Nesting and post-nesting studies of loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) at Omaezaki, Japan

Organized by Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University ; JSPS Bangkok Liaison Office ; Japanese Society of Bio-logging Science ; Informatics Research Center for Development of Knowledge Society InfrastructureDecember 13-15, 2004, Imperial Tara Hotel, Bangkok, ThailandNesting biology, measurement of body size and mitochondrial (mt) DNA haplotypes of loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta at Omaezaki Beach, Japan were investigated by collecting data and samples during night observations from 6 July to 6 August 2004. In addition, seven post-nesting females, which nested during this observation period, were tracked by satellite telemetry. A total of 33 females were identified in this observation period. Seven females nested twice, with a mean inter-nesting interval of 18.0 days. Even though our observations did not cover the entire nesting beach and period, the frequency of nesting was estimated at three, using a calculation based on the total number of nests at this beach in this nesting season. The range of straight carapace length (SCL) was from 65.8 to 91.6 cm, and the mean (±SD) size was 81.5±5.83 cm. The SCL of females at Omaezaki Beach is significantly lower than at other nesting sites in Japan based on calculation of 90% confidence intervals for mean SCLs. Two haplotypes were detected among 33 females using mitochondrial (mt) DNA analysis. Composition of these two haplotypes of nesting females at Omaezaki Beach was similar to nesting females at other nesting beaches in Japan. Post-nesting feeding grounds of seven loggerhead turtles released from Omaezaki consist of two areas, the northwestern North Pacific and the East China Sea. It is confirmed that nesting females at Omaezaki Beach were from the two groups using the different post-nesting feeding grounds and these two groups can be distinguished by their body size criterion of 85 cm. If different factors impact females in each feeding ground, monitoring the number of females and the composition of body size can be useful in assessing the impact to females

To invade or not to invade? Exploring the niche-based processes underlying the failure of a biological invasion using the invasive Chinese mitten crab

Invasive alien species represent a serious threat to global biodiversity, causing considerable damage to native ecosystems. To better assess invasion risks, it is essential to better understand the biological processes that determine the success or failure of invasions. The catadromous Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis, whose native distribution is the Pacific Coast of China and Korea, has successfully invaded and established populations in North America and Europe. In Japan, where E. sinensis is also regarded as potentially invasive and multiple introduction vectors exist, the species is not yet established. These settings can be used to explore niche-based processes underlying the apparent failure of a biological invasion. We first quantified native and invasive realized niches of E. sinensis in freshwater habitats using geometrical n-dimensional hypervolumes. Based on the assumption of niche conservatism, we then projected habitat suitability of this species in Japan using species distribution models (SDMs) calibrated with distinct sets of distribution data: native occurrences, invasive occurrences, and both. Results showed that E. sinensis has undergone either niche shifts or niche contractions during invasions in different areas of the world. Projections from SDMs indicate that although part of Japan is suitable for E. sinensis, this does not include the freshwater habitats around the Ariake Sea, which is considered to be a suitable marine environment for E. sinensis larvae. The mismatch between suitable freshwater and marine environments provides a possible explanation for the failure of establishment of E. sinensis in Japan to date. Our findings have useful general implications for the interpretation of biological invasions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

