Multi-year tracking reveals extensive pelagic phase of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles in the North Pacific.

BACKGROUND: The juvenile stage of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) can last for decades. In the North Pacific Ocean, much is known about their seasonal movements in relation to pelagic habitat, yet understanding their multi-year, basin-scale movements has proven more difficult. Here, we categorize the large-scale movements of 231 turtles satellite tracked from 1997 to 2013 and explore the influence of biological and environmental drivers on basin-scale movement. RESULTS: Results show high residency of juvenile loggerheads within the Central North Pacific and a moderate influence of the Earth's magnetic field, but no real-time environmental driver to explain migratory behavior. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest the Central North Pacific acts as important developmental foraging grounds for young juvenile loggerhead sea turtles, rather than just a migratory corridor. We propose several hypotheses that may influence the connectivity between western and eastern juvenile loggerhead foraging grounds in the North Pacific Ocean.

Active dispersal in loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) during the 'lost years'.

Highly migratory marine species can travel long distances and across entire ocean basins to reach foraging and breeding grounds, yet gaps persist in our knowledge of oceanic dispersal and habitat use. This is especially true for sea turtles, whose complex life history and lengthy pelagic stage present unique conservation challenges. Few studies have explored how these young at-sea turtles navigate their environment, but advancements in satellite technology and numerical models have shown that active and passive movements are used in relation to open ocean features. Here, we provide the first study, to the best of our knowledge, to simultaneously combine a high-resolution physical forcing ocean circulation model with long-term multi-year tracking data of young, trans-oceanic North Pacific loggerhead sea turtles during their 'lost years' at sea. From 2010 to 2014, we compare simulated trajectories of passive transport with empirical data of 1-3 year old turtles released off Japan (29.7-37.5 straight carapace length cm). After several years, the at-sea distribution of simulated current-driven trajectories significantly differed from that of the observed turtle tracks. These results underscore current theories on active dispersal by young oceanic-stage sea turtles and give further weight to hypotheses of juvenile foraging strategies for this species. Such information can also provide critical geographical information for spatially explicit conservation approaches to this endangered population.

Secreted calmodulin-like skin protein inhibits neuronal death in cell-based Alzheimer's disease models via the heterotrimeric Humanin receptor.

Humanin is a secreted bioactive peptide that is protective in a variety of death models, including cell-based neuronal death models related to Alzheimer's disease (AD). To mediate the protective effect in AD-related death models, Humanin signals via a cell-surface receptor that is generally composed of three subunits: ciliary neurotrophic factor receptor α, WSX-1 and gp130 (heterotrimeric Humanin receptor; htHNR). However, the protective effect of Humanin via the htHNR is weak (EC50=1-10 µM); therefore, it is possible that another physiological agonist for this receptor exists in vivo. In the current study, calmodulin-like skin protein (CLSP), a calmodulin relative with an undefined function, was shown to be secreted and inhibit neuronal death via the htHNR with an EC50 of 10-100 pM. CLSP was highly expressed in the skin, and the concentration in circulating normal human blood was ~5 nM. When administered intraperitoneally in mice, recombinant CLSP was transported across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-barrier and its concentration in the CSF reaches 1/100 of its serum concentration at 1 h after injection. These findings suggest that CLSP is a physiological htHNR agonist.

Extravascular injection of sclerotic agents does not affect vessels in the rat: experimental implications for percutaneous sclerotherapy of arteriovenous malformations.

OBJECTIVES: Sclerotherapy is useful for the treatment of arteriovenous vascular malformations. However, intravascular administration of sclerotic agents into small arteriovenous niduses is often difficult. Extravascular administration of sclerotic agents causes reduction of vascular flow on Doppler echo during clinical sclerotherapy. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether the extravascular injection of sclerotic agents affects tiny vessels. DESIGN: Animal study. MATERIALS: The effect of extravascular injection of sclerotic agents on vessels was investigated using rat femoral and superficial inferior epigastric vessels. METHODS: After surgical exposure of vessels, absolute ethanol, 5% ethanolamine oleate and 3% polidocanol were injected into perivascular surrounding tissues, and their effect on vessels was evaluated after 14 days using histology and coloured silicone rubber injection. RESULTS: The integrity of the vascular lumen, endothelial cells and vascular patency were not affected by injection of sclerotic agents. CONCLUSIONS: Attenuation of vascular flow of an arteriovenous shunt after extravascular injection of sclerotic agents is transient and/or trivial and does not cause disruption of vessels. Therefore, sclerotic agents should be delivered to obtain sufficient destruction of arteriovenous malformation lesions and blood flow.

Fermi surface and superconductivity in low-density high-mobility δ-doped SrTiO3.

