Nagasaki University's Academic Output SITE: NAOSITE
Not a member yet
31576 research outputs found
Sort by
Changes in free-living zooxanthellae abundance during summer in a temperate Japanese coastal sea (Takashima, Japan)
No full textFree-living or exogenous zooxanthellae play a crucial role in coral survival; however, their ecological dynamics remain largely unexplored. This study focused on tracking the abundance of free-living zooxanthellae (Clades A to F) in seawater around the temperate coastal sea (Takashima, Japan) from summer to early autumn using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). In addition, we examined the influence of temperature, light conditions (photosynthetic photon flux density [PPFD]), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and coral health on the abundance of zooxanthellae. Our findings revealed an increase in the abundance of free-living zooxanthellae from late summer to early autumn, irrespective of clade. A significant negative correlation was observed between the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene copy number, amplified using a universal primer, and coral health scores. Conversely, there was a positive correlation between the rRNA gene copy number and seawater temperature. The relationship between PPFD and DIN was not significantly correlated with rRNA gene copy number. Notably, the rRNA gene copy number, amplified using the Clade C primer, was the most abundant and exhibited a significant positive correlation with seawater temperature, whereas it was negatively correlated with coral health scores. The increase in the abundance of free-living zooxanthellae, particularly Clade C, in seawater was facilitated by rising seawater temperatures and the release of zooxanthellae cells from host corals, with the latter likely being the predominant factor. To our knowledge, this is the first study to monitor temporal changes in the abundance of free-living zooxanthellae in seawater.Continental Shelf Research, 295, art. no. 105577; 2025journal articl
Nanofiltration of contaminated water and wastewater using membrane modules reconfigured from commercial spiral-wound elements
Get PDFSubmerged nanofiltration (NF) membrane treatment can be an attractive approach for water purification because advanced drinking water treatment can be performed at a low energy consumption without pre-treatment. This pilot-scale study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of employing flat-sheet NF membrane modules, adapted from commercial 4-inch spiral-wound elements, to scale up the direct NF treatment of polluted water for the first time. The pilot-scale submerged NF systems operated at a transmembrane pressure of approximately 50 kPa, directly filtering municipal secondary-treated wastewater and zoo pond water as feed sources for over 46 and 99 days, respectively. The initial permeate flux for the secondary-treated wastewater effluent was 1.1 L/m2h, which was half of the 2.0 L/m2h flux for the zoo pond water. This discrepancy is attributed to the high salinity (e.g., high osmotic pressure difference) of the secondary-treated wastewater effluent. Over time, the permeate flux gradually declined due to membrane fouling but eventually stabilized for both feed waters. Despite variations in the quality of the feed water during the experiments, the permeate quality met high water quality standards. This study highlights the potential of direct NF treatment using reconfigured commercial NF membrane modules for sustainable urban water cycle management.Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 12, art. no. 101290; 2025journal articl
Global, regional and national burden of chikungunya: force of infection mapping and spatial modelling study
Get PDFIntroduction: Chikungunya virus, an arbovirus transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, causes epidemics in tropical regions with potential risk in higher latitudes. Our aim is to estimate the global, regional and national burden of chikungunya across affected and environmentally suitable at-risk regions. Methods: We used a random forest model to predict force of infection and estimate chikungunya burden at high spatial resolution (5×5 km) using covariates from climatic, socioeconomic and ecological domains. We used a focal scenario to estimate the observed burden (lower bound) and an at-risk scenario to estimate the potential burden (upper bound) of chikungunya transmission. Results: We predicted global long-term average annual force of infection at 0.012 (95% UI: 0.007 to 0.019) for focal scenario and 0.013 (95% UI: 0.005 to 0.03) for at-risk scenario in 103 countries. We estimated global chikungunya burden annually of 14.4 million (95% UI: 11.0 to 17.8 million) infections and 0.96 million (95% UI: 0.56 to 1.6 million) disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in the focal scenario, and 34.9 million infections (95% UI: 26.7 to 43.1 million) and 2.3 million DALYs (95% UI: 1.4 to 3.8 million) in the at-risk scenario for 2020. The chronic phase accounts for 54% of chikungunya burden, with relatively higher burden among 40–60-year-old population, with mortality disproportionately affecting children under 10 and adults over 80. Conclusion: While chikungunya transmission has high geographical uncertainty, high force of infection is not limited to tropical regions and is distributed across all continents. Our estimates of chikungunya burden are useful for prioritisation of regions and target age groups for chikungunya vaccine introduction.BMJ Global Health, 10 (10), art. no. e018598journal articl
