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Tall grasses (>1 m tall) are an important forage resource for grazing ruminants. Understanding the ingestive behavior and short-term intake rate of cattle grazing on tall grasses will help facilitate grazing management of tall grass pastures. The aim of this study was to determine the allocation of jaw movements in grazing cattle in relation to tall grasses and to assess whether such allocations of jaw movements are effective for maintaining a short-term intake rate. Four plants were used as test plants: bahiagrass ( Paspalum notatum Flugge; a short grass), Sudangrass ( Sorghum × drummondii ; a typical tall grass) and two growth forms of a dwarf bamboo ( Sasa senanensis ; a semi-woody form of tall grass): a naturally growing form (NGDB, approximately 2 m tall) and a form that is under grazing (DBUG, P P P >0.05), except for Sudangrass. Cows ingested Sudangrass at a lower intake rate than observed for the other plants ( P

The nutritional status of cows grazing on a 120-ha public alpine forestland pasture dominated by the dwarf bamboo Sasa senanensis located in central Japan was evaluated over the course of 2 years. Data were collected during grazing seasons in three periods: early (June), mid- (August) and late (late September-early October) periods. During these periods, the number of experimental Japanese Black cows varied between three and six. With the exception of the dry matter (DM) intake in 2005 and the crude protein (CP) digestibility in 2006, the DM and CP intake and digestibility were lower in the mid- and late periods than in the early period for both years (P < 0.05). Metabolizable energy intake was slightly insufficient for the requirement of the cows in the late period of 2005; in the mid- and late periods of 2006, the metabolizable energy intake was 0.4 to 0.5 times the requirement. These results suggest that the energy intake of cows grazing on forestland pasture dominated by S. senanensis would not satisfy their requirements starting in the mid-period (August) grazing, even though the pasture had abundant herbage resources during these periods.

Monitoring the eating habits and rumination of cattle is effective for evaluating forage values and making animal management decisions for stalls and grazing pastures. Acoustic monitoring is a feasible method to monitor these activities, but it requires automatic distinction and quantification of activities to gain broader application. This automatic distinction and quantification may be possible using a pattern matching method, which distinguishes jaw movements by extracting characteristic patterns from eating and ruminating, and then matches similar characteristic patterns in unanalyzed activities. The objectives of this study were to define an acoustic monitoring system with a single-axis acceleration sensor, to determine an effective sensor attachment site (i.e., the horn, forehead, or nasal bridge), and to assess the automatic classification of ingestive and ruminative chewing behaviors using a pattern matching method. Four beef cows fed Italian ryegrass silage were each recorded eating and ruminating for more than 60 and 20min, respectively. The oscillatory waveforms generated while eating and ruminating were clearly recorded by the single-axis acceleration sensor, regardless of sensor attachment site. The pattern matching method correctly distinguished ingestive chewing with an accuracy of over 0.9, regardless of the sensor site (estimated number of chews by automatic detection/true number of chews by manual detection). Placement of the sensor on the horn of the animal resulted in the most matched measurement (0.99). In contrast, the method overestimated ruminating chewing time (approximately 1.50) because noises that occurred during idling were misclassified as ruminating chewing. The provision of an additional chewing criterion for automatic detection, i.e., chewing is performed consecutively (context-based cues), improved the classification accuracy of ruminating to a range of 1.02-1.08. In conclusion, automatic detection using a pattern matching method successfully classified ingestive chewing and ruminating chewing in cattle, and a single-axis acceleration sensor was useful for acoustic monitoring at all sensor attachment sites.

This study aimed to clarify the effect of mobile bag size and ratio of sample size to bag surface area on intestinal digestibility of forage in sheep. Four Suffolk ewes fitted with ruminal and proximal duodenal cannulae were fed second-cut Italian rye- grass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) hay twice daily, and the same forage was used to measure intestinal digestibility. The forage samples were incubated in the rumen for 16 h and then in pepsin-HCl solution for 3 h before intestinal incubation. The incubated forage samples were placed in a nylon mobile bag. The bag sizes used were either 20 mm×20 mm (small bag size; SBS) or 30 mm×30 mm (large bag size; LBS) and the ratio of the sample size to the surface area of the bag was either 5.5 mg/cm 2 (low ratio; LR) or 11.0 mg/cm 2 (high ratio; HR) resulting in four different treatment conditions: SBS-LR, SBS-HR, LBS-LR and LBS-HR. Eight bags per animal were inserted through the duodenal cannulae at 15-min intervals and were subsequently collected from the feces of the animal. The mean intestinal bag transition time did not differ significantly between animals, but ranged from 23.2 to 27.0 h. The intestinal digestibility of dry matter (IDDM) ranged from 0.162±0.019 g/g in the SBS-HR treatment group to 0.195±0.018 g/g in the SBS-LR treatment. The intestinal digestibility of crude protein (IDCP) ranged from 0.610±0.031 g/g in the LBS-LR treatment to 0.693±0.018 g/g in the SBS-LR treatment. There was no difference in the IDDM and IDCP between different treatments. It was therefore concluded that the size of the mobile bag and the ratio of the sample size to the bag surface area did not influence the intestinal digestibility of forage. Future studies

