A Comparison of Aquatic Invertebrate Diversity between Paddy Fields under Traditional and Modern Management in Western Japan

We compared aquatic invertebrate diversity in paddy fields under traditional and modern management practices. We also examined the general factors that may be related to diversity within each paddy field. The Kitadan area was farmed with traditional management practices, with much longer periods of irrigations compared with the Kahoku area, which was farmed with modern agricultural practices using intermittent irrigation. We measured physicochemical factors and collected aquatic invertebrates from the two areas. Collected animal specimens were taxonomically identified and classified based by desiccation tolerance ability. At Kitadan, the total biodiversity parameters increased over time, while, biodiversity fluctuated temporally at Kahoku. The mean Shannon-Wiener diversity index was higher at Kitadan than at Kahoku. However, the mean taxon richness was not significantly different between locations. Both paddy fields were dominated by highly desiccation-tolerant invertebrates at the beginning of the rice cultivation period. Over time, the ratio of desiccation-sensitive invertebrates increased more at Kitadan than at Kahoku. Our canonical correspondence analysis showed that the time since rice transplanting, water permanence, pH, water depth, and chlorophyll a were significant factors affecting faunal assemblage composition. Our results indicate that water management practices have important roles in the aquatic biodiversity of paddy-field ecosystems.

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Assessment of a three-stage sampling strategy to investigate the spatial distribution and population density of Aphelenchoides besseyi among Oryza sativa seeds

Nematology ◽

10.1163/138855409x12549869072284 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 373-380

Author(s):

Katsumi Togashi ◽

Shigeru Hoshino

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Oryza Sativa ◽

Paddy Field ◽

Rice Plant ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Sampling Strategy ◽

Paddy Fields ◽

Nematode Density ◽

Aphelenchoides Besseyi ◽

The Mean

AbstractThis study aimed to determine the spatial distribution patterns of Aphelenchoides besseyi among Oryza sativa seeds on panicle, plant hill, and paddy field spatial scales and to present a three-stage sampling method for estimating the mean density per seed in paddy fields. Living and dead nematodes were extracted individually from 20 seeds sampled from each of five panicles, which were sampled from each of six rice plant hills in each of eight paddy fields, where all plants had leaves exhibiting the 'white tip' symptom. Nested ANOVA indicated that A. besseyi density per seed was significantly different among the eight paddy fields, among rice plant hills in paddy fields, and among panicles in rice plant hills. The proportion of nematode-infested seeds (prevalence) increased and reached an upper limit as the mean density per seed on the panicle scale increased, whereas linear relationships were observed between nematode prevalence and the mean density on plant hill and paddy field scales. Relationships between mean density and mean crowding of nematodes per seed indicated that the nematodes exhibited clumped distribution on each of panicle, plant hill and field scales. Using these relationships, a three-stage sampling plan for estimating nematode density per seed at a specified precision level is presented.

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A new method for indirectly estimating infiltration of paddy fields in situ

Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences ◽

10.5194/piahs-379-205-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 379 ◽

pp. 205-210

Author(s):

Yunqiang Xu ◽

Baolin Su ◽

Hongqi Wang ◽

Jingyi He

Keyword(s):

Water Depth ◽

Paddy Field ◽

Crop Coefficient ◽

Paddy Fields ◽

New Method ◽

Lake Basin ◽

The Mean ◽

Monteith Equation ◽

Coefficient Method

Abstract. Infiltration is one of the major procedures in water balance research and pollution load estimation in paddy fields. In this study, a new method for indirectly estimating infiltration of paddy fields in situ was proposed and implemented in Taihu Lake basin. Since when there were no rainfall, irrigation and artificial drainage, the water depth variation process of a paddy field is only influenced by evapotranspiration and infiltration (E+F). Firstly, (E+F) was estimated by deciding the steady decreasing rate of water depth; then the evapotranspiration (ET) of the paddy field was calculated by using the crop coefficient method with the recommended FAO-56 Penman-Monteith equation; finally, the infiltration of the paddy field was obtained by subtracting ET from (E+F). Results show that the mean infiltration of the studied paddy field during rice jointing-booting period was 7.41 mm day−1, and the mean vertical infiltration and lateral seepage of the paddy field were 5.46 and 1.95 mm day−1 respectively.

