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Understanding teachers' appraisals of student wellness services and supports during COVID-19 is essential to strengthening services and improving student health outcomes. This mixed-method study aimed to examine US PK-12 teachers' appraisals of student wellness services and supports during COVID-19.This study focuses on qualitative data from 291 teachers' open-ended responses to the question: "What do you wish your school leaders knew about this (wellness support) aspect of your work?" and whose responses described wellness services and supports. A qualitative content analysis was conducted by an interdisciplinary research team using open- and axial coding.Three main themes emerged. (1) insufficient access to mental health professionals and programming at schools, (2) concern about the quality of available services, and (3) a need for teacher professional development and support on student wellness. Statistically significant differences in teacher appraisals of insufficient access to mental health professionals and programming were found based on grade level taught and percentage of immigrant students in the school.With amplified student wellness needs, school personnel, including school leaders, must consider ways to allocate additional resources/staffing, assess the quality of services and supports, and design professional development opportunities to support teachers' involvement in supporting student wellness needs.

To investigate the organ-specific response and clinical outcomes of mixed responses (MRs) to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for unresectable or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (ur/mUC), we retrospectively analyzed 136 patients who received pembrolizumab. The total objective response rate (ORR) and organ-specific ORR were determined for each lesion according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 as follows: (i) complete response (CR), (ii) partial response (PR), (iii) stable disease (SD), and (iv) progressive disease (PD). Most of the organ-specific ORR was 30–40%, but bone metastasis was only 5%. There was a significant difference in overall survival (OS) between responders and non-responders with locally advanced lesions and lymph node, lung, or liver metastases (HR 9.02 (3.63–22.4) p < 0.0001; HR 3.63 (1.97–6.69), p < 0.0001; HR 2.75 (1.35–5.59), p = 0.0053; and HR 3.17 (1.00–10.0), p = 0.049, respectively). MR was defined as occurring when PD happened in one lesion plus either CR or PR occurred in another lesion simultaneously, and 12 cases were applicable. MR was significantly associated with a poorer prognosis than that of the responder group (CR or PR; HR 0.09 (0.02–0.35), p = 0.004). Patients with bone metastases benefitted less. Care may be needed to treat patients with MR as well as patients with pure PD. Further studies should be conducted in the future.

This study examined the temporal variations in radiocesium concentration associated with sinking particles in the northeastern Japan Sea between September 2010 and July 2012. We analyzed sediment trap samples from this period after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) accident in March 2011. Cesium-134 was detected in samples collected between May and July 2011 at a depth of 1100 m (4.2–11 mBq g-dry−1) but not in other periods at 1100 m or deeper (3100 and 3500 m). These results confirmed the deposition of FDNPP-derived radiocesium on the surface water in the late April 2011, which rapidly sank with sinking particles to a depth of at least 1100 m, in the northeastern Japan Sea, about 40 days after the deposition in the North Pacific. If FDNPP-derived 137Cs was excluded, no seasonal changes were detected in the 137Cs activity concentration of the sinking particles, and the 137Cs activity concentration of the particles increased with increasing depth. Judging from the concentration of 137Cs of sinking particle and seasonal variation of total mass flux and organic matter content, the lithogenic particle seems to be important for radiocesium associated with sinking particles. These data also strongly suggest a difference in sinking features of particles between 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 deployments. Due to the existence of benthic front, shallow water (1100 m) and deep water (3500 m) are separated during 2010–2011 deployment, but in the winter of 2011–2012, this front disappeared and the particles in surface water seem to have sunk to the depth of 3100 m. The sinking velocity of the particles at 1100 m was estimated to be 33–62 m day−1, with a mean sinking velocity of 43 m day−1. These values were comparable to those estimated at depths shallower than 1000 m in the North Pacific after the FDNPP accident, or in the Mediterranean, North, and Black Seas after the Chernobyl accident.

We examined the vertical 134Cs and 137Cs concentration profiles in the southwestern Okhotsk Sea in 2011, 2013, and 2017. In June 2011, atmospheric deposition-derived 134Cs from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) was detected at depths of 0–200 m (0.06–0.6 mBq/L). In July 2013, 134Cs detected at depths of 100–200 m (∼0.05 mBq/L) was ascribed to the transport of low-level 134Cs-contaminated water and/or the convection of radioactive depositions (

In 2014 and 2015, we examined the spatial distribution of cesium-134 (half-life: 2.06 years) from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in marine sediments within coastal–basin areas (water depths of 40–520 m) off central Honshu Island (the main island of Japan) in the Sea of Japan. The 134Cs concentrations in both the surface sediment (0–1 cm depth) and whole-core inventory exhibited wide variations, and were highest at the site closest to the Agano River Estuary area (6.7 Bq/kg-dry and 886 Bq/m2, respectively). This indicates that 134Cs in coastal areas was delivered by riverine suspended solids (SS). Given the spatial variation in 134Cs concentrations, we believe that 134Cs partially migrated northeastward within ~50 km along Honshu Island (at water depths shallower than ~140 m), and southwestward, including the Sado Basin area. This is predominantly attributable to the transport of SS by bottom currents and unsteady downward delivery onto the steep slopes of the basin. The total amount of 134Cs in the study area in 2014 was estimated at approximately 0.6 TBq (decay-corrected to March 11, 2011, date of FDNPP accident).