気管支喘息の臨床分類とその細胞性および液性因子の特徴

Characteristics of each asthma type classified by clinical symptoms and　findings were studied in 72 patients with bronchial asthma. 1. Ventilatory function tests showed that the values of % MMF, % V(50) and % V(25) were significantly lower in patients with bronchiolar obstruction (type II) compared to the values of those with simple bronchoconstriction type (type Ia) and those with bronchoconstriction + hypersecretion (type Ib). 2. The proportion of neutrophils in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was significantly higher in type II than in type Ia and type Ib. Several　patients with type Ib showed higher proportion of BAL eosinophils. 3. The release of LTC(4) from leucocytes was significantly lower in type II compared with type Ia and type Ib. There was no significant difference in the release of histamine and LTB(4) among the three asthma types.気管支喘息72例を対象に,その臨床病態の特徴を,気道炎症性の細胞および化学伝達物質の観察により検討した｡1.気道反応の特徴を換気機能の面から検討すると,II細気管支閉塞型において,MMF,V(50)やV(25)などの小ないし細気管支領域の換気障害を示すパラメーターの値は,Ia型,Ib型に比べ 有意の低下を示した｡2.気道細胞反応では,II型において,他の臨床病型に比べ,BAL液中好中球の出現頻度の有意の増加が観察された(Ia, p<0.001 ; Ib, p<0.01)｡好酸球の出現頻度は,Ib過分泌型において著しい増加傾向を示す症例が見られたが,その平均出現頻度には3病型間に有意の差は見られなかった｡3.好中球からのメジェー夕ー遊離では,ヒスタミン遊離は,Ia単純性気管支撃縮型において最も高い値が示されたが,推計学的には3病型間に有意の差は見られなかった｡ロイコトリエンC(4)では,Ia型においてII型に比べ有意に高い遊離が観察された(p<0.05)｡ロイコトリエンB(4)遊離には,3病型間に差は見られなかった

Germ Cell Transplantation Using Sexually Competent Fish: An Approach for Rapid Propagation of Endangered and Valuable Germlines

The transplantation of germ cells into adult recipient gonads is a tool with wide applications in animal breeding and conservation of valuable and/or endangered species; it also provides a means for basic studies involving germ cell (GC) proliferation and differentiation. Here we describe the establishment of a working model for xenogeneic germ cell transplantation (GCT) in sexually competent fish. Spermatogonial cells isolated from juveniles of one species, the pejerrey Odontesthes bonariensis (Atherinopsidae), were surgically transplanted into the gonads of sexually mature Patagonian pejerrey O. hatcheri, which have been partially depleted of endogenous GCs by a combination of Busulfan (40 mg/kg) and high water temperature (25°C) treatments. The observation of the donor cells' behavior showed that transplanted spermatogonial cells were able to recolonize the recipients' gonads and resume spermatogenesis within 6 months from the GCT. The presence of donor-derived gametes was confirmed by PCR in 20% of the surrogate O. hatcheri fathers at 6 months and crosses with O. bonariensis mothers produced hybrids and pure O. bonariensis, with donor-derived germline transmission rates of 1.2–13.3%. These findings indicate that transplantation of spermatogonial cells into sexually competent fish can shorten considerably the production time of donor-derived gametes and offspring and could play a vital role in germline conservation and propagation of valued and/or endangered fish species

p53 family network and human cancer

Since the 1980s cancer is the leading cause of death in Japan. Most human cancers exhibit inactivation of the p53 network, either through direct mutation of p53,or through disruption of regulatory pathways essential for p53 function.The tumor suppressor gene p53 encodes a transcriptional activator as a nodal point for cellular responses to several stress conditions. p53 is one of the most highly connected nodes in the cell,and an attack on p53 by mutation will disrupt basic cellular functions, particularly responses to DNA damage and tumor-predisposing stresses. p63 and p73 are functionally and structurally related to the tumor suppressor p53. Recent findings from others and us have provided evidence for a broader role for the p53 family than were previously reported. In this review, we provide an overview of the networks controlled by the p53 family as a framework for developing p53 family-based strategies to treat cancer

Impacts of climate change on the global potential distribution of two notorious invasive crayfishes

Invasive alien species and climate change are two of the most serious global environmental threats. In particular, it is of great interest to understand how changing climates could impact the distribution of invaders that pose serious threats to ecosystems and human activities. 2. In this study, we developed ensemble species distribution models for predicting the current and future global distribution of the signal crayfish Pacifastacus leniusculus and the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii, two of the most highly problematic invaders of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. We collected occurrence records of the species, from native and alien established ranges worldwide. These records in combination with averaged observations of current climatic conditions were used to calibrate a set of 10 distinct correlative models for estimating the climatic niche of each species. We next projected the estimated niches into the geographical space for the current climate conditions and for the 2050s and 2070s under representative concentration pathway 2.6 and 8.5 scenarios. 3. Our species distribution models had high predictive abilities and suggest that annual mean temperature is the main driver of the distribution of both species. Model predictions indicated that the two crayfish species have not fully occupied their suitable climates and will respond differently to future climate scenarios in different geographic regions. Suitable climate for P. leniusculus was predicted to shift poleward and to increase in extent in North America and Europe but decrease in Asia. Regions with suitable climate for P. clarkii are predicted to widen in Europe but contract in North America and Asia. 4. This study highlights that invasive species with different thermal preference are likely to respond differently to future climate changes. Our results provide important information for policy makers to design and implement anticipated measures for the prevention and control of these two problematic species.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Lineage-level distribution models lead to more realistic climate change predictions for a threatened crayfish