The aim of this study was to determine and characterize the ruminal degradability and passage rate of fresh dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus argenteostriatus f. glaber) cut in spring and autumn, to study the influence of these variables on intake and digestibility by sheep. The experiment was conducted in late spring (May to early June) and autumn (late September to early October). Eight Suffolk ewes, surgically fitted with ruminal cannulae, were used to measure the ruminal degradability and passage rate. Half of the animals received fresh dwarf bamboo and the other half fresh bahiagrass twice daily to meet maintenance requirements. In spring, the lignin content of dwarf bamboo was similar to that of bahiagrass and approximately twice that of bahiagrass in autumn. The slowly degradable fraction of dry matter (DM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFom) was lower in dwarf bamboo than in bahiagrass. This fraction decreased in dwarf bamboo in the autumn, in contrast to bahiagrass which maintained similar levels as in the spring (Grass × Season interaction; P=0.005 and 0.016 for DM and NDFom, respectively). However, no difference was observed in degradation rate between grasses and seasons. The degradation rate of crude protein (CP) in dwarf bamboo was lower than that of bahiagrass, particularly in autumn. The ruminal passage rate was unaltered by the type of grass and season. DM intake was similar between the grasses, although a seasonal decrease was observed in both the grasses (P=0.006). The digestibility of DM and NDFom were clearly lower in dwarf bamboo than in bahiagrass (P

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of molt-induction period on molting and post-molt performance of laying hens. White Leghorn hens at 64 weeks of age were used. After a 4-week preliminary period, they were divided into 5 groups (1 control and 4 treatment groups). The control-group hens were continuously fed a corn- and soybean-based layer ration ad libitum. In 1 of the 4 treatment groups, molting was induced by starvation for 2 weeks (MS group), and in the 3 others by ad libitum feeding of a molt diet (ME: 1.6Mcal/kg) based on rice hull, corn, wheat bran, and corn gluten feed for 2 (MF-2 group), 3 (MF-3 group), and 4 weeks (MF-4 group). During the post-molt production period, the hens were again fed the layer ration. During the molt-induction period, the heterophil: lymphocyte (H: L) ratio, the ovary and oviduct weight, and the energy intake were measured. Egg production, egg quality, body weight, and feed intake were measured throughout the experiment. During the treatment period, compared to the control group, the feed intake and body weight in the molted groups were significantly lower; the ovaries and oviducts of the hens in the molted groups were distinctly lighter (P < 0.01). On day 10 of molting, the H: L ratio in the MF groups was lower than that in the MS group. Additionally, egg production completely ceased within 6 d in the MS group and decreased to 3% at week 2 in the MF groups. No significant differences with regard to days required to regain 50% egg production were found between the MS and MF-3 groups. During the post-molt period, egg production and quality improved in the molted groups, the production in the MF-3 group was highest. We assume that ad libitum feeding of the molt diet for 3 weeks effectively induces molting and enhances post-molt production.

The single pulse dose method may be one of the few practical techniques for estimating fecal output and herbage intake in animals in large scale free-ranging systems because the method reduces labor and time involved in capturing animals and collecting feces. This study aimed to evaluate the single pulse dose method using rare earth marker-labeled herbage for estimating fecal output and herbage intake by cattle, in comparison with the actual values and the continuous dose method using chromium oxide. In experiment 1, the fecal output and herbage intake estimated by the single pulse dose method (FOS and HIS) and by the continuous dose method (FOC and HIC) were compared with the actual values in the zero grazing condition. Six Japanese Black cows were kept in individual pens and fed fresh herbage ad libitum. Average FOS and HIS were 104% and 108% of the actual values, respectively, and were closer to the actual values than FOC and HIC (85% and 89%). However, the animal-to-animal variation represented by the standard deviation in the single pulse dose method was greater than that in the continuous dose method. In experiment 2, the single pulse dose and the continuous dose methods were compared in the grazing condition, using six Japanese Black cows grazing a 77-ha pasture. Although the differences of the mean fecal output and herbage intake between the two methods were greater than those in the zero grazing condition, the same tendency as that under the zero grazing condition was observed. The results suggest that the single pulse dose method slightly overestimates the herbage intake compared with the actual value and produces slightly less stable estimates than the continuous dose method. However, the method can be useful for estimating herbage intake by animals in large scale free-ranging systems where the use of other estimation methods is difficult.

