Mortensensimmons1350

After trapping prey, wild-type medusae contracted their tentacles tightly and then bent the tentacles to bring the prey to the mouth; however, feeding-defective medusae rarely contracted their tentacles and did not bend. These feeding-defective phenotypes are caused by lack of stinging nematocytes in their tentacle batteries. These findings furnish a clue to the regulatory aspects of feeding behavior, but also reveal the mechanisms of stinging nematocyte transport in tentacles.Successful refueling at staging sites is essential for the survival and reproduction of migratory birds. Understanding their staging ecology is therefore crucial for the conservation of migrant species. Rice fields in the mid-western region of the Korean Peninsula serve as staging habitats for the black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa). We examined the behavior of staging black-tailed godwits in rice fields located in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway during their northward migration. Specifically, we tested the effect of flock size and water level on the foraging, vigilance, and resting behaviors of black-tailed godwits. Our observations revealed that as flock size increased, stepping rate, pecking rate, and vigilance duration decreased, while probing rate, preening duration, and foraging efficiency increased. Stepping and pecking rates increased at low water levels, compared with high water levels. We determined that the behavior of black-tailed godwits at the staging site is influenced by flock size and water level. These observations suggest that black-tailed godwits form larger flocks to increase foraging efficiency by lowering individual-level vigilance, and to spend more time on preening, which is critical for flight and survival. It can be also inferred, based on the shift in primary foraging mode between probing and pecking depending on the water level, that they obtain higher foraging efficiency by flexibly adapting their foraging mode to the conditions in rice fields that are subject to agricultural activities. Our results are expected to serve as basic data for establishing efficient management strategies for anthropogenic habitats for the conservation of migratory shorebirds such as black-tailed godwit.Ostracod genus Heterodesmus Brady, 1866 is known thus far to contain only three species H. adamsii Brady, 1866; H. apriculus Hiruta, 1992; and H. naviformis (Poulsen, 1962). This genus has been recorded from the Sea of Japan, and the coastal areas of Thailand and Vietnam. The main generic character is the presence of antero-dorsal and postero-dorsal tube-like processes on the rostrum on both valves. The three species mostly differ in the shell lateral projections. Their relationship and the position of Heterodesmus within family Cypridinidae are poorly understood, partly due to the lack of publication of DNA data so far. We study Heterodesmus collected from several localities in the Northwest Pacific, namely Tsushima and Iki Islands in Japan and Maemul Island in Korea. Besides morphological characters, we also use two mitochondrial markers (16S rRNA and mtCOI) and three nuclear regions (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and internal transcribed spacer - ITS) in the samples to detect the biodiversity of this genus. Our phylogenetic tree based on molecular data coupled with morphology reveals the presence of two species, H. adamsii and H. apriculus. We report on their morphological variability, molecular diversity, and phylogenetic position within Cypridinidae based on 16S, 28S and 18S rRNAs, and provide a taxonomic key for all living genera of this family. For the first time, we give an overview of the intrageneric and intrafamily DNA distances of the above markers for the entire subclass Myodocopa.The Japanese sparrowhawk Accipiter gularis is a small raptor that breeds in Northeast Asia. The species consists of the widespread and mostly migratory subspecies A. g. gularis that is common in East Asia, including Japan, and the resident and endangered subspecies A. g. iwasakii which inhabits the Ryukyu and Yaeyama Islands in Okinawa, southern Japan. Given the minimal knowledge about the migration of the species, in this study we sought to compare the genetic variation of the populations breeding in Japan with those migrating through Southeast Asia. We sequenced 761 bp of mitochondrial DNA Control Region from each of 21 A. gularis collected during the breeding season in Japan and from 20 individuals intercepted on migration in Thailand. We detected 26 haplotypes among the 41 individuals which differed significantly between Japan and Thailand. Migrants in Thailand were presumed to have originated from a wide area in Eastern Eurasia. The phylogenetic and network analyses demonstrated that the haplotypes of all A. g. gularis detected in Japan were genetically close. Moreover, the Okinawa haplotypes of A. g. iwasakii were clustered with moderate genetic variation. The information presented here can be used towards implementing future conservation actions.Viable populations of the cheilostome bryozoan Cribrilina mutabilis Ito, Onishi & Dick exist in the NW Pacific (Russian Far East and northern Japan), NE Atlantic (Scandinavia and Scotland), and NW Atlantic (Maine, USA). The first NE and NW Atlantic records are from Norway (2008) and Casco Bay, Maine, USA (2018), respectively, indicating a relatively recent introduction to the region. Mitochondrial COI gene sequences from North Atlantic populations (Sweden, Norway, and Maine) showed two haplotypes differing by one substitution, but differed from two haplotypes from Akkeshi, northern Japan, by 6-8 substitutions. North Atlantic populations differed morphologically from the Akkeshi population in that some zooids formed a suboral projection, and frontal zooids were more common. While C. mutabilis in northern Japan has been found only on natural or artificial eelgrass (Zostera marina), across its range it has been