Overview of research on tuna thermo-physiology using electric tags

The behavioral physiology of bigeye tuna was investigated using acoustic tags in the 1990s. They spend most of the daylight hours below the thermocline but make regular brief excursions into the mixed layer. In doing so, they reduce the efficacy of their vascular countercurrent heat exchangers while gaining heat from the warmer environment and then increase it again when they return below the thermocline. Recently, archival tags have been used on a range of tuna species including bluefin. This tag, recovered when the tuna is harvested, yields time-series data over longer periods than acoustic tags. Although immature Pacific bluefin spend most of their time at the surface, they often dive below the thermocline, maintaining a peritoneal temperature. This might be due either to heat conservation or high heat production. Further, while giant Atlantic bluefin show an ability to maintain their temperature above the ambient, there are occasions in cold water when some physiological process is clearly limiting their dive time. Solution of the growth conundrum that their warm body temperature may pose an ecological problem as they grow in body mass, should be clarified by using tag data. This will lead to investigation of their adaptation mechanisms to their habitats

Observation of band crossings protected by nonsymmorphic symmetry in the layered ternary telluride Ta3SiTe6

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of layered ternary telluride Ta3SiTe6 which is predicted to host nodal lines associated with nonsymmorphic crystal symmetry. We found that the energy bands in the valence-band region show Dirac-like dispersions which present a band degeneracy at the R point of the bulk orthorhombic Brillouin zone. This band degeneracy extends one-dimensionally along the whole SR high-symmetry line, forming the nodal lines protected by the glide mirror symmetry of the crystal. We also observed a small band splitting near EF which supports the existence of hourglass-type dispersions predicted by the calculation. The present results provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the interplay between exotic nodal fermions and nonsymmorphic crystal symmetry.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Comparative Study of 5-Day and 10-Day Cefditoren Pivoxil Treatments for Recurrent Group A β-Hemolytic Streptococcus pharyngitis in Children

Efficacy of short-course therapy with cephalosporins for treatment of group A β-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) pharyngitis is still controversial. Subjects were 226 children with a history of at least one episode of GABHS pharyngitis. Recurrence within the follow-up period (3 weeks after initiation of therapy) occurred in 7 of the 77 children in the 5-day treatment group and in 1 of the 149 children in the 10-day treatment group; the incidence of recurrence being significantly higher in the 5-day treatment group. Bacteriologic treatment failure (GABHS isolation without overt pharyngitis) at follow-up culture was observed in 7 of the 77 children in the 5-day treatment group and 17 of the 149 children in the 10-day treatment group. There was no statistical difference between the two groups. A 5-day course of oral cephalosporins is not always recommended for treatment of GABHS pharyngitis in children who have repeated episodes of pharyngitis

Diving patterns and performance of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus orientalis) as recorded by archival tags

Archival tagged immature Pacific bluefin tuna were released off Tsushima Island in the East China Sea. Time-series data on swimming depth, ambient temperature, internal body temperature, and light intensity were recorded every 128s to evaluate : 1) their vertical swimming patterns to depths below the thermocline and 2) the development of their diving performance with growth. In summer, the tuna spent most of their time at the surface, but occasionally dove to depths below the thermocline during the daytime, and at dawn and dusk. In addition, bluefin dove at increasing descent rates and surfaced more slowly when they made excursions to deeper depths. Larger-sized bluefin dove to much deeper depths than smaller individuals, suggesting that the diving performance of bluefin is related to their body size and larger size enables them to expand their vertical movement range

Influence of and Risk Factors for Axillary Web Syndrome Following Surgery for Breast Cancer

In this study, we examined whether axillary web syndrome (AWS) in patients with breast cancer following axil-lary lymph node dissection affects range of motion (ROM), upper extremity function, and quality of life (QOL). The risk factors for AWS were also evaluated in a total of 238 consecutive breast cancer patients follow-ing axillary lymph node dissection. At 1, 2, and 3 months after surgery, there were no significant differences between the AWS group and the non-AWS group in upper-limb function or QOL. At 2 months after surgery, shoulder flexion and abduction ROM were significantly higher in the AWS group than in the non-AWS group (p < 0.05). Self-training time at home was not significantly different between the groups at 1, 2, or 3 months. Only age was a significant predictor of AWS at 1 month after surgery (p < 0.05). The AWS group in the present study did not have worse results for shoulder joint ROM, upper-limb function, and QOL than the non-AWS group. Younger age should be useful for predicting the development of AWS in the early postoperative period

