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We established a method to test if bones have been varnished with lacquer. Handheld X-ray fluorescence was employed to detect the elemental at the surface of porcine femoral bones (n=10) that served as lacquer-free bones (control group). Eight elements – silicon (Si), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and tin (Sn) – plus light elements (LE) showed a significant discrepancy between lacquer-varnished and lacquer-free bones (p<0.01). The ratio of Ca to P (Ca/P) served as an excellent index for preliminary evaluation of lacquer contamination of bones. Ultimately we created an effective equation, using a stepwise discriminant analysis, to test for contamination of lacquer at the surface of bones. In conclusion, this method could serve as an effective tool for preliminary screening of lacquer contamination on the surface of bones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oral cavity of dogs and cats is colonized by hundreds of bacterial species. Here, we describe the bacterial composition in the dental calculus of dogs and cats. Dental calculus samples from 43 dogs and 4 cats were pooled into four different groups. Dogs were categorized into three groups: non-small breed dogs (NSB), non-brachycephalic small breed dogs (SB) and brachycephalic small breed dogs (SBb). The fourth group included cats. Bacterial communities were identified based on 16S rRNA sequencing (V3 and V4 hypervariable regions) with the Illumina platform. The numbers of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified in the three groups of dogs were 180, 190 and 150 and in NSB, SBb and SB, respectively, while in cats there were 111 OTUs. In dental calculus from both dogs and cats, the phylum Firmicutes had the highest proportion of read number, especially the class Clostridia. PCoA and UPGMA analysis revealed differences in the microbiomes of canine and feline calculus. Our findings demonstrated that the bacterial communities in calculus seemed to differ from those in other sites of the oral cavity. Calculus may serve as a potential habitßat for the growth of bacteria linked to canine and feline periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cetaceans inhabit oceans throughout the world. Four specific odontocetes, namely Cuvier’s beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), Indo Pacific finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides), pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps), and dwarf sperm whale (Kogia sima), have occasionally been found stranded along Thailand’s coastal waters (the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand). Although shared haplotypes of each species for many locations have been found, and some species have revealed genetic structure through haplotype networks, cetaceans in Thai waters have never been investigated in terms of comparing haplotypes to those that have existed before. Herein, we have illustrated the matrilineally phylogeographic relationships among worldwide populations through Bayesian Phylogenetic tree computations using Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) and Median-Joining Networks (MJNs). Unique haplotypes of the control region mitochondrial DNA of Thai odontocetes were found for all species. Moreover, a high degree of worldwide haplotype diversity (hd) above 0.8 among the four species was detected, while the lowest degree of nucleotide diversity (π) was observed in the Indo Pacific finless porpoise (1.12%± 0.184%). An expansion of the effective female population size worldwide of three odontocete species was detected using Bayesian Skyline Reconstruction, but this did not include the Indo Pacific finless porpoise. Because Thai seas are located within the Indo Polynesian province, where this biodiversity hotspot exists, we speculate that these odontocetes may also inhabit specific habitats within the Malay Peninsula and Thailand’s territorial waters. Therefore, closer attention and monitoring of these cetacean populations will be necessary for future conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]