Overpasses intended for human use can be crossed by middle and large-size mammals

Road overpasses cost more than underpasses and can be built for most terrestrial mammals to resolve and/or minimize effects from habitat fragmentation. Many overpasses intended for human activity might also allow wildlife passage. Using digital infrared cameras from 2015 to 2016 in Hokkaido, Japan, we evaluated such use in three overpasses, where two were designed for humans and one for wildlife. Nine mammal species were detected at the three overpasses. Three middle-sized mammals—raccoons (Procyon lotor), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)—and a large mammal species, the sika deer (Cervus nippon), frequently used all of the overpasses. Our results showed that the overpass designed for wildlife was richer in species than the two overpasses for humans. However, results also showed that there were no significant differences in use among four animal species in the three overpasses. We propose the construction of small overpasses without plants to conserve habitat reconnection of middle-sized to large mammals. Arboreal species’ habitats need structural change with additional of plants.

     

Influence of renal denervation on chronopharmacology of furosemide in rats.

Our previous studies have suggested that the adrenergic nervous system is involved in the mechanism responsible for the time-dependent change in the urinary excretion of furosemide in rats. To examine a potential role of renal nerves in this phenomenon, renal denervation or sham operation was performed using unilaterally nephrectomized rats. Furosemide (30 mg/kg) was given orally at 12 am or 12 pm. Urine was collected for 8 hours after furosemide dosing, and urinary excretions of furosemide and sodium were determined. Urinary furosemide excretion and diuretic effects of the agent (urine volume and urinary sodium) were significantly greater at 12 am than at 12 pm in the sham-operated group of rats. However these administration time-dependent changes in urinary furosemide and its diuretic effects disappeared in the renal-denervated group of animals. These results suggest that the renal nerves contribute to the time-dependent changes in the urinary excretion of furosemide and its subsequent diuretic effects.     

Application of the trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate deprotecting procedure for the synthesis of porcine peptide YY (PYY)

A 36-residue peptide amide corresponding to the entire amino acid sequence of porcine peptide YY (PYY) was synthesized by assembling eight peptide fragments of established purity, followed by hard acid deprotection with 1M trimethylsilyl trifluoromethanesulfonate in trifluoroacetic acid. beta-Cycloheptylaspartate, Asp(OChp), was employed to minimize the base-catalyzed succinimide formation. When administered to dogs, synthetic PYY was active as natural peptide in its effects on exocrine pancreatic secretion and pancreatic tissue blood flow.     

Daily variations in platelet aggregation and adhesion in healthy subjects.

Platelet aggregation is known to show a morning rise. The present study was undertaken to examine whether platelet aggregation and adhesion show a peak in the afternoon. Platelet aggregation stimulated by 4 microM of adenosine diphosphate, 1 micrograms/ml of collagen, 4 microM of epinephrine and 0.5 mM of arachidonic acid, and platelet adhesion determined by platelet retention on a glass bead column were measured for a period of 28-hour with an interval of 4 hours in 6 healthy subjects. Platelet aggregation in response to 4 different aggregating agents showed a bimodal daily variation with peaks in the morning and in the afternoon. However platelet adhesion only showed a peak in the morning. Previous studies have demonstrated the increases in the onset of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in the morning and afternoon periods. As enhanced platelet aggregation is involved in the development of acute MI, the present study suggests that the rise in platelet aggregation contributes to the increase in acute MI in the morning and in the afternoon. The present study suggests that the enhancement of platelet adhesion, which might be involved in thromboembolic events, may be another triggering factor for the onset of acute MI.     

The morphology of the apical organ and adjacent epithelium of pilidium prorecurvatum, a pelagic larva of an unknown heteronemertean (Nemertea)

The morphology of pilidia ex gr. recurvatum from Peter the Great Bay (Sea of Japan) was studied by confocal laser scanning and transmission-electron microscopy. The studied pilidium larvae differ from pilidium recurvatum in lacking a posterior ciliary ring and by the presence of a caudal tuft. On this basis, pilidium prorecurvatum is proposed as a new name for the lavae. The apical organ of pilidium prorecurvatum is represented by a thickened epithelium, which consists of uniform columnar monociliary collar cells and is innervated by a pair of serotonergic intraepithelial neurons. The bodies of the serotonergic neurons are located outside of the apical organ, but occasional axons were found at the organ base. The rest of the pilidial epithelium is represented by flattened polygonal multiciliated cells with sparse microvilli; the bodies of two neurons lie in the helmet epithelium immediately adjacent to the apical organ. Morphologically, the apical organ of the pilidium corresponds well to that of other lophotrochozoan larvae, but their homology remains unclear.     

