THE DEGREE OF FRUGIVORY OF BIRDS AS ESTIMATED FROM GASTRIC AND FECAL SAMPLES

The degree of frugivory (DF) has long been used to characterize the relative importance of fruits to the diet of a bird and, more recently, as a functional trait related to the role of birds in seed dispersal networks. Although quantitative estimations of DF are desirable, general, categorical classifications or coarse estimations of diet composition based in qualitative information are often used. Data on stomach, fecal and regurgitation contents scattered in the literature or easily obtained in the field could be used to provide a quantitative, potentially more reliable assessment of DF. We compiled such data from the literature and our own fieldwork to obtain 12,576 samples for 985 Neotropical bird species, of which 489 species (49.6%) from 61 families had at least one fruit-containing sample. Gastric (i.e. stomach plus regurgitation) and fecal samples provided similar estimates of DF, despite potential differences in the degree of food digestion. The DF we obtained were higher than those presented in the most frequently used source of quantitative DF estimates in the literature (the Elton Traits database). We further explored with a few study cases the utility of stomach, fecal and regurgitation samples to evaluate intraspecific geographic, sexual, and ontogenetic variations in DF, topics rarely investigated so far. We argued that stomach, fecal and regurgitation sample data abundantly available in the literature or obtained from mist-netted birds may be used to produce quantitative assessments of DF likely more reliable than the estimates used so far and useful for a plethora of ecological studies

Interactions of knowledge systems in shiitake mushroom production: a case study on the Noto Peninsula, Japan

石川県におけるキノコ生産について、ポランニー(1966)の概念枠組を援用して、知識体系の関係性と相互作用を分析している。具体的には、比較的結びつきが強い伝統的なコミュニティでの暗黙知と、外部の専門家から伝播されるマニュアル化された明示的知識を対象として、どちらの知識体系のほうがより効率的に高品質のキノコを生産しているのかを検証した。題材としては、能登半島においてブランド化が進められている「のとてまり」を対象とし、全体の生産量と、高付加価値の品質ランクになる頻度を、新規の農家と従来から干しシイタケ等を生産を実施してきた農家を比較した。 　　両者の生産量や効率の比較から、従来の農家が持つ知識である伝統的知識が必ずしも生産量の向上や効率に結びつくわけではなく、新しい技術の習得の阻害要因にもなる可能性が示唆された。具体的にはマニュアル化された、のとてまりのキノコ生産に、過去の知識が生産量と効率で貢献しておらず、むしろ、独自の判断での変更や省略化をしてしまう行動などが報告された。 This paper examines the relationships between traditional and modern scientific knowledge regarding shiitake mushroom production in the Ishikawa Prefecture of Japan. In the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, the success of a new variety of shiitake, the Noto-Temari brand, has boosted the number of farmers, the majority of whom are new to mushroom production. Looking at the production of raw and dried mushrooms of the Noto-Temari brand, the paper compares the knowledge systems of conventional farmers and the newcomers to mushroom production. In the case of the premium-quality Noto-Temari brand, the newcomers achieve a higher rate of production than the conventional mushroom producers do. We apply the knowledge conversion framework of Polanyi (1966) to understand the dynamics of the knowledge system, and find that, in our case, traditional knowledge and techniques can be productive but can also represent obstacles to the adoption of new technology. In other words, it is possible that a knowledge of conventional technology interferes with the utilization of modern knowledge to grow the premium-quality Noto-Temari brand. © 2015 The Japanese Forest Society and Springer Japan発行後1年より全文公開 / Author\u27s post-print on any open access repository after 12 months after publicatio

Ceramide structures involved in the recognition of Siglec-7

To analyze the binding specificity of a sialic acid–recognizing lectin, sialic acid-binding Ig-like lectin 7 (SIGLEC7), to disialyl gangliosides (GD3s), here we established GD3-expressing cells by introducing GD3 synthase (GD3S or ST8SIA1) cDNA into a colon cancer cell line, DLD-1, that expresses no ligands for the recombinant protein SIGLEC7-Fc. SIGLEC7-Fc did not recognize newly-expressed GD3 on DLD-1 cells, even though GD3 was highly expressed, as detected by an anti-GD3 antibody. Because milk-derived GD3 could be recognized by this fusion protein when incorporated onto the surface of DLD-1 cells, we compared the ceramides in DLD-1–generated and milk-derived GD3s to identify the SIGLEC7-specific GD3 structures on the cell membrane, revealing that SIGLEC7 recognizes only GD3-containing regular ceramides but not phytoceramides. This was confirmed by knockdown/knockout of the sphingolipid delta(4)-desaturase/C4-monooxygenase (DES2) gene, involved in phytoceramide synthesis, disclosing that DES2 inhibition confers SIGLEC7 binding. Furthermore, knocking out fatty acid 2-hydroxylase also resulted in the emergence of SIGLEC7 binding to the cell surface. To analyze the effects of binding between SIGLEC7 and various GD3 species on natural killer function, we investigated cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors toward GD3S-transfected DLD-1 (DLD-1–GD3S) cells and DLD-1–GD3S cells with modified ceramides. We found that cytotoxicity is suppressed in DLD-1–GD3S cells with dehydroxylated GD3s. These results indicate that the ceramide structures in glycosphingolipids affect SIGLEC7 binding and distribution on the cell surface and influence cell sensitivity to killing by SIGLEC7-expressing effector cells

A validation of the Japanese adaptation of the Big Five Inventory-2

The purpose of this study was to adapt a Japanese version of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2-J) to examine its factor structure, reliability, validity, and measurement invariance. The BFI-2-J assesses five domains and 15 facets of the Big Five personality traits. We analyzed two datasets: 487 Japanese undergraduates and 500 Japanese adults. The results of the principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the domain-facet structure of the BFI-2-J was similar to that of other language versions. The reliability of the BFI-2-J is sufficient. The correlation coefficients between the BFI-2-J and the other Big Five and self-esteem measures supported convergent and discriminant validity. Moreover, we confirmed measurement invariance across age and sex groups in domain-level and facet-level models. The results suggest that the BFI-2-J is a good instrument for measuring the Big Five personality traits and their facets in Japan. The BFI-2-J is expected to be useful in Japanese personality research and international comparative research

Exploring Alternative Futures in the Anthropocene

Many challenges posed by the current Anthropocene epoch require fundamental transformations to humanity’s relationships with the rest of the planet. Achieving such transformations requires that humanity improve its understanding of the current situation and enhance its ability to imagine pathways toward alternative, preferable futures. We review advances in addressing these challenges that employ systematic and structured thinking about multiple possible futures (futures-thinking). Over seven decades, especially the past two, approaches to futures-thinking have helped people from diverse backgrounds reach a common understanding of important issues, underlying causes, and pathways toward optimistic futures. A recent focus has been the stimulation of imagination to produce new options. The roles of futures-thinking in breaking unhelpful social addictions and in conflict resolution are key emerging topics. We summarize cognitive, cultural, and institutional constraints on the societal uptake of futures-thinking, concluding that none are insurmountable once understood

The Effect of Olive Leaf Extract on Hepatic Fat Accumulation in Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-fat Diet

Oleuropein, the active constituent of olive leaf extract, possesses anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. We aimed to assess whether the effect of olive leaf extract on hepatic fat accumulation is preventive or therapeutic. Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed a high-fat diet with (ODOD group) or without (HDHD group) olive leaf extract (1,000 mg/kg diet) for 38 weeks. Another group of rats were fed a high-fat diet for 23 weeks, followed by a high-fat diet with olive leaf extract (1,000 mg/kg diet) for 15 weeks (HDOD group). Serology, histopathology, anti-oxidative activity, and liver fatty acid synthesis were compared to those fed a standard diet (LDLD group) at 26 and 41 weeks of age. The serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride and aspartate aminotransferase tended to be lower in the ODOD group as compared to the HDHD and HDOD groups, although there were no significant differences. Histopathologically, hepatic steatosis tended to be less evident in the HDOD and ODOD groups as compared to the HDHD group, and lobular inflammation was not observed in the ODOD group at 26 weeks of age. Hepatic thioredoxin-1 staining tended to be less evident in the ODOD group than in the HDHD and HDOD groups at 41 weeks of age. There were no significant differences in hepatic lipogenic enzyme activities between the ODOD group and HDHD/HDOD groups. Our data suggest that olive leaf extract had a preventive, rather than therapeutic, effect on hepatic steatohepatitis in SD rats fed a high-fat diet

Natural capitals for nature’s contributions to people: the case of Japan

Recently, natural capital has gained the attention of researchers and policymakers to promote sustainability. Previous studies have investigated the value of ecosystem services with respect to specific areas or species. Other studies have investigated the value of various types of ecosystem services and natural capital by integrating a number of findings using meta-analyses at the global level. Although these studies have provided information on either the global value of natural capital or the local value of specific subjects, there is little evidence on the country-specific values of natural capital in Japan, which will provide useful information for national environmental policies. We investigated the perceived values of terrestrial and marine natural capital in Japan using internet surveys and payment card methods. Data on various natural forms of capital were collected in a unified format and comparable manner. We found that some explanatory variables, such as perceived importance and visit frequency, as well as sociodemographic characteristics, are significant drivers of the willingness to pay (WTP), which maintains each aspect of natural capital. In addition, we conducted future predictions of terrestrial and marine natural capital using a scenario developed in a previous study. Our results indicate that Japan should follow a population dispersed scenario for the sustainable management of natural capital up to 2050

Introducing ‘Anthropocene Science’: A new international journal for addressing human impact on the resilience of planet earth

Welcome to the new journal Anthropocene Science (eISSN 2731-3980), an exciting trans- and multidisciplinary international peer-reviewed journal for addressing human impact on the resilience of planet Earth, published by Springer Natur