In this study, we determined the residue levels and patterns of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hydroxylated PCBs (OH-PCBs) in the blood from eight species of toothed whales and three species of baleen whales stranded along the Japanese coast during 1999–2007. Pentathrough heptachlorinated congeners were the dominant homolog groups in all cetaceans. In contrast, specific differences in the...

The echolocating toothed whales and the filter-feeding baleen whales are traditionally considered as two monophyletic lineages that originated from the extinct cetacean suborder Archaeoceti. While current interpretation of the morphological and behavioural data sets supports toothed-whale monophyly, molecular phylogenies contradict this long-accepted taxonomic subdivision. The molecular data in...

We previously showed that microparts can be fed along a saw-toothed surface using simple planar symmetric vibrations. Microparts move forward because they adhere to the saw-toothed surface asymmetrically. We used saw-toothed silicon wafers fabricated by a dicing saw applying bevel type blades. We then studied the movement of 2012-type capacitors (size:2.0× 1.2× 0.6 mm, weight:7.5 mg) and 0603-t...

The taxonomy of Sattleria Povolný from the high mountain systems on the Balkan Peninsula and the adjacent parts of the Alps (south-eastern Alps, Dinaric Alps, Rila Mountains) is revised based on recently collected material and re-examined museum vouchers. Adult morphology and molecular data of the COI barcode region support the existence of six strictly allopatric species in this area, includin...

Composite culture of edible fishes (common carp, Cryprinus carpio; silver carp, Hypopthalmithys molitrix, grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella; catla, Catla catla; rohu, Labeo rohita; and mrigal, Cirrhinus mrigala) in rice fields in the Cauvery delta of Tamil Nadu, southern India, resulted in 81.0% reduction in the immature mosquito population of anophelines and 83.5% of culicines. Analysis of f...

Koi herpesvirus (KHV) infection is associated with high mortalities in both common carp (Cyprinus carpio carpio) and koi carp (Cyprinus carpio koi) worldwide. Although acute infection has been reported in both domestic and wild common carp, the status of KHV latent infection is largely unknown in wild common carp. To investigate whether KHV latency is present in wild common carp, the distributi...

Thelohanellus nikolskii infection of the common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) has been a common parasitosis in the Central European fish farms since the first detection of the parasite about 20 years ago. This parasite, introduced from the Far East, causes intensive infection on the fins of fingerlings of the carp subspecies cultured in Europe (European carp, Cyprinus carpio carpio). This infection...

A recently reported mRNA, encoding 'carbonic anhydrase-related polypeptide' (CARP) from the Purkinje cells of mouse cerebellum, was shown to have a 30-40% deduced amino acid sequence identity with the carbonic anhydrases (CA) of mammals. In order to compare the mouse and human CARP sequences, we used the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify human CARP sequences from several cDNA libraries...

Toothed whales and bats have independently evolved biosonar systems to navigate and locate and catch prey. Such active sensing allows them to operate in darkness, but with the potential cost of warning prey by the emission of intense ultrasonic signals. At least six orders of nocturnal insects have independently evolved ears sensitive to ultrasound and exhibit evasive maneuvers when exposed to ...

What is a dolphin? When you think of a dolphin you probably picture a bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus, the familiar star of oceanaria. But bottlenose dolphins are only one among sixtyseven living species in the fully aquatic mammalian order Cetacea and the diverse suborder Odontoceti (‘toothed whales’). In addition to possessing adult teeth, the many types of toothed whale are distinguis...