We developed a new emission inventory for Asia (Regional Emission inventory in ASia (REAS) Version 1.1) for the period 1980–2020. REAS is the first inventory to integrate historical, present, and ...future emissions in Asia on the basis of a consistent methodology. We present here emissions in 2000, historical emissions for 1980–2003, and projected emissions for 2010 and 2020 of SO2, NOx, CO, NMVOC, black carbon (BC), and organic carbon (OC) from fuel combustion and industrial sources. Total energy consumption in Asia more than doubled between 1980 and 2003, causing a rapid growth in Asian emissions, by 28% for BC, 30% for OC, 64% for CO, 108% for NMVOC, 119% for SO2, and 176% for NOx. In particular, Chinese NOx emissions showed a marked increase of 280% over 1980 levels, and growth in emissions since 2000 has been extremely high. These increases in China were mainly caused by increases in coal combustion in the power plants and industrial sectors. NMVOC emissions also rapidly increased because of growth in the use of automobiles, solvents, and paints. By contrast, BC, OC, and CO emissions in China showed decreasing trends from 1996 to 2000 because of a reduction in the use of biofuels and coal in the domestic and industry sectors. However, since 2000, Chinese emissions of these species have begun to increase. Thus, the emissions of air pollutants in Asian countries (especially China) showed large temporal variations from 1980–2003. Future emissions in 2010 and 2020 in Asian countries were projected by emission scenarios and from emissions in 2000. For China, we developed three emission scenarios: PSC (policy success case), REF (reference case), and PFC (policy failure case). In the 2020 REF scenario, Asian total emissions of SO2, NOx, and NMVOC were projected to increase substantially by 22%, 44%, and 99%, respectively, over 2000 levels. The 2020 REF scenario showed a modest increase in CO (12%), a lesser increase in BC (1%), and a slight decrease in OC (−5%) compared with 2000 levels. However, it should be noted that Asian total emissions are strongly influenced by the emission scenarios for China.
Administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a precursor of sex steroid hormones, reduces total and visceral fat mass and elevates adipocytic adiponectin gene expression. The aim of this study is ...to investigate whether levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in muscle and transcription of PPAR target genes are affected by long-term DHEA administration or exercise training, and whether altered PPAR levels are associated with circulating adiponectin level in obese rats. After 14 weeks on a high-sucrose diet, obese male Wistar rats were assigned randomly to one of 3 groups: control, DHEA administration (1 mg/kg body weight), or exercise training (treadmill running for 1 h, 25 m/min, 5 days/week) for 6 weeks (n=7 for each group). Plasma DHEA and total adiponectin levels in the DHEA-treated and exercise-training groups were significantly higher than those in the obese control group. Additionally, DHEA administration and exercise training significantly increased muscular PPARα and PPARδ protein levels, with a concomitant increase in mRNA expression of 3β-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase and cytochrome c oxidase IV, which are target genes of PPARα and PPARδ respectively. Moreover, DHEA administration increased these protein and mRNA levels to the same degree as exercise training. Circulating adiponectin level was positively correlated with plasma DHEA and with muscle levels of PPARα and PPARδ. These results suggest that in obese rats, secretion of adiponectin due to chronic DHEA administration and exercise training may contribute to an increase in the transcription of genes encoding lipid metabolic enzymes, mediated via elevated expression of PPARα and PPARδ in muscle.
Oxytocin (OXT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) neuropeptides in the neurohypophysis (NH) control lactation and body fluid homeostasis, respectively. Hypothalamic neurosecretory neurones project their ...axons from the supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei to the NH to make contact with the vascular surface and release OXT and AVP. The neurohypophysial vascular structure is unique because it has a wide perivascular space between the inner and outer basement membranes. However, the significance of this unique vascular structure remains unclear; therefore, we aimed to determine the functional significance of the perivascular space and its activity‐dependent changes during salt loading in adult mice. The results obtained revealed that pericytes were the main resident cells and defined the profile of the perivascular space. Moreover, pericytes sometimes extended their cellular processes or ‘perivascular protrusions’ into neurohypophysial parenchyma between axonal terminals. The vascular permeability of low‐molecular‐weight (LMW) molecules was higher at perivascular protrusions than at the smooth vascular surface. Axonal terminals containing OXT and AVP were more likely to localise at perivascular protrusions than at the smooth vascular surface. Chronic salt loading with 2% NaCl significantly induced prominent changes in the shape of pericytes and also increased the number of perivascular protrusions and the surface area of the perivascular space together with elevations in the vascular permeability of LMW molecules. Collectively, these results indicate that the perivascular space of the NH acts as the main diffusion route for OXT and AVP and, in addition, changes in the shape of pericytes and perivascular reconstruction occur in response to an increased demand for neuropeptide release.
