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Prediction models for enteric methane (CH4) emissions from beef cattle proposed by various groups may not perform with similar accuracy for the low- and middle-income countries in South-east Asia (SE-Asia) because beef cattle in these countries are raised under different climatic conditions with diverse feeding systems, and have different CH4 emission characteristics. The objectives of this study were to: i) predict CH4 emission (g d−1 animal−1), yield [g kg−1 dry matter intake; DMI)−1], intensity [g kg−1 average daily gain)−1], and CH4 conversion factor (Ym) using an intercountry database of individual animal records from SE-Asia; ii) evaluate the impact of different dietary forage contents (all-, high- and low-forage) representing the diverse feeding systems on CH4 emission, yield, intensity and Ym in SE-Asia; and iii) cross-validate equations from this study with published data. A total of 398 individual animal observations of beef cattle from SE-Asia were used for this analysis. Linear models developed by incrementally adding covariates revealed that CH4 emission model using only DMI fitted to all data had a root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) of 16.9%. Subsets containing data with 100% forage in the diet (all-forage), 50–85% (high-forage) and < 50% (low-forage) had an RMSPE of 16.5%, 14.7%, and 17.4%, respectively. Linear multiple equation based on DMI and dietary NDF concentration (DMI + NDF_C, RMSPE = 15.2%; all-data) improved prediction accuracy over that of DMI alone. The DMI + NDF_C models for all-forage (RMSPE = 14.6%) and high-forage subsets (RMSPE = 13.3%) except for low-forage (RMSPE = 16.4%), improved the precision and accuracy of CH4 emission prediction. Methane yield and CH4 emission intensity could not be reliably modelled with the current database. The present study provides improved CH4 prediction models for beef cattle managed under diverse feeding systems in SE-Asia and affirmed that region-specific models are needed to reliably predict beef cattle CH4 emission at national or regional levels, particularly for low- and middle-income countries.

Background Biologics are widely used for paediatric Crohn's disease (CD) and are highly effective; however, primary inefficacy and the emergence of secondary inefficacy during long-term use remain challenges. Although it is desirable for biologics used in paediatric patients to be safe and usable long-term, there are few detailed reports on the comparison of persistence rates of biologics in paediatric patients. Methods This was a multicentre prospective cohort study using a web-based registry system in Japan that was performed between October 2012 and March 2020. New paediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients diagnosed at less than 18 years of age were enrolled from 23 Japanese hospitals. The persistence rates of the first biologics (Infliximab: IFX and Adalimumab: ADA), and the second biologics (IFX, ADA, and Ustekinumab: UST) were analysed. Patients with unknown outcomes were excluded. Results We enrolled 185 patients with CD as the final diagnosis, and 109 (59%) received biologics during the observation period. As the first biologic, IFX was used in 52 (45%) patients, ADA in 52 (45%), UST and Vedolizumab (VED) in one, respectively, and the biologic in one patient was unidentified. The 1-, 3- and 5-year persistence rates of IFX and ADA as the first biologic were 90%, 70% and 61% for IFX, and 80%, 71% and 49% for ADA, respectively (Fig.1), with no statistically significant difference (P=0.31). There was also no statistically significant difference after propensity score matching (P=0.27). Multivariate analysis showed that Paris classification L4a and b were independent risk factors for lower retention of biologics in IFX and ADA. Of the 104 patients whose first biologic was IFX or ADA, 31 patients were treated with a second biologic (IFX: 7, ADA: 6, UST: 15, VED: 2 and unknown: 1). The 1- and 3-year persistence rates of the second biologic were 86% and 51% for IFX; 80% and 80% for ADA and 100% and 100% for UST, respectively (Fig.2). Conclusion The persistence rates of IFX and ADA as first biologics were similar in paediatric patients with CD, and the persistence rates of UST tended to be higher than IFX or ADA as second biologics, although the differences were not statistically significant.

