Troop Extinction and Female Fusion in Wild Japanese Macaques in Yakushima

We observed three cases of troop extinction and two cases of female fusion in the wild population of Japanese macaques on Yakushima Island, Japan. Troops P and T decreased in size relatively slowly over a few years until each troop consisted of only three monkeys. Several months later, the remaining adult female of P merged with the adjacent troop S, followed by the remaining female of T. S subsequently also decreased in size and disappeared about 2 years later. In the early stage of troop decline, the mortality rate of adult females was as low as in a growing troop, but the birthrate was quite low. In the late stage of troop decline, the mortality rate increased and the birthrate remained low. An important factor leading to troop extinction may be an increase in population density and the resulting increase in intergroup competition. During the period when P and T declined and ceased to exist, the range of the adopted troop shifted to cover their previous ranges. In the fused troop, there was no severe aggression directed towards the immigrant females or harassment from residents of the adopted troop and there was affiliative social interaction between the immigrant females and resident members. These results agree with previous reports on female fusion: it occurs when the shrinking group consists of one or no adult member, and the immigrant females are not at a severe disadvantage in their adoptive group. A possible benefit for immigrant females is to avoid disadvantage of one-adult group in conflict with conspecifics. A possible cost for immigrant females is transfer to the other troop or to unfamiliar area or both. The cost to transfer to another group may not be high because the members of the adoptive troop are relatively tolerant to immigrants. The cost to transfer to unfamiliar range may be minimized by immigration to the troop whose range shifted to the immigrants' former range.     

Structure and electrochemistry of the bridging-ligand mono-substituted diruthenium compound, [Ru2(II,III)(O2CCH3)3(admpym)(Cl)(MeOH)] (Hadmpym=2-amino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine)

The ligand substitution reaction of Ru₂(O₂CCH₃)₄Cl with 2-amino-4,6-dimethylpyrimidine (Hadmpym) under gentle refluxing conditions in methanol led to the formation of a bridging-ligand mono-substituted compound, [Ru₂(O₂CCH₃)₃(admpym)(Cl)(MeOH)] (1). Compound 1 crystallized in monoclinic space group P2₁/n (no. 14) with a=8.3074(8) Å, b=12.3722(8) Å, c=18.913(1) Å, β=95.559(3)°, V=1934.8(3) ų, and Z=4. Temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of 1 revealed it to be in a spin ground state S=3/2 arising from the electronic configuration of σ²π⁴δ²(δ*π*)³. Compound 1 undergoes three metal-centered redox reactions in electrochemistry: E_1/2 ^(ox)=+0.72 V (I_a/I_c<1, ΔE_p=0.17 V); E_1/2 ^(1,red)=−0.65 V (I_a/I_c≈1, ΔE_p=0.10 V); and E_1/2 ^(2,red)=−1.80 V (I_a/I_c?1, ΔE_p=0.16 V). Then, the redox species produced by electrolysis were characterized by spectroscopic studies.     

Serologic dissection of HLA-D specificities by the use of monoclonal antibodies

To study the gene products of the HLA complex, we produced two monoclonal antibodies, termed HU-18 and HU-23. They were active in complement-dependent cytotoxicity and detected B-cell alloantigens encoded by a locus (or loci) linked to HLA. When three types of HLA-DR4 homozygous B-cell lines with different HLA-D specificities were tested for reactivity with HU-18 and HU-23, they displayed distinct reaction patterns depending on the HLA-D specificities they possessed: EBV-Wa (HLA-DYT homozygous), negative for both HU-18 and HU-23; KT2 and KOB (HLA-DKT2 homozygous), positive only for HU-18; and ER (HLA-Dw4 homozygous), positive for both. These differential reaction patterns were further confirmed by testing against a panel of 17 HLA-DR4-positive peripheral blood lymphocytes with known HLA-D specificities. Thus, these monoclonal antibodies allow us to identify HLA-DYT, HLA-DKT2, and HLA-Dw4 solely by serologic methods. This is the first clearcut serologic identification of these three HLA-DR4-associated HLA-D specificities, which have been indistinguishable by conventional serology and identified only by cellular techniques. It is hoped that immunochemical investigations using HU-18 and HU-23 will advance our understanding of the HLA-D region on a molecular level.     