The electronic structure of low-density n-type SrTiO3 δ-doped heterostructures is investigated by angular dependent Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. In addition to a controllable crossover from a three- to two-dimensional Fermi surface, clear beating patterns for decreasing dopant layer thicknesses are found. These indicate the lifting of the degeneracy of the conduction band due to subband quantization in the two-dimensional limit. Analysis of the temperature-dependent oscillations shows that similar effective masses are found for all components, associated with the splitting of the light electron pocket. The dimensionality crossover in the superconducting state is found to be distinct from the normal state, resulting in a rich phase diagram as a function of dopant layer thickness.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation of embryogenic tissue and transgenic plant regeneration in Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.

A genetic transformation procedure for Chamaecyparis obtusa was developed after co-cultivation of embryogenic tissues with disarmed Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58/pMP90, which harbours the sgfp (synthetic green fluorescent protein) visual reporter and nptII (neomycin phoshotransferase II) selectable marker genes. The highest transformation frequency was 22.5 independent transformed lines per dish (250 mg embryogenic tissue) following selection on kanamycin medium. Transgenic plantlets were regenerated through the maturation and germination of somatic embryos. The intensity of GFP fluorescence, observed under a fluorescence microscope, varied from very faint to relatively strong, depending on the transgenic line or part of the transgenic plant. The integration of the genes into the genome of regenerated plantlets was confirmed by Southern blot analysis.

Somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from immature zygotic embryos of Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. et Zucc.).

We established a plant regeneration system for Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) via somatic embryogenesis. Embryogenic tissues were successfully induced on three kinds of Smith media from megagametophyte explants containing pre-cotyledonary embryos of C. obtusa plus-trees. Factors affecting somatic embryo maturation were examined. The concentration of polyethylene glycol 4000 in the medium was a critical factor for embryo maturation and its effective concentration was 150 g/l. The addition of 30 g/l maltose to the medium had a positive effect on embryo maturation, but sucrose was ineffective. The mature somatic embryos germinated at a germination frequency of approximately 60%, and the presence of activated charcoal was effective in stimulating plantlet growth. The plantlets acclimatized successfully in a greenhouse. To our knowledge, this is first report describing details of a plant regeneration method for C. obtusa via somatic embryogenesis.

Evaluation of waste pyrolysis characteristics in a pressurized fluidized bed reactor.

To obtain the distribution of fuel components to gas, tar and char in a pressurized fluidized bed waste pyrolyzer, experiments were conducted with a laboratory scale fluidized bed reactor. Waste samples were fed batchwise from the top of the reactor into the fluidized bed of silica sand and pyrolyzed by nitrogen/nitrogen-O2 gas and the effects of pressure, particle size, heating rate and oxygen addition were investigated. In the case of rubber, the char yield tended to increase a little and the tar yield decrease over the pressure of 304-709 kPa. In comparison with the thermogravimetry data it was clearly demonstrated that the char yield from fluidized bed pyrolysis is much lower. A small amount of oxygen addition decreased both tar and char yields but its further increase did not affect them very much.

The masculinization of the fetus during pregnancy due to inhalation of diesel exhaust.

This study was conducted to determine the impact of diesel exhaust inhalation on the fetus. Seventy-two pregnant rats and 18 nonpregnant rats were divided into three groups: a group exposed to total diesel engine exhaust containing 5.63 mg/m(3) particulate matter, 4.10 ppm nitrogen dioxide, and 8.10 ppm nitrogen oxide; a group exposed to filtered exhaust without particulate matter; and a group exposed to clean air. The exposure period was from day 7 until day 20 of pregnancy. In addition, 15 pregnant rats were treated with aromatase inhibitors or testosterone to clarify the process by which diesel exhaust exerts its toxicity. The anogenital distance was significantly longer in male and female fetuses from both exhaust-exposed groups than in those of the control. Differentiation of the testis, ovary, and thymus was delayed and disturbed. Maternal testosterone and progesterone levels, which increased due to pregnancy whether or not the rats were exposed, were significantly higher and lower, respectively, in the pregnant rats exposed to total exhaust and filtered exhaust. The serum adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level and urinary excretion of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids (OHCS) did not differ among the pregnant groups. These results indicate that elevated testosterone did not result from elevated maternal adrenal function. The feto-placental-ovarian unit and inhibition of aromatase activity and synthesis caused by diesel exhaust inhalation might have played an essential role in the accumulation of testosterone. Since both exhaust-exposed groups showed almost the same reactions toward the inhalation, the gaseous phase must have included the relevant toxicants.

A new technique for monitoring the behaviour of free-ranging Adélie penguins.