Aim As climate change presents a major threat to biodiversity in the next decades, it is critical to assess its impact on species habitat suitability to inform biodiversity conservation. Species distribution models (SDMs) are a widely used tool to assess climate change impacts on species' geographical distributions. As the name of these models suggests, the species level is the most commonly used taxonomic unit in SDMs. However, recently it has been demonstrated that SDMs considering taxonomic resolution below (or above) the species level can make more reliable predictions of biodiversity change when different populations exhibit local adaptation. Here, we tested this idea using the Japanese crayfish (Cambaroides japonicus), a threatened species encompassing two geographically structured and phylogenetically distinct genetic lineages. Location Northern Japan. Methods We first estimated niche differentiation between the two lineages of C. japonicus using n-dimensional hypervolumes and then made climate change predictions of habitat suitability using SDMs constructed at two phylogenetic levels: species and intraspecific lineage. Results Our results showed only intermediate niche overlap, demonstrating measurable niche differences between the two lineages. The species-level SDM made future predictions that predicted much broader and severe impacts of climate change. However, the lineage-level SDMs led to reduced climate change impacts overall and also suggested that the eastern lineage may be more resilient to climate change than the western one. Main conclusions The two lineages of C. japonicus occupy different niche spaces. Compared with lineage-level models, species-level models can overestimate climate change impacts. These results not only have important implications for designing future conservation strategies for this threatened species, but also highlight the need for incorporating genetic information into SDMs to obtain realistic predictions of biodiversity change.Peer reviewe

気管支喘息における副腎皮質ホルモン長期投与による免疫抑制と気管支肺胞洗浄液中好中球増多との関連

Cellular composition of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was compared　between two age-matched steroid-dependent　intractable asthma (SDIA) groups : 17 group A patients (serum IgG level 1200mg/dℓ). 1. The levels of serum IgA and IgM were significantly decreased in group A compared to the levels in group B patients. 2. The number of blood lymphocytes was also significantly lower in group A than in group B patients. However, the number of blood neutrophils was not different between the two asthma groups. 3.The number of BAL lymphocytes was significantly lower in group A than in group B patients. 4. BAL neutrophilia (more than 1.5×10 (4)/mℓ) was observed in 6 of the 17(35.3%) patients in group A, but not observed in any patients in group B. The number of BAL neutrophils was significantly greater in group A than in group B　patients. These results suggest that there is a correlation between immunosuppression by glucocorticoids and BAL neutrophilia in patients with bronchial asthma.ステロイド依存性重症難治性喘息を,免疫抑制の見られる症例(血清IgG値1000mg/dℓ以下)(グループA)と抑制の見られない症例(血清IgG値1200mg/dℓ以上)(グループB)の2群に分け,気管支肺胞洗浄液中の細胞成分について比較検討した｡1.血清IgAおよびIgM値は,グループBに比べ免疫抑制の見られるグループAにおいて有意に低い値であった｡2.末梢血リンパ球数は,グループAにおいて,グループBに比べ有意に少ない傾向が見られた｡しかし,末梢血好中球数は両群間に有意の差は見られなかった｡3.BAL液中リンパ球数は,グループBに比べ免疫抑制の見られるグループAにおいて有意に少 ない数であった｡4.BAL液中好中球増多(1.5×10(4)/mℓ以上)を示す症例は, グループAの17例中6例(35.3%)に見られたが,グループBでは全く 見られなかった｡また,BAL液中好中球数は,グループAにおいてグループBに比べ有意に多い数であった｡以上の結果により,副腎皮質ホルモン長期投与 による免疫抑制とBAL液中好中球増多とはある程度関連があることが明らかにされた