Aerosol and splatter produced during dental treatments (ultrasonic scaling and professional mechanical tooth cleaning) are potential sources of infection. Contamination patterns on the mask, goggles, ...chest and gowned right arm of operators, and on the goggles of patients before and after dental treatments were investigated using ATP bioluminescence analysis. Contamination on every surface tested increased significantly after dental treatment. Maximum contamination was found on the goggles of patients. Aerosol and splatter produced during dental treatments therefore have the potential to spread infection to operators and patients. ATP bioluminescence is a useful tool for monitoring surface contamination.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
To verify the hypothesis that swordtip squid (Uroteuthis edulis) harvested on the eastern and western sides of Japan originate from a single stock, which is transported from the East China Sea, the ...hatching ground and migratory route of squid collected from the eastern (Pacific) side of Japan were estimated using micro‐increment counts and the Sr:Ca ratios in statoliths as well as backward and forward particle‐tracking experiments. The results of both the empirical water temperatures estimated by the Sr:Ca ratios in the statoliths as well as the trajectories and ambient water temperatures of the particles in the experiments supported the hypothesis, suggesting that the sampled individuals experienced cold waters caused by upwelling, originating from the Kuroshio off northern Taiwan. It was found that the environmental settings in the particle‐tracking experiments of this study adequately represented the habitats of the squid and that the movement of this species is highly dependent on currents. This information is essential to establishing a stock management system for sustainable fishing.
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DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Recent studies suggest that systemic inflammatory response is closely associated with cancer patient prognosis. Although several inflammatory prognostic markers have been proposed, the data to ...support their validity are lacking in large Japanese cohorts.
This is a retrospective study to examine the prognostic value of inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio and modified Glasgow prognostic scale, in pancreatic cancer. Selection criteria were admittance to hospital between January 2008 and December 2012, histologically confirmed adenocarcinoma, diagnosis of invasive ductal pancreatic cancer compatible by computed tomography imaging, and followed-up until death or for 180 days or longer. The primary end point was overall survival, which was measured from the day of histological diagnosis.
There were 440 patients who met the selection criteria. Of the 440 cases, 200 (45.5%) received curative resection (166 Stage I/II and 34 Stage III patients), 237 (53.9%) received chemotherapy (4 Stage I/II, 92 Stage III and 141 Stage IV patients), and the remaining 3 received palliative care. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses revealed that advanced computed tomography stage, high level of C-reactive protein (0.45 mg/dl or greater), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (2.0 or greater) and CA19-9 level (1000 U/ml or greater) were significantly associated with worse prognosis.
We verified the results of previous studies, and showed that neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and C-reactive protein also had prognostic value in a large Japanese PC cohort.
DT+ ion irradiation with energy of 0.5 and 1.0keV was performed on helium pre-irradiated tungsten and the amount of retained tritium and the long-term release of retained tritium in vacuum was ...investigated using an IP technique and BIXS. Tritium retention and long-term tritium release were significantly influenced by helium pre-irradiation. The amount of retained tritium increased until it reached 1×1017He/cm2, and at 1×1018He/cm2 it became smaller compared to 1×1017He/cm2. The amount of retained tritium in tungsten without helium pre-irradiation largely decreased after several weeks preservation in vacuum, and the long-term release rate during vacuum preservation was retarded by helium pre-irradiation. The results indicate that the long-term tritium release and the helium irradiation effect on it should be taken into account for more precise estimation of tritium retention in the long-term use of tungsten in fusion devices.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
On 27 February 2010, a megathrust earthquake of Mw = 8.8 generated a destructive tsunami in Chile. It struck not only Chilean coast but propagated all the way to Japan. After the event occurred, the ...post-tsunami survey team was assembled, funded by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), to survey the area severely affected by the tsunami. The tsunami damaged and destroyed numerous houses, especially in the town of Dichato. In order to estimate the structural fragility against tsunami hazard in this area, tsunami fragility curves were developed. Surveyed data of inundation depth and visual inspection of satellite images of Dichato were used to classify the damage to housing. A practical method suitable when there are limitations on available data for numerical simulation or damage evaluation from surveys is presented here. This study is the first application of tsunami fragility curves on the South American Pacific coast and it might be of practical use for communities with similar characteristics along the west Pacific coast. The proposed curve suggests that structures in Dichato will be severely damaged – with a 68% probability – already at 2 m tsunami inundation depth.
