VEGETATION BEHAVIOR AND ITS HABITAT REGION AGAINST FLOOD FLOW IN URBAN STREAMS

Hydraulic effects on the vegetation behavior and on its habitat region against flood flow in the urban streams were analysed in this paper. Vegetation behavior was classified into stable, recovered, damaged and swept away stages. Criteria between recovered and damaged status were determined by the bending angle of the aquatic plants. Aquatic plants whose bending angle is lower than 30~50 degree is recovered, but they were damaged and cannot be recovered when the bending angle is higher than 30~50 degree. Phragmites japonica was inhabited in the hydraulic condition of high Froude number which shows that it was inhabited in the upstream reaches. Phragmites communis was inhabited in the relatively low Froude number compared with Phragmites japonica. This shows that it was inhabited in the downstream reaches. Persicaria blumei was found in the relatively wide range of flow velocity and flow depth, which shows that it was inhabited in the middle and downstream reaches. Criterion on the vegetation behavior of Persicaria thunbergii was not clear, which implies that it may be affected by the flow turbulence rather than flow velocity and flow depth

Correlated Electronic Structures and the Phase Diagram of Hydrocarbon-based Superconductors

We have investigated correlated electronic structures and the phase diagram of electron-doped hydrocarbon molecular solids, based on the dynamical mean-field theory. We have found that the ground state of hydrocarbon-based superconductors such as electron-doped picene and coronene is a multi-band Fermi liquid, while that of non-superconducting electron-doped pentacene is a single-band Fermi liquid in the proximity of the metal-insulator transition. The size of the molecular orbital energy level splitting plays a key role in producing the superconductivity of electron-doped hydrocarbon solids. The multi-band nature of hydrocarbon solids would boost the superconductivity through the enhanced density of states at the Fermi level.X11910sciescopu

Observation of a kink during the formation of the Kondo resonance band in a heavy-fermion system

We have shown that the kink behavior in the spectral function of a heavy fermion can appear during the formation of the Kondo resonance (KR) band and the hybridization gap. We have investigated the heavy fermion compound CeCoGe2, using a combined approach of the density functional theory and the dynamical mean field theory. Low temperature T spectral functions show dispersive KR states, similarly to the recent experimental observation. During the evolution from the non-f conduction band state at high T to the dispersive KR band state at low T, which have topologically different band shapes, we have found the existence of kinks in the non-f spectral function near the Fermi level E-F. The observation of kink is clearly in correspondence with the multiple temperature scales of the formation of the KR band.X1186sciescopu

A Synergistic Anti-Diabetic Effect by Ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 through Adipogenic and Insulin Signaling Pathways in 3T3-L1 Cells

Although ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 have been identified as the significant ginsenosides found in red ginseng that confer anti-diabetic actions, it is unclear whether insulin-sensitizing effects are mediated by the individual compounds or by their combination. To determine the effect of ginsenosides Rb1 and Rg3 on adipocyte differentiation, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were induced to differentiate the standard hormonal inducers in the absence or presence of ginsenosides Rb1 or Rg3. Additionally, we determined the effects of Rb1, Rg3, or their combination on the expression of genes related to adipocyte differentiation, adipogenic transcription factors, and the insulin signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 cells using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Rb1 significantly increased the expression of CEBP alpha, PPAR gamma, and aP2 mRNAs. However, Rg3 exerted its maximal stimulatory effect on these genes at 1 mu M concentration, while a high concentration (50 mu M) showed inhibitory effects. Similarly, treatment with Rb1 and Rg3 (1 mu M) increased the expression of IRS-1, Akt, PI3K, GLUT4, and adiponectin. Importantly, co-treatment of Rb1 and Rg3 (9:1) induced the maximal expression levels of these mRNAs. Our data indicate that the anti-diabetic activity of red ginseng is, in part, mediated by synergistic actions of Rb1 and Rg3, further supporting the significance of minor Rg3

Robust Co-catalytic Performance of Nanodiamonds Loaded on WO3 for the Decomposition of Volatile Organic Compounds under Visible Light

Proper co-catalysts (usually noble metals), combined with semiconductor materials, are commonly needed to maximize the efficiency of photocatalysis. Search for cost-effective and practical alternatives for noble-metal co-catalysts is under intense investigation. In this work, nanodiamond (ND), which is a carbon nanomaterial with a unique sp(3)(core)/sp(2)(shell) structure, was combined with WO3 (as an alternative co-catalyst for Pt) and applied for the degradation of volatile organic compounds under visible light. NDs-loaded WO3 showed a highly enhanced photocatalytic activity for the degradation of acetaldehyde (similar to 17 times higher than bare WO3), which is more efficient than other well-known co-catalysts (Ag, Pd, Au, and CuO) loaded onto WO3 and comparable to Pt-loaded WO3. Various surface modifications of ND and photoelectochemical measurements revealed that the graphitic carbon shell (sp(2)) on the diamond core (spa) plays a crucial role in charge separation and the subsequent interfacial charge transfer. As a result, ND/WO3 showed much higher production of OH radicals than bare WO3 under visible light. Since ND has a highly transparent characteristic, the light shielding that is often problematic with other carbon-based co-catalysts was considerably lower with NDs-loaded WO3. As a result, the photocatalytic activity of NDs/WO3 was higher than that of WO3 loaded with other carbon-based co-catalysts (graphene oxide or reduced graphene oxide). A range of spectroscopic and photo(electro)chemical techniques were systematically employed to investigate the properties of NDs-loaded WO3. ND is proposed as a cost-effective and practical nanomaterial to replace expensive noble-metal co-catalysts.1124Ysciescopu

Production of Transgenic Cloned Miniature Pigs with Membrane-bound Human Fas Ligand (FasL) by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Cell-mediated xenograft rejection, including NK cells and CD8+ CTL, is a major obstacle in successful pig-to-human xenotransplantation. Human CD8+ CTL and NK cells display high cytotoxicity for pig cells, mediated at least in part by the Fas/FasL pathway. To prevent cell-mediated xenocytotoxicity, a membrane-bound form of human FasL (mFasL) was generated as an inhibitor for CTL and NK cell cytotoxicity that could not be cleaved by metalloproteinase to produce putative soluble FasL. We produced two healthy transgenic pigs harboring the mFasL gene via somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). In a cytotoxicity assay using transgenic clonal cell lines and transgenic pig ear cells, the rate of CD8+ CTL-mediated cytotoxicity was significantly reduced in transgenic pig's ear cells compared with that in normal minipig fetal fibroblasts. Our data indicate that grafts of transgenic pigs expressing membrane-bound human FasL control the cellular immune response to xenografts, creating a window of opportunity to facilitate xenograft survival