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Monitoring provides data and information necessary for water quality assessment, but often it is prohibitive, especially when frequent sampling is required. In this study, we explored feasible sampling intervals for improved efficiency of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution assessment. We compared NPS pollutant loads calculated with concentration samples collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6-hour intervals for the first 24 hours of 13 storm events and investigated the effect of different sampling intervals on load estimation for three watersheds that have different land uses. When compared to load estimates made from concentrations sampled at the reference (1-hour) interval, differences in load estimates were less than 10% in the cases of the 2-hour and 3-hour intervals in the urbanized and agricultural watersheds, respectively, except in the case of suspended solids (SS). When it comes to the total load estimation, up to 3-hour interval sampling provided load estimates with acceptable accuracy, except for SS. Thus, the 3-hour sampling interval was considered feasible for long-term pollutant load assessment, while the 2-hour sampling interval was suggested for SS. Such findings are expected to facilitate NPS pollution assessment by providing information required to improve monitoring efficiency. HIGHLIGHTS The efficiency and accuracy of different water sampling intervals were assessed for improved feasibility of nonpoint source pollutant monitoring.; The sampling intervals of equal to or less than 3 hours could provide accurate and efficient pollutant load estimates in agricultural areas.; Urbanized areas required relatively frequent water sampling to satisfy the required accuracy.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the value of the vascular index (VI) on Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI; Canon Medical Systems Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) in comparison with grayscale ultrasound (US) alone for assessing breast masses. METHODS We evaluated a total of 70 breast masses (36 malignant and 34 benign lesions) in 70 consecutive patients using grayscale US and SMI. Two breast radiologists analyzed grayscale US alone and the combination of grayscale US and SMI. They also measured the VI based on SMI. The diagnostic performance of grayscale US alone and the combination of grayscale US and SMI was compared. The VI was compared between benign and malignant masses, and the optimal cutoff value was determined. In addition, the interobserver agreement in imaging analyses and the VI was assessed. RESULTS The interobserver agreements in imaging analyses and the VI were almost perfect. The VI of malignant breast masses was significantly higher than that of benign lesions (P

We compared the patterns of natural abundance of nitrogen (N) isotope ratio (δ15N) of total soil N among cropland, forest, and grassland soils, with special interests in the effects of farming system on cropland and grassland, and climate zone on forest soils, as well as the general effect of land-use change and site disturbance. We analyzed data on δ15N of terrestrial N sources (n = 532), cropland (n = 168), forest (n = 227 for organic and 428 for mineral soil layers), and grassland soils (n = 624). Forest soils had the lowest δ15N (– 1.0 ± 0.2‰ and + 3.1 ± 0.2‰ for mineral and organic soil layers, respectively), reflecting the influence of the 15N-depleted source N and the more closed nature of the N cycle. Tropical forest soil had higher δ15N than other climate zones, reflecting the influence of the high N availability and loss in tropical forests. The low δ15N in subtropical forest soils likely reflected the influence of the high rate of deposition of 15N-depleted N. The δ15N of cropland (+ 5.0 ± 0.2‰) and grassland (+ 6.2 ± 0.1‰) soils was greater with manure than with synthetic fertilizer applications. Soil δ15N was also affected by land-use change and was often increased (followed by progressive decreases) by site disturbance. Land-use type and land management effects on soil δ15N reflect changes in both the N sources and loss, while land disturbance effects are primarily associated with the degree of N loss. We also conclude that subtropical forest soil δ15N is affected by the high rate of atmospheric N deposition.

Rice residue including root and straw are unique carbon (C) source in paddy soils. However, the potential changes in quantity and chemical composition of rice residue under co-elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) and air temperature (Tair) and the legacy effect of the changed chemical composition on residue decomposition have not been investigated. This study was conducted to investigate biomass, chemical composition, and decomposability of rice root and straw produced under elevated [CO2] and Tair. Root and straw biomass increased by elevated [CO2] and elevated Tair, respectively, and the greatest biomass was achieved under co-elevated [CO2]-Tair for both root and straw. The concentration of lignin (recalcitrant) decreased while that of nonstructural carbohydrates (less recalcitrant) increased by co-elevated [CO2]-Tair. The ratio of lignin-to-nitrogen (lignin/N) decreased by co-elevated [CO2]-Tair compared to ambient [CO2]-Tair due to increased N and decreased lignin concentrations. Decomposability of root (lignin/N, 36.4) produced under co-elevated [CO2]-Tair was greater than that under ambient co-elevated [CO2]-Tair (lignin/N, 53.7); however, there was no difference in decomposability for straw, which had relatively narrow range of lignin/N (27.3–36.5) regardless of [CO2]-Tair conditions. The results of this study provide a novel insight into the changes in quantity and quality of rice residue under elevated [CO2]-Tair that are necessary to predict changes in paddy soil C sequestration under global warming.

