A prominent large negative δ13Corg excursion and a coeval notable spike in mercury (Hg)/total organic carbon ratio are observed in the middle–upper Permian Gohan Formation in central Korea, located in the eastern Sino-Korean block (SKB), which may represent the Capitanian mass extinction event. The SKB was separated from the South China block by the eastern Palaeo-Tethys Ocean. This finding from the SKB supports the widespread Hg loading to the environment emitted from the Emeishan volcanic eruptions in SW China. This study demonstrates that the Hg cycle was globally perturbed in association with global carbon cycle perturbation that occurred during the Capitanian Extinction.

BackgroundDiarrhea is one of the leading causes of death, killing 1.3 million in 2013 across the globe, of whom, 0.59 million were children under 5 years of age. Globally, about 1 billion people practice open defecation, and an estimated 2.4 billion people were living without improved sanitation facilities in 2015. Much of the previous research investigating the effect of improved sanitation has been based on observational studies. Recent studies have executed a cluster-randomized controlled trial to investigate the effect of improved sanitation. However, none of these recent studies achieved a sufficient level of latrine coverage. Without universal or at least a sufficient level of latrine coverage, a determination of the effect of improved latrines on the prevention of diarrheal disease is difficult.This cluster-randomized trial aims to explore the net effect of improved latrines on diarrheal prevalence and incidence in children under five and to investigate the effect on the diarrheal duration.Method/designA phase-in and factorial design will be used for the study. The intervention for improving latrines will be implemented in an intervention arm during the first phase, and the comparable intervention will be performed in the control arm during the second phase. During the second phase, a water pipe will be connected to the gotts (villages) in the intervention arm. After the second phase is completed, the control group will undergo the intervention of receiving a water pipe connection. For diarrheal prevalence, five rounds of surveying will be conducted at the household level. The first four rounds will be carried out in the first phase to explore the effect of improved latrines, and the last one, in the second phase to examine the combined effects of improved water and sanitation. For documentation of diarrheal incidence and duration, the mother or caregiver will record the diarrheal episodes of her youngest child on the “Sanitation Calendar” every day. Of 212 gotts in the project area, 48 gotts were selected for the trial, and 1200 households with a child under 5 will be registered for the intervention or control arm. Informed consent from 1200 households will be obtained from the mother or caregiver in written form.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the second study to assess the effects of improved latrines on child diarrheal reduction through the application of Community-Led Total Sanitation.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials, ISRCTN82492848

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ObjectivesAntioxidative enzyme efficiency changes in some organs with age. However, no study has been conducted on age-related antioxidant enzyme changes in tongue. In the present study, the authors investigated the activities of four antioxidative enzymes and their protein expressions in the tongues of young and old Fischer 344 rats.MethodsAge-dependent changes in the enzyme activities of total superoxide dismutase (SOD), Mn-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were determined using chemical kits, and the protein expressions levels of these enzymes by Western blotting. The study was conducted using rats aged 7 months (the young group, n=8) and 22 months (the old group, n=8).ResultsTotal SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD, and GPx activities in the tongues of old rats were lower than in young rats, and similarly, corresponding protein expressions were downregulated in old rats. On the other hand, although the protein expressions of Mn-SOD and CAT were lower in old rats, their enzyme activities were not.ConclusionThe results of this study provide a possible mechanism for the tongue aging process, as in old Fischer 344 rats the antioxidant defense system was diminished with respect to enzyme activity levels and protein abundances.

This study aimed to examine the impact of a TGMD-3 rater training program on pre-service adapted physical education (APE) teachers’ ability to score fundamental motor skills for children with developmental disabilities (DD). The training program consisted of a description of the TGMD-3 instrument and DD, as well as content focused on skill performance and correct scoring through systematic analysis of 13 FMS via the instrument. Three experts established the standard score through the TGMD-3 performance evaluation of a child with DD. Thirty-nine pre-service APE teachers in the experimental group and 30 pre-service teachers in the control group completed the pre- and post-test process in this study. There were significant impacts on the pre-service teachers’ ability to score the locomotor, ball skill subtests, and total skill scores (p < 0.05) compared to the control group. Specifically, the results of the three locomotor skills (running, horizontal jump, & slide) and three ball skills (two-hand strike, dribble, & kick) significantly improved in scoring accuracy. The results of this study can evidence that a TGMD-3 rater training program for pre-service APE teachers enhances the scoring accuracy of FMS among children with DD.