In contrast to climacteric fruits, in which ethylene is known to be pivotal, the regulation of ripening in non-climacteric fruits is not well understood. The strawberry is a typical example of a ...non-climacteric fruit, which has been used as a model system of these types of fruit. In this study, the effect of exogenous ethephon on the expression of ethylene biosynthesis and signaling genes, FaERF2 and FaACO1, was analyzed in the Fragaria ananassa cultivar Camino Real by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics of fruits were evaluated in field trials and postharvest tests. Transcript accumulation was influenced by exogenous treatment with ethephon, which affected the pattern of gene expression during different stages of growth and fruit development, with the highest expression occurring during postharvest tests. In addition, ethephon significantly influenced the phytochemical profile of sugars, anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, and vitamin C contents both in the field- and postharvest-treated fruits at different stages. These results indicate that ethylene regulates the phenylpropanoid maturation pathway in strawberry fruit.
A total of 100 children under the age of 17 years with acquired aplastic anaemia (AA) were initially treated with immunosuppressive therapy (IST) (n = 63) or bone marrow transplantation (BMT) (n = ...37) from an HLA-matched family donor. The projected 10-year survival rates were 55 +/- 8% and 97 +/- 3% respectively (P = 0.004). Because the IST group included 11 non-responders who were salvaged by BMT from an HLA-matched unrelated donor, we compared failure-free survival (FFS) between the groups. The probability of FFS at 10 years was 97 +/- 3% for the BMT group, compared with 40 +/- 8% for the IST group (P = 0.0001). Seven patients evolved to myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with monosomy 7 and the estimated cumulative incidence of MDS 10 years after diagnosis was 20 +/- 7% in the IST group. We compared the outcome of children treated with IST during the two consecutive periods of 1983-91 (group A, n = 40) and 1991-8 (group B, n = 23) to assess the impact of combined therapy with antithymocyte globulin and cyclosporin. The probability of FFS at 7 years follow-up was the same in the two groups (50 +/- 8% vs. 40 +/- 15%, P = 0.40). We recommend BMT as first-line therapy in paediatric severe AA patients with an HLA-matched family donor. Alternative donor BMT is recommended as salvage therapy in patients who relapse or do not respond to initial IST.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The atmospheric concentrations and deposition fluxes of Be and Pb were observed biweekly in Rokkasho, Japan on the Pacific Ocean coast at the northern end of Honshu Island, from March 2000 to March ...2006, to clarify their regional features. Seasonal variation pattern of atmospheric Be concentrations had double peaks, and that of Pb had a single peak. Deposition fluxes of Be and Pb showed the same patterns. The total deposition pattern of Be was similar to that commonly seen on the Pacific Ocean side of northern Honshu Island, while the pattern of Pb was similar to that commonly seen on the Japan Sea side. The lack of high spine mountains windward in Rokkasho may be the cause of this ambiguity in the winter monsoon season. Total deposition velocities and scavenging ratios of Pb were similar to those of Be from spring to fall, and showed that both nuclides had a similar removal process from the atmosphere. However, the scavenging ratios of Pb were slightly larger than those of Be in winter, indicating different behaviors for both nuclides in the scavenging process. The scavenging ratios of both nuclides inversely correlated with precipitation rate, and the ratios in winter were larger than in the other seasons.
Errors in the handling of enriched uranium caused a criticality accident at a nuclear fuel processing plant in Tokai-mura. Three workers in the plant received high doses of radiation and suffered ...from various kinds of acute radiation syndrome. Intensive medical care was given but one of them died at 82 days after the exposure. The criticality condition was sustained for 20 h and some workers, other than the three in the plant, together with a few members of the public received measurable radiation doses, although they were low. Evacuation of neighbouring residents was carried out as a protective measure and was effective for the reduction of doses to the public. Radioactivity released into the environment was low and resulted in very low doses to the members of the public, other than the neighbouring residents.
Greenhouses are possible places with high
222Rn concentrations, since soil, the source of
222Rn, is directly exposed inside them. To examine this point,
222Rn concentrations in 28 greenhouses at five ...locations in Aomori Prefecture were measured for approximately 1 year with passive Rn detectors. For 1 week, measurements of
222Rn concentration and working level were also carried out with active detectors to get equilibrium factors and the ratio of
222Rn concentration in working time to non-working time in selected greenhouses. The geometric mean of annual
222Rn concentrations in greenhouses was 13 Bq m
−3, and the same as that in dwellings and lower than that in indoor workplaces in the prefecture. However, variation of the
222Rn concentrations was far larger than in other environments, and ranged from the lowest level in outdoor workplaces to the highest level in indoor workplaces. Significant seasonal variation was also observed in
222Rn concentrations. The mean effective dose from
222Rn and its progenies was estimated to be 0.047 mSv year
−1 for a farmer working in a greenhouse.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
In order to identify the concentration of tritium ( super(3)H) in areas of fresh, brackish and sea water, bordered by nuclear fuel facilities at Rokkasho-Village, Aomori, Japan, water samples were ...collected from 2001 to 2004 at six points in those areas. Concentration ranges of tritium in fresh river water, brackish lake and seawater samples were 0.60 to 1.1 Bq super(.) l super(-1)(mean value 0.79 Bq super(.) l super(-1)), 0.20 to 0.87 Bq super(.) l super(-1)(mean value 0.41 Bq super(.) l super(-1)), and 0.08 to 0.25 Bq super(.) l super(-1)(mean value 0.15 Bq super(.) l super(-1)), respectively. Relationships between tritium concentrations and salinity in the samples showed a clear negative correlation. Moreover, the seasonal variation of tritium in water from Rokkasho-Village was high in spring and low in fall.
Atmospheric concentrations of
210
Pb change with various factors such as meso-scale meteorological conditions. We have already reported the biweekly atmospheric
210
Pb concentrations in Rokkasho, ...Japan for 5 years and found that they had clear seasonal variations: low concentrations in summer and high values in winter to spring. To study the reasons for the seasonal variations, the origins of the air mass flowing to Rokkasho were analyzed by 3-D backward air mass trajectory analysis. Routes of the calculated trajectories were classified into four regions: northeastern and southeastern Asian Continent, sea and other regions. The atmospheric
210
Pb concentrations were well correlated with the frequency of the routes through the northeastern Asian Continent. A non-linear multiple regression analysis of the
210
Pb concentrations and the relative frequencies of the four routes showed good fitting of the predicted values to the observed ones, and indicated that the atmospheric
210
Pb concentrations in Rokkasho depended on the frequency of the air mass from the northeastern Asian Continent.
SummaryIn order to clarify the sedimentation rate of 210Pbexcess and 137Cs in brackish Lake Obuchi, bordered by nuclear fuel facilities in Rokkasho Village, Aomori, Japan, sediment core samples were ...collected at three points in the lake, and the rates were calculated by the chronological measurement method using 210Pb and 137Cs. The sedimentation rates were 0.29±0.04 g. cm-2 . y-1 in the estuary of the Futamata River (water depth of 1.2 m), 0.13±0.02 g. cm-2 . y-1 in the 3 m water depth area, and 0.11±0.02 g. cm-2 . y-1 at the center point (water depth of 4.5 m), respectively. The Futamata River estuary was found to be greatly affected by land erosion.
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