Phytoliths as an indicator of change in vegetation related to the huge volcanic eruption at 7.3 ka in the southernmost part of Kyushu, southern Japan

Volcanic eruptions can have a significant influence on adjacent ecosystems; however, little is known about the long-term vegetation change related to eruptions. In this study, we examined phytolith records in paleosols at multiple sites in the southern Kyushu District, Japan, to assess the influence of the Kikai caldera eruption 7300 years ago on vegetation. Our results show the vegetational difference before and after the eruption in the study region. Specifically, in the area where the pyroclastic flows distributed more thickly, the original evergreen forest was replaced by Andropogoneae grasslands after the eruption, which has been dominating the landscape in this area for at least 900 years. By contrast, in areas only mildly affected by pyroclastic flows, despite the temporary replacement of forest by grassland, the forest developed and flourished within several hundreds of years of the eruption. This is because a large amount of pyroclastic flow would have devastated all of the vegetation, whereas smaller amounts would have left some untouched forest sites within refugia. Our findings suggest that the vegetation varied significantly depending on the amount of pyroclastic flow reaching the area, even within the pyroclastic flow distributed region.

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Preliminary absolute paleointensity estimation from a single volcanic-glass grain extracted from an unwelded pyroclastic flow

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-3242 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yuhji Yamamoto ◽

Hiromi Takeda ◽

Masahiko Sato ◽

Hiroshi Kawabata

Keyword(s):

Pyroclastic Flow ◽

Remanent Magnetization ◽

Volcanic Glass ◽

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Natural Remanent Magnetization ◽

Primary Component ◽

Pyroclastic Flows ◽

Isothermal Remanent Magnetization ◽

Inflection Points ◽

Stable Characteristic

Many pyroclastic flows are distributed around Japan. They usually involve volcanic-glass grains. These grains are considered to form at the timing of volcanic eruptions and are expected to have magnetic inclusions consisting of tiny single (titano)magnetites with recording the paleomagnetic field. We have extracted single volcanic-glass grains of pumice-type with a diameter of 0.60-0.84 mm from an unwelded part of the Ito pyroclastic flow deposits (A-Ito, 26-29 ka; Machida and Arai, 2003), Kyusyu, Japan. A series of rock- and paleomagnetic measurements have been made on the grains.Sixty-seven out of 88 grains had detectable intensities of natural remanent magnetization. Some of such grains were further investigated. Results of low-temperature magnetometry exhibited inflection points at 105-120 K, suggesting magnetite as a main remenence carrier. Stepwise alternating field demagnetization revealed an existence of stable characteristic remanence (ChRM) which was interpreted to be a primary component.&#160;Tsunakawa-Shaw method (Tsunakawa and Shaw, 1994; Yamamoto et al., 2003), one of the latest absolute paleointensity (API) techniques to date, was applied to selected grains having stable ChRMs. On the application we newly included measurements related to an isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM). Four successful results were obtained by an adoption of IRM corrections, giving an average API value of about 25 &#956;T. This corresponds to a virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) of about 50 ZAm2, which is consistent with the contemporaneous VADM of the sedimentary record (PISO-1500; Channell et al., 2009).&#160;

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Volcanic Deposits and Volcanic Hazard in Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica

Journal of Geography and Geology ◽

10.5539/jgg.v8n2p111 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 111

Author(s):

Martín Rojas-Barrantes ◽

Mario Fernández-Arce

Keyword(s):