We investigated lateral profiles of 228Ra (half-life; 5.75 years) activity and 228Ra/226Ra (1600 years) activity ratio using 241 surface water samples collected in/around the Sea of Japan and the East China Sea (ECS) during June–October of 2009–2014. In the ECS, the 228Ra/226Ra ratio in the surface waters exhibited markedly wide variation (

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a major public health concern affecting an estimated 22.5 million individuals in the United States. The primary aim of this study was to characterize psychological pain in a cohort of patients participating in outpatient substance abuse treatment. A secondary aim was to determine the relationships between pre-treatment assessments of psychological pain, depression, anxiety and hopelessness with treatment retention time and completion rates. Data was analyzed from 289 patients enrolled in an outpatient community drug treatment clinic that provides mental healthcare to the underserved. A previously determined threshold score on the Mee-Bunney Psychological Pain Assessment Scale (MBP) was utilized to group patients into high and low-moderate scoring subgroups. The higher pain group reported increased levels of anxiety, hopelessness and depression compared to those in the low-moderate pain group. Additionally, patients scoring in the higher psychological pain group exhibited reduced retention times in treatment and more than two-fold increased odds of dropout relative to patients with lower pre-treatment levels of psychological pain. Among all assessments, the correlation between psychological pain and treatment retention time was strongest. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that psychological pain is an important construct that correlates with relevant clinical outcomes in substance abuse treatment. Further, pre-treatment screening for psychological pain may be of benefit in identifying higher-risk patients in need of targeted additional clinical resources to improve treatment retention and completion rates.

Strontium-90 (90Sr) was released together with radioactive cesium (Cs) from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident. Although the total amount of 90Sr released into the marine environment from the FNPP was estimated to be a factor of 100 lower than that of 137Cs, the public have been concerned about the safety of commercial species because of the tendency of accumulation in bones of organisms, its long physical half-life and less information about 90Sr concentrations in commercial species. In this study, we investigated the concentrations of 90Sr in marine fishes off Japan before and after the FNPP accident. Except for within a 20-km radius from the FNPP, 90Sr concentrations higher than the background level (

ObjectiveNo randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for adults have compared the effectiveness of a well-specified psychotherapy and a culturally adapted version of the same treatment. This study evaluated the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and culturally adapted CBT (CA-CBT) in treating depressed Chinese-American adults.MethodsThis RCT treated 50 Chinese Americans who met criteria for major depression and sought treatment at community mental health clinics. Screening of participants began in September 2008, and the last assessment was conducted in March 2011. Participants were stratified by whether they were already taking antidepressants when they first came to the clinic and randomly assigned to 12 sessions of CBT or CA-CBT. The study did not influence regular prescription practices. The primary outcomes were dropout rates and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores at baseline, session 4, session 8, and session 12.ResultsParticipants in CA-CBT demonstrated a greater overall decrease in depressive symptoms compared with participants in CBT, but the groups had similarly high depression rates at week 12. Differences in dropout rates for the two groups approached, but did not meet, statistical significance (7%, CA-CBT; 26%, CBT).ConclusionsChinese Americans entered this study with very severe depression. Participants in both CBT and CA-CBT demonstrated significant decreases in depressive symptoms, but the majority did not reach remission. Results suggest that these short-term treatments were not sufficient to address such severe depression and that more intensive and longer treatments may be needed. Results also indicate that cultural adaptations may confer additional treatment benefits.

Levels of radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) contamination in lake water, bottom sediment, plankton, and fish were investigated in three geographically separated lakes in Fukushima Prefecture (Lake Hayama, Lake Akimoto, and Lake Tagokura) between June 2012 and November 2013. Levels of contamination differed among the three lakes, with the highest levels of each measured component in Lake Hayama, followed by Lake Akimoto, and the least contamination in Lake Tagokura. Among the lakes, the magnitude of contamination decreased with distance from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Mean radiocesium concentrations were higher in piscivorous fish than in other fish, possibly reflecting differences in trophic level. The radiocesium concentrations in some fish species decreased significantly by 33–65 % during the period between 2012 and 2013. Radiocesium concentrations of the lake water, bottom sediment, plankton, and fish were significantly correlated with surface soil radiocesium content near lake sites.

