A novel downstream Flood Hazard Grade Index incorporating upstream Hydrograph Characteristics to predict Debris Flow Runoff

The July 2020 debris flow in Japan caused enormous damage, and briefing sessions on disaster prevention have prompted demands for detailed explanations and predictions of such phenomena in high-risk areas. It is necessary to obtain four-dimensional risk information, which considers temporal changes in disaster risk, rather than limiting the analysis to conventionally static information. In this study, we developed a method for setting the boundary conditions necessary for debris flow prediction via a four-dimensional hazard map using various types of digital information. To understand the effects of hydrograph characteristics from the upstream, flow discharge was analysed under different flow conditions, such as topography-driven riverbed shear stress, using a one-dimensional numerical model that considers water and sediment flow. Our results suggested that characteristics of the upstream inflow hydrograph affect flood runoff processes downstream; therefore, we developed a separate downstream flood hazard grade index that uses characteristics of the upstream inflow hydrograph as input

Evidence for late glacial oceanic carbon redistribution and discharge from the Pacific Southern Ocean

Southern Ocean deep-water circulation plays an important role in the global carbon cycle. On geological time-scales, upwelling along the Chilean continental margin likely contributed to the deglacial atmospheric carbon dioxide rise, but little quantitative evidence exists of carbon storage. Here, we use a new X-ray Micro-Computer-Tomography method to assess foraminiferal test dissolution as proxy for paleo-carbonate ion concentrations [CO3^2−]. Our subantarctic Southeast Pacific sediment core depth transect shows significant deep-water [CO3^2−] variations during the Last Glacial Maximum and Deglaciation (10 – 22 ka BP). We provide evidence for an increase in [CO3^2−] during the early deglacial period (15-19 ka BP), followed by a ca. 40 µmol kg^-1 reduction in Lower Circumpolar Deepwater (CDW). This decreased Pacific to Atlantic export of low-carbon CDW contributed to significantly lowered carbon storage within the Southern Ocean, highlighting the importance of a dynamic Pacific–Southern Ocean deep-water reconfiguration for shaping late-glacial oceanic carbon storage, and subsequent deglacial oceanic-atmospheric CO2 transfer

Effects of employment of distinct strategies to capture antibody on antibody delivery into cultured cells

The characteristics of antibody delivery into cultured HeLa cells were examined by using two delivery systems. Both systems used a cell-penetrating peptide as a tool for intrusion of an antibody into the cells, but either a “protein A derivative” or “hydrophobic motif” was employed to capture the antibody. When we examined the uptake of the Alexa Fluor-labeled antibody by use of these two systems, both systems were found to effectively deliver the antibody into the cultured cells. However, when we compared the amount of antibody delivered by these systems with the amount of transferrin uptake, the former was 10 times smaller than the latter. The lower efficiency of antibody delivery than transferrin uptake seemed to be attributable to the involvement of the antibody delivery reagent, which failed to catch the antibody molecule. This interpretation was validated by an experiment using a larger amount of antibody, and the amount of antibody delivered by the “protein A derivative” system under this condition was determined to be 13 ng proteins/105 cells. The antibody delivery achieved by the “protein A derivative” or “hydrophobic motif” showed two differences, i.e., a difference in intracellular distribution of the delivered antibody molecules and a difference in the fluorescence spectrum observed with cellular lysates. Possible reasons for these differences between the two delivery systems are discussed

Molecular mechanism of cerebral edema improvement via IL-1RA released from the stroke-unaffected hindlimb by treadmill exercise after cerebral infarction in rats

Cerebral edema following cerebral infarction can be severe and directly affect mortality and mobility. Exercise therapy after cerebral infarction is an effective therapeutic approach; however, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Myokines such as interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) are released during skeletal muscle contraction with effects on other organs. We hypothesized that myokine release during exercise might improve brain edema and confirmed the hypothesis using transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) model rats. Rats subjected to tMCAO were divided according to the severity of illness and further assigned to exercise and non-exercise groups. Treadmill exercises were performed at a speed of 2–8 m/min for 10 min from 1–6 days post-reperfusion after tMCAO. Exercise significantly reduced edema and neurological deficits in severely ill rats, with a reduction in aquaporin-4 (AQP4) expression in the ischemic core and increased blood IL-1RA release from the stroke-unaffected hindlimb muscle after tMCAO. Administration of IL-1RA into the lateral ventricles significantly reduced edema and AQP4 expression in the ischemic core. In conclusion, treadmill exercise performed in the early phase of stroke onset alleviated the decrease in blood IL-1RA following ischemic stroke. IL-1RA administration decreased astrocytic AQP4 expression in the ischemic core, suppressing brain edema.Gono R., Sugimoto K., Yang C., et al. Molecular mechanism of cerebral edema improvement via IL-1RA released from the stroke-unaffected hindlimb by treadmill exercise after cerebral infarction in rats. Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 43(5), 812-827. © 2023 SAGE Publishing. DOI: 10.1177/0271678X231151569

