A 17-Year Study of the Response of Populations to Different Patterns in Antlerless Proportion of Imposed Culls: Antlerless Culling Reduces Overabundant Deer Population.

Increasing populations of large herbivores have caused environmental damage around the world, and it is necessary to improve population management strategies. Culling is a traditional management method. Antlerless deer proportions, consisting of adult female deer and fawn in Cervidae in wildlife statistics, are directly related to population increases; thus, the culling-based removal of individuals from habitats and the removal of these antlerless individuals by game hunting and nuisance control might be effective approaches for reducing population sizes. We evaluated the effectiveness of antlerless culling on 17-year density trends in the sika deer (Cervus nippon) population across an area of 1175 km2 in Fukuoka Prefecture (Japan). In 11 out of 47 grids (area measuring 5 by 5 km), the densities of sika deer tended to decline; meanwhile, in the remaining 36 grids, the densities increased. These density trends were explained by changes in the proportion of antlerless culling, as the densities declined with increasing proportions of antlerless deer. The results affirm the theory that antlerless culling is effective in population management; it is posited that antlerless-biased culling could be a crucial measure in managing overabundant populations of herbivores, contributing to more effective conservation of forest environments.

Muscle mass evaluation using psoas muscle mass index by computed tomography imaging in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The use of the psoas muscle mass index (PMI) using computed tomography (CT) has become a marker of interest to evaluate whole body muscle mass. However, in hemodialysis (HD) patients, reports about the clinical significance of psoas muscle evaluation are limited. We aimed to clarify the association between PMI and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and to investigate factors affecting PMI in HD patients. METHODS: In this prospective observational study, to evaluate muscle mass, SMI was measured using BIA after HD, and PMI was measured by the manual trace method on routinely available CT scans. PMI measurement was assessed twice by two physicians to compute intra-rater and inter-rater reliability. The correlations between PMI and the clinical factors were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient and a linear regression analysis. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 in the simple linear regression analysis were included in the multivariable linear regression analysis to identify the factors that affected PMI of the HD patients. RESULTS: Fifty HD patients were recruited (31 males and 19 females; HD duration, 9.0 ± 8.8 years). The SMI was 6.10 ± 1.20 kg/m2, and the PMI was 4.79 ± 1.61 cm2/m2. Regarding the reliability of PMI measurements, intra-rater reliability [intra-class correlation (ICC) = 0.999] and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.998) were high in this study. The mean PMI of male patients was 5.40 ± 1.62 cm2/m2, while that of female patients was significantly lower (3.78 ± 0.98 cm2/m2; p < 0.001). The PMI was significantly and positively correlated with SMI (r = 0.630, p < 0.001), in addition to HD duration, body mass index (BMI), serum phosphate and serum creatinine (Cr). In the multivariate linear regression analysis by two models using SMI or BMI, they were respectively extracted as an independent factor associating with PMI, in addition to serum Cr and the difference of sex. CONCLUSIONS: PMI assessed with CT positively correlated with SMI measured using BIA. PMI might be one of the methods for evaluating the muscle mass in HD patients, when CT scans are taken as part of routine care.

Skeletal Muscle Mass Index Is Positively Associated With Bone Mineral Density in Hemodialysis Patients.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at risk for bone loss and sarcopenia because of associated mineral and bone disorders (MBD), malnutrition, and chronic inflammation. Both osteoporosis and sarcopenia are associated with a poor prognosis; however, few studies have evaluated the relationship between muscle mass and bone mineral density (BMD) in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The present study examined the association between skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck in HD patients. Methods: Fifty HD patients (mean age, 69 ± 10 years; mean HD duration, 9.0 ± 8.8 years) in Minami-Uonuma City Hospital were evaluated. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and SMI was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBodyTM) after HD. The factors affecting lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were investigated, and multivariate analysis was performed. Results: In simple linear regression analysis, the factors that significantly affected the lumbar spine BMD were sex, presence of hypertension, presence of diabetes mellitus, body mass index, triglyceride level, grip strength, and SMI; the factors that significantly affected the femoral neck BMD were sex, HD duration, serum creatinine level, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b level, undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) level, N-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen level, grip strength, and SMI. In multivariate analysis, SMI (standardized coefficient: 0.578) was the only independent factor that affected the lumbar spine BMD; the independent factors that affected the femoral neck BMD were SMI (standardized coefficient: 0.468), ucOC (standardized coefficient: -0.366) and sex (standardized coefficient: 0.231). Conclusion: SMI was independently associated with the BMD in the lumbar spine and femoral neck in HD patients. The preservation of skeletal muscle mass could be important to prevent BMD decrease in HD patients, in addition to the management of CKD-MBD.

Effect of particle shape on powder flowability of microcrystalline cellulose as determined using the vibration shear tube method.

