Economic and environmental impacts of changes in culling parity of cows and diet composition in Japanese beef cow–calf production systems

The effects of changes in culling parity of cows and diet composition on economic and environmental outputs in Japanese beef cow–calf production systems were deterministically analyzed using a herd model simulation. The model simulated the annualized net revenue as an economic indicator and the overall environmental index derived from a life cycle assessment (LCA) as an environmental indicator. Biological factors (survivability, growth, reproduction, and feed requirements) and economic factors (returns from sales of live calves and cows’ carcasses and production costs) were included in the model. The model also included modified feed formulation methods, allowing us to analyze the effect of reductions in environmental loads caused by the change in diet compositions. The results of the present study indicated that later culling was economically and environmentally optimal under the current production system, which suggested that the selection of economically optimal culling parity of cows could result in environmentally optimization of the beef cow–calf production system. The difference in feed composition derived from the difference in feed formulation methods did not affect the determination of optimal culling parity, whereas the use of modified feed formulation methods could reduce environmental loads at a higher rate than that of economic benefits. However, the reduction rate of the environmental impact was much higher in the case of selection of the optimal culling parity than in the case of use of modified feed formulation methods, which stressed the importance of choosing the optimal culling parity of cows both from the economic and environmental points of view

Carbon footprint assessment of a whole dairy farming system with a biogas plant and the use of solid fraction of digestate as a recycled bedding material

Biogas generated from livestock manure is a renewable energy source and the digestate is used as a fertilizer. Moreover, dewatered biogas digestate can be used as a bedding material (recycled bedding material). The aims of the present study were to model a whole dairy system with a biogas plant using recycled bedding material and to assess the life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Emissions from the material flow of dairy cattle production, manure treatment and organic fertilizer application to on-farm crops were evaluated. In the emissions from organic fertilizer storage and recycled bedding material production, CH4 emission was decreased by 43.0%, and consequently the system with a biogas plant reduced total GHG emissions by 6.8% compared with conventional slurry storage and straw bedding. The use of recycled bedding material from a biogas plant has the potential to create a resource cycle and to be beneficial as a GHG mitigation strategy

Analysis of growth patterns in purebred kambing Katjang goat and its crosses with the German fawn

The objective of this study was to investigate growth patterns of goats utilizing data from a crossbreeding program involving the exotic German Fawn (GF) and the indigenous Kambing Katjang (KK) goats. Growth curve models and growth curve parameters were compared and analyzed for different genotypes and litter types. A total of 20,393 weight–age data from 208 female goats belonging to various crossbreeding genotypes were individually fitted to four growth curve models (Brody, Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic). The goodness of fit was highest in the Brody model in most cases. A comparison of R2 among genotypes showed that they were highest for KK. There were no significant differences of genotypes for estimated mature weight in the Brody model. The estimated mature weights for KK were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than for GF × KK (F1), backcrosses with 75% GF genes (BC) and F1 × F1 (F2) in the other models. The correlations between estimated mature weights and the maturing rates were lowest for BC. The genotype significantly (P < 0.01) affected the age at the constant degree of maturity (67% and 90% of mature weight) in all models. The BC genotype was the youngest at maturity and KK the oldest. All models well expressed the growth pattern of the target animals when they were older than 2.5 years of age. The results from the present study showed that the growth pattern may be altered by crossbreeding of KK with the GF breed

Adequacy and Long-Term Prognosis of Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release

Forty-one hands of 37 patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome treated by endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) were followed up for more than one year after surgery. Surgical results were evaluated using Kelly's criteria, the Semmes-Weinstein test, the static and moving 2-point discrimination tests, tip-pinch strength, and motor and sensory nerve conduction studies. Clinical results, according to Kelly's criteria three months after surgery, were excellent or good in 36 hands, and fair or poor in five hands. No recovery was evident at six months and 12 months after surgery in fair and poor hands. Based on these findings, we conclude that a neurolysis of the median nerve and release of constriction of the thenar muscle branch should be performed using the conventional open technique for patients with poor results three months after ECTR if the patients are dissatisfied with ECTR results</p

Endoscopic carpal tunnel pressure measurement: a reliable technique for complete release

Carpal tunnel syndrome is diagnosed by clinical symptoms, Tinel's sign, Phalen's test and electromyography. Carpal tunnel pressure measurement can also aid in the precise identification of excessive pressure sites that indicate locations for release. In this study, pressure measurements made during endoscopic carpal tunnel release at 5 points were significantly higher anywhere in the carpal tunnel than outside the tunnel and decreased markedly after release. We concluded that our measurement technique can improve the reliability of endoscopic carpal tunnel release by decreasing the likelihood of missing any nerve entrapment sites.</p

Possible Relationship Between MYBL1 Alterations and Specific Primary Sites in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: A Clinicopathological and Molecular Study of 36 Cases

