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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk for type 2 diabetes (DM) in Japanese. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE data base with the key words 'alcohol intake' (or 'alcohol consumption') and 'Japanese' cross-linked with 'diabetes mellitus' (or 'impaired glucose tolerance'). The reports we sought were restricted to prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Computerized and hand searches were conducted in June 2007. RESULTS: Seven prospective cohort studies were adopted. We previously reported that in lean Japanese men (BMI < or =22.0 kg/m2), moderate to heavy alcohol intake is a risk factor for diabetes. One study found heavy alcohol intake to be associated with an increased risk in low-BMI men while moderate alcohol intake was associated with a reduced risk in higher-BMI men. Another study suggested daily alcohol consumption to be a risk factor in low-BMI participants, while being protective in middle-BMI participants. Yet another study demonstrated a U-shaped association between alcohol consumption and the risk of diabetes in men. Three other studies, which did not divide the subjects in terms of BMI values, indicated alcohol intake to be an increased risk for diabetes, two being in men and one being in women, respectively. CONCLUSION: For a large number of Japanese men who have relatively low BMI, alcohol intake is an established risk factor for diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 79-year-old woman who presented ptosis and dysphagia were admitted to our hospital. Anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies and anti-P/Q-type VGCC antibodies were both positive. Electrophysiological examination showed postsynaptic pattern which supported myasthenia gravis. She did not meet the diagnostic criteria for Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). In cases which these antibodies coexist, careful electrophysiological evaluation is required for the diagnosis. In addition, although anti-P/Q-type VGCC antibodies have been specific to LEMS, patients with these antibodies represent various symptoms other than LEMS. Low and middle titer of the antibodies may be not specific to LEMS.

We developed a simulation model for predicting pesticide concentrations in succeeding leafy vegetables (PostPLANT-Soil), which includes the process of pesticide uptake from plant roots. To validate the model, we compared pesticide concentrations simulated by the model with values measured from field experiments in an upland Andosol. The model validation showed that pesticide concentrations in the plant shoot were correlated with the concentrations in the soil solution rather than those of the water-extracted pesticides. The model successfully simulated the concentration changes in plant shoots when the simulated concentrations of the pesticides in the soil solution were fitted to the measured values by considering the key parameter - the corrective coefficient for the soil adsorption coefficient. However, the simulated shoot concentrations at the appropriate harvest period exceeded the measured values. This indicates that the leafy vegetable used in this study may have some metabolic capacity for the pesticides., (© 2023 Pesticide Science Society of Japan.)

We validated a simulation model (PostPLANT-Soil) for predicting pesticide concentrations in succeeding leafy vegetables reported in our first paper in this series, which includes the pesticide sorption process into plant roots. As a result of the model validation with the measured data from a plant uptake study in a growth chamber, the model successfully simulated the concentration changes of pesticides in a plant shoot. However, the simulated shoot concentrations for several pesticides were overestimated compared to the measured values. The leafy vegetable ( Brassica rapa ) used in this study probably has a high metabolic ability for the fungicide flutolanil from the result of the uptake study under a hydroponic condition., (© 2023 Pesticide Science Society of Japan.)

Background: Mutations in PRKN are the most common cause of autosomal recessive juvenile parkinsonism. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between genotype and pathology in patients with PRKN mutations., Methods: We performed a sequence and copy number variation analysis of PRKN, mRNA transcripts, Parkin protein expression, and neuropathology in 8 autopsied patients., Results: All the patients harbored biallelic PRKN mutations. Two patients were homozygous and heterozygous, respectively, for the missense mutation p.C431F. Seven patients had exon rearrangements, including 2 patients from a single family who harbored a homozygous deletion of exon 4, and 3 patients who carried a homozygous duplication of exons 6-7, a homozygous duplication of exons 10-11, and a heterozygous duplication of exons 2-4. In the other 2 patients, we found a compound heterozygous duplication of exon 2, deletion of exon 3, and a heterozygous duplication of exon 2. However, sequencing of cDNA prepared from mRNA revealed 2 different transcripts derived from triplication of exon 2 and deletion of exons 2-3 and from duplication of exons 2-4 and deletion of exons 3-4. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed faint or no expression of Parkin in their brains. In the substantia nigra pars compacta, a subfield-specific pattern of neuronal loss and mild gliosis were evident. Lewy bodies were found in 3 patients. Peripheral sensory neuronopathy was a feature., Conclusions: Genomic and mRNA analysis is needed to identify the PRKN mutations. Variable mutations may result in no or little production of mature Parkin and the histopathologic features may be similar. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society., (© 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) was applied to extract bioavailable neonicotinoids involved in the uptake from soil through roots to plants. To quantitatively extract bioavailable neonicotinoids with the proposed DLLME, 3.5 mL of dichloromethane (extractant)/acetonitrile (dispersive solvent) (6:1, v/v) was injected into 5 mL of aqueous soil extracts in which 1 g of sodium chloride was previously dissolved. The separated dichloromethane phase after sonication and centrifugation was evaporated, reconstituted with a mobile phase, and determined with high-performance liquid chromatography. The established method showed sufficient analytical performance to quantify the amount remaining in soil in trace amounts. In a pilot trial conducted in the field, the changes in the concentrations of bioavailable neonicotinoids were confirmed using the method. After showing rapid degradation in soil, degradation of clothianidin and imidacloprid slowed after about 100 days of treatment, but it continued to be detected at around 0.02-0.05 μg/g-dried weight until 1097 days. This result suggests that once these neonicotinoids are treated in soil, they might remain for long periods, which supports the possibilities of crop contamination and exposure to pollinators.

