Differences in Involucrin Immunolabeling Within Cornified Cell Envelopes in Normal and Psoriatic Epidermis

Epidermal keratinocytes form a cornified cell envelope (CE) beneath the plasma membrane during the late stages of differentiation, This CE is stabilized by cross linking of several precursor proteins, including involucrin, In psoriasis, the expression pattern of the precursor proteins is known to be deranged; involucrin expression is increased and loricrin expression is decreased. However, these changes have not been previously evaluated ultrastructurally. In the present study, we performed light and electron microscopic immunohistochemistry in conjunction with conventional transmission electron microscopy to assess the nature of involucrin involvement in normal and psoriatic CEs. In normal epidermis, CEs were observed from the deepest cornified cells or, when present, from the transitional cells, increasing In thickness and changing electron densities with maturation. In psoriatic epidermis, CE formation started earlier, one to several cells below the cornified layer. Psoriatic CEs were generally thinner and showed a constant high electron density. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that the normal CE was involucrin positive only at a very early stage, whereas psoriatic CE showed persistent involucrin immunoreactivity. These results suggest that in normal skin, involucrin is the major constituent of the CE only In its early stages of assembly. In contrast, CE formation seems to be initiated prematurely in psoriatic skin, where involucrin remains the major constituent of the CE during maturation

ハワイ人およびチャモロー人の四肢骨の形態特徴

The metric characteristics of the limb bones of the Hawaiian and Chamorro were investigated. Although there is no difference between the Hawaiian and Chamorro in bone length, the diameters and circumferences of the shafts show a considerable difference. Compared with the skeletal samples from Japan, the Hawaiian are similar to the Jomon and Ainu while the Chamorro are at a good distance from the Japanese series. However, the Jomon and Ainu form a contrast to the Hawaiian in relative length of radius and ulna. Because both the functional adaptations and some genetic factors may contribute to the formation of limb bone morphology, it is necessary to select useful items for understanding human variation

環太平洋地域の人類集団の頭蓋形態小変異 : 太平洋民族の起源を求めて

Cranial nonmetric traits of the Pacific and other Asian populations were investigated. The frequency of the supraorbital foramen in the Hawaiian people is as high as in the Asian peoples with the Chamorro people having low incidence. The Hawaiian and Chamorro peoples have the lowest incidences of transverse zygomatic suture vestige of all populations compared, and distance analyses revealed that although not being very near each other, they are both closer to the East Asian and inland Siberians than to the Jomon-Ainu or to other Siberian or Arctic peoples. The analysis of cranial nonmetric variation failed to support a direct affinity for the Jomon to the Pacific peoples

Numerical study of solitary wave propagation in curved channels

金沢大学理工研究域環境デザイン学系A numerical model is developed for the extended Boussinesq equations expressed in the generalized curvilinear coordinate system. The model is applied to the study of solitary wave propagation through circular channels. The general features of solitary wave propagation are described and the effects of channel width and incident wave height on the transmission and reflection properties are examined. It is shown that the wave transformation becomes significant in wide channels. The maximum crest height at the outer wall of channel is then investigated in detail. The maximum crest height can reach almost twice as large as the incident wave amplitude in wide channels. The numerical results indicate that the maximum crest height can be correlated fairy well with a single dimensionless parameter

環境保全と発電用の圧縮空気製造を行う河川用および海岸用の新型水車の開発

クリーンな自然エネルギーを利用する地球環境保全用機器開発を目指し,海岸波浪用の波力水車の開発研究を実施した.波力水車は,水平軸から吊り下げた波受け板に働く波力により生じる波受け板の往復振り子運動を,水平軸の一方向回転力に変換するギヤ装置から構成されている.従来,谷での反対方向運動を反転するためのギヤ軸が片持ち軸となる弱点があったが,本研究では,新たにリンク機構を組み込むことにより,片持ち軸部を排除し,大きな波力に耐えうる構造へと改良することに成功した.実験は,金沢大学ハードラボに新たに設置した幅2m,深さ1.8m,長さ22mの造波水槽において,周期1〜5秒の波を用いて行った.波受け板周辺の水は,水粒子の通過に伴い渦が発生し,慣性力と抗力の両者が生じていると推測されたが,波の周期にかかわらず,入射波高の増加に伴い,波受け板の振れ幅は増大し,波力水車に設置したオイルフリー型リニアクランク式コンプレッサーから生じる圧縮空気量は(ほぼ波高に比例して)増加した.発生空気量は,周期2〜5secで波高15〜30cmの場合に,毎分12〜13.5リットル(大気圧換算)程度であり,極めて良好な結果が得られた. 空気製造量をさらに増加させるためには,一層大きな波高の波を受け止め得るように,波受け板の面積を増やせば良いが,むしろ今後の課題としては,波力水車には,設計限界を超える過大な波力から逃れるための安全装置機構を付加することが必要と考えられる.In order to develop the machinery for the preservation of the earth environment by extracting the clean natural energy, the new water wheels have been invented to use in the river and in the coast. One of the water wheel for the river is designated as the flutter-blade wheel, which is devised such that the several blades arranged around the wheel axis can be fluttered around the each blade axis with getting the fluid force in the water current. This blade can avoid the resistance induced by the reverse current by way of fluttering so as to get the current power efficiently. The experiments to measure the extracting power and the produce air from the oil-free compressor attached to the new wheel have been done in the laboratory and in the waterway from the Sai-river, which has indicated the possibility of applying to the field.The other wheel designated as wave-force wheel is devised such that the plate swinging around the suspending axis with received the wave force can rotate the axis, which drive the compressor linked to the wheel. The volume of the generated air by the wheel settled at the wave tank in the laboratory has reached to 13 L/min in even small waves whose period is 2〜5 sec and wave height 15〜30 cm. The experimental result is so favorable that the field type can be manufactured to advance the field research next year.研究課題/領域番号:18560495, 研究期間(年度):2006–2007出典：「環境保全と発電用の圧縮空気製造を行う河川用および海岸用の新型水車の開発」研究成果報告書　課題番号18560495 (KAKEN：科学研究費助成事業データベース（国立情報学研究所）)　　　本文データは著者版報告書より作