An isotope study of hot springs in Nagano Prefecture

Water samples from 28 hotsprings and mineral springs in Nagano Prefecture, central Japan, were examined for their stable isotope ratios of hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, and sulfur. Spring waters of Kashio are highly saline and enriched in heavy isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen (δ(18)O=-2.5～-4.6‰, δD=-54～-57‰). Linear relationships among δD, δ(18)O, and Cl(-) suggest that spring waters are the mixtures of a deep brine and local surface water. Extrapolation of the linear relationships indicates that the deep brine is both isotopically and chemically very similar to the deep brine previously suggested for the springs of Arima, Takarazuka, and Ishibotoke of which δD, δ(18)O, and Cl(-) are estimated as -33‰, +8.0‰, and 44g/l, respectively. A common origin may be warranted among these postulated brines, while their provenance is yet to be worked out. The hot springs in Matsushiro are a Na-Ca-Cl type of high carbonate content. Their hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios (δD=-71～-46‰, δ(18)O=-9.1～-2.0‰) are higher than the local surface water. On the basis of the relationships among δD, δ(18)O, and Cl(-), they are considered to be the mixtures of fossil sea water and certain water of meteoric origin of which Cl(-) is about 4g/l and δ(18)O is higher by about 3‰ than the local surface water. The latter may be meteoric water circulating in the marine sedimentary formations (Green Tuff formations) with soluble sea salts. Isotopic exchange with carbonate minerals in the formations explains its (18)O enrichment. Spring waters from Yashio and Isobe (Gunma Pref.) as well as Yunosawa and Yatate (Akita Pref.) were previously interpreted to be mixtures of fossil sea water and local surface water of low Cl(-) content. Re-examination of their data revealed that the meteoric waters responsible for these springs contain about 3g/l Cl(-), similar to the value obtained for Matsushiro. However, unlike Matsushiro, the meteoric waters in these areas are found to be isotopically similar to the local surface waters. Waters from other hot springs studied here are of simply meteoric origin, thus belonging to the GreenTuff type water previously defined

Automatic measurement of oxygen isotope ratio of water samples

The automatic sample preparation system for oxygen isotope analysis of natural water samples was constructed. The system is essentially a modification of that originally designed by W. Dansgaard in the University of Copenhagen. Sixty water samples of 5 ml each are automatically equilibrated with CO(2) of 30 ml NTP each within 4.5 hours. The equilibrated CO(2) gases are successively measured for their oxygen isotopic ratios by an automatic mas-sspectrometer, VG903. The time required for the measurement of the 60 CO(2) samples is about 15 hours; thus approximately 20 hours are required to complete the isotopic measurements of 60 water samples. The accuracy of the oxygen isotopic analyses is about 0.1%. The result of oxygen isotopic analyses by the automatic preparation system agrees with that of the conventional method within about +0.1%. The results indicate that the automatic preparation system is applicable for the oxygen isotope analysis of natural water samples

Comparison of sulfur isotope ratio measurements by various techniques, and the δ(34)S values of some sulur standards

Three techniques (combustion of Ag(2)S by Cu(2)O, thermal decomposition of BaSO(4) and KIBA reagent method under vacuum) for sulfur isotope ratio measurements of geological samples are described in detail. The δ(34)S values of three working standards (MSS-2, MSS-3 and MSS-4) obtained by these techniques for the last 13 years were compared (Table 1 and Fig. 3): the most acceptable values of the three standards are +21.5, +3.5 and +4.5‰, respectively

Spacial and temporal variations of water characteristics in the Japan Sea bottom layer

The Japan Sea is an almost landlocked marginal sea. We measured profiles of CTD potential temperature at 9 stations in the southeastern Japan Sea to clarify the characteristics of the abyssal circulation in the Sea. It was shown that the results were closely correlated with the topography of the Japan Sea which is characterized by a rise in the center of the Sea (Yamato Rise) and three basins (Japan, Yamato and Tsushima Basins) around the Yamato Rise.At each station in the Basins (6 stations), we observed the bottom layer, a layer of constant potential temperature (within ±0.0005°C) below 2,000–2,500 m depth to the bottom. Dissolved oxygen is also constant (within ±1 μmol kg−1) in the bottom layer. The bottom layer of the Japan Basin (northern basin) is shown to have lower potential temperature by 0.012°C and higher dissolved oxygen content by 5 μmol kg−1 than that of the Yamato Basin (southern basin). There is no bottom layer at the remaining 3 stations located in the passage between the Japan Basin and the Yamato Basin, possibly due to the topographic effect of the Yamato Rise which restricts the exchange and mixing of the two Basin bottom waters.By comparing the vertical profiles of dissolved oxygen in 1969, 1977, 1979 and 1984 in the Japan and the Yamato Basins, it was found that in both Basins the thickness of the bottom layer decreased by 400 m between 1969 and 1984, and the bottom oxygen concentration was also decreased by 5–7 μmol kg−1 between 1977 and 1984. These temporal variations were interpreted to be transient, probably caused by the recent reduction or cessation of new bottom water formation in the northern Japan Sea