Continuous long-term monitoring is important for detecting ecological changes and understanding their causes, including anthropogenic impacts such as climate changes and eutrophication. Nonetheless, such long-term population studies have been rare, especially for sea urchins, which can affect community dynamics owing to their extensive herbivory and large population fluctuations. Here we present a long-term (from 1963 to 2014) dynamics of sea urchins in a fixed quadrat on a lower intertidal rocky flat in Hatakejima Island, southern Japan. We also conducted a complementary survey over the entire island approximately every five years from 1975 to 2013, and a 41-year assay for developmental abnormality of the sea urchin Heliocidaris crassispina using water adjacent to the island. The abundance of three commonest species in this area (H. crassispina, Echinostrephus molaris, and Echinometra spp.) and the richness of urchin species showed large variations, with high numbers in the 1960s and 1970s, followed by an abrupt decline in the late 1970s or early 1980s, and a gradual recovery subsequently. The species abundance and richness in the entire island survey showed good correlations with those in the quadrat census. Statistical analyses indicated that increasing water temperature and red tides were the major factors influencing the dynamics of abundance and species richness. Our studies reveal that anthropogenic environmental changes influence the long-term dynamics in abundance and richness of sea urchins.

Coral and macroalgal communities are threatened by global stressors. However, recently reported community shifts from temperate macroalgae to tropical corals offer conservation potential for corals at the expense of macroalgae under climate warming. Although such community shifts are expanding geographically, our understanding of the driving processes is still limited. Here, we reconstruct long-term climate-driven range shifts in 45 species of macroalgae, corals, and herbivorous fishes from over 60 years of records (mainly 1950–2015), stretching across 3,000 km of the Japanese archipelago from tropical to subarctic zones. Based on a revised coastal version of climate velocity trajectories, we found that prediction models combining the effects of climate and ocean currents consistently explained observed community shifts significantly better than those relying on climate alone. Corals and herbivorous fishes performed better at exploiting opportunities offered by this interaction. The contrasting range dynamics for these taxa suggest that ocean warming is promoting macroalgal-to-coral shifts both directly by increased competition from the expansion of tropical corals into the contracting temperate macroalgae, and indirectly via deforestation by the expansion of tropical herbivorous fish. Beyond individual species’ effects, our results provide evidence on the important role that the interaction between climate warming and external forces conditioning the dispersal of organisms, such as ocean currents, can have in shaping community-level responses, with concomitant changes to ecosystem structure and functioning. Furthermore, we found that community shifts from macroalgae to corals might accelerate with future climate warming, highlighting the complexity of managing these evolving communities under future climate change.

Increases in sea-surface temperature due to global warming are a major threat to tropical and subtropical corals as exposure to high water temperatures is the primary cause of coral bleaching. To continue receiving high ecosystem services from coral reef ecosystems in the future, it is important to predict the growth conditions of corals and take appropriate countermeasures to protect them at both global and local scales. The Kerama Islands (part of the Nansei Islands, Japan) were selected as the study area. The islands have been designated as a national park and attract substantial tourism, which utilizes the coral reef ecosystem. The selected study site is significant as it is known to act as a source of coral larvae for the surrounding area. In this study, coral bleaching and mortality rates under present and +1.5 °C/+2.0 °C water temperature conditions were estimated using a 1) three-dimensional hydrodynamic model with a spatial resolution of 100 m and 2) statistical model describing the relationship between various environmental parameters and coral bleaching and mortality rates. Applying a local hydrodynamic model enabled us to obtain high-resolution spatial and temporal variations in water temperature and current speed, and these data were used to obtain statistical model data. Coral conservation sites were prioritized based on 1) projections of the spatial distribution of bleaching and mortality rates under global warming conditions and 2) locations of the main diving and conservation points, with the intention of continuing the present use and management locations. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the management of coral reef ecosystems through conservation and adaptation strategies at local scales.