Background The role of preoperative MRI for predicting surgical outcomes in patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains uncertain. Purpose To investigate the associations between preoperative MRI and surgical outcomes in DCIS confirmed by using US-guided core-needle biopsy (CNB) and to evaluate clinical-pathologic variables associated with a benefit from MRI. Materials and Methods Women with DCIS confirmed by using US-guided CNB between January 2012 and December 2016 were included in this retrospective study. Propensity score matching using 18 confounding covariates was used to create matched groups with MRI and without MRI, and surgical outcomes were compared. Clinical-pathologic variables were evaluated to determine women who benefited from MRI. Results A total of 541 women (mean age ± standard deviation, 50 years ± 10) were evaluated. Among 430 women who underwent MRI, 67 additional lesions (16%) were depicted, with 25 (37%) of the 67 additional lesions being malignant. Fifty-seven (13%) of the 430 women had a change in surgical plan because of their MRI findings; the change was appropriate for 31 (54%) women. In matched groups, the MRI group was associated with lower odds of positive resection margin (odds ratio [OR], 0.39; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16, 0.93; P = .03) and repeat surgery (OR, 0.33; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.92; P = .03) compared with the non-MRI group. There was no difference in likelihood of initial mastectomy (OR, 1.2; 95% CI: 0.7, 2.0; P = .59) and overall mastectomy (OR, 0.93; 95% CI: 0.5, 1.6; P = .79). In the MRI group, low nuclear grade (90% [28 of 31] vs 69% [275 of 399]; P = .01), progesterone receptor positivity (81% [25 of 31] vs 61% [244 of 399]; P = .03), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negativity (90% [28 of 31] vs 68% [270 of 399]; P = .01) were associated with a benefit from MRI versus no MRI. Conclusion Preoperative MRI depicted additional malignancy and reduced positive surgical margins and repeat surgery for ductal carcinoma in situ confirmed at US-guided biopsy without a higher mastectomy rate. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Pinker in this issue.

To evaluate the usefulness of bilateral mammography in male patients with unilateral breast symptoms, including investigation of the diagnostic performance of unilateral and bilateral reviews and the average glandular dose (AGD) per exposure. Two hundred seventy-one consecutive male patients (mean age, 57 years) with unilateral breast symptoms underwent bilateral mammography. Image interpretation was performed in two ways, first with a unilateral review of the symptomatic breast and then with a bilateral review. A modified BI-RADS scale (from 1 to 5) was used. The diagnostic performance of unilateral and bilateral reviews was compared, and contralateral breast abnormalities and the AGD per exposure were recorded. We also analyzed ultrasound (US) results and compared them with mammography. Of 271 male patients, 29 were pathologically diagnosed with breast cancer. There was no bilateral breast cancer. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy were 96.6%, 96.7%, 77.8%, 99.6%, and 96.7%, respectively, for unilateral review, and 96.6%, 95.9%, 73.7%, 99.6%, and 95.9% for bilateral review. Receiver operator characteristic analysis showed excellent diagnostic performance for both methods: the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.966 for unilateral review and 0.962 for bilateral review (p = 0.415). The mean AGD per exposure was 1.10 ± 0.29 mGy for symptomatic breast and 1.04 ± 0.30 mGy for contralateral breast (p

The precise preoperative evaluation of radiologic tumor size with extensive intraductal component (EIC) is important. This study compared the accuracy of mammography, ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure invasive breast cancer with EIC.Between 2007 and 2012, we collected data from 6816 patients who underwent surgery for invasive breast cancer at our institution. We reviewed the postoperative surgical reports of the tumors, in which the invasive tumor size and EIC were measured separately. Finally, we included 370 women who underwent preoperative mammography, US, and MRI. Each modality was retrospectively reviewed to measure the size of invasive breast cancer with EIC. The reference standard was surgical pathologic size and the accuracies of the image were evaluated.Spearman's correlation coefficient for the size of invasive cancer with EIC was good between MRI (r = 0.741) and pathology, and moderate between mammography (r = 0.661) or US (r = 0.514) and pathology. Both mass and nonmass lesions showed good correlations (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.672 and 0.612, respectively) in MRI. Furthermore, the subgroup of tumors without microcalcifications showed a higher correlation with MRI (ICC = 0.796) than with mammography (ICC = 0.620). However, the subgroup with microcalcifications showed a good correlation with mammography (ICC = 0.702) compared to MRI (ICC = 0.680) and US (ICC = 0.532).The lesion on mammography, US, and MRI reflected preoperative size of invasive cancer with EIC. MRI shows a higher correlation than mammography and US. However, cancer with calcifications of mammography shows a more accurate size than MRI or US.

