The Determination and Prediction of Pine to Oak Forest Succession in Sugadaira, Central Japan

Jun, Kato,Hayashi, Ichiroku The Ecological Society of Korea 2003 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.26 No.4

In order to analyze the succession process from a pine forest to an oak forest, the tree growth of Pinus densiflora and Quercus mongolica ssp. crispula was monitored in a permanent quadrat for 23 years. The measurements were carried out for the stem diameter (DBH) of Pinus densiflora between 1977 and 1999 and for the height of Quercus mongolica ssp. crispula saplings between 1998 and 2000. The floristic composition and the locations of the individual P. densiflora and Q. mongolica ssp. crispula trees and saplings in the quadrat were recorded. P densiflora and Q. mongolica ssp. crispula individuals were randomly distributed within the quadrat. The relative growth rates (RGR) of DBH in P. densiflora were 0.085 $yr^{-1}$ for large trees and 0.056 $yr^{-1}$ for small trees in 1977. The RGR of height for Q. mongolica ssp. crispula was 0.122 $yr^{-1}$. The growth curve for DBH of P. densiflora was approximated by the logistic equation: $$DBH(t) = 30 {[1+1.16exp(-0.13 t)]}^{-1}$$ where DBH (t) the DBH (cm) in year t and t is the number of years since 1977. The growth in height of P. densiflora and Q. mongolica ssp. crispula was described by following equations: $$H (t) = 20.2 {[1+0.407exp(-0.137 t)]}^{-1} (P. densiflora)$$ $$H (t) = 30 {[1+20.7exp(-0.122 t)}^{-1} (Q. mongolica ssp. crispula)$$ Where H (t) is the tree height (m) in year t and t is the number of years since 1977 in P. densiflora and 1998 in Q. mongolica ssp. crispula. With these equations we predicted that the height of Q. mongolica ssp. crispula increases from 2 m in 1999 to 20 m in 2029. Therefore, Q. mongolica ssp. crispula and P. densiflora will be approximately the same height in 2029. The years required for succession from a pine forest to an oak forest are expected 33 with the range between 23 and 44 years.

Fecal immunochemical test as a biomarker for inflammatory bowel diseases: can it rival fecal calprotectin?

( Jun Kato ),( Sakiko Hiraoka ),( Asuka Nakarai ),( Shiho Takashima ),( Toshihiro Inokuchi ),( Masao Ichinose ) 대한장연구학회 2016 Intestinal Research Vol.14 No.1

Accurate evaluation of disease activity is essential for choosing an appropriate treatment and follow-up plan for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Endoscopy is required for accurately evaluating disease activity, but the procedures are sometimes invasive and burdensome to patients. Therefore, alternative non-invasive methods for evaluating or predicting disease activity including mucosal status are desirable. Fecal calprotectin (Fcal) is the most widely used fecal marker for IBD, and many articles have described the performance of the marker in predicting disease activity, mucosal healing (MH), treatment efficacy, and risk of relapse. Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) can quantify the concentration of hemoglobin in stool and was originally used for the screening of colorectal cancer. We recently reported that FIT is also a useful biomarker for IBD. A direct comparison between the use of Fcal and FIT showed that both methods predicted MH in ulcerative colitis equally well. However, in the case of Crohn’s disease, FIT was less sensitive to lesions in the small intestine, compared to Fcal. FIT holds several advantages over Fcal in regards to user-friendliness, including a lower cost, easy and clean handling, and the ability to make rapid measurements by using an automated measurement system. However, there is insufficient data to support the application of FIT in IBD. Further studies into the use of FIT for evaluating the inflammatory status of IBD are warranted. (Intest Res 2016;14:5-14)

Analysis of effects of burning in grasslands with quantifying succession stages by life-history traits in Kirigamine, central Japan

Jun Kato,Mihoko Kawakami 한국생태학회 2013 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.36 No.1

To quantitatively analyze the effects of burning, we conducted a vegetation survey in the grasslands in Kirigamine, central Japan. We classified each species into stages of succession based on the life-history traits of the species and defined the score of the species in each stand based on the classification. We weighted the scores with a v-value, the product of coverage and height in the quadrat, and summed them to calculate the index of dynamic status. With these indices, we were able to quantitatively compare the stands in the study area and discern minute differences between the stands with different lengths of restoration periods since the disturbance of burning. These indices correlated with the v-value of trees,suggesting that the disturbance of burning seemed to affect the trees in the stand. We then calculated the growth of the tree species Pinus densiflora to evaluate its contribution to the index of dynamic status.

