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Legume content (LC) in grass-legume mixtures is important for assessing forage quality and optimizing fertilizer application in meadow fields. This study focuses on differences in LC measurements obtained from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images and ground surveys based on dry matter assessments in seven meadow fields in Hokkaido, Japan. We propose a UAV-based LC (LC UAV ) estimation and mapping method using a land cover map from a simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC) algorithm and a random forest (RF) classifier. The SLIC-RF classification achieved a high accuracy level for four different ground cover types (grasses, legumes, weeds, and background) in seven distinct meadows with an overall accuracy of 91.4% and an F score of 91.5%. By applying SLIC-RF to eliminate plots with low classification accuracy, we demonstrate the necessity of achieving a minimum classification accuracy of 0.82 for precise LC estimation. A non-linear relationship was revealed between the LC UAV and LC BM influenced by surface sward height (SSH, height of plant canopy). The results indicate a higher accuracy of the LC BM estimation when SSH levels were lower, particularly when recommending SSH levels below 40 cm for optimal LC BM estimation. This highlights the effectiveness of UAV-based remote sensing for assessing early growth or grazing in pastures with low SSH., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Marine mammals possess a specific subcutaneous fat layer called blubber that not only insulates and stores energy but also secretes bioactive substances. However, our understanding of its role as a secretory organ in cetaceans is incomplete. To exhaustively explore the hormone-like substances produced in dolphin subcutaneous adipose tissue, we performed seasonal blubber biopsies from captive female common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus; N = 8, n = 32) and analyzed gene expression via transcriptomics. Analysis of 186 hormone-like substances revealed the expression of 58 substances involved in regulating energy metabolism, tissue growth/differentiation, vascular regulation, immunity, and ion/mineral homeostasis. Adiponectin was the most abundantly expressed gene, followed by angiopoietin protein like 4 and insulin-like growth factor 2. To investigate the endocrine/secretory responses of subcutaneous adipose tissue to the surrounding temperature, we subsequently compared the mean expression levels of the genes during the colder and warmer seasons. In the colder season, molecules associated with appetite suppression, vasodilation, and tissue proliferation were relatively highly expressed. In contrast, warmer seasons enhanced the expression of substances involved in tissue remodeling, immunity, metabolism, and vasoconstriction. These findings suggest that dolphin blubber may function as an active secretory organ involved in the regulation of metabolism, appetite, and tissue reorganization in response to changes in the surrounding environment, providing a basis for elucidating the function of hormone-like substances in group-specific evolved subcutaneous adipose tissue., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

After an individual experiences a cervical cord injury, the cell body's adaptation to the smaller size of phrenic motoneurons occurs within several weeks. It is not known whether a routine hypercapnic load can alter this adaptation of phrenic motoneurons. We investigated this question by using rats with high cervical cord hemisection. The rats were divided into four groups: control, hypercapnia, sham, and sham hypercapnia. Within 72 h post-hemisection, the hypercapnia groups began a hypercapnic challenge (20 min/day, 4 times/week for 3 weeks) with 7% CO 2 under awake conditions. After the 3-week challenge, the phrenic motoneurons in all of the rats were retrogradely labeled with horseradish peroxidase, and the motoneuron sizes in each group were compared. The average diameter, cross-sectional area, and somal surface area of stained phrenic motoneurons as analyzed by software were significantly smaller in only the control group compared to the other groups. The histogram distribution was unimodal, with larger between-group size differences for motoneurons in the horizontal plane than in the transverse plane. Our findings indicate that a routine hypercapnic challenge may increase the input to phrenic motoneurons and alter the propensity for motoneuron adaptations., (© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.)