Ayu Plecoglossus altivelis, a herbivorous fish, is an important fishery resource and key component of the foodweb in many Japanese streams. Radionuclide contamination of this species is likely transferred to higher trophic levels, include humans, in the food chain. After the Fukushima accident in March 2011, ayu were exposed to highly contaminated silt while feeding on algae attached to the riverbed stones. To understand the route by which herbivorous fish are exposed to radionuclides, the activity concentrations of sum of (134)Cs and (137)Cs (radiocesium) were analyzed in riverbed samples (algae and silt) and in the internal organs and the muscle of ayu in five river systems in the Fukushima Prefecture between summer 2011 and autumn 2013. Although there was a positive correlation between the radiocesium activity concentrations in the muscle and the internal organs of ayu, the median activity concentration in the muscle was much lower than those in the internal organs. The activity concentrations of radiocesium in the riverbed samples and the internal organs and the muscle of ayu were correlated with contamination levels in soil samples taken from the watershed upstream of the sample sites. The results of the generalized linear mixed models suggest that the activity concentrations in both the internal organs and the muscle of ayu declined over time. Additionally, the activity concentrations in the internal organs were correlated with those in the riverbed samples that were collected around the same time as the ayu. The activity concentrations in the muscle were correlated with ayu body size. Our results suggest that ayu ingest (134)Cs and (137)Cs while grazing silt and algae from the riverbed, and a part of the (134)Cs and (137)Cs is assimilated into the muscle of the fish.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant (FNPP) accident that followed the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 resulted in the release of enormous quantities of anthropogenic radionuclides, especially radioactive cesium (134Cs and 137Cs) into the ocean off the east coast of Japan. FNPP-derived radioactive Cs may have consequently accumulated within marine food webs via seawater intake and predator–prey interactions. We provide evidence of the temporal variability in 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in seawater and zooplankton samples collected in coastal waters off Joban-Sanriku, in Sendai Bay, and in the Oyashio region between June 2011 and December 2013. In Sendai Bay, seawater 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations exceeded 1 Bq/kg in June 2011 and rapidly decreased during the study period. 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in zooplankton were also high in June 2011, up to 23 Bq/kg-wet and also decreased during the study period, although at a slower rate than seawater 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations. Regarding 137Cs concentrations, the difference in the rate of decrease between seawater and zooplankton resulted in a high apparent concentration ratio (aCR) for zooplankton. The observed relation between 137Cs in seawater and the aCR of zooplankton were good indicators of the progress of 137Cs contamination in zooplankton from the beginning of the FNPP accident to the restoration phase.

To assess the migration patterns of radiocesium emitted from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), we analyzed (228)Ra/(226)Ra ratios and (7)Be concentrations and compared them with (134)Cs and (137)Cs concentrations in seawater samples collected within the Sea of Japan before and after the FDNPP accident (i.e., during the period 2007-2012) using low-background γ-spectrometry. The (228)Ra/(226)Ra ratios in surface waters exhibited lateral and seasonal variations, reflecting the flow patterns of surface water. This indicates the transport patterns of the FDNPP-derived radiocesium by surface water. Cosmogenic (7)Be (half-life: 53.3 d) exhibited markedly high concentrations (5-10 mBq/L) at depths shallower than 50 m, with concentrations decreasing steeply (0.2-2 mBq/L) at depths of 50-250 m. The distribution of (7)Be concentrations suggests that the downward delivery of the FDNPP-derived radiocesium to below 50 m depth was negligible for a few months prior to its removal from the Sea of Japan.

The Fukushima nuclear accident led to deposition of radionuclides into the freshwater fishery ground of ayu Plecoglossus altivelis. For the purpose of more comprehensive understanding of the radioactive contamination, cesium-137 (137Cs) was analyzed in running water, muddy sediment, attached algae, and ayu using samples from three river systems with different levels of contamination within Fukushima Prefecture in summer and autumn 2011. The amount of 137Cs contained in water as well as in sediment declined over an interval of two months, although the concentration in sediment samples was up to 10,000-fold higher than that in water samples. The changes in 137Cs concentration of algae showed different courses among the three river systems, the concentration being greater in autumn in the river systems with high and moderate radioactive contamination. 137Cs detected within a single stock of ayu appeared to be excreted rather rapidly with a calculated half-life of approximately 39 days, while the concentration ratio ranged from 103 to 104 l/kg, attaining higher levels than previously reported. These findings indicate that the most important pathway of 137Cs into ayu is via intake of algae as food but that the retention time of 137Cs inside ayu is relatively short.

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised (ECERS-R) is widely used to associate child care quality with child development, but its validity for this purpose is not well established. We examined the validity of the ECERS-R using the multidimensional Rasch partial credit model (PCM), factor analyses, and regression analyses with data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort. The PCM identified rating category disordering, indicating previously unrecognized problems with the scale's response process validity. Factor analyses identified neither a single factor nor the ECERS-R six subscales, replicating prior research regarding the scale's structural validity. Criterion validity results were mixed, with small effect sizes for regressions predicting child outcomes and moderate effect sizes for regressions predicting teacher-reported quality. Our results lend empirical support to recent critiques of the ECERS-R, and we discuss implications for its future use and for the development of future measures.

Microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) achieve their desired performance via a pattern of holes that run trough the whole length of the fiber. The variation of the hole pattern allows the production of a variety of optical effects. However, the cross-sectional hole structure can be different from that designed in the preform, due to the combined effects of surface tension and internal pressure. The present paper focuses on the comparison between experiments and numerical calculation of a six hole-optical fiber taking into account the effects of surface tension and internal hole-pressure, since those are of essential importance during drawing. It is shown that the numerical computations deliver reliable results for practical applications and can be used as a predictive tool for fiber development, as long as the inner pressure or the temperature do not exceed too high values.

Copyright © 2012 by The Geochemical Society of Japan. and mixing. While the 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations of highly contaminated surface seawater samples around the FDNPP have been studied extensively (Tsumune et al., 2012; Honda et al., 2012), relatively little information is available on radionuclide concentrations in seawater for other sea areas around the Japanese Archipelago. We previously reported low levels of 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in surface water samples from the Pacific Ocean side of northeastern Japan, the Japan Sea, and the southwestern Okhotsk Sea before and after the FDNPP accident; however, the scope of these studies was somewhat cursory (Inoue et al., 2012a, b). Nonetheless, these studies illustrated the need for more extensive temporal and spatial investigations to assess the oceanic behaviors and fate of Fukushima-derived radionuclides around the Japanese Islands. We therefore used low-background γ-spectrometry to characterize the lateral variations of 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in surface waters around the Japanese Archipelago in June and October 2011. These data were combined with 134Cs deposition data (Ministry of Education, Low levels of 134Cs and 137Cs in surface seawaters around the Japanese Archipelago after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011

A fluid-mechanics model that make use of asymptotic analysis based on small aspect ratio of capillaries has been compared with the full 3-D set of the N.-St. equations, for modelling the fabrication of capillary tubes. The final asymptotic equations are solved numerically and then compared with the N.-St. solutions, obtained with a commercial finite elements solver. The present paper focuses on the comparison of the solution of the two methods taking into account the effects of surface tension and internal hole pressure, since those are of essential importance during drawing. It is shown that the analytical asymptotic method delivers reliable results for practical applications, as long as the inner pressure or the temperature does not exceed too high values.

We report here the molecular cloning, characterization, and catalytic mechanism of a novel glycosphingolipid-degrading β-N-acetylgalactosaminidase (β-NGA) from Paenibacillus sp. TS12 (NgaP). Consisting of 1034 putative amino acid residues, NgaP shares no sequence similarity with known proteins. Recombinant NgaP, expressed in Escherichia coli, cleaved the nonreducing terminal β-GalNAc residues of gangliotriaosylceramide and globotetraosylceramide. The enzyme hydrolyzed para-nitrophenyl-β-N-acetylgalactosaminide ∼100 times faster than para-nitrophenyl-β-N-acetylglucosaminide. GalNAc thiazoline, an analog of the oxazolinium intermediate and potent inhibitor for enzymes adopting substrate-assisted catalysis, competitively inhibited the enzyme. The K(i) of the enzyme for GalNAc thiazoline was 1.3 nM, whereas that for GlcNAc thiazoline was 46.8 μM. Comparison of the secondary structure with those of known enzymes exhibiting substrate-assisted catalysis and point mutation analysis indicated that NgaP adopts substrate-assisted catalysis in which Glu-608 and Asp-607 could function as a proton donor and a stabilizer of the 2-acetamide group of the β-GalNAc at the active site, respectively. These results clearly indicate that NgaP is a β-NGA showing substrate-assisted catalysis. This is the first report describing the molecular cloning of a β-NGA adopting substrate-assisted catalysis.

The concentrations of trace level organotin compounds (TBT and TPT) in 32 seawater samples were analyzed by TDS-GC-MS with the stir bar sorptive extraction method.The concentration range of TBT was 0.02-0.83 ng/L and of TPT was 0.002 to 0.17 ng/L. The maximum concentration of TBT was 0.83 ng/L at port of Yokohama and for TPT was 0.17 ng/L at Ofunato bay.The concentrations of both the organotin compounds at the basin sampling points were relatively higher than the points at open sea. And also, in all the sampling points the concentration of TPT is about one order lower than TBT.However in the Sea of Japan, points of relatively higher concentration of TBT were found, such as Japan Basin(0.35 ng/L). From this analytical result it is suggested that the pollution of TBT at the Sea of Japan has progressed in a wide range.In contrast it seems that the concentration of TPT in the open sea was almost constant with no high concentration points seen in the Sea of Japan.