Identification and characterization of salivary immune complex antigens in oral cancer
No full textObjectives: This study aims to identify antigens incorporated into immune complexes that are associated with oral cancer pathogenesis and to determine their potential clinical applications. Materials and methods: In this study, immune complexome analysis was performed on saliva samples from 66 patients with oral cancer and 40 controls. Immune complexome analysis is an original method for the comprehensive identification of immune complex antigens in body fluids by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results: We identified 24 IC-antigens that were significantly elevated in early-stage oral cancer compared with the controls, suggesting their potential as indicators for oral cancer. Four IC-antigens (ALOX5, B3GALT6, LAMA4, POLA1) were expressed at significantly higher levels in advanced-stage disease, indicating their involvement in cancer progression. Survival analysis revealed that high levels of POLA1 were associated with lower survival rates. Most of these proteins were reported to be involved in cancer progression and cell proliferation. Conclusion: These findings support the formation of disease-characteristic immune complexes in oral cancer and highlight the potential of immune complexome analysis in saliva for understanding oral cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic targets.Clinical Oral Investigations, 29(10), art. no. 482; 2025journal articl
Attitudes toward social robots among parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A questionnaire survey on a remote island in Japan
Get PDFAim: This pilot study was performed to clarify parental acceptance of social robots to support children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) on a remote island in Japan. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis was performed to compare Negative Attitudes toward Robots Scale (NARS) scores of parents of children with NDDs cared for in welfare institutions and health care professionals, as well as the association between parental NARS scores, characteristics such as their own gender and age, and their children's gender and school grade. Between-group comparisons were performed using the Kruskal–Wallis exact test. Results: A total of 54 parents and 75 health care professionals participated in the study. Parents showed significantly lower NARS scores than health care professionals (median total scale, 33.5 vs. 37, respectively, p = 0.040, ε² = 0.033). Among parents with a single child with NDDs, those whose children were in the lower grades of elementary school showed significantly lower NARS scores compared with those whose children were in others (median total scale, 31 vs. 36, respectively, p = 0.015, ε² = 0.14). Conclusion: As a pilot survey for the implementation of social robots, parents of children with NDDs had lower negative attitudes toward social robots than professionals. Parental acceptance of social robots may differ depending on the children's school grade. These findings may provide preliminary insights that could inform health care providers considering the introduction of advanced technology to address the limited availability and accessibility of medical resources in rural areas, including remote islands.Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports, 4(4), art. no. e70223; 2025journal articl
Effects of tafamidis on the left ventricular and left atrial strain in patients with wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis
Get PDF長崎大学学位論文 [学位記番号]博（医歯薬）甲第1715号 [学位授与年月日]令和7年9月19日(2025-09-19)thesi
離島における移住者特性とコミュニティ形成に関する研究 長崎県福江島と鹿児島県奄美大島を対象に
Get PDFThis study analyzed migration trends to isolated islands, focusing on Fukue Island in Nagasaki Prefecture and Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture. These islands were selected due to significant differences in migration trends between the past 3 years (2018-2020) and the preceding 12 years (2009-2020). Findings reveal that most migrants were single-person households, with over half deciding to relocate within a year. While both islands attract migrants with their rich natural environments, Amami Oshima emphasized connections with local residents, whereas Fukue Island valued ties among migrants as well. Despite comprehensive migration support systems, 64% of migrants on Fukue and 83% on Amami Oshima did not utilize these resources, particularly freelancers, teleworkers, and entrepreneurs. Factors influencing settlement intentions included pre-move residence, decision-making time, timing of relocation, community engagement, and housing acquisition timing. Community dynamics played a key role, with Amami fostering resident interactions and Fukue hosting active migrant networks supported by key facilitators.長崎大学大学院工学研究科研究報告, 55(104), pp.45-52; 2025departmental bulletin pape