Powder flowability of microcrystalline cellulose particles having different particle shapes, whose aspect ratios ranged from 1.8 to 6.4, was measured using the vibration shear tube method. Particles lubricated with magnesium stearate were also investigated in order to evaluate the effect of surface modification on powder flowability. Particles were discharged through a narrow gap between a vibrating tube edge and a flat bottom surface, where each particle experienced high shear forces, thus, overcoming adhesion and friction forces. Vibration amplitude was increased at a constant rate during measurement and the masses of the discharged particles were measured at consistent time intervals. Flowability profiles, i.e., the relationships between the mass flow rates of the discharged particles and their vibration accelerations, were obtained from these measurements. Critical vibration accelerations and characteristic mass flow rates were then determined from flowability profiles in order to evaluate static and dynamic friction properties. The results were compared with those obtained using conventional methods. It was found that angle of repose and compressibility were related to static and dynamic friction properties. Furthermore, it was found that particle aspect ratio more significantly affects powder flowability than does lubrication with magnesium stearate.

Geographical pattern and environmental correlates of regional-scale general flowering in Peninsular Malaysia.

In South-East Asian dipterocarp forests, many trees synchronize their reproduction at the community level, but irregularly, in a phenomenon known as general flowering (GF). Several proximate cues have been proposed as triggers for the synchronization of Southeast Asian GF, but the debate continues, as many studies have not considered geographical variation in climate and flora. We hypothesized that the spatial pattern of GF forests is explained by previously proposed climatic cues if there are common cues for GF among regions. During the study, GF episodes occurred every year, but the spatial occurrence varied considerably from just a few forests to the whole of Peninsular Malaysia. In 2001, 2002 and 2005, minor and major GF occurred widely throughout Peninsular Malaysia (GF2001, GF2002, and GF2005), and the geographical patterns of GF varied between the episodes. In the three regional-scale GF episodes, most major events occurred in regions where prolonged drought (PD) had been recorded prior, and significant associations between GF scores and PD were found in GF2001 and GF2002. However, the frequency of PD was higher than that of GF throughout the peninsula. In contrast, low temperature (LT) was observed during the study period only before GF2002 and GF2005, but there was no clear spatial relationship between GF and LT in the regional-scale episodes. There was also no evidence that last GF condition influenced the magnitude of GF. Thus, our results suggest that PD would be essential to trigger regional-scale GF in the peninsula, but also that PD does not fully explain the spatial and temporal patterns of GF. The coarse relationships between GF and the proposed climatic cues may be due to the geographical variation in proximate cues for GF, and the climatic and floristic geographical variations should be considered to understand the proximate factors of GF.

Bubbling behavior of a fluidized bed of fine particles caused by vibration-induced air inflow.

We demonstrate that a vibration-induced air inflow can cause vigorous bubbling in a bed of fine particles and report the mechanism by which this phenomenon occurs. When convective flow occurs in a powder bed as a result of vibrations, the upper powder layer with a high void ratio moves downward and is compressed. This process forces the air in the powder layer out, which leads to the formation of bubbles that rise and eventually burst at the top surface of the powder bed. A negative pressure is created below the rising bubbles. A narrow opening at the bottom allows the outside air to flow into the powder bed, which produces a vigorously bubbling fluidized bed that does not require the use of an external air supply system.

Measurement of flowability of lubricated powders by the vibrating tube method.

BACKGROUND: The evaluation of lubricity or flowability of pharmaceutical powders is important for consistent production and quality control of drug products. However, there have been only a few studies on quantitative measurements of the properties of lubricated powders. METHOD: Magnesium stearate (MgSt) and sodium stearyl fumarate (SSF) were used as lubricants. Lubricated powders were prepared by adding lubricants to spray-dried lactose under different conditions. To evaluate flowability, the vibrating tube method was used. In this method, the vibration amplitude of the tube is increased at a constant rate, and the mass of the powder discharged from the tube is recorded. Flowability profiles, i.e. the relationships between the mass flow rate and vibration acceleration, were obtained experimentally. To characterize static and dynamic friction properties of powders, critical vibration acceleration required to make powder particles flow and the average mass flow rate were determined. RESULTS: Addition of 0.5% MgSt was sufficient for the reduction of static friction between particles. Blending time of the lubricants had little effect on the average mass flow rate of lubricated powders. On the other hand, addition of SSF resulted in an increase in static friction at the beginning of blending, and after a certain blending time, flowability improved. The combination of MgSt and SSF improved both static and dynamic friction properties irrespective of the blending time. CONCLUSION: The vibrating tube method can be used to evaluate the flowability properties of lubricated powders, and the experimental results provide useful information on the production of pharmaceutical solid dosage forms.

"Lansania Journal of Arachnology and Zoology" - a rare and obscure Japanese natural history journal.

