Incidence of Blossom-end Rot in Relation to Water-soluble Ca Concentration in Tomato Fruits as Affected by Ca Nutrition under Root Restriction

The rate of absorbed Ca to N was less than half of Enshi or Hoagland solution in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.) grown with restricted root zone volume in previous experiments. Tomato plants were grown in plastic pots containing 250 or 500ml of peat based medium with modified Enshi solutions containing 1, 2 or 4mM of Ca. The solutions were prepared by replacing a part of Ca(NO3)2・4H2O to NH4NO3. Although Ca concentration was higher than 2mM in drainage collected from plants supplied 1mM Ca solution, absorbed amount of Ca was very small and severe symptom of Ca deficiency was observed. Incidence of blossom-end rot (BER) increased with decrease in Ca concentration of the solution and yield decreased to 50% and 36% of 4mM control, in 2mM and 1mM plots, respectively. Among fractionated Ca in stem of lateral shoot, decrease in water-soluble fraction was remarkable compared to 1N NaCl- or 0.6N HCl-soluble fractions. Tomato plants were then grown with modified solutions containing 1~4mM of Ca and fractionated Ca was determined for distal half of fruits. With decrease in solution Ca, fruit Ca decreased in all fractions, and days to BER incidence after flowering also decreased. Significant relationship was found only between the water-soluble Ca concentration in fruit tissue and rate of BER incidence. Thus water-soluble Ca in tomato fruit may closely relate to BER incidence, and an efficient tool to estimate the potential risk of BER may possibly be developed by determining the Ca fraction in the stem of lateral shoots.根域制限下におけるトマトの養分吸収を調査した結果，培養液中Caの多くは排液とともに排出され，Ｎに対するCaの吸収比率は園試処方やHoagland処方中の比率の50%以下であった．そこで，園試処方培養液中のCa(NO3)2･4H2Oの一部をNH4NO3に置換してCa濃度１，２，４ﾋの培養液を作成し，日射比例給液制御下で ‘ハウス桃太郎’の根城制限栽培（培地容量250，500 ㎖）を行った．培養液のCa濃度が１ﾋであっても排液中のCa濃度が２ﾋよりも高く推移したが，Ca吸収量は極めて少なく，著しいCa欠乏症状が現れた．低Ca濃度区では尻腐れ果が多発し，１ﾋ区では第３果房より上段の果実は全て尻腐れ果となり，第９果房までの収量は２ﾋ区，１ﾋ区でそれぞれ４ﾋ区の50%，36%に低下した．腋芽茎中のCa濃度の低下は0.6N-NaCl可溶性画分や0.6N-HCl可溶性画分と比較して水溶性画分の低下が著しかった．そこで，Ca濃度が１～４ﾋの培養液を用いて点滴栽培を行い，果実中のCa濃度を分画して定量した．果実頂部のCa濃度はいずれの画分においても培養液中Ca濃度が低いほど低く，開花から尻腐れ症状が発生するまでの日数も短くなった．尻腐れ果発生率と果頂部の水溶性Ca濃度との間にのみ有意な負の相関が認められた．以上のことから，果実の水溶性Ca濃度がトマトの尻腐れ果発生リスクの大小に大きくかかわっており，植物体の水溶性Ca濃度測定は尻腐れ果発生防止のためのCa栄養診断に応用できる可能性が高いと考えられる

Case Reports of TFE3-Rearranged Renal Cell Carcinoma: FDG-PET Uptake Might Help Diagnosis

