Erratum to: Organochloride pesticides in California sea lions revisited

There has been an error in the publication of this paper [1]; the title should read: 'Organochlorine pollutants in California sea lions revisited'.     

Gliricidia sepium as an alternative protein supplement to cottonseed cake for smallholder dairy cows fed on Napier grass in Tanzania

Lack of availability, poor quality forages and cost of concentrate feeds, especially during the dry season, are some of the major problems faced by smallholder dairy producers in the tropics. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value and economic benefits of substituting cottonseed cake (CSC) by Gliricidia sepium (GS) for milk yield and composition of crossbred dairy cattle. In experiment one chemical composition of the two feeds and their dry matter degradability (DMD) were determined. GS had (P < 0.05) higher dry matter degradability (DMD) than CSC. Potential DM degradability (PDMD) and degradation rate constants (c) of CSC and GS did not vary (P > 0.05). In experiment two, four treatment diets, all based on Napier grass, maize bran, mineral/vitamin mixture and two levels each of GS and CSC, were fed to milk cows in a 4 × 4 Latin square experiment. The treatments were, T1 = 0 GS + CSC 18%, T2 = 18% GS + CSC, T3 = 23.4% GS + CSC and T4 = 39.7% GS + CSC. Cows on T1 and T3 showed (P < 0.05) higher total DMI, metabolizable energy intake (MEI) and milk yield than cows on T2 and T4. There were no differences (P > 0.05) in milk protein, butterfat and total solids contents between the treatments. Cost analyses showed diet T3 to be more profitable than the other treatments, suggesting that the use of GS in combination with CSC is more profitable than when either of the two was used alone.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A feline hemoplasma, 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum', detected in dog in Japan

We examined for 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' infection in 167 blood samples collected from domestic dogs between 2008 and 2009 in the Tohoku area, Japan, and found 5 (3.0%) were positive by PCR assay. This is the first demonstration of 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum', a feline haemotropic mycoplasma, in the dogs raised in Japan.     

Constitution of the ependyma in the chicken telencephalon

The constitution of ependyma derived from the ventricular zone is different from that derived from other regions of the central nervous system. In the mammalian cerebrum, the ependyma is varied by the regions to cortex or basal ganglia (BG). In the avian telencephalon (Tc), previous studies about the constitution of the ependyma have not revealed clear findings. In the present study, we performed immunostaining of ependymal cells in the chicken Tc to confirm differences in the ependyma of various regions. As a result, 4 patterns of ependyma were defined in the outer side of the lateral ventricle. In the base of the lamina pallio-subpallialis (LPS), ependyma consisted of vimentin/glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) double-positive cells, whereas in the base of the lamina frontalis superior, it consisted primarily of vimentin-positive cells and a small number of vimentin/GFAP double-positive cells. With the exception of the above, the pallial ependyma was a single layer containing vimentin single-positive cells. Lastly, the ependyma of the BG was rich in vimentin single-positive cells. The constitutional differences of the ependyma of the pallium and BG concerned differences in ependymal morphology and cell characteristics. These finding suggest that the bounder between pallium and BG is LPS at the point of ependyma.     

Developmental ability of vitrified mouse oocytes expressing water channels

Previously, we showed that the exogenous expression of aquaporin 3 (AQP3), an aquaglyceroporin, improved the tolerance of mouse oocytes to vitrification with a glycerol-based solution. In the present study, we examined conditions suitable for the expression of AQP3 and the ability of vitrified oocytes to develop in vitro and in vivo after fertilization. After only partial remove of cumulus cells, immature mouse oocytes (germinal vesicle stage) were injected with 5, 10 or 20 pg of AQP3 cRNA and cultured for 12 h for maturation. When matured oocytes were vitrified with a glycerol-based solution, 57-61% survived regardless of the amount of cRNA injected (5-20 pg). By contrast, no oocytes injected with water (control) survived. When the zona pellucida was removed from the vitrified oocytes and the oocytes were then fertilized in vitro and cultured, the proportions that were fertilized and developed into blastocysts were higher when the amount of cRNA injected was 5 pg than 10-20 pg. When 16 blastocysts were transferred to a pseudopregnant mouse, 5 developed to term, demonstrating that oocytes vitrified after injection of AQP3 cRNA retained the ability to develop to term. The water-permeability of cRNA-injected oocytes was higher than that of control oocytes from the maturing stage to the 1-cell zygote stage, whereas glycerol-permeability was higher only at metaphase II. This indicates that AQP3 was expressed for a relatively short period of time. These results suggest that the transient expression of water/cryoprotectant channels is effective for cryopreserving cells that have low membrane-permeability, such as mammalian oocytes.     

Two genetic clusters in swine hemoplasmas revealed by analyses of the 16S rRNA and RNase P RNA genes

Only two hemoplasma species, Eperythrozoon parvum and Mycoplasma suis, have been recognized in pigs. Here we demonstrate the genetic variations among six hemoplasma strains detected from pigs, by analyzing the 16S rRNA and RNase P RNA (rnpB) genes, and propose a novel hemoplasma taxon that has not been described previously. Phylogenetic trees based on the nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that these six hemoplasmas were divided into two clusters representing M. suis and a novel taxon. We further examined the primary and secondary structures of the nucleotide sequences of the rnpB gene of the novel taxon, and found it distinct from that of M. suis. In conclusion, we unveiled a genetic cluster distinct from M. suis, suggesting a new swine hemoplasma species or E. parvum. Our findings also suggest that this novel cluster should be included in the genus Mycoplasma.     

Assessing the diversity of dung beetle assemblages utilizing Japanese monkey feces in cool-temperate forests

Ecological investigation of the distribution and composition of dung beetle species utilizing feces of wild mammals has rarely been attempted, especially in cool-temperate forests. In this study we recorded and evaluated the community structure of dung beetle species utilizing feces of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) by conducting a macro-scale inventory survey in the northeastern Shirakami Mountains, located in the northernmost part of mainland Japan. Moreover, to assess the effect of human-induced forest disturbance on species assemblages in this cool-temperate area, we also carried out field sampling using pitfall traps baited with monkey feces in primary forests, secondary forests, and coniferous plantations, during every season except winter. Our findings were: (1) 14 dung beetle species comprising eight dwellers and six tunnelers utilized monkey feces; (2) Aphodius eccoptus was the core species in dung beetle assemblages attracted to the feces during spring and summer; (3) the frequency of occurrence of every species was extremely high in spring; and (4) human-induced forest disturbance did not increase species richness or biomass in cool-temperate forests.     

Chemical and mineralogical studies of volcanic ashes

The relationships between rock types and mineralogical properties of volcanic ashes were investigated using many volcanic ash samples from different volcanoes.

The heavy mineral fraction was dominated by two pyroxenes and ferromagnetic minerals In almost all the felsic and Intermediate volcanic ashes. Therefore, It was difficult to determine the rock types of felsic and intermediate volcanic ashes according to their heavy mineral composition. It was assumed that the presence of a large quantity of hornblende was related to the origins of the volcanic ashes. On the other hand, the predominant mineral in the heavy mineral fraction of mafic volcanic ashes was volcanic glass (refractive index about 1.59), followed by olivine.

The refractive indices (γ) of plagioclases and orthopyroxenes were 1.553–1,570 and 1.703–1.715 in the felsic volcanic ashes, 1.558–1.580 and 1.705–1,715 in the intermediate ashes, and 1.565–1.576 and 1.697–1.705 in the mafic ashes, respectively. These results indicate the difficulty of determining the rock types of volcanic ashes according to the optical properties of these minerals.