found on several species of algae, plastic panels and strips, several species of Zostera, and mollusc shells. Similar frequencies of heteromorphic zooids with differing degree of frontal wall calcification, i.e., R (rib)-, I (intermediate)-, and S (shield)-type zooids, in colonies on eelgrass at comparable times of the season and across populations suggest an innate response to seasonal environmental fluctuations, although zooid frequencies were different on non-eelgrass substrates. The increase in trans-Arctic shipping along the Northern Sea Route in recent decades, and previous documentation of C. mutabilis on ship hulls in the Sea of Japan, indicate a clear mechanism for anthropogenic introduction from the Far East to Europe in recent decades.Sexual dimorphism, such as sexual size dimorphism (SSD) and sexually dimorphic exaggerated traits, often evolves via sexual selection. In many species, evolution of sexual dimorphism is thought to be driven by either of the two forms of sexual selection intra- and inter-sexual selection. In some species, however, intra- and inter-sexual selection act simultaneously on the same sexually dimorphic trait. Therefore, it is important to consider the effects of both forms of sexual selection to fully understand the evolution of sexual dimorphism. Drosophila prolongata is a fruit fly that shows male-biased SSD and has enlarged forelegs only in males. In this study, the relationship between body size parameters and aggression/mating behavior was examined. Our results showed that aggressive behavior was influenced by body weight and foreleg size, whereas mating success was not influenced by any size parameters, suggesting that intra-sexual selection is the primary mechanism that maintains the sexual dimorphism in the current D. prolongata population.Sperm production is costly, and males are expected to strategically allocate this potentially limiting resource to maximize their fitness. Sperm allocation theory predicts that males should adjust their sperm expenditure in relation to female quality. However, the available empirical evidence is limited. In this study, we assessed whether wild male medaka (Oryzias latipes) would allocate their sperm depending on female quality under controlled conditions. Behavioral observations revealed that spawning behavior could be classified into four stages male quivering, female quivering, sperm release, and stay. Of these behaviors, only the duration of sperm release was positively correlated with the number of sperm ejaculated in the aquarium, suggesting that males may adjust the sperm number expended for each mating by controlling the duration of sperm release. The estimated amount of sperm released per spawning was positively and significantly correlated with the body depth and weight of paired females. This result is consistent with the prediction arising from the sperm allocation hypothesis, and suggests that male medaka may allocate their sperm depending on paired female body depth and weight. However, the number of released sperm did not correlate with the number of spawned eggs, which was positively correlated with body depth and weight of females. These results imply that medaka females may have counter-strategies against sperm allocation by males, and consequently, males might not be able to adjust the number of sperm efficiently. MSC4381 We disscuss our results from the perspective of sexual conflict over sperm as a limited resource.Background/aims Reliable and especially widely accepted preventive measures are crucial to further reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC). Colon capsule endoscopy (CCE) might increase the screening numbers among patients unable or unwilling to undergo conventional colonoscopy. This registry trial aimed to document and determine the CCE indications, findings, complications, and adverse events in outpatient practices and clinics throughout Germany. Methods Patients undergoing CCE between 2010 and 2015 were enrolled in this prospective multicenter registry trial at six German centers. Patient demographics, outcomes, and complications were evaluated. Results A total of 161 patients were included. Of the CCE evaluations, 111 (68.9%) were considered successful. Pathological findings in the colon (n=92, 60.1%) and in the remaining gastrointestinal tract (n=38, 24.8%) were recorded. The main finding was the presence of polyps (n=52, 32.3%). Furthermore, five carcinomas (3.1%) were detected and histologically confirmed later. Adequate bowel cleanliness was more likely to be achieved in the outpatient setting (p less then 0.0001). Interestingly, 85 patients (55.6%) chose to undergo CCE based on personal motivation. Conclusions CCE seems to be a reliable and safe endoscopic tool for screening for CRC and detecting other diseases. Its patient acceptance and feasibility seems to be high, especially in the outpatient setting.Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak is putting the European National Health Systems under pressure. Interestingly, Emergency Department (ED) referrals for reasons other than Covid-19 seem to have declined steeply. In the present paper, we aimed to verify how the Covid-19 outbreak changed ED referral pattern. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of patients referred to the ED of a University Hospital in Northern Italy from 1st March to 13th April 2020. We compared the following data with those belonging to the same period in 2019 number of EDs accesses, rate of hospital admission, frequencies of the most common causes of ED referral, priority codes of access. Results The number of ED referrals during the Covid-19 outbreak was markedly reduced when compared to the same period in 2019 (3059 vs. 5691;-46.3%). Conversely, the rate of hospital admission raised from 16.9% to 35.4% (p less then 0.0001), with a shift toward higher priority codes of ED admission. In 2020, we observed both a reduction of the number of patients referred for both traumatic (513, 16.