Attaining Complete Remission May Confer a Better Outcome after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adult Patients with Acute B-cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Introduction : Treatment outcome of adult patients with acute B-cell lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is suboptimal even after an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). To maximize the efficacies of this treatment strategy, risk stratification is crucial. Methods : We retrospectively collected clinical data of the adult patients with allo-HSCT for ALL at a single insitiution in Japan between 2003 and 2022. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify risk factors for overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and GVHD-free-and-relapse-free survival (GRFS) at 3 years. Results : A total of 58 patients were included with 34 females and a median age of 39. Sixty-two percent of patients harbored high-risk cytogenetic features or Philadelphia chromosome (Ph). Hematologic complete response (CR) rate was 93 ％ after a first induction, but 75.9 ％ were in CR at allo-HSCT. Blinatumomab was used in 1.7 ％ of patients. A chimeric mRNA had been detected in 4 of 26 patients at allo-HSCT. The 3-year OS, PFS and GRFS were 72.7 ％, 54.7 ％ and 46.2 ％, respectively. Pre-transplantation CR was an independent risk factor. Discussion/Conclusions : Our results imply that a better OS may potentially be achieved by improved pretransplantation CR rate with more frequent application of novel agents.Article信州医学雑誌 71(5) : 257-267, (2023)journal articl

Acute- or Subacute-Onset Lung Complications in Treating Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis

AbstractRheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a common systemic disease that manifests as inflammatory arthritis of multiple joints and produces a wide variety of intrathoracic lesions, including pleural diseases, diffuse interstitial pneumonia, rheumatoid nodules, and airway disease. Patients treated for RA can have associated lung disease that commonly manifests as diffuse interstitial pneumonia, drug-induced lung injury, and infection. The purpose of this pictorial review is to illustrate the radiographic and clinical features of lung complications of acute or subacute onset in patients treated for RA and to show the computed tomography features of these complications

A Case of Nivolumab-Induced Severe Mononeuropathy Multiplex and Rhabdomyolysis

We report an 81-year-old man with multiple liver metastases after tumorectomy for primary mediastinal malignant melanoma, who experienced limb weakness and sensory disturbance after nivolumab monotherapy. He was diagnosed with nivolumab-induced mononeuropathy multiplex and rhabdomyolysis based on serologic examination, muscle biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging of the limbs, and a nerve conduction study. A course of intravenous methylprednisolone (mPSL) was initiated at 1 g/day for 3 days. After that, oral prednisolone (PSL) was started at 1 mg/kg/day and gradually tapered. Limb muscle strength improved, but when PSL was reduced to 0.3 mg/kg/day, the weakness recurred, and a nerve conduction study showed exacerbation of mononeuropathy multiplex. The patient was again administered intravenous mPSL (0.5 g/day for 3 days) followed by oral PSL at 0.5 mg/kg/day, and his neurological symptoms improved. Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is used for the treatment of advanced melanoma and other cancers and causes various immune-related adverse events (irAEs). However, neurological irAEs related to nivolumab are rare. Furthermore, there are no reports of simultaneous nerve and muscle impairment. Unexpected irAEs affecting various organs should be recognized and treated appropriately

Present Situation on the Problems of Mental Health in Occupational Field and the Prospects of Social Supports in the Working Place

In today\u27s Japan, it comes to matter that the problems of mental health and the number of suicides tend to be increasing. These are the key issues not only to employees but also to corporate organizations. Stress, the main factor causing them, comes from human relationship in the working place. This, called social support, is pointed out as buffering effects for stress reactions. House(1981) explained social support by using four functions : emotional support, instrumental support, informational support, and appraisal support. If social support in the working place is defined as positive communication with these functions, we can get many suggestions from leadership study and mentoring study. However, Japanese governmental efforts to mental health reflect only emotional support. The studies to explicitly show the effects of each function in social support are required in future