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Nickel (Ni) is an essential micronutrient for plants although it is considered toxic when present in excess in the soil. This study investigated the transfer of Ni from the soil to rice in terraced paddy fields affected by serpentinite, which contains an anomalously higher Ni content compared with other geological materials. Soils, soil solutions, and rice plants were collected at several different growing stages from three adjacent terraced paddy fields subject to the same water and fertilizer management. Temporal changes in their elemental compositions revealed that a higher concentration of Ni was dissolved in the soil solution during flooded conditions, probably due to the co-solubilization with Mn oxides under low redox potential conditions. However, rice accumulated Ni at a higher rate during the drainage period than in the flooding period. Although the Ni concentration in the soil solution was lowest in the drainage period, the relative concentration to Fe (i.e., Ni/Fe ratio) was much higher than that in flooded conditions. These relationships suggest that a potential measure to counter the transfer of Ni from the soil to rice in serpentine-affected paddy fields is to increase Fe phytoavailability during the drainage period.

After our coauthors described the first remote-access parathyroidectomy (RAP) series in 2000, several other approaches were developed. No systematic review has been performed to classify and evaluate RAP techniques. We performed a literature search using PubMed and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL). A total of 71 studies met our inclusion/exclusion criteria. RAP can be categorized into five approaches: (1) endoscopic and robotic axillary, (2) anterior chest, (3) transoral, (4) retroauricular, and (5) a combination of these approaches. The limited data in the literature suggest that the cure rates and safety of RAP are in no way inferior to those of open parathyroidectomy. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages, and the recommendations for the selection of each approach are listed. The selection of approach methods might depend on the surgeon's experience and familiarity and the patient's preference and disease status.

Active Al, Fe and Si (i.e., oxalate extractable fraction: Alo, Feo, Sio) strongly affect soil physical, chemical and biological properties. This study examined the pedogenic factors affecting Alo, Feo and Sio contents across a soil weathering sequence in the Cameroon volcanic line. We investigated the B horizon (∼50-cm depth) from 26 soils formed in basaltic materials at different elevations (110–2570 m) incorporating a wide range of temperature (14–27 °C) and precipitation (1520–3130 mm). The weathering sequence ranged from weakly weathered Andisols in the southwest region grading to strongly weathered Oxisols on the central highlands. We assumed pyrophosphate extractable Al/Fe (Alp/Fep) as organo-Al/Fe complexes, and Sio, (Alo − Alp) and (Feo − Fep) as short-range-order (SRO) minerals. Factor analysis of climatic (e.g., temperature and precipitation/leaching metrics) and soil geochemical properties (e.g., weathering indices) identified three independent factors representing temperature/dry season intensity, weathering degree and precipitation/leaching as the primary determinants of Alo, Feo and Sio concentrations. Organo-metal complexes (Alp and Fep) were negatively correlated with the temperature/dry season intensity factor, whereas the SRO mineral phases (Sio, Alo − Alp and Feo − Fep) were negatively correlated with weathering degree. The precipitation/leaching factor positively correlated with Alo, Feo and Sio. Our analysis infers that low temperature promotes the formation and preservation of organo-Al/Fe complexes, whereas weathering degree is more critical for SRO minerals. Further, increased weathering and a drier climate enhance the formation of crystalline clay minerals at the expense of SRO minerals. Allophanic materials (Sio) were evident (Sio: 9–43 g kg−1) only in weakly weathered soils. However, low allophanic contents were found in more highly weathered soils (Sio: 2–7 g kg−1) accompanied by high Alp and Fep, suggesting the importance of volcanic parent materials as a direct source of Al and Fe via weathering for the formation of organo-metal complexes. In sum, we clarified the discriminatory effects of climatic factors and degree of weathering in regulating the composition of the active Al, Fe and Si fractions along the Cameroon volcanic line.

We investigated soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and the quantitative relationship between SOC and geochemical properties in tropical surface and subsurface soils, where information on various soil geochemical properties remains limited. We used soil samples from 178 sites in Indonesia, Thailand, Cameroon, and Tanzania as tropical soils and 34 sites in Japan as a comparison. The tropical soils were acidic, formed under high precipitation. We separated the soil samples into three groups based on the degree of weathering. We applied correlation and single regression analyses between SOC and geochemical properties including oxalate extractable Al and Fe (Alo + Feo), pyrophosphate extractable Al and Fe (Alp + Fep), and clay + silt. In the subsurface soils, Alo + Feo and Alp + Fep were strongly correlated with SOC (r = 0.79–0.85 and 0.58–0.85, respectively), and the quantitative relationships of SOC with these properties were similar in all the weathering groups (4–5 and 5–8, respectively). On the other hand, no strong correlation with SOC or similar quantitative relationships among the weathering groups were found for clay + silt. In the surface soils, Alo + Feo and Alp + Fep were correlated with SOC (r = 0.48–0.56 and 0.55–0.76, respectively), but the ratio of C to active Al and Fe was higher probably because of the large C input. Our results highlight the importance of Alo + Feo and Alp + Fep in SOC storage, of which the ratios to SOC are similar in each of the surface and subsurface soils regardless of the weathering degree.

