In the North Pacific, there are at least three genetically different ecotypes of killer whales ( Orcinus orca ), referred to as resident, offshore, and transient. A previous study suggested that killer whales around Hokkaido belong to fish‐eating (resident and/or offshore ecotypes) and mammal‐eating (transient ecotype) groups. These results were supported by haplotypes based on the combination of 1193 bp of cytochrome b and 42...

Hypothermia is a condition in which body temperature falls below 35 °C, resulting from exposure to low environmental temperatures or underlying medical conditions. Postmortem examinations have revealed increased levels of fatty acids in blood and lipid droplet formation in renal tubules during hypothermia. However, the causes and implications of these findings are unclear. This study aimed to analyze the biological significanc...

The first-generation pCMViR-TSC, implemented through the promoter sandwich rule, yields 10- to 100-fold higher gene expression than the standard plasmid used with the CMV (cytomegalovirus) or CAG promoter. However, the vector’s shortcomings limit its utility to transient expression only, as it is not suitable for establishing stable transformants in mammalian cells. To overcome this weakness, we here introduce the improved pla...