Objective Knowledge of acculturative processes and their impact on immigrant families remains quite limited. Acculturative family distancing (AFD) is the distancing that occurs between immigrant parents and their children and is caused by breakdowns in communication and cultural value differences. It is a more proximal and problem-focused formulation of the acculturation gap and is hypothesized to increase depression via family conflict. Method Data were collected from 105 Chinese American high school students and their mothers. Rasch modeling was used to refine the AFD measure, and structural equation modeling was used to determine the effects of AFD on youth and maternal depression. Results Findings indicate that greater AFD was associated with higher depressive symptoms and risk for clinical depression. Family conflict partially mediated this relation for youths, whereas for mothers, AFD directly increased risk for depression. Greater mother-child heritage enculturation discrepancies were associated with greater mother and child AFD. Mainstream acculturation discrepancies and language gaps between mothers and youths were not significantly associated with any of the primary outcome variables. Conclusions Results highlight the need for better understanding of how AFD and other acculturation-gap phenomena affect immigrant mental health. They also underscore the need for prevention and intervention programs that target communication difficulties and intergenerational cultural value differences.

(60)Co were detected in common octopus specimens collected in the East China Sea in 1996-2005. The source of (60)Co has remained unclear yet. Stable isotope analyses showed that there was no difference in stable Co concentrations between octopus samples with (60)Co and without (60)Co. This result showed that the stable Co in the digestive gland of octopus potentially did not include a trace amount of (60)Co and the source of (60)Co existed independently. Furthermore, investigations of octopus in other area and other species indicated that the origin of the source of (60)Co occurred locally in the restricted area in the East China Sea and not in the coastal area of Japan. Concentrations of (60)Co have annually decreased with shorter half-life than the physical half-life. This decrease tendency suggests that the sources of (60)Co were identical and were temporary dumped into the East China Sea as a solid waste.

The present contribution deals with thermofluidynamical features occurring during the drawing of capillaries for microstructured optical fibres. Here, the process stability depends strongly on flow and thermal processes taking place as a preform is heated and drawn in the furnace. This is the case particularly for hollow fibres for which the existence of the inner hole directly depends on material parameters such as the surface tension and the rheological properties and on process parameter such as hole internal pressure and the process temperature. A fluid-mechanics model suggested in the literature that makes use of asymptotic analysis based on small aspect ratio of the micro capillaries, has been revisited and improved recently and the leading-order equations have been then examined in some asymptotic limits by Luzi et al. Starting from the novel class of solutions of the simplified equations of motion the present paper focuses on the effect of both surface tension and internal hole pressure since those are of essential importance during drawing. Thus, comparisons with experimental data are performed, in order to validate the analytical model developed in, which will be briefly presented here. The theoretical model gives very accurate predictions both when the internal hole is pressurized or when no pressure is applied, as long as the temperature does not reach too high values.

Iodine-131 (physical half-life: 8.04 days) was detected in brown algae collected off the Japanese coast. Brown algae have been extensively used as bioindicators for radioiodine because of their ability to accumulate radionuclides in high concentration factors. The maximum measured specific activity of (131)I in brown algae was 0.37 + or - 0.010 Bq/kg-wet. Cesium-137 was also detected in all brown algal samples used in this study. There was no correlation between specific activities of (131)I and (137)Cs in these seaweeds. The specific activity of (137)Cs ranged from 0.0034 + or - 0.00075 to 0.090 + or - 0.014 Bq/kg-wet. Low specific activity and minimal variability of (137)Cs in brown algae indicated that past nuclear weapon tests were the source of (137)Cs. Although nuclear power stations and nuclear fuel reprocessing plants are known to be pollution sources of (131)I, there was no relationship between the sites where (131)I was detected and the locations of nuclear power facilities. Most of the sites where (131)I was detected were near big cities with large populations. Iodine-131 is frequently used in diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine. On the basis of the results, we suggest that the likely pollution source of (131)I, detected in brown seaweeds, is not nuclear power facilities, but nuclear medicine procedures.

To prevent inguinal hernia after retropubic radical prostatectomy, many urologists have utilized a prevention technique of inguinal hernia at the same time as retropubic radical prostatectomy. Here, we report the clinical benefit of the prevention technique of inguinal hernia as well as risk factors for the incidence of inguinal hernia. We investigated the medical records of 223 men who underwent retropubic radical prostatectomy for clinically localized prostate cancer between January 2007 and March 2013 at our medical center. We assessed the association between the postoperative inguinal hernia and variables such as age, body mass index, and previous abdominal surgery. Inguinal hernia-free survival was analyzed to verify risk factors of postoperative inguinal hernia. Of 223 patients, 67 (30 %) received prevention of inguinal hernia and 156 (70 %) did not. The median follow-up period after retropubic radical prostatectomy was 36 months (range, 3–58 months). Thirty one (14 %) patients developed unilateral or bilateral inguinal hernia after retropubic radical prostatectomy. The rate of postoperative inguinal hernia in prevented and non-prevented group was 3 % (2 of 67) and 19 % (29 of 156), respectively (P < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U test). Moreover, postoperative inguinal hernia-free survival in the prevention group was significantly longer than that in the non-prevented group (P < 0.01, log-rank test). In the prevention group, 1-, 2-, and 3-year inguinal hernia-free survival rates were 100 %, 96 %, and 96 %, respectively. Other clinical factors including age, body mass index, previous abdominal surgery, and previous inguinal hernia were not associated with the incidence of inguinal hernia in our cohort. The prevention technique was simple and safe to perform, and it could increase inguinal hernia-free survival rates after retropubic radical prostatectomy.

