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The sculpin Cottus reinii, inhabits the Lake Biwa area, central Japan, and its upstream migration features, i.e., season, body size, and gonadal condition, were investigated in an inflowing river, the Ado River, in spring and early summer. The upstream migration was observed between March and June. It showed a peak in late March and terminated by late July. The standard length (SL) of the migrants ranged from 2.4 to 11.0 cm SL and individuals of 3-6 cm SL were abundant. The migrants were mostly one year old and immature. Almost all fish larger than 6 cm SL were mature in both sexes in March and April. These results suggest that the migration of the species from Lake Biwa to the Ado River may begin and terminate in relation to water temperatures in the river and lake, and almost immature migrants remain and grow in the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexual maturation and spawning characteristics of Cottus reinii, a sculpin endemic to the Lake Biwa area, central Japan, were investigated in the Chinai River. Fish larger than 3 cm SL inhabit mainly the lower reaches of the river throughout the year. The breeding season was winter and spring (February-April) in the river, mostly coinciding with that of the fish inhabiting Lake Biwa. A large difference in the body size at 50% sexual maturation between male (6.80 cm SL) and female (5.32 cm SL) was inferred from the logistic curves. Egg masses laid on the top of a boulder (nest) were found from early February to April in riffles along the lower course of the river, and each mass, consisting of multiple clutches of eggs, was guarded by a single male. These results suggested that C. reinii larger than 3 cm SL in the Chinai River migrate upstream from the lake and breed at a body size larger than ca. 6 cm SL for males and ca. 5 cm SL for females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified a child coinfected with influenza B viruses of B/Yamagata and B/Victoria lineages, in whom we analyzed the occurrence of genetic reassortment. Plaque purification was performed using a throat swab specimen from a 9-year-old child, resulting in 34 well-isolated plaques. The genomic composition of eight gene segments (HA, NA, PB1, PB2, PA, NP, M, and NS genes) for each plaque was determined at the lineage level. Of the 34 plaques, 21 (61.8%) had B/Phuket/3073/2013 (B/Yamagata)-like sequences in all gene segments, while the other 13 (38.2%) were reassortants with B/Texas/02/2013 (B/Victoria)-like sequences in 1–5 of the 8 segments. The PB1 segment had the most B/Victoria lineage genes (23.5%; 8 of 34 plaques), while PB2 and PA had the least (2.9%; 1 of 34 plaques). Reassortants with B/Victoria lineage genes in 2–5 segments showed the same level of growth as viruses with B/Yamagata lineage genes in all segments. However, reassortants with B/Victoria lineage genes only in the NA, PB1, NP, or NS segments exhibited reduced or undetectable growth. We demonstrated that various gene reassortments occurred in a child. These results suggest that simultaneous outbreaks of two influenza B virus lineages increase genetic diversity and could promote the emergence of new epidemic strains.

Purpose: To understand experiences of mothers who had a baby hospitalized in the NICU and then decided to have another pregnancy. Study Design and Methods: We used a descriptive phenomenological approach to study 12 mothers in Japan who had a child hospitalized in the NICU and had a subsequent child. Data were collected by semistructured interviews that occurred two to four times per participant. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Results: Although all of the mothers had a child who was making steady progress, they experienced difficulty when deciding on having another pregnancy. Our analysis identified five theme clusters: delaying pregnancy; unwavering view about having subsequent children; changing values regarding pregnancy and childbirth; relief of anxiety and fear about repeated hospitalization in the NICU; and preparedness to accept the outcome of pregnancy. Clinical Implications: Our study suggests that mothers require support during babies’ hospitalization in the NICU and for the process of decision-making about a subsequent pregnancy. Family-centered care as the basis for nursing practice in the NICU is ideal to provide this type of support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface tension and micellization behavior of an ionic amphiphilic diblock copolymer, poly(n-butyl acrylate)-b-poly(styrenesulfonate) sodium salt, which shows non-surface active nature in pure water, were investigated in seawater. The block copolymer became surface active in seawater, but the relationship between polymer concentration and surface tension showed a second bending point at a higher concentration in addition to that at the critical micelle concentration (CMC). Polymer micelles were also found in seawater, although the hydrodynamic size was very small. However, larger aggregation numbers of micelles were found in solutions above the second bending point. Experiments using solutions with one, two, or three salt species revealed that cmc was governed by sodium chloride, which is the most abundant salt in seawater, but the micelle structure was sensitive to divalent ions such as Ca2+ and Mg2+, although their amount is very small compared to that of NaCl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To understand experiences of mothers who had a baby hospitalized in the NICU and then decided to have another pregnancy., Study Design and Methods: We used a descriptive phenomenological approach to study 12 mothers in Japan who had a child hospitalized in the NICU and had a subsequent child. Data were collected by semistructured interviews that occurred two to four times per participant. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method., Results: Although all of the mothers had a child who was making steady progress, they experienced difficulty when deciding on having another pregnancy. Our analysis identified five theme clusters: delaying pregnancy; unwavering view about having subsequent children; changing values regarding pregnancy and childbirth; relief of anxiety and fear about repeated hospitalization in the NICU; and preparedness to accept the outcome of pregnancy., Clinical Implications: Our study suggests that mothers require support during babies' hospitalization in the NICU and for the process of decision-making about a subsequent pregnancy. Family-centered care as the basis for nursing practice in the NICU is ideal to provide this type of support.