Composting of beef cattle manure using sawdust or recycled compost as a bulking agent was investigated for the management of clopyralid risk, such as changes in the clopyralid concentration and the mechanism of clopyralid accumulation caused by recycled compost. These raw materials were composted with laboratory equipment, which was controlled at 60℃ after the temperature peak by autothermal composting. Clopyralid concentration did not changed during composting in the thermophilic phase; on the contrary, it increased because clopyralid accumulated in compost when recycled compost was used repeatedly as a bulking agent. The clopyralid accumulation ratio (ratio of clopyralid concentration to that in the first compost) could be explained by a model using a recurrence formula, and a correlation existed between the calculated (model) accumulation ratios and measured accumulation ratios (R 2  = 0.78). Using this model, the excessive accumulation of clopyralid could be controlled when using recycled compost as a bulking agent with lower moisture content or when part of the recycled compost was replaced by another bulking agent, even if recycled compost had high moisture content. In future work, the model and its considerations should be verified in a field test., (© 2021 Japanese Society of Animal Science.)

A new sample preparation method was developed for auxin-like herbicide clopyralid residue in agricultural products. The method uses extraction with sulfuric acid - acidified acetonitrile, with cleanup of sample extracts using solid-phase extraction (diatomaceous earth) and micro liquid-liquid extraction, followed by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). This sample preparation method greatly reduces the influence on ionization during determination with UPLC-MS/MS. Quantification was achieved using external calibrators prepared in matrix-free 0.1% formic acid. The proposed analytical method supported good recovery of 73.7-91.4% with less than 8% relative standard deviation. Method quantification limits (MQL) of samples were 0.6-1.0 ng g -1 . The method was applied to determine clopyralid residue in several crop samples. The herbicide was detected as near the MQLs in all samples., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

We investigated the dissipation of 27 pesticides in five Japanese soils at three temperatures and the variability of activation energies ( E a ). The dissipation of total pesticides extracted sequentially using water and acetone was fitted to a single first-order (SFO) model. The E a values calculated from the dissipation rate constants of the SFO model showed a normal distribution with a median of 61.1 kJ mol -1 . The dissipation of water-extractable pesticides ( i.e. , phytoavailable pesticides) was fitted to a double first-order in parallel model with two dissipation rate constants: k 1 and k 2 . The E a values calculated from k 1 and k 2 showed normal or lognormal distribution, and the medians of the normal distribution calculated from k 1 and k 2 were 62.8 and 45.2 kJ mol -1 , respectively. Furthermore, the method for estimating the biphasic dissipation of phytoavailable pesticides at different temperatures by using the median E a values of the laboratory experiment was demonstrated in a field experiment., (© Pesticide Science Society of Japan 2020. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).)

A micro liquid-liquid extraction has been applied to sample preparation in the current authorized method for clopyralid in compost. The method rendered matrix effects practically negligible during determination with ultraperformance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry with an improved limit of quantification of 0.7 µg/kg dry weight. Moreover, it had good accuracy and reproducibility. Therefore, the method is proposed as a highly effective routine analytical technique for investigating the actual status of clopyralid residue in compost., (© 2019 Pesticide Science Society of Japan.)

The influence of clopyralid in soil on plant growth was investigated over time using three plants. The order of clopyralid sensitivity was as follows: Solanum lycopersicum > Solanum melongena > Momordica charantia , especially physiological disorder of S. lycopersicum were rapidly expressed as various serious symptoms with increasing concentration of clopyralid. In contrast, the clopyralid concentration of above-ground part was in the following order: M. charantia > S. lycopersicum , S. melongena , which differed from the order of sensitivity to clopyralid.

The relationships between plant growth stage and pesticide-uptake ability were investigated via cultivation of Brassica rapa L. var. perviridis in soil to which was added four pesticides of relatively high log K OW : fenobucarb, procymidone, flutolanil, and tolclofos-methyl. The root concentrations of pesticides were low in very young seedlings with undeveloped root systems, highest in seedlings with developed root systems, and tended to decrease until the usual harvesting stage. Additionally, the shoot concentrations of tested pesticides showed the same trends as the roots. The pesticide-uptake abilities of roots were lowest in very young seedlings and then constant for seedlings until the harvesting stage. In contrast, the pesticide-translocation abilities from root to shoot were constant regardless of growth stage. The results indicated that changes in shoot concentrations with growth stage were affected by the development of the root system and pesticide-uptake ability of roots.

We compared the soil sorption coefficient ( K d ) measured by batch and centrifugation methods using a Japanese andosol and ten pesticides. Although the K d values measured by both methods increased with time, those obtained via the batch method tended to be higher during the test period. The difference in K d values between the two methods affected pesticide concentrations estimated in the soil solution, and the results estimated using K d values obtained via the batch method underestimated the observed trends.

We cultivated Brassica rapa var. perviridis in soil mixed with four pesticides (fenobucarb, procymidone, flutolanil, and tolclofos-methyl) at different temperatures, day lengths, and soil water contents. We compared plants' uptake and translocation abilities of the pesticides as affected by growth conditions. The root concentration factor (RCF) of pesticides tended to increase with rising temperature; however, but the influence of temperature on the transpiration stream concentration factor (TSCF) differed for each pesticide. The RCFs and TSCFs of pesticides were high for short days. The soil water content had little or no effect on the uptake and translocation of pesticides. These results showed that it is necessary to consider growth conditions, especially the temperature and day length in plant uptake models for these pesticides.