Deer grazing changes seed traits and functions of grazing-intolerant plants

Grazing by ungulates can affect seed production in plants, and consequently seed recruitment into seed banks, which is a plant strategy to increase their resilience. The impact of grazing on seed quantity has been well studied; however, the impact of grazing on seed quality has received less attention, despite its role in determining the longevity of a seed bank. Here, we examined the impact of ungulate grazing on seed quality in plants, using two grazing-intolerant grassland species (Hemerocallis dumortieri var. esculenta and Geranium yesoense var. nipponicum). We found that grazing reduced seed length and weight, while increasing the germination rate. These changes in seed quality induced by grazing could reduce the persistence of seed banks and would thus seem to be an important mechanism involved in the impact of ungulate grazing on plant population dynamics.     

Variations on a Chip: Technologies of Difference in Human Genetics Research

In this article we examine the history of the production of microarray technologies and their role in constructing and operationalizing views of human genetic difference in contemporary genomics. Rather than the “turn to difference” emerging as a post-Human Genome Project (HGP) phenomenon, interest in individual and group differences was a central, motivating concept in human genetics throughout the twentieth century. This interest was entwined with efforts to develop polymorphic “genetic markers” for studying human traits and diseases. We trace the technological, methodological and conceptual strategies in the late twentieth century that established single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as key focal points for locating difference in the genome. By embedding SNPs in microarrays, researchers created a technology that they used to catalog and assess human genetic variation. In the process of making genetic markers and array-based technologies to track variation, scientists also made commitments to ways of describing, cataloging and “knowing” human genetic differences that refracted difference through a continental geographic lens. We show how difference came to matter in both senses of the term: difference was made salient to, and inscribed on, genetic matter(s), as a result of the decisions, assessments and choices of collaborative and hybrid research collectives in medical genomics research.     

Sialyl-glycoconjugates in cholesterol-rich microdomains of P388 cells are the triggers for apoptosis induced by Rana catesbeiana oocyte ribonuclease

SBL/RC-RNase was originally isolated from frog (Rana catesbeiana) oocytes and purified as a novel sialic acid-binding lectin (SBL) that displayed strong anti-cancer activity. SBL was later shown to be identical to a ribonuclease (RC-RNase) from oocytes of the same species. The administration of SBL/RC-RNase induced apoptosis (with nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation) in mouse leukemia P388 cells but did not kill umbilical vein endothelial or fibroblast cells derived from normal tissues. The cytotoxic activity of SBL/RC-RNase was inhibited by desialylation of P388 cells and/or the co-presence of free bovine submaxillary mucin. FACS analysis showed that SBL/RC-RNase was incorporated into cells after attachment to cholesterol-rich microdomains. Addition of the cholesterol remover methyl-β-cyclodextrin reduced SBL/RC-RNase-induced apoptosis. Apoptosis occurred through the caspase-3 pathway following activation of caspase-8 by SBL/RC-RNase. A heat shock cognate protein (Hsc70) and a heat shock protein (Hsp70) (each 70 kDa) on the cell membrane were shown to bind to SBL/RC-RNase by mass spectrometric and flow cytometric analyses. Quercetin, an inhibitor of Hsc70 and Hsp70, significantly reduced SBL/RC-RNase-induced apoptosis. Taken together, our findings suggest that sialyl-glycoconjugates present in cholesterol-rich microdomains form complexes with Hsc70 or Hsp70 that act as triggers for SBL/RC-RNase to induce apoptosis through a pathway involving the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-8.     

The immunosuppressant leflunomide blocks the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell cycle at the G1 phase

Abstract Leflunomide is a novel immunomodulatory drug representing a new small molecule class of substances which are structurally unrelated to previously described immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive compounds. The effect of leflunomide on the cell cycle of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated to elucidate the molecular mechanism of its action in eukaryotic organisms. When yeast cells were treated with leflunomide, unbudded cells were accumulated, suggesting that leflunomide may arrest the cell cycle in the G☎ase. When leflunomide-treated cells were subjected to heat shock treatment, the cells became resistant to heat shock treatment, implying that leflunomide-mediated block to cell division results in entry from the proliferative cycle into the alternative developmental g₀ phase.