Comparison of long-term changes in size and longevity of bee colonies in mid-west Japan and Maui with and without exposure to pesticide, cold winters, and mites

Four long-term field experiments in mid-west Japan (Shika) made it clear that extinction of colonies exposed to neonicotinoid was much higher than for colonies exposed to organophosphates. The incidence of hive death for of organophosphate-exposed and control (pesticide-free) colonies was similar. We conducted a field experiment in Maui for 271 days using the same pesticides (dinotefuran: 0.2 ppm, clothianidin: 0.08 ppm, fenitrothion: 1 ppm) as used in Shika with the honeybee, Apis mellifera, colonies without mites. Numbers of adult bees, capped brood, mites and other hive parameters were accurately counted on photographs of combs and on the inside of the hives. All six neonicotinoid (dinotefuran & clothianidin)-exposed colonies failed during the experiment. One of three organophosphate (fenitrothion)-exposed colonies and one of the three control colonies also failed. The findings from Maui, where colonies displayed no mites, provides evidence from Shika, with mites, that neonicotinoids are more hazardous to honeybee colonies than organophosphates. The apparent longevity of honeybee colonies on Maui was estimated by numbers of adult bees and capped brood using a mathematical model previously proposed. Seasonal changes in longevity on Maui differ greatly from changes at Shika, the latter showing distinct seasonal variation. Longevity on Maui remains nearly constant throughout the year with wide variations. At Shika, it increases drastically in winter, by six- to ten fold more than the other seasons. Differences seem to depend on the existence of cold winters and the length of flowering seasons. In a perpetually hospitable environment, small changes in conditions can be sensitively reflected in apparent longevity. Examining wide variations in apparent longevity that are seemingly incoherent, we recognized several differences in apparent longevity between neonicotinoid-exposed and organophosphate-exposed colonies: The colony that failed in after organophosphate-exposure colony group exhibited the longest apparent longevity and the fewest number of newly capped brood, as also was the case in control colonies. Extended longevity when few brood are newly produced is reasonable to maintain the colony from a physiological point of view. Extension of apparent longevity is not seen in neonicotinoid-exposed colonies when the number of newly capped brood is fewer. This finding suggests that neonicotinoid pesticides may inhibit normal apian physiology

Influence of dinotefuran and clothianidin on a bee colony

Recently it has become a serious problem that honeybees suddenly vanish in their colony, which is referred to as a colony collapse disorder（ CCD）. We have made it clear by the field experiments for about four months what effect neonicotinoid pesticides such as dinotefuran and clothianidin have on the occurrence of CCD. Eight colonies consisting of about ten-thousand honeybees in each colony were investigated under the practical beekeeping conditions in our apiary. In this study foods containing dinotefuran of 1 ppm to 10 ppm or clothianidin of 0.4 ppm to 4 ppm were fed into a beehive. Three levels of concentration were 10（ high-conc.）, 50（ middle-conc.） and 100 （low-conc.） times lower than that in practical use. The changes of adult bees, brood and the pesticide intake in each colony were directly examined. They suggest that each colony with the pesticide administered collapses to nothing after passing through a state of CCD, the high-concentration pesticides seem to work as an acute toxicity and the low- and middle-concentration ones do as a chronic toxicity. CCD looks mysterious, but it is just one of situations where a colony dwindles to nothing. We have proposed a CCD occurrence mechanism based on our results. The NMR spectral analyses of dinotefuran and clothianidin in aqueous solution give the speculations that both are thermally stable under the heating condition of 50 ℃ ×24 hours and dinotefuran is radiationally stable under the ultraviolet-irradiation condition of 310 nm×50 W/m2 but clothianidin is unstable

A novel ER export signal of STP transporters

Membrane trafficking is highly organized to maintain cellular homeostasis in any organisms. Membrane-embedded transporters are targeted to various organelles to execute appropriate partition and allocation of their substrates, such as ions or sugars. To ensure the fidelity of targeting and sorting, membrane proteins including transporters have sorting signals that specify the subcellular destination and the trafficking pathway by which the destination is to be reached. Here, we have identified a novel sorting signal (called the tri-aromatic motif) which contains three aromatic residues, two tryptophans and one histidine, for the plasma membrane localization of sugar transporters in the STP family in Arabidopsis. We firstly found that a C-terminal deletion disrupted the sugar uptake activity of STP1 in yeast cells. Additional deletion and mutation analyses demonstrated that the three aromatic residues in the C-terminus, conserved among all Arabidopsis STP transporters, were critical for sugar uptake by not only STP1 but also another STP transporter STP13. We observed that, when the tri-aromatic motif was mutated, STP1 was largely localized at the endomembrane compartments in yeast cells, indicating that this improper subcellular localization led to the loss of sugar absorption. Importantly, our further analyses uncovered that mutations of the tri-aromatic motif resulted in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) retention of STP1 and STP13 in plant cells, suggesting that this motif is involved at the step of ER exit of STP transporters to facilitate their plasma membrane localization. Together, we here identified a novel ER export signal, and showed that appropriate sorting via the tri-aromatic motif is important for sugar absorption by STP transporters

