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In order to estimate flowering dates of fruit trees by the developmental rate (DVR) and the developmental index (DVI), the relations between the DVR and temperature were experimentally examined, and the DVR from rest break to flowering was modeled.Cultivars of Japanese pear (Pyrus serotina Rehd.), ‘Housui’ and ‘Kousui’ planted on pots were exposed to eight constant temperatures (31°C, 26°C, 22°C, 18°C, 16°C, 13°C, 10°C and 6.8°C) from January 24, 1989. We assumed that DVI of the initiation of temperature treatment was 0 and of flowering 1.0. The measured DVR at each temperature can be calculated in the form of reciprocals of the number of days from the initiation of temperature treatment to the flowering. The relations between natural logarithms of the measured DVR and reciprocals of the absolute temperatures became linear, but the parameters in the model changed around 20°C (Fig. 1).The models and their parameters obtained from the experiment was validated to the data observed in the open field. The difference between the observed and the estimated days to flowering was less than 3 days. The estimated time course of DVI was shown in Fig. 2.To study the locational difference in the model parameters, the twigs of Japanese pear (‘Housui’ and ‘Kousui’) collected from 13 prefectures were exposed to several different constant temperatures. The DVR in this experiment was determined from the date of germination to the flowering date. The result did not show a clear difference of the model parameters (Fig. 4, Table 3).In order to compare our model with the model of effective accumulated temperature, the latter was applied to measured DVR. MSR (mean square residual) of the former was less than of the latter.

Background Annual urinary screening is conducted at municipal kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools in Ikeda City, Osaka, Japan (Ikeda City School System), and the results are reviewed by a general physician, but standards for when to recommend specialist referral have not been clear. Methods In all children attending the Ikeda City School System in 2012, dipstick urinalysis of a first-morning urine specimen was recommended once or twice, and if a second urinalysis showed proteinuria (≥1+), the urinary protein/creatinine ratio was measured. If this showed ≥0.2 g/g of creatinine (g/gCr), it was recommended that the child be evaluated by a specialist at Ikeda City Hospital. Results Urinary screening was performed in about 20% (388) of kindergarten, about 90% (5363) of elementary school, and about 86% (2523) of junior high school children living in Ikeda City. Urine samples were obtained from 387, 5349, and 2476 children, respectively. The urinary protein/creatinine ratio was ≥0.2 g/gCr in 13 children, including 1 elementary and 12 junior high children. In these 13 children, chronic nephritic syndrome (CNS) was suspected in 6 junior high school children, and of these, this was a new finding in 5, and renal biopsy was indicated in 3. In Ikeda City, the prevalence of CNS in elementary school children was