To clarify the level of contamination with radioactive cesium (radiocesium) discharged from Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), three fish species caught in the main harbor of FDNPP were subjected to γ-ray analysis. The concentration of radiocesium in muscle differed among individual fish, even those of similar size of the same species, and showed little relation to the standard length of fish. The maximum concentration of radiocesium (202 kBq/kg wet) was detected from fat greenling samples. A comparison to data from outside the port indicated that the level of radiocesium contamination inside the port was higher than that outside. We found that β-rays were emitted from otoliths of fishes caught in the port of FDNPP. β-ray intensities were correlated with the concentrations of radiocesium in muscles of the three fish species. In Japanese rockfish, the β-ray count rates from otoliths were significantly correlated with the concentration of radiocesium and (90)Sr in the whole body without internal organs of Japanese rockfish. However, no β-rays were detected from brown hakeling samples collected around FDNPP, suggesting that the detection of β-rays from otoliths may indicate living in the main harbor of FDNPP.

A 57-year-old man with fever-up and multiple nodules in the peripheral area of the lungs on the chest CT was referred to the department of respiratory medicine of our hospital for further examination. The whole body CT disclosed a space-occupying lesion in the left frontal lobe of his brain, an irregular mass in the left kidney, and swelling of paraaortic lymph nodes. A pathological diagnosis could not be made from the results of the bronchoscopic examination and percutaneous needle biopsy for the renal mass. Left nephrectomy and lymph node dissection were carried out because of possible renal malignancy with distant metastases. The renal lesion was diagnosed as xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis histopathologically. After the nephrectomy, the multiple lung nodules disappeared spontaneously leaving scars in some lesions. Septic pulmonary embolism was highly suspected on the basis of the clinical course. The brain nodule also decreased in size significantly and is currently under careful surveillance.

After the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident, which occurred in March of 2011, the National Research Institute of Fisheries Science (NRIFS) undertook emergent radioactivity monitoring of 63 samples of small epipelagic fishes (such as sardine and Japanese anchovy) collected by commercial fishery boats off the Kashima-Boso area (located to the south of the Fukushima coast) from 24 March 2011 to 21 March 2013. Fluctuations in the radiocesium concentration in fish muscles synchronized with the decreasing concentration from seawater near the fishing ground; the radiocesium concentration in fish muscles reached a maximum of 31 Bq/kg-wet in July 2011, after which it declined gradually. From 2012 to 2013, the radiocesium concentrations in fish muscles were low (0.58–0.63 Bq/kg-wet). Compared to the 137Cs concentration before the FNPP accident, 137Cs concentration in fish muscles in 2013 was still about 10 times higher, whereas it was about 4.5 times higher in seawater near the fishing ground in 2012.

We measured radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) concentrations in five freshwater fish species in Lake Hayama, Fukushima Prefecture, 1 year after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident in March 2011. The five species included bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), Carassius spp. (Carassius auratus langsdorfii and Carassius cuvieri), Japanese dace (Tribolodon hakonensis), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu). We observed a “positive size effect” for radiocesium concentrations in fish muscle, but the coefficient of determination was low for bluegill, Carassius spp., and Japanese dace. In contrast, the coefficient of determination was high for the exponential relationship between body size and radiocesium concentrations in largemouth and smallmouth bass. The geometric mean radiocesium concentration in each body size class was generally higher for carnivorous fish than for omnivorous and herbivorous fish.

Levels of radioactive cesium (radiocesium, 134Cs + 137Cs) detected in fish caught at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) Port are summarized. The mean concentration of radiocesium in three fish species (fat greenling, Japanese rockfish, and spotbelly rockfish) was significantly different from that in other fish species studied (brown hakeling, black rockfish, Japanese black porgy, olive flounder, marbled flounder). The levels of radiocesium in fat greenling decreased gradually from 100 kBq/kg-wet in 2013 to several kBq/kg-wet in 2014. A migration of fat greenling into the FNPP Port was assumed to explain the fact that fish containing low radiocesium levels were caught at the port. A low but significant correlation between the total length of the fish and the radiocesium concentration in the muscles was observed in fat greenling caught at the FNPP Port.