Pivotal roles of Plasmodium falciparum lysophospholipid acyltransferase 1 in cell cycle progression and cytostome internalization
Get PDFThe rapid intraerythrocytic replication of Plasmodium falciparum, a deadly species of malaria parasite, requires a quick but constant supply of phospholipids to support marked cell membrane expansion. In the malarial parasite, many enzymes functioning in phospholipid synthesis pathway have not been identified or characterized. Here, we identify P. falciparum lysophospholipid acyltransferase 1 (PfLPLAT1) and show that PfLPLAT1 is vital for asexual parasite cell cycle progression and cytostome internalization. Deficiency in PfLPLAT1 results in decreased parasitemia and prevents transition to the schizont stage. Parasites lacking PfLPLAT1 also exhibit distinctive omega-shaped vacuoles, indicating disrupted cytostome function. Transcriptomic analyses suggest that this deficiency impacts DNA replication and cell cycle regulation. Mass spectrometry-based enzyme assay and lipidomic analysis demonstrate that recombinant PfLPLAT1 exhibits lysophospholipid acyltransferase activity with a preference for unsaturated fatty acids as its acyl donors and lysophosphatidic acids as an acceptor, with its conditional knockout leading to abnormal lipid composition and marked morphological and developmental changes including stage arrest. These findings highlight PfLPLAT1 as a potential target for antimalarial therapy, particularly due to its unique role and divergence from human orthologs.Communications biology, 8(1), art. no. 142; 2025journal articl
Publication journals of research on wasp spider, Argiope bruennichi: specialized or general?
Get PDFThis original research article discusses the publication trends of research on the wasp spider, Argiope bruennichi (Scopoli, 1772), in specialized arachnological journals versus general scientific journals. Context on arachnological journals and their role in publishing spider-related research is introduced. It also introduces A. bruennichi as a widely recognized and easily identifiable spider species distributed across the Palearctic realm. The present study analyzed research articles published from 2019 to 2021 using Google Scholar, focusing on papers that included 'Argiope bruennichi' in their content. The results showed that a total of 79 research articles were identified during this period. Interestingly, the majority of these articles were published in general scientific journals rather than specialized arachnological journals. In 2019, 79% of the articles were published in general journals, while in 2020 and 2021, the percentages were 86% and 81% respectively. Upon careful analysis of the document, several unique and interesting insights emerge. First, this study highlights a shift in publication trends, with more spider-related research appearing in interdisciplinary journals rather than specialized arachnological publications. This suggests a growing interest in spider research across various scientific disciplines. Second, the choice of A. bruennichi as a focal species is noteworthy due to its wide distribution and accessibility, making it valuable for both expert and amateur studies. Lastly, the document points out the potential impact of new open-access online scientific journals on the relative prominence of traditional arachnological journals, indicating a changing landscape in scientific publishing within this field.JXIV, doi.org/10.51094/jxiv.1099; 2025journal articl
自閉スペクトラム症の限局された興味および反復行動に対する日本の行動的介入の研究動向
Get PDFOne of the core criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the presence of restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests (RRBIs) that require support. This study reviews research conducted in Japan on behavioral interventions for RRBIs in individuals with ASD. Through the selection process, 22 studies were identified for the review. Based on a previous study (Wei et al., 2021), the selected studies were analyzed from the perspective of participant characteristics, intervention agents, intervention settings, RRBIs topographies and functions, intervention procedures, and research designs. As a result, compared to studies conducted outside Japan, it was observed that the definitions of RRBIs targeted by behavioral interventions in Japan were not clearly established. Additionally, research on behavioral interventions for RRBIs in Japan tends to lack systematic approaches and appears to draw less on findings from international studies. Based on the above considerations, this study discusses future directions for behavioral interventions for RRBIs in Japan.本論文は「九州地区国立大学教育系・文系研究論文集」Vol.11,No.2に査読を経て受理された。九州地区国立大学教育系・文系研究論文集, 11(2), No.4; 2025journal articl