Measurement of the time allocation of penguins at sea has been a major goal of researchers in recent years. Until now, however, no equipment has been available that would allow measurement of the aquatic and terrestrial behaviour of an Antarctic penguin while it is commuting between the colony and the foraging grounds. A new motion detector, based on the measurement of acceleration, has been used here in addition to current methods of inferring behaviour using data loggers that monitor depth and speed. We present data on the time allocation of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) according to the different types of behaviours they display during their foraging trips: walking, tobogganing, standing on land, lying on land, resting at the water surface, porpoising and diving. To illustrate the potential of this new technique, we compared the behaviour of Adélie penguins during the chick-rearing period in a fast sea-ice region and an ice-free region. The proportion of time spent standing, lying on land and walking during foraging trips was greater for penguins in the sea-ice region (37.6+/-13.3% standing, 21.6+/-15.6% lying and 5.9+/-6.3% walking) than for those in the ice-free region (12.0+/-15.8 % standing, 0.38+/-0.60% lying and 0 % walking), whereas the proportion of time spent resting at the water surface and porpoising was greater for birds in the ice-free region (38.1+/-6.4% resting and 1.1+/-1.1% porpoising) than for those in the sea-ice region (3.0+/-2.3% resting and 0% porpoising; means +/- s.d., N=7 for the sea-ice region, N=4 for the ice-free region). Using this new approach, further studies combining the monitoring of marine resources in different Antarctic sites and the measurement of the energy expenditure of foraging penguins, e.g. using heart rates, will constitute a powerful tool for investigating the effects of environmental conditions on their foraging strategy. This technique will expand our ability to monitor many animals in the field.

[Statistics on operations at the Department of Urology, Tatebayashi-Kosei Hospital during a ten-year period (June 1990-May 2000)].

A clinical statistic survey was made on the operations performed at the department of urology, Tatebayashi-Kosei Hospital between June 1990 and May 2000. The total number of operations was 2,680, consisting of 217 operations of the kidney, 126 operations of the ureter, 454 operations of the bladder, 1,354 operations of the prostate, 186 operations of the penis and ureter, 305 operations of the scrotum, 16 urologic operations performed by laparoscopy and 22 other operations.

Pathologic examination of renal cell cancer by means of step-sectioning.

BACKGROUND: Because incidental detection of small renal cell cancers (RCC) has recently become increasingly common, nephron-sparing surgery for these cases has been more widely performed. Renal cell cancer was investigated by means of step-sectioning in order to determine which cases were suitable for nephron-sparing surgery and how it should be performed. METHODS: Pathology specimens obtained from 90 cases of radical nephrectomy were examined in 5 mm sections. We excluded large and invasive tumors from the present study. Particular attention was given to satellite tumor nodules (STN), pseudocapsules of the main tumor and vascular invasion. RESULTS: Satellite tumor nodules of cancer (STN-Ca) were found in seven of 90 cases (7.8%). Tumor size and grade was not correlated with the existence of STN-Ca. The distance between the main tumor and STN-Ca varied. with the pathology of the STN-Ca mostly resembling that of the main tumor. Pseudocapsules of the main tumor were incomplete in 53 cases (58.9%), but extracapsular invasion of more than 1 mm was not seen in tumors less than 50 mm in diameter. Through step-sectioning, a further six cases with microscopic vascular invasion were found. Vascular invasion within the main tumor was confirmed in 16 of 17 cases (94.1%) and within normal renal tissue in only one case. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of existing STN-Ca was not high (7.8%) in the present study, we had not any characteristics in the cases with STN-Ca. As STN-Ca were rarely near the main tumor, we could not expect to resect STN-Ca with main tumor, resection to more than 1 mm outside the pseudocapsule was needed for complete resection of main tumor less than 50 mm in diameter. Normal renal tissue between the tumor and pelvis is a requirement for selecting appropriate cases in nephron-sparing surgery, but we could not remove the risk of leaving STN-Ca completely.

Discrimination of histamine H1 and muscarinic receptor-mediated signalling pathways by phorbol ester in human astrocytoma cells.

1. Histamine H1 receptor-mediated signalling was compared with muscarinic receptor-mediated signalling in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. 2. Short-term (2 min) treatment of cells with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) resulted in a reduction of increases in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) induced by carbachol or histamine. 3. Carbachol-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were 10-fold more sensitive to PMA than the histamine-induced increases. 4. When cells were treated with PMA for 48 or 72 h (long-term treatment), protein kinase C (PKC) was down-regulated and PMA did not inhibit carbachol-induced increases in [Ca2+]i. 5. Histamine-induced increases in [Ca2+]i were significantly reduced by long-term treatment with PMA. 6. These findings suggest that the signalling pathways mediated by histamine H1 and muscarinic receptors can be distinguished by using PKC in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells.

[Statistics of the operations at the Department of Urology, Tone Chuo Hospital during a six-year period (June 1993-May 1999)].