Atmospheric organic aerosol (OA) are considered as a significant contributor to the light absorption of OA, but its relationship with abundance, composition and sources are not understood well. In this study, the abundance, chemical structural characteristics, and light absorption property of HULIS and other low-to-high polar organics in PM 0.95 collected in Tomakomai Experimental Forest (TOEF) were investigated with consideration of their possible sources. HULIS were the most abundant (51%), and correlation analysis revealed that biogenic secondary organic aerosols significantly contribute to HULIS. The mass spectra obtained using a high-resolution aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-AMS) showed that HULIS and highly polar water-soluble organic matter (HP-WSOM) were substantially oxygenated organic aerosol fractions, whereas water-insoluble organic matter (WISOM) had a low O/C ratio and more hydrocarbon-like structures. The WISOM fraction was the predominant light-absorbing organics. HULIS and WISOM showed a noticeable seasonal change in mass absorption efficiency (MAE 365 ), which was highest in winter. Further, HULIS were shown to be less absorbing than those reported for urban sites. The findings in this study provide insights into the contribution of biogenic secondary OA on aerosol property and radiative forcing under varying contributions from other types of OA., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Timing is essential for survival and reproduction of organisms across the tree of life. The core circadian clock gene Clk is involved in the regulation of annual timing events and shows highly conserved sequence homology across vertebrates except for one variable region of poly-glutamine repeats. Clk genotype varies in some species with latitude, seasonal timing and migration. However, findings are inconsistent, difficult to disentangle from environmental responses, and biased towards high latitudes. Here we combine field data with a common-garden experiment to study associations of Clk polymorphism with latitude, migration and annual-cycle timing within the stonechat species complex across its trans-equatorial distribution range. Our dataset includes 950 records from 717 individuals from nine populations with diverse migratory strategies. Gene diversity was lowest in resident African and Canary Island populations and increased with latitude, independently of migration distance. Repeat length and annual-cycle timing was linked in a population-specific way. Specifically, equatorial African stonechats showed delayed timing with longer repeat length for all annual-cycle stages. Our data suggest that at low latitudes with nearly constant photoperiod, Clk genotype might orchestrate a range of consistent, individual chronotypes. In contrast, the influence of Clk on annual-cycle timing at higher latitudes might be mediated by its interactions with genes involved in (circadian) photoperiodic pathways., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Cryptococcus deneoformans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that infects the lungs via airborne transmission and frequently causes fatal meningoencephalitis. Claudins (Cldns), a family of proteins with 27 members found in mammals, form the tight junctions within epithelial cell sheets. Cldn-4 and 18 are highly expressed in airway tissues, yet the roles of these claudins in respiratory infections have not been clarified. In the present study, we analyzed the roles of Cldn-4 and lung-specific Cldn-18 (luCldn-18) in host defense against C. deneoformans infection. luCldn-18-deficient mice exhibited increased susceptibility to pulmonary infection, while Cldn-4-deficient mice had normal fungal clearance. In luCldn-18-deficient mice, production of cytokines including IFN-γ was significantly decreased compared to wild-type mice, although infiltration of inflammatory cells including CD4 + T cells into the alveolar space was significantly increased. In addition, luCldn-18 deficiency led to high K + ion concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids and also to alveolus acidification. The fungal replication was significantly enhanced both in acidic culture conditions and in the alveolar spaces of luCldn-18-deficient mice, compared with physiological pH conditions and those of wild-type mice, respectively. These results suggest that luCldn-18 may affect the clinical course of cryptococcal infection indirectly through dysregulation of the alveolar space microenvironment., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

