Spermiophagy in the male reproductive tract of some passerine birds.

In order to elucidate the locus and means of spermiophagy in passerine birds, we examined histologically the entire male reproductive tract of sexually mature birds of three passerine species with different forms of sperm competition, namely, the alpine accentor (Prunella collaris), the redflanked bush robin (Tarsiger cyanurus), and the Bengalese finch (Lonchura striata var. domestica). Spermiophagy occurred consistently and frequently in the epithelial layer of the seminal glomera and ejaculatory duct in each species, which were regularly identified by non-ciliated epithelial cells. The epithelial spermiophagy was occasional or infrequent in other portions of the seminal tract, and spermiophagy by macrophages was uncommon throughout the tract. Quantitative data in the seminal glomera and ejaculatory duct gave no clear answer concerning a possible relationship between the epithelial spermiophagy and different levels of sperm competition among these passerine species. In conclusion, the epithelial lining of the terminal region of the seminal tract is the main site for spermiophagy in the male reproductive tract of these passerine species, which activity serves to maintain the quality of semen by eliminating infertile spermatozoa as well as sperm remaining at the end of the breeding season.

Rice fields along the East Asian-Australasian flyway are important habitats for an inland wader's migration.

To maintain and recover populations of migratory waders, we must identify the important stopover sites and habitat use along migration routes. However, we have little such information for waders that depend on inland freshwater areas compared with those that depend on coastal areas. Recent technological developments in tracking devices now allow us to define habitat use at a fine scale. In this study, we used GPS loggers to track both spring and autumn migration along the East Asian-Australasian flyway of the little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) as birds moved to and from their breeding grounds, gravel riverbeds in Japan. The birds we tracked overwintered in the Philippines and made stopovers mainly in Taiwan and the Philippines. The most important habitat during the non-breeding season was rice paddy fields. Our findings imply that changes in agriculture management policy in the countries along the migration route could critically affect the migration of waders that depend on rice paddy fields. To maintain populations of migrant inland waders that move within the East Asian-Australasian flyway, it is necessary not only to sustain the breeding habitat but also wetlands including the rice paddy fields as foraging habitat for the non-breeding season.

Patient safety education using an arts and health approach in Japanese university hospitals: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, arts and health activities have been introduced into health care, and evidence of their effectiveness has been accumulating. However, few studies have examined this subject in Japan. METHODS: In this practice-based report, faculty of a Japanese school of medicine and a university of arts and design collaborated to explore the effectiveness of an arts and health approach in three different patient safety educational programs implemented in different university hospitals in Japan. RESULTS: The results of the programs demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating arts and health into patient safety management. CONCLUSIONS: Additional research is required to understand this further.

Male-specific mortality biases secondary sex ratio in Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus.

Sex allocation theory predicts that parents bias the offspring sex ratio strategically. In avian species, the offspring sex ratio can be biased at multiple growth stages, although the mechanisms are not well known. It is crucial to reveal a cause and timing of biased offspring sex ratio. We investigated (i) offspring sex ratio at multiple growth stages, from laying to fledging; and (ii) the stage at which offspring sex ratio became biased; and (iii) the cause of biased offspring sex ratio in Eurasian tree sparrows Passer montanus. Sex determination of 218 offspring, including hatchlings and unhatched eggs from 41 clutches, suggested that the offspring sex ratio was not biased at the egg-laying stage but was significantly female-biased after the laying stage due to higher mortality of male embryos. Half of the unhatched eggs showed no sign of embryo development (37/74, 50.00%), and most undeveloped eggs were male (36/37, 97.30%). Additional experiments using an incubator suggested that the cause of embryo developmental failure was a lack of developmental ability within the egg, rather than a failure of incubation. This study highlights the importance of clarifying offspring sex ratio at multiple stages and suggests that offspring sex ratio is adjusted after fertilization.

Full-Color Biomimetic Photonic Materials with Iridescent and Non-Iridescent Structural Colors.

The beautiful structural colors in bird feathers are some of the brightest colors in nature, and some of these colors are created by arrays of melanin granules that act as both structural colors and scattering absorbers. Inspired by the color of bird feathers, high-visibility structural colors have been created by altering four variables: size, blackness, refractive index, and arrangement of the nano-elements. To control these four variables, we developed a facile method for the preparation of biomimetic core-shell particles with melanin-like polydopamine (PDA) shell layers. The size of the core-shell particles was controlled by adjusting the core polystyrene (PSt) particles' diameter and the PDA shell thicknesses. The blackness and refractive index of the colloidal particles could be adjusted by controlling the thickness of the PDA shell. The arrangement of the particles was controlled by adjusting the surface roughness of the core-shell particles. This method enabled the production of both iridescent and non-iridescent structural colors from only one component. This simple and novel process of using core-shell particles containing PDA shell layers can be used in basic research on structural colors in nature and their practical applications.

Radioactive contamination of nest materials of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus due to the Fukushima nuclear accident: The significance in the first year.

The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident contaminated large areas of eastern and northeastern Japan, releasing vast amounts of radiation. Here we investigated radioactive contamination of the nest materials of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus from the breeding season of 2011 directly after the accident to the next breeding season of 2012 at two sites. In Tokyo (222 km southwest of the plant), ambient dose rates in the nestboxes were lower than those in Ibaraki (175 km southwest of the plant), where the levels of 2011 were higher than those of 2012. Further, the amount of radioactive Cs in each nest increased with the increase in nest weight, with a higher increment at Ibaraki than at Tokyo. These data suggested higher nest contamination levels in the breeding season directly after a nuclear accident than in later seasons, and an increment of nest contamination levels via nest materials of birds.