著者

Yuki Wakasugi Hiroshi Azuma (Present Name: Suzuki) Akiyo Naiki Sachiko Nishida

出版者

The Japanese Society for Plant Systematics

雑誌

Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica (ISSN:13467565)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.68, no.3, pp.129-144, 2017 (Released:2017-11-24)

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Geranium yesoense (Geraniaceae) includes several varieties that are mainly discriminated by two morphological features, namely, the degree of leaf incision and the density of spreading hairs on the sepals, but these features have never been objectively quantified. To clarify whether these features can truly discriminate varieties, we analyzed leaf shape and sepal pubescence, and conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis using nuclear and chloroplast DNA. Our morphological analyses showed some trends in leaf morphology and density of hairs, but failed to identify any groupings that could be clearly distinguished on the basis of these features. Our molecular analysis recognized G. yesoense as a distinct taxon, but did not support the existence of subgroups within the species. We conclude that G. yesoense must be treated as a single taxon with some tendency toward morphological variation depending on locality and habitat.

著者

Yukihiro Sato Eiji Yoshioka Yasuaki Saijo Toshinobu Miyamoto Hiroshi Azuma Yusuke Tanahashi Yoshiya Ito Sumitaka Kobayashi Machiko Minatoya Yu Ait Bamai Keiko Yamazaki Sachiko Itoh Chihiro Miyashita Atsuko Ikeda-Araki Reiko Kishi The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.32, no.6, pp.270-276, 2022-06-05 (Released:2022-06-05)

参考文献数

32

被引用文献数

1 3

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Background: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) are a cause of inpatient and outpatient care among children. Although orofacial clefts seem to be associated with LRTIs, epidemiological studies are scarce on this topic. This study aimed to examine whether infants with orofacial clefts were associated with LRTIs.Methods: This prospective cohort study used data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, for which baseline recruitment was conducted during 2011–2014. This study included 81,535 participants. The number of infants with cleft lip and palate (CLP), cleft lip (CL), and cleft palate only (CP) was 67, 49, and 36, respectively. We defined history of LRTIs until 12 months’ age reported by their mothers as the dependent variable. Accumulated breastfeeding duration was used as a potential mediator.Results: The incidence proportion of LRTIs among the control group was 6.0%. The incidence proportion among infants with CLP, CL, and CP were 11.9%, 14.3%, and 5.6%, respectively. After adjusting for covariates, compared with the control group, infants with CLP and CL were associated with risk of LRTIs (incidence risk ratio [IRR] of CLP, 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30–4.36 and IRR of CL, 2.73; 95% CI, 1.40–5.33), but not ones with CP (IRR 1.08; 95% CI, 0.28–4.15). Accumulated breastfeeding duration decreased the IRR of CLP only (IRR of CLP, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.19–3.93).Conclusion: Infants with orofacial clefts aged 1 year have a potentially high incidence proportion of LRTIs. Accumulated breastfeeding duration might mediate the associations of CLP.

著者

Hiroshi Azuma Rhett D. Harrison Keiko Nakamura Zhi-Hui Su

出版者

The Genetics Society of Japan

雑誌

Genes & Genetic Systems (ISSN:13417568)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.85, no.3, pp.177-192, 2010 (Released:2010-10-27)

参考文献数

72

被引用文献数

12 14

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The interaction between figs (Ficus, Moraceae) and fig-pollinating wasps (Chalcidoidea, Agaonidae) is one of the most specific mutualisms, and thus is a model system for studying coevolution and cospeciation. In this study we focused on figs and their associated fig-wasps found in the Ryukyu and Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands, Japan, because it has been suggested that breakdown in the specificity may occur in islands or at edge of a species’ distribution. We collected 136 samples of 15 native fig species and 95 samples of 13 associated fig-wasps from all major islands in the Ryukyu Islands, including two fig species and one fig-wasp species endemic to the Bonin Islands. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses using plastid DNA and nuclear ITS sequences for the figs and nuclear 28S rRNA and mitochondrial COI genes for the fig-wasps to investigate the interspecific phylogenies and intraspecific variation within the mutualism. Our phylogenetic analyses using multiple samples per species show the single clade of each fig (except the Bonin endemic species) and fig-pollinating wasp species. Fig species belonging to the same subgenera formed well-supported clades in both plastid and ITS trees, except for the subgenus Urostigma. Likewise, fig wasps emerging from host fig species belonging to the same subgenera formed mostly well supported clades in both 28S and COI trees. Host specificity between the figs and fig-wasps functions strictly in these islands. There was very little sequence variation within species, and that no major geographic structure was found. The two Bonin endemic species (F. boninsimae and F. nishimurae) or their common ancestor and the associated fig-wasps (Blastophaga sp.) are apparently derived from F. erecta and its associated fig-wasps (B. nipponica), respectively, and probably migrated from the Ryukyu Islands.

著者

Hidenori Nakamori Miki Tomita Hiroshi Azuma Takehiro Masuzawa Toru Tokuoka

出版者

日本植物分類学会

雑誌

Acta Phytotaxonomica et Geobotanica (ISSN:13467565)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.68, no.2, pp.83-92, 2017 (Released:2017-09-12)

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Miscanthus (Poaceae) comprises about 20 species, of which seven species and two forms occur in Japan. There is controversy whether M. condensatus is a separate species or a variety or subspecies of M. sinensis. To determine its taxonomic status, we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis using DNA sequences of the atpB-rbcL, psbC-trnS(UGA), rpl20-rps12, trnL(UAA)-trnF(GAA), trnS(GGA)- trnT(UGU), and nuclear ITS regions, and the Adh1 gene from 31 samples of the seven Japanese species of Miscanthus. The neighbor-joining (NJ) tree based on the cpDNA sequences shows that M. condensatus and M. sinensis share two haplotypes, and that the nuclear ITS and Adh1 sequences of the two species are identical, making it difficult to distinguish M. condensatus from M. sinensis based on DNA sequences. The evidence indicates that hybridization between the two species has proceeded rapidly, or that M. condensatus is derived from a diverging lineage of M. sinensis. The status of M. condensatus remains controversial, but our findings support provisionally treating M. condensatus as the infraspecific taxon, M. sinensis var. condensatus.