Costa Rica ◽

Volcanic Activity ◽

Pyroclastic Flow ◽

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Pyroclastic Flows ◽

Eastern Region ◽

Santo Domingo ◽

Borehole Data ◽

Volcanic Deposits ◽

The Impact

The present research aims to investigate more precisely about the geology of the Eastern region of the Santo Domingo County. Santo Domingo is part of the structural plateau in the center of Costa Rica, which is located at the foot of the Cordillera Volcánica Central (CVF) [Central Volcanic Front] and is covered by volcanic deposits. On this plateau, called Central Valley, is the highest percentage of the population of the country and therefore, a large sector of the Costa Rican population is exposed to volcanic eruptions of the volcanoes in the CVF. For existing the national system for risk management and a law that demands actions to local authorities to prevent and mitigate disaster, it is necessary to identify the threats that exist in the cantons (counties) of Costa Rica. This will serve to take the prevention and mitigation actions necessary to reduce the impact of volcanic eruptions in the area of Santo Domingo.The research method consisted of review and analysis of previous works through literature research, data collection and analysis of boreholes from records of water-supply wells and open pits, and field work to better know the geology of the area. The results indicate that there are deposits of powerful volcanic eruptions of pyroclastic fall deposits (volcanic ash and lapilli) that mostly form clayey soils and lahars deposits that practically covers the entire territory. Underlying these deposits there is a pyroclastic flow deposit (ignimbrite), followed by lapilli tephra (a layer of pumice of at least 2 meters thick) that mark a change in the volcanic activity. Such pyroclastic flow is overlaid by an igneous presumably sub-volcanic activity of andesites interlayered with ancient tuffs, with a considerable thickness of over 350 meters according with borehole data and the exposure recognition on Pará river study sites. According to site locations (P1 to P23) of volcaniclastic deposits, there is evidence of an important environmental impact caused by the last eruptions of the CVF volcanoes. The real and current volcanic threat to the population of the County is the fall-out of ash emitted from the Turrialba and Irazú volcanoes. From local observations along the Virilla and Pará rivers sections, there is no evidence of younger pyroclastic flows overlying the volcanic sequence.

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The role of probiotics in correction of microbiocenosis and cytokine balance of the oral cavity of patient with chronic inflammatory disease of periodont

Periodontology ◽

10.33925/1683-3759-2020-25-4-323-330 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 323-330

Author(s):

E. S. Ovcharenko ◽

V. V. Erichev ◽

S. I. Risovannij ◽

T. V. Aksenova ◽

S. V. Melekhov ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Cavity ◽

Periodontal Diseases ◽

Treatment Protocol ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disease ◽

Oral Microbiome ◽

Comprehensive Treatment ◽

Local Immunity ◽

Treatment Techniques ◽

Before And After

Relevance. A long-term inflammation in the oral cavity, unreasonable treatment of periodontal patients with antibiotics cause imbalance between certain types of fungal-bacterial associations accompanied by oral dysbiosis and change of local immune status. So, development and application of new comprehensive diagnosis and treatment techniques in periodontal patients, use of products for correction of microbiota and local immunity are a current and a long-term task. Purpose is to optimize the comprehensive treatment protocol of inflammatory periodontal diseases by introducing probiotics and evaluation of oral microbiome and cytokine profile.Materials and methods. 140 patients were examined. Of these 60 patients had chronic generalized plaque-induced gingivitis and 60 patients suffered from moderate chronic generalized periodontitis. Bacterial and fungal microbiome was assessed and the host immune response was evaluated in all patients before and after the treatment. Half of the patients were treated conventionally and the other half were treated according to a modified scheme: probiotic “Bifidumbacterin Forte” was added.Results. A large number of yeast-like fungi Candida and commensal bacteria were detected in periodontal pockets of patients with chronic generalized plaque-induced gingivitis and moderate chronic generalized periodontitis. That correlates with a significant increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL—8), decrease of concentration of INF-γ and increase of antiinflammatory cytokine IL-4.Conclusion. Changes in clinical, microbiological and immunological values during a modified combination therapy with a probiotic and during a conventional treatment demonstrated that effectiveness of treatment of chronic gingivitis and chronic periodontitis increased by 40% and 37% respectively.

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REPEATED LONG-TERM SPACE FLIGHTS: PROTEOMIC INVESTIGATIONS OF COSMONAUTS' BLOOD

Aerospace and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.21687/0233-528x-2020-54-5-15-22 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 15-22

Author(s):

I.M. Larina ◽

◽

D.N. Kashirina ◽

K.S. Kireev ◽

A.I. Grigoriev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Structure ◽

Space Station ◽

The Body ◽

Coagulation Cascade ◽

Chemical Components ◽

Blood Proteins ◽

Blood Indices ◽

Before And After ◽

Biochemical Indices

We performed the first ever comparative analysis of modifications in the proteome, ionogram and some other blood plasma biochemical indices of 18 male cosmonauts (44 ± 6 years of age) before and after maiden or repeated long-term missions to the Russian segment of the International space station (ISS RS). Levels of proteins, substrates and ions as well as chemical components were measured using the LC-MS-based proteomics and routine biochemical techniques. A total of 256 to 281 indices were investigated with the methods of descriptive statistic, regression analysis, and access to bioinformatics resources. It was shown that blood indices recovery from the maiden and repeated missions reflects changes in the body systems and goes at a various speed. The results of measurements made prior to launch and on day 7 after landing are dependent on the number of missions. The bioinformatics techniques showed that after maiden missions both the mediator proteins of alkaline phosphatase (AP) and blood proteins with reliably changing concentrations are associated with the bio-processes including stress, metabolism and DNA reparation, apoptosis, catabolism and proteolysis. During early re-adaptation from repeated missions the AP level was affected by bone remodeling, phosphorylation, angiogenesis and coagulation cascade suggesting a distinct and urgent trigger of the processes of bone structure and mineralization.

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Chilling Out

10.1093/oso/9780198717867.003.0010 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Roy Livermore

Keyword(s):

Plate Tectonics ◽

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Atmospheric Temperature ◽

Ocean Currents ◽

Mountain Ranges ◽

Continental Rifts ◽

Earth’S Climate ◽

The One ◽

Tectonic Forces

The Earth’s climate changes naturally on all timescales. At the short end of the spectrum—hours or days—it is affected by sudden events such as volcanic eruptions, which raise the atmospheric temperature directly, and also indirectly, by the addition of greenhouse gases such as water vapour and carbon dioxide. Over years, centuries, and millennia, climate is influenced by changes in ocean currents that, ultimately, are controlled by the geography of ocean basins. On scales of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years, the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is the crucial influence, producing glaciations and interglacials, such as the one in which we live. Longer still, tectonic forces operate over millions of years to produce mountain ranges like the Himalayas and continental rifts such as that in East Africa, which profoundly affect atmospheric circulation, creating deserts and monsoons. Over tens to hundreds of millions of years, plate movements gradually rearrange the continents, creating new oceans and destroying old ones, making and breaking land and sea connections, assembling and disassembling supercontinents, resulting in fundamental changes in heat transport by ocean currents. Finally, over the very long term—billions of years—climate reflects slow changes in solar luminosity as the planet heads towards a fiery Armageddon. All but two of these controls are direct or indirect consequences of plate tectonics.

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Feasibility and Enjoyment of Exercise Video Games in Older Adults

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1838 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 559-559

Author(s):

Sara Freed ◽

Briana Sprague ◽

Lesley Ross

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Video Games ◽

Game Design ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Short Term ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative ◽

Before And After ◽

Xbox Kinect ◽

Game Developers

Abstract Interventions using exercise video games, or exergames, have shown short-term cognitive and physical benefits to older adults, though long-term effects are less promising. Enjoyment of exergames may promote exergame use after the intervention period, though little work has examined older adults’ views of exergames before and after gameplay experience. We invited 20 older adults between 65 and 84 years of age (M=73.30, SD=5.95) to play two Xbox Kinect games, Just Dance and Kinect Sports Rivals, for twenty minutes. In our presentation, we will present qualitative and quantitative findings of this pilot study, including findings that older adults reported that they were not likely to play similar exergames in the future and that they did not find the exergames to be more fun compared to other ways of exercising. We will discuss implications for game design and research relevant to game developers, manufacturers, and researchers. Part of a symposium sponsored by Technology and Aging Interest Group.

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Endoscopically controlled surgery with open hemilaminectomy for the treatment of intradural extramedullary tumors: an operative technique and short-term outcomes of 20 consecutive cases

Chinese Neurosurgical Journal ◽

10.1186/s41016-020-00222-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiaorong Yan ◽

Huiqing Wang ◽

Cai Li ◽

Yuanxiang Lin ◽

Lin Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Surgical Technique ◽

Spinal Deformity ◽

Tumor Recurrence ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Short Term ◽

Before And After ◽

Intradural Extramedullary ◽

Controlled Surgery

Abstract Background To present a surgical technique for the treatment of intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors by using endoscopically controlled surgery with open hemilaminectomy technique. Methods In this study, 20 patients with 22 IDEM tumors were enrolled. An endoscopically controlled surgery with open hemilaminectomy was employed to remove the tumors. Data related to clinical symptoms and medical images before and after surgery were collected for perioperative evaluation and follow-up analysis. Results All the tumors in 20 patients were well removed. The clinical symptoms were significantly reduced in all the patients as well. The short-term follow-up data showed that there was no tumor recurrence or spinal deformity. Conclusion The endoscopically controlled surgery with open hemilaminectomy technique provided favorable exposure and satisfactory resection to the IDEM tumors. It may be an effective surgical method for treating IDEM tumors. Larger samples and longer follow-up data are needed to verify its long-term effectiveness.

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The Demerger Impact upon Sustainable Development of Economic Entities: Evidence from Romania

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13158316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 8316

Author(s):

Camelia Mirela Baba ◽

Constantin Duguleană ◽

Marius Sorin Dincă ◽

Liliana Duguleană ◽

Gheorghița Dincă

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Business Strategies ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Ex Post ◽

Before And After ◽

Almost All ◽

The Impact ◽

Profitability Ratios ◽

Positive Effect

The Covid-19 induced economic crisis has significantly affected almost all businesses from nearly every sector, causing severe financial problems, lack of cash assets, and decrease of revenues. In this context, the economic entities were forced to look for adjustment and rescue solutions of their activities. One possible solution for the recovery and reorganization of economic entities’ activities is demerger. This paper evaluates the impact of demerger upon the sustainable development of economic entities in terms of economic efficiency and financial performances. To achieve this goal, a statistical analysis of profitability ratios before and after the demerger, as well as a structural analysis of 268 demerger projects for the April 2012–April 2021 period, were performed. The results attest there are no significant differences between the ex-ante and ex-post financial performances. However, demerger seems to have a positive effect upon analyzed companies helping them to overcome economic hardships, rethink their business strategies, and continue their activity in the medium and long-term time horizon.

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Long-term trajectories of decline in cognition and daily functioning before and after stroke

Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry ◽

10.1136/jnnp-2021-326043 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. jnnp-2021-326043

Author(s):

Alis Heshmatollah ◽

Lisanne J. Dommershuijsen ◽

Lana Fani ◽

Peter J. Koudstaal ◽

M. Arfan Ikram ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Continuous Monitoring ◽

Mini Mental State Examination ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Population Based ◽

Daily Functioning ◽

Linear Mixed Effects ◽

Before And After ◽

State Examination

ObjectiveAlthough knowledge on poststroke cognitive and functional decline is increasing, little is known about the possible decline of these functions before stroke. We determined the long-term trajectories of cognition and daily functioning before and after stroke.MethodsBetween 1990 and 2016, we repeatedly assessed cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), 15-Word Learning, Letter–Digit Substitution, Stroop, Verbal Fluency, Purdue Pegboard) and basic and instrumental activities of daily living (BADL and IADL) in 14 712 participants within the population-based Rotterdam Study. Incident stroke was assessed through continuous monitoring of medical records until 2018. We matched participants with incident stroke to stroke-free participants (1:3) based on sex and birth year. Trajectories of cognition and daily functioning of patients who had a stroke 10 years before and 10 years after stroke and the corresponding trajectories of stroke-free individuals were constructed using adjusted linear mixed effects models.ResultsDuring a mean follow-up of 12.5±6.8 years, a total of 1662 participants suffered a first-ever stroke. Patients who had a stroke deviated from stroke-free controls up to 10 years before stroke diagnosis in cognition and daily functioning. Significant deviations before stroke were seen in scores of MMSE (6.4 years), Stroop (5.7 years), Purdue Pegboard (3.8 years) and BADL and IADL (2.2 and 3.0 years, respectively).ConclusionPatients who had a stroke have steeper declines in cognition and daily functioning up to 10 years before their first-ever stroke compared with stroke-free individuals. Our findings suggest that accumulating intracerebral pathology already has a clinical impact before stroke.

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Physical Comorbidities and Depression in Recent and Long-Term Adult Cancer Survivors: NHANES 2007–2018

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13133368 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 3368

Author(s):

Dafina Petrova ◽

Andrés Catena ◽

Miguel Rodríguez-Barranco ◽

Daniel Redondo-Sánchez ◽

Eloísa Bayo-Lozano ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Survivors ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Cancer Diagnosis ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Depression Risk ◽

Adult Cancer Survivors ◽

Before And After ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Risk Of Cancer

Many adult cancer patients present one or more physical comorbidities. Besides interfering with treatment and prognosis, physical comorbidities could also increase the already heightened psychological risk of cancer patients. To test this possibility, we investigated the relationship between physical comorbidities with depression symptoms in a sample of 2073 adult cancer survivors drawn from the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2007–2018) in the U.S. Based on information regarding 16 chronic conditions, the number of comorbidities diagnosed before and after the cancer diagnosis was calculated. The number of comorbidities present at the moment of cancer diagnosis was significantly related to depression risk in recent but not in long-term survivors. Recent survivors who suffered multimorbidity had 3.48 (95% CI 1.26–9.55) times the odds of reporting significant depressive symptoms up to 5 years after the cancer diagnosis. The effect of comorbidities was strongest among survivors of breast cancer. The comorbidities with strongest influence on depression risk were stroke, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, asthma, and arthritis. Information about comorbidities is usually readily available and could be useful in streamlining depression screening or targeting prevention efforts in cancer patients and survivors. A multidimensional model of the interaction between cancer and other physical comorbidities on mental health is proposed.

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