A clinical statistic survey was made on the operations performed at the Department of Urology, Tone Chuo Hospital between June 1993 and May 1999. The total number of operations was 1296, consisting of 97 (7.5%) operations of the kidney, 67 (5.2%) operations of the ureter, 190 (14.7%) operations of the bladder, 454 (35.0%) operations of the prostate, 63 (4.9%) operations of the urethra, 92 (7.1%) operations of the penis, 149 (11.5%) operations of the scrotum and 184 (14.2%) other operations. With the aging society, the number of operations for those over 60 years old has exceeded 60%.

[A case of prostate cancer treated with combined androgen-blockade].

A 62-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of urinary retention. A digital rectal examination revealed an enlarged, elastic, and hard prostate with an irregular surface. Prostatic biopsy was done and the pathological diagnosis was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. He was diagnosed as stage D2 by bone scan and MRI. We gave him 250 mg of fosfestrol intravenously for 13 days. Afterward, he underwent orchiectomy castrate and was given flutamide for two years. His condition has improved and he has experienced no relapse.

Precise monitoring of porpoising behaviour of Adélie penguins determined using acceleration data loggers.

A new method using acceleration data loggers enabled us to measure the porpoising behaviour of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), defined as a continuous rapid swimming with rhythmic serial leaps. Previous hydrodynamic models suggested that leaping would be energetically cheaper when an animal swims continuously at depths of less than three maximum body diameters below the water surface. In the present study, free-ranging Adélie penguins leapt at a mean speed of 2.8 m s(-)(1) above the predicted threshold speed (0.18-1. 88 m s(-)(1)). Wild penguins reduced drag by swimming deeper (0.91 m) and did not swim continuously within the high-drag layer while submerged. This indicates that previous calculations may be incomplete. Moreover, leaps represented an average of only 3.8 % of the total distance travelled during the porpoising cycle, which would make energy savings marginal. Among the six penguins used in our study, two did not porpoise and three porpoised for less than 7 min, also indicating that this behaviour was not important during travel to and from foraging sites, as has been previously suggested. Birds mainly porpoised at the start and end of a trip. One explanation of porpoising might be an escape behaviour from predators.

Purification, characterization, and gene analysis of a chitosanase (ChoA) from Matsuebacter chitosanotabidus 3001.

The extracellular chitosanase (34,000 M(r)) produced by a novel gram-negative bacterium Matsuebacter chitosanotabidus 3001 was purified. The optimal pH of this chitosanase was 4.0, and the optimal temperature was between 30 and 40 degrees C. The purified chitosanase was most active on 90% deacetylated colloidal chitosan and glycol chitosan, both of which were hydrolyzed in an endosplitting manner, but this did not hydrolyze chitin, cellulose, or their derivatives. Among potential inhibitors, the purified chitosanase was only inhibited by Ag(+). Internal amino acid sequences of the purified chitosanase were obtained. A PCR fragment corresponding to one of these amino acid sequences was then used to screen a genomic library for the entire choA gene encoding chitosanase. Sequencing of the choA gene revealed an open reading frame encoding a 391-amino-acid protein. The N-terminal amino acid sequence had an excretion signal, but the sequence did not show any significant homology to other proteins, including known chitosanases. The 80-amino-acid excretion signal of ChoA fused to green fluorescent protein was functional in Escherichia coli. Taken together, these results suggest that we have identified a novel, previously unreported chitosanase.

Purification, characterization and gene analysis of N-acetylglucosaminidase from Enterobacter sp. G-1.

Enterobacter sp. G-1 is a bacterium isolated previously as a chitinase-producing bacterium. We found this bacterium also produced N-acetylglucosaminidase and characterized that in this study. Extracellular N-acetylglucosaminidase of 92.0 kDa was purified near homogeneity by 8.57-fold from Enterobacter sp. G-1. The optimum temperature and the optimum pH of the purified N-acetylglucosaminidase was 45 degrees C and 6.0, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of 23 residues of N-acetylglucosaminidase was identified. Based on the N-terminal sequence, we amplified pieces of the DNA fragments by PCR. Using these PCR products as probes, we screened the genomic library and successfully isolated the entire N-acetylglucosaminidase gene (designated nag1) from Enterobacter sp. G-1. The nucleotide sequence of the nag1 gene was found to consist of 2,655 bp encoding a protein of 885 amino acid residues. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence from the nag1 gene found 97.3% identity with chitobiase from Serratia marcescens, 54.4% identity with N,N'-diacetylchitobiase from Vibrio harveyi, and 42.7% identity with N-acetylglucosaminidase (ExoI) from Vibrio furnissii. Enzymatic activity assay of N-acetylglucosaminidase indicated stronger activity toward PNP-GlcNAc than PNP-(GlcNAc)2 or PNP-(GlcNAc)3.