This study investigated the influence of forage selection on the quality of the diet ingested by beef cows grazed on a dwarf bamboo-dominated pasture. For 13 days each in spring, summer and autumn, eight Japanese Black cows were grazed on a 1.8-ha dwarf bamboo (Pleioblastus argenteostriatus f. glaber)-dominant pasture during the day. The plant species and number of bites of each species ingested by the cows were recorded, and plant samples were hand plucked to imitate the behavior of the cows during the grazing time on the seventh and 13th days of each period. The botanical and chemical compositions of the available pasture were systematically estimated by sampling 28 plots. The cows slightly avoided dwarf bamboo and preferred grasses on the seventh day of each period. On the 13th day, the cows ate any available forage in the pasture. The selected forages were higher in crude protein and in vitro digestibility and had lower insoluble protein, neutral detergent fiber and lignin contents than the forages available in the pasture during a season. The frequency of the botanical groups selected by the cows was different in autumn from that in spring and summer, and a substantial increase in grasses and a decrease in P. argenteostriatus f. glaber among the selected forages were observed. Although the botanical groups selected by the cows were relatively different between the seasons, an increase in the levels of unavailable fractions such as lignin and insoluble protein and a decrease in in vitro digestibility were observed as the seasons progressed. Thus, the cows could not avoid a decrease in their diet quality in autumn. The selection of forage improved the nutrient intake of the beef cows in terms of chemical and digestible components; however, in a dwarf bamboo-dominated pasture, there is a substantial limitation in the effectiveness of forage selection.

哺乳期のビタミンA給与量制限がブタの筋肉内脂肪蓄積に及ぼす影響について調査した．雌子豚10頭を2区に分け，生後3日齢から28日齢の哺乳期間中，養分要求量を満たす量を給与する区（対照区）とビタミンAのみ対照区の1/5量給与した区（低VA区）の2区に分けて授乳させ，生後28日齢でと畜した．低VA区の増体量は対照区とほぼ等しかった．また，低VA区の総血中脂質と筋肉内脂肪含量は対照区よりも低かった（P ＜ 0.001，P ＜ 0.01）．哺乳期におけるVA摂取量不足は，発育に影響を及ぼさずに，血清中脂質画分とIMF含量を低下させた．以上から，生後3日齢から28日齢のブタにおける哺乳期のビタミンA給与量制限は，筋肉内脂肪蓄積を減少させることが示唆された．

This study investigated the suitable metabolizable energy (ME) level of molt diet for hens that cease producing eggs without being subjected to great stress. During the preliminary period, White Leghorn hens were fed a corn-soybean meal-based layer ration ad libitum. After a 4-wk preliminary period, the hens were randomly divided into 3 treatment groups and 1 control group; the control group was persistently fed the layer ration. The 3 treatment groups were fed the following diets ad libitum for 4wk: (1) 100% molt diet based on corn, wheat bran, and corn gluten feed (ME 2.3Mcal/kg M100:); (2) 85% molt diet with 15% rice hull (ME 1.9Mcal/kg M85:); and (3) 70% molt diet with 30% rice hull (ME 1.6Mcal/kg M70:). During the post-molt period, the hens were returned to the layer ration. During the molting period, the heterophil: lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, ovary and oviduct weights, and MEn intake were measured. Egg production, egg weight, egg quality, body weight, and feed intake were measured throughout the experiment. During the molting period, the feed intake, body weight, and ovary and oviduct weights in the molted groups were significantly (P

Dwarf bamboo is a significant but unique native forage for cattle grazing in Japan. A pasture dominated by Pleioblastus argenteostriatus f. glaber, a type of dwarf bamboo, was used to evaluate nutrient intake, digestibility of forage and nutritional status of grazing cows. Eight Japanese Black cows were grazed on the pasture, and six among the eight grazing cows were used for the experiment. This experiment consisted of three periods: spring (May), summer (July) and autumn (September–October) in 2002 and 2003. The nutrient intake and digestibility of the cows were estimated by the double indicator method with chromic oxide (Cr2O3) as the external indicator and acid detergent insoluble ash (ADIA) in forages as the internal indicator. The crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents of forage selected by the cows hardly changed during the grazing seasons in both years. Crude ash, acid detergent lignin (ADL), ADIA, and acid detergent insoluble protein (ADIP) contents were the highest in autumn in both years. Nutrient intake of the cows was lower in autumn than in other seasons. Nutrient digestibility of the cows increased slightly from spring to summer and then decreased in autumn. Metabolizable energy (ME) intake satisfied the maintenance requirements of the cows in spring and summer; however, it was only 50%–70% of the maintenance in autumn for both years. Urea nitrogen concentration in plasma was always high, approximately 20 mg dL−1, during grazing periods. Inorganic phosphate (IP) concentration in plasma was lower than critical value (4.5 mg dL−1) in spring and autumn. Therefore, energy and phosphate supplementation are needed for the cows grazed on P. argenteostriatus f. glaber-dominated pasture.

