Integrated Evaluation of Soil Carbon Budget by Manure Application on Forage Production

Grasslands and forage crop fields produce forages and also have many services and functions such as repositories of biodiversity, climate regulation and soil conservation (Sala and Paruelo, 1997). Carbon budget is one of these important ecosystem services by high levels of carbon sequestration below ground (Hungate et al., 1997). Manure application increases carbon budget and also affects forage production, NO3- leaching to underground water and N2O emission to atmosphere. Integrated evaluation of these various environmental impacts is important to find optimum condition for forage production and environmental impacts. LIME2 (Life-cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling 2, Itsubo and Inaba, 2010) is one of the methods to evaluate environmental impacts and to integrate them into a single index of environmental damages with the unit of Japanese yen. By comparing this index to economic benefit of forage production, integrated evaluation of environmental damages and profit of farmers is achieved. In this study, the effects of manure application to forage production, carbon budget, NO3- leaching and N2O emission were evaluated and optimum level of manure application level was estimated with LIME2 integration factors

高血圧患者におけるアンジオテンシン II-レニンフィードバック機構に対するL/N型カルシウムチャネル拮抗薬の影響

Objectives. Cilnidipine, an L-/N-type calcium channel blocker (CCB), has unique organ-protective properties due to suppression of hyperactivity in the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In this study, we hypothesized that cilnidipine might exert a renoprotective effect by suppressing the RAS. Methods. A total of 25 hypertensive patients receiving a RAS inhibitor were randomly assigned to a cilnidipine (n = 12) or amlodipine (n = 13) group. The effects of cilnidipine on proteinuria and angiotensin II–renin feedback were assessed. Results. After 6 months of treatment, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced to a similar extent in both groups. The urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio was significantly lower in the cilnidipine group (p < 0.05) than in the amlodipine group. Amlodipine increased plasma angiotensin I and angiotensin II levels (p < 0.05), whereas cilnidipine did not. Interestingly, the cilnidipine group had a higher ratio of angiotensin-(1–7) (Ang-(1–7)) to angiotensin II in plasma than the amlodipine group (p < 0.05). Conclusions. The L-/N-type CCB cilnidipine, but not amlodipine, decreased urinary albumin excretion in hypertensive patients. Cilnidipine also increased the ratio of Ang-(1–7) to angiotensin II in plasma, which might be one factor underlying its beneficial effects

Experimental rat model for cervical compressive myelopathy

Previously, a rat model of chronic compressive myelopathy that uses a water-absorbing polymer inserted under a spinal lamina was reported. However, the best size and coefficient of expansion of the polymer sheet have not yet been established. The aim of the present study was to optimize these properties in an ideal rat model of cervical compressive myelopathy. Thirty rats were used in this study. A sheet of water-absorbing polymer was inserted under the cervical laminae. Rats were divided randomly into five experimental groups by the expansion rate (350 or 200%) and thickness (0.5 or 0.7 mm) and the control. After the surgery, the severity of paralysis was evaluated for 12 weeks. At 12 weeks after the surgery, cresyl violet staining was performed to assess the number of motor neurons in the anterior horn at the C4/C5 segment and Luxol Fast Blue staining was performed to assess demyelination in the corticospinal tract at the C7 segment. ‘Slow-progressive’ paralysis appeared at 4–8 weeks postoperatively in rat models using sheets with 200% expansion. By contrast, only temporary paralysis was observed in rat models using sheets with 350% expansion. A loss of motor neurons in the anterior horn was observed in all groups, except for the control. Demyelination in the corticospinal tract was observed in rat models using sheets with 200% expansion, but not rat models using sheets with 350% expansion. A polymer sheet that expands its volume by 200% is an ideal material for rat models of cervical compressive myelopathy

Shoulder and elbow pain in elementary school baseball players : The results from a nation-wide survey in Japan

