Phased chromosome-level genome provides insights into the molecular adaptation for migratory lifestyle and population diversity for Pacific saury, Cololabis saira.

The Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) is a pelagic fish commonly found in the North Pacific Ocean. Its population diversity and migratory lifestyle have long captured global attention. Despite the inherent complexity of the C.

Effects of oceanographic environment on the distribution and migration of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) during main fishing season.

The Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) is one of the most commercially important pelagic fishes in Asia-Pacific countries. The oceanographic environment, especially the Oyashio Current, significantly affects the distribution of Pacific saury, and may lead to variations in their migration route and the formation of fishing grounds in Japanese coastal region and the high seas. In this study, six oceanographic factors, sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface chlorophyll-a concentration (SSC), sea surface salinity (SSS), sea surface height (SSH), mixed layer depth (MLD), and eddy kinetic energy (EKE), were associated with the monthly catch per unit effort 1 (monthly CPUE, ton/vessel) and the monthly CPUE (ton/day) of Pacific saury from Chinese fishing vessels during the optimal fishing periods (September-November) in 2014-2017.

Critical transitions and ecological resilience of large marine ecosystems in the Northwestern Pacific in response to global warming.

Natural systems can undergo critical transitions, leading to substantial socioeconomic and ecological outcomes. "Ecological resilience" has been proposed to describe the capacity of natural systems to absorb external perturbation and reorganize while undergoing change so as to still retain essentially the same function, structure, identity, and feedbacks. However, the mere application of ecological resilience in theoretical research and the lack of quantitative approaches present considerable obstacles for predicting critical transitions and understanding their mechanisms.

Sperm competition risk affects ejaculate strategy in terms of sperm number but not sperm size in squid.

In polygamous species, the mode of sperm storage in females influences evolution of sperm quantitative and qualitative traits because it provides the arena for sperm competition, cryptic female choice and fertilization processes. In this study, we compared ejaculate traits of two squid species, Heterololigo bleekeri and Loligo reynaudii. Both species show dimorphic sperm traits associated with alternative reproductive tactics where consort and sneaker males transfer sperm to different storage sites within a female (on the oviduct and near the mouth, respectively).

How female squid inseminate their eggs with stored sperm.

How sperm reach ova after mating is one of the central questions in reproductive biology. Many species copulate and store sperm in female reproductive organs until spawning [1]. The way females use stored sperm is closely associated with sperm competition and cryptic female choice.

Data on species list and the amount of macrophytes and mobile epi-benthic invertebrates in a subtropical seagrass-seaweed mixed bed in Ishigaki Island, Japan.

In April 2014 and 2015, field samplings were conducted in a subtropical seagrass-seaweed mixed bed in Ishigaki Island, southwest Japan in order to collect macrophytes and mobile epi-benthic invertebrates. This article describes macrophyte biomass of 16 species or groups and invertebrate abundance of 66 species or groups. This data is associated with "Phylogenetically diverse macrophyte community promotes species diversity of mobile epi-benthic invertebrates" (Nakamoto et al.

One-Shot In Vitro Evolution Generated an Antibody Fragment for Testing Urinary Cotinine with More Than 40-Fold Enhanced Affinity.

Immunoassays for cotinine, a major nicotine metabolite, in the urine are useful for monitoring the degree of tobacco smoke exposure. However, hybridoma-based anti-cotinine antibodies lack sufficient binding affinity to perform practically sensitive measurements, and thus most cotinine assays still rely on polyclonal antibodies. Here, we describe the generation of a mutant single-chain Fv fragment (scFv) that was used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine urinary cotinine levels in passive smokers.

Effects of phase III cardiac rehabilitation on mortality and cardiovascular events in elderly patients with stable coronary artery disease.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) has numerous benefits, including reduction of mortality and cardiovascular events, in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the long-term effect of phase III CR in elderly patients with stable CAD is still unknown.

Methods And Results: The 111 elderly male CAD patients (>or=65 years), including 37 subjects participating in supervised CR for 6 months and 74 age-matched controls, were analyzed.

Deletion of the Fc receptors gamma chain preserves endothelial function affected by hypercholesterolaemia in mice fed on a high-fat diet.

Aims: To clarify the role of Fc receptors (FcR) for immunoglobulin in endothelial dysfunction induced by hypercholesterolaemia, we evaluated the effect of deletion of the FcR gamma chain on endothelium-dependent relaxation and oxidative stress after 10 weeks on a high-fat diet in FcR gamma(-/-) mice compared with that in wild-type mice.

Methods And Results: Plasma cholesterol levels of those on the high-fat diet were significantly increased compared with those on the normal chow diet in both groups of mice. Endothelium-dependent relaxation of the aortic ring with acetylcholine in wild-type mice was significantly reduced by the high-fat diet (ED(50): 0.

