Computational analysis of contamination in Kojima Lake using upwind-type finite element method

We have computed the phase of spreading contaminations in Kojima Lake by using the upwind-type finite element method. We have treated the two cases: the pollutant flows from the Sasagase river and from the Kurashiki River. We see that the upwind-type finite element method is effective in both cases, when the diffusion constant is quite small

Spatial thinking in geographic information science: a review of past studies and prospects for the future

AbstractIn recent years, the relationship between geographic information science (GIScience) and spatial thinking has attracted much attention in English-speaking countries. Nevertheless, vagueness remains concerning the concept of spatial thinking and its components. The aim of this paper is to review previous studies on the relationship between GIScience and spatial thinking, and to clarify the elements of spatial thinking and related terms. After discussing the basic elements of spatial thinking, it explores the relationship between GIScience and spatial thinking by dividing it into two aspects: the role of geographic information systems (GIS) in education on spatial thinking, and the role of spatial thinking in GIScience. Concerning the former, potential roles of GIS in spatial thinking education, particularly in geography and STEM disciplines, are suggested. Concerning the latter, the relationships between the body of knowledge on GIS education and the elements of spatial thinking are examined. Finally, the present situation and future prospects for studies on spatial thinking and GIScience in Japan are briefly discussed

Computationally determining the salience of decision points for real-time wayfinding support

This study introduces the concept of computational salience to explain the discriminatory efficacy of decision points which in turn may have applications to providing real-time assistance to users of navigational aids. This research compared algorithms for calculating the computational salience of decision points and validated the results via three methods: high-salience decision points were used to classify wayfinders; salience scores were used to weight a conditional probabilistic scoring function for real-time wayfinder performance classification; and salience scores were correlated with wayfinding-performance metrics. As an exploratory step to linking computational and cognitive salience a photograph-recognition experiment was conducted. Results reveal a distinction between algorithms useful for determining computational and cognitive saliences. For computational salience information about the structural integration of decision points is effective while information about the probability of decision-point traversal shows promise for determining cognitive salience. Limitations from only using structural information and motivations for future work that include non-structural information are elicited

The Relationships between Mandatory and Voluntary Disclosures: Unobservable Precision Choices by Management *

Abstract This paper examines the effects of mandatory disclosure information on unobservable precision choices by management of voluntary disclosure. Prior research articles investigate the precision of information disclosed by management, but they do not consider the relationships between mandatory and voluntary disclosure information. In this paper, I focus on the relationships and analyze precision choices under the situation that there are mandatory and voluntary disclosure. I find that mandatory disclosure information influences precision choices of voluntary disclosure

Gene expression changes during caste-specific neuronal development in the damp-wood termite Hodotermopsis sjostedti

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>One of the key characters of social insects is the division of labor, in which different tasks are allocated to various castes. In termites, one of the representative groups of social insects, morphological differences as well as behavioral differences can be recognized among castes. However, very little is known about the neuronal and molecular bases of caste differentiation and caste-specific behavior. In almost all termite species, soldiers play defensive roles in their colonies, and their morphology and behavior are largely different from workers (or pseudergates). Therefore, we predicted that some genes linked to defensive behavior and/or those required for neuronal changes are differentially expressed between workers and soldiers, or during the soldier differentiation, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the brain and suboesophageal ganglion (SOG) of the damp-wood termite <it>Hodotermopsis sjostedti</it>, we first screened genes specifically expressed in soldiers or during soldier differentiation by the differential display method, followed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. No distinctive differences in expression patterns were detected between pseudergates and soldiers. In the course of soldier differentiation, however, five genes were found to be up-regulated in brain and/or SOG: 14-3-3epsilon, fibrillin2, beta-tubulin, ciboulot, and a hypothetical protein containing a SAP motif. Some of these genes are thought to be associated with cytoskeletal structure or motor-associated proteins in neuronal tissues.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The identified five genes could be involved in soldier-specific neuronal modifications, resulting in defensive behaviors in termite soldiers. The temporal expression patterns of these genes were consistent with the neuronal changes during soldier differentiation, suggesting that molecular machineries, in which the identified factors would participate, play important roles in behavioral differentiation of termite soldiers.</p

Computational water analysis in an artificial lake: Kojima Lake case

We treat the problem of water pollution by the method of a mathematical model. We illustrate the method of analysis with Kojima Lake. We analyze in-flow and out-flow of the lake, compute numerical solutions of the governing equations of the water flow and the pollutant. The simulation leads to the conclusion concerning the figure of Kojima Lake