Alteration of hepatic ornithine decarboxylase and aniline hydroxylase activities following a single dosing of azathioprine to rats.

Hepatic ornithine decarboxylase and aniline hydroxylase activities increased as early as 6h after a single dosing of azathioprine tomale rats and reached maximum levels at the 12th h after the treatment. However, aniline hydroxylase activity dropped to levels mu lower than the cintrols 48 h following azathioprine treatment. The results are discussed with regard to the role of azqathioprine during the promotion of hepatocarcinogenesis.</p

A simple and rapid method for determining blood ammonia levels.

Blood ammonia levels in patients with various liver diseases were determined quantitatively by a simple and rapid method using the Amitest Meter System. The results were compared to those obtained by an enzymatic method and were well correlated. This simple Amitest is also useful in animal experiments, particularly when there is a need to determine blood ammonia levels serially. This paper test was evaluated as being accurate and reliable for clinical and experimental use.</p

Effects of insulin and glucagon on serum amino acid concentrations in liver disease.

The effects of insulin and glucagon administration on serum amino acid levels were investigated in patients with severe liver disease, since simultaneous injection of pancreatic hormones has been recently introduced as a therapeutic approach. The changes in serum amino acid concentrations, as observed 3 h after ceasing a 3 h infusion of insulin and glucagon in 500 ml glucose solution, were an elevation of serum branched chain amino acid (BACA) levels and of the molar ratio of BCAA/aromatic amino acid (AAA) levels in patients with liver cirrhosis. Similar increases of serum BCAA levels during the infusion were also observed in patients with fulminant hepatitis. The results suggest that insulin-glucagon therapy for severe liver disease has no harmful side effects at least with respect to alterations in the serum aminogram.</p

Conservation and Utilization of a Ramsar Site“ Kabukuri-numa and the Surrounding Rice Paddies" <Article>

日本のラムサールサイトの中で水田を積極的に対象にした最初の事例である「蕪栗沼及び周辺水田」では,関係者間の対立や理解を重ね,ガン・カモ類と農業との共生をめざす地域づくりが進められている。本稿では,それに対する東日本大震災前後の当地での取り組みについて関係者への聞き取り調査の結果をまとめ,ラムサール条約湿地におけるワイズユース(賢明な利用)が抱える問題・課題について考察する。蕪栗沼では「周辺水田」を対象に含めたことが,ラムサール登録に対する地元同意を得るために重要な意味を有し,かつ環境保全型農業が普及することに貢献した。日本の登録湿地の中で,農業・農村の振興と生物多様性の保全を積極的に結びつけようとした先駆的な事例であり,最近のラムサール条約締約国会議や生物多様性条約締約国会議での議論の方向性に合致している。震災から比較的早い立ち直りをみせているが,環境保全型農業を行い「安全・安心」をアピールしていた生産者ほど,放射能に対する風評被害を大きく受けるなど,深刻な問題に直面している。“Kabukuri-numa and the surrounding rice paddies" is the first case bearing the name of “rice paddy" in the Ramsar site of Japan. The residents around this site are aiming at community development and the coexistence of agriculture and geese. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the results of interviews about the efforts here before and after the Great East Japan Earthquake. And then we consider the problems related to wise use of the Ramsar site including the surrounding rice paddies in the target area, which enabled obtaining local consent for the Ramsar registration. And it has contributed to the spread of environmentally-friendly agriculture. Kabukuri-numa is a pioneering case that tries to actively link biodiversity conservation and promotion of the rural area. This effort is consistent with the discussions at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Conference of the Parties to the Ramsar Convention. This area has had a relatively early recovery from the earthquake. However, the environmentally-friendly farmers, who have claimed their agricultural products are “safe and secure", have suffered from significant harmful rumors about radioactive contamination

Lessons learned from Evaluation of an Eco-tour Designed to Support the Conservation Works for Wild Birds : A Case Study of Dollarbird Eurystomus orientalis (Buppousou) and Japanese Murrelet Synthliboramphus wumizusume (Kanmuriumisuzume) Watching Tour in Hiroshima Prefecture <Article>

ブッポウソウとカンムリウミスズメの保護活動を支援する環境事業として野鳥観察を中心としたエコツアーが広島県内で行われている。本稿では,広島市民を対象としたWEB アンケート調査と,ツアー参加者を対象とした,参加動機や評価に関するアンケート調査の結果を報告する。前者からは,鳥の知名度の低さにもかかわらず,1/4程度の回答者がツアーへの関心を示すとともに,野鳥保護や環境教育の効果を認めていることなどが明らかになった。後者からは,参加者が,いわゆる「マニア」層が中心となっていることを確認するとともに,ツアーの評価が,一般向けアンケートで重視される以上に,対象とした鳥を見られたかどうかに左右されることがわかった。今後,ツアー内容の充実や集客方法(宣伝方法)の検討が課題となる。An eco-tour designed to support the conservation works for wild birds is complemented in Hiroshima area. We clarified using two questionnaire surveys how the tour is evaluated. The survey for Hiroshima citizens shows that one forth of them express interest in the tour, instead of their blindness of the targeted birds. They accept a conservational value or an educational value of the tour. On the other hand, the survey for the tour participants shows that they are mainly the bird lovers, and that their evaluation of the tour are dependent on whether they could watch the targeted birds or not. It is necessary to improve tour programs and rethink about effective means of advertising, based on the results of these surveys