Seasonal and diurnal presence of finless porpoises at a corridor to the ocean from their habitat

A number of local populations of finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides) are widely distributed throughout the warm coastal waters of Asia. The Omura Bay population, consisting of approximately 300 individuals, is the smallest of five populations inhabiting Japanese waters. It is a relatively new population that established after the global warming that took place approximately 9000 years ago. To observe whether these porpoises appear in the major corridor to the ocean from Omura Bay, we used acoustic monitoring to record occurrences of finless porpoises from November 2007 to May 2009. A stereo acoustic event recorder recorded the intensity and the sound source direction of biosonar signals, providing independent traces of sound sources corresponding to each detected animal. A total of 226 individuals were detected over the 1.5-year monitoring period, of which 76% occurred at night and 73% occurred during March and April. We compared the presence of porpoises to the Japanese anchovy catch in Omura Bay and the Hario Strait over the same period. Results suggested that possible reductions in anchovy resources in the bay could attract porpoises to the outside of their normal habitat. In total, 70% of the porpoise recordings took place when the tidal current was moving out of Omura Bay. Porpoises might follow the prey that are transported out of the bay due to the strong outbound current. The finless porpoises confined to the bay might extend their swimming area if prey is available.     

Development of a method to predict crash risk using trend analysis of driver behavior changes over time

Objective: This study aimed at identifying and predicting in advance the point in time with a high risk of a virtual accident before a virtual accident actually occurs using the change of behavioral measures and subjective rating on drowsiness over time and the trend analysis of each behavioral measure.

Methods: Behavioral measures such as neck bending angle and tracking error in steering maneuvering during the simulated driving task were recorded under the low arousal condition of all participants who stayed up all night without sleeping. The trend analysis of each evaluation measure was conducted using a single regression model where time and each measure of drowsiness corresponded to an independent variable and a dependent variable, respectively. Applying the trend analysis technique to the experimental data, we proposed a method to predict in advance the point in time with a high risk of a virtual accident (in a real-world driving environment, this corresponds to a crash) before the point in time when the participant would have encountered a crucial accident if he or she continued driving a vehicle (we call this the point in time of a virtual accident).

Results: On the basis of applying the proposed trend analysis method to behavioral measures, we found that the proposed approach could predict in advance the point in time with a high risk of a virtual accident before the point in time of a virtual accident.

Conclusion: The proposed method is a promising technique for predicting in advance the time zone with potentially high risk (probability) of being involved in an accident due to drowsy driving and for warning drivers of such a drowsy and risky state.     

Large-scale evaluation of the current level of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in breast milk from 13 regions of Japan

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 2004 in 105 breast milk samples collected from 13 regions of Japan (Hokkaido, Akita, Miyagi, Tokyo, Gifu, Fukui, Kyoto, Hyogo, Wakayama, Shimane, Yamaguchi, Kochi and Okinawa). Six congeners (BDE-28, BDE-47, BDE-99, BDE-100, BDE-153 and BDE-154) were determined by gas chromatography /mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Total PBDE levels ranged from 0.01 to 23.0 ng/g lipid (geometric mean (GM), 1.34 ng/g lipid). BDE-47 (GM, 0.66 ng/g lipid, 59% of sigmaPBDE) was the most abundant congener present in breast milk and was detected in 99% of the samples. Total PBDE levels were higher in northern Japan than in other regions. We analyzed the effects of occupation, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption and number of deliveries on total PBDE levels. None of these factors were significantly associated with the level of PBDEs. The present study revealed that the current level of exposure to PBDEs in Japan is lower than that in the USA or Sweden. GMs (ng/g lipid) (GSD, geometric standard deviation) and medians (ng/g lipid) of PBDE levels in each district are as follows: Hokkaido 2.70 (1.70), 2.74; Akita 4.49 (2.19), 5.44; Miyagi 1.77 (4.37), 1.11; Tokyo 1.39 (2.09), 1.63, Gifu 2.83 (4.79), 2.23; Fukui 1.05 (2.34), 1.18; Kyoto 1.31 (2.95), 1.33; Hyogo 1.02 (2.69), 0.88; Wakayama 1.33 (3.80), 1.70; Shimane 0.83 (2.51), 0.66; Yamaguchi 1.74 (2.82), 1.76; Kochi 0.50 (2.69), 0.74 and Okinawa 1.91 (2.75), 1.22. This is the first large-scale study of current PBDE levels in breast milk in Japan.     

Long-term effects of subcutaneously injected 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin on the liver of rhesus monkeys

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) accumulates and remains stable in the fatty tissues and liver of rodents for a long time. Considering the pronounced difference between species, long-term, low dose hepatic effects of TCDD were investigated after subcutaneous administration of TCDD into rhesus monkeys during pregnancy. Macroscopic and histopathological examination of the liver carried out 4 y after TCDD administration demonstrated intrahepatic focal fatty changes, infarction, hemorrhage, microthrombi-formation, sinusoidal ectasia, small hepatocyte hyperplasia, and increased number of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA)-positive cells. An electron microscopic study disclosed sinusoidal endothelial cell degeneration and injury in the liver of TCDD-treated monkeys. Western blot analysis showed downregulation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) protein expression and decreased level of vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin but increased expression levels of CYP1A1 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) protein in the liver tissues. These changes observed in TCDD-exposed monkeys indicated sinusoidal endothelial cell injury and impairment in intrasinusoidal microcirculation. Infarction, focal fatty change, and microthrombi-formation are considered to be closely associated with intrahepatic circulatory impairment. Increased number of alpha-SMA-positive cells and decreased level of VE cadherin expression in the liver tissues might also be associated with sinusoidal endothelial cell injury. In addition, downregulation of AhR expression and increased CYP1A1 protein levels in the liver were consistent with persistent effects of TCDD. Although it has been reported that TCDD induced endothelial cell injury, this is the first report to describe vascular disorders and protein expression in the liver after injection with TCDD in a primate model.     

Remediation of chloroform in fine-textured soil using zero-valent iron

Chloroform, a probable human carcinogen, is mainly produced anthropogenically for industrial use and may be released to the environment from a large number of sources related to its manufacture and use, including pulp and paper mills, hazardous waste sites, and sanitary landfills. Remediation of chloroform through conventional technologies has been met with limited success due to the conditions required and the formation of hazardous substances such as dichloromethane. The objective of this study was to investigate chloroform reduction in multicontaminated fine-textured soil using zero-valent iron (Fe⁰) in anaerobic microcosms. Four amended matrices were tested: simple matrix control (glass beads), soil matrix control (glass beads + soil), Fe⁰ in a simple matrix (glass beads + Fe⁰), and Fe⁰ in a soil matrix (soil + Fe⁰). Headspace chloroform and its transformation products dichloromethane, chloromethane, and methane were measured over 230 days and during short intervals in the initial 3 days. Chloroform (~0.3 mM initial mass) persisted in both control microcosms but was completely transformed in microcosms containing soil + Fe⁰ by 12 h and glass beads + Fe⁰ by 48 h. Reductive dechlorination of chloroform occurred with simultaneous production of dichloromethane (~0.11 to 0.14 mM mass) and chloromethane (~0.02 to 0.13 mM mass). Little methane (~0.07 to 0.26 μM mass) production as an end product of chloroform reduction was observed in microcosms amended with Fe⁰. Produced dichloromethane and chloroform almost disappeared by 230 days. The results showed a complete chloroform transformation pathway that has good potential for the remediation of chlorinated compounds in fine-textured soil. The role of soil clay minerals in redox reactions can be further investigated to improve the reductive dechlorination of chlorinated compounds in contaminated environments.