There have been no report of objective clinical characteristics or prognostic factors that predict fatal outcome of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) since the Berlin definition was published. The aim of this study is to identify clinically available predictors that distinguish between two phenotypes of fatal ARDS due to pneumonia. In total, 104 cases of Japanese patients with pneumonia-induced ARDS were extracted from our prospectively collected database. Fatal cases were divided into early (< 7 days after diagnosis) and late (≥ 7 days) death groups, and clinical variables and prognostic factors were statistically evaluated. Of the 50 patients who died within 180 days, 18 (36%) and 32 (64%) were in the early (median 2 days, IQR [1, 5]) and late (median 16 days, IQR [13, 29]) death groups, respectively. According to multivariate regression analyses, the APACHE II score (HR 1.25, 95%CI 1.12-1.39, p < 0.001) and the disseminated intravascular coagulation score (HR 1.54, 95%CI 1.15-2.04, p = 0.003) were independent prognostic factors for early death. In contrast, late death was associated with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) score indicating early fibroproliferation (HR 1.28, 95%CI 1.13-1.42, p < 0.001) as well as the disseminated intravascular coagulation score (HR 1.24, 95%CI 1.01-1.52, p = 0.039). The extent of fibroproliferation on HRCT, and the APACHE II scores along with coagulation abnormalities, should be considered for use in predictive enrichment and personalized medicine for patients with ARDS due to pneumonia., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The chylous turbidity of blood samples is one of the causes of false-high hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration measurements by the colorimetric method, which has been widely applied in hematology analyzers. In such cases, additional manual procedures are required to correct Hgb concentrations. We therefore examined the effectiveness of an optical method for measuring Hgb concentrations in samples with chylous turbidity using Hgb-O in the reticulocyte channel equipped in XN-series analyzers (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan). Hgb-O showed excellent basic performance, including linear correlation and invariability with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)-Hgb detected by the colorimetric method. In the analysis of samples from healthy volunteers supplemented with fat emulsion, chylous turbidity did not affect Hgb-O but SLS-Hgb, which was falsely increased according to the dose of fat emulsion. Actually, SLS-Hgb was falsely elevated in 34 of 40 chylous turbidity 3+ samples. The remaining 6 samples were measured in hematology analyzers where Hgb-O was inconsistent with SLS-Hgb in the internal quality control records. For these samples, the correction factors calculated from the internal quality control records could contribute to providing the corrected Hgb-O value. These findings suggested that the optical method was effective and convenient for accurately evaluating Hgb concentrations in samples with extremely chylous turbidity., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Algal biofuel research aims to make a renewable, carbon-neutral biofuel by using oil-producing microalgae. The freshwater microalga Botryococcus braunii has received much attention due to its ability to accumulate large amounts of petroleum-like hydrocarbons but suffers from slow growth. We performed a large-scale screening of fast-growing strains with 180 strains isolated from 22 ponds located in a wide geographic range from the tropics to cool-temperate. A fast-growing strain, Showa, which recorded the highest productivities of algal hydrocarbons to date, was used as a benchmark. The initial screening was performed by monitoring optical densities in glass tubes and identified 9 wild strains with faster or equivalent growth rates to Showa. The biomass-based assessments showed that biomass and hydrocarbon productivities of these strains were 12-37% and 11-88% higher than that of Showa, respectively. One strain, OIT-678 established a new record of the fastest growth rate in the race B strains with a doubling time of 1.2 days. The OIT-678 had 36% higher biomass productivity, 34% higher hydrocarbon productivity, and 20% higher biomass density than Showa at the same cultivation conditions, suggesting the potential of the new strain to break the record for the highest productivities of hydrocarbons.

[ 11 C]K-2, a radiotracer exhibiting high affinity and selectivity for α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptors (AMPARs), is suitable for the quantification of AMPARs in living human brains and potentially useful in the identification of epileptogenic foci in patients. This study aimed to estimate the radiation doses of [ 11 C]K-2 in various organs and calculate the effective dose after injection of [ 11 C]K-2 in healthy human subjects. Twelve healthy male subjects were registered and divided into two groups (370 or 555 MBq of [ 11 C]K-2), followed by 2 h whole-body scans. We estimated the radiation dose of each organ and then calculated the effective dose for each subject. The highest uptake of [ 11 C]K-2 was observed in the liver, while the brain also showed relatively high uptake. The urinary bladder exhibited the highest radiation dose. The kidneys and liver also showed high radiation doses after [ 11 C]K-2 injections. The effective dose of [ 11 C]K-2 ranged from 5.0 to 5.2 μSv/MBq. Our findings suggest that [ 11 C]K-2 is safe in terms of the radiation dose and adverse effects. The injection of 370-555 MBq (10 to 15 mCi) for PET studies using this radiotracer is applicable in healthy human subjects and enables serial PET scans in a single subject.

