Benthic macroinvertebrates in the Nishina Three Lakes and Lake Nojiri, highland lakes in Japan

order to clarifythe current status of the benthic communities in the Nishina Three Lakes (Lakes Aoki, Nakatsuna and Kizaki) and Lake Nojiri, highland lakes located atthefoot of the Japanese Northem Alps in Nagano Prefecture, We collected benthic macroinvertebrates on 1 and 2 August, 2007, Chironomidaeand Oligochaeta were the major CrOinvertebrates at all study sites and the taxonomic composition of Chironomidae was differentamong the sites. Sergentia was collected in Lakes Aoki andKizaki, whereas Chironomus was collected in all the lakes except Lake Aoki. Chaoboridae was collected at the center of the Lakes Nakatsunaand Kizaki but not in Lakes Aoki and Nojiri. The comparison of the densities of benthic maroinvertebrates with the previous studies suggests that the densities of Oligochaeta increased in Lakes Aoki,Kizakiand Nojiri, and Chironomus increasedinLake Nojiriin recent decades.Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 6: 95-102(2010)departmental bulletin pape

The effects made on "The General Health" and on "Acceptance to School Life" by constituent factors of "Belongingness to Classroom Group" of high school students

本研究では、「高等学校における学級集団帰属意識尺度」を用いて、高等学校における学級集団への帰属意識と精神的健康度、及び学校生活への適応感との関連について分析することを目的とした。まず、「高等学校における学級集団帰属意識」を構成する3因子の構造を「帰属疎外感」→「学級からの受容感」→「学級の魅力」とし、その最初の2因子「帰属疎外感」と「学級からの受容感」を取り上げ、それぞれの得点の平均値を基準に高群と低群に分け、4つのタイプに分類した。そして、それらと自尊感情、GHQ及び学校生活適応感尺度の各因子得点に対して一元配置の分散分析を行ったところ、「不安」や「不眠」、「身体的症状」といった精神的健康上の問題や、自尊感情や「友人関係」、「特別活動への参加態度」など社会的意味をもつものとの関連が示唆された。This study aimed at analyzing correlations between "Belongingness to Classroom Group", "The General Health" and "Adjustment to School Life", by using "Belongingness to Classroom Group Scale in high school" As a first step, causal analysi was used to determine temporary orders of three factors which constitute "Belongingness to Classroom Group in high school", and the earliest two factors of "Obstacle to Belongigness" and "Acceptance from Classroom" were taken up and, on the basis of an average of scores obtained, a high group and a low group were arranged to make them classified into 4 types. Then, one way analysis of variance was used for scores obtained by each factor of "Self-Esteem", "G.H.Q"., "Adjustment to School Life", and of above-mentioned 4 types. As a result, It was suggested that there were positive correlations with problems of the general health such as uneasiness, sleeplessness or physical symptoms, as well as with the matters having social significance like self-esteem, friendship, participation in special activity, and etc

An experiment on making "Belongingness to Classroom Group Scale" in high school.

本研究では、現代の高校生における学級集団への帰属意識の要因を明確にし、その学級集団への帰属意識の要因の構造をもとに、高等学校における学級集団への帰属意識とスクールモラールや、学校生活適応感尺度との関連性について考察した。まず、145名の高校生から学級集団への帰属意識の規定要因についての項目を収集し、高校生の心的リアリティーに添った具体的場面での46の質問項目を選定した。学級集団への帰属意識尺度の得点について因子分析を行ったところ、「学級からの受容」、「学級のまとまり」、「帰属阻害感」の3因子が抽出された。各因子尺度の信頼性分析により、信頼性が確認された。また、全ての並行検査との間に有意な相関がみられることから構成概念妥当性が支持されたと考える。In this study, factors of "Belongingness to Classroom Group" among high school students of today were clarified and the correlations with "School Morale" and "Adaptation to School Life Scale" were also investigated under the structure of those factors. To begin with, items of factors of "Belongingness to Classroom Group" were collected from 145 students and 46 questionnaires were selected from concrete situations meeting their mental reality. After that, factor analysis was done on the scores and three factors "Acceptance from Class", "Class Unity" and "Obstacle to Belonging" were extracted. By doing the reliability analysis, it is understood that sufficient reliabilities have been confirmed on these three factors. Also, significant correlations were observed with all tests done in parallel and therefore we think that the construct validity has been supported

Emergencetime and period of chironomid midges occurrlng from an indoor drainage

Mass emergence ofchironomidmidges often leads to severe nuisance conditions in food industries. We tried to clarifythe seasonal abundance and the emergence time of chironomids caught by a light traps in this industry. A total of38,708 chironomids was collected duringthe study period, andthe largest number of adult was recorded in fall. In addition, some chironomids were collected even in thewinter. These results suggest that air temperate in winter at this industry is highenough for emergence of chironomids.Asfbr emergence time,the number of chironomids increased around dawn and dusk,and decreased in the day and night. The results of the present study would be useful information for drafting planto prevent outbreaks of nuisancemidges from indoor sewage drain.Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 6: 109-114(2010)departmental bulletin pape