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Kinetic analysis and optimisation of 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 PET imaging of prostate cancer

European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging ◽

10.1007/s00259-021-05346-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Simona Malaspina ◽

Vesa Oikonen ◽

Anna Kuisma ◽

Otto Ettala ◽

Kalle Mattila ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Metastatic Disease ◽

Uptake Kinetics ◽

Whole Body ◽

Target Area ◽

Post Injection ◽

The Mean ◽

Pet Radiopharmaceutical ◽

Time Frames ◽

Over Time

Abstract Purpose This phase 1 open-label study evaluated the uptake kinetics of a novel theranostic PET radiopharmaceutical, 18F-rhPSMA-7.3, to optimise its use for imaging of prostate cancer. Methods Nine men, three with high-risk localised prostate cancer, three with treatment-naïve hormone-sensitive metastatic disease and three with castration-resistant metastatic disease, underwent dynamic 45-min PET scanning of a target area immediately post-injection of 300 MBq 18F-rhPSMA-7.3, followed by two whole-body PET/CT scans acquired from 60 and 90 min post-injection. Volumes of interest (VoIs) corresponding to prostate cancer lesions and reference tissues were recorded. Standardised uptake values (SUV) and lesion-to-reference ratios were calculated for 3 time frames: 35–45, 60–88 and 90–118 min. Net influx rates (Ki) were calculated using Patlak plots. Results Altogether, 44 lesions from the target area were identified. Optimal visual lesion detection started 60 min post-injection. The 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 signal from prostate cancer lesions increased over time, while reference tissue signals remained stable or decreased. The mean (SD) SUV (g/mL) at the 3 time frames were 8.4 (5.6), 10.1 (7) and 10.6 (7.5), respectively, for prostate lesions, 11.2 (4.3), 13 (4.8) and 14 (5.2) for lymph node metastases, and 4.6 (2.6), 5.7 (3.1) and 6.4 (3.5) for bone metastases. The mean (SD) lesion-to-reference ratio increases from the earliest to the 2 later time frames were 40% (10) and 59% (9), respectively, for the prostate, 65% (27) and 125% (47) for metastatic lymph nodes and 25% (19) and 32% (30) for bone lesions. Patlak plots from lesion VoIs signified almost irreversible uptake kinetics. Ki, SUV and lesion-to-reference ratio estimates showed good agreement. Conclusion 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 uptake in prostate cancer lesions was high. Lesion-to-background ratios increased over time, with optimal visual detection starting from 60 min post-injection. Thus, 18F-rhPSMA-7.3 emerges as a very promising PET radiopharmaceutical for diagnostic imaging of prostate cancer. Trial Registration NCT03995888 (24 June 2019).

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A New Multiplatform Model for Outpatient Prenatal and Postpartum Care in a Cohort of COVID-19-Affected Obstetric Patients

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18105144 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (10) ◽

pp. 5144

Author(s):

Mar Muñoz-Chápuli Gutiérrez ◽

Ana Durán-Vila ◽

Javier Ruiz-Labarta ◽

Pilar Payá-Martínez ◽

Pilar Pintado Recarte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Specific Treatment ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Good Adherence ◽

Major Morbidity ◽

Reference Hospital ◽

The Mean ◽

Discharge From Hospital ◽

Over Time

Spain was one of the epicenters of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We describe in this article the design and results of a new telephone-and-telematic multiplatform model of systematic prenatal and postpartum follow-up for COVID-19-affected women implemented in a tertiary reference hospital in Madrid. We included patients with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 during pregnancy or delivery from 10 March 2020 to 15 December 2020. We had a total of 211 obstetric patients: 148 (70.1%) were tested at the onset of suspicious clinical manifestations and 62 (29.4%) were tested in the context of routine screening. Of all the patients, 60 women (28.4%) were asymptomatic and 97 (46%) presented mild symptoms. Fifty-one women (24.2%) were admitted to our hospital for specific treatment because of moderate or severe symptoms. We had no missed cases and a good adherence. The mean number of calls per patient was 2.3. We performed 55 in-person visits. We analyzed the complexity of our program over time, showing a two-wave-like pattern. One patient was identified as needing hospitalization and we did not record major morbidity. Telemedicine programs are a strong and reproducible tool to reach to pregnant population affected by COVID-19, to assess its symptoms and severity, and to record for pregnancy-related symptoms both in an outpatient regime and after discharge from hospital.