Early‐life stress has long‐lasting effects on neuroendocrine and behaviour in adulthood. Maternal separation (MS) is used as a model of early‐life stress and daily repeated MS (RMS) for 3 h during ...the first two postnatal weeks is widely used in rodent studies. However, it is not fully understood whether early‐life animals desensitise/habituate to repeated stress. In the present study, we investigated the effects of daily RMS for 3 h and acute/single time MS (SMS) for 3 h on the plasma corticosterone level and c‐Fos expression in the brain in mice at different postnatal ages. Mice were subjected to: (i) RMS from postnatal day (PND) 1 to 14 (RMS14); (ii) RMS from PND14 to 21 (RMS21); (iii) SMS on PND14 (SMS14); and (iv) SMS on PND21 (SMS21). Plasma corticosterone and c‐Fos expression were examined on the final day in each experiment. The basal corticosterone levels in RMS14 and RMS21 were equal to those in respective age‐matched controls. After the final separation, the levels were significantly increased and were comparable with those after SMS14 and SMS21, respectively. Histological analysis indicated that c‐Fos expression significantly increased in many brain regions, including the paraventricular nucleus, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and basolateral and medial amygdale in both SMS14 and SMS21 mice. However, c‐Fos expression in RMS14 mice significantly increased in many regions, whereas such increases were hardly seen in RMS21 mice. These results indicate that repeated early‐life stress neither increases basal corticosterone, nor decreases the magnitude of the corticosterone response during the first three postnatal weeks, although desensitisation of c‐Fos expression induced by repeated stress is changed during postnatal development.
This paper reports the preliminary results of a new in-situ three-dimensional (3D) imaging system for observing plastic deformation behavior in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) as a directly ...relevant development of the recently reported straining-and-tomography holder Sato K et al. (2015) Development of a novel straining holder for transmission electron microscopy compatible with single tilt-axis electron tomography. Microsc. 64: 369-375. We designed an integrated system using the holder and newly developed straining and image-acquisition software and then developed an experimental procedure for in-situ straining and time-resolved electron tomography (ET) data acquisition. The software for image acquisition and 3D visualization was developed based on the commercially available ET software TEMographyTM. We achieved time-resolved 3D visualization of nanometer-scale plastic deformation behavior in a Pb-Sn alloy sample, thus demonstrating the capability of this system for potential applications in materials science.
In 2013 and 2014, two types of disease symptoms were observed on the leaves of seedlings of commercial Nemesia caerulea in Japan. In 2013, leaves developed round, brown lesions that sometimes covered ...whole leaves and stems; in 2014, seedlings developed soft rot and had gray mold on the surface. Morphological and molecular data indicated that the pathogen in 2013 was Stemphylium lycopersici (Enjoji) W. Yamam. and in 2014 was Botrytis cinerea Pers. Inoculation tests proved the pathogenicity of both pathogens on the host. Since this is the first report of these diseases in Japan, we propose designating the diseases as Stemphylium leaf blight and gray mold of N. caerulea.
Abstract
Introduction
Conventionally, as an exercise mode which leads to reduction of arterial stiffness, it is well used that moderate-intensity continuous exercise training (MICT). High-intensity ...interval training (HIIT), such as HIIT program with a total exercise time of 15–30 min is highly time-effective as an exercise mode for which reduces risks of cardiovascular disease. Recent study showed that even shorter HIIT leads to an effective reduction in arterial stiffness. Therefore, HIIT is an effectively exercise therapy which can use in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Although MICT induces vasodilation by acceleration of nitric oxide (NO) production via upregulating arterial endothelial NO synthase (eNOS)/protein kinase B (Akt) signalling pathway, an underlying mechanism of HIIT effects remains unclear.
Purpose
This study aimed to clarify the effects of short HIIT on arterial stiffness and arterial NO production in rats.
