Differences in oxygen and carbon stable isotope ratios between hatchery and wild pink salmon fry

We examined differences in otolith oxygen (δ¹⁸O_otolith) and carbon (δ¹³C_otolith) stable isotope ratios between hatchery and wild pink salmon fry. The δ¹⁸O_otolith values of hatchery and wild fry were ?7.7 ± 0.2 ‰ and ?8.3 ± 0.3 ‰ (1σ), respectively. This difference reflected differences in temperature conditions experienced by each fry. The δ¹³C_otolith values of hatchery and wild fry were ?19.2 ± 0.3 ‰ and ?11.1 ± 1.8 ‰ (1σ), respectively. The lower δ¹³C_otolith values of hatchery fry were probably related to their intake of artificial diets. Discriminant analysis of δ¹⁸O_otolith and δ¹³C_otolith values demonstrated a highly significant difference between hatchery and wild fry with 95.8 % classification accuracy. Therefore, analysis of δ¹⁸O_otolith and δ¹³C_otolith precipitated in the fry stage may be useful for discriminating the origin of returning adult pink salmon. The discrimination method for returning adult fish would provide important information for evaluating the effect of hatchery release and their impact on the wild population.     

Molecular typing and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Choleraesuis isolates from diseased pigs in Japan

Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) isolates derived from diseased pigs in Japan during 2001 and 2005 were analyzed for biotype, based on H(2)S production and dulcitol fermentation, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profile, and antimicrobial resistance profile. S. Choleraesuis biotype Choleraesuis (biotype Choleraesuis) was classified into one genotype, while varietas Kunzendorf (var. Kunzendorf) was classified into two genotypes. The isolates of var. Kunzendorf belonging to one genotype were isolated in a limited area of Japan. Variation in the antimicrobial resistance pattern was observed in isolates of both biotypes Choleraesuis and var. Kunzendorf. We have also shown that the PFGE profile was associated with the biotype and isolation region of each isolate.     

Palatability and physicochemical properties of sausages prepared via lactic acid fermentation and drying at low temperature

The present study aimed to assess the palatability of sausages undergoing low‐temperature fermentation and drying process. Lactobacillus sakei D‐1001 or Lactobacillus salivarius A001 were used as starter cultures for fermentation, and the following properties of the sausages were investigated: colony‐forming units of lactic acid bacteria; concentrations of lactic acid, protein, peptides, and free amino acids; distribution of protein; composition of free amino acids; and physical properties and taste. Alterations in the composition of proteins, peptides, and free amino acids as well as in various physical properties were caused by fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. A sensory test indicated that the palatability of the fermented sausages was greater than that of the non‐fermented sausages, particularly in terms of hardness and juiciness. This was considered to be due to protein degeneration and changes in the physical properties of the sausages as a result of fermentation by lactic acid bacteria. However, the taste of the fermented sausages was sourer than that of the non‐fermented sausages, and therefore, inferior. Our study revealed that the palatability of the sausages in terms of hardness and juiciness were increased by low‐temperature fermentation by lactic acid bacteria and the drying process.     

Rediscovery of Indian dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. sphaerococcum (Perc.) MK.) an ancient crop of the Indian subcontinent

Indian dwarf wheat (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. sphaerococcum (Perc.) Mac Key, synonym: T. sphaerococcum Perc.) is endemic to southern Pakistan and northwestern India. It was one of the main winter crops grown by ancient Indian cultures. However, it disappeared from the record during the early twentieth century, especially after the Green Revolution brought modern wheat varieties into India and Pakistan. Whether or not Indian dwarf wheat is presently cultivated has been unclear. Here we report on the rediscovery of the cultivation of this wheat in northern Karnataka and southern Maharashtra in India. Molecular genetic analysis of the chloroplast DNA of the two specimens collected at location 3 revealed that both samples have a unique haplotype that is specific to Indian dwarf wheat. We found this wheat at three locations in 2010, but at only one of the three locations in 2011. Therefore, the future survival of this subspecies is uncertain. Further ethnobotanical research is urgently needed to conserve this unique genetic resource for the future.     

人类放牧活动与气候变化对科尔沁沙质草地植物多样性的影响

为了解人类放牧活动和气候变化对我国北方沙质草地植物多样性的影响,笔者于1992-2006年在科尔沁沙地开展了草地放牧和封育试验,分析研究了人类放牧活动和降水、气温变化对草地植物多样性的影响.结果表明,1)放牧干扰对草地物种丰富度和多样性有着明显的影响,随着草地放牧干扰强度的增加,草地物种丰富度和植物多样性呈下降趋势,但只有持续重牧才会导致草地物种丰富度和多样性的明显降低;2)放牧干扰对草地不同生活型多样性和不同经济类群多样性的影响有很大差异,表现为随着放牧强度的增加,一年生植物多样性和禾本科植物多样性明显增加,多年生植物及菊科、藜科和杂类草植物多样性明显下降;3)不同放牧强度下的不同生活型多样性和经济类群多样性对气候变化的反应有很大差异,但除了重牧区菊科植物多样性与降水变化、中牧区杂类草植物多样性与气温变化达到显著相关外,其他相关性均未达到显著水平;4)在草地自然恢复演替过程中,暖湿气候有利于草地物种丰富度和多样性的增加,特别是可以明显促进多年生植物以及菊科、豆科植物多样性的增加,而持续暖干气候可以降低草地的物种丰富度和多样性,但对禾本科和藜科植物多样性的不利影响较小.     