Most African countries have ratified the Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and are expected to reduce emissions of POPs such as organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) to the atmosphere. Emerging evidence, however, suggests that there are contemporary sources of OCPs in African countries despite the global ban on these products. This study investigated the atmospheric contamination from OCPs in four West African countries-Togo, Benin, Nigeria, and Cameroon-to ascertain the emission levels of OCPs and the characteristic signatures of contamination. Polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS) were deployed in each country for ca. 55 days in 2012 and analyzed for 25 OCPs. Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) and DDTs constituted the highest burden of atmospheric OCPs in the target countries, at average concentrations of 441 pg m -3 (range 23-2718) and 403 pg m -3 (range 91-1880), respectively. Mirex had the lowest concentration, ranged between 0.1 and 3.3 pg m -3 . The concentration of OCPs in rainy season was higher than in dry season in Cameroon, and presupposed inputs from agriculture during the rainy season. The concentrations of ∑25 OCPs in each country were in the following order: Cameroon > Nigeria > Benin > Togo. There was significant evidence, based on chemical signatures of the contamination that DDT, aldrin, chlordane, and endosulfan were recently applied at certain sites in the respective countries.

With recent evidence that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are emerging in environmental media in some developing countries that otherwise have sparing production and usage history, it has become important to identify such contemporary source factors of PCBs and the risks this may pose, in line with the global consensus on POP management and elimination. The present study investigated contaminations from atmospheric PCBs in Ghana, deciphered source factors, and accessed risk of exposure to dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs). Atmospheric PCBs were monitored by deployment of PUF-disk passive air samplers (PAS) at several sites across Ghana for 56 days. Atmospheric ∑ 190 PCB concentration in Ghana ranged from 0.28 ng/m 3 in Kumasi to 4.64 ng/m 3 at Agbogbloshie, a suburb in Accra noted for informal electronic waste (e-waste) recycling activities. As high as 11.10 ng/m 3 of PCB concentration was measured in plumes from uncontrolled open burning of e-wastes at Agbogbloshie. Applying statistical source characterization tools, it emerged that e-wastes were a major contributor to the environmental burden of atmospheric PCBs in Ghana. The risk of DL-PCB toxicity via inhalation in the Agbogbloshie area was 4.2 pg TEQ/day, within similar order of magnitude of an estimated risk of 3.85 pg TEQ/day faced by e-waste workers working averagely for 8 h per day. It is suggested that elimination of e-waste sites would help to significantly reduce PCB-related toxicity issues in Ghana. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

We performed uptake experiments with 12 different organic chemicals using 16 plant species and determined differences in the ability of plant species to take up and translocate these chemicals. There were differences among the plant species in the shoot and root concentrations of each organic chemical. The root concentration factor values increased with an increasing log of the n -octanol-water partition coefficient (log K OW ) of organic chemicals. Thus, the concentrations in roots may be predicted to a certain extent because the root concentration factor values were related to the log K OW . The root-to-shoot translocation was related to the log K OW because the shoot-to-root concentration ratio decreased with an increasing log K OW ; however, there was no clear relationship between the shoot concentration factor value and the log K OW , and this differed among plant species.

This study evaluated the applicability of commercially available kit-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to simple, quick, and quantitative detection for three water-extractable (phytoavailable) neonicotinoid insecticides: dinotefuran, clothianidin, and imidacloprid in soils. ELISA showed excellent analytical sensitivity for determination, but with cross-reaction to structurally related neonicotinoid analogues, which might produce false positives. To analyze insecticides in soil samples of diverse physicochemical properties, they were extracted with water. The aqueous soil extracts were assayed directly with ELISA. No matrix interference was observed without additional dilution with water. Recovery experiments for the insecticides from aqueous soil extracts spiked at 2-10 ng/mL showed good accuracy (72-126%) and precision (<16%). Kit-based ELISAs were used to estimate soil-water distribution coefficients (Kd). Values estimated using this method showed positive correlation between organic carbon contents in soil and those for evaluated insecticides. Results indicate that the evaluated kit-based ELISA has applicability for simple, quick, and reliable detection of phytoavailable insecticides in soils and for estimating Kd values in soil., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Key Message: γ-HCH was successfully degraded using LinA-expressed transgenic hairy root cultures of Cucurbita moschata . Fusing an endoplasmic reticulum-targeting signal peptide to LinA was essential for stable accumulation in the hairy roots. The pesticide γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH) is a persistent organic pollutant (POP) that raises public health and environmental pollution concerns worldwide. Although several isolates of γ-HCH-degrading bacteria are available, inoculating them directly into γ-HCH-contaminated soil is ineffective because of the bacterial survival rate. Cucurbita species incorporate significant amounts of POPs from soils compared with other plant species. Here, we describe a novel bioremediation strategy that combines the bacterial degradation of γ-HCH and the efficient uptake of γ-HCH by Cucurbita species. We produced transgenic hairy root cultures of Cucurbita moschata that expressed recombinant bacterial linA, isolated from the bacterium Sphingobium japonicum UT26. The LinA protein was accumulated stably in the hairy root cultures by fusing an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-targeting signal peptide to LinA. Then, we demonstrated that the cultures degraded more than 90 % of γ-HCH (1 ppm) overnight and produced the γ-HCH metabolite 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, indicating that LinA degraded γ-HCH. These results indicate that the gene linA has high potential for phytoremediation of environmental γ-HCH.