Background: Despite recommendations on how to prevent baseball injuries in youths by the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine, shoulder and elbow pain still frequently occurs in young baseball players. We conducted a questionnaire survey among baseball players at elementary schools across the country to understand the practice conditions of players, examining the risk factors of shoulder and elbow pain in baseball players. Methods: The questionnaire survey was conducted among elementary school baseball players as members of the Baseball Federation of Japan in September 2015. Results: A total of 8354 players belonging to 412 teams (average age: 8.9) responded to the survey. Among 7894 players who did not have any shoulder and/or elbow pain in September 2014, elbow pain was experienced in 12.3% of them, shoulder pain in 8.0% and shoulder and/or elbow pain in 17.4% during the previous one year. A total of 2835 (39.9% of the total) practiced four days or more per week and 97.6% practiced 3 h or more per day on Saturdays and Sundays. The risk factors associated shoulder and elbow pain included a male sex, older age, pitchers and catchers, and players throwing more than 50 balls per day. Conclusions: It has been revealed that Japanese elementary school baseball players train too much. Coaches should pay attention to older players, male players, pitchers and catchers in order to prevent shoulder and elbow pain. Furthermore, elementary school baseball players should not be allowed to throw more than 50 balls per day. Study design: Retrospective cohort study

Assessment of a New Elbow Joint Positioning Method Using Area Detector Computed Tomography

We propose a sitting position that achieves both high image quality and a reduced radiation dose in elbow joint imaging by area detector computed tomography (ADCT), and we compared it with the ‘superman’ and supine positions. The volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol) for the sitting, superman, and supine positions were 2.7, 8.0, and 20.0 mGy and the dose length products (DLPs) were 43.4, 204.7, and 584.8 mGy • cm, respectively. In the task-based transfer function (TTF), the highest value was obtained for the sitting position in both bone and soft tissue images. The noise power spectrum (NPS) of bone images showed that the superman position had the lowest value up to approx. 1.1 cycles/mm or lower, whereas the sitting position had the lowest value when the NPS was greater than approx. 1.1 cycles/mm. The overall image quality in an observer study resulted in the following median Likert scores for Readers 1 and 2: 5.0 and 5.0 for the sitting position, 4.0 and 3.5 for the superman position, and 4.0 and 2.0 for the supine position. These results indicate that our proposed sitting position with ADCT of the elbow joint can provide superior image quality and allow lower radiation doses compared to the superman and supine positions

Controlling bleeding during uniportal thoracoscopic major pulmonary resection

Aim: In uniportal thoracoscopic major pulmonary resection, it is important to appropriately manage significant vessel injury, to ensure patient safety and minimize conversion to thoracotomy. We analyzed cases of significant vessel injury and investigated efficacy of an algorithm to manage bleeding during thoracoscopic uniportal major pulmonary resection.Methods: A total of 169 patients underwent “uniportal thoracoscopic major pulmonary resection” (lobectomy or segmentectomy) at our department between February 2019 and April 2021. These patients were classified into groups with (group A, n = 8) and without (group B, n = 161) intraoperative massive bleeding. Patient characteristics and perioperative results were compared between the two groups. Patients with significant vessel injury and conversion to thoracotomy were analyzed in detail.Results: Group B had significantly less blood loss (A: 197 ± 173 g; B: 42 ± 74 g, P &lt; 0.0001) and shorter-duration postoperative drainage (A: 2.6 ± 1.8 days; B: 1.6 ± 1.3 days, P = 0.036). There were no group differences in any other factors. The most frequently injured vessel in group A was the pulmonary artery (75%). Emergent conversion was required in four cases (cases 7, 76, 128, and 133; 2.4%) due to intraoperative bleeding. No patient developed catastrophic bleeding or required an intraoperative transfusion.Conclusion: We managed significant vessel injury appropriately during uniportal thoracoscopic major pulmonary resection using the troubleshooting algorithm. The algorithm for the uniportal approach was considered effective and easy to apply even by less-experienced surgeons