哺乳期のエネルギーおよびタンパク質の給与量制限が出荷時のブタの筋肉内脂肪蓄積に及ぼす影響について調査した．3日齢から28日齢の哺乳期間中，雌子豚8頭を，養分要求量を満たす量を給与する区（対照区）とエネルギーとタンパク質摂取量を対照区の50％給与する区（低栄養区）の2区に分け哺乳した．離乳後は，体重115 kg到達時に屠畜するまで，両区とも同条件で飼養した．低栄養区の飼料摂取量および増体量は対照区と比べ処理中では約1/2であったが，処理後はほぼ等しい値であった．また，低栄養区の筋線維断面積および筋肉重量は対照区よりも低い値であった（P＜0.05）．低栄養区の筋肉内脂肪含量およびI型コラーゲン含量は，対照区よりも高い値であった（P＜0.05）．以上から，哺乳期にエネルギーおよびタンパク質摂取量が不足すると，筋肉重量の低下とコラーゲン含量の上昇が生じ，筋肉内脂肪含量が高くなることが示された．

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a molt diet on molt induction and the post-molt performance of laying hens. White Leghorn hens (age, 62wk) were randomly divided into three groups (two experimental, one control). After a 4-wk preliminary period, one group (control) was continuously fed a corn-soybean-based layer ration ad libitum. Molting was induced in the other groups by starvation (MS) or with feed (MF). In the MS group, the feed was withdrawn for 2wk; this was followed by feeding of a layer ration on alternate days for 1wk and then ad libitum. The MF group was fed ad libitum a low-protein and low-energy diet based on corn, wheat bran, and corn gluten feed for 4wk; this was followed by ad libitum feeding of a layer ration. Egg production, egg quality, and feed intakes were measured throughout the experimental period; ovary and oviduct weights and heterophil: lymphocyte (H: L) ratios were measured during molting. During molting, the feed intake in the MF group was lower than that of the control; body weights of the molted groups were significantly reduced. Additionally, the MS group totally ceased egg production within 8 d; in the MF group, egg production decreased to 3.8% by d 10. On d 10 of molting, the H : L ratio of the MF group was lower than that of the MS group. On d 14, the ovaries and oviducts of the molted groups were distinctly lighter than those of the control. Throughout the post-molt period, egg production and egg shell thickness of the molted groups improved; but there were no significant differences. Additionally, the eggs of the MF group were heavier than those of the MS and control groups. This study suggests that feeding of a low-protein and low-energy diet effectively induces molting and increases post-molt production.

This experiment aimed to determine the effects of restricted feeding a molt diet on molt induction in laying hens. Single Comb White Leghorn hens (age, 61wk) were housed in individual cages and randomly divided into 3 groups (2 treatments and 1 control group). After a 4-wk preliminary period, the control group was continuously fed a layer ration based on corn and soybean meal ad libitum. Molting was induced in the treatment groups by starvation (MS) or with feeding (MF). In the MS group, the feed was withdrawn for 2wk; this was followed by feeding of the layer ration skip-a-day for 1wk and then ad libitum. The MF group was fed a low-protein and low-energy diet comprising corn, wheat bran, and corn gluten feed 60g/hen/d for 4wk; this was followed by ad libitum feeding of the layer ration. Egg production, egg quality, and feed intakes were measured throughout the experimental period; serum estradiol-17β concentration, heterophil: lymphocyte (H:L) ratio, ovary and oviduct weights, and MEn intake were measured during the molting period. During molting, body weights of the MS and MF groups were significantly (P

SUMMARY Increasing the concentration of defatted rice bran (DRB) in the diet will increase the concentration of energy sources such as fat (oil) and carbohydrate because DRB contains relatively lower energy compared with the most common energy source, grain (corn). An experiment with broiler chicks was conducted to determine the influence of a high level of fat versus a high level of carbohydrate on the nutritional value of a diet containing 30% DRB. In order to improve the digestibility of fat and to anticipate the negative effect of increasing the concentration of nonstarch polysaccharide in the DRB during the early age of broiler chicks, two supplements [a bile salt (sodium taurocholate) or a fiber-degrading mixture of enzymes (Grindazyme GP 5000)] were included. The protein and fat digestibilities and MEn value were greater with high-fat diets compared with high-carbohydrate diets. These effects of the high-fat diet were reflected in superior growth and feed intake of chicks from 1 to 14 d of age. The supplementation of the DRB diets with the bile salt was of greater benefit for chick performance than the inclusion of a mixture of fiber-degrading enzymes, especially with high-fat diets.