The dissipation behavior of water-extractable pesticides in soils is important when assessing the phytoavailability of pesticides in soils. This process is less understood than pesticide extraction with organic solvents. To elucidate the dissipation behavior of water-extractable pesticides in soils, we conducted an incubation study using 27 pesticides and five Japanese soils. The rate of decrease of the level of pesticides in water extracts was faster in soils than that of total extracts (water extracts and acetone extracts). This suggests that time-dependent sorption contributed to the difference in the dissipation between the pesticides in water and total extracts from soils. Increased apparent sorption coefficients (Kd,app) with time were positively and significantly correlated with Kd,app values of a 0 day incubation [Kd,app(t0)]. This empirical relationship suggests that Kd,app(t0) values can predict the time-dependent increase in Kd,app and the dissipation of water-extractable pesticides in soils.

Neurosurgical patties are the most frequently used instruments during neurosurgical procedures, and their high performance is required to ensure safe operations. They must offer cushioning, water-absorbing, water-retaining, and non-tissue adherent characteristics. Here, the authors describe a revised neurosurgical patty that is superior in all respects to the conventional patty available in Japan. Patty characteristics were critically and scientifically evaluated using various in vitro assays. Moreover, a novel ex vivo evaluation system focusing on the adherent characteristics of the neurosurgical patty was developed. The proposed assay could provide benchmark data for comparing different neurosurgical patties, offering neurosurgeons objective data on the performance of patties. The newly developed patty was also evaluated in real neurosurgical settings and showed superb performance during various neurosurgical procedures.

To compare the uptake and translocation of hydrophobic organic chemicals by plant species, the authors performed uptake experiments with β-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH) and 1,2,3,4,10,10-Hexachloro-6,7-epoxy-1,4,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-endo-1,4-exo-5,8-dimethanonaphthalene (dieldrin) using 5 species: Hordeum vulgare, Glycine max, Solanum lycopersicum, Brassica oleracea, and Cucurbita pepo. The present study evaluated uptake ability using root concentration factor (RCF) and translocation ability by transpiration stream concentration factor (TSCF). The RCFs of β-HCH and dieldrin did not differ remarkably among species, except that the RCF of β-HCH in B. oleracea was high. The TSCFs of β-HCH and dieldrin were high in C. pepo, which was not superior in uptake as estimated by RCF. The TSCF of dieldrin in C. pepo was decreased in darkness and was markedly decreased by heating of roots. These results support the hypothesis that transport proteins produced in the root contribute to dieldrin translocation. In contrast, TSCF of β-HCH was not decreased by these treatments. Therefore, translocation of β-HCH might not need the contribution of transport proteins. It is possible that C. pepo has a certain function to transport hydrophobic organic chemicals smoothly in root tissues., (© 2014 SETAC.)

A 72-year-old man was transported to our emergency department after rear-ending another vehicle. He presented with acute left hemispatial neglect, left hemianopsia, and mild left hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) on admission showed a calcified embolus in the right middle cerebral artery. After intravenous thrombolytic therapy, the patient showed drastic improvement of neurological deficits. Follow-up CT showed disappearance of embolus, but distal migration of emboli to the downstream of the right middle cerebral artery was seen, sparing the massive territory of the right middle cerebral artery. Carotid duplex sonography and 3-dimensional CT angiography showed a calcified plaque with ulceration at the origin of the right internal carotid artery, representing the presumptive origin of the emboli. We report a rare case of effective intravenous thrombolysis for calcified cerebral embolism from the carotid artery. Further consideration of the mechanism, efficacy, and indication of intravenous thrombolysis for calcified cerebral emboli is needed.

This study investigated the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and several additive brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in indoor dust and air from two Vietnamese informal e-waste recycling sites (EWRSs) and an urban site in order to assess the relevance of these media for human exposure. The levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), 1,2-bis-(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane (BTBPE) and decabromodiphenyl ethane (DBDPE) in settled house dust from the EWRSs (130-12,000, 5.4-400, 5.2-620 and 31-1400 ng g(-1), respectively) were significantly higher than in urban house dust but the levels of PCBs (4.8-320 ng g(-1)) were not higher. The levels of PCBs and PBDEs in air at e-waste recycling houses (1000-1800 and 620-720 pg m(-3), respectively), determined using passive sampling, were also higher compared with non-e-waste houses. The composition of BFRs in EWRS samples suggests the influence from high-temperature processes and occurrence of waste materials containing older BFR formulations. Results of daily intake estimation for e-waste recycling workers are in good agreement with the accumulation patterns previously observed in human milk and indicate that dust ingestion contributes a large portion of the PBDE intake (60%-88%), and air inhalation to the low-chlorinated PCB intake (>80% for triCBs) due to their high levels in dust and air, respectively. Further investigation of both indoor dust and air as the exposure media for other e-waste recycling-related contaminants and assessment of health risk associated with exposure to these contaminant mixtures is necessary., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A nationwide monitoring of atmospheric POPs (persistent organic pollutants) was conducted in Ghana between May and July 2010, applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS). Reported here are preliminary findings on PCNs, an industrial organic contaminant currently under review for possible listing under the global chemical treaty. The present results constitute the first set of nationwide data on air PCNs from a West African country. Contrary to expectation, air PCNs levels were quite high in Ghana, at an average of 49 ± 5.4 pg/m(3). The coastal (southern) zone of Ghana appeared the most impacted, with crude open burning of waste, industrial emissions, and the harbor environment identified among possible emission factors. Tri- and tetra-CNs (the lowly chlorinated homologues) predominated in the atmosphere, altogether constituting approximately 90% of total PCN homologues composition. Increased volatilization under tropical conditions was presumed a key factor that contributed to this high atmospheric input of lowly chlorinated homologues. We further observed a significant level of fractionation of PCN homologues across the breadth of the country. The percentage composition of the lowly chlorinated homologues increased northwards, probably because of their transportation in the direction of prevailing winds. From congener profile analysis, PCN-45/36 is proposed as a possible source marker for emissions preempted by uncontrolled waste burning activities. Dioxin-like toxicity of air PCNs in Ghana was estimated to range 0.49-5.6 fg TEQ/m(3). This study brought to the fore the emerging problems of nonagricultural organohalogens that covertly might be confronting the environment in African nations like Ghana.

