Significance of local immunity in hen reproductive organs

The current paper describes aspects of local immunity in the ovary and oviduct, and the significance of immunity to reproductive functions in hens. The immunocompetent cell populations in the ovary and oviduct change with a positive correlation to sexual activity, and gonadal steroid is one of the key factors in the increase. Local immune responses mediated by major histocompatibility complex class II and T cell subsets occur in response to infection by Salmonella enteritidis, which may contaminate eggs. In the ovary, immunocompetent cells are also suggested to play roles in the regulation of ovarian functions. Macrophages and T cells are likely to enhance the regression of atretic follicles to maintain the ovarian tissue microenvironment. Autoantibodies to ovarian tissues appeared in the hens with low egg laying frequency, suggesting that the auto‐antibodies may be one of the factors in the decline of egg production. In the oviduct, local immunity possibly has a role in the selection of sperm, though the immunoreactions may also affect sperm survival leading to the decline in fertility. The concentration of yolk IgY, which plays a role in maternal immunity transmission, significantly decreases with the aging of birds, whereas it is significantly increased by estrogen. Therefore, the immune system plays significant roles not only in defense against infection, but also in the functions of reproductive organs. Investigations on the local immune system in the reproductive organs and factors affecting it are of importance for the production of sterile eggs and improvement of reproductive functions.     

Estimation of daily urinary potassium excretion using urinary creatinine as an index substance in prepartum dairy cows

In the present study, the daily excretion of potassium (K) in urine (urinary K(UK)) was estimated from a 6 h urine sample using urinary creatinine (UC) as the index substance. All urine was collected from six pregnant Holstein cows at 6 h intervals for 24 h on 3 days of the 4th, 2nd and final week before the expected date of parturition. In total, 72 6 h urine samples were obtained. Daily UC excretion (mg/day per kg bodyweight (BW)) was almost the same for the three sampling days. Daily UC excretion varied among cows from 22.1 to 24.3 mg/day per kg BW with a mean of 22.8 mg/day per kg BW with no significant difference. Thus, daily UC excretion was confirmed to be constant throughout the prepartum period with no differences among individuals. The concentration ratios of K to creatinine ((UK mg/dL)/(UC mg/dL) (UK/UC)) correlated strongly to the hourly K excretions (mg/h per kg BW) (r = 0.952, P < 0.01) in the 6 h urine samples. The differences in the UK/UC ratio between sampling periods were not significant within each cow. Therefore, daily UK excretion (mg/day) can be estimated using the equation: daily UK excretion (mg/day) = daily UC excretion (mg/day per kg BW) × BW (kg) × 6 h urine sample UK/UC, where daily UC excretion can be a given value.     

Effects of polyline simplification of dynamic GPS data under forest canopy on area and perimeter estimations

The objectives of this study were to determine Global Positioning System (GPS) positional errors while moving under the forest canopy and to clarify the effects of polyline simplification on area and perimeter estimations. We used the Pathfinder Pro XR and GPSMAP 76S, which are categorized as “high-end mapping” and “general navigation” GPS receivers, respectively. The field tests were conducted in both natural and plantation forests. The results showed that the Pathfinder Pro XR, which has better multipath rejection technology, worked well, especially in the plantation forest under unfavorable conditions of higher stand density. We used analysis of variance to clarify the effects of the receiver type, positioning mode, stand type, and polyline simplification method on area and perimeter estimations. The receiver type and positioning mode were found to be significant factors that affected area estimation. The Pathfinder Pro XR estimated the area more accurately than the GPSMAP 76S, and differential GPS estimated the area more accurately than autonomous GPS. With respect to the perimeter, the receiver type, positioning mode, and polyline simplification method were found to be significant factors. The results showed that perimeter estimation was improved by using the velocity filter, and further improved by using the velocity filter and Douglas-Peucker algorithm, especially when the Pathfinder Pro XR was used. The GPSMAP 76S estimated the perimeter accurately without any filtering because its default speed filter worked well, even though the GPSMAP 76S is a general navigation GPS receiver.     

