Explore the vast range of titles available.

The pelagic shrimp Lucensosergia lucens is a commercially important species in Japan and Taiwan; however, a recent significant decline in L. lucens catch has been reported in Suruga Bay, Japan. In the present study, multiple molecular approaches were used to understand the population structure of L. lucens in Japanese and Taiwanese waters. Our analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and control region obtained by Sanger sequencing showed no evidence of different population structures, contrary to the previous study based on the control region. Genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis using multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeats genotyping by sequencing revealed panmixia in Japanese and Taiwanese populations. The contemporary migration rates estimated from the SNP data suggest that the Kuroshio Current plays a key role in L. lucens transportation from Taiwan to Japan. Additionally, mitogenome sequences obtained by genome skimming showed no region-specific genetic lineages in Japan or Taiwan. The results obtained by multiple molecular approaches suggested that L. lucens is widely distributed with a dispersal capacity in the Kuroshio and adjacent regions in the western North Pacific. Because apparent panmixia of L. lucens was observed in Japanese and Taiwanese waters, international cooperation is needed for the sustainable fishing of this shrimp.

Crystallization of groundmass minerals may record the physicochemical conditions of magmatic processes upon eruption and is thus a topic of interdisciplinary research in the disciplines of mineralogy, petrology, and volcanology. Recent studies have reported that the groundmass crystals of some volcanic rocks exhibit a break in their crystal size distribution (CSD) slopes that range from a few micrometers to hundreds of nanometers. The crystals consisting of the finer parts of the break were defined as nanolites. In this study, we report the presence of nanometer-scale crystals down to 1 nm in the pyroclasts of the 2011 eruption of Shinmoedake, the Kirishima volcano group, based on field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). We discovered a gap (hiatus) from ∼100 to ∼30 nm in the size distribution of pyroxene in a dense juvenile fragment of a vulcanian explosion. The pyroxene crystals ∼20-30 nm on a diameter were ferroaugite (C2/c), while those a few hundred nanometers in width had a composite structure consisting of the domains of orthopyroxene (Pbca), augite (C2/c), and sub-calcic augite (C2/c). In high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM images of the same sample, bright spots ∼1-2 nm in diameter were recognized with a gap in size from ∼10-20 nm titanomagnetite (Fd,3m). They are presumed to have Fe-rich compositions, although their phases were too small to be determined. In addition, we found that crystals smaller than a few tens of nanometers for pyroxene and 100 nm for plagioclase did not exist or their number densities were too low for accurate determination. This indicates that there are practical minimum sizes of the crystals. These observations show that nucleation of the nanoscale crystals almost paused (froze) in the late stage of groundmass crystallization, possibly due to a decrease in undercooling, increase in interfacial free energy, and decrease in diffusivity in a dehydrated melt, whereas crystal growth was mostly continuous. In this paper, we introduce the novel term \"ultrananolite,\" to refer to crystals smaller than 30 nm in diameter, and redefine \"nanolite\" simply as those 30 nm to 1 µm in width, complementing the size interval of crystals in volcanic groundmass smaller than microlites (1-30 µm). In the transient nucleation process, the presence of subcritical size clusters is required. The observed ultrananolite-sized particles might partly include subcritical clusters. The difference in the slope of CSDs, presence of gaps in size distribution, and minimum crystal size among the eruption styles of the 2011 Shinmoedake eruption may be interpreted by considering the difference in magma residence time and fragmentation pressure in the shallow conduit, and possibly the rewelding process in the crater.

One of the traditional forms of performing arts in Lampung is Sakura. Although a considerable amount of research on Sakura performance art has been done and despite the importance of Sakura performance art, but to my knowledge no researcher has studied about the holistic understanding of this performance art in terms of its functions. This study is qualitative in nature in which the data were collected through observations, audio-recorded interviews, documents, and artifacts which were descriptively analyzed and interpreted. This study was conducted through intense and prolonged contact with informants in natural setting in four villages (Kenali, Kegeringan, Canggu, and Kuta Besi villages) in Batu Brak District, Liwa, West Lampung Regency as Sakura performance art cannot be found anywhere else. The key informants were purposively selected to take part in this study, including traditional Lampung elders, Sakura artists, and cultural experts from the four villages. Based on the results and discussion, it can be stated that the function of Sakura performance art was initially as a means of worship for harvest festival and village safety. Today, however, it has several functions such as a means of socialization, social solidarity, entertainment, and aesthetic presentation. Finally, some implications for the preservation of the Sakura performance art and recommendations for future research are also discussed.

Sakura shrimp Lucensosergia lucens are pelagic shrimp that reside in the North Pacific Ocean. In Japan, commercial fishing activities aimed at this shrimp species only occurs in Suruga Bay in Shizuoka prefecture, but there has been a dramatic decrease in the magnitude of the harvest in recent years. Because sakura shrimp reside in the deep sea, their food habits and feeding behaviors are not well understood. The objective of this study was to establish a method for efficiently raising sakura shrimp larvae to juvenile shrimp. When a newly hatched larva was cultured individually, it developed to the post-larval stage when fed a sufficient amount. However, when ten individuals were cultured together, the survival rate sharply declined after 10 days owing to the cannibalism by elaphocaris III-stage larvae. This cannibalism was not due to the shortage of food because the cannibalism rate significantly dropped when larvae density was decreased to less than 1 individual/mL. The longest lifespan of a larva was 97 days, which is the longest recorded time for a sakura shrimp larval culture. Our results suggested that sakura shrimp larvae can develop to the post-larval stage in a laboratory-scale culture if the expression of cannibalism is inhibited by decreasing the larva density.