Assessment of energy expenditure using doubly labeled water, physical activity by accelerometer and reported dietary intake in Japanese men with type 2 diabetes: A preliminary study

The aim of the present study was to determine the total energy expenditure, physical activity and dietary intake of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus and control participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus who were matched for age and body mass index. The participants in the present study were 12 well‐controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and 10 controls, aged 40–75 years, with a body mass index <30 kg/m2. Total energy expenditure under free‐living conditions was assessed using the doubly labeled water method, and physical activity was measured using a triaxial accelerometer. Dietary intake was assessed using a self‐recorded food intake diary during the measurement period. Participants were instructed to record their dietary intake over 3 days, including 2 weekdays. Total energy expenditure was not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.153), nor were energy (P = 0.969) or macronutrient intakes. In conclusion, when age and body mass index are matched, total energy expenditure and self‐reported energy intake are not significantly different between type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and healthy controls

Simultaneous Validation of Seven Physical Activity Questionnaires Used in Japanese Cohorts for Estimating Energy Expenditure: A Doubly Labeled Water Study

Background: Physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) used in large-scale Japanese cohorts have rarely been simultaneously validated against the gold standard doubly labeled water (DLW) method. This study examined the validity of seven PAQs used in Japan for estimating energy expenditure against the DLW method.Methods: Twenty healthy Japanese adults (9 men; mean age, 32.4 [standard deviation {SD}, 9.4] years, mainly researchers and students) participated in this study. Fifteen-day daily total energy expenditure (TEE) and basal metabolic rate (BMR) were measured using the DLW method and a metabolic chamber, respectively. Activity energy expenditure (AEE) was calculated as TEE − BMR − 0.1 × TEE. Seven PAQs were self-administered to estimate TEE and AEE.Results: The mean measured values of TEE and AEE were 2,294 (SD, 318) kcal/day and 721 (SD, 161) kcal/day, respectively. All of the PAQs indicated moderate-to-strong correlations with the DLW method in TEE (rho = 0.57–0.84). Two PAQs (Japan Public Health Center Study [JPHC]-PAQ Short and JPHC-PAQ Long) showed significant equivalence in TEE and moderate intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). None of the PAQs showed significantly equivalent AEE estimates, with differences ranging from −547 to 77 kcal/day. Correlations and ICCs in AEE were mostly weak or fair (rho = 0.02–0.54, and ICC = 0.00–0.44). Only JPHC-PAQ Short provided significant and fair agreement with the DLW method.Conclusions: TEE estimated by the PAQs showed moderate or strong correlations with the results of DLW. Two PAQs showed equivalent TEE and moderate agreement. None of the PAQs showed equivalent AEE estimation to the gold standard, with weak-to-fair correlations and agreements. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings

Accuracy of 12 Wearable Devices for Estimating Physical Activity Energy Expenditure Using a Metabolic Chamber and the Doubly Labeled Water Method: Validation Study

Background: Self-monitoring using certain types of pedometers and accelerometers has been reported to be effective for promoting and maintaining physical activity (PA). However, the validity of estimating the level of PA or PA energy expenditure (PAEE) for general consumers using wearable devices has not been sufficiently established.Objective: We examined the validity of 12 wearable devices for determining PAEE during 1 standardized day in a metabolic chamber and 15 free-living days using the doubly labeled water (DLW) method.Methods: A total of 19 healthy adults aged 21 to 50 years (9 men and 10 women) participated in this study. They followed a standardized PA protocol in a metabolic chamber for an entire day while simultaneously wearing 12 wearable devices: 5 devices on the waist, 5 on the wrist, and 2 placed in the pocket. In addition, they spent their daily lives wearing 12 wearable devices under free-living conditions while being subjected to the DLW method for 15 days. The PAEE criterion was calculated by subtracting the basal metabolic rate measured by the metabolic chamber and 0.1×total energy expenditure (TEE) from TEE. The TEE was obtained by the metabolic chamber and DLW methods. The PAEE values of wearable devices were also extracted or calculated from each mobile phone app or website. The Dunnett test and Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients were used to examine the variables estimated by wearable devices.Results: On the standardized day, the PAEE estimated using the metabolic chamber (PAEEcha) was 528.8±149.4 kcal/day. The PAEEs of all devices except the TANITA AM-160 (513.8±135.0 kcal/day; P>.05), SUZUKEN Lifecorder EX (519.3±89.3 kcal/day; P>.05), and Panasonic Actimarker (545.9±141.7 kcal/day; P>.05) were significantly different from the PAEEcha. None of the devices was correlated with PAEEcha according to both Pearson (r=−.13 to .37) and Spearman (ρ=−.25 to .46) correlation tests. During the 15 free-living days, the PAEE estimated by DLW (PAEEdlw) was 728.0±162.7 kcal/day. PAEE values of all devices except the Omron Active style Pro (716.2±159.0 kcal/day; P>.05) and Omron CaloriScan (707.5±172.7 kcal/day; P>.05) were significantly underestimated. Only 2 devices, the Omron Active style Pro (r=.46; P=.045) and Panasonic Actimarker (r=.48; P=.04), had significant positive correlations with PAEEdlw according to Pearson tests. In addition, 3 devices, the TANITA AM-160 (ρ=.50; P=.03), Omron CaloriScan (ρ=.48; P=.04), and Omron Active style Pro (ρ=.48; P=.04), could be ranked in PAEEdlw.Conclusions: Most wearable devices do not provide comparable PAEE estimates when using gold standard methods during 1 standardized day or 15 free-living days. Continuous development and evaluations of these wearable devices are needed for better estimations of PAEE