A comprehensive congener specific evaluation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in the atmosphere was conducted across East Asia in spring 2008, applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air sampler (PAS) as monitoring device. Mean concentrations derived for Japan, China and Korea were 184 ± 24, 1100 ± 118, and 156 ± 20 pg m(-3) for ∑(202) PCBs, and 9.5 ± 1.5, 61 ± 6, and 16 ± 2.4 pg m(-3) for ∑(63) PCNs, respectively. Relative to reported data from 2004, the present results suggest that air PCBs concentrations have not changed much in Japan and Korea, while it has increased by one order of magnitude in China. From principal component analysis, combustion emerged highly culpable in contemporary emissions of both PCBs and PCNs across the East Asian sub-region. Another factor derived as important to air PCBs was re-emissions/volatilization. Signals from PCBs formulations were also picked, but their general importance was virtually consigned to the re-emissions/volatilization tendencies. On the contrary, counterpart PCNs formulations did not appear to contribute much to air PCNs., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Carotid stenosis is observed in several diseases such as atherosclerosis, moyamoya disease, and aortitis. Carotid stenosis can be assessed using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), ultrasonography, or cerebral angiography. Carotid ultrasonography is superior to other modalities because it is a noninvasive, repeatable, and easy method that does not involve much cost. The intima-media complex thickness (IMT) can be easily measured using carotid ultrasonography. The incidence of cerebral and cardiovascular events increases with increase in the thickness of the IMT. The percentage of stenosis was expressed using the NASCET, ECST, or area methods. The NASCET criterion of 70% stenosis for performing carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis corresponded to 85% ECST stenosis, 90% area stenosis, and 200 cm/sec of peak systolic velocity. Carotid ultrasonography provides information on not only carotid stenosis but also unstable plaques such as ulcer, hypoechoic plaque, thin fibrous cap, and mobile plaque. In patients with moyamoya disease, carotid ultrasonography often reveals that the diameter of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is greatly reduced at the proximal portion above the bulbus (resembling a champagne bottle neck) and is less than 50% that of the common carotid artery (champagne bottle neck sign); the diameter of the ICA is smaller than that of the external carotid artery (diameter reversal sign). In patients with aortitis, IMT thickness is frequently observed at the common carotid artery (Macaroni sign) but not at the ICA.

The uptake ability of hydrophobic organic chemicals by plants and the nature of xylem sap of the plants were studied. The plants were grown in soil contaminated with dieldrin. High amounts of dieldrin were detected in the shoots of Cucurbita pepo and Cucumis sativus, but little was seen in the shoots of Brassica oleracea var. italica, Solanum lycopersicum, Glycine max, Zea mays, and Helianthus annuus. The xylem saps of C. pepo and C. sativus leached dieldrin adsorbed on C8 granules, but those of the other plants did not. The xylem saps of C. pepo and C. sativus eluted high amounts of dieldrin from the size-exclusion chromatography column near the fractions of RNase A (13.7 kDa) after Aprotinin (6.5 kDa), which has a larger molecular weight than dieldrin (381). The enhancement of dieldrin solubility by xylem sap was reduced by proteinase and heating. It was suspected that the protein-like materials in the xylem sap delivered dieldrin from the roots to the shoots., (Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2010;29:2269-2277. © 2010 SETAC.)

It has been known that the Cucurbitaceae family takes up a large amount of persistent organic pollutants from soils and that the translocation of those compounds in cucurbits is higher than those in non-cucurbits. To understand the persistent organic pollutant uptake mechanisms of plant species, we compared the dieldrin absorption and transportation potentials of several plants in hydroponic medium. Sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Moench), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), soybean (Glycine max), komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. peruviridis), white-flowered gourd (Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), and zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) were grown in a dieldrin-added hydroponic medium for 10 d, and then the amount of dieldrin in their shoots and roots was measured. All of the roots contained dieldrin, whereas only the cucurbits (white-flowered gourd, cucumber, and zucchini) contained considerable amounts of dieldrin in their shoots. The dieldrin uptake to the roots depended on the concentration of the n-hexane soluble components in the roots, regardless of whether the dieldrin in the roots was translocated to shoots or not. The dieldrin uptake from the solution to the roots was thought to be due to a passive response, such as adsorption on the roots. The translocation of dieldrin from the roots to the shoots was probably through the xylems. The amounts of dieldrin in the shoots per transpiration rates were higher for cucurbits than for non-cucurbits. It seems likely that cucurbits have uptake mechanisms for hydrophobic organic chemicals.

