Effects of N loading rate on CH4 and N2O emissions during cultivation and fallow periods from forage rice fields fertilized with liquid cattle waste.

The use of liquid cattle waste (LCW) as a fertilizer for forage rice is important for material recycling because it can promote biomass production, and reduce the use of chemical fertilizer. Meanwhile, increase in emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), especially CH4 and N2O would be concerned. We conducted a field study to determine the optimum loading rate of LCW as N to promote forage rice growth with lower GHG emissions. The LCW was applied to forage rice fields, N100, N250, N500, and N750, at four different N loading rates of 107, 258, 522, and 786 kg N ha(-1), respectively, including 50 kg N ha(-1) of basal chemical fertilizer. The above-ground biomass yields increased 14.6-18.5 t ha(-1) with increases in N loading rates. During the cultivation period, both the CH4 and N2O fluxes increased with increases in LCW loading rates. In the treatments of N100, N250, N500, and N750, the cumulative CH4 emissions during the entire period, including cultivation and fallow period were 29.6, 18.1, 54.4, and 67.5 kg C ha(-1), respectively, whereas those of N2O were -0.15, -0.02, 1.49, and 5.82 kg N ha(-1), respectively. Considering the greenhouse gas emissions and above-ground biomass, the yield-scaled CO2-equivalents (CO2-eqs) were 66.3, 35.9, 161, and 272 kg CO2 t(-1) for N100, N250, N500, and N750, respectively. These results suggest that N250 is the most appropriate LCW loading rate for promoting forage rice production with lower GHG emissions.

The first seven cases of chronic beryllium disease in ceramic factory workers in Japan.

In the present paper the first 7 cases in Japan of chronic beryllium disease found in workers employed in a ceramic factory utilizing beryllium have been described. Immunological examinations of these cases showed changes similar to those observed in sarcoidosis, that is, negative tuberculin test and increase in serum gamma globulin and immunoglobulins. The fact that a considerable number of workers in the same factories as the patients showed negative tuberculin reaction may suggest that there may be further cases of chronic beryllium disease among them that are still in a latent period.

A cooperative study of sarcoidosis in Asia and Africa: descriptive epidemiology.

An eight-nation cooperative epidemiological study revealed the Asian and African features of sarcoidosis. Almost every country reported from several to less than 30 cases, except for Japan which had already collected over 3,000 cases. Not a single case was found in the mass x-ray surveys conducted by several countries on a large scale (Tables 1 and 2). Although the number of the cases included in this study were small, this information is the first of this kind for Asia and Africa.

[The fate of dioxins during green tea manufacture].

Dioxin concentrations and homologue profiles were examined in plucked new shoots, crude tea and its hot water extracts, soils and atmosphere in tea orchards. The rate of dry provisions in crude tea has increased 4 times as that of the plucked new shoots. However, dioxin concentrations except O8CDD in crude tea have increased only 2 to 3 times as those of the plucked new shoots. O8CDD concentration increased remarkably during processing. Little dioxins were detected in hot water extracts of crude tea leaves.

[A case of pleural effusion in a patient with malignant lymphoma diagnosed by thoracoscopy with local anesthesia].

A 47-year-old woman was admitted for examination of massive right pleural effusion on chest radiography, together with chief complaints of dry cough and body weight loss. Exudative effusion was aspirated by thoracentesis, revealing many lymphocytes and a high level of adenosine deaminase. Thoracoscopy with local anesthesia was performed. Elevated white lesions and miliary nodules were observed, and these lesions were examined by thoracoscopic biopsy, leading to a diagnosis of malignant lymphoma. Treatment with chemotherapy (THP-COP) resulted in partial remission. Thoracoscopy with local anesthesia in cases of pleural effusion with malignant lymphoma can be a safe and useful procedure for diagnosis.

[Clinical study of three myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients with BOOP-like pulmonary disease].

Three cases of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) associated with BOOP-like pulmonary disease were reported. They were diagnosed from transbronchial biopsies and clinical features. In two cases, chest radiographs showed ground glass opacities or air space consolidation in both lung fields, and air space consolidation in the right lower lobe in the other case. BALF showed a marked increase of lymphocytes in one case, and organizing pneumonia and alveolitis, and alveolar spaces filled with foamy macrophages were identified histologically. Although no steroid therapy was employed, all three cases improved. However, one patient suffered a relapse 6 months later and thereafter did not respond to corticosteroid therapy.

Atmospheric burden of organochlorine pesticides in Ghana.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are subject to the Stockholm Convention on POPs and have been banned or restricted globally. In Ghana, concerns of illicit applications of some OCPs have been raised in recent times. Applying polyurethane foam (PUF) disk passive air samplers (PAS), the levels of OCPs in the atmosphere and their spatial resolution were investigated. It was the first nationwide coverage of OCPs monitoring in Ghana. ∑DDTs and endusulfans constituted the highest burden of atmospheric OCPs in Ghana, at average concentrations of 156±36 and 153±28 pg m(-3), respectively. Mirex had the lowest concentration (0.2±0.01 pg m(-3)). From the chemical signatures of the various OCPs, we deduced that DDT, endosulfans and heptachlor were freshly applied at certain sites, which were all agricultural sites. The OCPs were spatially resolved as a function of the types of crops cultivated in different areas, legacy issues and recent applications.