The properties of secondary salt-affected soils developed from improper irrigation and drainage management and their effects on rice growth and yield are well documented. However, relevant informat...

The effect of long-term nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition on litter mass loss and changes in carbon (C), N, and S composition and enzyme activities during litter decomposition was investigated in a boreal forest. This study included four N × S treatments: control (CK), N application (30 kg N ha−1 yr−1), S application (30 kg S ha−1 yr−1), and N plus S application (both at 30 kg ha−1 yr−1). Two experiments were conducted for 22 months: 1) a common litter decomposition experiment with litter bags containing a common litter (same litter chemistry) and 2) an in-situ litter decomposition experiment with litter from each treatment plot (and thus having different litter chemistry). Litterbags were placed onto the four treatment plots to investigate the direct effect of N and S addition and the combined effect of N and/or S addition and litter chemistry on litter decomposition, respectively. Regardless of the source of litter, N and/or S addition affected C, N and S composition at a certain period of the experiment but did not affect litter mass loss and enzyme activity throughout the experiment, indicating that the N and S addition rates were below the critical level required to affect C and N cycling in the studied ecosystem. However, the greater change in N composition per unit of litter mass loss in the N addition treatment than in the other treatments in the common litter but not in the in-situ litter experiment, suggests that the effect of N addition on N loss and retention depends on the initial litter chemistry. We conclude that the studied N and S addition rates did not affect litter decomposition and elemental cycling in the studied forest ecosystem even though the N and S addition rates were much greater than their ambient deposition rates.

An earthquake of magnitude 5.4 occurred on November 15, 2017 in Pohang, Gyeongbuk Province, which caused the liquefaction for the first time in Korea. In Korea, while there is no policy measure to deal with the liquefaction phenomenon, the insurance and compensation system for flood damage is well designed. This study analyzed the policy support measures for liquefaction by the Japan Cabinet Office, including the method of calculating compensation amount, application cases, and compensation policies of the local governments in Japan, and compared with the insurance and compensation system for flood damage in Korea. This study provides basic data to develop policies to respond to liquefaction in Korea, based on the comparison of disaster support systems in Korea and Japan.

Background High levels of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are associated with improved prognosis and response to therapy in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. Purpose This study investigated the associations between TIL levels and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-negative HER-2 positive breast cancer. Material and Methods This study included 110 consecutive patients with surgically confirmed ER-negative HER2-positive breast cancers who underwent preoperative MRI from January to December 2015. Images of all lesions were reviewed in accordance with the BI-RADS lexicon by radiologists blinded to clinicopathologic findings. Tumor kinetic features were acquired by computer-aided diagnosis (CAD). Patients were divided into three TIL groups: low (50%). Associations between TIL levels and clinicopathologic and imaging features were evaluated; independent predictors of high and low TIL were identified by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results The 110 patients included 29 (26.4%) with low, 45 (40.9%) with intermediate, and 36 (32.7%) with high TIL levels. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that older age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.08; P = 0.017), high peak enhancement (OR = 1.01; P = 0.019), positive CK5/6 (OR = 4.36; P = 0.024), and low Ki-67 (OR = 14.29; P = 0.037) were significantly associated with low TILs; low peak enhancement (OR = 1.01; P = 0.020) was significantly associated with high TILs. Conclusion MRI features may predict TIL levels in patients with ER-negative HER-2 positive breast cancer, enhancing the ability to diagnose and treat these patients.

