Global meta-analysis for controlling factors on carbon stable isotope ratios of lotic periphyton.

Carbon stable isotope ratios (δ(13)C) are widely used to trace resource transfer pathways, yet δ(13)C variation in freshwater autotrophs is not yet fully understood. We have analyzed data from 42 published studies, supplemented with some unpublished data, to show the determinants of lotic periphyton δ(13)C. At large spatial scales, we observed broad differences in periphyton δ(13)C among biomes and consistent longitudinal variation related to watershed area. Longitudinal increases in δ(13)C indicate the importance of in-stream processes on lotic carbon cycles and autotroph δ(13)C variation. At local spatial scales, periphyton δ(13)C was negatively related to canopy cover and water current velocity and positively related to chlorophyll a density. Autotroph δ(13)C varied among taxonomic groups. Cyanobacteria and red algae had significantly higher and lower δ(13)C than other taxa, respectively. A hierarchical model across spatial scales showed that local controls for periphyton δ(13)C were nested by regional controls, which suggested that productivity and CO(2) availability determine δ(13)C. Overall, our results reveal general patterns of periphyton δ(13)C and provide improved information for study design and the use of δ(13)C in isotopic mixing models in lotic food web studies

Seasonal changes of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios for dominant species: chironomid larvae, phytoplankton, and benthic diatom inhabiting strongly acidic Lake Katanuma

Lake Katanuma is a colcanic, strongly acidic lake (average pH of 2.2), located in Miyagi prefecture, Japan. Only a few spieccies are found in Katanuma; Chironomus acerbiphis larvae as benthic invertebrate, Pinnularia baunii as benthic diatom, and Chlamydomonas acidophila as phytoplnkton. We tried analyzing seasonal changes of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope raios foethese spicies in Lake Katanuma. Food souece analysis by isotope ratios clearly showed main food source for Chironomus acerbiphilus larvae was P.braunii (benthic diatom). δ1C values of P.braunii varied seasonally, while those of POM (mainly phytoplankton) remained fairly stable. The difference of stable isotope ratios in these orfanisms discussed.Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 2: 25-28(2004)departmental bulletin pape

Tyrosine metabolism of an acatalasemic patient and of the toxohor-mone treated mice

Tyrosine metabolism of toxohormone-treated mice and acatalasemic patient was not disturbed. These facts do not concur with the report of Zannoni and Bert who stated that catalase was an essential factor for the oxidation of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvic acid.</p

Influence of DNA extraction kits on freshwater fungal DNA metabarcoding

[Background] Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a common technique for efficient biodiversity monitoring, especially of microbes. Recently, the usefulness of aquatic eDNA in monitoring the diversity of both terrestrial and aquatic fungi has been suggested. In eDNA studies, different experimental factors, such as DNA extraction kits or methods, can affect the subsequent analyses and the results of DNA metabarcoding. However, few methodological studies have been carried out on eDNA of fungi, and little is known about how experimental procedures can affect the results of biodiversity analysis. In this study, we focused on the effect of DNA extraction method on fungal DNA metabarcoding using freshwater samples obtained from rivers and lakes. [Methods] DNA was extracted from freshwater samples using the DNeasy PowerSoil kit, which is mainly used to extractmicrobial DNA from soil, and the DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit, which is commonly used for eDNA studies on animals. We then compared PCR inhibition and fungal DNA metabarcoding results; i.e., operational taxonomic unit (OTU) number and composition of the extracted samples. [Results] No PCR inhibition was detected in any of the samples, and no significant differences in the number of OTUs and OTU compositions were detected between the samples processed using different kits. These results indicate that both DNA extraction kits may provide similar diversity results for the river and lake samples evaluated in this study. Therefore, it may be possible to evaluate the diversity of fungi using a unified experimental method, even with samples obtained for diversity studies on other taxa such as those of animals

Degree of high phenotypic plasticity in wild populations of Daphnia in early spring

Inducible defenses have been empirically known as defensive phenotypes that are triggered by predator kairomones. We hypothesized that morphological defense of wild Daphnia varies not only with predator density, but also with the predator regime in the field. We observed how the morphological defenses of two Daphnia species (D. ambigua and D. pulex) changed according to the population density in the water column at daytime of predatory insect larvae Chaoborus flavicans in Lake Fukami-ike, Japan, from February to July. In both Daphnia species, the inducible defense morphology was highly expressed in March and April. Its degree of expression decreased, and did not change with increases in predator density from May to July. These seasons are generally considered as when the number of the larvae and fish increases, and predation becomes more active due to their growth and breeding. We suggest that the degree of inducible defense of Daphnia is higher at the end of the overwintering season, when Chaoborus larvae began to inhabit the water column during the daytime and is constant in other seasons regardless of predators regime changes. Field observation of wild populations is important for understanding the seasonal changes in the morphology, and to provide more realistic explanations of phenomena in inducible defense

Decreased levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor relevant to the ossification disturbance in femoral heads spontaneous hypertensive rats.

