Usefulness of bicarbonate-based Impella purge solution in a patient with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia: the first case report of long-term management in Japan.

Percutaneous mechanical circulatory support utilizing micro-axial flow pumps, such as the Impella group of devices, has become a life-saving technique in the treatment of refractory cardiogenic shock, with ever-increasing success rates. A 30-year-old man presented with acute decompensated heart failure and a severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (17%). Despite initial treatment with inotropic drugs and intra-aortic balloon pump support, his hemodynamic status remained unstable.

Mining plant phenology records from Kanazawa, Japan in the 1807-1838 Kakuson Diary.

Mining the various records of plant phenology before the era of modern weather observations is an important but challenging task. We mined descriptions of plant phenology in Kanazawa, Japan, during the first half of the nineteenth century in the Kakuson Diary. We retrieved records of full bloom of 28 plant species, appearance of 31 seasonal foods, and peak leaf colouring.

The ridge line of left pulmonary vein isolation from left atrial appendage can subsequently increase the completion rate of the mitral isthmus block line.

Background And Objectives: Mitral isthmus (MI) ablation for mitral flutter is technically difficult, and incomplete block line is not uncommon. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the ridge line of left pulmonary vein isolation (LPVI) from left atrial appendage (LAA) on completion rate of mitral isthmus (MI) block line and recurrence rate of atrial tachycardia (AT) or atrial flutter (AFL) after the first MI ablation.

Methods: We identified 611 patients who underwent first MI ablation for mitral flutter during the study period.

Monitoring of cherry flowering phenology with Google Trends.

Google Trends (GT) is an online tool designed for searching for changes over time. We assessed its use for evaluating changes in the timing of cherry flowering phenology, which is of intense interest to Japanese people. We examined the relationship between time-series of relative search volume (RSV: relative change in search requests over time obtained from the GT access engine) and cherry flowering information published on websites (as ground truth) in relation to three famous ancient cherry trees.

How did the characteristics of the growing season change during the past 100 years at a steep river basin in Japan?

The effects of climate change on plant phenological events such as flowering, leaf flush, and leaf fall may be greater in steep river basins than at the horizontal scale of countries and continents. This possibility is due to the effect of temperature on plant phenology and the difference between vertical and horizontal gradients in temperature sensitivities. We calculated the dates of the start (SGS) and end of the growing season (EGS) in a steep river basin located in a mountainous region of central Japan over a century timescale by using a degree-day phenological model based on long-term, continuous, in situ observations.

Does global warming decrease the correlation between cherry blossom flowering date and latitude in Japan?

In Japan, the geographical distribution of the first date of flowering (FFD) of Yoshino cherry trees (Cerasus ×yedoensis) in 2020, a year when temperatures were mild during the previous December and March, was different from the average FFD, which progresses northward along a latitudinal gradient. We hypothesized that global warming may have changed the average geographical pattern of the FFD. To test this hypothesis, we examined the relationship between the observed FFD and latitude at 42 sites during the period 1953-2020.

Peak autumn leaf colouring along latitudinal and elevational gradients in Japan evaluated with online phenological data.

We evaluated the spatial characteristics of the first day of peak leaf colouring (PLC) and their relationships with air temperature along latitudinal and elevational gradients in Japan from 2015 to 2017. Leaf colouring information collected from more than 740 sites via citizen science was analysed, representing elevations from 0 to 2800 m and latitudes from 32°N to 44°N. We found that locations with earlier PLC dates (day of year 265-294) displayed steeper slopes in elevation per degree of latitude than locations with later PLC dates (day of year 295-314).

Improved Characterisation of Vegetation and Land Surface Seasonal Dynamics in Central Japan with Himawari-8 Hypertemporal Data.

