Practical Study for Conservation of Giant Salamander Andrias japonicus in Toyosaka, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan <Article>

オオサンショウウオAndrias japonicus は,日本の固有種であり国の特別天然記念物である。環境省のレッドリストでは絶滅危惧Ⅱ類(VU)に指定され,全国的に生息状況の悪化が危惧されている。東広島市豊栄町椋梨川においても,河川の人工化等によりその数が減少し,保護活動の担い手の高齢化に伴い,本種の生息状況に関する情報が極めて乏しい状況であった。そこで,本河川での本種の分布・生態を明らかにする野外調査を実施した。その結果,2011 年からの約2年間の調査で成体21個体と幼生10個体を確認し,本河川が本種の生息地であるだけでなく貴重な繁殖地であることを確認した。しかし,幼生を除けば全長60 - 86cm の大型個体しか確認されず,弱齢個体の個体群への新規加入が正常に起こっていない危険性も示唆された。本稿では,本河川における本種の現状が危機的であることを具体的に報告し,本種の保全にむけた持続的な活動の構築を目指した普及活動の成果と課題についても報告する。The giant salamander Andrias japonicas, which is endemic to Japan, is ranked as vulnerable. It is designated as a national special natural monument. Information on the giant salamander in Higashi-Hiroshima city is extremely scarce. To determine the current habitat of A. japonicas, we surveyed the Mukunashi River including areas where the giant salamander had lived in the past. Our surveys did find 21 adults and 10 larvae of A. japonicas within a two year period (from 2011 to 2013). However, we did not discover any young individuals of total length of 50 mm - 600 mm. This suggests that larval recruitment is not successful. This paper specifically reports that a critical situation exists for the giant salamander in the Mukunashi River in Higashi-Hiroshima City. And the publicity work aiming at conservation and its result are also reported

Soft X-ray Absorption and Photoemission Studies of Ferromagnetic Mn-Implanted 3CC-SiC

We have performed x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and resonant photoemission spectroscopy (RPES) measurements of Mn-implanted 3$C$-SiC (3$C$-SiC:Mn) and carbon-incorporated Mn$_{5}$Si$_{2}$ (Mn$_{5}$Si$_{2}$:C). The Mn 2$p$ core-level XPS and XAS spectra of 3$C$-SiC:Mn and Mn$_{5}$Si$_{2}$:C were similar to each other and showed "intermediate" behaviors between the localized and itinerant Mn 3$d$ states. The intensity at the Fermi level was found to be suppressed in 3$C$-SiC:Mn compared with Mn$_{5}$Si$_{2}$:C. These observations are consistent with the formation of Mn$_{5}$Si$_{2}$:C clusters in the 3$C$-SiC host, as observed in a recent transmission electron microscopy study.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Multifocal Motor Neuropathy

Objective: Our objective was to do an epidemiologic survey of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN) in comparison with those with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in Japan. Methods: In this retrospective study, we examined 46 patients with MMN and 1,051 patients with ALS from major neuromuscular centers in Japan from 2005 to 2009. Diagnosis was based on the European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society (EFNS/PNS) and the revised El Escorial criteria. The efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was also taken into consideration in the diagnosis of MMN. Results: The ratio of MMN to ALS patients (0-0.10) varied among the centers, but mostly converged to 0.05. The prevalence was estimated to be 0.29 MMN patients and 6.63 ALS patients per 100,000 population. Conclusions: The frequency of MMN patients was around 1 out of 20 ALS patients, and MMN was possibly underdiagnosed in some centers