To mitigate radioactive cesium from soil to plant, increasing and maintaining the exchangeable potassium (ExK) level during growth is widely accepted after Tokyo Electric Company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Plant accident in Japan. This is because the antagonistic relationship between soil solution K and

International audience; Sediment that has deposited after the flood generated by the 2019 typhoon (referred to as Flood Sediment, FS) was collected along two rivers in eastern Fukushima Prefecture, Japan to determine the total and exchangeable radiocesium (137 Cs), and acid-extractable potassium (K) contents. Then, these FS parameters were compared with those of decontaminated soils (DS) in nearby agricultural fields to discuss the potential transfer risk of 137 Cs from rivers to nearby remediated soils. While FS had about four times higher total 137 Cs content, it showed a three-times lower exchangeable 137 Cs content than DS. Furthermore, acid-extractable K referred to as non-exchangeable K (Nex-K) content was high enough to restrict 137 Cs transfer from soil to crops for both FS and DS. From these comparisons, we concluded that deposition of FS onto DS may not increase the transfer of 137 Cs from soil to crops.

Surgical management has not been encouraged in patients with trisomy 18 (T18) and congenital heart diseases due to poor survival. This study aimed to investigate (1) the appropriateness of palliative surgeries followed by intracardiac repair (ICR) (i.e., two-stage ICR) for patients with a large ventricular septal defect (VSD) and T18, and (2) its impact on their long-term outcomes. Medical charts of patients with VSD and T18 who underwent two-stage ICR at the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center between January 2005 and December 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data, timing, and types of palliative surgeries, information related to ICR, peri- and postoperative clinical information, postoperative survival, and cause of death were collected. The long-term prognosis of patients treated with two-stage ICR was compared with that of patients treated with primary ICR and palliative surgery without ICR. Overall, 18 (2 male, 16 female) patients underwent two-stage ICR. Pulmonary artery banding was the initial palliative surgery in all patients after a median duration of 19.5 (range 6–194) days of life. The median age and the mean body weight at the time of ICR were 18.2 (7.6–50.7) months and 6.0 ± 1.0 kg, respectively. The mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance index before ICR were 19.1 ± 7.3 mmHg and 3.4 ± 2.0 U m2, respectively. Overall, 17/18 (94%) patients were discharged after ICR. Fourteen (78%) patients were alive during data collection. None of the patients died of cardiac insufficiency, and the median duration of survival was 46.3 (14.3–186.4) months since birth. Most patients required cardiac medications rather than pulmonary vasodilators at the last follow-up. During the study period, three patients underwent primary ICR, and 46 underwent palliative surgery without ICR. Of those who underwent primary ICR, two died in the hospital on the first and 48th day following ICR, and the third died 179 days after the ICR. The Log-rank test revealed a significantly longer survival for the patients treated with two-stage ICR compared with those treated with palliative surgery without ICR (P = 0.003). Two-stage ICR improves the long-term survival of patients with VSDs and T18. This safe surgical strategy can also prevent pulmonary hypertension in such patients.

BACKGROUND: Remote-access thyroidectomy and its cosmetic merit have been widely accepted, but remote-access parathyroidectomy has not become common. There are few reports about the risks and effectiveness of a remote-access endoscopic parathyroidectomy. Herein, we evaluated the risks and benefits of total endoscopic parathyroidectomy (TEP) for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We retrospectively compared the surgical outcomes of TEP and open minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP). METHODS: We analyzed the cases of 28 patients with PHPT who were scheduled to undergo a MIP at Mita Hospital (Tokyo) during the period from April 2015 to March 2019, all of whom were presumed preoperatively to have a single adenoma. RESULTS: Eleven of the patients underwent a TEP (10 females, one male; mean age 54.2 years). The other 17 patients underwent an open MIP (11 females, 6 males; mean age 63.5 years). The younger patients and the females tended to select endoscopic surgery as their treatment. The operation time was significantly longer in the TEP group compared to the open MIP group (106 vs. 50 min; P

