Cases Histories and Recent Development of the Sand Compaction Pile Method as a Countermeasure Against Liquefaction

The Sand Compaction Pile (SCP) method is the most useful countermeasure against liquefaction in Japan. The investigation on the effectiveness of improved ground by the SCP method suffered from the past large-scale earthquakes (the 1993 Kushiro-Oki Earthquake, the 1994 Hokkaido Toho-Oki Earthquake, the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nambu Earthquake etc.) were conducted and found that the behavior of the compacted ground apparently differ from unimproved one. Especially less subsidence occurred on the compacted area compared with the unimproved area at Port Island and Rokko Island during even the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nambu (Kobe) earthquake. The conventional SCP method aims to increase the bearing capacity of soft ground by reinforcing it as compacted ground, or by increasing the density of loose sandy ground, through the vibratory installation of additional sand piles. However, the use of a vibro-hammer generates noise and vibration, which may adversely affect the surrounding environment. It is therefore difficult to use this method for ground improvement work in urban areas or on sites close to existing structures. To reduce noise and vibration, the non-vibratory SCP method which is based on a rotary penetration system using a forced lifting/driving device and a rotary drive motor were developed. This paper describes the case histories during the past large-scale earthquakes and newly development (objectives, applications etc.) of the SCP method applied as a countermeasure against liquefaction in Japan

A Case of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Bucillamine-Induced Yellow Nail Syndrome Initially Manifesting as Pulmonary Disease

We report a case of a 67-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis with yellow nail syndrome (YNS) that was caused by bucillamine. All three signs (yellow fingernails, lymphatic edema, and bronchiectasis) of YNS manifested, with characteristic timing, first with the nails turning yellow after when bronchiectasis was noticed. We reviewed 10 case reports from Japan and compared the periods until the appearance of yellow nails after starting bucillamine treatment, as well as those until lung disease and leg edema appeared

Recoil effects of photoelectrons in a solid

High energy resolution C 1$s$ photoelectron spectra of graphite were measured at the excitation energy of 340, 870, 5950 and 7940eV using synchrotron radiation. On increasing the excitation energy, i.e., increasing kinetic energy of the photoelectron, the bulk origin C 1$s$ peak position shifts to higher binding energies. This systematic shift is due to the kinetic energy loss of the high-energy photoelectron by kicking the atom, and is clear evidence of the recoil effect in photoelectron emission. It is also observed that the asymmetric broadening increases for the higher energy photoelectrons. All these recoil effects can be quantified in the same manner as the M\"ossbauer effect for $\gamma$-ray emission from nuclei embedded in crystals.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

In Vivo Imaging of HIF-Active Tumors by an Oxygen-Dependent Degradation Protein Probe with an Interchangeable Labeling System

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) functions as a master transcriptional regulator for adaptation to hypoxia by inducing adaptive changes in gene expression for regulation of proliferation, angiogenesis, apoptosis and energy metabolism. Cancers with high expression of the alpha subunit of HIF (HIFα) are often malignant and treatment-resistant. Therefore, the development of a molecular probe that can detect HIF activity has great potential value for monitoring tumor hypoxia. HIF prolyl hydroxylases (HPHDs) act as oxygen sensors that regulate the fate of HIFα protein through its oxygen-dependent degradation (ODD) domain. We constructed a recombinant protein PTD-ODD-HaloTag (POH) that is under the same ODD regulation as HIFα and contains protein transduction domain (PTD) and an interchangeable labeling system. Administration of near-infrared fluorescently labeled POH (POH-N) to mouse models of cancers allowed successful monitoring of HIF-active regions. Immunohistochemical analysis for intratumoral localization of POH probe revealed its specificity to HIF-active cells. Furthermore, lack of the PTD domain or a point mutation in the ODD domain abrogated the specificity of POH-N to HIF-active cells. Overall results indicate that POH is a practical probe specific to HIF-active cell in cancers and suggest its large potential for imaging and targeting of HIF-related diseases

Fundamental physics with cold radioactive atoms

The fundamental symmetries, charge conjugation (C), parity (P) and time reversal (T), play a significant role in the Standard Model (SM) of elementary particle physics. Of these, T symmetry and the combined CP symmetry are the least well understood, and they hold valuable clues for unraveling the secrets of nature. All subatomic particles are postulated to possess an intrinsic property known as a permanent electric dipole moment (EDM). The EDM of an atom is a combination of those of each constituent particle and also CP-violating interactions between the particles. Being many-particle systems, atoms and molecules are ideal candidates for probing a rich variety of both T- and CP-violating interactions. Paramagnetic atoms, which have a single valence electron in their outer shell, are sensitive to subtle signals associated with CP violations in the leptonic sector, i.e., the EDM of the electron. At present, we are developing a high-intensity laser-cooled Fr factory at RIKEN accelerator facility in an attempt to evaluate the EDM of Fr to an accuracy of 10-30 ecm. Laser cooling is important for achieving highly accurate EDM measurements, since it allows long interaction times using an optical lattice. The current status of the laser-cooled Fr EDM experiments is presented in this paper.</p

Feasibility and safety of endoscopic submucosal dissection for lesions in proximity to a colonic diverticulum

Background/Aims: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for diverticulum-associated colorectal lesions is generally contraindicated because of the high risk of perforation. Several studies on patients with such lesions treated with ESD have been reported recently. However, the feasibility and safety of ESD for lesions in proximity to a colonic diverticulum (D-ESD) have not been fully clarified. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of D-ESD. Methods: D-ESD was defined as ESD for lesions within approximately 3 mm of a diverticulum. Twenty-six consecutive patients who underwent D-ESD were included. Two strategic approaches were used depending on whether submucosal dissection of the diverticulum-related part was required (strategy B) or not (strategy A). Treatment outcomes and adverse events associated with each strategy were analyzed. Results: The en bloc resection rate was 96.2%. The R0 and curative resection rates were 76.4% and 70.6% in strategy A and 88.9% and 77.8% in strategy B, respectively. Two cases of intraoperative perforation and one case of delayed perforation occurred. The delayed perforation case required emergency surgery, but the other cases were managed conservatively. Conclusions: D-ESD may be a feasible treatment option. However, it should be performed in a high-volume center by expert hands because it requires highly skilled endoscopic techniques