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Adaptors and Innovators: Selection versus Induction

Psychological Reports ◽

10.2466/pr0.1991.68.3c.1283 ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 68 (3_suppl) ◽

pp. 1283-1290 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

P. A. Holland ◽

I. Bowskill ◽

A. Bailey

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Style ◽

Past Research ◽

Significant Shift ◽

Occupational Groups ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

New Entrants ◽

Innovative Cognitive Style ◽

Over Time ◽

Established Group

The hypothesis that predictable differences would exist between the mean cognitive style of new entrants and those of the longer serving “established” employees in certain departments while not in others was tested. Data from 99 employees from four departments of a large British pharmaceuticals company who completed the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory provided results broadly in line with the expectations of adaption-innovation theory and past research. The mean innovative cognitive style of new entrants to adaptive departments regressed towards the mean of the establishment and the occupational mean over time. In departments where there was no initial significant difference between the mean cognitive style of the new entrants and the established group, no significant shift was shown over time. Implications of these findings are suggested. The data also indicated norms for two occupational groups where previously they did not exist.

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The underrepresentation of female participants in studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes: a scoping review

European Journal of Preventive Cardiology ◽

10.1093/eurjpc/zwab061.367 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

S Pallikadavath ◽

R Patel ◽

CL Kemp ◽

M Hafejee ◽

N Peckham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

High Volume ◽

Cardiovascular Outcomes ◽

High Dose ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Review Protocol ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time ◽

Funding Acknowledgements

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Cardiovascular adaptations as a result of exercise conducted at high-intensity and high-volume are often termed the ‘Athlete’s heart’. Studies have shown that these cardiovascular adaptations vary between sexes. It is important that both sexes are well represented in this literature. However, many studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes under-recruit female participants. Purpose This scoping review aimed to evaluate the representation of females in studies assessing the impact of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes and demonstrate how this has changed over time. Methods The scoping review protocol as outlined by Arksey and O’Malley was used. OVID and EMBASE databases were searched and studies independently reviewed by two reviewers. Studies must have investigated the effects of high-dose exercise on cardiovascular outcomes. To assess how the recruitment of females has changed over time, two methods were used. One, the median study date was used to categorise studies into two groups. Two, studies were divided into deciles to form ten equal groups over the study period. Mean percentage of female recruitment and percentage of studies that failed to include females were calculated. Results Overall, 250 studies were included. Over half the studies (50.8%, n = 127) did not include female participants. Only 3.2% (n = 8) did not include male participants. Overall, mean percentage recruitment was 18.2%. The mean percentage of recruitment was 14.5% before 2011 and 21.8% after 2011. The most recent decile of studies demonstrated the highest mean percentage of female recruitment (29.3%) and lowest number of studies that did not include female participants (26.9%). Conclusion Female participants are significantly underrepresented in studies assessing cardiovascular outcomes caused by high-dose exercise. The most recent studies show that female recruitment may be improving, however, this still falls significantly short for equal representation. Risk factors, progression and management of cardiovascular diseases vary between sexes, hence, translating findings from male dominated data is not appropriate. Future investigators should aim to establish barriers and strategies to optimise fair recruitment. Mean percentage females recruited per study (%) Percentage studies that do not include women (%) Overall (n = 250) 18.2 50.8 (n = 127) Studies before 2011 (n = 121) 14.5 59.5 (n = 72) Studies after 2011 (n = 129) 21.8 42.6 (n = 55) Table 1: Female recruitment characteristics. The year 2011 (median study year) was chosen as this divides all included studies into two equal groups.