In 2012, after the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) that followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, no rock shell (Thais clavigera; currently recognized as Reishia clavigera; Gastropoda, Neogastropoda, Muricidae) specimens were found near the plant from Hirono to Futaba Beach (a distance of approximately 30 km). In July 2016, however, rock shells were again found to inhabit the area. From April 2017 to May 2019, we collected rock shell specimens monthly at two sites near the FDNPP (Okuma and Tomioka) and at a reference site ~ 120 km south of the FDNPP (Hiraiso). We examined the gonads of the specimens histologically to evaluate their reproductive cycle and sexual maturation. The gonads of the rock shells collected at Okuma, ~ 1 km south of the FDNPP, exhibited consecutive sexual maturation during the 2 years from April 2017 to May 2019, whereas sexual maturation of the gonads of specimens collected at Hiraiso was observed only in summer. The consecutive sexual maturation of the gonads of the specimens collected at Okuma might not represent a temporary phenomenon but rather a site-specific phenotype, possibly caused by specific environmental factors near the FDNPP.

Muscular dystrophies (MDs) are inherited disorders characterized by progressive muscle weakness. Previously, we have shown that resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), an antioxidant and an activator of the protein deacetylase SIRT1, decreases muscular and cardiac oxidative damage and improves pathophysiological conditions in animal MD models. To determine whether resveratrol provides therapeutic benefits to patients with MDs, an open-label, single-arm, phase IIa trial of resveratrol was conducted in 11 patients with Duchenne, Becker or Fukuyama MD. The daily dose of resveratrol was 500 mg/day, which was increased every 8 weeks to 1000 and then 1500 mg/day. Primary outcomes were motor function, evaluated by a motor function measure (MFM) scale, muscular strength, monitored with quantitative muscle testing (QMT), and serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. Adverse effects and tolerability were evaluated as secondary outcomes. Despite the advanced medical conditions of the patients, the mean MFM scores increased significantly from 34.6 to 38.4 after 24 weeks of medication. A twofold increase was found in the mean QMT scores of scapula elevation and shoulder abduction. Mean CK levels decreased considerably by 34%. Diarrhoea and abdominal pain was noted in six and three patients, respectively. Resveratrol may provide some benefit to MD patients.

Applied phosphorus (P) use efficiency is generally low due to the low mobility of P in soil and its affinity to form insoluble complexes. Localized P application nearby the root zone is a potential approach to overcome this issue in crop production. However, the interaction with soil conditions is little understood, which results in less effective application of this approach. Using root-box experiments and changing P-retention capacity of soils, we revealed that applied P use efficiency of rice can be substantially improved by dipping seedlings in P-enriched slurry at transplanting (P-dipping) even in highly P-fixing soils. Spatial analysis of soluble P in soils indicated that P-dipping creates a P hotspot because the P-enriched slurry is transferred with seedling roots. The P hotspot could have induced vigorous surface root and facilitated further P uptake from the spot. In contrast, the effect of conventional P incorporation depended on P-retention capacity of soils; no increases in soluble P content in soils or plant P uptakes were observed when P-retention capacity was high. Our finding of significant interaction between localized P application and a specific soil property should help improving applied P use efficiency and achieving sustainable rice production against depleting P fertilizer resources.

