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A biological invasion reduces rates of cannibalism by Japanese toad tadpoles
Get PDFjournal articleBiological invasions can favour rapid changes in intraspecific competitive mechanisms such as cannibalism by imposing novel evolutionary pressures. For example, cane toad (Rhinella marina) tadpoles are highly cannibalistic on eggs and hatchlings in their invasive range in Australia, but not in their native range in South America. Whether such changes in cannibalism occur in invasive populations of other amphibian species is unknown. To explore this question, we collected wild-laid egg clutches of Japanese common toads (Bufo japonicus) from native and invasive populations in Japan, and conducted laboratory experiments to examine cannibalism responses. Contrary to the Australian system, we found that invasion has been accompanied by reduced cannibalistic tendency of B. japonicus tadpoles. This reduction has occurred despite invasive-range B. japonicus eggs/hatchlings being more vulnerable than native-range B. japonicus eggs/hatchlings to cannibalism by native-range conspecific tadpoles, and to predation by native-range frog tadpoles. Our findings thus support the idea that biological invasions can generate rapid changes in rates of cannibalism, but also show that decreases as well as increases can occur. Future work could investigate the proximate cues and selective forces responsible for this rapid decrease in rates of cannibalism by tadpoles in an invasive B. japonicus population.journal articl
Impact of Contract Farming on the Technical Efficiency of Broiler Farmers in Indonesia
Get PDFjournal articleThe objective of this paper is to estimate the effect of Contract Farming (CF) on the efficiency of broiler farmers in Indonesia. We used comprehensive socio-economic data of 438 broiler farmers in Indonesia. To achieve the objective we used causal-comparative research (CCR) design. Stochastic frontier production (SFP) employed to estimate farm efficiency. Then, the effect of CF on farm efficiency was estimated using propensity score matching (PSM). The results showed that the average technical efficiency of broiler farmers is 74.22%. Participation in CF increases TE by 7.4% and chick productivity by 12.5%. A policy that promotes farmer participation in CF is likely to improve the efficiency of broiler farmers since it is associated with improved input use intensity.journal articl
Actual Use of Human and Imported Antimicrobial Agents in Companion Animal Clinics
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Regional Changes and the Current State of Production Area Formation in Medicinal Crop Production : Based on Statistical Analysis
Get PDFjournal articleThe production of medicinal crops in Japan decreased sharply from around 1988 to around 2000, both in terms of the number of farms and the area under cultivation, due to factors such as the drop in the price of crude drugs. However, in 2010, due to export restrictions in China and soaring raw material prices, Herbal medicine manufacturers began to actively explore contract cultivation in Japan. In addition, the government has begun to pay attention to crops that will lead to the utilization of abandoned farmland and the revitalization of hilly and mountainous areas. There are moves aimed at forming a production area for medicinal crops, such as starting to hold a " Block Conference " . As a result, the cultivation area of medicinal crops is increasing. By the way, the above-mentioned understanding of the production situation of medicinal crops is mainly based on the analysis of domestic trends, and there are almost no analyzes of production trends by region. For this reason, this paper uses statistical data from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Japan Specialty Agricultural Products Association to analyze changes in production trends by prefecture during the production contraction period from the 1990s to 2000 and the production recovery period from 2000 to recent years. I confirmed it and tried to organize its characteristics. As a result, during the period when the production of medicinal crops increased, there were areas where production was newly increased and areas where production was recovering. In addition, in areas where production has recovered, there are areas where crops different from those cultivated so far are being cultivated. From this, it was confirmed that the re-expansion of medicinal crop production in recent years is progressing in a different direction from the formation of production areas in the past.journal articl
Isolation of Streptococcus mutans temperate bacteriophage with broad killing activity to S. mutans clinical isolates
Get PDFjournal articleBacteriophages are expected to be therapeutic agents against infectious diseases. Streptococcus mutans are involved in dental plaque formation related to dental caries and periodontitis. In S. mutans, lytic bacteriophages have been isolated previously, but the isolation of temperate bacteriophage has not been reported although their presence in the genome has been confirmed. Here, we report the isolation of temperate bacteriophage, φKSM96, from S. mutans. φKSM96 has a circular DNA 39,820 bp long and reveals Siphoviridae morphology. φKSM96 shows a broad range of susceptibility against S. mutans strains with different serotypes. By the addition of φKSM96, S. mutans growth and biofilm formation were significantly inhibited. In cocultures of S. mutans with other bacterial species, the proportion of S. mutans significantly decreased in the presence of φKSM96. In summary, φKSM96 shows selective anti-S. mutans activity. The isolation of temperate bacteriophage is important for future genetic manipulation to create more efficient bacteriophages.journal articl