In temperate seas, expansion of reef-building coral distribution, decline of macroalgal beds, and changes in constituent species for coral communities and/or macroalgal beds mainly due to increase in sea surface temperature have been reported. Not only mitigation but also adaptive responses are important for the measures against climate change. Consideration of adaptive measures depends on local conditions such as the degree of environmental change and industrial structure is necessary when measures are implemented. This study focused on the marine protected area (Ashizuri-Uwakai National Park in Japan) and its surrounding area. This area is characterized by a very large north-south gradient in water temperature and the distribution of corals and macroalgae along it. The purpose of this study is to consider what adaptive measures are suitable for each region and industry in response to changes in coastal ecosystems (coral community and macroalgal bed). Future (assuming the end of this century under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 scenarios) changes in the potential distribution area of coral, macroalgae, and their consumers were projected using simulated sea surface temperature with a high-spatial resolution. After projecting the coastal ecosystem changes and assessing the contemporary use of coastal ecosystem, we give examples of what specific adaptive measures should be taken in each area for three fields, i.e., biodiversity conservation, fisheries, and tourism. Assuming the 2090s, though drastic changes in coastal ecosystem are not projected compared to the present state under RCP2.6 scenario, as coral distribution shifts north, feeding damage by crown-of-thorn starfish is projected to become a problem. Therefore, expansion of protected areas and promotion of conservation activities are major challenges for coral ecosystem conservation. On the other hand, under RCP8.5 scenario, it is important to take appropriate conservation measures for macroalgae since coral growth becomes difficult to achieve and grazing pressure on macroalgae increases due to extreme elevated water temperature. Moreover, creation of alternate or new tourism resources will be needed. This research represents projected scenarios of coastal ecosystem changes with a high spatial resolution and adaptation measures based on the changes for each municipality.

A thick section plate specimen of a completely refined Gr.91 steel plate met the requirements of ASME code concerning the toughness and creep strengths due to exact control of the chemical composit...

Ocean acidification is widely recognised to have a negative impact on marine calcifying organisms by reducing calcifications, but controversy remains over whether such organisms could cope with ocean acidification within a range of phenotypic plasticity and/or adapt to future acidifying ocean. We performed a laboratory rearing experiment using clonal fragments of the common branching corals Montipora digitata and Porites cylindrica under control and acidified seawater (lower pH) conditions (approximately 400 and 900μatm pCO2, respectively) and evaluated the intraspecific variations in their responses to ocean acidification. Intra- and interspecific variations in calcification and photosynthetic efficiency were evident according to both pCO2 conditions and colony, indicating that responses to acidification may be individually variable at the colony level. Our results suggest that some corals may cope with ocean acidification within their present genotypic composition by adaptation through phenotypic plasticity, while others may be placed under selective pressures resulting in population alteration.

Objectives: The Mini-Nutritional Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) may be insufficient for screening and assessing the nutritional status of community-dwelling older adults. We modified MNA-SF to improve the ability for discriminating those at risk of malnutrition. Setting and participants: 123 community-dwelling elderly Japanese. Methods: Nutritional status was examined by the subjective global assessment (SGA), the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and MNA-SF. The reference standard for the diagnosis of “at risk of malnutrition” was composed from the SGA and GNRI. Specific factors associated with malnutrition in community-dwelling older adults were extracted from a literature survey and classified by a principal component analysis. A new 8-item MNA-home was constructed by adding two items from these components to the MNA-SF and compared with the MNA-SF by applying a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Among the various potential MNA-home scores, the ROC curve revealed that the MNA-SF plus two items, namely an inability to prepare own meals and no motivation to go out, produced the largest area under the curve (AUC), this value being greater than that from the MNA-SF. The score of MNA-home was significantly correlated with serum albumin and hemoglobin, although the score of MNA-SF was not. The cutoff value for predicting at risk of malnutrition was

