Response of an Indicator Species, Dryopteris crassirhizoma, to Temporal and Spatial Variations in Sika Deer Density.

Identifying appropriate indicator species for the impact of deer on forest vegetation is crucial for forest management in deer habitats and is required to be sensitive to temporal and spatial variations in deer density. Dryopteris crassirhizoma was selected as a new indicator to evaluate the response to these variations. We examined the population-level characteristics, morphological characteristics at the individual level, and grazing intensity of D. crassirhizoma at temporally different deer density sites in Hokkaido, Japan. The response of D. crassirhizoma to spatial variation in deer density was also examined within and between two regions in Hokkaido, Japan. Although the population-level characteristics and morphological characteristics did not significantly respond to short-term decreases in deer density, grazing intensity significantly decreased with decreasing deer density. The grazing intensity was also positively related to the spatial variation of deer density within both regions, but the estimated coefficient of the grazing intensity differed between regions. We concluded that D. crassirhizoma can be a useful indicator species of the impact of deer on forest vegetation. The grazing intensity of the indicator species was sensitive to temporal and spatial variations in deer density within the region.

Optimal surgical treatment and urological outcomes in boys with pelvic and urogenital rhabdomyosarcomas and soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of pelvic origin in boys often involve the urogenital organs. The optimal extensiveness of radical surgery has long been an issue of discussion, since exenterative surgeries result in severe urogenital adverse effects. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with pelvic STS treated in two regional center hospitals and assessed the radicality of surgery and the functional outcome of the bladder. PATIENTS: Medical records and surgical reports of nine cases (embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma 6, malignant triton tumor 2, suspected rhabdomyosarcoma 1) treated within 1997-2012 were reviewed. Site of origin was prostate in seven, retroperitoneal in two. Average follow-up period was 96 months. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: All cases were subjected to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Response was PR in four, SD in two, and PD in two. Radical surgery resulted in gross total resection in eight, and partial resection in one. Three underwent cystoprostatectomy, two cases underwent prostatectomy, and bladder-preserving tumor resection was carried out in four cases. At the last follow-up, three retained a functional bladder. Two required augmentation cystoplasty with intestinal conduits. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of the on-going clinical trials recommend conservative surgery for bladder/prostate rhabdomyosarcoma, and to preserve the bladder function particularly in chemosensitive tumors. Some other groups, however, advocate the importance of radical surgery to prevent local relapse. These reports include heterogenous group of patients in the cohort, and therefore it is difficult to draw a conclusion of which approach truly contributes to the survival of the patients better. Future studies should evaluate bladder and sexual function objectively to establish reliable evidence regarding the benefit and adverse effects of different surgical approaches. These data would be informative to optimize the treatment balance for children with pelvic rhabdomyosarcomas.

Surveillance of Marek's disease virus in migratory and sedentary birds in Hokkaido, Japan.

Marek's disease virus serotype 1 (MDV-1) strains cause malignant lymphoma in chickens. MDV-1 has been previously reported to be widespread in white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons); however, the prevalence of MDV-1 in other wild birds has not been determined. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of MDV-1 in various wild birds in Hokkaido, Japan. The MDV-1 genome was widespread in geese and ducks, but was not detected in other birds. MDV-1 was detected in both sedentary and migratory species. These results suggest that, in Japan, MDV-1 is widespread in wild goose and duck populations, and that resident ducks may be significant carriers and reservoirs of MDV-1.

[Dextranomer beads in stabilized non-animal sodium hyaluronate gel (NASHA/Dx gel) for vesicoureteral reflux: multi-center study in Japanease patients].

