Parazoanthidae (Cnidaria, Zoantharia) associated with glass sponges on the Nishi-Shichito Ridge, northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the description of a new species.

Seamounts are biodiversity hotspots that face increasing threats from anthropogenic activities. Seamounts host diverse sessile suspension-feeding organisms such as sponges and anthozoans, which are crucial for seamount ecosystems as they construct three-dimensional habitats utilized by numerous other animals. Therefore, accurate identification of seamount fauna, in particular of sessile suspension-feeding organisms, is of paramount importance for robust conservation efforts.

Identification of deposits from modern and ancient large tsunamis by means of environmental DNA.

We examined the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) for identifying tsunami deposits in the geological record using lake-bottom sediments in the Tohoku region, Japan. The presence of eDNA from marine organisms in a lacustrine event deposit provides very strong evidence that the deposit was formed by an influx of water from the ocean. The diverse DNA assemblage in the deposit formed by the 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami included DNA of marine origin indicating that eDNA has potential as an identifying proxy for tsunami deposits.

Adverse effects of total phosphate load from the environment on the skeletal formation of coral juveniles.

Nitrogen's impact on corals has been widely studied, but the role of phosphate is often overlooked due to its low concentrations in seawater. Previous studies have suggested that phosphate can penetrate intercellular spaces to reach the extracellular calcifying medium (ECM), where it adsorbs onto skeletal surfaces and disrupts calcium carbonate crystallization, thereby inhibiting skeletal growth. Based on this mechanism, we hypothesized that skeletal growth inhibition depends not only on phosphate concentration but also on total phosphate load (flow volume × concentration).

The Role of Polyamines in pH Regulation in the Extracellular Calcifying Medium of Scleractinian Coral Spats.

This study aims to elucidate a novel mechanism for elevating the pH within the calicoblastic extracellular calcifying medium (pH) of corals and demonstrate the potential contribution of calcifying organisms to CO sequestration. Departing from traditional models that attribute the increase in pH primarily to H expulsion via Ca-ATPase, we emphasize the significant role of polyamines. These ubiquitous biogenic amines conveyed by calicoblastic cells through polyamine transporters demonstrate a remarkable affinity for CO.

Serum 5-S-cysteinyldopa as a predictive biomarker for stem cell transplantation-related complications in children and young adults.

Diffuse hyperpigmentation is common in patients who undergo chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation (SCT). However, only a few studies have reported the relation between skin reactions and SCT-related complications. Serum 5-S-cysteinyldopa (5SCD), a pheomelanin precursor, is elevated in individuals with hyperpigmentation.

Serum potassium levels as an independent predictor of unplanned enteral nutrition discontinuation in older adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Background & Aims: Enteral nutrition in older adults is often associated with intolerance, a phenomenon not well-understood in the context of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This observational study aimed to evaluate serum potassium levels as an independent prognostic factor for unplanned enteral nutrition discontinuation in older adults with GERD.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 213 consecutive patients with GERD who received enteral nutrition at our institution from April 2018 to March 2023.

Utilising Text Mining to Determine Japanese Dental Hygiene Students' Perceptions of Dental Hygienists and Dentists.

Objectives: This longitudinal text-mining study examines dental hygiene students' perceptions of dental hygienists and dentists at three different points in time during their training course. The null hypothesis of the study was that there would be no change in the dental hygiene students' perceptions of the dental hygienists and dentists over the course of 3 years.

Materials And Methods: First-year dental hygiene students participated in this study beginning with the academic year 2020.

Polyamine impact on physiology of early stages of reef-building corals-insights from rearing experiments and RNA-Seq analysis.

Polyamines are involved in various functions related to the cellular-level responses. To assess effects of polyamines on marine organisms, rearing experiments and comprehensive gene expression analyses were conducted on Acropora digitifera and Acropora sp.1, representative reef-building corals along the west-central coast of Okinawa, Japan, to evaluate effects of putrescine.

Utilizing environmental DNA and imaging to study the deep-sea fish community of Takuyo-Daigo Seamount.

The increase in interest of mining at seamounts means there is a critical need to establish baseline inventories through environmental survey, with the aim of promoting the conservation and stewardship of these remote habitats. To efficiently evaluate fish biodiversity around a seamount, we compared environmental DNA (eDNA) methods using seawater and sponge samples against methods using imagery obtained with a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and a free-fall deep-sea camera lander called the Edokko Mark I on the Takuyo-Daigo Seamount (153.0°E, 23.

Treatment of relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children: an observational study of the Japan Children's Cancer Group.

