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Effective conservation of globally distributed marine species relies on identification of demographically independent populations to ensure that management actions are directed at the appropriate scale. This identification is particularly challenging for species with complex life histories when local breeding populations have not been adequately sampled. We used mtDNA to analyze the population structure of loggerhead turtles from a total of 555 samples collected from 12 nesting sites in Japan in the Northwest Pacific, including previously unsampled rookeries in the Ryukyu Archipelago, for a comprehensive coverage of the nesting distribution. We identified a total of 9 haplotypes based on 820 bp of the mtDNA control region, including 5 variants of a single previously described 380 bp haplotype. We discovered that 1 haplotype (CcP1.1) previously rare in the North Pacific is common in the Ryukyu Archipelago. Based on analysis of haplotype frequencies, we found significant differentiation among regionally grouped nesting populations (analysis of molecular variance p < 0.0001, df = 8; pairwise FST ranging from 0.033 to 0.145). Our results provide evidence to support the recognition of 3 management units (MU) within the NW Pacific Regional Management Unit (RMU). These include (1) the Ryukyu MU that includes Okinawa, Okinoerabu and Amami, (2) Yakushima Island MU and (3) a Mainland MU that includes Bousou, Enshu-nada, Shikoku, Kii and Eastern Kyushu. These new data from Japan will provide important baseline data for global genetic stock assessments and contribute to our understanding of the population structure, ecology and life history of this migratory marine species in the northern Pacific.

Yasushi Matsuzawa,1 Kiyoshi Hibi,1 Kenichiro Saka,1 Masaaki Konishi,1 Eiichi Akiyama,1 Naoki Nakayama,1 Toshiaki Ebina,1 Masami Kosuge,1 Noriaki Iwahashi,1 Nobuhiko Maejima,1 Kouichi Tamura,2 Kazuo Kimura1 1Division of Cardiology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan; 2Department of Medical Science and Cardiorenal Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan Background: Thinning of the fibrous cap of atherosclerotic plaque is a major component of plaque vulnerability. The high resolution of optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides an accurate measurement of fibrous-cap thickness. Endothelial dysfunction is associated with inflammation and enhanced local expression of matrix metalloproteinases. We investigated the association between endothelial dysfunction and OCT-derived thin-cap fibroatheroma (TCFA) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Methods: Seventy-four patients with ACS, who underwent both OCT examinations of the culprit lesion before percutaneous coronary intervention and peripheral endothelial function assessment as assessed by logarithmic value of reactive hyperemia index (Ln_RHI), were enrolled. Age-, sex-, hypertension-, and diabetes-matched non-coronary artery disease (non-CAD) patients were also enrolled (n=15). Results: Ln_RHI levels were significantly lower in ACS patients compared with non-CAD patients (0.56±0.26 vs 0.74±0.22, P=0.01). Furthermore, the Ln_RHIs of ACS patients with TCFA (n=44) were significantly lower than those of ACS patients without TCFA (n=30) (0.50±0.24 vs 0.65±0.26, P=0.01). There was a weak but significant positive correlation between Ln_RHI and fibrous-cap thickness (Spearman’s ρ=0.25, P=0.03). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified lower Ln_RHI as an independent factor associated with TCFA in ACS patients (OR per 0.1 increase in Ln_RHI: 0.78 [95% CI: 0.62–0.98], P=0.03). Conclusion: Advanced endothelial dysfunction significantly correlates with a thin fibrous cap of coronary plaques in patients with ACS. Keywords: peripheral endothelial function, optical coherence tomography, thin-cap fibroatheroma, plaque vulnerability

Background: We previously reported that gastrin induces expression of CXC chemokines through activation of nuclear factor κB (NFκB) in gastric epithelial cells that express gastrin receptor. Aims: To clarify gastrin [...]

Background: Diffuse proliferation of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in the myenteric plexus layer of the intestine has been described in patients with familial and multiple gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). [...]

Background: Cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) frequently have impaired glucose metabolism. Aims: To investigate whether impaired glucose metabolism affects the growth rate of the tumour. Patients and methods: Tumour [...]