The nutritional status of cows grazing on a 120-ha public alpine forestland pasture dominated by the dwarf bamboo Sasa senanensis located in central Japan was evaluated over the course of 2 years. Data were collected during grazing seasons in three periods: early (June), mid- (August) and late (late September-early October) periods. During these periods, the number of experimental Japanese Black cows varied between three and six. With the exception of the dry matter (DM) intake in 2005 and the crude protein (CP) digestibility in 2006, the DM and CP intake and digestibility were lower in the mid- and late periods than in the early period for both years (P 0.05). Metabolizable energy intake was slightly insufficient for the requirement of the cows in the late period of 2005; in the mid- and late periods of 2006, the metabolizable energy intake was 0.4 to 0.5 times the requirement. These results suggest that the energy intake of cows grazing on forestland pasture dominated by S. senanensis would not satisfy their requirements starting in the mid-period (August) grazing, even though the pasture had abundant herbage resources during these periods.

This experiment was carried out to compare the effect of early feed restriction of different regimens on subsequent growth performance, carcass composition, and lipid metabolism in male ducks. One hundred and twenty meat-type male ducks (White Pekin) were assigned to 4 treatments at 7 days of age, namely: ad libitum feeding (control), 50% of ad libitum intake, rice hull-diluted diet feeding, and skip day feeding. Ducks were restricted for feed between 8 to 14 days of age. During this period, dietary rice hull-treated group was given diet containing 11% CP and 1, 430 kcal ME/kg, whereas other treatment groups were offered diet containing 22% CP and 2, 900 kcal ME/kg. A commercial finisher diet for broilers (18% CP; 3, 180 kcal ME/kg) was resumed following feed restriction until 49 days of age. Compensatory growth was attained at 49 days of age irrespective of restriction regimens due largely to their fast growth rate with better nutrient utilization during recovery period. Carcass fat contents decreased in ducks fed 50% of ad libitum or diluted diet but not in those fed skip day feeding when compared with controls at 14 and 49 days of age. The activities of hepatic fatty acid synthetase (FAS) and acetyl-COA carboxylase (ACC) decreased in ducks fed 50% of ad libitum and fed diluted diet at the end of 7 days feed restriction and tended to further decrease at 49 days of age. Serum triacylglycerol concentrations also declined in ducks fed 50% of ad libitum or fed diluted diet at both 14 and 49 days of age. The results suggested that early feed restriction could be used to improve growth performance and carcass characteristic of meat-type ducks and diet dilution regimen may have an advantage for practical application in meat-type duck production.

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of glycine (Gly) or glutamic acid (Glu) on growth performance, weights of breast meat and abdominal fat, and various lipid fraction contents in the liver, serum and breast meat of chicks fed a diet supplemented with DL-methionine (Met) plus L-cystine (Cys). The basal diet containing sulfur amino acids (0.64% of diet) was supplemented with Met plus Cys at 1.25% of diet (diet A). The diet A was supplemented with either glycine (diet A+Gly) or glutamic acid (diet A+Glu) at 5g/kg diet. Body weight and breast meat weight were significantly heavier in chicks fed the diet A+Gly than those fed the basal diet. Chicks fed the diet A+Glu increased feed efficiency compared with those fed the basal diet and diet A. The feed intake was significantly lower for chicks fed the diet A+Glu than for those fed the diet A+Gly. The addition of Met+Cys to the basal diet resulted in decrease in abdominal fat weight. Moreover, abdominal fat weight was lower in chicks fed the diet A+Glu than those fed the diet A alone. Met+Cys (diet A) results in the reduction of triglyceride contents in the liver and breast meat compared to the basal diet. Gly (diet A+Gly) could decrease the liver triglyceride content, while Glu (diet A+Glu) gave rise to an increase in it in comparison to the basal diet or the diet A. However, phospholipid content in the serum and breast meat of chicks fed Glu (diet A+Glu) was significantly lower than those fed Gly (diet A+Gly).