The Japan Children's Cancer Group Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) Committee conducted a prospective observational study (ALL-R14) to explore promising reinduction therapy regimens for relapsed ALL to investigate in future trials. In Japan, clofarabine- and bortezomib-based regimens were of interest since they were newly introduced for ALL in the study period (2015-2018). Seventy-five pediatric patients were enrolled in total.

Diversity, composition and potential roles of sedimentary microbial communities in different coastal substrates around subtropical Okinawa Island, Japan.

Background: Marine benthic prokaryotic communities play crucial roles in material recycling within coastal environments, including coral reefs. Coastal sedimentary microbiomes are particularly important as potential reservoirs of symbiotic, beneficial, and pathogenic bacteria in coral reef environments, and therefore presumably play a core role in local ecosystem functioning. However, there is a lack of studies comparing different environments with multiple sites on the island scale, particularly studies focusing on prokaryotic communities, as previous investigations have focused mainly on a single site or on specific environmental conditions.

Asymmetric genetic population structures at the range edges of a mangrove whelk.

Many marine species are distributed across incredibly wide geographical ranges spanning thousands of kilometers often due to movement along prevailing ocean currents. However, data are lacking on genetic connectivity among populations of such widespread species within or among ecoregions, possibly due to the lack of appropriate datasets. In this study, we investigated the genetic structure of populations of the mangrove whelk, Terebralia palustris, using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences.

Diagnostic delay of MYH9-related disorder in Japan.

MYH9-related disorder (MYH9-RD) is characterized by congenital macrothrombocytopenia and granulocyte inclusion bodies. MYH9-RD is often misdiagnosed as chronic immune thrombocytopenia. In this study, we investigated age at definitive diagnosis and indicative thrombocytopenia in 41 patients with MYH9-RD from the congenital thrombocytopenia registry in Japan.

Transgenerational acclimation to acidified seawater and gene expression patterns in a sea urchin.

Transgenerational responses of susceptible calcifying organisms to progressive ocean acidification are an important issue in reducing uncertainty of future predictions. In this study, a two-generation rearing experiment was conducted using mature Mesocentrotus nudus, a major edible sea urchin that occurs along the coasts of northern Japan. Morphological observations and comprehensive gene expression analysis (RNA-seq) of resulting larvae were performed to examine transgenerational acclimation to acidified seawater.

Development of a rapid-fire drug screening method by probe electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for human urine (RaDPi-U).

Drug screening tests are mandatory in the search for drugs in forensic biological samples, and immunological methods and mass spectrometry (e.g., gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry) are commonly used for that purpose.

Importance of Intracellular Energy Status on High-Hydrostatic-Pressure Inactivation of Yeast .

The HHP inactivation behaviors of Niigata yeast strain S9arg and its aerobic respiratory-deficient mutant strains were investigated after cultivating them in a YPD media containing 2% to 15% glucose, as well as in mash, in a laboratory-scale brewing process. The piezotolerance of strain S9arg, shown after cultivation in a YPD medium containing 2% glucose, decreased to become piezosensitive with increasing glucose concentrations in YPD media. In contrast, the piezosensitivity of a mutant strain UV1, shown after cultivation in the YPD medium containing 2% glucose, decreased to become piezotolerant with increasing glucose concentrations in the YPD medium.

Single-polyp metabolomics for coral health assessment.

Coral reef ecosystems supported by environmentally sensitive reef-building corals face serious threats from human activities. Our understanding of these reef threats is hampered by the lack of sufficiently sensitive coral environmental impact assessment systems. In this study, we established a platform for metabolomic analysis at the single-coral-polyp level using state-of-the-art mass spectrometry (probe electrospray ionization/tandem mass spectrometry; PESI/MS/MS) capable of fine-scale analysis.

Metagenomic analysis of the microbial communities and associated network of nitrogen metabolism genes in the Ryukyu limestone aquifer.

While microbial biogeochemical activities such as those involving denitrification and sulfate reduction have been considered to play important roles in material cycling in various aquatic ecosystems, our current understanding of the microbial community in groundwater ecosystems is remarkably insufficient. To assess the groundwater in the Ryukyu limestone aquifer of Okinawa Island, which is located in the southernmost region of Japan, we performed metagenomic analysis on the microbial communities at the three sites and screened for functional genes associated with nitrogen metabolism. 16S rRNA amplicon analysis showed that bacteria accounted for 94-98% of the microbial communities, which included archaea at all three sites.

Whole transcriptome analysis of demersal fish eggs reveals complex responses to ocean deoxygenation and acidification.

Ocean acidification and deoxygenation co-occur in marine environments, causing deterioration of marine ecosystems. However, effects of compound stresses on marine organisms and their physiological coping mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we show how high pCO and low dissolved oxygen (DO) cause transcriptomic changes in eggs of a demersal fish (Sillago japonica), which are fully exposed to such stresses in natural environment.