Pih1d3 is required for cytoplasmic preassembly of axonemal dynein in mouse sperm

Axonemal dynein complexes are preassembled in the cytoplasm before their transport to cilia, but the mechanism of this process remains unclear. We now show that mice lacking Pih1d3, a PIH1 domain–containing protein, develop normally but manifest male sterility. Pih1d3^−/− sperm were immotile and fragile, with the axoneme of the flagellum lacking outer dynein arms (ODAs) and inner dynein arms (IDAs) and showing a disturbed 9+2 microtubule organization. Pih1d3 was expressed specifically in spermatogenic cells, with the mRNA being most abundant in pachytene spermatocytes. Pih1d3 localized to the cytoplasm of spermatogenic cells but was not detected in spermatids or mature sperm. The levels of ODA and IDA proteins were reduced in the mutant testis and sperm, and Pih1d3 was found to interact with an intermediate chain of ODA as well as with Hsp70 and Hsp90. Our results suggest that Pih1d3 contributes to cytoplasmic preassembly of dynein complexes in spermatogenic cells by stabilizing and promoting complex formation by ODA and IDA proteins.     

Heart rate and electroencephalogram changes caused by finger acupressure on planta pedis

Preliminary experiments were carried out to investigate the feasibility of using an electroencephalogram and heart rates to evaluate the efficacy of finger acupressure on the key points of planta pedis (both soles). Continuous electroencephalograms were recorded from 19 electrodes based on the International 10-20 electrode placement system on 22 university students (21+/-2.3 years). Spectral power changes were obtained at each electrode site. The power of the alpha1 frequency range (8-10 Hz) increased slightly during acupressure although no statistical significance was observed, while heart rates decreased in all subjects (p<0.05). Cerebral cortex asymmetry in the spectral power changes was not clearly observed during the right and left sole acupressure. This preliminary study suggests that a classification of subjects is necessary in understanding brain wave data during acupressure on soles.     

Fusarium poae and Fusarium crookwellense, Fungi Responsible for the Natural Occurrence of Nivalenol in Hokkaido

To determine the reasons for the natural occurrence of nivalenol in the northernmost area of Japan, scabby wheat was harvested from 19 crop fields in Hokkaido. Mycological surveys and analysis for mycotoxin contamination were performed. Among 13 wheat grain samples harvested in seven locations, 9, 2, and 6 samples were positive for deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, and zearalenone, respectively, at levels ranging from 0.03 to 1.28 μg/g, 0.04 to 1.22 μg/g, and 2 to 25 ng/g, respectively. The predominant Fusarium species of the scabby wheat examined were F. sporotrichioides, F. avenaceum, F. poae, and F. crookwellense. Fifteen of 48 F. poae isolates and all four F. crookwellense isolates were screened for the production of seven derivatives of trichothecenes and zearalenone respectively, on rice culture. One isolate of F. poae produced diacetoxyscirpenol alone (4.3 μg/g); seven produced nivalenol (1.3 to 23.8 μg/g), 4-acetylnivalenol (0.1 to 4.6 μg/g), and diacetoxyscirpenol (0.9 to 99.5 μg/g); and five produced nivalenol alone (0.4 to 3.5 μg/g). The remaining two isolates produced no trichothecenes. Zearalenone production was not found in any isolate of F. poae tested. All isolates of F. crookwellense produced nivalenol (0.9 to 22.5 μg/g), 4-acetylnivalenol (0.5 to 25.0 μg/g), and zearalenone (1.4 to 162.5 μg/g). From these results, it is apparent that deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, and occasionally nivalenol, occur naturally throughout Hokkaido, and it is suggested that nivalenol-producing F. poae and F. crookwellense strains are responsible for the natural contamination with nivalenol found in the northernmost area of Japan. Furthermore, it was found for the first time that several isolates of F. poae distributed in Hokkaido possessed the ability to produce both type A and type B trichothecenes.     

Methane production from rice straw pretreated by a mixture of acetic–propionic acid

Rice straw was treated with a mixed solution of acetic acid and propionic acid to enhance its biodegradability. The effect of acid concentration, pretreatment time, and the ratio of solid to liquid on the delignification performance of rice straw were investigated. It was found that the optimal conditions for hydrolysis were 0.75 mol/L acid concentration, 2 h pretreatment time and 1:20 solid to liquid ratio. Batch methane fermentation of untreated rice straw, pretreated rice straw, and the hydrolysates (the liquid fraction) of pretreatment were conducted at 35 °C for 30 days, and the results indicated that methane production of rice straw can be enhanced by dilute organic acid pretreatment. Moreover, most of the acid in hydrolysates can also be converted into methane gas.