Ossification disturbance in femoral head reportedly is seen in the Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR) between ages of 10 and 20 weeks. We investigated serum and tissue levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in SHR relevant to the ossification disturbance and osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Serum levels of IGF-1 and VEGF were significantly lower in SHR than in Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) at weeks 5, 10, 15 and 20 (p&#60;0.005). The incidence of histological ossification disturbance of the femoral head was higher in SHR (59%) than in WKY (40%) at week 20. Lower serum and local levels of VEGF in SHR appeared to be related to the incomplete ossification of the femoral heads. Immunohistochemical study showed significantly lower numbers of IGF-1 and VEGF positive chondrocytes in the femoral epiphyseal cartilage of SHR than in those of WKY at weeks 10, 15 and 20. Our results suggest that local and/or systemic levels of IGF-1 and VEGF between ages of 5 and 20 weeks might play roles in the pathogenesis of ossifi cation disturbance of the femoral head in SHR

Bigradient Phase Referencing

We propose bigradient phase referencing (BPR), a new radio-observation technique, and report its performance using the Japanese very-long-baseline-interferometry network (JVN). In this method, a weak source is detected by phase-referencing using a primary calibrator, in order to play a role as a secondary calibrator for phase-referencing to a weak target. We will be given the opportunity to select a calibrator from lots of milli-Jansky sources, one of which may be located at the position closer to the target. With such a smaller separation, high-quality phase-referencing can be achieved. Furthermore, a subsequent more-sophisticated calibration can relocate array's focus to a hypothetical point much closer to the target; a higher quality of phase referencing is available. Our demonstrative observations with strong radio sources have proved the capabilities of BPR in terms of image dynamic ranges and astrometric reproducibility. The image dynamic range on a target has been improved with a factor of about six compared to that of normal phase-referencing; the resultant position difference of target's emission between two epochs was only 62+-50 micro-arcsecond, even with less than 2300-km baselines at 8.4 GHz and fast-switching of a target-calibrator pair of a 2.1-degree separation.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

イタリア語教育の拡充とイタリアの大学との学術交流協定に向けた研究

学長特別研究費グローバリゼイションと人間　以下の2本の柱でもって当研究は展開される。「イタリア語教育の拡充」　本学では「イタリア語 I,II,III,IV」(土肥講師)においてイタリア語を学ぶことができるが、一年間のみ、初級のみ、という制限つきである。この2年間、学生数が伸び(1.5倍から2倍、履修者が30人弱になった)、また学生がイタリア語検定や弁論大会の場で少しずつ成績が残せるようになってきた。よっていくつかの策によって学生の高い関心と学習意欲にこたえる語学教育環境を整えるのを目的とする。　平成27年度カリキュラム改変の際には「イタリア語上級」の開講も見据える。「イタリアのぢあがくとの学術交流協定」　未だ本学は欧州大陸とのいかなる大学とも協定をもたず、国際文化学科を擁する大学としては未整備の状態にある。本学または浜松の街がイタリアの大学と共通関心事でもって結びつくことは難しくない。ボローニャ大学総合総合芸術学部、フィレンツェ大学外国語学科、ミラノ国科大学との協定締結(早くてH25年度か)を念頭に調査を行う。　協定のメリット・教員にとって　短期の研究もしくはサバティカル、国際シンポジウムの開催など・職員にとって　短期研修など・学生にとって　各大学の外国人センターで短期語学研修、ワークショップ参加など・大学にとって　「海外の提携大学が少ない」との声の払拭「グローバリゼイションと人間」を考える　外国語学習はグローバリゼイション時代を生き抜く術となる。　現状では、イタリア語の初球の授業が週に2回、一年間あるのみ、外国語習得の難関は多いが、脱落させない、挫折させないという理念を貫徹するために次の方策を考えている。・オリジナル教科書を作成（暗記のためのフレーズ集）・ネイティブ講師の招聘（最低でも1,2カ月に一度、計5回ほど）・イタリア語検定（10月,3月実施）4級と5級へのチャレンジ奨励（2000円分、20人程度に検定料を補助）・全国学生イタリア語弁論大会（12月開催）へのチャレンジ奨励（浜松＝京都の交通費を2人分）　また学生、教員、職員にとっての研修の場が可能となるような協定作りを、ボローニャ、フィレンツェ、ミラノそれぞれの大学で模索する。学内の国際交流委員会事務局の意向と関心に気を払いつつ調査を進める。・オリジナル教科書完成にむけての原稿作成。・ネイティブ講師を年に計4回招聘。・2011/10 と 2012/3 のイタリア語実用検定で5級合格者が計3名。・2011/11 イタリア出張により、協定校としてボローニャ大学が適当と判断。・第5回全国学生イタリア語弁論大会(2011/12)に本学から2名参加し、うち1名はスイス大使賞(5位に相当)を受賞。・2011/12 講堂にて声楽コンサート「ナターレ2011」を開催