Changes in blastogenic responses of lymphocytes and delayed type hypersensitivity responses after vaccination in dogs.

To clarify the immunologic effects of vaccination in dogs, we monitored total leukocyte and lymphocyte counts, humoral antibody responses, blastogenic responses of lymphocyte, and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses after vaccination. Mixed vaccines were administered on day 0 except for canine parvovirus (CPV) vaccine which was readministered on day 21. The puppy and adult dogs had a significant decrease in leukocyte and lymphocyte counts on day 7. The puppies showed a significant increase in the blastogenesis of lymphocytes after each vaccination, whereas the adult dogs had no significant changes. However, the adult dogs were divided into two groups, high responders and low responders in blastogenesis of lymphocytes. The dogs with higher or lower response in SI values on day 0 tended to show decrease or increase after the first vaccination, respectively. Since almost all dogs developed high titers of humoral antibody, it is considered that vaccination acts in an immunomodulative fashion. DTH responses to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and CPV vaccine monitored at 0, 3, and 8 weeks after the first vaccination produced strong reactions, in particular those to CPV vaccine rose significantly after vaccination and maintained the higher responses for at least 2 months. These results suggest that DTH responses to PHA and CPV vaccine are helpful to monitoring non-specific and specific immune functions in vivo, therefore, DTH could be used as simple and rapid immunologic tests in canine practice.     

Development of a method for detecting Coxiella burnetii in cheese samples

Coxiella burnetii is the causative agent of Q fever, and the main route of infection in humans is inhalation of contaminated aerosols. Although oral transmission by contaminated raw milk or dairy products is also a possible route of human infection, there have been few studies investigating the presence of C. burnetii in dairy products. We developed a new method of extracting DNA from cheese and detecting C. burnetii DNA in cheese samples with a nested PCR assay. The limit of detection was 6.0 × 10(2) C. burnetii particles per gram. We subsequently used this method to examine the presence of C. burnetii in cheese at commercial markets in Tokyo from June 2005 to December 2008. Twenty-eight of 147 cheese samples were found to be positive for C. burnetii DNA. However, when we assessed the viability of C. burnetii by inoculating mice with DNA-positive samples, all of the samples were found to be negative. Thus, the viability of C. burnetii appears to have been lost in these cheese samples.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Listeria monocytogenes isolated in Japan

The antimicrobial susceptibility of 201 Listeria monocytogenes isolates from foods, environments, animals and human patients in Japan was determined. All isolates were susceptible to ampicillin, the first choice of drug for listeriosis treatment, chloramphenicol, dihydrostreptomycin, erythromycin, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, kanamycin, lincomycin, nosiheptide, salinomycin, vancomycin, and virginiamycin. A human strain was resistant to oxytetracycline. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) for 50% of the strains and the MIC for 90% of the strains were comparable in all the isolates. This is the first investigation to compare antibiotic resistances between isolates from foods and isolates from human patients in Japan. The result showed that most of the isolates were susceptible to antibiotics used in this study.     

Immunosuppression in dogs by pretransfusions with ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated whole blood.

Ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated whole dog blood prevented the initiation of proliferative responses in allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR). When dogs were given 4 weekly intravenous transfusions of UV-irradiated allogeneic donor whole blood, peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of the recipients responded less significantly to donor PBL in MLR for over one week after the final transfusion. Red blood cell (RBC)-crossmatching of these dogs was negative. Dogs treated with UV-irradiated blood did not produce anti-donor PBL antibody, or IgG, IgM and C3 determined by the indirect Coombs test. These dogs also had negligible delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses to donor PBL at the end of the treatment period, recognized as slightly suppression of skin graft rejection. In contrast, six dogs receiving injections of untreated allogeneic whole blood evidenced high proliferation in MLR, agglutination in RBC-crossmatching, acute rejection of skin grafts and three of them produced C3 in the Coombs test.     

APPEARANCE OF CANINE ABDOMINAL TUMORS WITH MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING USING A LOW FIELD PERMANENT MAGNET

The study was carried out to evaluate the applicability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting tumors in the abdomen of the dog. Abdominal ultrasound and MRI were performed on 8 dogs having a mass lesion on abdominal radiography. MR images were obtained in the transverse, sagittal and dorsal planes using T1- and T2-weighted spin echo pulse sequences. There was good visual correlation of the lesion site by MRI and ultrasonography (US).     

A study on village forest landscape in small island topography in Okinawa,Japan

Forest landscape based on Feng Shui concepts in East Asia deserves research focus for its cultural and ecological contexts. How to contain the wind is the primary principle of Feng Shui practice in small island villages. To protect from strong wind, house-embracing Fukugi (Garcinia subelliptica Merr.) tree lines have been planted around the hamlets and along the coastline in small islands. After Tonaki and Bise villages, we continued to study the actual forest structure, e.g., the forest layout, composition, and density, and further discussed the regeneration and management of Feng Shui trees on small islands. Another objective of this study was to compare the features of the house-embracing Fukugi trees in Aguni Island to those in the two former survey sites of Tonaki Island and Bise village.House-embracing Fukugi trees along the village borderlines and in the north were thicker in Tonaki and Bise villages. In contrast, Fukugi trees on Aguni Island are laid out almost single file. Differences in village topography might contribute to the difference of layout. Hamlets in Aguni are located on the southern part of the island, backed by the high land, and somewhat far from the seashore, while Tonaki and Bise villages are located close to the sea.Fukugi tree density in Aguni was much lower, while, the mean DBH was higher than those in Tonaki and Bise. A large number of small trees were found in the lower storey in the previous survey sites in Tonaki and Bise, where the villages were built on sandy soil. In contrast, small trees were few due to the regular cutting in Aguni Island. Routine chopping and cutting of extended branches were still conducted once a year on Aguni Island. The Shimajiri Mahji soil might also contribute to the few lower storey trees.The biggest tree on Aguni island is estimated to be about 296 years old. The old trees might have been planted prior to the building of Goban villages. Different to Tonaki and Bise, hamlets on Aguni might not be Goban villages. It also suggests that Fukugi trees might have been planted prior to 1737, though central government started to recommend to plant a Fukugi tree belt around every house, every village, and along the coastline in 1737.     

An approach to achieve sustainable development goals through participatory land and forest conservation: a case study in South Kalimantan Province,Indonesia

The delivery of sustainable development goals (SDGs) through a participatory land and forest conservation initiative was evaluated in South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The initiative focused on the rehabilitation of a 410 ha forest that was managed by local villagers. A forest rehabilitation and management initiative was developed through participatory action, establishing a well-managed rubber plantation that provided new livelihood opportunities. Poverty reduction was promoted, evidenced by a reduction in inequality amongst the local community. Between 2010 and 2018 the Gini coefficient of inequality declined from 34.6% to 31.3%, demonstrating a contribution to SDGs 1 (No Poverty) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities). In addition, forest rehabilitation resulted in improved carbon stock and biodiversity management contributing to SDG15 (Life on Land). This was attributed to successful forest rehabilitation and the reduced incidence of forest fires. Cooperation amongst local villagers categorized as living in poor households was improved, facilitated by capacity building. This focused on rubber plantation management, cooperative action, and firefighting activities. This capacity building contributed to the delivery of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Results from a socio-economic survey demonstrated that group activities and cooperation amongst stakeholders were essential to improve both livelihoods and forest management practices.