Phenological Studies of Deciduous Trees in the Cool Temperate Region of Japan

Kato, Jun,Ichiroku Hayashi 한국생태학회 2008 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.31 No.3

We obtained quantitative information on leaf unfolding and leaf shedding by observing 45 species of cool temperate deciduous trees in an arboretum over 5 growing seasons. These trees were in leaf (the foliage period) for 207 days on average after 1 April; 50% of leaves had been shed by 192 days after 1 April. Duration from the start of leaf unfolding to 50% leaf shedding was 157 days on average. Leaf unfolding began 35 days on average after 1 April. For leaf unfolding to begin, a 51℃․day of cumulated daily mean air temperature above 5℃ from 1 January (modified Kira's warmth index) was needed. Fifty-nine days elapsed between initiation and the final stage of leaf unfolding. The period of net photosynthetic assimilation was 157 days. The species with succeeding- type leaf unfolding associated with the anemochore seed type dominated the early stage of succession, while the species with flush-type leaf unfolding tended to dominate the late stage of succession. Few species were found in regions where late frosts occur after the day when the cumulative temperature for leaf unfolding is achieved. Biological characteristics include time of leaf unfolding, which affects the life history of each species, so that each species occupies its own niche in the stand. We conclude that that leaf phenology, such as timing of leaf unfolding and leaf shedding, is one of the components of each species' ecological characteristics. We obtained quantitative information on leaf unfolding and leaf shedding by observing 45 species of cool temperate deciduous trees in an arboretum over 5 growing seasons. These trees were in leaf (the foliage period) for 207 days on average after 1 April; 50% of leaves had been shed by 192 days after 1 April. Duration from the start of leaf unfolding to 50% leaf shedding was 157 days on average. Leaf unfolding began 35 days on average after 1 April. For leaf unfolding to begin, a 51℃․day of cumulated daily mean air temperature above 5℃ from 1 January (modified Kira's warmth index) was needed. Fifty-nine days elapsed between initiation and the final stage of leaf unfolding. The period of net photosynthetic assimilation was 157 days. The species with succeeding- type leaf unfolding associated with the anemochore seed type dominated the early stage of succession, while the species with flush-type leaf unfolding tended to dominate the late stage of succession. Few species were found in regions where late frosts occur after the day when the cumulative temperature for leaf unfolding is achieved. Biological characteristics include time of leaf unfolding, which affects the life history of each species, so that each species occupies its own niche in the stand. We conclude that that leaf phenology, such as timing of leaf unfolding and leaf shedding, is one of the components of each species' ecological characteristics.

Transcriptional Control by A-Factor of Two Trypsin Genes in Streptomyces griseus

Kato, Jun-ya,Chi, Won-Jae,Ohnishi, Yasuo,Hong, Soon-Kwang,Horinouchi, Sueharu American Society for Microbiology 2005 Journal of Bacteriology Vol.187 No.1

<B>ABSTRACT</B><P>AdpA is the key transcriptional activator for a number of genes of various functions in the A-factor regulatory cascade in <I>Streptomyces griseus</I>, forming an AdpA regulon. Trypsin-like activity was detected at a late stage of growth in the wild-type strain but not in an A-factor-deficient mutant. Consistent with these observations, two trypsin genes, <I>sprT</I> and <I>sprU</I>, in <I>S. griseus</I> were found to be members of the AdpA regulon; AdpA activated the transcription of both genes by binding to the operators located at about −50 nucleotide positions with respect to the transcriptional start point. The transcription of <I>sprT</I> and <I>sprU,</I> induced by AdpA, was most active at the onset of sporulation. Most trypsin activity exerted by <I>S. griseus</I> was attributed to SprT, because trypsin activity in an <I>sprT</I>-disrupted mutant was greatly reduced but that in an <I>sprU</I>-disrupted mutant was only slightly reduced. This was consistent with the observation that the amount of the <I>sprT</I> mRNA was much greater than that of the <I>sprU</I> transcript. Disruption of both <I>sprT</I> and <I>sprU</I> (mutant Δ<I>sprTU</I>) reduced trypsin activity to almost zero, indicating that no trypsin genes other than these two were present in <I>S. griseus</I>. Even the double mutant Δ<I>sprTU</I> grew normally and developed aerial hyphae and spores over the same time course as the wild-type strain.</P>