Negative Correlation between Serum Cytokine Levels and Cognitive Abilities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Evidence suggests that cytokines may be one of the major factors influencing cognitive development in those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To shed light on the neural and cognitive mechanisms of ASD, we investigated the association between peripheral cytokine levels and cognitive profiles in children with ASD. The serum levels of 10 cytokines (granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α) were examined in 14 children with ASD using the Human Ultrasensitive Cytokine Magnetic 10-Plex Panel for the Luminex platform. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) was administered to each subject, and the relationships between WISC scores and serum levels of the cytokines were examined. The full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) was significantly negatively correlated with the levels of IL-6 (Spearman’s rank, p < 0.0001, false discovery rate q < 0.01). The levels of IL-6 and IFN-γ showed significant negative correlations with the verbal comprehension index (p < 0.001, q < 0.01) and working memory index (p < 0.01, q < 0.05), respectively. No other cytokines were significantly correlated with full-scale IQ or with any of the subscale scores of the WISC. The present results suggest negative correlations of IL-6 and IFN-γ levels with cognitive development of children with ASD. Our preliminary findings add to the evidence that cytokines may play a role in the neural development in ASD.ArticleJOURNAL OF INTELLIGENCE. 5(2):19 (2017)journal articl

The Effectiveness of Telenursing for Self-Management Education on Cardiometabolic Conditions: A Pilot Project on a Remote Island of Ōsakikamijima, Japan

Introduction: Providing self-management education for residents with cardiometabolic conditions in remote islands is a challenge due to the shortage of primary care practitioners (PCPs), specialist physicians, and nurses. Therefore, we applied telenursing with lifestyle-related chronic diseases in remote island residents in Japan. This project aimed to improve the self-management behavior, cardiometabolic indicators, self-efficacy, and quality of life (QoL) of residents with cardiometabolic risks. Methods: We chose Ōsakikamijima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, which is designated under the Remote Islands Development Act. The project was conducted from 2013 to 2014. The residents aged over 40 and under 75 years old, selected from the annual specific health check-up examination and from PCPs for screening cardiometabolic risks (urinary protein, glycohemoglobin A1c, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride) were included. The effectiveness of telenursing for self-management education was 6-month-long with a 6-month follow-up and evaluated by a single-group pre-and post-test design. Face-to-face health education was applied at the initial interview followed by telenursing (biweekly telephone calls till third-month, and a monthly telephone call during the fourth and fifth-month) by the trained nurses outside the island. To enhance participants’ self-monitoring health behavior changes, the nurses used motivational interviewing and behavior change techniques based on the transtheoretical model. Results: A total of 130 residents, 42 agreed to participate, 41 finished the 6-month program, and 33 completed the 12-month follow-up. Most of their behavior changes like self-management behaviors, cardiometabolic indicators, and self-efficacy at 6-month were improved significantly except QoL. Among the 12-month study periods, self-management behaviors, body mass index, systolic BP, diastolic BP, and self-efficacy (sense of control), (all P &lt; .05) showed significant improvement. Conclusion: This study results indicated that telenursing might be effective to improve the lifestyles-related behaviors in chronic diseases on the remote island of Ōsakikamijima, Japan

Internal Dose from Food and Drink Ingestion in the Early Phase after the Accident

Activity concentrations in food and drink, represented by water and vegetables, have been monitored continuously since the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, with a focus on radioactive cesium. On the other hand, iodine-131 was not measured systematically in the early phase after the accident. The activity concentrations of iodine-131 in food and drink are important to estimate internal exposure due to ingestion pathway. When the internal dose from ingestion in the evacuation areas is estimated, water is considered as the main ingestion pathway. In this study, we estimated the values of activity concentrations in water in the early phase after the accident, using a compartment model as an estimation method. The model uses measurement values of activity concentration and deposition rate of iodine-131 onto the ground, which is calculated from an atmospheric dispersion simulation. The model considers how drinking water would be affected by radionuclides deposited into water. We estimated the activity concentrations of water on Kawamata town and Minamisouma city during March of 2011 and the committed effective doses were 0.08 mSv and 0.06 mSv. We calculated the transfer parameters in the model for estimating the activity concentrations in the areas with a small amount of measurement data. In addition, we estimated the committed effective doses from vegetables using atmospheric dispersion simulation and FARMLAND model in case of eating certain vegetables as option information

Spatio-temporal distribution of environmental DNA derived from Japanese sea nettle jellyfish Chrysaora pacifica in Omura Bay, Kyushu, Japan

We surveyed the spatial and temporal distribution of Japanese sea nettle jellyfish Chrysaora pacifica in Omura Bay, Japan, using an environmental DNA (eDNA) method. In 2018, the C. pacifica eDNA concentration increased from March?May at all depths. The seasonal pattern of C. pacifica eDNA was consistent with previous reports based on visual observations along the Japanese coast. Thus, the eDNA method might have advantages to follow the seasonal pattern of C. pacifica while being less time-consuming and less laborious compared with traditional methods. The eDNA concentrations tended to reach a maximum near and/or below the pycnocline throughout this study. Therefore, the vertical distribution of C. pacifica medusae may have been restricted by strong pycnocline formation in July and August 2018. However, even with a weak pycnocline, which C. pacifica should be able to swim across, the apparent distribution of C. pacifica eDNA seems to be restricted by the pycnocline. Therefore, the eDNA method cannot, currently, accurately assess the absolute vertical distribution pattern of C. pacifica, especially when a pycnocline is formed