Immunolocalization of sex steroid receptors in the epididymis and ductus deferens of immature and mature Japanese Quail, Coturnix Japonica

The goal of this study was to determine whether in the Japanese quail the male genital tract contains receptors for progesterone, androgen and estrogen (PR, AR and ER, respectively), which have significant roles in reproductive functions, and whether their localization changes during sexual maturation. The epididymis and ductus deferens (middle and ampulla regions) of immature (approximately 30-day-old) and mature male Japanese quail were collected and frozen sections of them were immunostained for PR, AR and ER. The immunoreaction products for AR and PR were found in the nuclei of epithelial cells in the efferent ductules, epididymal duct, and the middle and ampulla regions of the ductus deferens of mature and immature birds. In the mature birds, the epithelial cells of the efferent ductules, epididymal duct, and the middle and ampulla regions of the ductus deferens were positive for ER, although some of the cells in the ductus deferens were negative. The epithelial cells of the ductules in the epididymis stained positive for ER, but the immunoreactions were negligible in the ductus deferens of immature birds. These results suggest that the epididymis and ductus deferens in quail possesses PR, AR and ER receptors. Each receptor is expressed before sexual maturation, although enhancement of ER expression may occur during maturation.     

Relation of reproductive performances and rectal palpation for luteum function of heifers 7 days after estrus

Diagnosis of corpus luteum (CL) function by rectal palpation (RP) has been widely used for recipient selection of embryo transfer (ET), a technology essential for genetic improvements in cattle. To examine the accuracy of RP diagnosis method, the relationship between RP‐based CL function and reproductive performance was compared in this study. In Experiment 1, CL of Holstein heifers on day 7 after estrus was classified into functional or hypoplastic by RP, and the results were compared with ultrasonographic (US) images and plasma progesterone (P4) levels. As a result, heifers with functional CL judged by RP had a mean maximum CL diameter of 20.1 ± 3.1 mm on US and a mean P4 concentration of 8.1 ± 2.3 ng/mL. These values were significantly greater than those of heifers with hypoplastic CL (12.4 ± 5.4 mm, 4.0 ± 2.8 ng/mL) (P < 0.001). In Experiment 2, the length of the estrus cycle was examined between functional CL and hypoplastic CL. The rate of heifers with a normal estrus cycle length with 18–25 days was significantly lower with hypoplastic CL than with functional CL (16/24 vs. 43/46, P < 0.01). In Experiment 3, 543 inseminated heifers were similarly classified by CL function by RP 7 days after estrus. The heifers with functional CL showed higher pregnancy rate compared with the heifers with hypoplastic CL (75.2 vs. 47.9%, P < 0.0001). Finally, the CL function of 66 heifers was examined by RP on day 7 post‐estrus, and ET was performed in 49 (74.2%) heifers with functional CL. As a result, 27 (55.1%) of them became pregnant. Taken together, these results reconfirm that RP on day 7 after estrus is useful for selection of heifers with functional CL.     

A biomechanical analysis of industrial forest plantation workers in East Kalimantan

The objectives of this study are to clarify physiological work loads and physical loads acting on the lumbar region of workers and to propose a safe work environment in tropical forestry operations. The research was conducted in the industrial forest plantations of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, in 1996. In this study, heart rates and the physical lumbar burden of industrial forest plantation workers were measured for three types of work, that is, weeding, planting and path clearing. In addition, the load moment at the L₅/S₁ and the disc compression force were calculated using low-back biomechanical models. As a result, compression forces at the L₅/S₁ disc during weeding, planting and path clearing were estimated and found to be below the Action Limit (AL) by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). However, it was also found that some work posture types during path clearing by chain saw were sometimes above the AL. A part of this paper was orally presented at the 108th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Forestry Society (1997).     