International audience; The Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 generated a 3000 km2 plume of soils heavily contaminated with 137Cs. Decontamination was completed early in 2019. Typhoon Hagibis was the first extreme event that occurred in the region after decontamination. Its impact on sediment sources and sediment 137Cs contamination was investigated through the application of a sediment fingerprinting procedure using spectrocolorimetry and geochemical properties. Sediment deposits (n=24) were collected in the Mano and Niida River catchments after the 2019 typhoons, and their signature was compared to that of potential sources (e.g., cropland, forests, and subsurface; n=57). Results demonstrate the dominance of cropland as the main source of sediment (mean: 54%) followed by forests (41%) with much lower contributions of subsurface material (5%). Overall, 137Cs concentrations in sediment were on average 84%–93% lower than the levels recorded after the accident in 2011, which demonstrates the effectiveness of cropland decontamination.

The objective of this study was to investigate the current soil properties in lowland paddy fields in Peninsular Malaysia and to assess the long-term changes in the soil fertility status during 50 ...

Understanding of the long-term soil fertility trends is the basis for rational and sustainable management of the soil resources in agricultural fields. In tropical Asia, the Green Revolution initia...

Large variations in the maximum earthquake magnitude ($$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max ) have been observed among the world’s subduction zones. There is still no universal relationship between $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max and a given subduction-zone parameter, such as plate age, plate dip angle, or plate velocity, which suggests that multiple parameters control $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max . Here, we conduct exhaustive variable selections that are based on three evaluation criteria; leave-one-out cross-validation errors (LOOCVE), Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) to determine the combination of subduction-zone parameters that best explains $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max . Multiple linear regression analyses are applied using 18 subduction-zone parameters as potential candidates for the explanatory variables of $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max . The minimum BIC is obtained when five variables (trench sediment thickness, existence of an accretionary prism, upper-plate crustal thickness, bending radius of the subducting oceanic plate, and trench depth) are selected as explanatory variables; each variable contributes positively to $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max . Minimum LOOCVE and AIC values are obtained when eight variables (the five parameters for BIC, plus the along-strike plate convergence rate, age of the subducting plate, and maximum depth of the subducting plate) are selected. Our selection of the trench sediment thickness and plate bending radius contributing to $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max is consistent with previous studies. The results show that increasing upper-plate crustal thickness results in a large $$M_{{\text{max}}}$$ M max . In addition to smoothing the subducting-plate interface via subducted sediments, along-dip extension of the crustal area along the convergent plate boundary would be important for generating a large earthquake. Graphic Abstract

Remote-access total endoscopic thyroidectomy (TET) is a recently established approach that can avoid producing scars in the neck. There are no clear surgical indications for TET for benign nodules or for malignant tumors at present. We report a successful TET in a 50-year-old Japanese woman with follicular lymphoma of the thyroid gland after an open neck biopsy. She had been referred to us with a neck tumor noted 2 months earlier. Because of adhesion, we performed a combined resection of the thyroid and partial right sternohyoid muscle. To the best of our knowledge, there is no other report of a TET performed after open neck surgery. Our patient's case demonstrates that (a) the cosmetic outcome of TET is clearly superior to that of conventional open neck surgery, and (b) a TET can be suitable even for reoperation if carefully selected.

Potassium (K) and radiocaesium (RCs) were chemically extracted from soils derived from granite (G soils) and sedimentary rock (S soils) in Fukushima, Japan. The extractants employed were 1 M HNO3, concentrated HNO3, and HF + HClO4. As S soils contain a lower amount of trioctahedral 2:1 phyllosilicates than G soils, the RCs/K ratio was higher in S soils than in G soils with 1 M HNO3 extraction, indicating that the potential risk of soil-to-plant transfer of RCs is higher in S soils than in G soils. In conclusion, information about surface geology is important in predicting the spatial pattern of soil characteristics related to transferability of RCs.

Soil erosion is an emerging concern threatening sustainability of forest ecosystems. In case of Japan, one of the driving forces of accelerating soil erosion is heavy deer browsing and trampling. To investigate the effect of deer and clear-cutting on soil erosion, we set up three experimental plots at a slope (24°–27°) of a forest ecosystem with high density of deer, i.e., the fenced plot [F], the non-fenced plot [NF], and the fenced + clear-cut plot [F + C]. The amounts of eroded soil, surface runoff, and loss of nutrients were measured in each experimental plot for 1 year. The amount of eroded soils were in the order of F (1.81 t ha−1 yr−1) 93%) was derived from the loss of soil particles. In conclusion, we should conserve the forest ecosystems through preventing soil erosion because heavy deer browsing and trampling and clear-cutting of trees would lead to the accelerated soil erosion and loss of nutrients.