Effects of a phase III cardiac rehabilitation program on physical status and lipid profiles in elderly patients with coronary artery disease: Juntendo Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (J-CARP).

Background: Limited data are available regarding the effects of phase III cardiac rehabilitation on the physical status and risk factors in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods And Results: Thirty-four male CAD patients (>65 years old) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=18) or a control group (n=16). The intervention group participated in a phase III cardiac rehabilitation program consisting of exercise training, diet therapy, and weekly counseling for 6 months.

Insulin response to oral glucose load is associated with coronary artery disease in subjects with normal glucose tolerance.

Aim: The critical role of hyperinsulinemia, independent of hyperglycemia, in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis has not been fully determined. We investigated the association between secretion patterns of insulin after oral glucose load and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with normal glucose tolerance (NGT).

Methods: We enrolled 116 subjects with NGT from 243 patients who had undergone coronary angiography and a standard 75-g oral glucose tolerance test.

A Japanese case of familial cardiac myxoma associated with a mutation of the PRKAR1alpha gene.

Familial cardiac myxoma is inherited as an autosomal dominant syndrome. Here, we report a Japanese case of familial cardiac myxoma identified as a genetic abnormality. The mother experienced multiple recurrence of tumors in the left atrium and left ventricle 40 months after surgical resection of a left atrial myxoma.

Circulating malondialdehyde-modified LDL and atherogenic lipoprotein profiles measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in patients with coronary artery disease.

Objective: Recent studies have suggested that circulating malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) is a useful marker for the identification of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the role of MDA-LDL in atherogenic mechanisms has not yet been fully determined.

Method And Results: We investigated lipoprotein profiles measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and circulating MDA-LDL levels measured by ELISA in 25 male patients with CAD and 15 age-matched male controls.

Promoter polymorphism in the CD14 gene and concentration of soluble CD14 in patients with in-stent restenosis after elective coronary stenting.

Background: Activated monocytes/macrophages, neutrophils, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells participate in the restenosis processes. Monocytes/macrophages and neutrophils are activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) via CD14. Endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells are also stimulated by soluble CD14 (sCD14)-LPS complexes.

[Coronary artery disease].

Hypertension are at high risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with coronary heart disease. Although the benefits of antihypertensive therapy in such patients are well established, control of high blood pressure still insufficient. In this review, we discussed about some problems in management of blood pressure especially in patients with coronary heart disease, contents; unique nature of coronary circulation, J-curve hypothesis, drug usage for special situations.

R/R genotype of human paraoxonase (PON1) is more protective against lipoprotein oxidation and coronary artery disease in Japanese subjects.

Human paraoxonase (PON1) is an high-density lipoprotein (HDL) -associated enzyme that is proposed to protect against the oxidation of lipoproteins. Recently, the association of coronary artery disease (CAD) and PON1 activity was reported. Furthermore, the R/R genotype of PON1 has been related to the risk for CAD.

Effect of thiazolidinediones and metformin on LDL oxidation and aortic endothelium relaxation in diabetic GK rats.

In this study, using GK diabetic rats, we compared the effects of three insulin sensitizers on lipid oxidation and the aortic relaxation response. Eight-week-old rats were treated for 4 wk with either troglitazone or pioglitazone, both of which are thiazolidinediones, or with metformin. Despite the fact that only troglitazone has a similarity in structure to alpha-tocopherol, a potent antioxidant, the level of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance was lower, and the lag time of the conjugated dienes was longer, in the blood samples from the rats in both troglitazone- and pioglitazone-treated groups.

Effects of phase III cardiac rehabilitation programs on health-related quality of life in elderly patients with coronary artery disease: Juntendo Cardiac Rehabilitation Program (J-CARP).

The purpose of this prospective randomized controlled trial was to assess the impact of phase III comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Thirty-eight elderly males (mean age, 70 years) with CAD were stratified as the intervention group (n=20) and the control group (n=18). In the intervention group, patients participated in CR for 6 months, whereas in the control group, they received standard care.

Lipid compositional differences of small, dense low-density lipoprotein particle influence its oxidative susceptibility: possible implication of increased risk of coronary artery disease in subjects with phenotype B.

An increased susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to lipid peroxidative modification may be a key factor in the higher risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) among subjects with phenotype B. Compositional differences in the LDL particle may also be implicated in its atherogenicity and, in particular, may be associated with varying degrees of oxidative susceptibility of LDL, although this remains unclear. We hypothesized that the oxidative susceptibility of small, dense LDL was directly influenced by its lipid composition, which may lead to an increased risk of CAD in subjects with phenotype B.