Summary Background A biopsy of first recurrence or metastatic disease is recommended to re-evaluate oestrogen receptor status in patients with breast cancer and to select appropriate treatment. However, retesting for oestrogen receptor status with rebiopsy is not always feasible, depending on lesion location and the risk associated with biopsy, and in these cases clinicians continue to treat patients according to the oestrogen receptor status of the primary tumour. Consequently suboptimal therapy might be offered to these patients. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy and safety of 16α-[18F]fluoro-17β-oestradiol (18F-FES) PET-CT to assess oestrogen receptor status in patients with recurrent or metastatic breast cancer. Methods We did a prospective cohort study at the Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea. Eligible patients had breast cancer, with first recurrence or metastatic disease at presentation, were 19 years or older, and had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0–2. The primary objective was to show the agreement between qualitative 18F-FES PET-CT interpretation and the results of oestrogen receptor expression by immunohistochemical assay, a non-reference standard test. Whole-body 18F-FES PET-CT imaging was done after intravenous injection of 111–222 MBq of 18F-FES, with dosing primarily determined by radiation dosimetry analysis. 18F-FES uptake above background intensity was interpreted as positive. Efficacy was assessed in all patients with histologically confirmed recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who received 18F-FES and had PET-CT images available (intention-to-diagnose analysis), and safety was assessed in all patients who received 18F-FES. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01986569. Findings Between Nov 27, 2013, and Nov 10, 2016, 93 patients were enrolled. Of the 85 patients included in the efficacy analysis, 47 (55%) were oestrogen receptor-positive and 38 (45%) were oestrogen receptor-negative. Positive status percent agreement between the 18F-FES PET-CT results and oestrogen receptor status by immunohistochemical assay was 76·6% (95% CI 62·0–87·7) and the negative status percent agreement was 100·0% (90·8–100·0). Patients who were oestrogen receptor-positive and had a positive 18F-FES PET-CT result had a significantly higher progesterone receptor expression than those who were oestrogen receptor-positive and had a negative 18F-FES PET-CT result (23 [68%] of 34 patients vs 0 of 11 patients; p Interpretation The high negative percent agreement between 18F-FES PET-CT and oestrogen receptor status by immunohistochemical assay in this cohort suggests that positive 18F-FES uptake by recurrent or metastatic oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer lesions could be an alternative to oestrogen receptor assays in this setting. Staging assessment should include 18F-FES PET-CT when retesting oestrogen receptor status is not feasible. Funding Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Ministry of Health and Welfare, South Korea.

Rice growing in paddy fields equipped with irrigation and drainage systems is less affected by unfavorable weather patterns such as prolonged dry periods and severe storms, but for the same reason, the fields discharge water to maintain suitable water depths even between rainfall events. Studies have been done to examine the quality of water drained from rice paddy fields during or after rainfall events. However, it is not clear how drainage affects the water quality of downstream waterbodies, especially during non-rainfall periods. We investigated the water quality characteristics of rainfall and non-rainfall rice paddy drainage, which was characterized by biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD). In this study, hydrological variables including water inflow/outflow rates, depth, BOD, and COD were monitored at a paddy field in Korea from 2008 to 2012. This study then quantified how BOD and COD loadings are controlled by irrigation and drainage management practices. Water quality measurements showed that rainfall events that resulted in rainfall depths greater than 50 mm are responsible for half of the overall BOD and COD loads discharged by rainfall events of the fields. On the other hand, a quarter of the total BOD and COD was attributed to events that provided rainfall depths less than 10 mm. The results suggested that the BOD and COD loads of rainfall events can be reduced by up to 25% if water at paddy fields is carefully managed in small rainfall events. Water samples taken during rainfall events had greater nutrient loads only by 6 kg BOD ha−1 (17 kg BOD ha−1 vs. 11 kg BOD ha−1) and 7 kg COD ha−1 (41 kg COD ha−1 vs. 34 kg COD ha−1) compared to those of the non-rainfall periods in the cropping season. Such a finding indicates the significant impacts of paddy field drainage practices on downstream water quality between rainfall events, particularly when considering a long period of non-rainfall. The monitoring data also showed that the standard unit load of 15.5 kg BOD ha−1 established for rice paddy fields by the Ministry of Environment, the environmental authority of Korea, is substantially different from the actual BOD load, because the non-rainfall BOD loads were not considered in the standard. Thus, this study suggests that non-rainfall BOD loads should be counted and managed for successful implementations of total maximum daily load programs.

BackgroundInvasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) is a rare subtype of breast cancer and is presumed to have a poorer survival outcome than invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). However, studies for cl...

We evaluated the features of breast cancers initially assessed as probably benign at ultrasound (US). Of the 7098 patients who underwent breast cancer surgery at our institution between 2014 and 2016, 179 lesions in 178 patients who had both a prior US with Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) category 3 assessment and a recent US with a diagnosis of breast cancer were enrolled. Prior and recent US findings and category were retrospectively reassessed in line with the BI-RADS Atlas and analyzed. Of the 179 BI-RADS 3 lesions, 105 (59%) were retrospectively reassessed to category 4 and 74 (41%) retained category 3. Noncircumscribed margin, irregular shape, posterior enhancement, and nonparallel orientation were more frequently observed in the reassessment category 4 group than in the reassessment category 3 group (94% vs 43%, 81% vs 19%, 16% vs 4%, 14% vs 0%, respectively). The recent US revealed that 150 of the 179 lesions (84%) had20% size increase, and 121 (68%) showed morphologic changes. Margin was the most frequently observed morphologic feature to change (41%, 73/179). Care should be taken to look for subtle but suspicious US features and changes in mass, especially of margin, for early diagnosis of breast cancer.