After our group described the first remote-access thyroidectomy series in 2000, the procedure has been further developed. Although a thoracoscopic approach with a conventional open cervical incision for thyroid goiters with mediastinal extension has been performed at many institutions, remote-access thyroidectomy for cervicomediastinal goiters has not been established. We have performed combined thoracoscopic and axillary subcutaneous endoscopic thyroidectomies (axillo-thoracic endoscopic thyroidectomies). Here, we describe a novel technique for performing a remote-access thyroidectomy for a cervicomediastinal goiter (CMG).The patients with CMGs who agreed to an axillo-thoracic endoscopic thyroidectomy at one of two hospitals in Japan underwent a remote-access thyroidectomy.We performed the axillo-thoracic endoscopic right or left hemithyroidectomy successfully, but most of the patients did not require the thoracoscopic procedure. None of the patients had complications, and none was converted to an open thyroidectomy.Most thyroid goiters with substernal extension can be removed by the axillary approach, but some cases require a thoracoscopic approach. The novel approach described herein (axillo-thoracic endoscopic thyroidectomy) enables the safe excision of a CMG with high patient satisfaction for selected patients.

Pancreatic serous neoplasms are rare tumors that are usually benign. However, histopathological differentiation between benign (serous cystadenoma) and malignant (serous cystadenocarcinoma) lesions is difficult. We present the case of a patient with pancreatic serous cystadenocarcinoma that was diagnosed with liver metastasis 7 years after the resection of the primary serous neoplastic lesion. A woman in her 60 s was diagnosed with pancreatic serous cystadenoma based on imaging and histopathological examination findings. The tumor was resected, and the patient was followed up every 6 months to monitor tumor progression. At 7 years after the resection of the primary lesion, liver tumors showing marked flare-like contrast enhancements were detected on arterial phase computed tomography findings and on dynamic magnetic resonance imaging findings acquired 60 s after the administration of a contrast agent. Laparoscopic segmental hepatectomy of S4 and S6 was performed to resect these tumors. Histopathological examination revealed that these tumors were metastatic and developed from the primary lesion. Therefore, a diagnosis of serous cystadenocarcinoma was confirmed. The flare-like contrast enhancement around the metastatic liver lesions on computed tomography and dynamic magnetic resonance images may be an indicator of serous cystadenocarcinoma with liver metastasis that could assist in diagnosis.

The Fukushima nuclear accident released large quantities of radionuclides into the environment in March 2011 and generated a 3000-km² plume of soils heavily contaminated with Cs-137. Soil erosion in the region mainly takes place during typhoons generally occurring between July and October (Laceby et al., 2016). During these events, rivers draining the main plume may transport large quantities of sediment and radiocesium. Typhoon Hagibis that occurred in October 2019 was the most intense rainfall event affecting the Fukushima region (rainfall range: 77–558 mm) since the nuclear accident in 2011. It led to extensive landsliding and river overflow.The impact of this event on sediment sources and Cs-137 contamination was quantified through the implementation of sediment fingerprinting using geochemistry and spectrocolorimetry as potential input properties. The signature of potential source material (including cropland prepared for recultivation after decontamination, forests and subsurface material originating from landslides and channel bank collapse; n=57) was compared with that of sediment deposits collected in the Mano and Niida River catchments late in October 2019. Results show that cropland supplied the main source of sediment (average: 54%) along with forests (41%). In contrast, the contribution of subsurface material (5%) was much lower, likely because landslides and channel bank erosion mainly took place after the flood peak (Evrard et al., 2020). However, this material that deposited at the foot of hillslopes after the typhoon may be mobilized and delivered to the river network by subsequent rainfall events.Overall, this flood did not modify the decreasing trend observed in terms of Cs-137 contamination in sediment transiting these rivers between 2011 and 2019. Concentrations in Cs-137 observed in sediment collected in 2019 were on average 84–93% lower than those measured after the accident in 2011. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of decontamination conducted on agricultural and residential soils in the region (Evrard et al., 2019), although the role of forests – that have not been remediated – as a perennial source of sediment and radiocesium in the region remains to be investigated over the longer term.ReferencesEvrard, O., Durand, R., Nakao, A., Patrick Laceby, J., Lefèvre, I., Wakiyama, Y., Hayashi, S., Asanuma-Brice, C. and Cerdan, O., 2020. Impact of the 2019 typhoons on sediment source contributions and radiocesium concentrations in rivers draining the Fukushima radioactive plume, Japan. Comptes Rendus Géoscience, 352(3): 199-211.Evrard, O., Laceby, J.P. and Nakao, A., 2019. Effectiveness of landscape decontamination following the Fukushima nuclear accident: a review. SOIL, 5(2): 333-350.Laceby, J.P., Chartin, C., Evrard, O., Onda, Y., Garcia-Sanchez, L. and Cerdan, O., 2016. Rainfall erosivity in catchments contaminated with fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 20(6): 2467-2482.