To prevent the distribution of cucumbers with dieldrin contamination exceeding the limit set by the Japanese Food Sanitation Law, the extraction solvent for dieldrin-contaminated soil was selected prior to cultivation so that the dieldrin residue level in cucumber could be predicted. The exhaustive extraction from soil could not explain the dieldrin uptake by cucumber plants. However, significant correlation (R(2) = 0.966, P < 0.001) was observed between dieldrin concentrations in cucumber and dieldrin concentrations extracted with 50% (v/v) methanol-water solution from soils. This was a result of the phytoavailability of dieldrin to the cucumber plants. The extractability of soil dieldrin with the methanol-water solution decreased as the organic carbon content in the soils increased. This suggested that a 50% (v/v) methanol-water solution is the optimal solution for predicting dieldrin concentrations in cucumbers by soil analysis.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in a sediment core and in samples of surface sediment and paddy soil collected from the Toyano lagoon and Kameda basin in Niigata, Japan, were analyzed to elucidate the temporal trends of their concentrations in the lagoon sediment and the relationship between the sediment and the paddy soil. The mass balance of these pollutants was also estimated to determine their long-term fate in surface waters. An analysis by chemical mass balance identified the agrochemicals pentachlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl 4-nitrophenyl ether as the major sources of PCDD/Fs. On the basis of the findings regarding the mass balance in the Kameda basin over the last 40 years, we estimate that more than half the input of PCDD/Fs to the Kameda basin has disappeared. We suggest that the PCDD/Fs that flowed out from the paddy fields have been transferred to the lower basin.

Background, Aim and Scope: Once they have been generated, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and other persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can persist in soils and sediments and in waste repositories for periods extending from decades to centuries. In 1994, the US EPA concluded that contaminated sites and other reservoirs are likely to become the major source of contemporary pollution problems with these substances. With this in mind, this article is the first in a new series in ESPR under the title 'Case Studies on Dioxin and POP Contaminated Sites--Contemporary and Future Relevance and Challenges', which will address this important issue. The series will document various experiences from sites contaminated with PCDD/F and other POPs. This article provides an overview of the content of the articles comprising the series. In addition, it provides a review of the subject in its own right and identifies the key issues arising from dioxin/POP-contaminated sites. Additionally, it highlights the important conclusions that can be drawn from these examples. The key aim of this article and of the series as a whole is to provide a comprehensive overview of the types of PCDD/F contaminated sites that exist as a result of historical activities. It details the various processes whereby these sites became contaminated and attempts to evaluate their contemporary relevance as sources of PCDD/Fs and other POPs. It also details the various strategies used to assess these historical legacies of contamination and the concepts developed, or which are under development, to effect their remediation., Main Features: Special sessions on 'Contaminated sites--Cases, remediation, risk and policy' were held at the DIOXIN conferences in 2006 and 2007, and this theme will be continued at DIOXIN 2008 to be held in Birmingham. Selected cases from the approximately 70 contributions made to these sessions, together with some additional invited case studies are outlined together with the key issues they raise. By evaluating these cases and adding details of experiences published in the current literature, an overview will be given of the different features and challenges of dioxin and POP-contaminated sites., Results: This article provides a systematic categorisation of types of PCDD/F and POP-contaminated sites. These are categorised according to the chemical or manufacturing process, which generated the PCDD/Fs or POPs and also includes the use and disposal aspects of the product life cycle in question. The highest historical PCDD/F and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination burdens have arisen as a result of the production of chlorine and of chlorinated organic chemicals. In particular, the production of chlorinated pesticides, PCBs and the related contaminated waste streams are identified being responsible for historical releases of toxic equivalents (TEQs) at a scale of many tonnes. Along with such releases, major PCDD/F contaminated sites have been created through the application or improper disposal of contaminated pesticides, PCBs and other organochlorine chemicals, as well through the recycling of wastes and their attempted destruction. In some extreme examples, PCDD/F contaminated sites have also resulted from thermal processes such as waste incinerators, secondary metal industries or from the recycling or deposition of specific waste (e.g. electronic waste or car shredder wastes), which often contain chlorinated or brominated organic chemicals. The examples of PCDD/F and dioxin-like PCB contamination of fish in European rivers or the impact of contaminated sites upon fishing grounds and upon other food resources demonstrate the relevance of these historical problems to current and future human generations. Many of the recent food contamination problems that have emerged in Europe and elsewhere demonstrate how PCDD/F and dioxin like PCBs from historical sources can directly contaminate human and animal feedstuffs and indeed highlight their considerable contemporary relevance in this respect. Accordingly, some key experiences and lessons learnt regarding the production, use, disposal and remediation of POPs from the contaminated sites are summarised., Discussion: An important criterion for evaluating the significance and risks of PCDD/Fs and other POPs at contaminated sites is their present or future potential for mobility. This, in turn, determines to a large degree their propensity for off-site transport and environmental accessibility. The detailed evaluation of contaminated site cases reveals different site-specific factors, which influence the varied pathways through which poor water-soluble POPs can be mobilised. Co-contaminants with greater water solubility are also typically present at such sites. Hence, pumping of groundwater (pump and treat) is often required in addition to attempting to physically secure a site. At an increasing number of contaminated sites, securing measures are failing after relatively short time spans compared to the time horizon, which applies to persistent organic pollutant contamination. Due to the immense costs and challenges associated with remediation of contaminated sites 'monitored natural attenuation' is increasingly gaining purchase as a conceptual remediation approach. However, these concepts may well prove limited in their practical application to contaminated sites containing persistent organic pollutants and other key pollutants like heavy metals., Conclusions: It is inevitable, therefore, that dioxin/POP-contaminated sites will remain of contemporary and future relevance. They will continue to represent an environmental issue for future generations to address. The securing and/or remediation of dioxin/POP-contaminated sites is very costly, generally in the order of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Secured landfills and secured production sites need to be considered as constructions not made for 'eternity' but built for a finite time scale. Accordingly, they will need to be controlled, supervised and potentially repaired/renewed. Furthermore, the leachates and groundwater impacted by these sites will require ongoing monitoring and potential further remediation. These activities result in high maintenance costs, which are accrued for decades or centuries and should, therefore, be compared to the fully sustainable option of complete remediation. The contaminated site case studies highlight that, while extensive policies and established funds for remediation exist in most of the industrialised western countries, even these relatively well-regulated and wealthy countries face significant challenges in the implementation of a remediation strategy. This highlights the fact that ultimately only the prevention of contaminated sites represents a sustainable solution for the future and that the Polluter Pays Principle needs to be applied in a comprehensive way to current problems and those which may emerge in the future., Recommendations and Perspectives: With the continuing shift of industrial activities in developing and transition economies, which often have poor regulation (and weak self-regulation of industries), additional global challenges regarding POPs and other contaminated sites may be expected. In this respect, a comprehensive application of the "polluter pays principle" in these countries will also be a key to facilitate the clean-up of contaminated areas and the prevention of future contaminated sites. The threats and challenges of contaminated sites and the high costs of securing/remediating the problems highlight the need for a comprehensive approach based upon integrated pollution prevention and control. If applied to all polluting (and potentially polluting) industrial sectors around the globe, such an approach will prove to be both the cheapest and most sustainable way to underpin the development of industries in developing and transition economies.