The green microalga Botryococcus braunii produces hydrocarbon oils at 25-75% of its dry weight and is a promising source of biofuel feedstock. Few studies have examined this species' ecology in natural habitats, and few wild genetic resources have been collected due to difficulties caused by its low abundance in nature. This study aimed to develop a real-time PCR assay for specific detection and quantification of this alga in natural environments and to quantify spatiotemporal variations of wild B. braunii populations in a tropical pond. We designed PCR primers toward the hydrocarbon biosynthesis gene SSL-3 and examined amplification specificity and PCR efficiency with 70 wild strains newly isolated from various environments. The results demonstrated that this PCR assay specifically amplified B. braunii DNA, especially that of B-race strains, and can be widely used to detect wild B. braunii strains in temperate and tropical habitats. Field-testing in a tropical pond suggested a diurnal change in the abundance of B. braunii in surface water and found B. braunii not only in surface water, but also at 1-1.5 m deep and in bottom sediments. This method can contribute to efficient genetic resource exploitations and may also help elucidate the unknown ecology of B. braunii.

CD34-positive monocytes (CD34+mono) have recently been identified in grafts mobilized by granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. We analyzed transplant outcomes of 73 patients whose donor's peripheral blood cells were cryopreserved during mobilization. CD34+mono was detected more frequently in male donors (67% vs. 40%, P = 0.03), while the detection of CD34+mono in donors was not associated with the patient background. Although there was no significant difference in overall survival in the whole cohort, the detection of CD34+mono in donors were significantly associated with a decreased risk of non-relapse mortality (HR 0.23, P = 0.035). Fatal infectious events tended to be less frequent in donors with CD34+mono. Gene expression profile analyses of CD34+mono in humans revealed that the expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL6, CCL3, IL8, VEGFA, and IL1A were elevated in CD34+mono, and those cytokines were enriched in the immune response, especially against infectious pathogens in the gene ontology analyses. In addition, the expression of CD83 was specifically increased in CD34+mono. It might play a role of antigen presentation in the immune network, leading in a clinical benefit against infections. Further investigations will be required to confirm the biological functions and clinical roles of CD34+mono in transplantation.

Insulin interacts with the insulin receptor, and the activated receptor promotes activity of the phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) enzyme. A decrease in insulin or insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling increases the lifespan in mammalian species. We found that a point mutation in the C-SH2 domain of the p85β regulatory subunit of PI3K results in a prolonged lifespan. In p85β mutant cells, nerve growth factor (NGF) activates the longevity protein FOXO, and the mutant p85β gene produces strong resistance to oxidative stress, which contributes to aging. The p85β gene mutation causes increased serum insulin and low blood glucose in p85β mutant transgenic mice. Our results indicate that the p85β mutant allele alters the activity of downstream targets of PI3K by NGF and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) but not by insulin. We report that a point mutation in the C-SH2 domain of p85β transforms p85β into a novel anti-aging gene by abnormally regulating PI3K.

Drugs can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, there is no established clinical prediction rule for drug-associated ARDS (DARDS). We aimed to develop and validate a scoring system for DARDS prediction. We analysed data collected from a prospective, single-centre, cohort study that included ARDS patients. The ARDS diagnosis was based on the American-European Consensus Conference or Berlin definition. Drug-associated acute lung injury (DALI) was defined as previous exposure to drugs which cause ALI and presence of traditional risk factors for ALI. High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT; indicating extent of lung damage with fibroproliferation), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC; indicating multiorgan failure) scores and PaO 2 /FiO 2 were evaluated for their ability to predict DARDS. Twenty-nine of 229 patients had DARDS. The HRCT, APACHE II, and DIC scores and PaO 2 /FiO 2 were assessed. The model-based predicted probability of DARDS fitted well with the observed data, and discrimination ability, assessed through bootstrap with an area under the receiver-operating curve, improved from 0.816 to 0.875 by adding the HRCT score. A simple clinical scoring system consisting of the APACHE II score, PaO 2 /FiO 2 , and DIC and HRCT scores can predict DARDS. This model may facilitate more appropriate clinical decision-making.