We analyzed the contamination process by which the fat greenling, which was caught in the area off the mouth of the Ota River of Fukushima prefecture on August 1, 2012, concentrated radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) to the level of 25,800 Bq/kg-wet. The radioactivity environment of the area was insufficient to maintain or increase the radiocesium concentration in the fish at the time. Distribution of the radioactive materials in the otolith of the fat greenling estimated by beta-ray emissions suggested that the fat greenling was in a highly contaminated environment during the period immediately following the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident. We used a biokinetic simulation of the 137Cs concentration to demonstrate that the fat greenling had to have been exposed to radioactivity from the FNPP to achieve such a high radiocesium concentration. Thus, the extremely contaminated fat greenling originated in the heavily contaminated environment of the FNPP port or the adjoining area in the period just after the accident.

Levels of radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) contamination in lake water, bottom sediment, plankton, and fish were investigated in three geographically separated lakes in Fukushima Prefecture (Lake Hayama, Lake Akimoto, and Lake Tagokura) between June 2012 and November 2013. Levels of contamination differed among the three lakes, with the highest levels in each measured component found in Lake Hayama, followed by Lake Akimoto, and the least contamination in Lake Tagokura. Among the lakes, the magnitude of contamination decreased with distance from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. Mean radiocesium concentrations were higher in piscivorous fish than in other fish, possibly reflecting differences in trophic levels. Radiocesium concentrations of the lake water, bottom sediment, plankton, and fish were significantly correlated with surface soil radiocesium content near lake sites.

On 1 August 2012, a total of 25,800 Bq/kg-wet of radiocesium (134Cs = 9,800 Bq/kg-wet, 137Cs = 16,000 Bq/kg-wet) was detected in the muscle tissue of two fat greenlings (Hexagrammos otakii) caught approximately 20 km north of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP). To estimate the contamination level of this fish species off the coast of Fukushima, we measured the radiocesium concentration in the muscle tissue of individual fat greenlings in 2012 and 2013. Radiocesium concentration of fat greenlings caught in southern coastal waters from the FNPP was significantly higher than that of fat greenlings collected in other waters off the coast of Fukushima. However, fat greenlings with a radiocesium concentration greater than 10,000 Bq/kg-wet were not detected, not even from highly contaminated areas. In addition, data obtained from specimens collected off the coast of Fukushima from April to December 2012 suggested that the probability of catching fat greenlings with a concentration greater than 16,000 Bq/kg-wet of 137Cs was exceedingly low (less than 2.794 × 10−6). In contrast, highly contaminated fat greenlings were frequently caught within the FNPP port. The geometric mean of 137Cs was 55,400 Bq/kg-wet, as calculated from specimens obtained during December 2012 to May 2013. Our investigation suggests that fat greenlings with an extremely high concentration of radiocesium were contaminated within the FNPP port and then migrated offshore.

Sequential chemical extraction of radiocesium was performed on 22 surface sediment samples to assess radiocesium concentration in the organic fraction of sea sediments (Csorg). Our results showed that Csorg of sea sediments was significantly larger than that of bulk sediments (Csbulk). The concentration factor of radiocesium in organic fraction against the bulk concentration (CF) varied from 3 to 50 off the Fukushima continental margin and showed a proportional relationship with median grain size and an inversely proportional relationship with organic content (OC) of the sediment. By using these relationships, the regression equation of Csorg based on median grain size, organic content, and Csbulk was determined to construct a two-dimensional (2-D) distribution of Csorg along the continental margin off the Fukushima region. The resultant map showed that the continental margin north of Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) had moderate Csorg values despite very low Csbulk. On the other hand, sediments sampled at the mouth of Abukuma River showed extremely low CF, which might have been caused by the existence of river-derived sediment particles.

To understand the process of radiocesium uptake in salmonids after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident, a lake caging experiment and two captive-rearing experiments with controlled radiocesium concentrations of water and feed were conducted in and around Lake Chuzenji, central Honshu Island, Japan (160 km from the station). Substantial accumulations of radiocesium were confirmed in muscle of hatchery-reared kokanee (Oncorhynchus nerka) and masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) after release into the cages, indicating that radionuclide contamination of fish is an ongoing process, 1.5 years after the nuclear accident. Two captive experiments, controlling water and feed radiocesium levels, showed that direct radiocesium transfer from water (43 mBq/l) in Lake Chuzenji to muscle tissue was undetected, at least during the approximately 90-day experimental period, whereas a rapid increase in radiocesium levels was observed when fish were cultured using radiocesium-contaminated pellets. The results revealed that radiocesium contamination in salmonids is mainly via the food chain, and that direct intake from water via the skin, gut, or gills has no major direct impact on muscle tissue concentrations.

The artificial radionuclides 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs released from FNPP were detected in Japanese sardine (Sadinopes melanostictus) and Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) off the Kanto area of Japan. In the research period from 24 March 2011 to 13 July 2011, the maximum concentrations of 131I, 134Cs, and 137Cs were detected in the internal organs of Japanese anchovy collected on 24 March 2011. The concentration of 131I in the internal organs tended to be higher than that in muscle and the whole body, although no clear tendency was observed for 134Cs and 137Cs; it was thought that that was caused by 131I of the planktonic contents in the internal organs. These radionuclides detected in sardine and anchovy would be derived through the atmospheric pathway from FNPP to off the Kanto area, because these radionuclides were detected before the direct release of contaminated water into the ocean from FNPP.

