A novel scaffold for biofilm formation by soil microbes using iron-cross-linked alginate gels.

This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of alginate gels, specifically ferric-ion-cross-linked alginate (Fe-alginate) and calcium-ion-cross-linked alginate (Ca-alginate), as scaffolds for soil microbial attachment and biofilm formation in soil. Staining with crystal violet and observations with scanning electron microscopy showed that microorganisms formed biofilms on Fe-alginate surfaces in the soil. When the soil was incubated with Fe-alginate, microbial biomass, estimated by adenosine triphosphate content, increased not only in the Fe-alginate but also in the surrounding soil.

Direct Measurement of Near-Wall Molecular Transport Rate in a Microchannel and Its Dependence on Diffusivity.

Solute transport in a narrow space is the most elemental process in chromatography and biological pattern formation. However, the observation of such transport has been quite difficult, and theoretical investigations have therefore preponderated. Here, using a space- and time-resolved surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method, we measured the nanoscale near-wall (next to the wall) transport rate in a narrow channel after a solution and its solvent had come into contact.

Effect of biochar addition on leaf-litter decomposition at soil surface during three years in a warm-temperate secondary deciduous forest, Japan.

The addition of biochar to the forest floor should facilitate efficient carbon sequestration. However, little is known about how biochar addition effects litter decomposition, which is related to carbon and nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems. This study evaluated the effect of biochar addition on leaf litter decomposition in a forest ecosystem.

A case of minimal change nephrotic syndrome with hypothyroidism deterioration.

A 73-year-old woman with Graves' disease underwent total thyroidectomy and was being treated with levothyroxine. She developed edema in the lower region of both legs 1 month before hospitalization. She had a high concentration of urine protein and was hospitalized for further assessment.

Robust respiration rate estimation using adaptive Kalman filtering with textile ECG sensor and accelerometer.

An adaptive Kalman filter-based fusion algorithm capable of estimating respiration rate for unobtrusive respiratory monitoring is proposed. Using both signal characteristics and a priori information, the Kalman filter is adaptively optimized to improve accuracy. Furthermore, the system is able to combine the respiration-related signals extracted from a textile ECG sensor and an accelerometer to create a single robust measurement.

[A case of ANCA-associated vasculitis with esophageal stenosis and pseudodiverticulosis].

A previously healthy 67-year-old woman visited our institution because of cough that had persisted for 3 months, fever at night, left tinnitus, and hearing loss from 1 month prior. She lost 2 kg in weight over the last 6 months, and her C-reactive protein level and leukocyte count were increased. Computed tomography revealed multiple small nodules in both lung fields.

[Autopsy case of light chain deposition disease presented by nephrotic syndrome].

An eighty-one-year-old male with lower leg edema and proteinuria was diagnosed as having nephrotic syndrome and was hospitalized for a detailed examination. Kidney biopsy and immunostaining revealed nodular glomerulosclerosis and deposition of lambda chains, respectively. Because these findings indicate the occurrence of light chain deposition disease (LCDD), the underlying disease was found to be multiple myeloma BJ-lambda.

Rapid Detection of Infestation of Apple Fruits by the Peach Fruit Moth, Carposina sasakii Matsumura, Larvae Using a 0.2-T Dedicated Magnetic Resonance Imaging Apparatus.

Infestation of harvested apple fruits by the peach fruit moth (Carposina sasakii Matsumura) was studied using a dedicated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus equipped with a 0.2-T permanent magnet. Infested holes on the three-dimensional (3-D) images tracked ecological movements of peach fruit moth larvae within the food fruits, and thus in their natural habitat.

[A case of AFP-producing gastric cancer with hepatic metastases that accompanied early gastric cancer treated effectively by chemotherapy].

We report a case of alphafetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric cancer that accompanied early gastric cancer and was treated effectively by chemotherapy. The patient was a 73-year-old male. A type 1 tumor was observed in the upper gastric body and a 0-IIa tumor was noted on the anterior wall of the lower gastric body.

Effects of dose reduction on multi-detector computed tomographic images in evaluating the maxilla and mandible for pre-surgical implant planning: a cadaveric study.

Objective: To assess effects of dose reduction on image quality in evaluating maxilla and mandible for pre-surgical implant planning using cadavers.

Materials And Methods: Six cadavers were used for the study using multi-detector computed tomography (CT) operated at 120 kV and the variable tube current of 80, 40, 20 and 10 mA. A slice thickness of 0.

Effects of tube current on cone-beam computerized tomography image quality for presurgical implant planning in vitro.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tube current reduction on the quality of cone-beam computerized tomography (CBCT) images of the maxilla and mandible for presurgical implant planning.

Study Design: Six cadaver heads were imaged with a CBCT (3D Accuitomo) operated at 80 kVp and variable tube current (8, 4, 2, or 1 mA) in full-scan mode. For the posterior region of maxilla and mandible, half-scans were also performed at similar settings.

Biometric-based estimation of net ecosystem production in a mature Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation beneath a flux tower.

Quantification of carbon budgets and cycling in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) plantations is essential for understanding forest functions in Japan because these plantations occupy about 20% of the total forested area. We conducted a biometric estimate of net ecosystem production (NEP) in a mature Japanese cedar plantation beneath a flux tower over a 4-year period.

Carbon dioxide exchange in a cool-temperate evergreen coniferous forest over complex topography in Japan during two years with contrasting climates.

