Conduction of activity between muscles in the terminal region of the common bile duct and in the neighboring duodenum

The relationship between muscle activity at the terminal region of the common bile duct and the duodenal muscle was examined in rabbits. The rhythmic muscle activity in the terminal region was synchronous with duodenal muscle activity. The activity of the latter muscle preceded the former. The activity at the terminal region synchronous with the rhythmic activity of the duodenal muscle sometimes disappeared spontaneously. The muscle activity of the ampulla and the spincter at the terminal region was sometimes independently lost. The conduction of excitation from the duodenal muscle to the terminal region appeared to be performed at several sites. The existence of a &#34;conduction-shunt path&#34; between the terminal region and the duodenum, as well as between the ampulla and the sphincter appeared probably. Some quantitative differences were found between the spincter, ampulla and duodenum in inhibitory effects to stimulation of splanchnic nerves and reflex effects and to excitatory effects of cholecystokinin-pancreoxymin and caerulein. These results seem to indicate that the sympathetic nerves and the intramural cholinergic neurones controlling these region carry out activities quantitatively different from each other.</p

The Effect of Self-gravity of Gas on Gas Fueling in Barred Galaxies with a Supermassive Black Hole

In our previous paper, we have shown that a gas disk in the nuclear region of a barred galaxy which contains a central supermassive black hole (SMBH) rapidly evolves into a nuclear gas ring by the effect of an additional inner Lindblad resonance caused by the SMBH. In this paper, we investigate the fate of the gas ring, involving self-gravity of gas, using two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations. We find that the gas ring becomes gravitationally unstable for a gas surface density of gas above a critical value, and fragments into several gas clumps. Some denser clumps increase their mass via the accretion of the surrounding gas and collisions with other clumps, and finally a very massive gas clump (10^7 M_sun) is formed. Due to the torque from the most massive clump, a part of the gas in the ring loses its angular momentum and falls into the galactic center. As a result, a nuclear gas disk (50 pc) is formed around the SMBH. The accretion rate for $R<50$ pc attains about 1 M_sun/yr for 3.5*10^7 yr. At the final phase of the bar-driven fueling, self-gravity is crucial for the angular momentum transfer of the gas. This is a new mechanism for gas fueling to the vicinity of the SMBH.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, AASTeX, submitted to Ap

Sedimentary environments of mangrove swamp in the Funaura Bay, Iriomote Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Southwest Japan

The distribution of conch shell contained in clastic sediments in the mangrove swamps in the Funaura Bay, Iriomote Island, Okinawa Prefecture was studied. The sediments in the mangrove swamp are mainly composed of up to 90% sands. The sand clasts are inferred to be derived from the sandstone of Miocene Yaeyama Group. The conch shells are richer in the muddy fraction than the sandy fraction. Many Terebralia palustris inhabit the mangrove swamp. However few dead shells were also observed in the sediments. Effect of selective transportation hermit crabs is considered to be the cause of this distribution

Clinical Experience With a New Type of Rhino-Larynx Electronic Endoscope PENTAX VNL-1530

We observed recordings of pictures obtained from patients with diseases of the larynx by using a new type of rhino-larynx electronic endoscope, PENTAXVNL-1530 connected to a video processor, PENTAX EPM-3300 (Asahi Optical Co., Ltd.). The electronic endoscope differs from the fiberoptic endoscope in that it contains a small light-sensitive charge coupled device (CCD) chip that is attached to the tip of the endoscope. This electronic endoscope has the smallest CCD camera of 5.1 mm in diameter, in the tip portion, and can be passed through the nasal passage into the laryngeal cavity. The dynamic image provided by this system is superior to that obtained by a flexible laryngofiberscope in resolution of the detail