Validation of a commercial ELISA for the analysis of the insecticide dinotefuran in a variety of analytically challenging vegetables.

The main objective of this paper was to assess the suitability of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as a rapid and simple screening method for the detection of neonicotinoid insecticide dinotefuran residues in various vegetable samples including carrot, cabbage, green pepper, leek, Japanese mustard spinach (komatsuna), and spinach. Simple dilution of crude sample extracts was effective to circumvent or reduce matrix interference derived from samples. Consequently, ELISA was useful to determine dinotefuran accurately and directly, only requiring methanol extraction and dilution with water. The theoretically estimated limit of detection of dinotefuran for tested samples ranged from 0.06 to 0.12 mg kg(-1). The ELISA gave recovery values close to 100% for all samples except komatsuna, which contained lower concentration levels, and the results of the ELISA agreed well with those obtained with conventional HPLC (r > 0.99). Results show that the ELISA evaluated in this study is suitable for the rapid and simple screening method of dinotefuran residue in agricultural samples even without sample pre-treatment.

[A clinical study on superior sulcus tumors].

Twenty nine patients with superior sulcus tumors (26 men and 3 women) were studied. The incidence was 2.1% of 1350 patients with lung cancer. The mean age was 66.2 years, and 27 patients (93.1%) had a history of smoking (B.I. = 1193.7). There were 10 adenocarcinomas, 9 squamous cell carcinomas, 5 large cell carcinomas 4 small cell carcinomas, and 1 that could not be classified. Fifteen patients (51.7%) had Stage IV disease on admission. Eight patients (27.6%) presented with symptoms outside the chest. Pancoast syndrome was recognized in 9 patients (31.0%). In 15 patients (51.7%) the diagnosis was made by transbronchial biopsy and in 10 patients (34.5%) it was made by echoguided needle biopsy. Tumors were located in a posterior lesion in 13 patients (44.8%). Twenty patients were given radiation therapy. Clinical staging, irradiation, and surgical treatment were related to the length of survival. The median survival time was 7 months.

[Pancoast syndrome in a patient with malignant lymphoma arising from the pleura].

A 79-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of left shoulder pain. He presented with signs and symptoms typical of Pancoast syndrome. A chest roentgenogram and computed tomogram revealed a mass lesion that was connected to old pleural thicking due to tuberculosis in the left superior sulcus. A cervical lymph node biopsy was done and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was diagnosed. Chemotherapy was effective but the patient died of severe pneumonia. Pancoast syndrome associated with malignant lymphoma is very rare. Care must be taken in the management of patients with shoulder pain, chest pain, and old pleural tuberculosis.

[A case of pulmonary alveolar proteinosis treated successfully with repeated bronchoalveolar lavage and surfactant replacement therapy].

A 24-year-old woman who had suffered from pulmonary alveolar proteinosis for eight years was admitted to Jichi Medical Hospital with severe pneumonia. She was mechanically ventilated, and her condition markedly improved after repeated bronchoalveolar lavage with surfactant replacement therapy. This method was used because she had been resistant to the conventional unilateral lung lavage method for 12 months. During the bronchoalveolar lavage procedure, she became progressively hypoxic, but recovered immediately after the instillation of surfactant. The combination of bronchoalveolar lavage with surfactant replacement via a fiberoptic bronchoscope may be useful in treating other patients with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Experimental production of pulmonary granulomas. I. Immune granulomas induced by chemically modified cell walls and their constituents.

The intrabronchial instillation of stimulants in an oily vehicle induces a solitary inflammatory focus in the rabbit lung. When heat-killed tubercle bacilli were administered to tuberculo-immune animals, a necrotizing focus with cavities was induced. Delipidation of the bacterial cells stimulated the production of a necrotizing focus. In contrast, acetylation of the mycobacterial cell walls resulted in the replacement of cavity formation with epithelioid-cell granuloma production similar to that seen after the administration of Wax D, a peptidoglycolipid fraction of the cell walls. These lesions were induced much faster than in controls, indicating that some immune mechanisms are involved. In the present study of the specific granuloma induction mechanism, the biological activities of the chemical constituents of Wax D were examined. It was concluded that specific granuloma induction is due to the long delayed hypersensitivity antigenicity of Wax D which is brought about by the conjugation of biologically inactive mycolic acid with Arthus-antigenic peptidoglycan. Wax D glycolipids with delayed-type antigenicity also take part in the induction. The intrinsic adjuvant activity of these compounds may stimulate granuloma production. The haemagglutination antigenicity and Arthus-type antigenicity of the polysaccharide or peptidoglycan moiety are not involved.

A simple single-tube procedure of PCR assay for the detection of hepatitis C virus RNA.

We developed a simple single tube procedure using the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) for the detection of hepatitis C virus RNA. The entire reaction from RNA extraction to PCR occurred in one tube; this was made possible by the use of more than 1,000 micrograms/ml of proteinase K for RNA extraction, instead of the acid-guanidinium thiocyanate-phenol-chloroform method. All necessary reagents were added to the tube, and PCR products were not removed from the tube until the end of PCR, although opening of the tube during the procedure could not be avoided. Therefore, cross-contamination which might theoretically take place during transfer of products between tubes never occurred. This method detected about 1 chimpanzee infectious dose of HCV in H strain plasma.