This experiment was conducted to determine the effects of dietary safflower phospholipids (crude safflower phospholipid and purified safflower phospholipid) on performance and lipid metabolism of laying hens. Sixty-week-old Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were divided into four groups of seven birds each, and were given one of four experimental diets containing 5% beef tallow (served as a control, tallow), a mixture of safflower oil and palm oil (SP-oil), crude safflower phospholipid (Saf-PLcrude), or purified safflower phospholipid (Saf-PL) for 7 wk. Egg production ratio and daily egg mass were significantly higher in hens fed Saf-PLcrude diets than in hens of the other diet groups. There were no significant differences in egg weight among groups. Liver cholesterol and triglyceride contents were significantly decreased in all treated groups as compared with the control. The activity of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3 methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase was the highest in hens fed the Saf-PLcrude diet. Serum esterified cholesterol concentration was decreased by feeding of SP-oil, Saf-PLcrude, or Saf-PL diets. Serum lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase activity was highest in hens fed the tallow diet. Excreta neutral steroid excretion was significantly increased in the Saf-PLcrude or Saf-PL diet groups, although acidic steroid excretion was not affected by dietary treatments. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, and phospholipid contents in egg yolks were not different for any dietary treatments. The fatty acid compositions of egg yolks from hens fed Saf-PLcrude diets were not different with those fed the SP-oil diet, although eggs of hens fed the Saf-PL diet showed lower total polyunsaturated fatty acids. These results suggest that dietary safflower phospholipids may be a valuable ingredient to layers for reducing liver triglycerides and serum cholesterol without any adverse effects.

点灯時間と消灯時間の比率を1:2とした種々の断続照明がブロイラー雛の成長,飼料要求率および肉質に及ぼす影響を連続照明下で飼育した雛と比較して検討した。2週齢まで連続照明下で飼育したブロイラー雄雛を3週齢から8週齢まで連続照明または30分点灯1時間消灯,1時間点灯2時間消灯,2時間点灯4時間消灯を繰り返す断続照明下で飼育した。4週齢までは断続照明下で飼育した雛の飼料摂取量および増体は連続照明下で飼育した雛より劣るが,5週齢以降は良好で,8週齢では照明処理による差はほとんど認められなかった。3週齢から8週齢までの平均飼料要求率には照明条件による差は認あられなかった。断続照明の周期が長いと肝臓および腹腔内への脂肪蓄積が増大する傾向が認められた。8週齢で観察した脚異常の発生率は断続照明下で飼育された雛において低減することが認められた。

飼料給与制限•再給与がブロイラー雌雛における成長,肝臓の脂肪酸合成,肝臓と血清中の各脂質画分,腹腔内脂肪重量および屠体成分に及ぼす影響を検討した.5日齢のブロイラー雌雛180羽を4区に分け,1区は自由採食とし,他の3区は,1区の採食量の50%をそれぞれの区に5,10あるいは15日間給与した.その後,各区とも56日齢の実験終了まで飼料は自由採食とした.自由採食区の50%に10あるいは15日間飼料給与量を制限した区では,56日齢における体重は自由採食区よりも明らかに小さかったが,飼料要求率は改善された.給与制限をした雛の腹腔内脂肪重量は27日齢では増加する傾向であったが,56日齢では減少した.肝臓のacetyl-CoA carboxylase活性は飼料給与制限終了時には低下し,自由採食として2日間と27日齢では明らかに増加したが,56日齢では低下した.15日間給与制限した雛のfatty acid synthetase活性は飼料給与制限終了時には低下したが,自由採食として2日目で増加し,その後27および56日齢では低下した.27日齢において,肝臓中トリグリセリドは5日間制限給与した雛で,血清中トリグリセリドは5日間あるいは15日間制限給与した雛でそれぞれ増加した.56日齢では肝臓中トリグリセリドは10あるいは15日間給与制限した雛で減少し,血清中トリグリセリドは給与制限したすべての雛で減少した.飼料給与制限した雛の血清中全コレステロールは27および56日齢で減少した.15日間の給与制限は27日齢および56日齢での屠体中の蛋白含量を増加させた.以上の結果は,ブロイラー雌雛を飼料給与制限•再給与することによって飼料要求率が改善され,腹腔内脂肪重量,肝臓での脂肪酸合成および血清中コレステロール濃度が低下した.しかし屠体中脂肪含量には影響が見られず,また10,15日間制限給与によって屠体中灰分含量が低下し,本実験における飼料給与制限•再給与プログラムはブロイラーの成長および屠体成分を改善しなかった.