Methods
Forty 10-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups; CON: 8-week sedentary control, MICT: treadmill running for 60 min at 30m/min, 5 days/wk for 8weeks, HIIT: fourteen 20 sec swimming sessions with a weight equivalent to 14–16% of each body weight and 10 sec pause was allowed between exercise sessions, 4 days/wk for 6 weeks from 12-week-old, and RT: ladder climbing, 8–10sets/day, 3 days/wk for 8 weeks groups (n=10 each group). After training session, we measured aortic pulse wave velocity (aortic PWV) as an index of arterial stiffness and plasma nitrite/nitrate (NOx) concentrations and phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt in the aorta.
Results
Aortic PWV was significantly reduced in both MICT and HIIT groups as compared to CON and RT groups (P<0.05), whereas there was no difference between RT and CON groups. Additionally, arterial phosphorylations of eNOS and Akt and plasma NOx levels were significantly elevated in both MICT and HIIT groups as compared to CON and RT groups (P<0.05), whereas there was no difference between RT and CON groups. Moreover, HIIT-induced reduction of aortic PWV and increase in eNOS and Akt phosphorylations and plasma NOx levels were equal to these MICT effects. Arterial eNOS phosphorylation was negatively correlated with aortic PWV in all groups (r=−0.38, P<0.05). Further study was conducted whether a single-bout high-intensity intermittent exercise accelerates NO production. After acute high-intensity intermittent exercise, plasma NOx levels were significantly elevated (P<0.05).
Conclusion
These results suggest that HIIT increases NO production via the upregulation of arterial Akt/eNOS signalling pathway, resulting in the reduction of arterial stiffness, despite a reduction in total exercise volume as compared with MICT.
Acknowledgement/Funding
JSPS KAKENHI (#17H02182 and #16K13059 for M. Iemitsu; #18H06423 for N. Hasegawa)
In a companion paper to the essays comparing China's and India's economic rise (Prime, 2009) as well as India's energy security (Dadwal, 2009), two specialists on China's energy industries review the ...country's challenges posed by the need to dramatically increase energy use in order to support economic growth while coping with pressures to reduce environmental impacts from emissions of greenhouse gases. After reviewing the current mix of fuels in the economy and discussing each major energy resource (in terms of proven reserves, production, consumption, and foreign import requirements), the authors focus on measures undertaken by the Chinese government and corporations to improve access to vital supplies. The paper covers efforts to enhance the country's energy security, which include diversifying sources of oil supply, purchasing oil and gas concessions and financing of energy infrastructure development in African and Central Asian countries, instituting reforms to encourage more efficient energy use, and developing alternative energy sources. Journal of Economic Literature, Classification Numbers: O130, P280, Q400. 7 figures, 2 tables, 82 references.
Despite the rapid progress made in the electronic design of imaging workstations for medicine, much less effort has gone into the design of environments in which such systems will be used. Based on ...studies of radiologist film reading sessions, considerable time will be spent working at such viewing systems. If the rooms in which the workstations are placed are not conducive to comfortable work, it will certainly not favor electronic viewing over film reading. In examining existing reading environments, it is also apparent that they are not optimum, even for film. Since some of the problems for film and electronic viewing overlap, such as heat generation (by the alternators, viewboxes, or workstation electronics) and glare from light sources, it should be possible to develop solutions which are applicable to both environments or to rooms which will feature both viewing systems. This paper will discuss some of the approaches to designing environments in which viewing of images is supported by the room architecture and engineering and not degraded by it. To illustrate these points, a design based on the constraint of a real room size and available architectural materials will be developed.
An osteosarcoma patient whose lung metastases were successfully treated with radiotherapy is reported. The patient developed multiple lung metastases repeatedly after successful treatment of the ...primary lesion in his femur. Resection of the lung metastases was performed 5 times during 4 years (12 metastatic nodules in total). One of the specimens was evaluated using the micronucleus test, which suggested moderate radiosensitivity of the tumor. He further developed 2 metastases 19 months after the last operation, and these tumors were treated with conventional radiation with 60 and 64 Gy, respectively. The tumors regressed slowly after radiation and disappeared later. Although he developed another lung metastasis 2 years later, the lesion was also treated with radiation with 66 Gy and all of the 3 irradiated tumors are now under control at 43 months after the first radiotherapy and 15 months after the second one. Our experience would suggest that some (at least) metastatic osteosarcomas have reasonable radiosensitivity, and radiation therapy including radiosurgery may be a good alternative to surgery in patients for whom operation is not indicated.
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