CARBON DIOXIDE FLUXS AT WATER AND SEDIMENT IN THE URBAN COASTAL TIDAL FLAT OF OSAKABAY

本研究では大阪湾沿岸部の13地点の干潟を対象に水質項目，底質環境，水面と堆積物のCO2フラックスを定量化し，その関係性を明らかにすることを目的に調査を行った．大阪湾の干潟は全体的に砂質で構成されており，化学的性状から好気的な環境であった．水面におけるCO2フラックスは13地点中8地点で放出を示し，湾奥の河川の影響が強い地点でCO2は放出傾向にあった．堆積物における1日当たりのCO2フラックスは矢倉海岸と男里川を除いてCO2は放出であり，1日当たりのCO2フラックスは水面より高いことから，堆積物では有機物の分解の場としてCO2は放出されていることが推察された．以上のことから，干潟では水面からCO2は放出傾向であり，堆積物は干出することで，有機物の分解が促進されてCO2は放出していることが考えられた．The objective of this study was to quantify the relationships between water surface and sediment CO2 fluxes on 13 tidal flats in the coastal area of Osaka Bay. The tidal flats are generally composed of sandy sediments, and their chemical properties indicate an aerobic environment. CO2 fluxes at the water surface of the tidal flats showed a release at 8 of the 13 sites, and CO2 tended to be released at the sites with strong river influence at inner part of Osaka bay. The daily CO2 flux in the sediments was higher than that in the water surface, suggesting that CO2 is released in the sediments as decomposition of organic matter. These results suggest that CO2 tends to be released from the water surface on tidal flats, and that CO2 at sediments is released by the decomposition of organic matter accelerated in low tide

Suture Granuloma Showing False-Positive Findings on FDG-PET

We report a case of a 33-year-old male with a mixed germ-cell testicular tumor. Postoperative follow-up FDG-PET revealed concentration of FDG in the left inguinal area which is not tumor metastasis or local recurrence but suture reactivity granuloma. In this paper, we reviewed suture granulomas associated with false-positive findings on FDG-PET after surgery. If FDG-PET will be used more frequently in the future, it will be necessary to refrain from using silk thread in order to prevent any unnecessary surgery

Intra-strain biological and epidemiological characterization of plum pox virus

Plum pox virus (PPV) is one of the most important plant viruses causing serious economic losses. Thus far, strain typing based on the definition of 10 monophyletic strains with partially differentiable biological properties has been the sole approach used for epidemiological characterization of PPV. However, elucidating the genetic determinants underlying intra-strain biological variation among populations or isolates remains a relevant but unexamined aspect of the epidemiology of the virus. In this study, based on complete nucleotide sequence information of 210 Japanese and 47 non-Japanese isolates of the PPV-Dideron (D) strain, we identified five positively selected sites in the PPV-D genome. Among them, molecular studies showed that amino acid substitutions at position 2,635 in viral replicase correlate with viral titre and competitiveness at the systemic level, suggesting that amino acid position 2,635 is involved in aphid transmission efficiency and symptom severity. Estimation of ancestral genome sequences indicated that substitutions at amino acid position 2,635 were reversible and peculiar to one of two genetically distinct PPV-D populations in Japan. The reversible amino acid evolution probably contributes to the dissemination of the virus population. This study provides the first genomic insight into the evolutionary epidemiology of PPV based on intra-strain biological variation ascribed to positive selection

Importance of serial changes in biomarkers in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

The clinical significance of serial changes in serum biomarkers in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) remains to be established. This retrospective study was conducted to clarify the associations of serial changes in serum Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6) and surfactant protein-D (SP-D) with changes in physiological indices and overall mortality in IPF. The study subjects were 75 patients with IPF. The 6 month change in serum KL-6 was significantly correlated with changes in the percentage of the predicted forced vital capacity (FVC % pred) and the percentage of the predicted diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (% DLCO), while the 6 month change in serum SP-D was correlated only with % DLCO. During the mean follow-up period of 647 days, 22 (29.3%) patients died. An increase in serum KL-6 over a 6 month period was a significant predictor of mortality even after adjustment for %FVC, % DLCO and serum KL-6 at the baseline (hazard ratio 1.10 per 100 U·mL−1, 95% CI 1.01–1.18, p=0.03), whereas the 6 month increase in serum SP-D was not significant. Serial measurements of serum KL-6 may provide additional prognostic information compared to that provided by physiological parameters in patients with IPF

Thiosulfate Mediates Cytoprotective Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide Against Neuronal Ischemia

Background: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exhibits protective effects in various disease models including cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Nonetheless, mechanisms and identity of molecules responsible for neuroprotective effects of H2S remain incompletely defined. In the current study, we observed that thiosulfate, an oxidation product of H2S, mediates protective effects of an H2S donor compound sodium sulfide (Na2S) against neuronal I/R injury. Methods and Results: We observed that thiosulfate in cell culture medium is not only required but also sufficient to mediate cytoprotective effects of Na2S against oxygen glucose deprivation and reoxygenation of human neuroblastoma cell line (SH‐SY5Y) and murine primary cortical neurons. Systemic administration of sodium thiosulfate (STS) improved survival and neurological function of mice subjected to global cerebral I/R injury. Beneficial effects of STS, as well as Na2S, were associated with marked increase of thiosulfate, but not H2S, in plasma and brain tissues. These results suggest that thiosulfate is a circulating “carrier” molecule of beneficial effects of H2S. Protective effects of thiosulfate were associated with inhibition of caspase‐3 activity by persulfidation at Cys163 in caspase‐3. We discovered that an SLC13 family protein, sodium sulfate cotransporter 2 (SLC13A4, NaS‐2), facilitates transport of thiosulfate, but not sulfide, across the cell membrane, regulating intracellular concentrations and thus mediating cytoprotective effects of Na2S and STS. Conclusions: The protective effects of H2S are mediated by thiosulfate that is transported across cell membrane by NaS‐2 and exerts antiapoptotic effects via persulfidation of caspase‐3. Given the established safety track record, thiosulfate may be therapeutic against ischemic brain injury