Thermoluminescence studies of ordinary chondrites in the Japanese Antarctic meteorite collection, IV: Asuka ordinary chondrites

We measured TL properties of ninety Asuka (A) ordinary chondrites (LL: 16, L: 27, H: 47) from Japanese Antarctic meteorite collection. Most of the chondrites had TL sensitivities over 0.1, corresponding to petrologic subtype 3.5-3.9. Eight chondrites, A-881244 (L3), A-881607 (LL3), A-881328 (LL3), A-881408 (LL3), A-881397 (LL3), A-881522 (L3), A-881357 (LL3 or L3), and A-881199 (LL3) were revealed to be primitive ordinary chondrites under petrologic subtype 3.4, and therefore they are particularly significant in understanding the nature of primitive material in the solar system. Twenty-one chondrites with low TL sensitivities below 0.1 (Dhajala=1) had suffered remarkable shock and/or terrestrial weathering. Samples were mainly from three different dirt bands south of the Sr Rondane Mountains at D1, D2, and D3 sites. LT/HT distribution at D1 site suggested that chondrites at D1 site had shorter terrestrial ages than those at D2 and D3. A-880709, A-88710, A-88774, A-881324 which had extremely low LT/HT ratio under 0.1, and A-881484 and A-881546 which might be heated over 400°C were presumed to have small perihelia. We found 26 TL potential paired fragments, and 9 groups. A group of H3 at D1 site comprises a chain of paired fragments. A H3 chondrite might shower near the Asuka

Modeling carbom dynamics in an arid forest ecosystem

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科大阪大学筑波大学成蹊大学信州大学2005 International Symposium on Environmental Mornitoring in East Asia -Remote Sensing and Forests-,Hosted The EMEA Project, Kanazawa University 21st=Century COE Program -Environmental Monitoring and Predicition of Long- and Short- Term Dynamics of Pan-Japan Sea Area- ,予稿集, EMEA 2005 in Kanazawa, 国際学術研究公開シンポジウム『東アジアの環境モニタリング』－リモートセンシングと森林－,年月日：200511月28日～29日, 場所：KKRホテル金沢, 金沢大学自然科学研究科, 主催：金沢大学EMEAプロジェクト, 共催：金沢大学21世紀COEプログラム「環日本海域の環境変動と長期・短期変動予測

Transplantation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived airway epithelial cell sheet into the middle ear of rats

[Introduction] Early postoperative regeneration of the middle ear mucosa is essential for the prevention of postoperative refractory otitis media and recurrent cholesteatoma. As a means for intractable otitis media management, we focused on human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived airway epithelial cells (AECs), which have been used in upper airway mucosal regeneration and transplantation therapy. In this study, we transplanted hiPSC-derived AECs into the middle ear of immunodeficient rats. [Methods] Following the preparation of AEC sheets from hiPSCs, the bilateral middle ear mucosa of X-linked severe combined immunodeficient rats was scraped, and the AEC sheets were transplanted in the ears unilaterally. [Results] Human nuclear antigen (HNA)-positive ciliated cells were observed on the transplanted side of the middle ear cavity surface in three of six rats in the 1-week postoperative group and in three of eight rats in the 2-week postoperative group. No HNA-positive cells were found on the control side. The percentage of HNA-positive ciliated cells in the transplanted areas increased in the 2-week postoperative group compared with the 1-week group, suggesting survival of hiPSC-derived AECs. Additionally, HNA-positive ciliated cells were mainly located at sites where the original ciliated cells were localized. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the transplanted AECs contained cytokeratin 5- and mucin 5AC-positive cells, indicating that both basal cells and goblet cells had regenerated within the middle ear cavity. [Conclusions] The results of this study are an important first step in the establishment of a novel transplantation therapy for chronic otitis media

Pulmonary Artery Leiomyosarcoma Diagnosed without Delay

A 63-year-old female presented with abnormal lung shadows but had, apart from this, few symptoms. Computed tomography (CT) revealed multiple nodules and blockage of the pulmonary artery. She was immediately diagnosed with pulmonary artery sarcoma based on a careful differential diagnosis and underwent surgery. Her tumor was pathologically diagnosed as leiomyosarcoma (i.e. intimal sarcoma). Pulmonary artery sarcoma can be easily confounded with thromboembolism in a clinical setting and some cases are diagnosed post mortem only. In our case, clinical prediction scores (Wells score, Geneva score, and revised Geneva score) for the pulmonary embolism showed low probability. Moreover, chest CT showed uncommon findings for pulmonary thromboembolism, as the nodules were too big for thrombi. Because surgical resection can provide the only hope of long-term survival in cases of pulmonary artery sarcoma, clinicians should consider this possibility in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Clinical prediction scores and CT findings might help to reach the correct diagnosis of pulmonary artery sarcoma

Controlled Cracking of Large Size Concrete Structures by a Steam Pressure Cracking Agent

The dismantling of large concrete structures causes environmental pollution due to the dispersion of polluted micro-particles. The purpose of this study is to develop an environmentally friendly demolition method. Steam pressure cracking (SPC) is a method that can safely and quickly separate concrete because there is less vibration compared to the explosion method. To date, the authors have shown that the direction of cracking in a small sample can be controlled by an induction hole. The principle of control is that the elastic wave of compression stress generated from the SPC reaction changes to a tensile elastic wave at the induction hole, and a crack is initiated. In this study, it was shown that the direction of crack propagation can be controlled by using induction holes in large concrete structures that are 1m on each side. Further, in the SPC method, the large amount of concrete powder generated by the explosion method is not produced, and there is no risk of secondary contamination by fine concrete powder. It was also possible to separate small pieces from the end face of the large concrete by SPC and induction holes. The area over which the crack propagated depends on the energy generated from the SPC agent, and the relationship was linear. By applying an SPC agent to dismantling large concrete structures, we can achieve controlled cracking safely and quickly without any environmental pollution.&nbsp

An NLR paralog Pit2 generated from tandem duplication of Pit1 fine-tunes Pit1 localization and function

NLR family proteins act as intracellular receptors. Gene duplication amplifies the number of NLR genes, and subsequent mutations occasionally provide modifications to the second gene that benefits immunity. However, evolutionary processes after gene duplication and functional relationships between duplicated NLRs remain largely unclear. Here, we report that the rice NLR protein Pit1 is associated with its paralogue Pit2. The two are required for the resistance to rice blast fungus but have different functions: Pit1 induces cell death, while Pit2 competitively suppresses Pit1-mediated cell death. During evolution, the suppression of Pit1 by Pit2 was probably generated through positive selection on two fate-determining residues in the NB-ARC domain of Pit2, which account for functional differences between Pit1 and Pit2. Consequently, Pit2 lost its plasma membrane localization but acquired a new function to interfere with Pit1 in the cytosol. These findings illuminate the evolutionary trajectory of tandemly duplicated NLR genes after gene duplication