Objective: To evaluate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk for type 2 diabetes (DM) in Japanese., Methods: We searched the MEDLINE data base with the key words 'alcohol intake' (or 'alcohol consumption') and 'Japanese' cross-linked with 'diabetes mellitus' (or 'impaired glucose tolerance'). The reports we sought were restricted to prospective cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses and systematic reviews. Computerized and hand searches were conducted in June 2007., Results: Seven prospective cohort studies were adopted. We previously reported that in lean Japanese men (BMI < or =22.0 kg/m2), moderate to heavy alcohol intake is a risk factor for diabetes. One study found heavy alcohol intake to be associated with an increased risk in low-BMI men while moderate alcohol intake was associated with a reduced risk in higher-BMI men. Another study suggested daily alcohol consumption to be a risk factor in low-BMI participants, while being protective in middle-BMI participants. Yet another study demonstrated a U-shaped association between alcohol consumption and the risk of diabetes in men. Three other studies, which did not divide the subjects in terms of BMI values, indicated alcohol intake to be an increased risk for diabetes, two being in men and one being in women, respectively., Conclusion: For a large number of Japanese men who have relatively low BMI, alcohol intake is an established risk factor for diabetes.

The present research was intended to determine the suitability of the CALUX assay as a screening method for dioxins in fish oil used as a feed ingredient in Japan. Alteration of TEQ in fish oil according to newly proposed toxic equivalency factors (TEF) is also discussed. In the analysis, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) in 41 fish oil samples were determined by using high-resolution gas chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) and CALUX bioassay. The mean TEQ values derived from 1998 WHO-TEF of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs were 2.6 and 9.9 pg g(-1) (ww), respectively. The levels of TEQ derived from the recently re-evaluated 2005 WHO-TEF were slightly lower than those of the former in both groups. Notably, the contribution of mono-ortho DL-PCBs to total 2005 WHO-TEQ was considerably decreased compared to the case of 1998 WHO-TEQ, resulting from the reduction in its TEF values, while the non-ortho DL-PCBs contribution was increased. The mean TEQ determined by CALUX assay for PCDD/Fs was approximately three times higher, whereas DL-PCBs was approximately two times lower than WHO-TEQ determined by HRGC/HRMS; the sum of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs was very similar by both methods. The correlation coefficients of TEQ between the CALUX assay and HRGC/HRMS analysis were 0.84, 0.89, and 0.90 for PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs, and the sum, respectively. These results suggest that the CALUX assay is a very useful method for the screening of dioxin-related compounds in fish oils.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs)were analyzed in preserved paddy soils periodically collected from 7 sites around Japan since 1960 to trace the changes in concentrations, to elucidate their sources, and to estimate their mass balance in Japanese paddy fields. Concentrations of sigma PCDD/Fs in paddy soils from all sites increased during the 1960s and the 1970s, then decreased. The results of principal component analysis and chemical mass balance based on functional relationship analysis indicate that the increase in sigma PCDD/F concentrations in paddy soils was due to the increased use of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and chlornitrofen (CNP); more than 95% of PCDD/Fs in all paddy soils were derived from impurities in these herbicides. The half-lives of PCDD/F for disappearance from the paddy soils were estimated to be 10 to 20 years (mean: 17.3 years). The estimated PCDD/F mass balance using the above half-life during the past 40 years in paddy fields indicates that about 80% of PCDD/Fs have disappeared. The soil puddling (mechanically mixing of paddy soil with pooled irrigation water) is implied as one reason for the PCDD/F disappearance from paddy fields. However, as the amounts of PCDD/Fs added through the use of PCP and CNP were extremely large, PCDD/F concentrations in Japanese paddy soils will decrease gradually, and PCDD/F runoff from paddy fields to surrounding catchments will continue.