Understanding the influence of regional dietary factors on the flavors of milk and dairy products will provide consumers with more options and promote the conservation of regional resources and the original terroir. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of regional differences in feeding systems on the composition, fatty acid content, and flavor of pasteurized milk at the farm level. Nine dairy farms using grass silage (GS), 6 farms using maize silage (MS), and 4 farms using by-products (BP) as the characteristic feed components were chosen for this survey. Fresh milk was sampled once per month from September 2008 to February 2009 at each dairy farm. The percentages of GS, MS, and BP (soybean curd residue or brewer's grain) in the feed were 32.4, 22.1, and 15.1%, respectively. The milk fat, protein, and lactose contents did not differ among the milks from farms with different feeding systems. Fatty acids with chain lengths of less than C16 and saturated fatty acids were present at higher concentrations in the milks from the GS and MS farms than in the milk from the BP farms; conversely, fatty acids with chain lengths greater than C18 and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), including mono- (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), were present at higher concentrations in the milks from the BP farms than in the milks from the GS farms. No significant differences were detected in milk flavor, evaluated as sweetness, body, texture, aftertaste, and palatability, between the milks from the farms with different feeding systems. The proportion of BP in the cow's diet was positively correlated with the concentrations of fatty acids with chain lengths greater than C18 and with UFA, MUFA, and PUFA. In contrast, the proportion of GS in the diet was positively associated with the levels of milk fat, protein, fatty acids with chain lengths less than C16, and SFA. The MUFA, PUFA, UFA, and fatty acids with chain lengths greater than C18 were not associated with any of the milk flavors. These results suggest the regional differences in feeding systems contribute to the differences in the fatty acid compositions of milk at the farm level. However, these differences do not influence the flavor of pasteurized milk. Thus, more specific feed profiles will be required to provide a specific regional flavor to pasteurized milk.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to quantify 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (TBC) and 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (MTBC) in human urine. Urine samples with added internal standard were subjected to a reaction with fluorescamine and solvent extractions to remove the precursor tryptamine, which readily condenses with aldehydes in samples and reagents. Such a pretreatment completely suppressed the artifactual formation of TBC and MTBC during analytical procedures. The purified original tetrahydro-beta-carbolines and the internal standard were separated by reversed-phase ion-pair chromatography with fluorescent detection. Their simultaneous separation was automatically completed in a short time (12 min). Both TBC and MTBC were quantified at ng/mL concentrations. The quantitative results revealed a wide variation in urinary levels of TBC and MTBC, possibly indicating that their considerable amounts excreted in the urine originate from dietary sources.

To recognize a fire, a person usually considers all information he can obtain such as the size of flame, the amount of smoke generated by the source, the location of flammable materials and other related conditions. The criteria for recognizing a fire are unclear and vary from person to person but human judgment is generally correct. This paper describes a fire detection system which uses a multi-layered neural network, which has been considered effective in recognizing and judging a situation with obscure factors such as a fire. This system uses the output of three different sensors: temperature, smoke and gas, and processes their output data to obtain information about the fire source, such as the heat release rate and the generation rate of smoke and gas. The real time data values and the previously collected data are then applied to a multi-layer neural network to obtain judgments about the state of the fire. After intensive studies, a new type of fire detection system has been achieved, which can not only form a proper analysis of gradually spreading fires but can also resolve one of the existing problems, false alarms caused by transient inputs, by identifying then suppressing them.

肝臓に次いで生体内コレステロール合成の臓器とされている小腸でのコレステロール合成が飼料にコレステロールを添加した際にどのような影響を受けるかを粘膜上皮細胞におけるHMG-CoA reduc-tase活性を測定し,検討した,成長中ヒナの飼料にコレステロールを添加することによって,肝臓および空腸におけるHMG-CoA reductase活性は,コレステロール無添加飼料給与に比べて,統計的に有意に低下し,回腸では低下する傾向が観察された.空腸でのこの酵素の活性は回腸より高かった.コレステロール添加飼料を給与すると,血清中のエステル型と遊離型コレステロール濃度,肝臓および空腸と回腸の上皮細胞中の遊離型コレステロール含量は,コレステロール無添加飼料給与に比べて統計的に有意に高かった.

1. Isolated hepatocytes from chicks were used to study the effects of pantethine supplementation to incubation medium on in vitro lipogenesis, CO2 production and beta-oxidation of fatty acid. 2. In vitro lipogenesis, determined by the incorporation of 1-[14C]acetate into total lipid and various lipid fractions, as depressed in concordance with the increase of pantethine concentration in the medium. 3. Incubation of isolated hepatocytes with pantethine resulted in a significant decrease (P < 0.01) in the activities of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase. 4. The results suggest that in vitro fatty acid synthesis from 1-[14C]acetate was depressed and CO2 production was elevated in hepatocytes of chicks through pantethine addition to the medium at a low level.

