Effect of intramammary injection of rboGM-CSF on milk levels of chemiluminescence activity, somatic cell count, and Staphylococcus aureus count in Holstein cows with S. aureus subclinical mastitis

The effect of intramammary injection of recombinant bovine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rboGM-CSF, 400 microg/10 mL) on quarter milk levels of chemiluminescence (CL) activity, and somatic cell count (SCC) and shedding pattern of Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. Ten Holstein cows, naturally infected with S. aureus were used, with either early-stage or late-stage subclinical mastitis. Injection of rboGM-CSF caused a remarkable increase in milk CL activity with a peak at 6 h after the cytokine injection in the early- and late-stage groups. In the early-stage group, milk SCC stayed around preinjection level at 6 h, rose significantly on days 1 and 2, and was followed by a smooth and significant decline to an under preinjection level (below 200 000 cells/mL) on day 7 postinjection. Alternatively, in the late-stage group, milk SCC rose significantly at 6 h after the cytokine injection and maintained high levels thereafter. The milk S. aureus count decreased drastically by the cytokine injection in the early-stage group. The bacterial count was moderately decreased in the late-stage group, but increased back to preinoculation levels on day 7 after the cytokine injection. The results suggest that the rboGM-CSF has a potential as a therapeutic agent for S. aureus infection causing subclinical mastitis of dairy cows, if the cytokine is applied at the initial stage of infection.     

Electroencephalographic observation on sheep and cattle with experimental cerebrocortical necrosis

Nine Suffolk sheep and 4 Holstein cattle were employed to observe electroencephalographic changes in experimental cerebrocortical necrosis. Amprolium (600 mg/kg/day) alone was given intraruminally 6 sheep and 4 cattle, all of which showed neurological signs and abnormal electroencephalograms. Both amprolium and thiamine (200 mg/day) and thiamine (50 mg/day) alone were given 2 and 1 sheep, respectively, as controls, which did not show any abnormal signs. Abnormal electroencephalograms included continuous slow waves and long-lasting spindles, both of which appeared diffusely and were seen subclinically or with neurological signs. The spindles consisted of slow waves or sharp- (or spike-) and-slow-wave complexes with or without convulsive seizures even during the convulsion stage. Conversely, the seizures occurred with the spindles or slow waves.     

Effect of intramammary injection of RbIL-8 on milk levels of somatic cell count, chemiluminescence activity and shedding patterns of total bacteria and S. aureus in Holstein cows with naturally infected-subclinical mastitis

Summary The effect of intramammary injection of recombinant bovine interleukin-8 (rbIL-8, 1 mg/10 ml of saline) on quarter milk levels of somatic cell count (SCC), chemiluminescence (CL) activity and counts of total bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was investigated, using 10 Holstein cows with an early stage or a late stage of subclinical mastitis naturally infected with S. aureus. In the late-stage group, milk SCC and CL activity had significant rises with maximum levels at 6 h, following maintained high levels thereafter post-cytokine injection. The counts in milk total bacteria and S. aureus were insignificantly decreased, being increased back on day 7 post-cytokine injection. Thus, the cytokine was inefficient for the late-stage subclinical mastitis. However, in the early-stage group milk SCC and CL activity declined to under pre-injection levels on day 7 after marked and significant rises at 6 h and day 1 post-cytokine injection. The milk total bacterial count decreased significantly on days 0.25 and 2. Furthermore, the milk S. aureus count was decreased significantly on days 1, 2, 3 and 7 by the cytokine injection. These results suggest that the rbIL-8 has a potential as a therapeutic agent of the subclinical mastitis of dairy cows, if the cytokine is applied at an initial stage of infection.     

