Bone morphological analyses in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rats

The Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rat, a model for obese type 2 diabetes, shows bone quantitative abnormalities, namely low bone mineral density (BMD). The objective of this study was to evaluate bone morphological changes, in particular identifying the bone qualitative abnormalities, in the SDT fatty rat. Male SDT fatty rats showed increases in total trabecular area and trabecular number and decreases in trabecular thickness in cancellous bones of the proximal tibia, indicating trabecular miniaturization. The SDT fatty rat is useful for investigation of pathophysiological changes in bone quality in diabetic osteoporosis.     

The effect of visiting zoos on human health and quality of life

The increased mental stress of daily life and aging of the population are serious matters in Japan. There are many studies regarding the effects of human-animal interactions on mental and physical human health, whereas there are few studies examining the effects of visiting zoos. To determine the effect of visiting zoos on human health and quality of life, two different zoos were visited by 70 participants in Experiment 1 and 163 participants in Experiment 2. In this study we administered the WHO QOL-26 questionnaire in Japanese to assess the psychological scales of participants, and blood pressures and pulse rates were measured to assess their physical scales. We also used pedometers to count the number of steps taken during zoo visits. Both zoo visits decreased blood pressure and participants demonstrated more than 6000 steps during each visit. The quality of life sub-scale scores were improved after zoo visits.     

Prey selection of common minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and Bryde's (Balaenoptera edeni) whales in the western North Pacific in 2000 and 2001

A study of common minke and Bryde's whales was conducted in the western North Pacific in the 2000 and 2001 summer seasons to estimate prey selection of cetaceans as this is an important parameter in ecosystem models. Whale sighting and sampling surveys and prey surveys using quantitative echosounder and mid‐water trawl were carried out concurrently in the study. Biomasses of Japanese anchovy, walleye pollock and krill, which were major prey species of common minke and Bryde's whales, were estimated using an echosounder. The results suggested that common minke whale showed prey selection for Japanese anchovy while they seemed to avoid krill in both the offshore and coastal regions and walleye pollock in the continental shelf region. Selection for shoaling pelagic fish was similar to that in the eastern North Atlantic. Bryde's whale showed selection for Japanese anchovy in August 2000 and July 2001, while it showed prey selection for krill in May and June in 2001.     

鸡源株与人源株H9N2流感病毒血凝素受体结合位点氨基酸比较与分析

H19N2病毒可以感染多种禽类和哺乳动物，包括人类。流感病毒血凝素受体结合位点的氨基酸可以影响受体结合特性。为了解鸡源株与人源株H19N2病毒受体结合部氨基酸的差异，作者对二者进行了比较与分析，结果表明，鸡源株与人源株血凝素受体结合部位氨基酸的第137、183、190、226位点存在差异，鸡源株在这些位点分别为K、N、AorVorT、LorQ而人源株则分别为R、H、E、L。虽然尚不清楚这些位点的改变对病毒与细胞亲和力及宿主范围的影响，但由于H9N2在我国养鸡业的普遍存在，加强H9N2病毒的分子流行病学监测有重要意义。     

Influence of Equine Conformation on Rider Oscillation and Evaluation of Horses for Therapeutic Riding

To obtain basic knowledge about selecting horses for therapeutic riding, the influence of equine conformation on rider oscillation and relationships between these factors and the evaluation on horses as the therapeutic riding were studied. Thirty-five riding horses were used. Equine conformation was estimated by 24 indices. Rider oscillation was measured by an accelerometer fixed at the rider’s waist. The spatial position of the oscillation was estimated by a double integration of the acceleration. Horses were evaluated for therapeutic riding by a Riding for the Disabled Association instructor as a rider. Evaluations were on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest score for 27 items. Horses were classified into 4 groups: the short and narrow (SN), short and wide (SW), tall and narrow (TN), and tall and wide (TW). The frequencies of rider oscillation both at walk and trot were higher (P<0.01), and the vertical (P<0.01) and longitudinal (P<0.05) amplitudes at trot were smaller, on short horses than on tall horses. The vertical amplitude at walk was smaller (P<0.05) and the lateral amplitude at trot was larger (P<0.01) on wide horses than on narrow horses. Short horses could be used for the rider who requires side walkers. Wide horses could be used for relieving muscular tension and for the rider who could not maintain good balance on the horse. Short and wide horses should be suitable for therapeutic riding.     

Effects of preventing hyperphagia on glycolipid metabolic abnormalities in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii fatty rats

Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rats, made by introducing the fa allele of the Zucker fatty rat into the SDT rat genome, represent a new model of obese type 2 diabetes. SDT fatty ^fa/fa (SDT fatty) rats exhibit overt obesity, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia from about six weeks of age, and this is associated with hyperphagia by an induced disorder of leptin action. The present study was conducted to elucidate whether suppression of hyperphagia can improve reduce abnormalities in SDT fatty rats. SDT fatty rats were subjected to pair-feeding with SDT fatty ^{+/ +} (SDT) rats from 6 to 26 weeks of age, and the effects on metabolic parameters and diabetic complications were assessed. Body weights of the pair-fed rats were similar with those of SDT rats during the experimental period. Improvement of hyperglycemia or hypertriglyceridemia was observed from 8 to 16 or 12 weeks of age in the pair-fed rats, but hypercholesterolemia was not entirely improved during the experimental period. We also examined mRNAs expression in liver, and found that the expression associated with glyconeogenesis, such as glucose-6-phosphatase (G-6-Pase) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), tended to decrease in the pair-fed rats, and the mRNA expression of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) was elevated. Renal parameters, such as blood urea nitrogen and urinary albumin excretion, were improved in the pair-fed rats. The incidence or progression of diabetic complications, such as renal lesions and cataract, was reduced. In conclusion, suppression of hyperphagia in SDT fatty rats was effective in temporally improving hyperglycemia or hypertriglyceridemia, and reducing the incidence or progression of diabetic complications, but was ineffective in reducing hypercholesterolemia.     

Pueruli of Panulirus longipes bispinosus (Crustacea, Decapoda, Palinuridae) stranded on the beach of Kuroshima Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, southern Japan

ABSTRACT: Stranded organisms were observed on the sandy beach of Kuroshima Island, Ryukyu Archipelago, in the early morning of 28 January 1993. Stranded organisms of 525 individuals were classified into 74 species. These organisms included 13 individuals of Panulirus pueruli, which were identical to P. longipes bispinosus. Kuroshima Island is located near Ishigakijima and Iriomote islands, Ryukyu Archipelago, where coral reefs develop. Coral reefs are common and develop in the Ryukyu Archipelago, southern Japan, with the exception of Yakushima and Tanegashima islands. Panulirus japonicus in Japanese waters has not been found in coral reef regions where P. longipes bispinosus are mainly found. The present study describes and identifies to species level puerulus specimens that were stranded on the beach of Kuroshima Island.     

家蚕肾形卵的荧光差异显示分析

Liang等建立的mRNA的荧光差异显示法 (flourescentdifferentialdisplay,FDD)具有高效、安全、有用信息多等特点。利用这一方法在mRNA水平上探讨了肾形卵 (ki)与正常卵在初期胚胎阶段的基因表达 ,回收了差异片段 10条 ,并对其差异进行了验证。其中之一的片段序列分析表明为低分子量热激蛋白基因 (smallheatshockgene)。