Enhanced local recruitment of glass eel <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anguilla japonica</Emphasis> in Oyodo River,Miyazaki and offshore environmental conditions in 2002

To examine the environmental factors controlling the inshore recruitment dynamics of Anguilla japonica in the Oyodo River, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu, glass eel samplings were carried out using fyke nets during winter (November–March) of 1994–2014. The peak CPUEs (catch per unit effort) were observed between November and February, but differed from year to year. The yearly CPUE was extremely high in 2002, when the sea surface temperature (SST) in the offshore area of the Oyodo River was the lowest in winter of all the sampling years. The negative SST anomaly of less than ? 0.5 °C was sustained in the offshore area during the recruitment season in 2002, which was caused by two combined factors; low air temperature and the Kuroshio path. The oceanographic data showed that the dominant path of the Kuroshio was displaced eastward at 31°N in 2002, which was different from the average Kuroshio path. The eastward displacement of the Kuroshio induced a cyclonic mesoscale eddy in the offshore area of the Oyodo River, resulting in the entrainment of the cold seawater into coastal waters from deep water. The oceanographic condition in relation to the continuous low SST could be favorable for local recruitment of glass eels.     

Neurophysiological assessment of the sedative and analgesic effects of a constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine in the dog

The sedative and analgesic effects of continuous rate infusion (CRI) of dexmedetomidine (DEX) were investigated in Beagle dogs (n = 8) using auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials (AEPs and SEPs) recorded before, during and after a CRI of saline or DEX (1.0, 3.0, 5.0 μg/kg bolus, followed by 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 μg/kg/h CRI, respectively).The results showed a significant reduction in AEP at doses of 1.0 μg/kg/h and above and a significant reduction of the SEP at doses of 3.0 and 5.0 μg/kg/h. Neither the AEP nor the SEP was further reduced at 5.0 μg/kg/h when compared to 3.0 μg/kg/h, although a slower return towards baseline values was observed at 5.0 μg/kg/h. The mean plasma levels (±SEM) of DEX during infusion were 0.533 ± 0.053 ng/mL for the 1.0 μg/kg/h dose, 1.869 ± 0.063 ng/mL for the 3.0 μg/kg/h dose and 4.017 ± 0.385 for the 5.0 μg/kg/dose. It was concluded that in adult dogs, a CRI of DEX had a sedative and analgesic effect that could be described quantitatively using neurophysiological parameters. Sedation was achieved at lower plasma levels than required for analgesia, and DEX had a longer (but not larger) effect with infusion rates above 3.0 μg/kg/h.     

亚热带林7种林冠树种落叶分解中矿质元素动态

应用分解网袋法对亚热带常绿阔叶林7种常见林冠树种落叶分解过程中矿质元素(K,Na,Ca,Mg,Al,Fe,Mn,Cu和Zn)动态变化进行了为期2年的研究。这些树种是研究地区森林植被的代表种,且不同树种的落叶化学组成差异明显。研究结果表明:落叶分解速率(落叶干重残留百分率和分解常数k)与矿质元素初始浓度之间没有明显的相关性。但是,大多数情况下,落叶干重残留百分率与残留落叶的矿质元素浓度之间有着显著的相关关系。落叶分解过程中不同矿质元素的迁移性大小依次为:Na=K>Mg≥Ca>N≥Mn≥Zn≥P>Cu>>Al>>Fe。各树种的K和Na浓度在分解中均表现为下降趋势,Ca和Mg浓度亦表现为下降趋势,但在分解初期偶有升高倾向。而各树种中的其它元素(Zn,Cu,Al,Fe)浓度在分解中都表现出升高趋势,唯有Mn例外,在不同树种间,其浓度的变化模式存在一定差异。大多数树种的Cu,Al和Fe等3元素在分解试验末期的绝对重量均比初始重量显著提高,其机理在很大程度上可能归因于这些元素与腐殖质的结合,而不是生物固定。     

Characterization of Campylobacter jejuni in large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in Tochigi prefecture,Japan

As free-living crows are a potential source of Campylobacter infections in broilers and cattle, we characterized Campylobacter spp. isolated from crows using multilocus sequence typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. We obtained 82 samples from 27 birds captured at seven different times using a trap set in Tochigi prefecture, Japan. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from 55 (67.1%) of the 82 samples and classified into 29 sequence types, of which 21 were novel. Tetracycline and streptomycin resistance rates were 18.2% and 3.6%, respectively. These results show that most types of C. jejuni infecting crows differ from those isolated from humans, broilers, and cattle. Thus, the importance of free-living crows as reservoirs of Campylobacter infections in broilers and cattle may be limited.