Supplement to the bryoflora confirmed or recorded in Miyajima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, SW Japan

広島県廿日市市宮島の植物について，厳島の自然（1975）の発刊後に標本あるいは文献等で記録されたコケ植物のリストと標本・文献情報等について報告した。標本や文献情報，現地調査の結果，今回が初報告となるOrthotrichum consobrinum Cardot タチヒダゴケとPhyscomitrium eurystomum Sendtn. ヒロクチゴケ，Ulota crispa (Hedw.) Brid. カラフトキンモウケ，Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dumort. ミカヅキゼニゴケ，Riccia stenophylla Spruce ホソバウキゴケを含め12種が1975年以降に新たに報告された。また，分類学的研究や分子系統学的研究などの証拠標本として28種の宮島産コケ植物が1975年以降に引用されていることが確認された。Since the 1975 publication “Land and Life in Itsukushima”, we have documented the addition of 12 bryophytes confirmed or recorded for Miyajima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, SW Japan. Based on previous publications, specimens and our recent investigations, we add Archidium ohioense Schimp. ex Müll.Hal., Brachythecium sakuraii Broth., Ditrichum lineare (Sw.) Lindb., Eccremidium minutum (Mitt.) I.G.Stone & G.A.M.Scott, Orthotrichum consobrinum Cardot, Physcomitrium eurystomum Sendtn., Timmiella anomala (Bruch & Schimp.) Limpr., Ulota crispa (Hedw.) Brid., Fossombronia japonica Schiffn., Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dumort., Riccardia marginata (Colenso) Pearson var. pacifica Furuki, and Riccia stenophylla Spruce. We also provide additional information on previously reported bryophytes, including Diphyscium lorifolium (Cardot) Magombo, Syrrhopodon tosaensis Cardot, Weissia exserta (Broth.) P.C.Chen, W. newcomeri (E.B.Bartram) K.Saito, Archilejeunea planifolia (Horik.) Mizut., Odontoschisma pseudogrosseverrucosum Gradst., S.C.Aranda & Vanderp., Trichocolea pluma (Reinw., Blume & Nees) Mont., and Tuyamaella molischii (Schiffn.) S.Hatt.本研究の一部は一般財団法人広島地球環境情報センターおよびJSPS科研費16K07481，科学研究費補助金（特定奨励費）の助成を受けたものです

Chronic thyroiditis in patients with advanced breast carcinoma: metabolic and morphologic changes on PET-CT

Purpose: to investigate clinical implications of FDG uptake in the thyroid glands in patients with advanced breast carcinoma by comparing metabolic and morphologic patterns on positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). Methods: the institutional review board waived the requirement for informed consent. A retrospective analysis was performed in 146 women (mean age 54 years) with advanced breast carcinoma who received systemic treatment. All patients underwent PET-CT before and after treatment. All PET-CT studies were reviewed in consensus by two reviewers. Morphologic changes including volume and mean parenchymal density of the thyroid glands were evaluated. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were determined to evaluate metabolic changes. These parameters were compared between patients with chronic thyroiditis who received thyroid hormone replacement therapy and those who did not. Results: of the 146 patients, 29 (20%) showed bilaterally diffuse uptake in the thyroid glands on the baseline PET-CT scan. The SUVmax showed a linear relationship with volume (r = 0.428, p = 0.021) and the mean parenchymal density (r = -0.385, p = 0.039) of the thyroid glands. In 21 of the 29 patients (72%) with hypothyroidism who received thyroid hormone replacement therapy, the volume, mean parenchymal density, SUVmax, and TLG of the thyroid glands showed no significant changes. In contrast, 8 of the 29 patients (28%) who did not receive thyroid hormone replacement therapy showed marked decreases in SUVmax and TLG. Conclusion: diffuse thyroid uptake on PET-CT represents active inflammation caused by chronic thyroiditis in patients with advanced breast carcinoma. Diffuse thyroid uptake may also address the concern about subclinical hypothyroidism which develops into overt disease during follow-up

Contents of the Digital Natural History Museum of Hiroshima University, especially in the field of biology

広島大学デジタル自然史博物館は，広島大学の開学以来長年にわたって蓄積された教育・研究に関する知的資産を外部に公開し，生涯学習や学校教育のために活用することを目的として設置されている。デジタル自然史博物館には生物学や地学とそれに関係する資料が含まれる。特徴のあるコンテンツとしてはコケ植物や世界遺産宮島に関するものがあげられる。コンテンツの大部分は日本語であり，アクセス数は2015年度以降増加傾向にある。今後，現在進めているMediaWiki を使ったシステムへの移行を進めるとともに，コンテンツの充実やICT を使った学習への対応，運用母体の強化などを通じて，教育・研究のためだけでなく地域貢献のためのリソースとして発展させる計画である。The Digital Natural History Museum of Hiroshima University is a cluster of web sites for dissemination and practical use of educational and research resources for lifelong learning as well as school education in collaboration with laboratories and centers of Hiroshima University, Japan. The museum site includes contents on biological, environmental and earth sciences, mainly in Japanese with some English, especially bryophytes and the world heritage listed Itsukushima (Miyajima) Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Online site access has increased since 2015. The museum site is now transferring the html based system to the MediaWiki system which is a free and open-source wiki software. For regional studies we plan to expand significantly the content of available resources to enable greater use and ease of access through information and communication technology (ICT)

High molecular weight amyloid β1-42 oligomers induce neurotoxicity via plasma membrane damage.

Amyloid β-protein (Aβ) molecules tend to aggregate and subsequently form low MW (LMW) oligomers, high MW (HMW) aggregates such as protofibrils, and ultimately fibrils. These Aβ species can generally form amyloid plaques implicated in the neurodegeneration of Alzheimer disease (AD), but therapies designed to reduce plaque load have not demonstrated clinical efficacy. Recent evidence implicates amyloid oligomers in AD neuropathology, but the precise mechanisms are uncertain. We examined the mechanisms of neuronal dysfunction from HMW-Aβ1-42 exposure by measuring membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, membrane lipid peroxidation, membrane fluidity, intracellular calcium regulation, passive membrane electrophysiological properties, and long-term potentiation (LTP). HMW-Aβ1-42 disturbed membrane integrity by inducing ROS generation and lipid peroxidation, resulting in decreased membrane fluidity, intracellular calcium dysregulation, depolarization, and impaired LTP. The damaging effects of HMW-Aβ1-42 were significantly greater than those of LMW-Aβ1-42. Therapeutic reduction of HMW-Aβ1-42 may prevent AD progression by ameliorating direct neuronal membrane damage.-Yasumoto, T., Takamura, Y., Tsuji, M., Watanabe-Nakayama, T., Imamura, K., Inoue, H., Nakamura, S., Inoue, T., Kimura, A., Yano, S., Nishijo, H., Kiuchi, Y., Teplow, D. B., Ono, K. High molecular weight amyloid β1-42 oligomers induce neurotoxicity via plasma membrane damage