Effect of interannual variations in sea-surface temperature on egg-laying parameters of black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) at Teuri Island, Japan

Sea-surface temperature (SST) directly and indirectly affects the distribution and abundance of prey species for seabirds, so we expect variation in SST to be associated with variation in seabird life history traits. In black-tailed gulls (Larus crassirostris) at Teuri Island in northern Hokkaido, Japan, we investigated the diet of the gulls prior to egg laying in 2004 and 2005, and examined the influences of SST in March or April, when the gulls congregate in the colony, on egg-laying parameters using 13 years of data (1992–2004). The gulls fed on krill (Thysanoessa inermis) and fish prior to the egg laying. Mean first egg dates and clutch sizes were significantly and quadratically related to SST anomalies in March, but were not influenced by SST anomalies in April. There was no significant effect of SSTs in either March or April on egg volume. Sea-surface temperature anomalies in March of the years of early laying (−1 to 1°C) were higher than those in 2001 (−2.2°C), but lower than those in 1992 (+1.2°C) and 2004 (+1.1°C). Thysanoessa inermis congregates to spawn at the sea surface, when SSTs rise 3−4°C. Thus, a mismatch between food availability and the timing of egg production in the gulls could have occurred in these 3 years. This study suggests that SST fluctuations prior to laying are important in breeding success of black-tailed gulls.     

Establishment and characterization of a new squamous cell carcinoma cell line, TMUU-08, derived from human bladder cancer

Human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder is a rare malignancy that represents less than 5% of bladder tumors. In contrast to non-bilharzial SCC, bilharzial SCC is a distinct pathological disease that is rarely encountered in Japan. The majority of patients with non-bilharzial SCC present with a poorly differentiated, muscle-invasive tumor with no previous episode of urothelial carcinoma (UC). Even in the absence of distant metastases, the prognosis of patients with non-bilharzial SCC of the bladder remains dismal because patients die of localized recurrence. This is in contrast to UC in which distant metastasis accounts for the great majority of recurrence. The 5-year survival rate of the patients treated for non-bilharzial SCC of the bladder was only about 10%. To date, large numbers of reports have examined the establishment of a human bladder cancer cell line with UC. However, few reports exist regarding the establishment of the human bladder cancer cell line with SCC. In the present study, we established a new cell line (TMUU-08) from the metastatic lymph node of a patient with SCC of the bladder. The TMUU-08 cell line of human bladder SCC was characterized. These results indicate that TMUU-08 cells might be useful in basic studies not only in the treatment but also etiology of human bladder SCC.     

Vertical heterogeneity of a forest floor invertebrate food web as indicated by stable-isotope analysis

Diverse populations of invertebrates constitute the food web in detritus layers of a forest floor. Heterogeneity in trophic interactions within such a species-rich community food web may affect the dynamic properties of biological communities such as stability. To examine the vertical heterogeneity in trophic interactions among invertebrates in litter and humus layers, we studied differences in species composition and variations in carbon and nitrogen stable-isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) using community-wide metrics of the forest floors of temperate broadleaf forests in Japan. The species composition differed between the two layers, and the invertebrates in the litter layer were generally larger than those in the humus layer, suggesting that these layers harbored separate food webs based on different basal resources. However, the δ¹³C of invertebrates, an indicator of differences in the basal resources of community food webs, did not provide evidence for separate food webs between layers even though plant-derived organic matter showed differences in stable-isotope ratios according to decomposition state. The minimum δ¹⁵N of invertebrates also did not differ between layers, suggesting sharing of food by detritivores from the two layers at lower trophic levels. The maximum and range of δ¹⁵N were greater in the humus layer, suggesting more trophic transfers (probably involving microorganisms) than in the litter layer and providing circumstantial evidence for weak trophic interactions between layers at higher trophic levels. Thus, the invertebrate community food web was not clearly compartmentalized between the detrital layers but still showed a conspicuous spatial (vertical) heterogeneity in trophic interactions.     