Recent progress in advanced autonomous driving techniques, such as level 5 or level 4, requires precise dead reckoning in order to compensate main positioning systems such as GNSS, visual SLAMs or LIDARs. This kind of precise dead reckoning is established by using a gyroscope of 0.1 deg/ hr. class. Currently, gyroscopes that satisfy this accuracy include Fiber Optic Gyros (FOGs) and Ring Laser Gyros (RLGs) and their price range is more than $10,000 per axis. So it is strongly required to reduce the price of gyroscopes with equivalent accuracy for practical application and commercialization of autonomous driving. In order to respond these requirements, we have established price down scheme for fabrication of interferometric Fiber Optical Gyroscope (iFOG). The i-FOG is a sensor that detects the rotation speed of the object from the optical interference phase difference caused by the light relativistic effect (so-called Sagnac effect of light). Light incident from both ends of the optical path inside the optical fiber coil interferes with a phase difference proportional to the rotation speed of the optical path, so the rotation speed is detected by measuring this interference phase difference. To have precise optical phase difference, which comes only from actual input rotation speed i.e. without unwanted phase difference error comes from other than actual input rotation, we should use precisely aligned quadrupole optical fiber coil and modulation element parts, called IOC (Integrated Optical Circuit). The former contributes to reduce thermally induced optical phase difference, so-called Shupe effect, and the later contributes to reject unwanted polarization crosstalk which result in optical phase change by its excellent polarization rejection ratio. When considering fabrication cost of the i-FOG, production costs of these two important components have substantial ratio in total production cost. Especially the former one generally thought to be very difficult to reduce because it depends upon human hand-work to achieve quadrupole winding arrangement and precise alignment of optical fiber on the coil bobbin simultaneously. To solve this difficulty, we have developed automatic optical fiber winding machine which can execute automatic quadrupole winding with fine alignment of optical fiber by adopting double-flyer winding mechanism. This mechanism allow us to avoid extra and time consuming hand work for changing the optical fiber source from left to right and right to left for each layer of the fiber coil. This has reduced the man-time to 1/5. By combination of this technique and our fabrication process of IOCs, we have acquired the potential to reduce fabrication cost of i-FOGs.

In recent decades, despite their value, coral reefs have been endangered and are swiftly declining because of land overuse, rising sea temperatures, and increasing ocean acidification. This study assesses the willingness to pay (WTP) for coral reef conservation in Japan. We conducted an online discrete choice experiment with 10,573 respondents. A latent class logit model framework was used, and three respondent classes were recognized. The first, consisting of about 60% of respondents, had the highest income level and a willingness to pay 326,036–414,391 JPY (100 JPY ≓ 1 USD) over a lifetime. Individuals in the second class, comprising approximately 30% of the respondents, were willing to pay 9792–12,262 JPY. The third class, consisting of approximately 10% of the respondents, comprised individuals not willing to pay any amount. We also evaluated the relative preferences of respondents for different conservation scenarios. The most preferred conservation target was total coral reef area, followed by scenic beauty, and species richness. We further estimate the effect of the types and amount of information on the WTP. Concise or detailed information with text and static images about coral reefs increased WTP by 11.7–19.1%. Providing video information, however, decreased the WTP by 4.9–7.0%.

Coastal ecosystems can provide significantly high ecosystem services via various processes. Tropical and/or subtropical coastal ecosystems are constituted by reef-building corals, macroalgae, and seagrasses. The study was conducted in a subtropical coastal area, Okinawa Island, Japan, where macroalgal beds are distributed. Since few studies have focused on the macroalgal community compared to corals in the study area, the relationship between macroalgal (especially Sargassaceae species) distribution and environmental factors were evaluated. Environmental parameters used in the analysis were obtained by field observation, geographic analysis, satellite observation of water quality, and numerical simulation of wave height. Sampling was conducted mainly between May and August in 2018 and 2019, and 31 sampling stations were established along the coastline of Okinawa Island. Though hermatypic corals occurred in most of the stations, the distribution of Sargassaceae was spatially skewed from the southern and central part of the east coast. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was applied to obtained environmental variables and presence–absence data on macroalgae (Sargassaceae), corals, and seagrasses. CCA results indicated that the geographical setting (openness) and wave exposure in winter are the primary factors determining the macroalgal distribution, whereas nutrient (dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphorous, and silicon) concentrations at each sampling occasion were not significant factors. Since coastal ecosystems are threatened by both local and global impacts, elucidation of the major mechanism limiting Sargassaceae distribution is significant for coastal ecosystem management, here we use Okinawa Island as an example.