Study for self-efficacy of intensive care unit nursing

ICU看護婦の看護ケアの自信（以下ICU看護ケアの自己効力とする）の程度を知り，ICU看護ケアの自己効力に影響する要因を明らかにすると同時に，ICU経験3年以上の15名の看護婦についてはICU看護ケアの自己効力とリーダーとしての自信（以後リーダーシップの自己効力とする）との関係を明らかにすることを目的する。ICU看護ケアの自己効力とリーダーシップの自己効力について尺度を作成し，ICU勤務の看護婦48名を対象として調査を行った。有効回答数は45で，平均年齢は27.8±5.0歳であった。その結果，以下の3点が明らかとなった。1．年齢，看護婦経験年数，ICUでの経験年数が増すごとにICU看護ケアの自己効力も上昇していた（年齢：r(s)＝0.35，pく0.05，看護婦経験年数：r(s)＝0.35，pく0.05，ICUでの経験年数：r(s)＝0.56，P＜0.01）。2．配属の希望の有無，職場に満足しているか否か，看護ケアが患者の回復に影響すると考えているか否かについては，ICU看護ケアの自己効力への影響を認めなかった。3．リーダー役割をとっている看護婦のICU看護ケアの自己効力とリーダーシップの自己効力の間には，有意な相関はみられなかった。The purposes of this study were; (1) to examine the self-efficacy of ICU nursing, and (2) to clear the factors related to the self-efficacy of ICU nursing, (3) to investigate between the self-efficacy of ICU nursing and the self-efficacy of leadership for 15 nurses who had experience more than 3 years in the ICU section. Subjects were 45 ICU working nurses whose average age was 27.8±5.0. Using originally designed scales of self-efficacy of ICU nursing and the self-efficacy of leadership, we found following results; (1) the self-efficacy of ICU nursing was significantly related to age (r(s)=0.35, p<0.05), duration of experience as a nurse (r(s)=0.35, p<0.05) and that of ICU (r(s)=0.56, p<0.01). (2) there were no significant relation between the self-efficacy of ICU nursing and desire to be ICU nurse, job satisfaction and belief in positive effect of her nursing care for patient's recovery. (3) the self-efficacy of ICU nursing didn't have significant relationship to the self-efficacy of leadership

Detection of RBM15-MKL1 Fusion Was Useful for Diagnosis and Monitoring of Minimal Residual Disease in Infant Acute Megakaryoblastic Leukemia

Acute megakaryocytic leukemia (AMKL) with t(1;22)(p13;q13) is a distinct category of myeloid leukemia by WHO classification and mainly reported in infants and young children. Accurate diagnosis of this type of AMKL can be difficult, because a subset of patients have a bone marrow (BM) blast percentage of less than 20% due to BM fibrosis. Therefore, it is possible that past studies have underestimated this type of AMKL. We present here the case of a 4-month-old female AMKL patient who was diagnosed by presence of the RBM15-MKL1 (OTT-MAL) fusion transcript by RT-PCR. In addition, we monitored RBM15-MKL1 fusion at several time points as a marker of minimal residual disease (MRD), and found that it was continuously negative after the first induction chemotherapy even by nested RT-PCR. Detection of the RBM15-MKL1 fusion transcript thus seems to be useful for accurate diagnosis of AMKL with t(1;22)(p13;q13). We recommend that the RBM15-MKL1 fusion transcript be analyzed for all suspected AMKL in infants and young children. Furthermore, monitoring of MRD using this fusion transcript would be useful in treatment of AMKL with t(1;22)(p13;q13)

Hematopoietic cell-derived IL-15 supports NK cell development in scattered and clustered localization within the bone marrow

骨髄のNK細胞の分化に造血細胞が産生するIL-15が必須である --2種類の局在を示すNK細胞の新規分化モデル--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-09-20.Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells critical for protective immune responses against infection and cancer. Although NK cells differentiate in the bone marrow (BM) in an interleukin-15 (IL-15)-dependent manner, the cellular source of IL-15 remains elusive. Using NK cell reporter mice, we show that NK cells are localized in the BM in scattered and clustered manners. NK cell clusters overlap with monocyte and dendritic cell accumulations, whereas scattered NK cells require CXCR4 signaling. Using cell-specific IL-15-deficient mice, we show that hematopoietic cells, but not stromal cells, support NK cell development in the BM through IL-15. In particular, IL-15 produced by monocytes and dendritic cells appears to contribute to NK cell development. These results demonstrate that hematopoietic cells are the IL-15 niche for NK cell development in the BM and that BM NK cells are present in scattered and clustered compartments by different mechanisms, suggesting their distinct functions in the immune response