Perceptual changes in shape, size, or color are observed in patients with derealization symptoms; however, the underlying neural and molecular mechanisms are not well understood. The current study explored the relationship between neural activity associated with altered colorfulness perception assessed by fMRI and striatal dopamine D 2 receptor availability measured by [ 11 C]raclopride PET in healthy participants. Inside an fMRI scanner, participants performed the saturation adaptation task, where they rated how much vivid/faded visual objects looked like real/unreal ones using a visual analog scale. We found that participants experienced greater unreality when they perceived fadedness than vividness despite physically identical saturation. The combined fMRI and PET analyses revealed that the faded perception-related activities of the dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal cortex were positively correlated with striatal D 2 receptor availability. This finding may help to understand the neuromolecular mechanisms of faded perception associated with feeling unreal in derealization symptoms.

To better understand the impact of East Asian pollutants on the molecular composition of marine organic aerosols, we conducted long-term (2001-2013) observations of water-soluble dicarboxylic acids and related compounds in total suspended particulate samples collected at Chichijima Island in the western North Pacific (WNP). Seasonal variations of all the diacids and related compounds showed maxima in winter and spring and minima in summer, except for azelaic acid (C 9 ), which maximized in summer to autumn. The overall annual concentrations of the total diacids, ω-oxoacids and α-dicarbonyls showed an increase during 2001-2013. We found a significant (p < 0.05) decadal increase in the inter-annual trends of pyruvic and glyoxylic (p > 0.05) acids, and methylglyoxal (MeGly). In contrast, phthalic acid (p < 0.05) and glyoxal (Gly) showed a decrease in their trends. We also found a significant decrease in the trend of the Gly/MeGly mass ratios. These results demonstrate that the enhanced concentrations of diacids over the WNP are majorly attributed to the aqueous-phase photooxidation of biogenic volatile organic compounds from East Asia followed by long-range atmospheric transport. Further, positive matrix factorization analysis showed a biogenic photochemical contribution (42%) was the dominant source of oxalic acid in the WNP.

Biogenic organic aerosols can affect cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) properties, and subsequently impact climate change. Large uncertainties exist in how the difference in the types of terrestrial biogenic sources and the abundance of organics relative to sulfate affect CCN properties. For the submicron water-soluble aerosols collected for two years in a cool-temperate forest in northern Japan, we show that the hygroscopicity parameter κ CCN (0.44 ± 0.07) exhibited a distinct seasonal trend with a minimum in autumn (κ CCN  = 0.32-0.37); these κ CCN values were generally larger than that of ambient particles, including water-insoluble fractions. The temporal variability of κ CCN was controlled by the water-soluble organic matter (WSOM)-to-sulfate ratio (R 2  > 0.60), where the significant reduction of κ CCN in autumn was linked to the increased WSOM/sulfate ratio. Positive matrix factorization analysis indicates that α-pinene-derived secondary organic aerosol (SOA) substantially contributed to the WSOM mass (~75%) in autumn, the majority of which was attributable to emissions from litter/soil microbial activity near the forest floor. These findings suggest that WSOM, most likely α-pinene SOA, originated from the forest floor can significantly suppress the aerosol CCN activity in cool-temperate forests, which have implications for predicting climate effects by changes in biogenic emissions in future.

To investigate the applicability of compound specific stable carbon isotope ratios (δ 13 C) of organics in assessment of their photochemical aging in the atmosphere, batch UV irradiation experiments were conducted on two ambient (anthropogenic and biogenic) aerosol samples in aqueous phase for 0.5-120 h. The irradiated samples were analyzed for δ 13 C of diacids, glyoxylic acid (ωC 2 ) and glyoxal. δ 13 C of diacids and related compounds became larger with irradiation time (i.e., aging), except for few cases. In general, δ 13 C of C 2 -C 4 diacids showed an increasing trend with decreasing chain length. Based on δ 13 C of diacids and related compounds and their relations to their concentrations, we found that C 2 and C 3 are enriched with 13 C during the photochemical decomposition and production from their higher homologues and oxoacids. Photochemical breakdown of higher (≥C 3 ) to lower diacids is also important in the enrichment of 13 C in C 3 -C 9 diacids whereas their production from primary precursors causes depletion of 13 C. In case of ωC 2 and glyoxal, their photochemical production and further oxidation to highly oxygenated compounds both cause the enrichment of 13 C. This study reveals that δ 13 C of diacids and related compounds can be used as a proxy to trace the aging of organic aerosols during long-range atmospheric transport.

