Bacteriological and genetic assessment of game meat from Japanese wild boars

Bacterial tests were used to assess bacterial contamination of game meat from Japanese wild boars. The bacterial contamination of wild boar meat was less than that of domestic pork, as determined by aerobic plate counts (APC) and coliform counts. None of the meat examined in this study was contaminated by Salmonella or E. coli O-157. To detect adulteration by domestic pig meat or European wild boar meat, 46 samples of game meat sold as Japanese wild boar were examined genetically. A total of 17 samples showed genetic haplotypes of European and Asian domestic pigs in the D-loop of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), and 16 samples showed nuclear glucosephosphate isomerase-processed pseudogene (GPIP) genotypes of European domestic pigs. The European GPIP genotypes of these samples were confirmed by PCR-RFLP analysis. These results indicate that some game meat sold as Japanese wild boar is adulterated by cross-breeding between pigs and wild boars or by contamination with meat from domestic pigs or European wild boars.     

Effects of a high-protein diet versus dietary supplementation with ammonium chloride on struvite crystal formation in urine of clinically normal cats

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a high-protein diet versus dietary supplementation with ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) on struvite crystal formation in the urine of clinically normal cats by measuring the urine concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl)-insoluble sediment, urine pH, struvite activity product (SAP), number of struvite crystals in urine, and urine volume. ANIMALS: 23 healthy adult cats. PROCEDURE: Urine was fractionated by centrifugation with subsequent extraction of the sediment with 1 N HCl (study 1). Diets containing either 29% crude protein or 55% crude protein were fed to cats in a crossover trial of 3 weeks/period (study 2). Diets supplemented with either sodium chloride (NaCl) or NH4Cl were fed, by use of a 3 x 3 Latin-square design with 3 wk/period (study 3). In studies 2 and 3, urine samples were collected for the last 7 days of each period. RESULTS: The HCl-insoluble sediment contained Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THP; study 1). The high-protein diet (study 2) and dietary supplementation with NH4Cl (study 3) resulted in a decrease in urine pH, SAP, and the number of struvite crystals in urine. However, the high-protein diet decreased urine concentrations of HCl-insoluble sediment containing THP (study 2), in contrast to the NH4Cl supplementation that increased urine volume without a significant effect on the urine concentration of the HCl-insoluble sediment (study 3). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Our results indicate that compared with dietary supplementation with NH4Cl, the high-protein diet is preferable as a urine acidifier for the prevention of struvite crystal formation in clinically normal cats.     

Daily incremental lines in sika deer (Cervus nippon) dentine

This work was designed to observe the dentine incremental lines of the sika deer (Cervus nippon) fawns and to investigate their periodicity using the chronological labeling method with fluorochromes. The incremental lines were observed in decalcified specimens stained by Bodian's silver technique, and the fluorescence-labeled lines were observed in undecalcified and ground specimens. In the silver stained specimens, there were two types of lines, deeply stained thick lines and faintly stained minute regular incremental lines. The intervals and staining intensities of the deeply stained thick lines were very similar to those of the fluorescence-labeled lines in the ground specimens obtained from the same tooth, and hence, it appeared that the both lines were identical. The number of minute incremental lines between the deeply stained thick lines was the same as that of days between the time when each fluorescent labeling injection was made. Therefore, it seemed that each minute incremental line was formed each day. The possibility of age estimation in days using diurnal dentine increments was discussed.     

Chemical analysis of the product in acid-catalyzed solvolysis of cellulose using polyethylene glycol and ethylene carbonate

Degradation and decomposition of cellulose were studied in an acid-catalyzed solvolysis treatment of biomass using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and ethylene carbonate (EC). The solvolysis reaction was followed by a typical reaction system of wood liquefaction that uses sulfuric acid catalyst at 140° or 150°C at atmospheric pressure. The methods of fractionation and chemical analysis of the degraded cellulose in the solvolyzed product are discussed. The solvolyzed product was separated into several fractions, and they were hydrolyzed to release glucose and levulinic acid to determine the quantity of glucosides and levulinates in the solvolysis product. The data clearly showed that the solvolysis reaction had the same mechanism when using PEG or EC. Degradation of cellulose leads to the formation of glucosides, which then decompose, resulting in a levulinic acid structure, and producing a water-insoluble fraction. The conversion rates of both glucosides and levulinates strongly depend on the reaction conditions of the solvolysis. In particular, EC promotes faster conversion of the reactions. The method discussed here is a chemical analytical technique for characterization of the products of wood liquefaction.     

Perceptual learning incepted by decoded fMRI neurofeedback without stimulus presentation

It is controversial whether the adult primate early visual cortex is sufficiently plastic to cause visual perceptual learning (VPL). The controversy occurs partially because most VPL studies have examined correlations between behavioral and neural activity changes rather than cause-and-effect relationships. With an online-feedback method that uses decoded functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals, we induced activity patterns only in early visual cortex corresponding to an orientation without stimulus presentation or participants' awareness of what was to be learned. The induced activation caused VPL specific to the orientation. These results suggest that early visual areas are so plastic that mere inductions of activity patterns are sufficient to cause VPL. This technique can induce plasticity in a highly selective manner, potentially leading to powerful training and rehabilitative protocols.