Estimate of Fukushima-derived radiocaesium in the North Pacific Ocean in summer 2012.

Distributions of radiocaesium (134Cs and 137Cs) derived from the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP1) accident in the North Pacific Ocean in the summer of 2012 were investigated. We have estimated the radiocaesium inventory in the surface layer using the optimal interpolation analysis and the subducted amount into the central mode water (CMW) by using vertical profiles of FNPP1-134Cs and mass balance analysis as the first approach. The inventory of the 134Cs in the surface layer in the North Pacific Ocean in August-December 2012 was estimated at 5.1 ± 0.9 PBq on 1 October 2012, which corresponds to 8.6 ± 1.5 PBq when it was decay corrected to the date of the FNPP1 accident, 11 March 2011. It was revealed that 56 ± 10% of the released 134Cs into the North Pacific Ocean, which was estimated at 15.3 ± 2.6 PBq, transported eastward in the surface layer in 2012. The amount of 134Cs subducted in the CMW was estimated to be 2.5 ± 0.9 PBq based on the mass balance among the three domains of the surface layer, subtropical mode water, and CMW.

Spatial and temporal distributions of (134)Cs and (137)Cs derived from the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in the North Pacific Ocean by using optimal interpolation analysis.

Optimal interpolation (OI) analysis was used to investigate the oceanic distributions of (134)Cs and (137)Cs released from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP1) accident. From the end of March to early April 2011, extremely high activities were observed in the coastal surface seawater near the FNPP1. The high activities spread to a region near 165°E in the western North Pacific Ocean, with a latitudinal center of 40°N. Atmospheric deposition also caused high activities in the region between 180° and 130°W in the North Pacific Ocean. The inventory of FNPP1-released (134)Cs in the North Pacific Ocean was estimated to be 15.3 ± 2.6 PBq. About half of this activity (8.4 ± 2.6 PBq) was found in the coastal region near the FNPP1. After 6 April 2011, when major direct releases ceased, the FNPP1-released (134)Cs in the coastal region decreased exponentially with an apparent half-time of about 4.2 ± 0.5 days and declined to about 2 ± 0.4 PBq by the middle of May 2011. Taking into account that the (134)Cs/(137)Cs activity ratio was about 1 just after release and was extremely uniform during the first month after the accident, the amount of (137)Cs released by the FNPP1 accident increased the North Pacific inventory of (137)Cs due to bomb testing during the 1950s and early 1960s by 20%.

Indocyanine green elimination test in orthotopic liver recipients.

OBJECTIVE: To determine its predictive capability on graft quality and resultant clinical outcome, the indocyanine green (ICG) elimination test was performed by a spectrophotometric method and a noninvasive finger-piece method with 50 orthotopic liver transplantations. BACKGROUND: Early detection of poor-functioning hepatic grafts is one of the most important issues in liver transplantation, but no reliable methods exist. METHODS: The ICG test was performed after 50 orthotopic liver transplantations on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. Indocyanine green elimination constants (K(ICG)) were measured by both a standard spectrophotometric analysis (K(ICG)-B) and by a finger-piece method (K(ICG)-F). The patients were followed for a minimum of 3 months after transplantation. Results of ICG tests were correlated with various clinical determinations. RESULTS: Twelve of the 50 grafts were lost within three months, of which 7 were related to graft failure. Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazard model revealed that K(ICG) on postoperative day 1 was a better predictor of liver-related graft outcome than any of the conventional liver function tests. Furthermore, K(ICG) values showed significant correlation with the severity of preservation injury, longer intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stay, prolonged liver dysfunction, and septic complications. Correlation of K(ICG) values by the spectrophotometric method with those by the finger-piece method was highly satisfactory in the grafts that had K(ICG)-B <0.15 min-1 (y = 0.868x -0.011, r = .955). CONCLUSION: The ICG elimination test, conducted spectrophotometrically or optically on the day after liver transplantation, is a reliable indicator of graft quality and subsequent graft outcome early after liver transplantation.

Hepatic functional reserve in patients with obstructive jaundice: an assessment by the redox tolerance test.

PURPOSE: Hepatic mitochondrial response to oral glucose load (redox tolerance test) was evaluated as an indicator of hepatic functional reserve of patients with obstructive jaundice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The redox tolerance test was performed in 29 patients with obstructive jaundice before percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage and 2 weeks after the procedure. RESULTS: The redox tolerance index (RTI) before drainage was not related to conventional parameters other than albumin, but was significantly associated with bilirubin half-life (P < 0.01). Of 19 patients with an RTI > or = 0.5 before drainage, all maintained similar values after drainage and experienced satisfactory clinical courses, even after major surgery. Of 10 patients with an RTI < 0.5 before drainage, 5 showed improvement and 5 deteriorated after drainage. Four of the latter 5 died within 60 days after drainage. The hospital mortality was significantly greater in patients with initial RTI < 0.5 than in patients with RTI > or = 0.5 (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The redox tolerance test is useful for evaluating hepatic functional reserve and prognosis in patients with obstructive jaundice.

Hepatic portal venous gas associated with cholangitis following pancreaticoduodenectomy: report of a case.

A 63-year-old an developed fever and shock 2 weeks after undergoing a pancreaticoduodenectomy for carcinoma of the gallbladder with duodenal involvement. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen showed transient hepatic portal venous gas in the right lobe of the liver, which had probably been induced by obstruction of the bilioenteric anastomosis by the biliary drain. The gas and bacteria, both of which are commonly observed in cases of bilioenteric anastomosis, may have been diffused through the sinusoid into the portal venous system. Thus, hepatic portal venous gas could be a serious sign when it develops in patients with cholangitis following bilioenteric anastomosis.

Enhanced hepatic portal blood flow induced by prostaglandin E1 following liver transplantation in pigs.

Portal venous blood flow (PVF), hepatic arterial blood flow (HAF), and systemic arterial pressure (SAP) were examined after prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) was injected into the vena cava superior (VCS) of liver-transplanted pigs. The injection of PGE1 at 0.2 micrograms/kg/min for 2 min on the day of transplantation and 3 days later produced an increase in PVF without causing any change in HAF or SAP, the response in PVF being dose-dependent. However, no reliable change in PVF, HAF, or SAP was seen when the same dose of PGE1 was administered 7 days after transplantation. Furthermore, no significant difference was noted among the values for PVF and total hepatic blood flow (THF) during the experimented days, although the HAF value had increased markedly 3 days after transplantation. These findings suggest that PGE1 is effective in increasing PVF in the liver transplanted condition; however, the hepatic circulatory improvement attributed to this agent would be limited to the first few days following transplantation.

A case of bilateral obturator hernias: image diagnosis and description of a retropubic operative approach.

A case of bilateral obturator hernias which was diagnosed by ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT), and repaired by a retropubic extraperitoneal operative approach under spinal anesthesia is reported herein. A 91-year-old woman presented with lower abdominal and left groin pain consistent with a Howship-Romberg sign. US demonstrated an image of the bowel projecting from the small pelvic space to the left thigh with a to-and-fro movement of the bowel contents. The definitive diagnosis of an incarcerated left obturator hernia was made by CT which also revealed a mass in the right obturator foramen. Surgery was performed through a retropubic extraperitoneal approach under spinal anesthesia. No necrosis was observed in the incarcerated bowel and resection was not necessary. A simple hernial sac was found in the right obturator canal. The operation using the retropubic extraperitoneal approach was successful and we believe it to be the most effective procedure for obturator hernias which have been diagnosed early.