In this study, we investigated the temperature dependence of magnetostriction in the twinned rhombohedral perovskite structure-based lanthanum cobaltite La0.8Sr0.2CoO3. The magnetostriction measured in a magnetic field applied along the pseudocubic [111]c axis showed large hysteresis and residual strains. The residual strains are caused by the twin deformation, which we observed using x-ray diffraction. We found that the critical magnetic field for the twin deformation of La0.8Sr0.2CoO3 increases with temperature. The twin deformation occurs in a sufficiently strong magnetic field (∼6 T), even in the paramagnetic region at room temperature. We also confirmed that the temperature dependence of the critical magnetic field for twin deformation is related to the temperature dependence of the magnetization.

Determining the success of eradication of an invasive species requires a way to decide when its risk of reoccurrence has become acceptably low. In Japan, the area populated by the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is expanding, and eradication via chemical treatment is ongoing at various locations. One such program in Tokyo was apparently successful, because the ant population decreased to undetectable levels within a short time. However, construction of a population model for management purposes was difficult because the probability of detecting ants decreases rapidly as the population collapses. To predict the time when the ant was eradicated, we developed a multinomial-mixture model for chemical eradication based on monthly trapping data and the history of pesticide applications. We decided when to declare that eradication had been successful by considering both 'eradication' times, which we associated with eradication probabilities of 95% and 99%, and an optimal stopping time based on a 'minimum expected economic cost' that considered the possibility that surveys were stopped too soon. By applying these criteria, we retroactively declared that Argentine ants had been eradicated 38-42 months after the start of treatments (16-17 months after the last sighting).

We compared spatial variability in re- cruitment patterns between acroporid corals and the predatory crown-of-thorns starfish Acanthaster planci along the Onna village coast of Okinawa Island, Japan. Our objective was to understand population dynamics of both predator and prey. To quantify re- cruitment, we established artificial recruitment plates for acroporid corals and conducted quadrat surveys for juvenile A. planci at 7 sites. We also examined dis- tributional patterns of adult populations of both spe- cies and observed surface currents during larval dis- persal periods using GPS-equipped surface drifters. Acroporid recruits typically arrived in greater num- bers at more northern sites. Despite high variability, A. planci recruits displayed similar spatial patterns. Drifter trajectories suggest that these spatial recruit- ment patterns are probably driven by near-shore currents in the summer. Moreover, current data imply a complicated metapopulation relationship in this region, especially for A. planci, new recruits of which may mainly originate outside of the Onna area. Meta - population dynamics within the study area and among surrounding regions must be explained by the com- plex surface current circulation, because simpler ex- planations involving only the Kuroshio Current do not adequately describe the relationship between these populations.

The poleward expansion of coral habitats has been observed along the Japanese coast since the 1930s. Previous modeling studies have projected a poleward expansion using decadal-mean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the coldest months. However, this poleward expansion could be affected by the inter-annual variation of SST in the coldest months, which has not been considered before. In this study, the simulated pattern of poleward expansion was compared between cases where coral mortality was considered based on the inter-annual variation of SST and the decadal-mean SST in the coldest months. Modeled monthly mean SSTs for historical and future global warming simulations from the most recent climate projection model (MIROC4h) were used. The poleward expansion of corals simulated by considering mortality based on the inter-annual variation of SST in the coldest months better reproduced the observed poleward expansion speed compared to the simulations without such a consideration. Our results show the importance of considering coral mortality based on the inter-annual variation of seawater temperature to produce a more realistic poleward expansion of coral habitats.