MicroRNA expression profiling of cat and dog kidneys

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a role in the pathogenesis of certain diseases and may serve as biomarkers. Here, we present the first analysis of miRNA expression in the kidneys of healthy cats and dogs. Kidneys were divided into renal cortex (CO) and medulla (MD), and RNA sequence analysis was performed using the mouse genome as a reference. A total of 277, 276, 295, and 297 miRNAs were detected in cat CO, cat MD, dog CO, and dog MD, respectively. By comparing the expression ratio of CO to MD, we identified highly expressed miRNAs in each tissue as follows: 41 miRNAs including miR-192-5p in cat CO; 45 miRNAs including miR-323-3p in dog CO; 78 miRNAs including miR-20a-5p in cat MD; and 11 miRNAs including miR-132-5p in dog MD. Further, the target mRNAs of these miRNAs were identified. These data provide veterinary medicine critical information regarding renal miRNA expression.     

On-farm irrigation development and management in lower Myanmar: factors for sustainable rice production and collective action

The case study is aimed at assessing impacts of on-farm level irrigation development and management on dry season rice production in the main irrigated rice production area of Myanmar. The study was carried out from 2003 to 2009 in the middle reaches of the Ngameoeyeik irrigation area of 28,000 ha. In addition to collecting information on water management and institutional arrangement of the study area, hydrologic and agronomic parameters were monitored during the study period. Results showed the effectiveness of on-farm level infrastructural development for increasing rice productivity owing to increased amount of water delivery, increased flexibility of water distribution, and improved drainage conditions. Besides, encouraging the involvement of farmers in design and implementation of the development led to improved farmer participation in the operation and maintenance of the irrigation system. The outcomes of this study demonstrated the importance of balancing between infrastructural and institutional development in irrigation systems of Southeast Asia. Such infrastructural development should be in close association with institutional development and capacity building, and the interactions between those two aspects should be well understood.     

Relationship between increment of groundwater level at the beginning of irrigation period and paddy filed area in the Tedori River Alluvial Fan Area, Japan

There are many paddy fields and large amounts of groundwater in the Tedori River Alluvial Fan in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. Water infiltration from paddy fields during irrigation may significantly contribute to groundwater recharge. Groundwater recharge is known to be one outcome of paddy farming, and in general is usually related to land use. However, a decreased area of paddy fields because of socioeconomic factors such as urbanization and increasing area of fallow fields has possibly affected the groundwater environment. Evaluation of the quantitative effect of paddy fields on groundwater is necessary for groundwater conservation. This study examined the relationship between differences in the depth of groundwater from just before the irrigation period to just after the first irrigation of paddy fields (increments of groundwater levels) in observation wells and the area of paddy fields around each well. The paddy areas within circular buffer zones, which were delineated at 0.2 km intervals between 0.2 and 2.0 km centered on each observation well, were calculated. A positive relationship was found between the rise in groundwater and the area of paddy field within different buffer zones at most wells. In addition, in the middle or upper part of the fan, the effect of changes in the area of paddy fields surrounding the well on the groundwater level rise was greater than that on the lower part of the fan.     

Analysis of water balance in the Tedori river alluvial fan areas of Japan: focused on quantitative analysis of groundwater recharge from river and ground surface, especially paddy fields

Water balance in the Tedori River alluvial fan areas was analyzed for all components of the hydrological cycle based on exchange of the channel/soil surface and aquifer horizon fractions with river water. The results were summarized on an annual basis, as well as for the irrigation and non-irrigation periods. The study area received 6.28 mm/day of precipitation and had an outflow of 2.32 mm/day as direct runoff, resulting in 3.96 mm/day of water being supplied to the soil surface. The channel/soil horizon fraction received this 3.96 mm/day, as well as 9.12 mm/day intake water from the head works. Conversely, 2.74 and 2.85 mm/day were lost by evapotranspiration and percolation, respectively. Thus, surface runoff of 7.49 mm/day flowed from the study area to the Sea of Japan or drainage canals near the river mouth. In the aquifer horizon fraction, 2.85 mm/day of water was supplied from the channel/soil horizon fraction and 2.15 mm/day was supplied from the Tedori River, while 1.73 mm/day was extracted by groundwater. Thus, 3.27 mm/day of groundwater flowed out to the Sea of Japan or into downstream drainage canals. An outline of the water balance of the irrigation and non-irrigation period is also shown. Because various hydrological components are closely related to each other, planning and management of water resources for individual goals are not adequate, but require the integrated aspect of water balance for sustainable water use.     

