Female reproductive biology and oocyte development of the red frog crab,Ranina ranina,off Hachijojima,Izu Islands,Japan

Speciments of the red frog crab, Ranina ranina, examined in this study were collected off Hachijojima, Japan from 1987–1988 and 1990–1991. Ovigerous females occurred from May to September, and their carapace length ranged from 61.8 to 102.1 mm. Minimum size at the maturity was estimated to be 50 to 60 mm carapace length. The lobule-type ovary had a longitudinal ovarian cavity at the center. Germinal zones were located along the sides of the cavity. Oogenesis was divided into five main and ten detailed stages: proliferation (oogonium); previtellogenesis (bouquet, early chromatin nucleolus, late chromatin nucleolus); primary vitellogenesis (oil globule and yolk granule); secondary vitellogenesis (primary yolk platelet, secondary yolk platelet and prematuration); and maturation (maturation) stages. Vitellogenesis started at the oil globule stage when weakly positive periodic acid-Schiff granules appear in the cytoplasm. Based on the gonadosomatic index and histological changes in ovary, the reproductive cycle was divided into five stages: multiplication, from December to January; developing, from February to March; ripe in April and early May; spawning, from late May to August; and recovery, from August to November. Each crab spawned more than once during the spawning season.     

The influence of lower extremity postures on kinematics and injuries of cyclists in vehicle side collisions

Objective: A cyclist assumes various cyclic postures of the lower extremities while pushing the pedals in a rotary motion while pedaling. In order to protect cyclists in collisions, it is necessary to understand what influence these postures have on the global kinematics and injuries of the cyclist.

Method: Finite element (FE) analyses using models of a cyclist, bicycle, and car were conducted. In the simulations, the Total Human Model of Safety (THUMS) occupant model was employed as a cyclist, and the simulation was set up such that the cyclist was hit from its side by a car. Three representative postures of the lower extremities of the cyclist were examined, and the kinematics and injury risk of the cyclist were compared to those obtained by a pedestrian FE model. The risk of a lower extremity injury was assessed based on the knee shear displacement and the tibia bending moment.

Results: When the knee position of the cyclist was higher than the hood leading edge, the hood leading edge contacted the leg of the cyclist, and the pelvis slid over the hood top and the wrap-around distance (WAD) of the cyclist's head was large. The knee was shear loaded by the hood leading edge, and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptured. The tibia bending moment was less than the injury threshold. When the cyclist's knee position was lower than the hood leading edge, the hood leading edge contacted the thigh of the cyclist, and the cyclist rotated with the femur as the pivot point about the hood leading edge. In this case, the head impact location of the cyclist against the car was comparable to that of the pedestrian collision. The knee shear displacement and the tibia bending moment were less than the injury thresholds.

Conclusion: The knee height of the cyclist relative to the hood leading edge affected the global kinematics and the head impact location against the car. The loading mode of the lower extremities was also dependent on the initial positions of the lower extremities relative to the car structures. In the foot up and front posture, the knee was loaded in a lateral shear direction by the hood leading edge and as a result the ACL ruptured. The bicycle frame and the struck-side lower extremity interacted and could influence the loadings on lower extremities.     

Comparative survey of levels of chlorinated cyclodiene pesticides in breast milk from some cities of China, Korea and Japan

Exposure of mothers to organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) was assessed by measuring the levels of 20 OCPs in 70 human breast milk samples pooled from 210 individuals from China, Korea and Japan. The OCPs were analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in electron capture negative ionization (ECNI) monitoring. The results showed that β-hexachlorocyclohexane and hexachlorobenzene were one order of magnitude higher in China than in the other nations, whereas chlordanes and polychlorinated biphenyl levels were highest in Japan. Heptachlor epoxide, dieldrin, endrin, toxaphenes and mirex were detected in most samples, and levels of these chemicals were significantly higher in Japan (0.8-4.5 ng g⁻¹ lipid), followed by Korea (0.2-4.7 ng g⁻¹ lipid), and lowest in China (less than 1.0 ng g⁻¹ lipid). α- and β-endosulfans were detected at a range of 0.9-1.5 ng g⁻¹ lipid levels in all samples analyzed, and their levels were higher in Korean than in Chinese samples.     

Cervical spine loads and intervertebral motions during whiplash

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the dynamic loads and intervertebral motions throughout the cervical spine during simulated rear impacts. METHODS: Using a biofidelic whole cervical spine model with muscle force replication and surrogate head and bench-top mini-sled, impacts were simulated at 3.5, 5, 6.5, and 8 g horizontal accelerations of the T1 vertebra. Inverse dynamics was used to calculate the dynamic cervical spine loads at the centers of mass of the head and vertebrae (C1-T1). The average peak loads and intervertebral motions were statistically compared (P < 0.05) throughout the cervical spine. RESULTS: Load and motion peaks generally increased with increasing impact acceleration. The average extension moment peaks at the lower cervical spine, reaching 40.7 Nm at C7-T1, significantly exceeded the moment peaks at the upper and middle cervical spine. The highest average axial tension peak of 276.9 N was observed at the head, significantly greater than at C4 through T1. The average axial compression peaks, reaching 223.2 N at C5, were significantly greater at C4 through T1, as compared to head-C1. The highest average posterior shear force peak of 269.5 N was observed at T1. CONCLUSION: During whiplash, the cervical spine is subjected to not only bending moments, but also axial and shear forces. These combined loads caused both intervertebral rotations and translations.     

