Freshwater mussels (Order Unionoida) can provide crucial ecological functions and services. However, many of them are endangered worldwide due to local extirpation and reproductive failure, which ...emphasizes the importance of mussel life cycle monitoring, including reproduction.
Buldowskia iwakawai
(Suzuki, 1939) is one such species native to the Ishikari floodplain oxbow lakes where its reproductive failure was recently reported. In this study, a species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) assay was developed to monitor
B. iwakawai
abundance and winter reproduction in the laboratory and natural environment simultaneously even at times when natural lakes are covered by ice. A positive CPUE-eDNA correlation was observed across all the 14 lakes sampled prior to ice cover formation. The eDNA concentration significantly differed between gravid and non-gravid mussels in relation to their metabolic-rate differences in laboratory experiments, but the eDNA concentration increase was not detected in the intensively monitored lakes during the glochidia release period. PCR inhibition in natural water has been suggested, and reducing its effects combined with appropriate seasonal contexts has the potential to improve the applicability of this method. This research sheds new light on the applicability of the eDNA assay for monitoring mussel reproductive activities throughout their life cycle including the winter season.
Most aphids show reproductive polyphenism, i.e. they alternate their reproductive modes from parthenogenesis to sexual reproduction in response to short photoperiods. Although juvenile hormone (JH) ...has been considered a likely candidate for regulating the transition from asexual to sexual reproduction after photoperiod sensing, there are few studies investigating the direct relationship between JH titres and the reproductive‐mode change. In addition, the sequencing of the pea aphid genome has allowed identification of the genes involved in the JH pathway, which in turn allows us to examine their expression levels in relation to the reproductive‐mode change. Using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry in the pea aphid, JHIII titre was shown to be lower in aphids producing sexual morphs under short‐day conditions than in aphids producing parthenogenetic morphs under long‐day conditions. The expression levels of genes upstream and downstream of JH action were quantified by real‐time quantitative reverse‐transcription‐PCR across the reproductive‐mode change. The expression level of JH esterase, which is responsible for JH degradation, was significantly higher in aphids reared under short‐day conditions. This suggests that the upregulation of the JH degradation pathway may be responsible for the lower JHIII titre in aphids exposed to short‐days, leading to the production of sexual morphs.
Since rebamipide is effective for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC), we examined the involvement of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the action of rebamipide.
Fifty-five and forty female ...Balb/c mice, respectively, were used in Exp. 1 and 2.
50 mg/kg/day rebamipide (Exp. 1) and 1 x 10(7) pfu pAxCAHGF (the CAG promoter-driving HGF gene in adenovirus vector) (Exp. 2) were intrarectally introduced after induction of colitis by 4 % dextran sulfate sodium (DSS).
Therapeutic effects were assessed by cell proliferation and apoptosis.
Rebamipide caused proliferation of epithelial cells at 10 days after treatment, and decreased apoptosis at 10, 14 and 21 days, compared with controls. Expression of HGF was greatly increased in rebamipide-treated mice. pAxCAHGF caused cell proliferation and apoptosis, which showed the same pattern as with rebamipide treatment.
Rectal administration of rebamipide is effective for DSS-induced colitis in association with induction of HGF.
The Telescope Array (TA) collaboration has measured the energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) with primary energies above 1.6 x 10 super(18) eV. This measurement is based upon ...four years of observation by the surface detector component of TA. The spectrum shows a dip at an energy of 4.6 x 10 super(18) eV and a steepening at 5.4 x 10 super(19) eV which is consistent with the expectation from the GZK cutoff. We present the results of a technique, new to the analysis of UHECR surface detector data, that involves generating a complete simulation of UHECRs striking the TA surface detector. The procedure starts with shower simulations using the CORSIKA Monte Carlo program where we have solved the problems caused by use of the "thinning" approximation. This simulation method allows us to make an accurate calculation of the acceptance of the detector for the energies concerned.
Background Mast cell infiltration in skin lesions of atopic dermatitis (AD) is considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The most common factor that stimulates mast ...cell growth, migration and differentiation is stem cell factor (SCF), and the interaction of SCF and its receptor, KIT (tyrosine kinase transmembrane receptor), appears to be the key event in the recruitment and proliferation of mast cells.
Objectives To determine whether any altered metabolism of SCF and/or KIT is present in patients with AD.
Methods We measured serum levels of soluble SCF (sSCF) and soluble KIT (sKIT) using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 54 patients with AD, five patients with erythrodermic psoriasis vulgaris and 64 healthy individuals.
Results Serum levels of both peptides in AD patients were significantly higher than those in healthy individuals, whereas patients with psoriasis vulgaris did not show any difference from healthy controls. Both sSCF and sKIT levels were positively correlated with the disease severity in AD patients, and decreased after effective treatment with topical corticosteroids.
Conclusion Serum levels of sSCF and sKIT may be useful indicators for evaluation of the activity and severity of AD.
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