The Effect on Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Outcome of Genotype, Male Germ Cell Stage and Freeze-Thawing in Mice

BACKGROUND: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been widely used to study the mechanisms of mammalian fertilization and to rescue male-factor infertility in humans and animals. However, very few systematic analyses have been conducted to define factors affecting the efficiency of ICSI. In this study, we undertook a large-scale series of ICSI experiments in mice to define the factors that might affect outcomes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We used a 5 x 3 x 2 factorial design with the following factors: mouse genotype (ICR, C57BL/6, DBA/2, C3H/He, and 129/Sv strains), type of male germ cells (epididymal sperm, elongated or round spermatids), and their freeze-thawing treatment. The efficiencies (parameters) of each developmental step were analyzed by three-way ANOVA (significance level P<0.01). The type of male germ cells affected all the four parameters observed: oocyte survival after injection, cleavage of oocytes, implantation, and birth of offspring. Genotype affected the oocyte survival, cleavage and birth rates, whereas freeze-thawing had no effects on any of the parameters. There were significant genotype/cell type interactions for oocyte survival and cleavage, indicating that they were determined by a combination of strain and germ cell maturity. Multiple comparisons revealed that spermatozoa and elongated spermatids gave better implantation and birth rates than did round spermatids, while spermatozoa and elongated spermatozoa were indistinguishable in their ability to support embryonic development. The best overall efficiency (birth rate per oocytes injected) was obtained with frozen-thawed DBA/2 strain elongated spermatids (23.2+/-4.2%). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study provides the first comprehensive information on ICSI using the mouse as a model and will contribute to the efficient use of materials, time, and efforts in biomedical research and clinics involving ICSI

Reconstitution of Mouse Spermatogonial Stem Cell Niches in Culture

SummarySpermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) reside in specific niches within seminiferous tubules. These niches are thought to secrete chemotactic factors for SSCs, because SSCs migrate to them upon transplantation. However, the identity of these chemotactic molecules remains unknown. Here, we established a testis feeder cell culture system and used it to identify SSC chemotactic factors. When seeded on testis cells from infertile mice, SSCs migrated beneath the Sertoli cells and formed colonies with a cobblestone appearance that were very similar to those produced by hematopoietic stem cells. Cultured cells maintained SSC activity and fertility for at least 5 months. Cobblestone colony formation depended on GDNF and CXCL12, and dominant-negative GDNF receptor transfection or CXCL12 receptor deficiency reduced SSC colonization. Moreover, GDNF upregulated CXCL12 receptor expression, and CXCL12 transfection in Sertoli cells increased homing efficiency. Overall, our findings identify GDNF and CXCL12 as SSC chemotactic factors in vitro and in vivo

Paraproteinemia in a Patient with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Derived from the Myelodysplastic Syndrome : A Case Report

Severe paraproteinemia was found in a 75-year-old female with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) derived from refractory anemia with an excess of blasts, a type of the myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Immunoglobulin G-κ and G-λ paraproteins had increased in accordance with the proliferation of myeloblasts in her bone marrow. When the diagnosis of AML was made, a severe bleeding tendency and disturbance of consciousness due to the hyperviscosity syndrome were noted, although there was no significant increase in plasma cells in her bone marrow. An ultrasonogram disclosed multiple hyperechoic nodular lesions in the spleen. Cytoreductive therapy for AML was begun after plasma exchange, but she died of acute renal failure, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome. Autopsy findings revealed clusters of plasma cells in the spleen and lymph nodes. The possibility that this coexistant paraproteinemia and AML were related to the evolution of a transformed clone in MDS is discussed

In vitro Activities of Oral Cephem and Telithromycin Against Clinical Isolates of Major Respiratory Pathogens in Japan

The in vitro antibacterial activities of oral cephem antibiotics and ketolide telithromycin against major respiratory pathogens possessing β-lactam-resistant mutations (within the pbp gene) and/or macrolide-resistant genes (erm and mef) were examined in clinical isolates collected at 66 institutes in all over the Japan between 2002 and 2003. Telithromycin showed the strongest antibacterial activity against methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains with and without macrolide-resistant genes, such as ermA or ermC gene. All the cephem antibiotics showed potent antibacterial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.015 mg/L or lower. Cefdinir had a much higher MIC90 against genotypic penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (gPRSP) than cefditoren and cefcapene (8 mg/L cefdinir vs. 1 mg/L cefditoren and cefcapene). The majority of gPRSP harbored either ermB or mefA, and the antibacterial activity of telithromycin against these strains was decreased however some susceptibility was still sustained. Cefditoren exerted the strongest antibacterial activity against β-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant Haemophilus influenzae, with an MIC90 of 0.5 mg/L. These results underline the importance of checking the susceptibility and selecting an appropriate antibiotic against target pathogens