Recent surveys show that most of the false alarms of fire alarm systems are given by deceptive phenomena caused by human actions, such as cigarette smoking and cooking. Software-controlled systems have a potential ability in increasing the reliability of detection signals by data processing. However, it is rather difficult to distinguish an early stage fire from those deceptive phenomena only by processing the data of a single sensor. The authors' new algorithm utilizes the signals from three different sensors, i.e. temperature, smoke and gas (CO) concentration. Incorporating a mathematical fire model, these signals are translated into source parameters such as heat release rate, and smoke and gas generation rates. The conditions of the fire are then analyzed using the cross-correlation function between these source parameters. Testing the algorithm has been done using some experimental data and a promising result has been obtained.

This paper describes a quantitative method for neuroactive alkaloids, 1-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (MTBC) and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-beta-carboline (TBC), in rat brain by gas chromatography-negative-ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC-NICIMS). After addition of tetradeuterated MTBC and TBC (internal standards), the samples were subjected to deproteinization, reaction with fluorescamine, solvent extractions, trifluoroacetylation and GC-NICIMS analysis. In contrast to the other previous methods, the artifactual formation during analysis did not interfere with the determination of MTBC and TBC because their precursor tryptamine was removed as a fluorescamine derivative from the analytical system at the first step of pretreatment. MTBC and TBC were specifically and reliably determined in the range of pg-ng/sample. Application of the proposed method has revealed that the MTBC and TBC contents in rat brain significantly increase after intraperitoneal administration of MTBC and TBC, indicating their ability to easily cross the blood-brain barrier.

To investigate the effect of driedBacillus subtilisculture on growth, body composition and hepatic lipogenic enzyme activity, female broiler chicks were fed on either no additive (control) or driedB. subtills-culture-supplemented commercial diets (215 g crude protein/kg, 12.85 MJ metabolizable energy/kg) at 10 or 20 g/kg diet for 28 d from 14 to 42 d of age. Body weight, and moisture, fat, protein and ash contents of the body were not influenced by theB. subtilisculture. Feed efficiency. N utilization, the ratio of abdominal fat or liver to body weight, acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (EC6·4·1·2) activity, liver and serum cholesterol contents were significantly lower in treatment groups, while fatty acid synthetase activity and serum cholesterol concentration were not significantly different, compared with the control group. Liver triacylglycerol concentration was decreased in chicks given 20 g culture·kg diet, while serum and carcass triacylglycerol concentrations were significantly lower in treatment groups than in the control group. Serum phospholipid concentration was increased but carcass phospholipid concentration was decreased in chicks given 20 gB. subtilis/kg diet, while liver phospholipid concentration was not significantly influenced. The advantages of inclusion ofB. subtilisto the broiler diet included improved feed efficiency, less abdominal fat, reduced triacylglycerol concentrations in the liver, serum and carcass and reduced cholesterol concentrations in the liver and carcass.

The effect of an early skip-a-day feeding program on performance and body composition of broiler chicks fed high-protein realimentation diets was studied. One-day-old female broiler chicks were withheld from feed for 2 d (0 to 2 d of age), and at 7 d of age three pens of 15 chicks each were randomly assigned to one of five treatments. One treatment (as the control) involved ad libitum access to feed, and other four treatments were subjected to a skip-a-day regimen from 7 to 13 d of age. From 14 to 20 d of age, chicks of the five treatment groups were fed diets containing 21, 21, 25, 30, or 35% protein. Thereafter, chicks were fed a commercial finisher mash diet (18% CP and 3,160 kcal/kg ME) until 56 d of age. Restricted chicks exhibited compensatory growth during the refeeding period, but the 35% CP realimentation diet impaired this phenomenon as indicated by lower recovery index. Chicks of the skip-a-day program, regardless of dietary protein level, had less abdominal fat, as compared with chicks that ate ad libitum. In comparison with the control, less body fat and ash and greater protein contents were observed in chicks fed the 35% CP realimentation diet. Greater or less liver triglyceride content was observed in chicks fed 21% CP, or the 30 and 35% CP realimentation diet, respectively, whereas, less carcass triglyceride content was found in chicks fed 21 or 35% CP realimentation diet, as compared with the control group. In conclusion, data of current study show that female broilers subjected to skip-a-day feeding from 7 to 13 d of age fully recovered in body weight at 56 d, irrespective of dietary protein fed during the first 7 d after skip-a-day feeding. Skip-a-day feeding also resulted in reduced 56-d abdominal fat, irrespective of dietary protein fed from 14 to 20 d. Treatment effects on lipid components of livers and carcass varied, especially with respect to dietary protein concentration fed during early realimentation.