Hepatic fibrosis is the wound healing response to chronic hepatic injury caused by various factors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the utility of translocator protein (18 kDa) (TSPO) as a molecular imaging biomarker for monitoring the progression of hepatic fibrosis to cirrhosis. Model rats were induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), and liver fibrosis was assessed. Positron emission tomography (PET) with N-benzyl-N-methyl-2-[7,8-dihydro-7-(2-[(18)F]fluoroethyl)-8-oxo-2-phenyl-9H-purin-9-yl]-acetamide ([(18)F]FEDAC), a radioprobe specific for TSPO, was used for noninvasive visualisation in vivo. PET scanning, immunohistochemical staining, ex vivo autoradiography, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction were performed to elucidate the relationships among radioactivity uptake, TSPO levels, and cellular sources enriching TSPO expression in damaged livers. PET showed that uptake of radioactivity in livers increased significantly after 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of CCl4 treatment. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that TSPO was mainly expressed in macrophages and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). TSPO-expressing macrophages and HSCs increased with the progression of liver fibrosis. Interestingly, the distribution of radioactivity from [(18)F]FEDAC was well correlated with TSPO expression, and TSPO mRNA levels increased with the severity of liver damage. TSPO was a useful molecular imaging biomarker and could be used to track the progression of hepatic fibrosis to cirrhosis with PET.

Carbonaceous aerosols influence the climate via direct and indirect effects on radiative balance. However, the factors controlling the emissions, transport and role of carbonaceous aerosols in the climate system are highly uncertain. Here we investigate organic tracers in ice cores from Greenland and Kamchatka and find that, throughout the period covered by the records (1550 to 2000 CE), the concentrations and composition of biomass burning-, soil bacterial- and plant wax- tracers correspond to Arctic and regional temperatures as well as the warm season Arctic Oscillation (AO) over multi-decadal time-scales. Specifically, order of magnitude decreases (increases) in abundances of ice-core organic tracers, likely representing significant decreases (increases) in the atmospheric loading of carbonaceous aerosols, occur during colder (warmer) phases in the high latitudinal Northern Hemisphere. This raises questions about causality and possible carbonaceous aerosol feedback mechanisms. Our work opens new avenues for ice core research. Translating concentrations of organic tracers (μg/kg-ice or TOC) from ice-cores, into estimates of the atmospheric loading of carbonaceous aerosols (μg/m(3)) combined with new model constraints on the strength and sign of climate forcing by carbonaceous aerosols should be a priority for future research.

Accumulation of protein-bound uraemic toxins (PBUTs) is one of the reasons for the development of uraemia-related complications including cardiovascular disease; however, conventional haemodialysis is limited in its ability to remove PBUTs. We aimed to examine whether the oral charcoal adsorbent AST-120 has an additive effect on PBUT removal in haemodialysis patients. During the 4-week study, anuric patients undergoing haemodialysis received AST-120 (6 g/day) in the last 2 weeks (n = 10) or the first 2 weeks (n = 10). Serum levels of total and free PBUTs such as indoxyl sulfate, p-cresyl sulfate, and phenyl sulfate at the pre- and postdialysis sessions were measured before and after AST-120 use and after discontinuation. Levels of the oxidative stress markers oxidized albumin and 8-isoprostane were also measured. AST-120 use induced dramatic reduction of indoxyl sulfate (total, 45.7% [33.2-50.5%]; free, 70.4% [44.8-79.8%]), p-cresyl sulfate (total, 31.1% [25.0-48.0%]; free, 63.5% [49.3-70.9%]), and phenyl sulfate (free, 50.6% [32.3-71.2%]) levels; however, this effect disappeared after the discontinuation of AST-120. AST-120 use also induced substantial reduction of the oxidized albumin and 8-isoprostane levels. In conclusion, oral administration of AST-120 had additive effects on the continuous reduction of some PBUTs in anuric patients undergoing haemodialysis.