Uptake of dioxins was confirmed in rice plants. We determined (i) dioxin concentrations and isomer profiles in leaf+stem samples of rice plants grown in three soils with different dioxin concentrations and isomer profiles and (ii) temporal changes in dioxin concentrations and isomer profiles in rice grown in a paddy field on which agricultural chemicals containing dioxin impurities had been used in previous years. Principal-component and chemical mass-balance analyses of the data showed that dioxin concentrations and isomer profiles in the rice grown in the different soils were similar, even though the dioxin concentrations and isomer profiles of the soils were different. However, the dioxin concentrations in the rice were influenced by dioxin levels in the atmospheric gas phase. Changes in dioxin levels during the growing period of the rice were also strongly influenced by adhesion of the soil to plant components during the early stage of growth, but gradually the influence of the atmospheric gas phase became predominant. Calculated dietary uptake estimates indicated that, even in rice grown in Japan on soil contaminated with high concentrations of dioxins, the amount of dioxins ingested by humans from rice is extremely small, and the amount of dioxins ingested by livestock from forage rice is similar to that for other forage crops.

A total of 369 samples of rice (n = 311), wheat (n = 10), soybean (n = 44), and adzuki bean (n = 4) collected from various locations in Japan between 1999 and 2002 were analyzed for PCDDs, PCDFs (PCDD/Fs) and coplanar PCBs. Sampling points within about 1 km of operational municipal waste incinerators that were considered sources of dioxins were defined as "near-source" areas, and all other sampling points were defined as "general" areas. The toxic equivalent quantity (TEQ) values of soybean samples collected from near-source areas were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those from general areas. A significant difference of TEQs among sampling years in rice in general areas was also found. However, the differences could not be explained by the presence or absence of incineration plants in the area surrounding the sampling point or by a temporal decrease of air pollution. The TEQs of the crops varied widely, but the median value of each crop was quite low, at 0.000021, 0.00013, 0.0000095, and 0.00016 pg-TEQ/g wet wt. in rice, wheat, soybean and adzuki bean, respectively. On the basis of these survey results, the daily intake of PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs from rice, wheat, soybean, and adzuki bean was calculated. The daily intakes from these crops were estimated to be 0.0056 pg-TEQ/kg B.W./day on the assumption that "not detected" (ND) could be taken as zero, ND = 0, and 0.18 pg-TEQ/kg B.W./day if ND is put equal to 1/2 LOD (half the limit of detection). In comparison with the tolerable daily intake set in Japan for PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs (4 pg-TEQ/kg B.W./day), it was considered that the levels of contamination by PCDD/Fs and coplanar PCBs in these crops cultivated in the environment of Japan do not present a problem.

Kinetics of 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a series of meta- and para-substituted diphenyldiazomethanes (DDMs) with fullerenes C60 and C70 as dipolarophiles have been investigated in toluene at 30 degrees C. Fullerene C60 was ca. 1.5 times more reactive than C70. The rate constants (k) for the primary [3 + 2] additions increased with the increase of the electron-releasing ability of the meta and para substituent. The log k/k0 values were well correlated by the Yukawa-Tsuno (Y-T) equations with the smaller negative rho values (-1.6 and -1.7 for C60 and C70) and the reduced resonance reaction constants r (0.22 and 0.17) compared to similar reactions of common acceptors, TCNE, DDQ, and chloranil (CA). The plots of log k (acceptor) versus log k (C60) as reference gave good regression equations and the slopes became larger in the order of TCNE > DDQ > CA > C70 > or = C60. The rates were also found to decrease with the increase of solvent polarity due to the ground-state solvation of fullerenes. However, the relative reactivity of these acceptors toward the unsubstituted DDM increased in the order of DDQ > C60 > or = C70 > TCNE > CA. The unexpected higher reactivity of fullerenes was interpreted in terms of the inherent steric strain by the pyramidalization of the sp2 C-atoms as well as the shorter [6,6] bonds with larger pi-electron densities.

A total of 148 samples of nine species of fruit were collected between 1999 and 2002 and analyzed for PCDDs, PCDFs (PCDD/Fs) and Coplanar PCBs. Sampling points within about 1 km of operational municipal waste incinerators that were considered sources of dioxins were defined as "near-source" areas, and all other sampling points were defined as "general" areas. The TEQ of apples collected from near-source areas was significantly higher than that from general areas (p < 0.05). 3,3',4,4',5-PeCB (#126) was the main contributor to this difference in TEQs between apples collected from near-source areas and from general area. A principal component analysis performed to estimate the source of this congener revealed that not only the municipal waste incinerators, but also PCBs in the environment were associated with the high TEQ in apples collected from near-source areas. The daily intakes of PCDD/Fs and Coplanar PCBs from the fruits including skin were estimated to be 0.0082 pg-TEQ/kg b.w./day (ND = 0) and 0.072 pg-TEQ/ kg b.w./day (ND = 1/2 LOQ). Though these values are likely to be overestimates, they are far lower than the tolerable daily intake set in Japan for PCDD/Fs and Coplanar PCBs (4 pg-TEQ/kg b.w./day). It is thought that fruit intake is not an important pathway of human exposure to PCDD/Fs and Coplanar PCBs.