Adsorptive removal and photocatalytic decomposition of sulfamethazine in secondary effluent using TiO2–zeolite composites

We investigated the adsorption and decomposition of sulfamethazine (SMT), which is used as a synthetic antibacterial agent and discharged into environmental water, using high-silica Y-type zeolite (HSZ-385), titanium dioxide (TiO₂), and TiO₂–zeolite composites. By using ultrapure water and secondary effluent as solvents, we prepared SMT solutions (10 μg/L and 10 mg/L) and used them for adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition experiments. When HSZ-385 was used as an adsorbent, rapid adsorption of SMT in the secondary effluent was confirmed, and the adsorption reached equilibrium within 10 min. The photocatalytic decomposition rate using TiO₂ in the secondary effluent was lower than that in ultrapure water, and we clarified the inhibitory effect of ions and organic matter contained in the secondary effluent on the reaction. We synthesized TiO₂–zeolite composites and applied them to the removal of SMT. During the treatment of 10 μg/L SMT in the secondary effluent using the composites, 76 % and more than 99 % of the SMT were decomposed within 2 and 4 h by photocatalysis. The SMT was selectively adsorbed onto high-silica Y-type zeolite in the composites. Resultantly, the inhibitory effect of the coexisting materials was reduced, and the composites could remove SMT more effectively compared with TiO₂ alone in the secondary effluent.     

Assessment of DDT contamination in house rat as a possible bioindicator in DDT-sprayed areas from Ethiopia and South Africa

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Ethiopia and South Africa are among the few countries to still implement indoor residual spraying with dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) for...     

Hydrothermal treatment and characterization of model food garbage,focusing on the effect of additional foreign matter on internal temperature,pressure and products

Hydrothermal treatment of model food garbage focusing on the effects of additional foreign matter has been performed in subcritical conditions as a pretreatment for the next step, i.e., the bio-processing and production of liquid feed or fertilizer. Using the hydrothermal technique, we studied the temporal change in internal temperature and pressure in a reactor on the elapsed heating time to check the equipment safety in terms of temperature and pressure. The gaseous and water-soluble liquid was also characterized to investigate the feasibility of retrieving valuable chemicals and emitting environmentally hazardous substances. From the changes in the internal temperature and pressure curve, the maximum temperature and pressure were 196 °C and 1.42 MPa for 30-min elapsed heating time, which was below the predefined temperature limits of 200 °C and pressure of 1.55 MPa. No such irregular behavior was observed in the temperature and pressure curve except that it was a little different for the foreign matter detergent, which also was within the limits. The qualitative and quantitative analysis of end products showed that the emitted malodorous substances and chemicals were further below the threshold levels for Japan.     

Evaluation of entanglement properties of crushed automobile shredded residue and detachment of entrapped particles

Automobile shredded residue is a potential solid fuel when its metal and chlorine-containing parts have been removed. The authors have investigated physical separation of automobile shredded residue to obtain the components that may be used in solid fuel and found that agglomerates of entangling fiber-like components are formed during crushing, making removal of metals and chlorine-containing parts difficult. In this paper, a reattachment ratio, entrapment ratio, and disentanglement ratio are proposed to evaluate the entanglement properties of crushed automobile shredded residue. It is found that products smaller than 16 mm were not reattached easily in the sieving process, and an index based on entanglement properties proposed here is useful to predict suitable crushing conditions. Wet detachment of entrapped particles from agglomerates of entangling materials was also applied to separate particulate matter from crushed ASR.     

Recyclable Clay-Supported Heteropolyacid Catalysts for Complete Glycolysis and Aminolysis of Post-consumer PET Beverage Bottles

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - In this investigation, the use of phosphotungstic acid (PWA) and phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) as well as Zn2+ containing kaolin and bentonite explored for...     

Healthcare waste management in the capital city of Mongolia

Inconsistencies are present in the management options for healthcare wastes in Mongolia. One of the first critical steps in the process of developing a reliable waste management plan requires the performance of a waste characterization analysis. The objectives of this study were an assessment of the current situation of healthcare waste management (HCWM) and characterization of healthcare wastes generated in Ulaanbaatar. A total about 2.65 tonnes of healthcare wastes are produced each day in Ulaanbaatar (0.78 tons of medical wastes and 1.87 tons of general wastes). The medical waste generation rate per kg/patient-day in the inpatient services of public healthcare facilities was 1.4-3.0 times higher than in the outpatient services (P<0.01). The waste generation rate in the healthcare facilities of Ulaanbaatar was lower than in some other countries; however, the percentage of medical wastes in the total waste stream was comparatively high, ranging from 12.5% to 69.3%, which indicated poor waste handling practices. Despite the efforts for the management of wastes, the current system of healthcare waste management in Ulaanbaatar city of Mongolia is under development and is in dire need of immediate attention and improvement. It is essential to develop a national policy and implement a comprehensive action plan for HCWM providing environmentally sound technological measures to improve HCWM in Mongolia.