Decomposing the effects of ocean environments on predator-prey body-size relationships in food webs

Body-size relationships between predators and their prey are important in ecological studies because they reflect the structure and function of food webs. Inspired by studies on the impact of global warming on food webs, the effects of temperature on body-size relationships have been widely investigated; however, the impact of environmental factors on body-size relationships has not been fully evaluated because climate warming affects various ocean environments. Thus, here, we comprehensively investigated the effects of ocean environments and predator–prey body-size relationships by integrating a large-scale dataset of predator–prey body-size relationships in marine food webs with global oceanographic data. We showed that various oceanographic parameters influence prey size selection. In particular, oxygen concentration, primary production and salinity, in addition to temperature, significantly alter body-size relationships. Furthermore, we demonstrated that variability (seasonality) of ocean environments significantly affects body-size relationships. The effects of ocean environments on body-size relationships were generally remarkable for small body sizes, but were also significant for large body sizes and were relatively weak for intermediate body sizes, in the cases of temperature seasonality, oxygen concentration and salinity variability. These findings break down the complex effects of ocean environments on body-size relationships, advancing our understanding of how ocean environments influence the structure and functioning of food webs

Downstream migration of newly-hatched ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) in the Tien Yen River of northern Vietnam

The ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is an annual, amphidromous, plecoglossid fish, distributed in Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. To date, ayu have been found only in two rivers in northern Vietnam, where little is known about their life history. The Tien Yen River is believed to be the most southwestern habitat for this species. To determine whether newly hatched ayu larvae drift and to understand their downstream migration, intensive surveys were conducted in the Tien Yen River from October to March of 2013–2016. In total, 529 drifting ayu larvae were collected from four of six sampling stations along the river. Thus, ayu reproduction has been confirmed in this river for the first time, where only adult fish had been found previously. However, we did not successfully collect larvae in the eastern branch of the river, which has a hydroelectric dam, suggesting that ayu do not inhabit this branch or else do not reproduce there. The presence of drifting larvae in the western branch from mid-December to late January implies that they spawn from late November to mid-January. Drifting larvae were captured primarily at night, but peak occurrences varied depending upon the day and the sampling station. With the range of body sizes and variable diel abundance patterns, ayu in the Tien Yen River probably employ multiple spawning grounds. This study provides fundamental life history data for the vulnerable ayu populations in northern Vietnam

Genetic diversity of Sicyopterus japonicus as revealed by mitochondrial DNA sequencing

To examine the genetic diversity of Sicyopterus japonicus, 448 sites of the control region of the mitochondrial DNA were analyzed in 77 specimens from the four localities of Okinawa, Kochi, Wakayama, and Shizuoka in Japan. A total of 74 haplotypes were found in the individuals examined. The same haplotypes occurred in Okinawa and Kochi, Kochi and Wakayama, and two specimens in Wakayama. The average sequence in genetic characteristics within localities varied from 1.7% in Kochi, 1.6% in Wakayama to 1.4% in Okinawa. There was no significant difference in genetic characteristics among the three locations of Wakayama, Kochi, and Okinawa (10,000 times permutation test, P>0.05). The number of specimens from Shizuoka was too small to compare to the other three locations. The neighbor-joining tree of the mitochondrial DNA haplotypes for all specimens constructed from the Kimura\u27s two-parameter distances suggested no evidence of genetic subdivision of S. japonicus. These results suggested that this species has a single panmictic population and their larvae probably have a high dispersal ability during their oceanic stage

本学の教育理念及びVision 150 を活かした共通英語教育開発のための基礎研究：１年目のまとめと考察

The aim of this paper is to report the results of our first-year research project named “fundamental research on developing new English language courses by actualizing the philosophy of education at DWCLA and principles of the vision 150 (English 2020)”. The paper consists of six parts. First, the overall research project English 2020 is briefly introduced. The second part discusses the aims of English language learning at the university. This is followed by the analyses of studentsʼ four skills on the TOEIC IP test. Next, we analyzed first-year studentsʼ strategies of English language learning. We also carried out a voluntary English class called “English salon” and reflected on these practices. Finally, the agendas of our monthly meetings regarding the research project up to the present time are briefly reported.論

The assessment of the quality of life (QOL) : A review of the literature on a self completed questionnaire for QOL (QUIK) and its revised version (QUIK-R)