An assessment of vegetation and environmental controls in the 1970s of the Mesopotamian wetlands of southern Iraq

A vast ecosystem of wetlands and lakes once covered the Mesopotamian Plain of southern Iraq. Widespread drainage in the 1990s nearly obliterated both components of the landscape. This paper reports the results of a study undertaken in 1972–1975 on the vegetation of the wetlands prior to drainage and provides a unique baseline for gauging future restoration of the wetland ecosystems in Mesopotamia. Five representative study sites were used to assess the flora, three of which were wetlands. A total of 371 plant species were recorded in the five sites, of which approximately 40% represent obligate or facultative wetland species. The wetland vegetation was classified into five major physiognomic forms (submerged, floating, herbaceous tall emergent, herbaceous low emergent and woody low emergent), which was further subdivided into 24 fresh and halophytic communities. Water levels greatly fluctuated across the different types of wetlands, and mean surface water depth ranged from below to greater than 2 m above the sediment surface, reflecting permanently, seasonally or intermittently wet habitats. Aboveground biomass was also highly variable among the communities. The Phragmites australis community, which was the most extensive community type, had the greatest biomass with an average value of approximately 5,000 g m⁻² in summer. Distribution and community composition were largely controlled by water levels and saline-freshwater gradients. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that salinity and water depth were the most important factors to explain species distribution. Environmental variables related to soil salinity separated halophytic species in woody low emergent and herbaceous low emergent forms (Tamarix galica, Cressa cretica, Alhagi mannifera, Aeluropus lagopoides, Juncus rigida, and Suaeda vermiculata) from other species. Their habitats were also the driest, and soil organic matter content was lower than those of other species. Habitats with deepest water were dominated by submerged aquatic and floating leaved species such as Nymphoides peltata, Ceratophyllum demersum, and Najas armata. Such diverse environmental conditions in the Mesopotamian wetland would be greatly affected by evapotranspiration, river water inputs from north, ground water inputs, local soil conditions, and a tide or seiche-controlled northward transgression of water from the Gulf. These environmental conditions should be considered in restoration plans if plant communities existed in the mid-1970s are to be part of the desired restoration goals. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Life cycle inventory analysis on Bio-DME and/or Bio-MeOH products through BLUE tower process

Background, aims, and scope  

In this study, we focused on the biomass di-methyl ether (Bio-DME) and the biomass methanol (Bio-MeOH) in BTL (Biomass to Liquid) fuels which might bring a solution on an energy storage and/or CO₂ emissions abatement. For these fuels, our object is to estimate CO₂ emissions and energy intensities (the specific energy consumption in each sub-process) for the biomass liquefaction system, which is expanded to material’s transportation, energy conversion and fuel transportation in detail.     

Mn and Cu concentrations in mixed saliva of elementary school children in relation to sex,age, and dental caries

To examine the standard Mn and Cu concentrations in mixed saliva from children and the relationship between these levels and dental caries, resting mixed saliva samples obtained from 527 children of an elementary school in Kitakyushu City were collected at 10:00–11:30 a.m. during December 2004. The Mn and Cu concentrations were determined using simultaneous multi-element atomic absorption spectrometry. The standard Mn and Cu levels were 22.0±15.2 and 3.8±4.1 ng/mL, respectively, in the sound teeth group. Mn levels were significantly higher in boys (25.4±17.4 ng/mL) than girls (19.1±12.3 ng/mL) and also higher in upper (25.5±16.4 ng/mL) than lower (19.0±13.5 ng/mL) grades. The Cu level was unaffected by sex and age in the sound teeth group. The Cu level in children with caries experience (5.7±5.3 ng/mL) was significantly higher than that of the sound teeth group. Moreover, the Cu levels in children with untreated caries were significantly higher than that of the sound teeth group, and increased with the number of untreated teeth. No significant difference was found in the Cu concentrations between the group in which all decayed teeth were treated and the sound teeth group. The Mn levels were similar with or without caries and treatment. These findings indicate that the Mn level in mixed saliva depended on sex and age, and suggest the possibility of Cu dissolving into mixed saliva by demineralization due to dental caries.     

