Search

Megalobatrachonema nipponicum Yamaguti, 1941 (Nematoda: Cosmocercoidea: Kathlaniidae), the type species of the genus Megalobatrachonema, had been only once reported from the Japanese giant salamander, Andrias japonicus (Temminck, 1836) (Amphibia: Cryptobranchidae), in the last 80 years. Herein, we reported the present species from A. japonicus and hybrids (A. japonicus × Andrias davidianus (Blanchard, 1871)) following the original description. The examined specimens were morphologically identical to the original description. We showed the phylogenetic position of M. nipponicum among cosmocercoid species as well as among congeneric species, which suggested the polyphyly of the genus. In addition, the phylogenetic analysis did not support the subgenera in this genus. Thus, we considered the presence or absence of an esophageal bulb valve as a key morph to identify species, not subgenus, of Megalobatrachonema. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With recent economic development in Southeast Asia, there have been improvements in medical services and healthcare provision. This has led to increased numbers of dialysis patients and increased numbers of dialysis facilities in the region. To assist economically developing countries in managing this change, support projects from Japan have been conducted in the region since around 2007. This article summarizes and discusses Japan's support activities, in which some of the authors were directly involved, in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Initial support was mainly organized by the non-governmental organization Ubiquitous Blood Purification International (NGO UBPI), and currently several organizations in the field of blood purification work together to offer ongoing support in the region. Many positive changes have resulted from these activities in Southeast Asia, but challenges remaining for the future are to establish an educational system for each dialysis specialty and develop dialysis techniques ensuring high treatment quality and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hominid upper central incisors found in the Yuanmou Basin in southwest China in 1965 have affinities with Homo erectus fossils from Zhoukoudian, but exhibit primitive features. The Yuanmou hominid remains are alleged to be coeval with or older than African specimens dated at about 1.8 m.y.a. Recent age refinements of geomagnetic short reversal events and excursions permit assigning the Yuanmou hominid-bearing bed to the early Brunhes chron (about 0.7 m.y.a.). Magnetochronological assessments confirm that the Lantian calotte which has been dated to about 1.2 m.y.a., is the oldest reliable evidence for the emergence of Homo in eastern Asia as well as China, and that hominid fossils from Sangiran and Mojokerto, Java, do not exceed 1.1 Ma in age. These results refute the view that the genus Homo migrated into eastern Asia in the late Pliocene or the earliest Pleistocene., (Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.)