-17beta and corticosterone) do not reactivate N. caninum in mice.     

Effects of apple pomace‐mixed silage on growth performance and meat quality in finishing pigs

We measured the growth performance and meat quality of 10 crossbred (Yorkshire × Duroc × Landrace) neutered male pigs to evaluate the effects of apple pomace‐mixed silage (APMS). The pigs were divided into two groups and were respectively fed the control feed and the AMPS ad libitum during the experiment. No difference was found in the finished body weight, average daily gain, carcass weight, back fat thickness or dressing ratio between the control and the AMPS treatments, but average dairy feed intake (dry matter) was significantly lower and feed efficiency was significantly higher using the APMS treatment (P < 0.05). With regard to meat quality, the APMS increased the moisture content but decreased the water holding capacity (P < 0.05) compared with the control treatment. Furthermore, the APMS affected the fatty acid composition of the back fat by increasing linoleic acid (C18:2n6), linolenic acid (C18:3) and arachidic acid (C20:0) levels, while decreasing palmitic acid (C16:0), palmitoleic acid (C16:1) and heptadecenoic acid (C17:1) levels, compared with the control treatment. These results indicate that feeding fermented apple pomace to finishing pigs increases the feed efficiency and affects the meat quality and fatty acid composition of back fat.