Seaweed beds play a key role in providing essential habitats and energy to coastal areas, with enhancements in productivity and biodiversity and benefits to human societies. However, the spatial extent of seaweed beds around Japan has decreased due to coastal reclamation, water quality changes, rising water temperatures, and heavy grazing by herbivores. Using monthly mean sea surface temperature (SST) data from 1960 to 2099 and SST-based indices, we quantitatively evaluated the effects of warming seawater on the spatial extent of suitable versus unsuitable habitats for temperate seaweed Ecklonia cava, which is predominantly found in southern Japanese waters. SST data were generated using the most recent multiple climate projection models and emission scenarios (the Representative Concentration Pathways or RCPs) used in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). In addition, grazing by Siganus fuscescens, an herbivorous fish, was evaluated under the four RCP simulations. Our results suggest that continued warming may drive a poleward shift in the distribution of E. cava, with large differences depending on the climate scenario. For the lowest emission scenario (RCP2.6), most existing E. cava populations would not be impacted by seawater warming directly but would be adversely affected by intensified year-round grazing. For the highest emission scenario (RCP8.5), previously suitable habitats throughout coastal Japan would become untenable for E. cava by the 2090s, due to both high-temperature stress and intensified grazing. Our projections highlight the importance of not only mitigating regional warming due to climate change, but also protecting E. cava from herbivores to conserve suitable habitats on the Japanese coast.

After the adoption of the Aichi Target, data accumulation and evaluation regarding biodiversity have progressed rapidly. The use of ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) criteria to evaluate important areas enables the identification of effective and prioritized areas for ecosystem management. This includes strategic environmental assessment and discussions aimed at establishing protected marine areas based on scientific data. This paper reviews previous and current ideas as well as the methods used, for the identification of EBSAs. In particular, the following issues are addressed: problems associated with different types of marine ecosystems in the Japanese Archipelago, such as seagrass and seaweed beds, coral reefs, offshore pelagic plankton, and deep-sea benthic ecosystems; and problems associated with the integration of multiple criteria that are not totally exclusive. Several candidate variables accounting for each of the 7 criteria used to identify ecologically important areas are presented. Data availability is the most important criterion that allowed for the comprehensive evaluation of different types of ecosystems in the same localities. In particular, for coastal ecosystems such as seagrass, seaweed beds, and coral reefs, it is possible to carry out broad spatial comparisons using variables representing most of these 7 criteria. Regarding methods for the quantitative evaluation of each criterion and their integration, application of these methods to kelp forest ecosystems in Hokkaido, Northern Japan is presented as a case study.

Corals are one of the communities most threatened by global and local stressors. Excessive summer sea temperatures can cause coral bleaching, resulting in decreases in living coral coverage. Coral bleaching may begin with rising sea temperatures, although the widely used threshold of 1 °C over the local climatological maximum sea temperature has been reconsidered. In this study, we refine thermal indices predicting coral bleaching at high resolution (1 km) by statistically optimizing the thermal threshold and multiple environmental influences on bleaching, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, water turbidity, and cooling effects on corals. We use a dataset of coral bleaching events observed during 2004–2016 in Japan derived from the Web-based monitoring system, the Sango (Coral) Map Project, aiming at regional to local conservation of Japanese corals. We show how the ability to predict coral bleaching is improved by the choice of thermal index, statistical optimization of thermal thresholds, usage of multiple environmental influences, and modeling methods (generalized linear model and random forest). After optimization, the differences among the thermal indices in the ability to predict coral bleaching were slight. Among environmental influences, cooling effects, UV radiation, and water turbidity, in addition to a thermal index, well explain the occurrence of coral bleaching. Prediction based on the best explanatory model reveals that recent Japanese coral reefs are experiencing bleaching in many areas, although we show a practical way to reduce bleaching frequency significantly by screening UV radiation. Thus, our high-resolution models may provide a quantitative basis for the management of local reefs under current global and local stressors. The results of this study may be useful to other researchers for selecting a predictive method according to their needs or skills.

