Borehole video observation of Langhovde Glacier, Antarctica

第3回極域科学シンポジウム　横断セッション「海・陸・氷床から探る後期新生代の南極寒冷圏環境変動」11月27日（火） 国立国語研究所 ２階講

Are deviation from bi-maximal mixing and none-zero U_{e3} related to non-degeneracy of heavy Majorana neutrinos?

We propose a scenario that the mass splitting between the first generation of the heavy Majorana neutrino and the other two generations of degenerate heavy neutrinos in the seesaw framework is responsible for the deviation of the solar mixing angle from the maximal mixing, while keeping the maximal mixing between the tau and muon neutrinos as it is. On top of the scenario, we show that the tiny breaking of the degeneracy of the two heavy Majorana neutrinos leads to the non-zero small mixing angle $U_{e3}$ in the PMNS matrix and the little deviation of the atmospheric neutrino mixing angle from the maximal mixing.Comment: 12 pages, model claified, references added and correcte

Minimal seesaw model with tri/bi-maximal mixing and leptogenesis

We examine minimal seesaw mechanism in which the masses of light neutrinos are described with tri/bi-maximal mixing in the basis where the charged-lepton Yukawa matrix and heavy Majorana neutrino mass matrix are diagonal. We search for all possible Dirac mass textures which contain at least one zero entry in $3 \times 2$ matrix and evaluate the corresponding lepton asymmetries. We present the baryon asymmetry in terms of a single low energy unknown, a Majorana CP phase to be clued from neutrinoless double beta decay.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, revtex4, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Human group II phospholipase A2 in normal and diseased intervertebral discs

AbstractWe measured calcium-dependent phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity and immunoreactive group II PLA2 levels of 54 normal discs obtained from cadavers and 73 disc samples surgically obtained from patients with spinal disorders, including intervertebral disc herniations, spondylosis, and spondylolisthesis. Both cadaveric and surgical disc specimens contained about two-fold greater PLA2 activity than the ileal mucosa, one of the richest sources of group II PLA2. Discs of middle-aged cases had significantly higher activity than those of younger and elder cases. In cadaveric normal discs, calcium-dependent PLA2 activity was significantly higher in females than in males. Annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus contained the same PLA2 levels. In diseases discs, herniated fragments that had extruded or protruded out of the discs possessed lower activity than other parts of discs in the intervertebral space. Immunoreactive group II PLA2 levels of intervertebral discs closely correlated with PLA2 enzymatic activity. We purified a PLA2 from human intervertebral disc to homogeneity to further identify the isozymic nature of discal PLA2. Its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence and molecular weight were identical to those of human group II PLA2. Immunohistochemical analysis using a monoclonal anti-group II PLA2 antibody showed that in both annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus chondrocyte contained intense grou II PLA2 immunoreactivity in their cytoplasm, and that the matrix contained no substantial immunoreactivity. These results suggest that group II PLA2 in chondrocytes has important physiological roles in discal ordinary metabolism, maintaining discal homeostasis

Relationship between muscle strength and motor function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Measuring muscle strength and motor function is part of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) assessment. However, the relationship between these variables is controversial. Objective: To investigate the relationship between muscle strength and motor function and between these variables and age. Method: Muscle strength was measured by Medical Research Council (MRC) scale and motor function, by Motor Function Measure (MFM), in 40 non-ambulatory patients. Spearman tests investigated the relationships between muscle strength, motor function and age. Results: Total MRC and MFM scores were strongly related to each other (r = 0.94p 0.05). Strong and moderate relationships between partial muscle strength and motor function scores were found. Higher correlation coefficients were found between total scores and Dimensions 2 (axial/ proximal control) and 3 (distal control) of MFM. Conclusion: Muscle strength and motor function are strongly correlated and seem to decrease proportionally in DMD.Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Fisioterapia Fonoaudiol & Terapia Ocupac, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Neurol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilUniv Fed Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Neurol, Sao Paulo, SP, BrazilWeb of Scienc