Organic aerosols are ubiquitous in the earth's atmosphere. They have been extensively studied in urban, rural and marine environments. However, little is known about the fluorescence properties of water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) or their transport to and distribution in the polar regions. Here, we present evidence that fluorescent WSOC is a substantial component of High Arctic aerosols. The ratios of fluorescence intensity of protein-like peak to humic-like peak generally increased from dark winter to early summer, indicating an enhanced contribution of protein-like organics from the ocean to Arctic aerosols after the polar sunrise. Such a seasonal pattern is in agreement with an increase of stable carbon isotope ratios of total carbon (δCTC) from -26.8‰ to -22.5‰. Our results suggest that Arctic aerosols are derived from a combination of the long-range transport of terrestrial organics and local sea-to-air emission of marine organics, with an estimated contribution from the latter of 8.7-77% (mean 45%).

High levels of carbonaceous aerosol exist over South Asia, the area adjacent to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. Little is known about if they can be transported across the Himalayas, and as far inland as the Tibetan Plateau. As important constituents of aerosols, organic acids have been recognized as unique fingerprints to identify the atmospheric process. Here we measured dicarboxylic acids and related compounds in aerosols on the northern slope of Mt. Everest (Qomolangma, 4276 m a.s.l.). Strong positive correlations were observed for dicarboxylic acids with biomass burning tracers, levoglucosan and K(+), demonstrating that this area was evidently affected by biomass burning. The seasonal variation pattern of dicarboxylic acids is consistent with OC and EC, being characterized by a pronounced maximum in the pre-monsoon season. Molecular distributions of dicarboxylic acids and related compounds (malonic acid/succinic acid, maleic acid/fumaric acid) further support this finding. We suggest that the local meteorological conditions and regional atmospheric flow process could facilitate the penetration of the carbonaceous aerosols from South Asia throughout the Himalayas. With the consideration of the darkening force of carbonaceous aerosols, our finding has important implication for this climate-sensitive area, where the glacier melting supplies water for billions of people downstream.

On March 11(th), 2011 the Mw 9.0 2011 Tōhoku-Oki earthquake resulted in a tsunami which caused major devastation in coastal areas. Along the Japanese NE coast, tsunami waves reached maximum run-ups of 40 m, and travelled kilometers inland. Whereas devastation was clearly visible on land, underwater impact is much more difficult to assess. Here, we report unexpected results obtained during a research cruise targeting the seafloor off Shimokita (NE Japan), shortly (five months) after the disaster. The geography of the studied area is characterized by smooth coastline and a gradually descending shelf slope. Although high-energy tsunami waves caused major sediment reworking in shallow-water environments, investigated shelf ecosystems were characterized by surprisingly high benthic diversity and showed no evidence of mass mortality. Conversely, just beyond the shelf break, the benthic ecosystem was dominated by a low-diversity, opportunistic fauna indicating ongoing colonization of massive sand-bed deposits.

In situ video observations and sediment core samplings were performed at two hadal sites in the Japan Trench on July, 2011, four months after the Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Video recordings documented dense nepheloid layers extending ~30-50 m above the sea bed. At the trench axis, benthic macrofauna was absent and dead organisms along with turbid downslope current were observed. The top 31 cm of sediment in the trench axis revealed three recent depositions events characterized by elevated (137)Cs levels and alternating sediment densities. At 4.9 km seaward from the trench axis, little deposition was observed but the surface sediment contained (134)Cs from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster. We argue that diatom blooms observed by remote sensing facilitated rapid deposition of (134)Cs to hadal environment and the aftershocks induced successive sediment disturbances and maintained dense nepheloid layers in the trench even four months after the mainshock.