Sakura petals were collected as raw materials for the manufacture of porous carbon hosts for use as cathodes in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries by a direct pyrolysis method and chemical activation process. The evolution of the morphology and microstructure of sakura petal-derived carbon materials was investigated in detail. Furthermore, the electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries assembled from composite cathodes with sakura petal-derived carbon products as the host and pure sulfur as the active material were systematically researched. The results indicated that the morphology of the products changed from a plate-like morphology to plates with ordered grooves and then to a wrinkled sheet-like morphology. In addition, many micropores were formed during the activation process. Moreover, the sample that underwent two-step activation exhibited an improved specific discharging capacity, cycling performance and rate performance. In summary, the sakura-derived carbon host is expected to assist in the future application of Li-S batteries.

This study describes the in vitro regeneration of ‘Haruka’ plants, a new cultivar of Japanese flowering cherry registered in 2021 by the Japanese statutory authority. As this is a double-flowered cultivar produced by inter-specific hybridization, in vitro regeneration is an effective method for large-scale propagation. To promote proliferation, apical shoots were cultured on half-strength Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 5 μM 6-benzylaminopurine. The highest average of 7.8 shoots per explant was obtained at 15°C in the dark. Cultures were maintained in continuous darkness for 12 wk and then transferred to lighting conditions under a 16-h photoperiod at 25°C. Subsequently, a 100% rooting rate was obtained with the application of 1 μM indole-3-butyric acid in combination with 0.1 μM naphthaleneacetic acid. Additionally, the number of roots per shoot and the maximum length of roots were significantly higher under exposure to pink light illumination provided by cold cathode fluorescent lamps emitting red- and blue-colored light at a ratio of 80% and 20%, respectively. More than 95% of the regenerated plantlets survived after ex vitro acclimatization.

Abstract Background Large-scale investigations on the use of oral anticoagulants including direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have not included Japanese patients. Methods We established the multicenter SAKURA AF Registry to support prospective observational research on the status of anticoagulation treatment, especially with DOAC, for AF in Japan. We enrolled 3266 AF patients treated with warfarin ( n =1577) or any of 4 DOACs ( n =1689) from 63 institutions (2 cardiovascular centers, 13 affiliated hospitals or community hospitals, and 48 private clinics) in the Tokyo area. Results We conducted our first analysis of the registry data, and although we found equivalent mean age between the DOAC and warfarin users (71.8±9.5 vs. 72.3±9.4 years, p =0.2117), we found a slightly lower risk of stroke (CHADS2 score of 0 or 1 [46.9% vs. 39.4%, p <0.0001]) and significantly better creatinine clearance in DOAC users (70.4±27 vs. 65.6±25.7 mL/min, p <0.0001). Importantly, we documented under-dosing in 32% of warfarin users and inappropriate-low-dosing in 19.7–27.6% of DOAC users. Conclusions Our initial analysis of the SAKURA AF Registry data clarified the real-world use of anticoagulants, which includes DOACs and warfarin in Japan. The DOAC users were at a lower risk for stroke than the warfarin users. In 20–30% of DOAC users, the dose was inappropriately reduced.

Glabellar frown lines, also known as worry lines, are a common sign of aging. The current treatment option for glabellar lines is subjective and ranges from economical anti-wrinkle creams and skin resurfacing techniques such as microdermabrasion and fillers to highly expensive facelifts. Botox has been the mainstream treatment for decades, but the suggested time between treatments for most toxins is 12-16 weeks, and evidence shows that patients being treated for glabellar lines want longer-lasting results. Recently, on September 16th, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the development of daxibotulinumtoxinA (DAXI) for injection based on clinical trials (SAKURA 1, 2, and 3). These encouraging findings followed by FDA approval mean that the need for repeated treatments to sustain the desired outcome has decreased. DAXI could be a reliable and secure choice for reducing the appearance of wrinkles on the face caused by muscle activity, and its long duration has the potential to enhance the treatment of both therapeutic and cosmetic disorders.

This paper details the evolution of automotive safety technology over the years and the technical efforts in Japan that helped in foreseeing the development of safety technology and automated driving technology in the future.

We built a new pulse-echo system using a small tank (1 × 1 × 1 m) for measuring the broadband target strength of weakly scattering animals such as krill and shrimp. The system transmits a linear frequency modulated signal with a frequency sweep of 20–220 kHz. To increase the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a very long (50 ms) signal is used, and pulse compression processing is applied to received echoes. To determine the accuracy and effectiveness of the system and method, the obtained measurements were compared with predictions by theoretical acoustic scattering models. According to the verification experiment for a sphere and cylinders, the mean absolute errors were < 0.30 dB and the correlation coefficients r were > 0.97 in the frequency range above 20-dB SNR (40–210 kHz for the cylinders). Our measurement system was thus very accurate. We then performed the experiment for a commercially important shrimp, sakura shrimp Lucensosergia lucens. The measured spectra of three samples (35–38 mm) were in good agreement with the predicted spectra using an assumed sound-speed contrast. The r values were > 0.88 in the frequency range above 20-dB SNR (approximately 110–190 kHz). The effectiveness of our new method for weakly scattering animals was confirmed.