Background To assess the performance of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) for the prediction of DCIS underestimation in comparison with mammography, breast US, and breast MRI. Patients and Methods We prospectively enrolled patients diagnosed with DCIS on preoperative core biopsy. Visibility, lesion type, and extent on each imaging modality, CESM gray values (CGV) were evaluated. Pathologic features of core biopsy and surgery were recorded. Chi-square or Fisher's exact test were used for univariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to find independent predictors for DCIS underestimation and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Results A total of 113 lesions in 108 patients were analyzed (50 pure DCIS; 63 underestimated DCIS). Visibility on mammography, breast US, CESM, and breast MRI were 44%, 76%, 58%, and 80% for pure DCIS, and 73%, 81%, 86%, and 92% for underestimated DCIS. Tumor extents on surgical pathology of pure and underestimated DCIS were 1.11 ± 1.35 cm and 2.61 ± 2.09 cm. On multivariate analysis, nuclear grade and suspected invasion on core biopsy, visibility on mammography, and extent on breast MRI were independent factors for the model 1, whereas nuclear grade on core biopsy, extent on CESM, and mean CGV on MLO-recombined image were independent factors for the model 2. Area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.843 for model 1 including breast MRI, whereas AUC was 0.823 for model 2 including CESM, which didn't show a significant difference (P = .968). Conclusion For detecting underestimated DCIS, CESM was superior to mammography and breast US, and comparable to breast MRI.

Global meta-analyses showed that biochar application can reduce N

Background MammaPrint is a 70-gene signature microarray assay that predicts the likelihood of recurrence of breast cancer and chemotherapeutic benefits. Purpose To investigate the association between mammography and ultrasound (US) features and MammaPrint results in patients with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive invasive breast cancer, and to identify the predictive factors for high risk of recurrence. Material and Methods This retrospective study included 251 patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative, 1–3 node-positive invasive breast cancer. Mammography and US findings were reviewed according to the BI-RADS criteria. The association between MammaPrint results and the clinicopathological and imaging features was evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors for high risk of recurrence. Results Of the patients, 143 (57.0%) and 108 (43.0%) had low and high risks for recurrence on MammaPrint, respectively. Young age (odds ratio [OR] 1.08; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.12; PConclusion Posterior features in US may predict a high risk of recurrence in patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative, node-positive invasive breast cancer, which may be useful in enhancing the diagnostic value of MammaPrint and aid in the decision-making process regarding treatment.

To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of screening ABUS as the primary screening test for breast cancer among Korean women aged 40–49 years. This prospective, multicenter study included asymptomatic Korean women aged 40–49 years from three academic centers between February 2017 and October 2019. Each participant underwent ABUS without mammography, and the ABUS images were interpreted at each hospital with double-reading by two breast radiologists. Biopsy and at least 1 year of follow-up was considered the reference standard. Diagnostic performance of ABUS screening and subgroup analyses according to patient and tumor characteristics were evaluated. Reference standard data were available for 959 women. The recall rate was 9.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 7.9%, 11.7%; 94 of 959 women) and the cancer detection yield was 5.2 per 1000 women (95% CI: −0.6, 11.1; 5 of 959 women). There was only one interval cancer. The sensitivity was 83.3% (95% CI: 53.5%, 100%; 5 of 6 cancers) and the specificity was 90.7% (95% CI: 88.8%, 92.5%; 864 of 95. women). The positive predictive values of biopsies performed (PPV3) was 20.0% (95% CI: 4.3%, 35.7%; 5 of 25 women). Women with heterogeneous background echotexture had a higher recall rate (p = .009) and lower specificity (p = .036). Women with body mass index values < 25 kg/m2 had a higher mean recall rate (p = .046). In East Asia, screening automated breast US may be an alternative to screening mammography for detecting breast cancers in women aged 40–49 years. • Automated breast US screening for breast cancer in asymptomatic women aged 40–49 is effective with 5.2 per 1000 cancer detection yield. • Women with heterogeneous background echotexture had a higher recall rate and lower specificity. • Women with body mass index < 25 kg/m 2 had a higher recall rate.

In a recent paper, Jach-Smith and Jackson (2020) used the 15 N natural abundance (δ15 N) of two sources of nitrogen (N), available soil N and N in AMF, and 15 N mass balance equations to calculate the amount of N transferred by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), a perennial grass (the host plant) used in a bioenergy system in the United States. The study was conducted under three levels of inorganic N addition treatments (0, 56, and 196 kg N ha-1 ), at two different sites, the Arlington Agricultural Research Center (ARL) in Arlington, Wisconsin, and the W. K. Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in Hickory Corners, Michigan.