Translocation and transcription factor E3 (TFE3)-rearranged renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare subtype of RCCs characterised by the fusion of the TFE3 transcription factor genes on chromosome Xp11.2 with one of the multiple genes. TFE3-rearranged RCC occurs mainly in children and adolescents, although middle-aged cases are also observed. As computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of TFE3-rearranged RCC overlap with those of other RCCs, differential diagnosis is often challenging. In the present case reports, we highlighted the features of the fluorine-18-labelled fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with CT (FDG PET-CT) in TFE3-rearranged RCCs. Due to the rarity of the disease, FDG PET-CT features of TFE3-rearranged RCC have not yet been reported. In our cases, FDG PET-CT showed high standardised uptake values (SUVmax) of 7.14 and 6.25 for primary tumours. This might imply that TFE3-rearranged RCC has high malignant potential. This is conceivable when the molecular background of the disease is considered in terms of glucose metabolism. Our cases suggest that a high SUVmax of the primary tumour is a clinical characteristic of TFE3-rearranged RCCs

Effects of gaps in priorities between ideal and real lives on psychological burnout among academic faculty members at a medical university in Japan: a cross-sectional study

Background: Accumulating evidence from medical workforce research indicates that poor work/life balance and increased work/home conflict induce psychological distress. In this study we aim to examine the existence of a priority gap between ideal and real lives, and its association with psychological burnout among academic professionals. Methods: This cross-sectional survey, conducted in 2014, included faculty members (228 men, 102 women) at a single medical university in Tokyo, Japan. The outcome of interest was psychological burnout, measured with a validated inventory. Discordance between ideal-and real-life priorities, based on participants' responses (work, family, individual life, combinations thereof), was defined as a priority gap. Results: The majority (64%) of participants chose "work" as the greatest priority in real life, but only 28% chose "work" as the greatest priority in their conception of an ideal life. Priority gaps were identified in 59.5% of respondents. A stepwise multivariable general linear model demonstrated that burnout scores were associated positively with respondents' current position (P < 0.0018) and the presence of a priority gap (P < 0.0001), and negatively with the presence of social support (P < 0.0001). Among participants reporting priority gaps, burnout scores were significantly lower in those with children than in those with no children (P-interaction = 0.011); no such trend was observed in participants with no priority gap. Conclusions: A gap in priorities between an ideal and real life was associated with an increased risk of burnout, and the presence of children, which is a type of "family" social support, had a mitigating effect on burnout among those reporting priority gaps

Effect of Radiological Countermeasures on Subjective Well-Being and Radiation Anxiety after the 2011 Disaster: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

After the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident in 2011, concerns about radiation exposure and decline in subjective well-being have been reported. To tackle these problems, various countermeasures in relation to radiation have been implemented. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the effects of radiological countermeasures on subjective well-being (e.g., satisfaction with life (SWL) and emotional well-being) and radiation anxiety, through a questionnaire survey targeting Fukushima residents (N = 1023). Propensity scores matching was applied to evaluate significant effects of radiological countermeasures on subjective well-being and radiation anxiety. Among the radiological countermeasures, thyroid examination, whole body counter, and air dose monitoring showed the highest proportions of participation, utilization, and useful evaluation, suggesting a high degree of public attention focused on these countermeasures. The basic survey was associated with significant increases in SWL and self-rated health (SH). Thyroid examination was significantly associated with not only a reduction in radiation anxiety but also an increase of emotional stress, suggesting the importance of careful design of system and detailed communication. Food inspection was associated with deterioration in SH. Those who utilized explanatory meetings showed increases in sadness, worry, and radiation anxiety, indicating that additional attention is required of the experts and authorities involved in explanatory meetings

The ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe via a suite of four instruments, covering a very wide energy range, from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. These instruments include a high-resolution, high-throughput spectrometer sensitive over 0.3-2 keV with high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV, enabled by a micro-calorimeter array located in the focal plane of thin-foil X-ray optics; hard X-ray imaging spectrometers covering 5-80 keV, located in the focal plane of multilayer-coated, focusing hard X-ray mirrors; a wide-field imaging spectrometer sensitive over 0.4-12 keV, with an X-ray CCD camera in the focal plane of a soft X-ray telescope; and a non-focusing Compton-camera type soft gamma-ray detector, sensitive in the 40-600 keV band. The simultaneous broad bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution, will enable the pursuit of a wide variety of important science themes.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray