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Over the past five decades, transitions from kelp beds (or forests) to barrens have occurred as a result of sea urchin overgrazing along the temperate coastlines. The deterioration of mature kelp beds has been mainly observed for Laminaria, Saccharina, and Macrocystis in the order Laminariales. In northern Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, the destruction of adult Ecklonia bicyclis kelp beds by the overgrazing of Mesocentrotus nudus was observed since 2013. In this study, we analyzed the process of deterioration of an E. bicyclis bed, from the changes in morphology of the thallus, with or without urchin grazing marks and urchin attachment, from video and photographic records. The processes of deterioration followed one of two strategies. In the first strategy, sea urchins climb from the stipes to the branches under calm conditions in winter. Subsequently, the fronds and branches are grazed by these urchins, as shown by large numbers of bare stipes and holdfasts. After the disappearance of the fronds and the branches, sea urchins mainly graze above the stipe bases, as illustrated by the high percentage of stipes with grazing marks. Finally, rigid holdfasts are left on the seafloor. The kelp bed is most likely to be destroyed by this grazing strategy. In the second strategy, urchins aggregate on the holdfasts of the entire plants and graze the stipe bases, particularly in February. The stipes are severely grazed by sea urchins, and the thalli above the stipe bases fall to the seafloor. Urchins aggregated firstly graze the fronds of the detached thalli followed by the branches and the stipes. The results of this study suggest that protection of the stipes from the grazing and climbing of M. nudus would be desirable for the conservation and restoration of E. bicyclis kelp beds.

It is known that the kinetic energy of individual fragments for fission of actinides is constant at about 100 MeV for light fragments and that for heavy fragments decreases with mass number. The kinetic energy is, for example, important for evaluating the prompt-neutron spectrum in the laboratory system. However, its theoretical study has not been attempted in detail so far. We have calculated them in thermal-neutron induced fission of 235 U using the dynamical model, considering the Coulomb energy at the scission point and the prescission kinetic energy. The calculated results reproduce the experimental data. It is found that the pre-scission kinetic energy has about 5% contribution in the kinetic energy.

Left ventricular–arterial (VA) coupling has been recognized to be of great significance in understanding both the global and local mechanical performance of the circulatory system. In this study, a closed-loop multi-scale model of the human cardiovascular system is established for the purpose of studying the coupled VA hemodynamic changes during aging. Obtained results show that age-associated changes in arterial properties have some negative but relatively small influences on left ventricular (LV) mechanical performance, whereas they progressively increase LV and aortic systolic pressures, and aortic pulse pressure during aging. Wave analysis reveals that increased aortic characteristic impedance and premature wave reflection induced by arterial stiffening are two coexistent factors responsible for aortic systolic hypertension and increased aortic pulse pressure at old age. In contrast, aortic dilatation can partly counteract the negative influences of arterial stiffening. Coupled LV-systolic and arterial stiffening (a constant VA coupling index) well preserves LV mechanical performance given normal LV diastolic function during aging, but with a concomitant further elevation of LV and aortic systolic pressures. Furthermore, it is found that the states of arterial, LV-systolic and diastolic stiffness can be distinguished by investigating the sensitivity of LV-systolic pressure to various cardiac indices.

Takagi S, Hori H, Yamaguchi T, et al. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2022;18:1679-1695. The authors have advised that there was an error in the Acknowledgments section on page 1692. The text \"Grant Number 20dm0307105h0002\" should read \"Grant Number 190dm0307105\". The authors apologize for this error.

The next double magic nucleus after the double magic nucleus lead ( 208 Pb) proton number Z=82 and neutron number N=126 is predicted to be flerovium 298 Fl, Z=114 and N=184, and “Island of Stability” around this nucleus is predicted in the nuclear chart. In the synthesis of new elements, it was assumed that the projectile and target nuclei used in the experiments would be stable nuclei. In particular, it was experimentally impossible to use unstable nuclei as target nuclei. Therefore, it was considered difficult to synthesize nuclei on Island of Stability because of the insufficient number of neutrons when it came to fusion between stable nuclei. To approaching Island of Stability, it is necessary to use unstable nuclei with an excess of neutrons. However, until now there has been no method to achieve this. Recently, a new method of colliding unstable nuclei has been planned. It has also been reported that neutron-rich nuclei in the superheavy mass region have lower neutron binding energy than stable nuclei and lower temperature due to neutron emission more quickly, resulting in a high survival probability even at medium and high excitation energies. The goal of this study is to create and analyze neutron emission and mass distribution of fission fragments in the superheavy mass region using the statistical and the dynamical model. In addition, we present the results of calculations using neutron-rich nuclei.

Background: The development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) has various influences on physical abilities. Identification of specific physical abilities of people with ADHD/ASDs as biomarkers for diagnosing these conditions is necessary. Therefore, in the present review, we aimed firstly to extract the difference in physical abilities of people with ADHD or ASDs compared to those of normal individuals. Secondly, we aimed to extract the specific physical ability characteristics for identifying potential diagnostic biomarkers in people with ADHD/ASDs. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed. The databases were searched for relevant articles on motor function deficits and characteristics of ADHD or ASD. Results: Forty-one cross-sectional studies and three randomized controlled trials were identified, comprising 33 studies of ADHD, 10 studies of ASDs, and 1 study of both ADHD and ASDs. The quality of studies varied. Three types of physical activities/exercises were identified, including coordinated movement, resistance-type sports, and aerobic-type sports. People with ADHD/ASDs generally exhibited poorer physical abilities for all types of activities, possibly because of low levels of physical activity. Specifically, we found temporal discoordination of movement in ADHD and integration or synchronization of separate movements in ASDs. Conclusion: Specific deficits in physical ability may be attributed to ADHD/ASDs. However, there is not enough research on the physical abilities of people with ADHD and ASDs to clarify the specific deficits. Investigation of specific motor functions that characterize ADHD/ASDs should be facilitated. Keywords: motor function, neurodevelopmental disorders, sports, coordination, neural deficits

This article reviews recent studies on: (1) the synthesis of novel calcium phosphate and calcium fluoride nanoparticles and their incorporation into dental resins to develop nanocomposites; (2) the effects of key microstructural parameters on Ca, PO4, and F ion release from nanocomposites, including the effects of nanofiller volume fraction, particle size, and silanization; and (3) mechanical properties of nanocomposites, including water-aging effects, flexural strength, fracture toughness, and three-body wear. This article demonstrates that a major advantage of using the new nanoparticles is that high levels of Ca, PO4, and F release can be achieved at low filler levels in the resin, because of the high surface areas of the nanoparticles. This leaves room in the resin for substantial reinforcement fillers. The combination of releasing nanofillers with stable and strong reinforcing fillers is promising to yield a nanocomposite with both stress-bearing and caries-inhibiting capabilities, a combination not yet available in current materials.

Previous studies demonstrated that a Ca pre-treatment greatly increases salivary F from a subsequent NaF rinse. This study examines if these increases are found in plaque and plaque fluid F. Thirteen individuals accumulated plaque before rinsing with: (1) 12 mmol/L NaF (228 μg/g F), (2) 150 mmol/L Ca rinse, or (3) the Ca rinse followed by the F rinse. One hr later, plaque samples were collected, the plaque fluid was recovered, and the plaque residues were extracted 5 times with pH 6.8 or pH 4.8 buffers, and then by acid. The F in each extract after the Ca rinse/F rinse greatly exceeded the corresponding F from the NaF rinse. Consequently, the Ca rinse/F rinse increased the total plaque F and the plaque fluid F by 12x and 5x, compared with the NaF rinse alone. These and the previous salivary results suggest that a Ca pre-treatment may increase the cariostatic effects of topical F agents.

The paper describes an accurate but practical method of the verification of a Vickers hardness indenter geometry. Three-dimensional coordinates of selected points on the surface of four faces of a Vickers indenter are measured with the laser probe 3D profile measurement instrument. The measurement is made with respect to the datum of the indenter so that the misalignment of the axis of pyramid will not interfere to the verification results of geometry. The directions of pyramid faces are analyzed with equations of the best-fit planes to data points estimated by the least-squares algorithm. The flatness of faces is also evaluated as the range of orthogonal distances of data points from the fitted plane. The results show that the geometry of a Vickers indenter is successfully verified with proposed method and the resolution and repeatability of the method are good enough to verify calibration-machine-grade indenters.

Background Perflubutane microbubbles, a second-generation ultrasound contrast agent, are phagocytized by Kupffer cells. This characteristic may be useful to differentiate diffuse hepatic diseases in dogs. Hypothesis/objectives To determine whether the washout ratio in the hepatic vein (HV) measured by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) can distinguish between inflammatory and noninflammatory hepatic disorders in dogs. Animals Forty-one client-owned dogs with hepatic disorders including 14 with hepatitis, 7 with primary hypoplasia of the portal vein (PHPV), 9 with congenital portosystemic shunt (cPSS), and 11 with other hepatopathy were enrolled. Six dogs without hepatic disease also were evaluated as healthy controls. Methods Dogs with hepatic disorders were prospectively included. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the HV was performed for 2 minutes. Washout ratio was defined as the attenuation rate from peak intensity to the intensity at the end of the CEUS study. Results Washout ratio in the hepatitis group (median, 18.0%; range, 2.0–37.0%) was significantly lower than that of the PHPV (median, 52.2%; range, 11.5–86.3%), cPSS (median, 60.0%; range, 28.6–77.4%), other hepatopathy (median, 70.5%; range, 26.6–88.4%), and normal (median, 78.0%; range, 60.7–91.7%) groups. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for hepatitis was 0.960, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.853–0.990. Washout ratio ≤37.1% resulted in a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI, 78.5–100%) and specificity of 85.2% (95% CI, 67.5–94.1%) for the prediction of hepatitis. Conclusions and Clinical Importance Washout ratio can distinguish hepatitis from the other noninflammatory disorders with high accuracy. This result might reflect impaired Kupffer cell phagocytosis in dogs with hepatitis.