Spectral vegetation index time series data, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), from moderate resolution, polar-orbiting satellite sensors have widely been used for analysis of vegetation seasonal dynamics from regional to global scales. The utility of these datasets is often limited as frequent/persistent cloud occurrences reduce their effective temporal resolution. In this study, we evaluated improvements in capturing vegetation seasonal changes with 10-min resolution NDVI data derived from Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI), one of new-generation geostationary satellite sensors.

Cultural ecosystem services provided by flowering of cherry trees under climate change: a case study of the relationship between the periods of flowering and festivals.

In Japan, cherry blossoms are an important tourism resource and provide many cultural ecosystem service benefits. Under future warming conditions, we will require adaptions such as changing the timing of flower festivals to account for changes in the flowering phenology. In this study, we evaluated the coincidence between the flowering phenology of cherry blossoms and the associated festival periods in two Japanese cities under past, recent, and future climate conditions.

Composite Lymphoma Comprising Extranodal NK/T-Cell Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

We report a rare case of composite lymphoma comprising extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type, (ENKL) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in a 70-year-old man complaining of fatigue. Computed tomography showed multiple consolidations in both lungs, and ENKL was diagnosed from transbronchial lung biopsy. Positron emission tomography also detected abnormal uptake in the stomach, and DLBCL was diagnosed from subsequent gastroscopy.

Simple method to detect year-to-year variability of blooming phenology of Cerasus × yedoensis by digital camera.

The year-to-year variability of the blooming phenology of cherry trees is important as a proxy climate indicator and strongly affects cultural ecosystem services. Observation of blooming phenology at multiple points requires a simple and flexible approach. We examined changes in the canopy gap fraction extracted from binarized upward images taken periodically beneath a Cerasus × yedoensis 'Somei-yoshino' tree.

Review: advances in in situ and satellite phenological observations in Japan.

To accurately evaluate the responses of spatial and temporal variation of ecosystem functioning (evapotranspiration and photosynthesis) and services (regulating and cultural services) to the rapid changes caused by global warming, we depend on long-term, continuous, near-surface, and satellite remote sensing of phenology over wide areas. Here, we review such phenological studies in Japan and discuss our current knowledge, problems, and future developments. In contrast with North America and Europe, Japan has been able to evaluate plant phenology along vertical and horizontal gradients within a narrow area because of the country's high topographic relief.

Unmanned aerial survey of fallen trees in a deciduous broadleaved forest in eastern Japan.

Since fallen trees are a key factor in biodiversity and biogeochemical cycling, information about their spatial distribution is of use in determining species distribution and nutrient and carbon cycling in forest ecosystems. Ground-based surveys are both time consuming and labour intensive. Remote-sensing technology can reduce these costs.

Spatio-temporal distribution of the timing of start and end of growing season along vertical and horizontal gradients in Japan.

We detected the spatio-temporal variability in the timing of start (SGS) and end of growing season (EGS) in Japan from 2003 to 2012 by analyzing satellite-observed daily green-red vegetation index with a 500-m spatial resolution. We also examined the characteristics of SGS and EGS timing in deciduous broadleaf and needleleaf forests along vertical and horizontal gradients and then evaluated the relationship between their timing and daily mean air temperature. We found that for the timing of SGS and EGS, changes along the vertical gradient in deciduous broadleaf forest tended to be larger than those in deciduous needleleaf forest.

The ratio of transmitted near-infrared radiation to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) increases in proportion to the adsorbed PAR in the canopy.

The daily total photosynthetically active radiation (400-700 nm, PAR) and near-infrared radiation (700-1000 nm, NIR) were measured in the understory beneath the canopy (PARt and NIRt) and above the canopy (PARi and NIRi) of a Japanese cool-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest during the snow-free period (May to November). The integration of spectral radiation for NIR and that for PAR, and the daily integrations of instantaneous NIR and PAR, reduced the noises from the optical difference in spectrum and from canopy structure heterogeneity, sky condition and solar elevation. PARi/PARt was linearly related to NIRt/PARt (R² = 0.

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).