[Background] Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare malignant neoplasm that occurs in salivary glands and various other organs. Recent studies have revealed that a significant proportion of ACCs harbor gene alterations involving MYB or MYBL1 (mostly fusions with NFIB) in a mutually-exclusive manner. However, its clinical significance remains to be well-established. [Methods] We investigated clinicopathological and molecular features of 36 ACCs with special emphasis on the significance of MYBL1 alterations. Reverse-transcription polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR) and fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) were performed to detect MYB/MYBL1-NFIB fusions and MYBL1 alterations, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate MYB expression in the tumors. The results were correlated with clinicopathological profiles of the patients. [Results] RT-PCR revealed MYB-NFIB and MYBL1-NFIB fusions in 10 (27.8%) and 7 (19.4%) ACCs, respectively, in a mutually-exclusive manner. FISH for MYBL1 rearrangements was successfully performed in 11 cases, and the results were concordant with those of RT-PCR. Immunohistochemically, strong MYB expression was observed in 23 (63.9%) tumors, none of which showed MYBL1 alterations. Clinicopathologically, a trend of a better disease-specific survival was noted in patients with MYBL1 alterations than in those with MYB-NFIB fusions and/or strong MYB expression; however, the difference was not significant. Interestingly, we found tumors with MYBL1 alterations significantly frequently occurred in the mandibular regions (P = 0.012). Moreover, literature review revealed a similar tendency in a previous study. [Conclusion] Our results suggest that there are some biological or etiological differences between ACCs with MYB and MYBL1 alterations. Moreover, the frequent occurrence of MYBL1-associated ACC in the mandibular regions suggests that MYB immunohistochemistry is less useful in diagnosing ACCs arising in these regions. Further studies are warranted to verify our findings

Simulation of livestock biomass resource recycling and energy utilization model based on dry type methane fermentation system

International Conference of Biomass and Bioenergy 19-20 August 2019, West Java, IndonesiaThis study was aimed at investigating the local livestock biomass volume for dairy farms in Town A, located in eastern Hokkaido, Japan, and at presenting a model of a biogas plant that enables maximizing the use of the available livestock biomass. Using a dairy farm with 250 animals in Town A as a model for a biogas plant based on dry-type methane fermentation system (dry-type biogas plant), we set the operational conditions to an average hydraulic retention time of 20 days, digestion temperature of 55°C, and methane gas yield of 0.12 Nm3 CH4/kg VSA. We compared the biogas production of our presented model with that of a wet-type biogas plant with the same number of animals. The results showed that the dry-type biogas plant produced biogas at 859 Nm3/day, while the wet-type biogas plant produced biogas at 666 Nm3/day. These results indicate that introducing dry-type biogas plants in all dairy farms in Town A would potentially enable semi-solid livestock manure to be processed, which is not amenable to ordinary composting, in addition to the conventional processes being carried out through biogas plants, as well as lead to an increase in the amount of biogas production

The circadian clock is disrupted in mice with adenine-induced tubulointerstitial nephropathy.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is increasing in incidence and has become a worldwide health problem. Sleep disorders are prevalent in patients with CKD raising the possibility that these patients have a disorganized circadian timing system. Here, we examined the effect of adenine-induced tubulointerstitial nephropathy on the circadian system in mice. Compared to controls, adenine-treated mice showed serum biochemistry evidence of CKD as well as increased kidney expression of inflammation and fibrosis markers. Mice with CKD exhibited fragmented sleep behavior and locomotor activity, with lower degrees of cage activity compared to mice without CKD. On a molecular level, mice with CKD exhibited low amplitude rhythms in their central circadian clock as measured by bioluminescence in slices of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of PERIOD 2::LUCIFERASE mice. Whole animal imaging indicated that adenine treated mice also exhibited dampened oscillations in intact kidney, liver, and submandibular gland. Consistently, dampened circadian oscillations were observed in several circadian clock genes and clock-controlled genes in the kidney of the mice with CKD. Finally, mice with a genetically disrupted circadian clock (Clock mutants) were treated with adenine and compared to wild type control mice. The treatment evoked worse kidney damage as indicated by higher deposition of gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinase-2 and 9) and adenine metabolites in the kidney. Adenine also caused non-dipping hypertension and lower heart rate. Thus, our data indicate that central and peripheral circadian clocks are disrupted in the adenine-treated mice, and suggest that the disruption of the circadian clock accelerates CKD progression

Application of the modified feed formulation to optimize economic and environmental criteria in beef cattle fattening systems with food by-products

A simplified ration optimization method was applied to a beef cattle fattening system to evaluate the utilization of food by-products under various situations. The method was extended to reduce feed costs (i.e., economic factors) and nitrogen and phosphorus excretions (i.e., environmental factors) by introducing penalty coefficients of nitrogen and phosphorus contents in each ingredient of the diet in the objective function in traditional linear programming. Six regional food by-products, five commercial concentrates and two roughages were used as ingredients of the fermented total mixed ration. Constraints for the feed formulation were based mainly on nutrient requirements in the Japanese Feeding Standard for Beef Cattle. The replacement price (or acquisition cost) of food by-products was defined as the maximum price of food by-products when the feed cost with the use of food by-products was below the cost with the use of conventional concentrates. The results showed that although the replacement prices were not greatly affected by the penalty levels, they were associated with the changes in the substitution rate of food by-products for concentrates and the price of concentrates. The replacement prices were about 16 (yen/kg, as-fed basis) against the present price level of concentrates, when food by-products were substituted for a half of concentrates. Feed compositions were altered and nitrogen and phosphorus excretions were decreased by the changes of penalties, in spite of the small change in the replacement price of food by-products. Both nitrogen and phosphorus penalties greatly reduced the nitrogen and phosphorus excretions, indicating that nitrogen and phosphorus penalty coefficients should be introduced together in the objective function in order to reduce both excretions efficiently