Background Despite the excellent contribution of contrast-enhanced breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there are variable false-negative cases on MRI. Purpose To evaluate the false-negative findings of breast cancer on previous MRI. Material and Methods Between 2012 and 2016, we collected 132 patients who underwent surgery for a second primary cancer and had both current and previous MRI at an interval of Results Analysis of previous MRI revealed 26 (57.8%) masses (mean size 7.7 ± 2.25 mm), 12 (26.7%) non-mass enhancements (mean size 14.7 ± 4.76 mm), and 7 (15.5%) foci. At first reading, 24 (53.3%) were missed, 17 (37.8%) were assessed as BI-RADS category 2 or 3, and 4 (8.9%) were assessed as category 4. On current MRI, 39 (86.7%) lesions showed an increase in size and 22 (48.9%) showed a change in kinetics to wash-out pattern. Conclusion On previous MRI, missed or misinterpreted cancers show variable findings of mass and non-mass enhancements with any types of kinetics. Careful application of BI-RADS is necessary as well as an appropriate biopsy. Any lesion that increases in size and changes in kinetics should not be underestimated.

Soil surface with crop residue is effective in reducing soil erosion and carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) losses from sloping fields. However, there is a high possibility that surface cover increases export of dissolved organic C (DOC) though relevant field studies under natural rainfall are lacking. In this study, the effects of surface cover with rice (Oryza sativa L.) straw on soil and CNP losses in both dissolved and sediment-bound forms from maize (Zea mays L.) fields were investigated under two fertilization levels (standard and double) × two types of runoff experiments (natural rainfall and artificial irrigation). Changes in soil properties including moisture, temperature, nutrients, and C concentration as well as maize yield were also examined. Surface cover decreased soil and total CNP losses by up to 82% across the experimental plots with some exceptions. However, surface cover increased DOC export in both natural (by 68-82% in total across all events) and artificial (by 3-4 fold) runoff, suggesting that crop residue cover may act as a DOC pollution source of water bodies. The contribution of rice straw to DOC, which was calculated using the δ

Background Breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging does not usually assess axillary lymph nodes -using dedicated axillary sequence. The additional utility of dedicated axillary sequence is poorly understood. We evaluated the diagnostic performance of dedicated axillary imaging sequence for evaluation of axillary lymph node. Methods In this retrospective study from January 2018 to March 2018, 750 consecutive women underwent breast MR imaging. 263 patients were excluded, due to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (n = 235), incomplete histopathological information (n = 14) and follow-up loss (n = 14), 487 women were included. Two radiologists scored lymph node on confidence level scale from 0 (definitely benign) to 4 (definitely malignant), −using standard MR and dedicated axillary imaging sequences. Diagnostic performance parameters were compared and calculated correlation coefficient of quantitative features (largest dimension, cortical thickness, and the ratio of cortical thickness to largest dimension of lymph node). Results 68 (14.0%) were node-positive and 419 (86.0%) were node-negative. The sensitivity, specificity, positive, negative predictive values and accuracy were respectively, 66.2, 93.3, 61.6, 94.4, and 89.5% for dedicated axillary sequence and 64.7, 94.0, 63.8, 94.3, 89.9% for standard MR sequence The dedicated axillary and standard sequences s did not exhibit significant differences in detection of positive lymph nodes (AUC, 0.794 for standard and 0.798 for dedicated axillary sequence, P = 0.825). The cortical thickness appeared to be the most discriminative quantitative measurement using both axillary (AUC, 0.846) and standard sequences (AUC, 0.823), with high correlation coefficient (0.947). Conclusion Evaluation of axillary nodal status using standard breast MR imaging is comparable to dedicated axillary MR imaging.

Purpose To investigate the association between preoperative breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and surgical outcomes in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) by using propensity score matching to decide whether MR examination is beneficial in the ILC subtype of breast cancer. Materials and Methods The authors identified 603 patients with ILC who underwent surgery between January 2005 and December 2016. Of the 603 patients, 369 (61.2%) underwent MR imaging. The authors calculated the MR detection rate of additional lesions that were occult at mammography and ultrasonography and analyzed any alterations in surgical management. After propensity score matching, 196 pairs of patients were allocated to the groups, and the 17 possible confounding variables regarding patient and tumor characteristics and various clinical features were well balanced between the patients who underwent MR imaging and those who did not. Surgical outcomes were compared. Results Of the 369 patients who underwent MR imaging, additional lesions were detected in 145 (39.3%); 95 of the 145 patients (65.5%) had malignant lesions. A change in surgical management occurred because of MR findings in 94 of the 369 patients (25.5%). According to pathologic findings, this change was appropriate for 84 of the 94 patients (89.4%). In the propensity score-matched analysis, breast MR imaging was associated with lower odds of repeat surgery (odds ratio, 0.140; P.001) and similar likelihood of initial mastectomy (odds ratio, 0.876; P = .528) and final mastectomy (odds ratio, 0.744; P = .151) compared with patients without breast MR imaging. Conclusion Preoperative MR imaging is useful for detecting additional synchronous malignancy and significantly reducing the likelihood of repeat surgery without increasing the rate of mastectomy in patients with ILC.