Screening of white rot fungi for biobleaching of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia</Emphasis> oxygen-delignified kraft pulp

To reduce the levels of chlorine-based chemicals in Acacia kraft pulp, we sought to isolate white rot fungus strains that could be used for biobleaching. For this purpose, we collected 600 fungal sources from Indonesia and subjected them to a three-step screening method. The first step involved culturing the strains on Acacia mangium wood powder, guaiacol and agar (WGA) medium. Of the 600 sources, 258 strains grew on WGA medium and generated a red color. The second step revealed that 31 of the 258 strains could degrade extractive-free A. mangium wood powder. The third step examined the ability of the strains to bleach A. mangium oxygen-delignified kraft pulp (A-OKP) under various pH conditions and showed that five strains could biobleach A-OKP at pH 5, 6, and 8. In contrast, the biobleaching abilities of Trametes versicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, which served as standards, were much lower than those of the five new strains, particularly at pH 8. These five strains may be useful for biobleaching of A-OKP.     

A rice tryptophan deficient dwarf mutant, tdd1, contains a reduced level of indole acetic acid and develops abnormal flowers and organless embryos

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) plays a critical role in many aspects of plant growth and development; however, complete pathways of biosynthesis, localization and many aspects of functions of IAA in rice remain unclear. Here, we report the analysis of a rice tryptophan- (Trp-) and IAA-deficient mutant, tryptophan deficient dwarf1 ( tdd1 ) , which is embryonic lethal because of a failure to develop most organs during embryogenesis. Regenerated tdd1 plants showed pleiotropic phenotypes: dwarfing, narrow leaves, short roots and abnormal flowers. TDD1 encodes a protein homologous to anthranilate synthase β-subunit, which catalyses the first step of the Trp biosynthesis pathway and functions upstream of Trp-dependent IAA biosynthesis. TDD1-uidA and DR5-uidA expression overlapped at many sites in WT plants but was lacking in tdd1 , indicating that TDD1 is involved in auxin biosynthesis. Both Trp and IAA levels in flowers and embryos were much lower in tdd1 than in wild type (WT). Trp feeding completely rescued the mutant phenotypes and moderate expression of OsYUCCA1 , which encodes a key enzyme in Trp-dependent IAA biosynthesis, also rescued plant height and root length, indicating that the abnormal phenotypes of tdd1 are caused predominantly by Trp and IAA deficiency. In tdd1 embryos, the expression patterns of OSH1 and OsSCR , which mark the presumptive apical region and the L2 layer, respectively, are identical to those in WT, suggesting a possibility either that different IAA levels are required for basic pattern formation than for organ formation or that an orthologous gene compensates for TDD1 deficiency during pattern formation.     

Two short-chain dehydrogenase/reductases, NON-YELLOW COLORING 1 and NYC1-LIKE, are required for chlorophyll b and light-harvesting complex II degradation during senescence in rice

Yellowing, which is related to the degradation of chlorophyll and chlorophyll–protein complexes, is a notable phenomenon during leaf senescence. NON-YELLOW COLORING1 ( NYC1 ) in rice encodes a membrane-localized short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) that is thought to represent a chlorophyll  b reductase necessary for catalyzing the first step of chlorophyll  b degradation. Analysis of the nyc1 mutant, which shows the stay-green phenotype, revealed that chlorophyll  b degradation is required for the degradation of light-harvesting complex II and thylakoid grana in leaf senescence. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed the existence of NYC1-LIKE (NOL) as the most closely related protein to NYC1. In the present paper, the nol mutant in rice was also found to show a stay-green phenotype very similar to that of the nyc1 mutant, i.e. the degradation of chlorophyll  b was severely inhibited and light-harvesting complex II was selectively retained during senescence, resulting in the retention of thylakoid grana even at a late stage of senescence. The nyc1 nol double mutant did not show prominent enhancement of inhibition of chlorophyll degradation. NOL was localized on the stromal side of the thylakoid membrane despite the lack of a transmembrane domain. Immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that NOL and NYC1 interact physically in vitro . These observations suggest that NOL and NYC1 are co-localized in the thylakoid membrane and act in the form of a complex as a chlorophyll  b reductase in rice.