Artificial radionuclides including radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) and radiosilver (110mAg) were released into the environment following the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011. These particle-bound substances deposited on soils of north-eastern Japan, located predominantly within a ∼3000 km2 radioactive fallout plume and drained by several coastal rivers to the Pacific Ocean. The current dataset (Evrard et al., 2021), which can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.928594, compiles gamma-emitting artificial radionuclide activities measured in 782 sediment samples collected from 27 to 71 locations across catchments draining ∼6450 km2 during 16 fieldwork campaigns. These campaigns were conducted in Japan between November 2011 and November 2020 in river catchments draining the main radioactive plume. This database may be useful to evaluate and anticipate the post-accidental redistribution of radionuclides in the environment and for the spatial validation of models simulating the transfer of radiocesium across continental landscapes.

Radiocesium (RCs) is selectively adsorbed on interlayer sites of weathered micaceous minerals, which can reduce the mobility of RCs in soil. Therefore, soils developed from mica-deficient materials (e.g. serpentine soils) may have a higher risk of soil-to-plant transfer of RCs. Soils were collected from three serpentine soil profiles; Udepts in Oeyama, Japan, and Udepts and Udox in Kinabalu, Malaysia. Soil was sampled every 3 cm from 0 to 30 cm depth and sieved to isolate soil particles of ≤20 μm diameter for the assessment of radiocesium interception potential (RIP) after a series of pretreatments. One subset was treated with H2O2 to remove organic matter (OM). Another subset was further treated with hot sodium citrate to remove hydroxy-Al polymers (Al(OH)x). RIPuntreated was

To examine the exchangeability of 137Cs and K in soils of agricultural fields after decontamination, 173 soil samples were collected in 2016 from the plowed layer (0–15 cm depth) of decontaminated agricultural fields in Tomioka town, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. We investigated total 137Cs, exchangeable 137Cs, exchangeable K, and nonexchangeable K content for these soils. The total 137Cs content in soils was, on average, 1,200 Bq kg−1 (value range: 20–4,400 Bq kg−1), which was an 80% decrease from the values determined before the decontamination. This result indicated that the decontamination process considerably reduced the total 137Cs content in the plowed layer. The exchangeable K content in soils was on average 172 mg kg−1 (value range: 27.9 – 743 mg kg−1). More than 80% of soils showed the exchangeable K content lower than the recommended threshold value for paddy soils needed in order to reduce the 137Cs transfer from soil to plant (i.e. 200 mg kg−1). The nonexchangeable K content showed a w...

Weathered micaceous minerals (micas) are able to release potassium ion (K+) and fix caesium-137 (137Cs), both of which reduce soil-to-plant transfer of 137Cs. Among micas, trioctahedral micas such as biotite is expected to have a stronger ability to supply nonexchangeable K+ and a higher amount of Cs fixation sites than dioctahedral micas such as illite. Although biotite is predominant in granitic soils (G soils), illite is mainly dominant in sedimentary rock soils (S soils). Therefore, we hypothesized that G soils have a lower 137Cs transfer risk than S soils because of this difference in mineralogy. The objective of the present study was to determine the transfer factor (TF) of 137Cs and stable Cs (SCs) and to elucidate the determinant factors of TFs for G and S soils in Fukushima, Japan. Pot experiments were carried out with rice (Oryza sativa L. cv. Hokuriku 193) in G and S soils to determine the TF of 137Cs (TF-137Cs) and stable Cs (TF-SCs) under K-deficient conditions. TF-137Cs and TF-SCs were highly correlated, and both were significantly lower for G soils than for S soils. Higher TF values were shown for soils with lower amounts of exchangeable and nonexchangeable K or with higher percentages of exchangeable 137Cs (ex137Cs). The percentage of ex137Cs was negatively correlated with the amount of Cs fixation sites, represented by the radiocaesium interception potential. Thus, we concluded that smaller TF values for G soils were caused by a stronger ability to supply nonexchangeable K+ and a higher amount of Cs fixation sites. These findings will contribute to the establishment of soil screening techniques based on 137Cs transfer risk in Fukushima prefecture.