Characteristics of effluent load from a watershed including irrigation ponds

This paper describes an attempt to estimate the mass budget of irrigation ponds within a watershed and the possibilities to control the effluent load of nutrients from the watershed located in the Kyotanabe area. The paddy field lots were irrigated by the ponds and several mountain streams. In the study watershed, there were two ponds located on the upper and lower sides of a paddy area. Water could be pumped up from the lower pond to the upper pond as necessary. At the ponds, the total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus in the inflow loads including the sediment release was larger than those in the outflow loads. In SS, the effect of load reduction in the ponds was high. It is assumed that organic load reduction was not expected in the ponds. The study result indicates that it is possible to remove the nutrients in the ponds when a larger amount of water is pumped up than when the ponds are only in irrigation use. Moreover, the removal capacities of the nutrients could probably be increased in both ponds by controlling the amount of sediment releases. Electronic Publication     

Genetic Diversity of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae Strains from Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT Sixty strains of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae, collected from 29 locations in Sri Lanka in 1995, were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism using either polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16S and 23S rDNA or the repetitive DNA element IS1112 from X. oryzae pv. oryzae as hybridization probes. Two different ribogroups were observed in the Sri Lankan strains using rDNA probes, whereas five clusters were identified by the IS1112 probe. Bootstrap analysis revealed that the five clusters defined by IS1112 were relatively robust. Our results suggest that the Sri Lankan strains are phylogenetically composed of five different groups. Each cluster was partially associated with climatic conditions (intermediate zone and wet zone) and was related to groups based on ribotyping. Based on virulence analysis using 12 rice cultivars, each containing a single resistance gene, 14 pathotypes were identified among the Sri Lankan strains. All strains were virulent to resistance genes Xa1, Xa2, Xa4, Xa10, Xa11, and Xa14. Only one strain (pathotype 1) was virulent to all major resistance genes including Xa21, while strains of the other pathotypes were all avirulent to Xa21. A partial relationship was found between the determined phylogenetic groups using the IS1112 probe and pathotypes for all but two clusters. The results of this study will facilitate the further understanding of the population structure of X. oryzae pv. oryzae in Sri Lanka.     

Effect of Intramammary Injection of RbIL‐8 on Milk Levels of Somatic Cell Count,Chemiluminescence Activity and Shedding Patterns of Total Bacteria and S. aureus in Holstein Cows with Naturally Infected‐subclinical Mastitis

The effect of intramammary injection of recombinant bovine interleukin‐8 (rbIL‐8, 1 mg/10 ml of saline) on quarter milk levels of somatic cell count (SCC), chemiluminescence (CL) activity and counts of total bacteria and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was investigated, using 10 Holstein cows with an early stage or a late stage of subclinical mastitis naturally infected with S. aureus. In the late‐stage group, milk SCC and CL activity had significant rises with maximum levels at 6 h, following maintained high levels thereafter post‐cytokine injection. The counts in milk total bacteria and S. aureus were insignificantly decreased, being increased back on day 7 post‐cytokine injection. Thus, the cytokine was inefficient for the late‐stage subclinical mastitis. However, in the early‐stage group milk SCC and CL activity declined to under pre‐injection levels on day 7 after marked and significant rises at 6 h and day 1 post‐cytokine injection. The milk total bacterial count decreased significantly on days 0.25 and 2. Furthermore, the milk S. aureus count was decreased significantly on days 1, 2, 3 and 7 by the cytokine injection. These results suggest that the rbIL‐8 has a potential as a therapeutic agent of the subclinical mastitis of dairy cows, if the cytokine is applied at an initial stage of infection.