本稿は、QUIK(self completed questionnaire for QOL)及び改訂版QUIK-R(self completed questionnaire for QOL revised)の文献的展望である。本論文は、QOLの概念、QOLの測定、QOLと気分障害との関連、さまざまな障害を有する患者のQOL、健常者のQOLと介護者のQOLの検討した内容を含んでいる。われわれが、ここで強調したいことは、QOL-Oriented-Medicineは、身体的-心理的-社会的-実存的な存在である個人のオートノミーと幸福を反映させることのできる医療(Medical Service)なのである。The article is a review of the literature on a self completed questionnaire for QOL (QUIK) and its revised version (QUIK-R) assessing QOL. It includes the contents of evaluating the concept of QOL, the measurement of QOL, correlation between QOL and mood disorders, QOL in patients with various disorders, QOL in healthy subjects and QOL of caregivers. We emphasize here that QOL oriented medicine is medical service which enables the happiness and autonomy of individuals, who are physical-psychological-social-existential beings.感情心理学の応用本研究は、平成18年度関西大学学部共同研究費において、研究課題「感情心理学とその応用」として研究費を受けたものの成果として公表するものであ

Simvastatin Prevents Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration in Experimental Parkinsonian Models: The Association with Anti-Inflammatory Responses

Background: In addition to their original applications to lowering cholesterol, statins display multiple neuroprotective effects. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors interact closely with the dopaminergic system and are strongly implicated in therapeutic paradigms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study aims to investigate how simvastatin impacts on experimental parkinsonian models via regulating NMDA receptors. Methodology/Principal Findings: Regional changes in NMDA receptors in the rat brain and anxiolytic-like activity were examined after unilateral medial forebrain bundle lesion by 6-hydroxydopamine via a 3-week administration of simvastatin. NMDA receptor alterations in the post-mortem rat brain were detected by [3H]MK-801(Dizocilpine) binding autoradiography. 6-hydroxydopamine treated PC12 was applied to investigate the neuroprotection of simvastatin, the association with NMDA receptors, and the anti-inflammation. 6-hydroxydopamine induced anxiety and the downregulation of NMDA receptors in the hippocampus, CA1(Cornu Ammonis 1 Area), amygdala and caudate putamen was observed in 6- OHDA(6-hydroxydopamine) lesioned rats whereas simvastatin significantly ameliorated the anxiety-like activity and restored the expression of NMDA receptors in examined brain regions. Significant positive correlations were identified between anxiolytic-like activity and the restoration of expression of NMDA receptors in the hippocampus, amygdala and CA1 following simvastatin administration. Simvastatin exerted neuroprotection in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat brain and 6- hydroxydopamine treated PC12, partially by regulating NMDA receptors, MMP9 (matrix metalloproteinase-9), and TNF-a (tumour necrosis factor-alpha). Conclusions/Significance: Our results provide strong evidence that NMDA receptor modulation after simvastatin treatment could partially explain its anxiolytic-like activity and anti-inflammatory mechanisms in experimental parkinsonian models. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the critical roles of simvastatin in treating PD via NMDA receptors

ハイセイ カンサイボウ ブンカ ニ オケル FLK1 CD31 オヨビ VE-cadherin ノ ハツゲン カラ ドウテイシタ シンキン ゼンク サイボウ

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(医学)甲第11779号医博第2892号新制||医||903(附属図書館)23519UT51-2005-F809京都大学大学院医学研究科内科系専攻(主査)教授 中辻 憲夫, 教授 山中 伸弥, 教授 篠原 隆司学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of Medical ScienceKyoto UniversityDA

Validation of otolith daily increments in the amphidromous goby Sicyopterus japonicus

To determine the periodicity of growth increment deposition in the otoliths of newly recruited larvae of the amphidromous goby Sicyopterus japonicus, an otolith validation experiment was performed. Larval gobies collected at the river mouth of the Ota River, Wakayama, Japan were immersed in an alizarin complexone (ALC) solution to mark the timing in their otoliths. After being held under natural light conditions for 15 days, they were treated with ALC again to make the second time mark. The number of growth increments between two ALC marks in the otoliths was 14.1 on average, which roughly coincided with the number of days between two ALC treatments. This experiment validated the daily periodicity of otolith growth increment deposition in S. japonicus showing that the otolith increments of the species can be used for age determination with daily precision