Preliminary investigations of prey pursuit and capture by king penguins at sea

Prey pursuit and capture by king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) were investigated with multiple data recorders in the Crozet Archipelago during the 1995/96 austral summer. Birds were fitted with a swim speed and depth data logger that sampled every second making possible fine-scale analyses of underwater behavior. Data were obtained for two birds for periods of 2.5 and 2.9 days, respectively. During each dive deeper than 30m, the swimming speed was constant at around 2m/s, defined as "cruising" speed. However, steep acceleration events ("dashes") were observed. These dashes occurred in "U", "W" and "Plateau" shaped dives. Based on their shape, these dashes were separated into "Rushes" (28% of all dash events) where penguins moved upward and increased their speed from the cruising speed; "Adjusts" (59%) where penguins swam also upward and increased their speed to return to cruising speed after a short slow-down, and "Intermediates" (13%) which were "Adjusts" events that briefly overshot the cruising speed. "Rushes" mainly occurred at the bottom phase of deep dives. They were followed by other dash events in 80% of cases. Moreover, "Rushes" lasted longer and the distance traveled during them was bigger compared to other dash events. "Adjusts" events were observed at the bottom phase and early part of the ascent phase. They were single events within a dive in 50% of cases. These results suggested that dashes, especially "Rushes" may be the main pursuit and capturing behavior performed by king penguins on patchily distributed preys in water deeper than 100m

Umbilical Cord Blood as an Alternative Source of Reduced-Intensity Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus–Associated T or Natural Killer Cell Lymphoproliferative Diseases

AbstractChronic Epstein-Barr virus–associated T/natural killer cell lymphoproliferative diseases represented by chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection are lethal but are curable with several courses of chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Recently, we reported that reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) provided better outcomes than myeloablative conditioning because RIC was less toxic. However, it was unclear whether cord blood transplantation (CBT) works in the context of RIC. We retrospectively analyzed 17 patients who underwent RIC followed by bone marrow transplantation (RIC-BMT) and 15 patients who underwent RIC followed by CBT (RIC-CBT). The representative regimen was fludarabine and melphalan based. The overall survival rates with RIC-BMT and RIC-CBT were 92.9% ± 6.9% and 93.3% ± 6.4%, respectively (P = .87). One patient died of lung graft-versus-host disease after RIC-BMT, and 1 patient died of multiple viral infections after RIC-CBT. Although cytotoxic chemotherapy was also immunosuppressive and might contribute to better donor cell engraftment after RIC-HSCT, the rate of engraftment failure after RIC-CBT was still higher than that after RIC-BMT (not significant); however, patients who had experienced graft failure were successfully rescued with a second HSCT. Unrelated cord blood can be an alternative source for RIC-HSCT if a patient has no family donor

Effect of Salivation by Facial Somatosensory Stimuli of Facial Massage and Vibrotactile Apparatus

We studied the effects of salivary promotion of fluid secretion after hand massage, and the apparatus of vibrotactile stimulation (89 Hz frequency, 15 min) in normal humans. Personal massage cannot be performed on handicap and stroke patients, and then giving hand massage to them for 5 min massage gives a tired feeling. So, we focused 3 min stranger massage. Salivary glands can discharge the accumulated saliva by extrusion from the acinus glands’ massages as described in the recent Japanese textbook. We think that this method may not produce realistic recovery. Our aim ideas are to relieve stress and increase temperature with lightly touch massage of the skin and for a 1 cycle of 1 s. We recorded RR interval of ECG, total salivation, facial skin temperature, OxyHb of fNIRS on the frontal cortex, and amylase activity for the autonomic changes. In increased 2°C of the facial skin temperature, the hand massage had a need for 3 min and the vibrotactile stimulation for 15 min. Increase from 700 to 1000 ms of RR intervals had a need for 3 min in the hand massage and had 15 min in the vibrotactile stimulation. Although vibrotactile stimulation needs long time of 4–7 years as effective recovery, hand massage may have more effect with a repetition of day after day

Subtypes of Familial Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis in Japan Based on Genetic and Functional Analyses of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes

BACKGROUND: Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a rare disease of infancy or early childhood. To clarify the incidence and subtypes of FHL in Japan, we performed genetic and functional analyses of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in Japanese patients with FHL. DESIGN AND METHODS: Among the Japanese children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) registered at our laboratory, those with more than one of the following findings were eligible for study entry under a diagnosis of FHL: positive for known genetic mutations, a family history of HLH, and impaired CTL-mediated cytotoxicity. Mutations of the newly identified causative gene for FHL5, STXBP2, and the cytotoxicity and degranulation activity of CTLs in FHL patients, were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 31 FHL patients who satisfied the above criteria, PRF1 mutation was detected in 17 (FHL2) and UNC13D mutation was in 10 (FHL3). In 2 other patients, 3 novel mutations of STXBP2 gene were confirmed (FHL5). Finally, the remaining 2 were classified as having FHL with unknown genetic mutations. In all FHL patients, CTL-mediated cytotoxicity was low or deficient, and degranulation activity was also low or absent except FHL2 patients. In 2 patients with unknown genetic mutations, the cytotoxicity and degranulation activity of CTLs appeared to be deficient in one patient and moderately impaired in the other. CONCLUSIONS: FHL can be diagnosed and classified on the basis of CTL-mediated cytotoxicity, degranulation activity, and genetic analysis. Based on the data obtained from functional analysis of CTLs, other unknown gene(s) responsible for FHL remain to be identified