Determining the success of eradication of an invasive species requires a way to decide when its risk of reoccurrence has become acceptably low. In Japan, the area populated by the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr), is expanding, and eradication via chemical treatment is ongoing at various locations. One such program in Tokyo was apparently successful, because the ant population decreased to undetectable levels within a short time. However, construction of a population model for management purposes was difficult because the probability of detecting ants decreases rapidly as the population collapses. To predict the time when the ant was eradicated, we developed a multinomial-mixture model for chemical eradication based on monthly trapping data and the history of pesticide applications. We decided when to declare that eradication had been successful by considering both ‘eradication’ times, which we associated with eradication probabilities of 95% and 99%, and an optimal stopping time based on a ‘minimum expected economic cost’ that considered the possibility that surveys were stopped too soon. By applying these criteria, we retroactively declared that Argentine ants had been eradicated 38–42 months after the start of treatments (16–17 months after the last sighting).

The estimation of energy expenditure (EE) of grazing animals is of great importance for efficient animal management on pasture. In the present study, a method is proposed to estimate EE in grazing animals based on measurements of body acceleration of animals in combination with the conventional Agricultural and Food Research Council (AFRC) energy requirement system. Three-dimensional body acceleration and heart rate were recorded for tested animals under both grazing and housing management. An acceleration index, vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA), was used to calculate activity allowance (AC) during grazing and then incorporate it into the AFRC system to estimate the EE (EE derived from VeDBA [EE]) of the grazing animals. The method was applied to 3 farm ruminant species (7 cattle, 6 goats, and 4 sheep). Energy expenditure based on heart rate (EE) was also estimated as a reference. The result showed that larger VeDBA and heart rate values were obtained under grazing management, resulting in greater EE and EE under grazing management than under housing management. There were large differences between the EE estimated from the 2 methods, where EE values were greater than EE (averages of 163.4 and 142.5% for housing and grazing management, respectively); the EE was lower than the EE, whereas the increase in EE under grazing in comparison with housing conditions was larger than that in EE. These differences may have been due to the use of an equation for estimating EE derived under laboratory conditions and due to the presence of the effects of physiological, psychological, and environmental factors in addition to physical activity being included in measurements for the heart rate method. The present method allowed us to separate activity-specific EE (i.e., AC) from overall EE, and, in fact, AC under grazing management were about twice times as large as those under housing management for farm ruminant animals. There is evidence that the conventional energy system can predict fasting metabolism and the AC of housed animals based on accumulated research on energy metabolism and that VeDBA can quantify physical activity separately from other factors in animals on pasture. Therefore, the use of the VeDBA appears to be a precise way to predict activity-specific EE under grazing conditions, and the method incorporating acceleration index data with a conventional energy system can be a simple and useful method for estimation of EE in farm ruminants on pastures.

We evaluated acidification effects on two crustose coralline algal species common to Pacific coral reefs, Lithophyllum kotschyanum and Hydrolithon samoense. We used genetically homogeneous samples of both species to eliminate misidentification of species. The growth rates and percent calcification of the walls of the epithallial cells (thallus surface cells) of both species decreased with increasing pCO2. However, elevated pCO2 more strongly inhibited the growth of L. kotschyanum versus H. samoense. The trend of decreasing percent calcification of the cell wall did not differ between these species, although intercellular calcification of the epithallial cells in L. kotschyanum was apparently reduced at elevated pCO2, a result that might indicate that there are differences in the solubility or density of the calcite skeletons of these two species. These results can provide knowledge fundamental to future studies of the physiological and genetic mechanisms that underlie the response of crustose coralline algae to environmental stresses.