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Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Current Practice Management and Referral Trends in a Closed Healthcare System

Osteology ◽

10.3390/osteology1010004 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 39-47

Author(s):

Connor Zale ◽

Joshua Hansen ◽

Paul Ryan

Keyword(s):

Pain Management ◽

Pain Score ◽

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome ◽

Healthcare System ◽

Pain Syndrome ◽

Occupational Outcomes ◽

Mean Delay ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Over Time

Background: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a neurologic condition that can present with severe pain and dysfunction. Delay in treatment adversely affects outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate patient outcomes as they relate to the time from diagnosis to pain management referral once the diagnosis of CRPS has been made in a closed healthcare system. Methods: A retrospective record review from a closed healthcare system was utilized for CRPS cases from 2010–2019. Demographics, injury pattern, surgeries, pain score, treatment modalities, occupational outcomes, and time to pain management referral were recorded. Results: There were 26 cases of CRPS that met inclusion criteria. The mean time from diagnosis to treatment was 55 days. 16/26 (61.5%) were medically discharged from the military. 23/26 (88.5%) were unable to return to full duty due to CRPS. There was no significant difference in the reported pain scores over time regardless of treatment (p = 0.76). A linear regression demonstrated a significantly higher Visual Analog Scale Pain Score (VAS) over time in patients that were medically discharged (p = 0.022). Conclusions: The mean delay in referral to the pain service was 55 days. The majority of patients (88.5%) did not return to full duty secondary to the diagnosis of CRPS, and 61.5% of patients required medical separation from active duty. Due to the negative impact that the diagnosis of CRPS has on occupational outcomes with a mean delay in referral of 55 days, clinics and providers should set up referral criteria and establish early pain pathways for patients diagnosed with CRPS.

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The Value of a Decrease in Temperature by One Degree Celsius of the Regional Microclimate—The Cooling Effect of the Paddy Field

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12030353 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 353

Author(s):

Ya-Wen Chiueh ◽

Chih-Hung Tan ◽

Hsiang-Yi Hsu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Surface Temperature ◽

Paddy Field ◽

Research Area ◽

Paddy Fields ◽

Cooling Effect ◽

Field Temperature ◽

Bare Land ◽

The Face ◽

The Difference

In the face of climate change, extreme climates are becoming more frequent. There were severe droughts in Taiwan in 2020, 2014–2015, and 2002. In these years, the paddy fields were kept fallow to save water and transfer agricultural water to non-agricultural use. On the other hand, with global warming, the existence of paddy fields may be one of the natural solutions to regional temperature mitigation. This study used remote sensing to quantify the difference in temperature between paddy fields and urban areas. The result of overall surface temperature deductive analysis revealed that the temperature in the whole Taoyuan research area was 1.2 °C higher in 2002 than in 2003 because of fallowing of the paddy field, while in the Hsinchu research area, it was 1.5 °C higher in 2002 than in 2003, due to the same reason described above. In terms of the difference in land use, for the Hsinchu research area, the surface temperature deductive result showed that the average paddy field temperature in 2002 was 22.3 °C (sample area average), which was 7.7 °C lower than that of the building and road point and 4.3 °C lower than that of the bare land point. The average paddy field temperature in 2003 was 19.2 °C (sample area average), which was 10.1 °C lower than that of the building and road point and 8.3 °C lower than that of the bare land point. Then this study evaluated the economic valuation of the paddy field cooling effect using the contingent valuation method. Through the paddy field cooling effect and in the face of worsening extreme global climate, the willingness to pay (WTP) of the respondents in Taiwan for a decrease of 1 °C with regard to the regional microclimate was evaluated. It was found that people in Taiwan are willing to pay an extra 8.89 USD/per kg rice/year for the paddy for a decrease in temperature by 1 °C in the regional microclimate due to the paddy field. Furthermore, this study applied the benefits transfer method to evaluate the value of a decrease of 1 °C in the regional microclimate in Taiwan. The value of a decrease of 1 °C in the regional microclimate in Taiwan is 9,693,144,279 USD/year. In this regard, the economic value of 1 °C must not be underestimated. In conclusion, more caution is needed while making decisions to change the land use of paddy fields to other land uses.