Forest decline due to atmospheric pollution is a consequence of long-term chronic exposure, and thus chemical proxies that are sensitive to the pollution are helpful in estimating the impact of atmospheric pollution on forest health. In this study, we explored changes in the isotopic and elemental compositions of needles of red pine (Pinus densiflora) with varying precipitation pH and concentrations of NO2 and SO2 across 18 cities to identify isotopic and chemical signatures that are sensitive to acid deposition. The cities had different intensity of traffic and industrial activities, and thus were expected to have varying levels of atmospheric pollution. The pine needles were analyzed for carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios, N concentrations, C-to-N ratio (C/N), and calcium-to-aluminum ratio (Ca/Al). Analysis of variance, simple linear correlation, and redundancy analysis were used to investigate the variations in foliar chemistry with atmospheric variables. Neither NO2 nor SO2 concentration was correlated with foliar δ13C, δ15N, N concentration, and C/N; whereas precipitation pH was correlated with the foliar parameters, suggesting that foliar chemistry is more sensitive to total acidifying materials than to individual pollutant. The foliar δ13C decreased with lowered precipitation pH, reflecting the increased 13C-depleted CO2 that was co-emitted with acidifying materials from fossil fuel combustion. Foliar δ15N decreased and foliar N concentration increased with lowered precipitation pH, indicating tree uptake of 15N-depleted N from acid deposition. Accordingly, the C/N ratio also decreased with lowered precipitation pH. However, there was no relationship between foliar Ca/Al and precipitation pH; rather. Our result suggests that δ13C, δ15N, N concentration, and C/N of pine needle samples are associated with the level of precipitation pH and thus pine needles could be used as bio-indicators of the impacts of total acidifying pollutants on forest.

Our understanding of the effect of agroforestry systems on soil organic carbon (SOC) is largely limited to the upper layer of the mineral soil, while LFH (litter, partially decomposed litter and humus) and deeper soil layers are poorly studied. In this study, the effects of three different agroforestry systems (hedgerow, shelterbelt, and silvopasture) and their component land-cover types (treed area and adjacent herbland) on SOC stock in LFH and mineral soil layers (0–75 cm) were investigated across 36 sites in central Alberta, Canada. The SOC stock of mineral soil (0–75 cm) was not affected by agroforestry systems but by land-cover type. The treed area had greater (p

Lead (Pb) sorption capacity (PbSmax) and distribution in chemical and particle-size fractions of six soils with different physico-chemical properties were investigated to explore the principal properties of soils that affect Pb sorption. A series of experiments of Pb sorption and soil chemical and particle-size fractionation of sorbed Pb were conducted with six soils of different texture, mineralogy, organic matter concentration, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and Fe-Mn concentrations. Soils either developed from volcanic ash or containing smectite showed relatively higher PbSmax than the other soils. Across the soils, clay content, organic matter concentration, and total Fe concentrations were significantly (p

Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) may change litter chemistry which affects litter decomposability. This study investigated respiration and microbial biomass of soils amended with litter of Pinus densiflora (a coniferous species; pine) and Quercus variabilis (a deciduous species; oak) that were grown under different atmospheric [CO2] and thus had different chemistry. Elevated [CO2] increased lignin/N through increased lignin concentration and decreased N concentration. The CO2 emission from the soils amended with litter produced under the same [CO2] regime was greater for oak than pine litter, confirming that broadleaf litter with lower lignin decomposes faster than needle leaf litter. Within each species, however, soils amended with high lignin/N litter grown under elevated [CO2] emitted more CO2 than those with low lignin/N litter grown under ambient [CO2]. Such contrasting effects of lignin/N on inter- and intra-species variations in litter decomposition should be ascribed to the effects of other litter chemistry variables including nonstructural carbohydrate, calcium and manganese as well as inhibitory effect of N on lignin decomposition. The microbial biomass was also higher in the soils amended with high lignin/N litter than those with low lignin/N litter probably due to low substrate use efficiency of lignin by microbes. Our study suggests that elevated [CO2] increases lignin/N for both species, but increased lignin/N does not always reduce soil respiration and microbial biomass. Further study investigating a variety of tree species is required for more comprehensive understanding of inter- and intra-species variations of litter decomposition under elevated [CO2].