Evaluation of three phytoplankton species as food for the pearl oyster <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinctada fucata</Emphasis>

In the pearl cultivation farms of the Ehime Prefecture, Japan, mass mortalities of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata have occurred since 1994. The occurrences of mass mortality roughly coincided with a shift of the dominant phytoplankton from Skeletonema and Chaetoceros to Chaetoceros and Nitzschia all of which belong to Bacillariophyceae. Hence, we evaluated Nitzschia, together with Chaetoceros and Isocrysis, as food for the oyster. Wet weights, lengths, widths, glycogen contents, and growth rates in terms of wet weight of the oysters in all the feeding treatments were significantly higher than those in the non-feeding treatment. The highest glycogen content (2.34%) and growth rate (2.21 g month⁻¹) were found in the Chaetoceros treatment. Growth rate in the Isocrysis treatment (1.63 g month⁻¹) was also high, although glycogen content in this treatment (0.41%) was low. In the Nitzschia treatment, growth rate of the oyster (0.94 g month⁻¹) was the lowest and glycogen content (0.83%) was also low relative to that in the Chaetoceros treatment. Chlorophyll a concentration in fecal pellets was lowest in the Nitzschia treatment (<2.7 μg mg⁻¹), suggesting more complete digestion of Nitzschia by the oyster. Thus, Nitzschia was edible and digestible but not assimilated by P. fucata. We propose the following scenario for the relationship between Nitzschia dominance and mass mortality. When Nitzschia dominates in a culture area, the physiological condition of P. fucata deteriorates due to low assimilation of Nitzschia by the oyster, followed by susceptibility of the oyster to infection by agents lethal to the oyster.     

Theoretical turnover rate of the rumen liquid fraction in dairy cows and its relationship to feed intake,rumen fermentation,and milk production

Ruminant animals are able to convert plant materials (grain and the human‐indigestible portion of carbohydrates) to milk and meat. In this conversion, most of the plant materials are digested by rumen fermentation and are changed to short‐chain fatty acids, microbial cells, and methane, which is released into the atmosphere. The relationships among feed, rumen fermentation, and milk production are poorly understood. Here we report a novel indicator of characteristics of rumen fermentation, theoretical turnover rate (TTOR) of the rumen liquid fraction. The TTOR was calculated from the presumed rumen volume (PRV) which is estimated by dividing the methane yield by the methane concentration of rumen fluid. The formula for the TTOR is: TTOR = PRV/body weight^0.75. Our present analyses confirm that the TTOR as an indicator is capable of connecting feed, rumen fermentation, and milk production, because dry matter intake/TTOR showed a strong correlation with milk yield/TTOR. In addition, the TTOR may be related to ruminal pH, as we observed that the ruminal pH decreased as the TTOR increased. We propose that the TTOR is a factor characterizing rumen fermentation and a good indicator of the productivity of ruminants and dysbiosis of the rumen microbiome.     

Stand structure and composition of a 60-year-old larch (Larix kaempferi) plantation with retained hardwoods

Tree retention is understood as a key practice in creating complexity, leading to heterogeneity in resources and habitats in managed stands. In this article, we clarify the long-term effects of tree retention on stand structure and tree-species composition in a 60-year-old Larix kaempferi plantation in central Japan. In our study plot (1.5 ha) there were 18 stems/ha of retained trees (determined by tree-ring analysis), mostly Quercus crispula. We conducted spatial analyses and tested the hypothesis that tree abundance, size structure, and species composition and diversity change with distance from the retained trees. Near the retained trees, L. kaempferi showed a reduction of 40%–60% in basal area, due presumably to the shading effect. In contrast, the nearby area showed greater species diversity in the canopy layer. The retained trees created patches of different species composition in the understory. The spatial gradient of shade and colonization opportunity provided by retained trees greatly affect the distribution of the colonized species, according to their shade tolerance and seed-dispersal ability, which resulted in the stand structure with a heterogeneous shrub-layer vegetation. Retention proved particularly important for the enhancement and long-term maintenance of structural and compositional complexity in L. kaempferi plantations.     

Volatile organic compounds from wood and their influences on museum artifact materials II: Inference of causal substances of deterioration based on intercomparison of laser Raman spectra of deteriorated products

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wood and their effects on artifacts are of intense interest to museum staff who must strictly manage the preservation environment. In this study, the causal substances of deterioration were inferred by comparison with laser Raman (LR) spectra of deterioration products. The artifact samples were deteriorated using VOCs from woods (WV test), and using specific substances that occur in wood VOCs (SV test). The deteriorated samples were analyzed by LR spectroscopy and the results of the WV and SV tests were compared. Hinokitiol and acetic acid were found to be two of the main causal substances of deterioration in western red cedar. Deterioration of iron and copper by spruce did not appear to be caused by acetic acid, as is generally assumed, but by some other unknown compound(s). Sensitivity to wood-based VOC components depended on the type of artifact. In western red cedar, mitsudasou (litharge) was very sensitive to acetic acid, while other artifacts were sensitive to hinokitiol. The LR method used in this study is very useful for the inference of causal substances of deterioration based on the detection of small amounts of deteriorated products such as those generated by deterioration due to wood VOCs. Part of this article was presented at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Japan Society for the Conservation of Cultural Property, Kyoto, June 2003