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic treatment with the injectable gel of dextranomer beads in stabilized non-animal sodium hyaluronate (NASHA/Dx gel) administered submucosally close to the proximity of ureteral orifice, we performed the multi-center open study of Japanese patients with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR). We herein report the results of the study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Patients aged > or = 1 year with grade II-IV VUR underwent endoscopic injection with NASHA/Dx gel. Post-treatment assessment was done by voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) at 3 and 12 months. Patients with VUR grade II-IV at 3 months underwent re-treatment, with VCUG assessment 3 and 12 months after retreatment. Positive response to treatment was defined as reflux grade 0 or 1. RESULTS: The initial treatment was conducted to 116 ureters in 73 patients. The per-protocol efficacy population included 97 ureters in 71 patients. On a per-ureter basis, the positive response rate at 12 months after the last endoscopic treatment was 69.1%, compared with 62.0% on a per-patient basis. Improvement in reflux grade was shown to be statistically significant at both 3 months post initial treatment and 12 months post last treatment. Positive response rate decreased with increasing baseline reflux grade. There were only two mild adverse events (AEs) and one moderate laboratory fluctuation which were potentially relating to NASHA/Dx gel. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that endoscopic injection of NASHA/Dx gel is effective and well tolerated in Japanese patients with VUR. First-line use of this treatment for VUR could potentially be considered for Japan also.

Completely separated scrotum and vesicointestinal fistula without exstrophy as a novel manifestation of aphallia: a case report.

A male infant born at 32 weeks of gestation and weighing 1.44 kg had penile agenesis, bifid scrotums, an anorectal anomaly, and suspected omphalocele. An operation revealed complete urethral agenesis, duplicated and blind bowels, a vesicointestinal fistula without exstrophy, and a urachal fistula; however, no omphaloceles were detected. To our knowledge, this is the first report on aphallia accompanied with completely separated scrotum and a vesicointestinal fistula without exstrophy; this condition is associated with urorectal septum malformation sequence (URSMS) and covered cloacal exstrophy. The possible embryogenesis is discussed in this study.

Antibodies to flaviviruses in wild ducks captured in Hokkaido, Japan: risk assessment of invasive flaviviruses.

Recently, the distribution of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and West Nile virus (WNV) has expanded into new territories. The invasion of WNV into Japan is of great concern. The migration of birds is suggested to be involved in the expanded distribution of these flaviviruses. In this study, 92 wild ducks--20 Anas poecilorhyncha (migratory breeders), 50 Anas platyrhynchos (undetermined), 16 Anas acuta (winter visitors), and 6 Anas penelope (winter visitors)--were captured in autumn of 2005 and 2006, in the central part of Hokkaido, a low JEV activity area. A seroepidemiologic analysis of flavivirus infections was conducted with 90% and 50% focus reduction neutralization tests (FRNT(90) and FRNT(50)). Of the 92 serum samples, 1 (1.1%) and 5 (5.4%) tested positive for WNV-specific and JEV-specific antibodies, respectively, in the FRNT(90), and 61 (66.3%) and 79 (85.9%) tested positive for WNV and JEV, respectively, in the FRNT(50). These results indicate that wild ducks in this study had been exposed to flaviviruses. The results together with the recognized distribution of flaviviruses and migratory routes of individual duck species strongly suggested that the birds captured in this study had been exposed to flaviviruses, including WNV, on the flyway, not in Hokkaido.

Spring migration routes of mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) that winter in Japan, determined from satellite telemetry.

Wild birds, in particular waterfowl, are common reservoirs of low pathogenic avian influenza viruses, and infected individuals could spread the viruses during migrations. We used satellite telemetry to track the spring migration of the mallard ducks ( Anas platyrhynchos ) that winter in Japan. We studied their migration routes, distribution of stopover and breeding sites, and timing of migration movements. We tracked 23 mallards from four different wintering sites. Nine of the 23 mallards reached presumable breeding sites, where migration terminated. The migration routes of the birds greatly differed not only among the wintering sites but also within the same wintering site, although the general feature of the routes was shared among birds within the same wintering site. The mallards used several stopover sites, and they typically stayed for a long period (about one to four weeks) at a site between migration intervals of two to three days. Stopover sites were located in northeast Japan, the eastern coastline of South Korea and North Korea, and the interior of Far Eastern Russia. Mallards from three different wintering sites used a stopover area near the middle part of the Ussuri river in Russia. The terminal sites, which were presumably also breeding sites, were distributed widely over northeast Asia and Far Eastern Russia. These results suggest that mallards that winter in Japan originate from breeding areas widely distributed across eastern Asia. Mallards could potentially transmit avian influenza viruses between Japan and a broad region of northeastern Asia.