Litter decomposition rates are affected by abiotic and biotic factors such as climate, soil physico-chemical properties, litter chemistry, nitrogen (N) availability, and activities of soil organisms. Elevated N and sulfur (S) deposition originated from oil sands mining and upgrading activities can change soil microbial properties, litter chemistry, and litter decomposition rates in the surrounding forest ecosystems in northern Alberta. We studied (1) the effect of long-term N and S deposition on litter chemistry and soil microbial properties, and (2) the effect of changed litter chemistry and soil microbial properties on litter decomposition (CO2 emission) in a 100-day laboratory incubation experiment using trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) leaf litter and forest floor collected from a mixedwood boreal forest that has been subject to simulated N and S deposition for 10 years. Litter chemistry (lignin, total carbon (C) and N, and calcium (Ca), aluminum (Al), manganese (Mn), and magnesium (Mg) concentration) and forest floor microbial properties (microbial biomass C and N, and extracellular enzyme activities) were analyzed. Ten years of N and S addition increased N (P

We evaluated the tumor response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in breast cancer patients using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging parameters assessed using a commercially available computer-aided system. We also analyzed their correlation with pathologic tumor cellularity.We retrospectively reviewed the data from 130 patients with breast cancer who had undergone NAC followed by surgery from January to October 2013. Maximum diameter, volume, peak enhancement, and persistent, plateau, and washout-enhancing components were measured using a computer-aided system on DCE MR images and correlated with the Miller-Payne grading system. Patients with a Miller-Payne grade of 5 were classified into the pathologic complete response (pCR) group. Patients with grades 1, 2, 3, and 4 were included in the non-pCR group. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.Twenty patients were included in the pCR group and 110 patients in the non-pCR group. Of the 6 parameters, the rate of tumor volume reduction (r = 0.729, P .001) showed the strongest correlation with the Miller-Payne grading system, followed by the maximum diameter (r = 0.706, P .001) and washout component (r = 0.606, P .001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (Az value) was the largest for the rate of volume reduction (Az = 0.895), followed by the maximum diameter (Az = 0.891).The tumor volume changes in breast cancers before and after NAC, measured automatically using a commercially available computer-aided system and a clinical DCE MR imaging protocol might be the most accurate tool for evaluation of the pathologic response after NAC.

The effects of climate change including warming on nitrogen (N) availability and growth of Pinus merkusii in central Vietnam were investigated using the relationship between climate variables (rain...

무한경쟁체제 속에서 조직의 생존 및 경쟁력 확보를 위해 민간부문과 공공부문 모두 역량을 강조하고 있다. 특히, 미국, 호주, 뉴질랜드 등의 국가들은 복원력 강한 사회(Building a resilient society)를 구현하기 위한 구체적인 대안으로 국가적 차원의 재난관리 역량(capability of emergency management)에 초점을 맞추고 이를 개발하고 강화하는 노력을 기울이고 있다. 그리고 그들만의 방식으로 역량을 포함한 재난관리전략체계를 구축하고 지속적으로 개선시켜 나가고 있다. 우리나라도 반복되는 재난 속에서 공공부문과 민간의 재난관리역량 강화의 목소리를 높여가고 있으나, 재난관리 분야의 역량이 무엇인지에 대해서 실무적으로나 학문적으로 아직 규정하지 못하고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 해외 주요국 및 국제기구에서 규정하고 있는 재난관리 분야의 역량을 보다 구체적으로 검토하고 국내 상황에 맞는 역량체계의 개발을 위한 시사점을 모색하고자 한다.

Background Only few studies have assessed variability in the results obtained by the readers with different experience levels in comparison with automated volumetric breast density measurements. Purpose To examine the variations in breast density assessment according to BI-RADS categories among readers with different experience levels and to compare it with the results of automated quantitative measurements. Material and Methods Density assignment was done for 1000 screening mammograms by six readers with three different experience levels (breast-imaging experts, general radiologists, and students). Agreement level between the results obtained by the readers and the Volpara automated volumetric breast density measurements was assessed. The agreement analysis using two categories—non-dense and dense breast tissue—was also performed. Results Intra-reader agreement for experts, general radiologists, and students were almost perfect or substantial (k = 0.74–0.95). The agreement between visual assessments of the breast-imaging experts and volumetric assessments by Volpara was substantial (k = 0.77). The agreement was moderate between the experts and general radiologists (k = 0.67) and slight between the students and Volpara (k = 0.01). The agreement for the two category groups (nondense and dense) was almost perfect between the experts and Volpara (k = 0.83). The agreement was substantial between the experts and general radiologists (k = 0.78). Conclusion We observed similar high agreement levels between visual assessments of breast density performed by radiologists and the volumetric assessments. However, agreement levels were substantially lower for the untrained readers.