Publication data relating to a rare and obscure Japanese journal "Lansania Journal of Arachnology and Zoology" (1929-1941) are examined. Available facts, together with a substantial body of circumstantial and anecdotal evidence suggest that many planned issues, including several cited by independent sources as having been published, were not published. Some biographical data relating to the editor, Kyukichi Kishida (1888-1968), are provided. Titles of all papers known to have been published in "Lansania," with page numbers and claimed publication dates are presented, together with a list of 113 new zoological names proposed in the journal. Known library holdings of the journal worldwide are indicated. Details are provided of unpublished manuscripts in proof obtained from Kishida in the 1960s. The strong probability that some printed publication dates are inaccurate is discussed in detail.

PCDDs, PCDFs, and coplanar PCBs in wild terrestrial mammals from Japan: congener specific accumulation and hepatic sequestration.

The present study determined the contamination levels and congener-specific accumulation features of dioxins and related compounds (DRCs) in wild terrestrial mammals such as large Japanese field mice (LJFM), lesser Japanese moles (LJMs), and raccoon dogs (RDs) collected from Kanto region in Japan during 2001. The toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) levels in the carcasses or adipose tissues were in the order of RDs > or = LJMs > LJFM. Comparison of DRC congener profiles in the three species and principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated a higher contribution of OCDD, T4CB77, and P5CB118 in LJMs. Analysis of liver-adipose distribution of DRC congeners in RDs showed that livers contained significantly higher TEQs than adipose tissues, indicating that liver is a depository organ and critical for determining the toxicokinetics of DRCs. As for most T4, P5, H6CDD/DFs and for P5CB126, H6CB169 and mono-ortho PCB congeners, their liver/adipose concentration ratios in RDs revealed a tendency to increase with hepatic TEQ levels, suggesting TEQ-dependent hepatic sequestration.

Efficacy of an overtube for reducing the risk of peristomal infection after PEG placement: a prospective, randomized comparison study.

BACKGROUND: With the conventional pull method of PEG placement, there is a significant risk of wound infection from contamination of the gastrostomy catheter as it passes through the oral cavity. This study compared the occurrence of peristomal wound infection associated with PEG placement with and without use of an overtube. METHODS: Consecutive patients with dysphagia were randomized to undergo PEG placement with (Group I) or without (Group II) an overtube. For each patient, the peristomal area was evaluated daily for 1 week after PEG placement. The presence of erythema and of exudate were scored on a scale of 0 to 4; induration was scored on a scale of 0 to 3. Criteria for infection were a maximum combined score of 8 or higher, or the presence of microscopic and microbiologic evidence of suppurating exudate. In each group, cefazolin was administered prophylactically (2 g/d intravenously) for 3 days. For patients who had received an antibiotic(s) before PEG placement, the same antibiotic(s) was used. All procedures in both groups were performed by one of two investigators who used the pull method. RESULTS: A total of 76 patients were randomized; 3 were excluded from analysis, because death occurred within 1 week after the procedure. Two of 3 deaths were procedure-related (aspiration pneumonia in Group I, peritonitis in Group II). Data for 37 patients in Group I and 36 in Group II were analyzed. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to baseline characteristics. The occurrence of peristomal infection within 1 week of PEG was significantly lower in Group I compared with Group II (2 vs. 12; p = 0.0029). The mean daily combined scores in Group I also were significantly lower than those in Group II ( p < 0.0001), and the median maximum parameter scores in Group I were significantly lower than those in Group II (erythema, p = 0.0062; induration, p = 0.0390; exudate, p < 0.0001), although the nominal significance for induration was removed by correction for the multiple testing of data. One patient excluded from Group II died from sepsis because of procedure-induced peritonitis. Among the 73 enrolled patients, there was no procedure-related mortality or clinically important wound infections that required surgical intervention in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Use of an overtube during PEG placement reduces the risk of peristomal wound infection.

Temporal and spatial patterns of mass flowerings on the Malay Peninsula.

We propose a hypothesis to explain the temporal and spatial patterns of mass flowerings in dipterocarp tree species on the Malay Peninsula. The literature on these mass flowerings reveals that during 1980-2002 at least 11 flowerings occurred at irregular intervals of 1-6 yr in a lowland rain forest. Five of them were typical mass flowerings-a high density of flowering trees and the characteristic sequential flowering of Shorea species. The 11 flowerings were classified into two flowering times: spring and autumn. There is evidence that low temperature and drought triggered the flowerings. Therefore, the seasonality of mass flowerings is characterized by the annual patterns of rainfall and low temperature. In addition, changes in El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) may play important roles in determining the supra-annual occurrence of mass flowerings. Flowering surveys on the Malay Peninsula implied that regions with spring or autumn mass flowerings corresponded geographically to those regions that had one cool season (December-February) or two (December-February and June-August), respectively. This finding anticipates the seasonal pattern and geographical distribution of mass flowerings on the Malay Peninsula.