Surface topography and deuterium retention in polycrystalline ITER-grade tungsten have been examined after exposure to a low-energy (38
eV/D), high-flux (10
22
D/m
2
s) deuterium plasma with ion ...fluences of 10
26 and 10
27
D/m
2 at various temperatures. The methods used were scanning electron microscopy equipped with focused ion beam, thermal desorption spectroscopy, and the D(
3He,p)
4He nuclear reaction at
3He energies varied from 0.69 to 4.0
MeV. During exposure to the D plasma at temperatures in the range from 320 to 815
K, small blisters of size in the range from 0.2 to 5
μm, depending on the exposure temperature and ion fluence, are formed on the W surface. At an ion fluence of 10
27
D/m
2, the deuterium retention increases with the exposure temperature, reaching its maximum value of about 10
22
D/m
2 at 500
K, and then decreases below 10
19
D/m
2 at 800
K.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Multiple batch spawning over a season should have an advantage for maternal fitness in unpredictable environments, but the manner in which females allocate resources to reproduction is not well ...understood. We explored the effects of temperature and food availability on reproductive traits in Japanese anchovy Engraulis japonicus using several physiological analyses. Under ad libitum food availability, temperature had a significant effect on batch intervals by changing the growth rate and size of oocytes during vitellogenesis. The latter is likely to result in variations in the size and total nutritional content of eggs. Relative batch fecundity, however, was not significantly influenced by temperature regimes. Reproductive effort per spawning was significantly higher at lower temperature, caused by the production of eggs with higher nutritional content, while total reproductive effort in a given period of time increased in water at a higher temperature due to shortening of batch intervals. Short-term food manipulation also had a significant effect on reproductive output. Insufficient income resources could lead to prolonged batch intervals, but the relative batch fecundity remained constant independent of the temperature regime. Our findings suggest that female Japanese anchovy may maintain reproductive effort per spawning relative to the prevailing temperature at the expense of more spawning events in a nutritionally harsh environment. Thus, although the total reproductive effort of well-fed specimens increased in water with increasing temperature due to shortened batch intervals, this variation may be caused by a compensatory response to the level of income resources available.
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BFBNIB, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
Despite the commercial importance of swordtip squid Uroteuthis edulis in Tsushima Strait, which lies between southwestern Japan and South Korea, data on its hatching grounds and migratory routes are ...lacking. To infer this information, we first revealed a significant negative correlation between ambient water temperatures and strontium:calcium (Sr:Ca) ratios in squid statoliths through tank experiments. Next, we counted statolith microincrements in spring and summer migratory groups of the species to elucidate their hatching dates, after measuring Sr:Ca ratios from the nucleus to the edge of each statolith. Based on these methods, spring and summer groups appear to inhabit the southern East China Sea as juveniles, and move northeastward with currents along shelf edges in the Kuroshio region. However, individuals in the spring group are apparently affected by cold waters in the northern East China Sea before reaching the Tsushima Strait, likely resulting in the unique characteristics of this seasonal group. In contrast, those in the summer group are likely unaffected because of higher water temperatures in summer than in spring. This study is the first to infer the migratory routes of the spring and summer groups of the swordtip squid.
Bacterial contamination of dental unit waterlines (DUWLs) was evaluated using ATP bioluminescence analysis and a conventional culture method. Water samples (N=44) from DUWLs were investigated for ...heterotrophic bacteria by culture on R2A agar, which gave counts ranging from 1.4×103 to 2.7×105 cfu/mL. The ATP bioluminescence results for DUWL samples ranged from 6 to 1189 relative light units and could be obtained within 1min; these correlated well with the culture results (r=0.727–0.855). We conclude that the results of the ATP bioluminescence assay accurately reflect the results of conventional culture-based testing. This method is potentially useful for rapid and simple monitoring of DUWL bacterial contamination.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
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