Investigation of Factors Affecting Early Quality of Life of Patients after Breast Cancer Surgery

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate factors related to early quality of life (QOL) three months after surgery in breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node dissection. Methods: The subjects of this study were 195 consecutive patients who underwent axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Age, body mass index, level of lymph node dissection, marriage, children, co-resident household members, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, postoperative hormonal therapy, postoperative radiotherapy, upper limb function (disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH)), and QOL (European Organization for the Treatment and Research of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30)) were evaluated. For each item of the EORTC QLQ-C30, compared with preoperative status and three months after surgery, those who improved or remained unchanged in the three months after surgery were classified as the maintenance and improved groups, and those with worsening status were classified as the worsened group. Results: Age, level of lymph node dissection, DASH, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, and postoperative radiotherapy were significantly associated with QOL (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The early QOL of postoperative patients with breast cancer is affected by multiple factors, such as upper limb function and postoperative chemotherapy, and thus comprehensive intervention is required

Factors Affecting Participation in Leisure Activities in Patients after Breast Cancer Surgery

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to patient's participation in leisure activity in breast cancer patients with axillary lymph node dissection at 3 months after surgery. Methods: In total, 160 women who were employed before their surgery were evaluated. Age, body mass index (BMI), employment, level of lymph node dissection, marital status, children, coresident household members, preoperative chemotherapy, postoperative chemotherapy, postoperative hormonal therapy, postoperative radiotherapy, shoulder range of motion test, upper limb function, quality of life, and patient's participation in leisure activity were evaluated. Results: Patients who undertook leisure activities constituted the leisure activity group, and patients who did not constituted the non-leisure activity group. Global health status, emotional function, social function, and dyspnea were significantly different between the leisure activity group and the non-leisure activity group at 3 months after surgery (p < 0.05). Regarding factors that affected participation in leisure activities, logistic regression analysis showed that only participation in leisure activities before surgery was significantly associated with participation in leisure activities at 3 months after surgery (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients who did not participate in leisure activities prior to surgery were unlikely to participate 3 months after surgery and thus require intervention to encourage their involvement

Contribution of light and electron microscopy in the identification of morphological alterations in large Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus) testes exposed to low-dose-rate radiations

Ionizing radiation affects biological systems, resulting in an increased risk of cancer and mutagenesis. Male reproductive function is sensitive to ionizing radiation, with implications connected to infertility. Following the Nuclear Power Plants accident of Fukushima in 2011, there was great attention regarding exposure damage to low-dose-rate (LDR) radiation on the reproductive system. This preliminary study aimed to evaluate the role of light (LM) and transmission electron microscopies (TEM) to identify the potential effects of LDR radio-exposure on the morphology of large Japanese field mouse (Apodemus speciosus) testes living in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) ex-evacuation area. After collection samples were subjected to the standard preparative for LM and TEM. The testicular parenchyma was characterized by numerous seminiferous tubules, delimited by a thick and continuous basal lamina. Basally, the germinal epithelium presented round and pale spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes; while, more adluminally, round and elongated spermatids were at different phases of development. Pale and irregular Sertoli cells were interspersed among germ cells. Occasionally, cytoplasmatic holes interrupted the nuclear membrane integrity in spermatocytes and spermatids. Residual bodies were seen at the luminal surface. In conclusion, this study suggests that LM and TEM analysis are useful in evaluating potential morphological features in the male reproductive system after LDR exposure

Annual report of Subcommittee for Examination of Causes of Maternal Death and their Prevention in Perinatology Committee, Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2013

As the fibrinogen level decreases early in atonic bleeding, early administration of FFP may be important as an initial approach to treat atonic bleeding.Amniotic fluid embolism is classified into 2 types, conventional type and uterus-type