Reducing the Number of Long-term Items : Optimal Strategy for a Bag-packing Problem

When several items having different weights are packed into a bag, the sum weight of each packed bag needs to be constant. The problem at packing is how to determine the items to be included in a bag so that the sum weight should be closest to the desired weight. In this paper, the following two algorithms are shown; one is to solve as an optimization problem and the other is to solve as a constraint satisfaction problem. Comparing the two algorithms, their functional rolls are made clear. In order to reduce the number of items remaining in scale hoppers for a long time, a method is proposed in which each of the two algorithms can be turned over one after another. Simulation results seem to prove that the proposed method is preferable

Impairment of starvation-induced and constitutive autophagy in Atg7-deficient mice

Autophagy is a membrane-trafficking mechanism that delivers cytoplasmic constituents into the lysosome/vacuole for bulk protein degradation. This mechanism is involved in the preservation of nutrients under starvation condition as well as the normal turnover of cytoplasmic component. Aberrant autophagy has been reported in several neurodegenerative disorders, hepatitis, and myopathies. Here, we generated conditional knockout mice of Atg7, an essential gene for autophagy in yeast. Atg7 was essential for ATG conjugation systems and autophagosome formation, amino acid supply in neonates, and starvation-induced bulk degradation of proteins and organelles in mice. Furthermore, Atg7 deficiency led to multiple cellular abnormalities, such as appearance of concentric membranous structure and deformed mitochondria, and accumulation of ubiquitin-positive aggregates. Our results indicate the important role of autophagy in starvation response and the quality control of proteins and organelles in quiescent cells

Structural basis for PPARγ transactivation by endocrine-disrupting organotin compounds

Harada, S., Hiromori, Y., Nakamura, S. et al. Structural basis for PPARγ transactivation by endocrine-disrupting organotin compounds. Sci Rep 5, 8520 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/srep08520

Changes in cardiac sympathetic nerve innervation and activity in pathophysiologic transition from typical to end-stage hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科Left ventricular (LV) systolic function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is usually normal. Late in the disease, however, LV systolic dysfunction and dilatation are recognized. Although abnormalities in cardiac sympathetic nerve activity in patients with HCM have been demonstrated using 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial scintigraphy, the changes of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity throughout the clinical course from typical to end-stage HCM are unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between abnormalities on 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy and pathophysiologic changes in patients with HCM. Methods: We performed 123I-MIBG scintigraphy on 46 patients with HCM and 18 age-matched control subjects. The patients were categorized into 3 groups: 28 patients with normal LV systolic function (group A), 9 patients with LV systolic dysfunction (group B), and 9 patients with LV systolic dysfunction and dilatation (group C). With planar 123I-MIBG imaging, the heart-to-mediastinum ratio for early and delayed acquisitions and the washout rate were calculated. With SPECT, polar maps of the LV myocardium were divided into 20 segments. The regional uptake and washout rate were calculated from semiquantitative 20-segment bull\u27s-eye analysis. Results: The early uptake was significantly lower in group C than in the control group (P < 0.01). The washout rate was progressively higher in group A, group B, and group C (P < 0.01). Reduced regional early uptake was found in 2.9 ± 3.4 (group A), 4.1 ± 4.7 (group B), and 7.4 ± 4.3 (group C) segments, respectively. In group C, regional early uptake was significantly reduced, predominantly in the interventricular septal wall, and regional washout rate was increased in the apex and lateral wall. Conclusion: These results suggest that cardiac sympathetic nerve abnormalities in patients with HCM may advance with development of LV systolic dysfunction and dilatation and that 123I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy may be a useful tool for the evaluation of pathophysiologic changes in HCM

現地観測に基づく水温躍層の破壊と鉛直混合に関する研究

金沢大学理工研究域環境デザイン学系This study focuses on the process of thermocline\u27s destruction and reformation during typhoons using field observation data. The thermocline has a large effect on the circulation and would be a factor to make water worse. Therefore, it is necessary to understand its process deeply. In this study, the stability of density stratification was evaluated based on the Brant-Vaisala frequency and the Richardson number. The results suggested that high wave destroyed the stratification and high wind mixed ocean water vertically more energetically during stratified season. On the other hand, is was found that stratification was unstable regardless of typhoon intensity during unstratified season. Moreover, the characteristics of water-mass were evaluated on the TS diagram during unstratified season.台風イベント時の水温躍層の破壊・再形成のプロセスに着目して，観測データの解析を行うことでプロセスの経過について検討した．水温躍層は水域内の流動に大きな影響を与え，水質問題が生じる要因にもなるため，詳細な現象の把握が求められている．そこで本研究では，台風イベント時の観測データからブラント・バイサラ振動数およびリチャードソン数を算出し，成層の安定性を評価した．その結果，密度成層期には，まず高波浪により成層の安定が崩され強風により更に不安定さが促進されるという仮説を得た．また，混合期は成層が不安定で，台風接近前からシア流の不安定が生じていて混合が生じていることがわかった．これらの結果を踏まえて，更にTS図を作成し混合期の水塊の特性を評価した.出版者照会後に全文公

半閉鎖性海域湾口部における成層期および成層崩壊期の流動構造と海水交換について

金沢大学理工研究域環境デザイン学系For rigorious description of upper ocean dynamics and resultant volume transport at the mouth of Tanabe Bay, Wakayama, Japan, a comprehensive field campaign was conducted from summer to fall of 2015. The vertical structure of transient dynamics in the surface boundary layer and consequent water exchange at the mouth are characterized by high-frequency variability peaked at around the semi-diurnal period as well as in the lower-frequency subtidal band centered at 3 day period, consistent with the previous modeling study. A spectral coherence analysis indicates that near-surface currents are mainly driven by wind stress peaked at the diurnal frequency, whereas subsurface currents fluctuate rather by semi-diurnal internal tides. The upper ocean cools down gradually, corresponding to seasonal transition from summer to fall condition. However, an abrupt cooling event is observed albeit in a calm local forcing condition where an offshore subtidal cold water intrusion induced remotely by the fluctuating Kuroshio path plays an essential role.半閉鎖性内湾である和歌山県田辺湾湾口部において，ADCP，塩分水温計などを用いた長期連続観測を行い，主に流動構造と海水交換特性に関する解析を行った．クロススペクトル解析結果から，流速鉛直構造と外力との対応については，表層付近の日周期変動には海上風が，成層期の混合層下部の半日周期変動には内部潮汐が，成層崩壊期の混合層全層では半日周期潮汐がそれぞれ寄与していることが分かった．一方，海水交換に対しては半日周期潮汐変動が最も寄与しているのに対し，それと同程度に周期約3日にピークを有するサブタイダル長周期成分の影響が大きかった．この長周期変動は紀伊水道スケールで生じる地形性のメソスケール渦の消長と密接に関係しており，モデルによる先行研究と整合的であった.出版者照会後に全文公