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Integrated Management of Downy Mildew on Slicing Cucumber With Fungicides and Host Resistance But Not Trellising

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-02-19-0323-re ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 103 (10) ◽

pp. 2592-2598

Author(s):

Anthony P. Keinath

Keyword(s):

Downy Mildew ◽

Host Resistance ◽

Management Practices ◽

Integrated Management ◽

Cultivar Resistance ◽

Fall Season ◽

Fungicide Treatment ◽

Progress Curve ◽

Management Techniques ◽

The Mean

The objective of this study was to evaluate fungicide applications, host resistance, and trellising, alone and in combination, as management practices for downy mildew on slicing cucumber. A split-split plot experimental design was used with three and four replications in spring and fall 2017, respectively. The whole-plot treatment was fungicide, four applications of chlorothalonil (Bravo Weather Stik 6SC) alternated with three applications of cyazofamid (Ranman 400SC), or water. Split plots were nontrellised or trellised with four strings supported by stakes. Split-split plots were cultivar Bristol, which is intermediately resistant to downy mildew, or cultivar Speedway, which is susceptible to downy mildew with similar parentage as Bristol. In both seasons, area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) values were lower with fungicides than water for both cultivars. In the spring, AUDPC for Bristol was lower than for Speedway regardless of fungicide treatment. In the fall, Bristol had a lower AUDPC than Speedway with fungicides, but the AUDPC did not differ between the two cultivars with water. The mean AUDPC for trellised plants (376.2) was lower than for nontrellised plants (434.0; P = 0.007). Fungicide applications increased marketable and total fruit weights in both seasons (P ≤ 0.0002). Marketable weight with fungicides was almost double (93% greater) the marketable weight with water. Marketable weight was 55% greater for Bristol than for Speedway in spring, but yields did not differ between cultivars in fall (season-by-cultivar interaction, P ≤ 0.0003). Because trellising had no effect on marketable yields (P = 0.11), trellising is not recommended for managing downy mildew on slicing cucumber. Of the three management techniques examined, fungicides had the largest effects on disease and yields, followed by cultivar resistance.

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Kidney function decline is associated with an accelerated increase in plasma homocysteine in older adults: a longitudinal study

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114521001690 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-21

Author(s):

Hui Zhang ◽

Yi Li ◽

Meng Hao ◽

Xiaoyan Jiang ◽

Jiucun Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Kidney Function ◽

Repeated Measurements ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Mixed Effect ◽

Pronounced Increase ◽

Crude Model ◽

The Mean ◽

Kidney Function Decline ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background: Few studies have been conducted to investigate the association of kidney function decline with the trajectories of homocysteine (Hcy) over time, using repeated measurements. We aimed to investigate the association of kidney function with changes in plasma Hcy levels over time. Methods: Data were collected from the Rugao Longevity and Ageing Study. In detail, plasma Hcy and creatinine levels were measured in both waves (waves 2, 3 and 4) during the 3.5-year follow-up (N = 1135). Wave 2 was regarded as the baseline survey. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated based on creatinine. Subjects were categorized into four groups according to quartiles of eGFR at baseline. Linear mixed-effect models were used to investigate the association of eGFR with subsequent plasma Hcy levels. Results: The mean eGFR at baseline was 90.84 (11.42) mL/min/1.73 m2. The mean plasma Hcy level was 14.09 (6.82) at baseline and increased to 16.28 (8.27) and 17.36 (10.39) μmol/L during follow-ups. In the crude model, the interaction between time and eGFR at baseline was significant (β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.01, p = 0.002). After adjusting for confounding factors, a significant relationship remained (β = −0.02, 95% CI: −0.02 to −0.01, p = 0.003), suggesting that kidney function decline at baseline was associated with a faster increase in Hcy levels. Conclusion: Kidney function decline is associated with a more pronounced increase in plasma Hcy levels. Further studies with longer follow-up periods and larger sample sizes are needed to validate our findings.

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