We investigated carbon dioxide (CO(2)) exchange and its environmental response during two years with contrasting climate (2006 and 2007) in a cool-temperate mixed evergreen coniferous forest dominated by Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) and Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa). The study, which was conducted in a mountainous region of central Japan, used the eddy-covariance technique. Our results (crosschecked using the common u (*) approach and van Gorsel's alternative approach) showed that annual gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) were at least 6% higher in the dry year than in the wet year, whereas net ecosystem exchange (NEE) was similar in both years.

Production of biological soil crusts in the early stage of primary succession on a high Arctic glacier foreland.

*We examined the photosynthetic characteristics and net primary production of biological soil crusts to evaluate their contribution to the carbon cycle in the High Arctic glacier foreland. *Biological soil crust samples were collected from a deglaciated area in Ny-Alesund, Svalbard, Norway. Net photosynthetic rates (Pn) and dark respiration rates (R) of biological soil crusts were determined using CO(2) gas exchange rates.

Carbon cycling and net ecosystem production at an early stage of secondary succession in an abandoned coppice forest.

Secondary mixed forests are one of the dominant forest cover types in human-dominated temperate regions. However, our understanding of how secondary succession affects carbon cycling and carbon sequestration in these ecosystems is limited. We studied carbon cycling and net ecosystem production (NEP) over 4 years (2004-2008) in a cool-temperate deciduous forest at an early stage of secondary succession (18 years after clear-cutting).

Carbon dynamics and budget in a Zoysia japonica grassland, central Japan.

The ecosystem carbon budget was estimated in a Japanese Zoysia japonica grassland. The green biomass started to grow in May and peaked from mid-July to September. Seasonal variations in soil CO(2) flux and root respiration were mediated by changes in soil temperature.

Effects of seasonal and interannual variations in leaf photosynthesis and canopy leaf area index on gross primary production of a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest in Takayama, Japan.

Revealing the seasonal and interannual variations in forest canopy photosynthesis is a critical issue in understanding the ecological mechanisms underlying the dynamics of carbon dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and deciduous forests. This study examined the effects of temporal variations of canopy leaf area index (LAI) and leaf photosynthetic capacity [the maximum velocity of carboxylation (V (cmax))] on gross primary production (GPP) of a cool-temperate deciduous broadleaf forest for 5 years in Takayama AsiaFlux site, central Japan. We made two estimations to examine the effects of canopy properties on GPP; one is to incorporate the in situ observation of V (cmax) and LAI throughout the growing season, and another considers seasonality of LAI but constantly high V (cmax).

Seasonal shift in factors controlling net ecosystem production in a high Arctic terrestrial ecosystem.

We examined factors controlling temporal changes in net ecosystem production (NEP) in a high Arctic polar semi-desert ecosystem in the snow-free season. We examined the relationships between NEP and biotic and abiotic factors in a dominant plant community (Salix polaris-moss) in the Norwegian high Arctic. Just after snowmelt in early July, the ecosystem released CO(2) into the atmosphere.

Satellite Ecology (SATECO)-linking ecology, remote sensing and micrometeorology, from plot to regional scale, for the study of ecosystem structure and function.

There is a growing requirement for ecosystem science to help inform a deeper understanding of the effects of global climate change and land use change on terrestrial ecosystem structure and function, from small area (plot) to landscape, regional and global scales. To meet these requirements, ecologists have investigated plant growth and carbon cycling processes at plot scale, using biometric methods to measure plant carbon accumulation, and gas exchange (chamber) methods to measure soil respiration. Also at the plot scale, micrometeorologists have attempted to measure canopy- or ecosystem-scale CO(2) flux by the eddy covariance technique, which reveals diurnal, seasonal and annual cycles.

Photosynthetic characteristics and biomass distribution of the dominant vascular plant species in a high Arctic tundra ecosystem, Ny-Alesund, Svalbard: implications for their role in ecosystem carbon gain.

Studies on terrestrial ecosystems in the high Arctic region have focused on the response of these ecosystems to global environmental change and their carbon sequestration capacity in relation to ecosystem function. We report here our study of the photosynthetic characteristics and biomass distribution of the dominant vascular plant species, Salix polaris, Dryas octopetala and Saxifraga oppositifolia, in the high Arctic tundra ecosystem at Ny-Alesund, Svalbard (78.5 degrees N, 11.

A novel blood pressure monitoring device for ubiquitous healthcare services.

Hypertension is a world wide issue, and it is now generally accepted that its diurnal pattern has a prognostic significance. The purpose of this study is to develop a novel blood pressure (BP) monitoring device that causes less discomfort and is less disruptive of users' daily activities than conventional ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) devices. The proposed device is worn at an ear orifice and measures BP at the tragus.

Room-temperature miscibility gap in LixFePO4.

The rechargeable lithium-ion cell is an advanced energy-storage system. However, high cost, safety hazards, and chemical instability prohibit its use in large-scale applications. An alternative cathode material, LiFePO(4), solves these problems, but has a kinetic problem involving strong electron/hole localization.

[A case of recurrent breast cancer with life-threatening multiple lung metastasis markedly responding to CMF as third-line chemotherapy].

A 35-year-old woman with taxane and anthracycline-resistant recurrent breast cancer with multiple lung metastasis and carcinomatous lymphangitis was treated with CMF as third-line chemotherapy. A complete response was achieved,and the toxicities were tolerable. We thought that CMF could be a useful regimen as third-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

[A case of primary small intestinal cancer accompanied by virchow lymph node metastasis undergoing TS-1 treatment].

A 72-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with the complaint of left neck lymph node swelling. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed wall thickening of the small intestine and multiple lymph node metastases. Barium meal study of the small intestine showed circular stenosis.