First records of two invasive species of thrips （Insecta： Thysanoptera） from Kyoto and Wakayama Prefectures

Two invasive species of thrips were recorded from Kyoto and Wakayama Prefectures. Adults and larvae of Haplothrips nigricornis were collected on flower heads of Tagetes patula at the University Farm, Kyoto Prefectural University in Shimogamo, Kyoto City and on those of Senecio madagascariensis in Gobo City, Wakayama Prefecture. Some adults of Tenothrips frici were captured on flower heads of Hypochaeris radicata on roadsides in Minamiyamashiro-mura, Kyoto, and in Wakayama City, Wakayama. We noted T. frici found in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, as the most northern locality in Japan

Records of thrips on bamboo, take and sasa (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) in the Kyoto Botanical Garden, with a special reference to ovoviviparity in Phlaeothripinae (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

Thrips on the bamboo, take, and sasa plants in the Kyoto Botanical Garden at Shimogamo in Kyoto City were collected in May and July of 2016. A total of 9 species was collected, five species were reported here for the first time from Kyoto Prefecture, and four of them seem to have close association with various bamboo, take, and sasa plants. Several species of thrips recorded here are predators of small arthropods. We mentioned that some predaceous or omnivorous tuburiferan thrips in Phlaeothrips-lineage and Haplothrips-lineage are likely to be ovoviviparous species

Additional records of fungus-feeding thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from Kyoto in Japan

We recorded four Thysanopteran species from Kyoto Prefecture, based on individuals collected on dead branches in 2020, and added other two fungus-feeding species to a list of thrips in Kyoto, based on literature by Okajima (2006

Surrogate marker of schistocytes

Objectives : Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT)-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an important early post-treatment condition. This study evaluated the Revised %MICRO, a parameter obtained from the ADVIA 2120i automated blood cell counter, as a surrogate marker of the schistocyte ratio. We hypothesized that individual differences between the %MICRO value and schistocyte ratio would remain constant. Design and Methods: EDTA-2K-treated peripheral blood samples were collected from 19 patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT from April 2014 to September 2018. First, the baseline difference, X, was calculated using a sample from the first day after HSCT as X = %MICRO (first day) – schistocyte ratio (first day). Next, the Revised %MICRO for each subsequent day was calculated as Revised %MICRO = %MICRO – X. We evaluated correlations of the schistocyte ratio with the calculated %MICRO and Revised %MICRO and the RBC fragment, RBC distribution width, %MICRO and Revised %MICRO data obtained from the ADVIA 2120i. Results : The mean schistocyte percentage and Revised %MICRO were both 0.4% ± 0.6. RBC fragments correlated weakly with the %MICRO and schistocyte ratio, respectively (r = 0.162 and r = 0.771, respectively), whereas the Revised %MICRO correlated strongly with the schistocyte ratio (r = 0.893). Conclusion : The Revised %MICRO appears to be a good surrogate of the schistocyte ratio in a clinical setting

Novel antimyeloma therapeutic option with inhibition of the HDAC1-IRF4 axis and PIM kinase

Multiple myeloma (MM) preferentially expands and acquires drug resistance in the bone marrow (BM). We herein examined the role of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) in the constitutive activation of the master transcription factor IRF4 and the prosurvival mediator PIM2 kinase in MM cells. The knockdown or inhibition of HDAC1 by the class I HDAC inhibitor MS-275 reduced the basal expression of IRF4 and PIM2 in MM cells. Mechanistically, the inhibition of HDAC1 decreased IRF4 transcription through histone hyperacetylation and inhibiting the recruitment of RNA polymerase II at the IRF4 locus, thereby reducing IRF4-targeting genes, including PIM2. In addition to the transcriptional regulation of PIM2 by the HDAC1-IRF4 axis, PIM2 was markedly upregulated by external stimuli from BM stromal cells and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Upregulated PIM2 contributed to the attenuation of the cytotoxic effects of MS-275. Class I HDAC and PIM kinase inhibitors cooperatively suppressed MM cell growth in the presence of IL-6 and in vivo. Therefore, the present results demonstrate the potential of the simultaneous targeting of the intrinsic HDAC1-IRF4 axis plus externally activated PIM2 as an efficient therapeutic option for MM fostered in the BM

キョウトフ カンムリジマ ニオケル オオミズナギドリ エイキョウカ ノ シンリン ノ グンラク コウゾウ

オオミズナギドリの繁殖地である京都府舞鶴市冠島において植生・土壌調査を行い,冠島の森林の群落構造について調査を行った。調査林分は,島嶼という孤立した環境であること,オオミズナギドリの営巣活動が盛んであったことからいずれも種多様性が低く,また極相樹種であるタブノキの後継樹となる小・中径木が少なく,タブノキ林が退行遷移を起こしやすい状態であることがわかった。タブノキの代わりに先駆的な樹種であるアカメガシワやヤブニッケイの小・中径木が多く確認され,タブノキ林に多く侵入していることが明らかになった。タブノキの林冠木が欠如した際,これらの樹種が一時的にギャップを埋める役割を果たし,再びタブノキ林へ遷移していく可能性が示唆された。また表層土壌のpHは1983年当時と同じく3.5 ～ 4.2程度と通常より低かったが,表層土壌のC/N 比の結果から土壌の肥沃度が比較的高いことが明らかになり,これがタブノキ林が長期間群落を維持していくうえで重要な役割を果たしていることが推察された

Anti-myeloma Activity by Thiazolidine-2,4-dione compounds

Proviral Integrations of Moloney virus 2 (PIM2) kinase is overexpressed in multiple myeloma (MM) cells, and regarded as an important therapeutic target. Here, we aimed to validate the therapeutic efficacy of different types of PIM inhibitors against MM cells for their possible clinical application. Intriguingly, the thiazolidine 2,4 dione family compounds SMI 16a and SMI 4a reduced PIM2 protein levels and impaired MM cell survival preferentially in acidic conditions, in contrast to other types of PIM inhibitors, including AZD1208, CX 6258 and PIM447. SMI 16a also suppressed the drug efflux function of breast cancer resistance protein, minimized the sizes of side populations, and reduced in vitro colony forming capacity and in vivo tumorigenic activity in MM cells, suggesting impairment of their clonogenic capacity. PIM2 is known to be subject to ubiquitination-independent proteasomal degradation. Consistently, the proteasome inhibitors bortezomib and carfilzomib increased PIM2 protein levels in MM cells without affecting its mRNA levels. However, SMI 16a mitigated the PIM2 protein increase and cooperatively enhanced anti MM effects in combination with carfilzomib. Collectively, the thiazolidine 2,4 dione family compounds SMI 16a and SMI 4a uniquely reduce PIM2 protein in MM cells, which may contribute to their profound efficacy in addition to their immediate kinase inhibition. Their combination with proteasome inhibitors is envisioned