Using Environmental DNA to Detect Estuarine Crocodiles, a Cryptic-Ambush Predator of Humans

Negative human–wildlife interactions can be better managed by early detection of the wildlife species involved. However, many animals that pose a threat to humans are highly cryptic, and detecting their presence before the interaction occurs can be challenging. We describe a method whereby the presence of the estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), a cryptic and potentially dangerous predator of humans, was detected using traces of DNA shed into the water, known as environmental DNA (eDNA). The estuarine crocodile is present in waterways throughout southeast Asia and Oceania and has been responsible for \u3e1,000 attacks upon humans in the past decade. A critical factor in the crocodile’s capability to attack humans is their ability to remain hidden in turbid waters for extended periods, ambushing humans that enter the water or undertake activities around the waterline. In northern Australia, we sampled water from aquariums where crocodiles were present or absent, and we were able to discriminate the presence of estuarine crocodile from the freshwater crocodile (C. johnstoni), a closely related sympatric species that does not pose a threat to humans. Further, we could detect the presence of estuarine crocodiles within an hour of its entry and up to 72 hours after the crocodiles were removed from aquariums. We conclude that eDNA could be a valuable tool for reducing human–wildlife conflict through early detection of the species

Coupled Simulation of Shock Waves in Gas-Particle Mixtures Introducing Motion Equations

In this work, direct numerical analyses for flow around particles passing a shock wave was carried out to predict effects of small particles in rocket plumes. A flow solver based on three-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations is developed for the purpose of high accurate prediction of the acoustic field around rocket plumes. This flow solver is capable of analysing a flow around moving multiple particles and motion equations was introduced. The flow field and the drag coefficient after the shock wave passage were validated by comparing with the drag models at shock Mach number 1.2-2.8. The result was in good agreement with the drag models. In the flow around multiple particles, the interference between particles was confirmed

Detection of diurnal variation of tomato transcriptome through the molecular timetable method in a sunlight-type plant factory

The timing of measurement during plant growth is important because many genes are expressed periodically and orchestrate physiological events. Their periodicity is generated by environmental fluctuations as external factors and the circadian clock as the internal factor. The circadian clock orchestrates physiological events such as photosynthesis or flowering and it enables enhanced growth and herbivory resistance. These characteristics have possible applications for agriculture. In this study, we demonstrated the diurnal variation of the transcriptome in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) leaves through molecular timetable method in a sunlight-type plant factory. Molecular timetable methods have been developed to detect periodic genes and estimate individual internal body time from these expression profiles in mammals. We sampled tomato leaves every 2 h for 2 days and acquired time-course transcriptome data by RNA-Seq. Many genes were expressed periodically and these expressions were stable across the 1st and 2nd days of measurement. We selected 143 time-indicating genes whose expression indicated periodically, and estimated internal time in the plant from these expression profiles. The estimated internal time was generally the same as the external environment time; however, there was a difference of more than 1 h between the two for some sampling points. Furthermore, the stress-responsive genes also showed weakly periodic expression, implying that they were usually expressed periodically, regulated by light–dark cycles as an external factor or the circadian clock as the internal factor, and could be particularly expressed when the plant experiences some specific stress under agricultural situations. This study suggests that circadian clock mediate the optimization for fluctuating environments in the field and it has possibilities to enhance resistibility to stress and floral induction by controlling circadian clock through light supplement and temperature control

Nanopipette with a lipid nanotube as nanochannel

Proceedings of the 7th IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology, August 2 - 5, 2007, Hong Kon

Synthesis of ordered mesoporous ruthenium by lyotropic liquid crystals and its electrochemical conversion to mesoporous ruthenium oxide with high surface area

In ordered to prepare high capacitance pseudo-capacitive oxides, it is important to design nanostructures with appreciable mesopores. Supramolecular templating has become a popular method to synthesize ordered mesoporous metals; however, the application of the same technique to synthesis of high surface area oxides is more demanding. We present here, the synthesis of ordered mesoporous ruthenium metal by lyotropic liquid crystal templating and its electrochemical conversion to ordered mesoporous ruthenium oxide by a simple, room temperature procedure. The bulk, unsupported metallic ordered mesoporous ruthenium exhibits high surface area of 110 m(2) g(-1), which is comparable to typical supported Ru nanoparticles. The oxide analogue gives a high specific capacitance of 376 Fg(-1), owing to the porous structure. These results demonstrate a possible facile and generic process to synthesize oxides with ordered nanostructures by utilization of the various phases that can be obtained with lyotropic liquid crystalline templates such as cubic, hexagonal, lamellar, etc.ArticleJOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES. 204:244-248 (2012)journal articl

Study of hadron interactions in a lead-emulsion target

Topological and kinematical characteristics of hadron interactions have been studied using a lead-emulsion target exposed to 2, 4 and 10 GeV/c hadron beams. A total length of 60 m $\pi^-$ tracks was followed using a high speed automated emulsion scanning system. A total of 318 hadron interaction vertices and their secondary charged particle tracks were reconstructed. Measurement results of interaction lengths, charged particle multiplicity, emission angles and momenta of secondary charged particles are compared with a Monte Carlo simulation and appear to be consistent. Nuclear fragments emitted from interaction vertices were also detected by a newly developed emulsion scanning system with wide-angle acceptance. Their emission angle distributions are in good agreement with the simulated distributions. Probabilities of an event being associated with at least one fragment track are found to be greater than 50% for beam momentum $P > 4$ GeV/c and are well reproduced by the simulation. These experimental results validate estimation of the background due to hadron interactions in the sample of $\tau$ decay candidates in the OPERA $\nu_{\mu} \to \nu_{\tau}$ oscillation experiment.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure

Fast flickering aurora within traveling current vortices

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OS] 宙空圏11月16日（月）　国立極地研究所１階交流アトリウ

Cor Triatriatum in the Adult with Aortic Stenosis and Mitral Stenosis

Background：Cor triatriatum is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly, in which the left atrium or right atrium is separated by an abnormal fibromuscular membrane with one or more restrictive orifices. This condition typically presents in infancy or early childhood and can be associated with other cardiac anomalies.Case presentation：A 75-year-old woman was admitted for exertional dyspnea with moderate aortic and mitral stenosis. As cor triatriatum was revealed by a computed tomography and echocardiography, she was referred to our department for surgery. Aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement and excision of the membranous septum in the left atrium was performed. This report presents an incidental findings of cor triatriatum with aortic stenosis, moderate mitral stenosis in septuagenarian.Conclusion：We encountered a rare case of cor triatriatum with aortic stenosis and mitral stenosis in septuagenarian. She was incidentally diagnosed by rheumatic aortic and mitral stenosis which had advanced to moderate level

High-speed stereoscopy of aurora

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OS] 宙空圏11月16日（月）　国立極地研究所 2階 大会議