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Utilizing the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and Tokyo-Typhoon Center of the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA RSMC TOKYO) best-track tropical cyclone (TC) data for the period 1951-2014, variations in spatial and temporal characteristics of Northwest Pacific TC activity for a global warming scenario are discussed. The results suggest that since the early 1960s, there has been an overall decreasing trend in the frequency of occurrence, intensity, peak intensity, length of movement, and lifetime of TCs. However, global warming has led to a linearly increasing trend in TC activity in eastern Asia, which indicates that Northwest Pacific TC activity decreases, but the frequency of landfalls and intensity are likely strengthened. Therefore, the threat of TCs towards eastern Asia is enhanced. The increase in TC activity in eastern Asia is likely the result of a strengthened Walker circulation due to an increasing temperature gradient between the northwest Pacific Ocean and the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. The strengthening Walker circulation could increase the magnitude of the vertical wind shear, relative vorticity, and meridional wind shear of low-level easterlies near the equator in the tropical Northwest Pacific, which affects the spatial and temporal variations of TC activity in the Northwest Pacific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nervous and immune systems of invertebrates can exchange information through neuropeptides. Furthermore, some opioid peptides can function as endogenous immune system messengers and participate in the regulation of the immune responses. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of leucine-enkephalin (L-ENK) on the activity of catalase (CAT) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) content in the haemolymph of the Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea gigas). The CAT activity and H(2)O(2) content were investigated after the haemolymph of the species was exposed to 1, 5, and 50 microg/mL of LENK. The results indicate that the intracellular and extracellular CAT activity was increased with increasing concentration of L-ENK, while the intracellular and extracellular H(2)O(2) content was decreased with increasing concentration of L-ENK. L-ENK may regulate the intracellular and extracellular CAT activity and H2O2 content via binding with opioid neuropeptide receptors on immunocytes of the oysters. The data strongly suggests an involvement of opioid peptides in the regulation of the antioxidant defence systems of Crassostrea gigas.