Ayu, Plecoglossus altivelis, is a herbivorous fish that is an important fishery resource and a key component of the food web in many Japanese streams. After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident in March 2011, ayu were exposed to highly contaminated silt while feeding on benthic microalgae attached to riverbed stones. To understand the effects of radioactive contamination on ayu, radiocesium (134Cs + 137Cs) concentrations were analyzed in riverbed samples (microalgae and silt) and in the internal organs and muscle of ayu in five river systems in the Fukushima Prefecture between summer 2011 and autumn 2013. The concentrations of radiocesium in both the internal organs and the muscles of ayu declined over time. The radiocesium concentrations in the muscle were correlated with, but much lower than, those in the internal organs. The concentrations in the internal organs were correlated with those in the riverbed samples. The concentrations in the muscle were further correlated with ayu body size. Our results suggest that ayu ingest radiocesium while consuming silt and microalgae from the riverbed, and that a small proportion (about 15 %) is assimilated into the muscle of the fish.

This section introduces results of an investigation for radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs) in sea sediment. The three-dimensional spatial distributions of radiocesium in sea sediment to a 14-cm core depth were surveyed from off the northern part of Ibaraki Prefecture to off Fukushima Prefecture with 5-min horizontal resolution in July 2012, approximately 16 months after the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident. A high concentration band was observed along the 100-m isobaths where the concentration of the 137Cs reached 1,240 Bq/kg-dry at the maximum and where vertical profiles of the concentration generally had an exponential-type decline with depth. The concentrations were very low at the area shallower than 100 m of depth north from the FNPP, where vertical concentration peaks often occurred in deeper layers. These horizontal and vertical distribution patterns are suggested to be mainly determined by the supplied amount of radiocesium from the radiocesium-contaminated bottom seawater and the ability of radiocesium adsorption as dependent on the grain size of the sediment.

trans-Fatty acid contents of lipids extracted from several foods by pressurized fluid extraction were analyzed and compared with those extracted by the conventional methods, Folch method, acid hydr...

The algicidal effects of phlorotannins from the brown alga Ecklonia kurome on three species of red tide microalgae ( Karenia mikimotoi , Cochlodinium polykrikoides and Chattonella antiqua ) were examined. Swimming cell density of K. mikimotoi and C. polykrikoides decreased to less than 2% of the initial density within 30 min in medium containing 150 mg/l crude phlorotannins. After losing their motility, almost all of the cells became round. They then expanded and burst. Once cells had become round, none of them recovered to normal vegetative cells within 24 h even if they were transplanted to normal medium. On the other hand, no change was observed on C. antiqua in the 500 mg/l medium within 3 h after inoculation. However, by 24 h, over 99% of the cells were destroyed even in the 100 mg/l medium. Among the five phlorotannins isolated from E. kurome , phlorofucofuroeckol A, a pentamer of phloroglucinol, had the strongest algicidal activity, which was comparable to that of epigallocatechin gallate. No mortality was observed among red sea bream Pagrus major , tiger puffer Fugu rubripes rubripes (body weights ca. 13 and 102 g, respectively) or larval blue crab Portunus trituberculatus (total carapace length ca. 2 mm) which were exposed to 200 mg/l phlorotannins for 30 min.

Background : A pressure-flow study, although a slightly invasive procedure, can evaluate bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor contractility. This study was conducted in men with a non-enlarged prostate to determine the cause of urinary disturbance by less invasive examinations that might even- tually replace pressure-flow study. Methods : Thirty-six men with lower urinary tract symptoms were enrolled. Their prostate volume, estimated by transrectal ultrasonography, was less than 20 mL. All patients were examined using pressure-flow study, free-flowmetry, transrectal ultrasonography, prostate specific antigen and an interview using the International Prostate Symptom Score and Quality of Life Index. With determi- nation of the cause for urinary disturbance, parameters that correlated with outflow obstruction or impaired detrusor contractility were sought. Results : Twenty-one (60%) of the 36 men were judged as having outflow obstruction, and 16 of these 21 men had normal detrusor function. Impaired detrusor contractility was observed in 17 men. Only three of these 17 men had no outflow obstruction. Four patients had an unstable bladder. All these four had normal detrusor contractility, but had outflow obstruction. Among the parameters examined, only the maximum flow rate in a flow metrogram (Q max ) correlated significantly with the degree of outflow obstruction ( P = 0.04). The positive predictive value of Q max for outflow obstruction was 65% at a flow rate of less than 10 mL/s, and 100% at that of less than 5 mL/s. No parameter correlated with detrusor contractility. Conclusion : The only parameter that was a clear indicator of outflow obstruction was Q max . Other indicators of detrusor contractility should be sought.