Analysis of the seed dispersal patterns of wild soybean as a reference for vegetation management around genetically modified soybean fields

There are concerns that genetically modified soybean might threaten the genetic diversity of the wild soybean populations that are distributed in East Asia because genetically modified soybean has no crossing barrier with wild soybean. A simple and effective method to prevent hybridization via pollen flow is spatial separation between the two species because their hybridization occurs only when they grow in close proximity. Therefore, the invasiveness of wild soybean needs to be known in order to secure the appropriate distances. As wild soybean seeds are dispersed mechanically by pod dehiscence, an experiment was conducted in which white sheets were placed on the ground, concentric circles were drawn around the parent plants, and the number of dispersed seeds within each 0.5 m‐wide zone were counted. About 40% of the produced seeds were dispersed and the number of dispersed seeds gradually declined as the distance from the parent plants increased. The model that explained the relationship between the number and distance of the dispersed seeds was produced by using a generalized linear model procedure. More than 95, 99, and 99.9% of the produced seeds stayed within 3.5, 5.0, and 6.5 m after natural pod dehiscence. Knowing these values is useful for evaluating the level of invasive risk by mechanical seed dispersal. The goal of the work is to efficiently and deliberately prevent hybridization by isolating genetically modified soybean fields and wild soybean populations by vegetation management, including weeding and setting up specific‐width buffer zones.     

Predominant expression of growth hormone secretagogue receptor in the caudal lobe of chicken pituitary and parallel developmental increase in expression of pituitary GH and proventriculus ghrelin mRNA

To examine the involvement of ghrelin in growth hormone (GH) synthesis in the chicken pituitary, the regional distribution of GH secretagogue receptor (GHS‐R)/ghrelin receptor was investigated. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR) analysis revealed that the expression levels of GHS‐R and GH mRNA in the caudal lobe were about fourfold and sevenfold higher in the cephalic lobe of 7 day‐old chickens, respectively. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that GHS‐R immunoreactivity was more abundant in the caudal lobe than in the cephalic lobe, as was the case for GH immunoreactivity. By Q‐PCR, parallel increases were observed in the expression levels of ghrelin mRNA in the proventriculus and GH mRNA in the pituitary from embryonic day 17 to day 7 after hatching, whereas no significant change was found in the expression levels of GHS‐R mRNA in the pituitary during this period. These results suggest that proventriculus‐derived ghrelin may participate in pituitary GH synthesis by acting on its receptor during late embryonic development and the early post‐hatching period in chickens.     

A study on the productivity and cost of cable logging in Turkey

Tower yarders have recently been introduced to forestry in Turkey. Clarification of the productivity and cost of logging using the tower yarder is often requested because the cost for machinery is a significant factor in all calculations concerning mechanized operations. Machines are often extremely expensive compared with the low cost of labor in developing regions. In this study, a new logging system using a tower yarder was compared with a conventional system using a stationary yarder in terms of productivity and cost. The research was conducted in the northeast of Turkey, in 1989 and 1992. The productivity of the tower yarder and the stationary yarder was found to be 5.655 m³/h and 5.002 m³/h, respectively. Harvesting cost was analyzed based on observed productivity. The harvesting costs of the tower yarder and the stationary yarder were found to be 47,410 TL/m³ and 17,553 TL/m³, respectively. With the tower yarder, the machine cost reached 93.1 % of the harvesting cost while the machine cost using the stationary yarder reached 71.1%. A part of this paper was orally presented at the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Forest Engineering Society (1996).     

Immunolocalization of lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP) in the bovine mammary gland

Lingual antimicrobial peptide (LAP), a member of the β-defensin family in cows, is involved in the innate immune system and plays a crucial role in killing a large variety of microorganisms. The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the immunolocalization of LAP in the mammary glands of cows. A LAP antibody was raised in a rabbit by immunity with a synthetic 11 amino acid sequence out of a 42-amino acid sequence of the mature form of LAP. The specificity of the LAP antibody was checked using a competitive immunoassay and Western blotting. Paraffin sections of the mammary gland were immunostained with LAP antibody. In the competitive immunoassay, an increase of synthetic LAP concentration suppressed the optical density. Western blotting analysis for LAP revealed the presence of the LAP peptide in mammary alveolar tissue. When the mammary gland was immunostained with LAP antibody, epithelial cells of both infected and non-infected alveoli were immunopositive. These results indicate that LAP is localized in the epithelium of non-infected as well as infected alveolus in the mammary gland in cows.