Analysis of effects of burning in grasslands with quantifying succession stages by life-history traits in Kirigamine, central Japan

Kato, Jun,Kawakami, Mihoko The Ecological Society of Korea 2013 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.36 No.1

To quantitatively analyze the effects of burning, we conducted a vegetation survey in the grasslands in Kirigamine, central Japan. We classified each species into stages of succession based on the life-history traits of the species and defined the score of the species in each stand based on the classification. We weighted the scores with a v-value, the product of coverage and height in the quadrat, and summed them to calculate the index of dynamic status. With these indices, we were able to quantitatively compare the stands in the study area and discern minute differences between the stands with different lengths of restoration periods since the disturbance of burning. These indices correlated with the v-value of trees, suggesting that the disturbance of burning seemed to affect the trees in the stand. We then calculated the growth of the tree species Pinus densiflora to evaluate its contribution to the index of dynamic status.

Relation of mortality to DBH and available area in naturally germinated Pinus densiflora populations

Kato, Jun,Degawa, Yousuke The Ecological Society of Korea 2014 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.37 No.2

To elucidate whether small diameter at breast height correlates with tree death in an overcrowded tree population, we analyzed self-thinning occurring over the course of 37 years in naturally established Pinus densiflora populations in Sugadaira, central Japan. As trees grew, their diameters at breast height increased and the number of trees consequently decreased. Spatial distribution, which was initially clumped, changed accordingly, first becoming random and finally uniform. We calculated the "available area" of individual trees to elucidate the contribution of this parameter to tree mortality. Small diameter at breast height was strongly correlated with tree death, with a slight correlation observed between tree death and small available area of individual trees.

Relation of mortality to DBH and available area in naturally germinated Pinus densiflora populations

Jun Kato,Yousuke Degawa 한국생태학회 2014 Journal of Ecology and Environment Vol.37 No.2

To elucidate whether small diameter at breast height correlates with tree death in an overcrowded tree population, we analyzed self-thinning occurring over the course of 37 years in naturally established Pinus densiflora populations in Sug¬adaira, central Japan. As trees grew, their diameters at breast height increased and the number of trees consequently decreased. Spatial distribution, which was initially clumped, changed accordingly, first becoming random and finally uniform. We calculated the “available area” of individual trees to elucidate the contribution of this parameter to tree mor¬tality. Small diameter at breast height was strongly correlated with tree death, with a slight correlation observed between tree death and small available area of individual trees.

Challenges of Transarticular Screw Fixation in Young Children: Report of Surgical Treatment of a 5-Year-Old Patient’s Unstable Os-Odontoideum

Jun Takahashi,Hiroki Hirabayashi,Hiroyuki Hashidate,Nobuhide Ogihara,Keijiro Mukaiyama,Masatoshi Komatsu,Yuji Inaba,Tomoki Kosho,Hiroyuki Kato 대한척추외과학회 2016 Asian Spine Journal Vol.10 No.5

Surgical procedures for atlantoaxial (C1–C2) fusion in young children are relatively uncommon. The purpose of this study was to report on a surgical treatment for a case of atlantoaxial instability caused by os-odontoideum in association with quadriparesis and respiratory paralysis in a 5-year-old girl. We present the patient’s history, physical examination, and radiographic findings, describe the surgical treatment and a five year follow-up, and provide a literature review. The instability was treated by halo immobilization, followed by C1–C2 transarticular screw fixation using a computed tomography-based navigation system. At the five year follow-up, the patient had made a complete recovery with solid union. The authors conclude that C1–2 transarticular screw fixation is technically possible as in a case of atlantoaxial instability in a five-year-old child.

A WATERMAKING METHOD FOR DIGITAL MUSEUM IMAGES

Jun Watanabe,Madoka Hasegawa,Shigeo Kato 대한전자공학회 2006 ITC-CSCC :International Technical Conference on Ci Vol.2006 No.1