A fluctuation-response relation of many Brownian particles under non-equilibrium conditions

We study many interacting Brownian particles under a tilted periodic potential. We numerically measure the linear response coefficient of the density field by applying a slowly varying potential transversal to the tilted direction. In equilibrium cases, the linear response coefficient is related to the intensity of density fluctuations in a universal manner, which is called a fluctuation-response relation. We then report numerical evidence that this relation holds even in non-equilibrium cases. This result suggests that Einstein's formula on density fluctuations can be extended to driven diffusive systems when the slowly varying potential is applied in a direction transversal to the driving force.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

Administrative autopsy for investigation of the cause of death : its history and state in Japan

According to a change in our society, the authorization of the cause of death in various cases has became more important than before, and the autopsy system for investigating the cause of death is now required. In Japan, the autopsy is legally divided into three major parts, such as anatomical, pathological and legal autopsies. Legal autopsy is furthermore subclassified into judicial and administrative autopsies. Based on Article 8 of Regulation of Autopsy and Preservation of Cadaver, "Medical Examiner Autopsy", the narrow sense administrative autopsy operated by the medical examiner, is only allowed for investigation of the cause of death, and such an autopsy system is employed in several cities acknowledged by government ordinance, such as 23 wards in Tokyo, Osaka City, Yokohama City, Nagoya City and Kobe City. Under the current system, the Medical Examiner Autopsy, which is the autopsy for elucidating the cause of death, is not legally allowed in other cities and areas, like Tokushima. In order to deal with such an inconvenience, a new autopsy system, which requires to obtain the bereaved family's consent, has already been introduced as a para-administrative autopsy system, and actually employed in Tokushima from April inl997

Anomalous time correlation in two-dimensional driven diffusive systems

We study the time correlation function of a density field in two-dimensional driven diffusive systems within the framework of fluctuating hydrodynamics. It is found that the time correlation exhibits power-law behavior in an intermediate time regime in the case that the fluctuation-dissipation relation is violated and that the power-law exponent depends on the extent of this violation. We obtain this result by employing a renormalization group method to treat a logarithmic divergence in time.Comment: 6 page

On Restricted Wythoff’s Nim

We shall study the following restricted Wythoff’s Nim. Let Si (1 ≤ i ≤ 3) be the set of positive integers. Each player can remove the number of tokens s1 ∈ S1 from the first pile and s2 ∈ S2 from the second pile and remove the same number of tokens s3 ∈ S3 from both piles. We shall identify (m, n) to a position of this nim, where m is the number of tokens in the first pile and n is the number of tokens in the second pile. In the case |S2| < ∞, we will show the Sprague-Grundy sequence(or simply G-sequences) gS(m, n) is periodic for fixed m

カコ 5ネンカン ニオケル トクシマケンカ デ ハッケン サレタ ミモト フメイ シタイ ノ シンタイ トクチョウ ニツイテ : トウナンカイ ナンカイ ジシン ニ ソナエテ

There is a high probability of Tounankai-Nankai earthquake in the first half of this century,with tremendous damage including many victims. The personal identification of them seems to be difficult. Then, we investigated the main useful ground to identify the unknown cadavers（259 cases）in Tokushima during the past 5 years, from 2002 to 2006. Ninety percent of them were identified : by the fingerprint ; 35%, the dental chart ; 24%, DNA-typing ; 17%, the feature ; 15%, the feature of body ; 9%, respectively. If houses of many victims are broken on the earthquakes, it is difficult to get ante-mortem material for the fingerprint or DNA-typing. So, records kept in the medical institution and feature of body are very important information. The scars, injuries, the Xray images, and the medical equipment inside the body were useful for the actual identification.To observe and record these findings will be the first step for the personal identification. It is important that we cooperate and make the system to get these medical records and images.Doctors, dentists, and police should combine together against the earthquake

Statistical observation on cases of death by poisoning in Tokushima

From 1986 to 1996, death by poisoning occurred 244 cases in Tokushima Prefecture and 32,692 cases in Japan. We analyzed these poisoning cases statistically. The number of the poisoning cases per one hundred-thousand of population was 26 in Japan and 29 in Tokushima. The most frequent case was pesticides in Tokuahima and volatile matter in Japan. As for the carbon monoxide poisoning, the exhaust gas and burning had accounted for 80% in Tokushima and in Japan. The exhaust gas was more frequent in Tokushima (60.3%) than in Japan (46.7%). In the cases of poisoning by pesticides, paraquat poisoning was most frequent in Tokushima and in Japan. It was characterized that the carbamate was more frequent than organophosphate in Tokushima. Recently, poisoning by pharmaceuticals has tended to increase in Japan. However, in Tokushima, poisoning by pesticides is still frequent, and is rather increasing

Problems of "death at home" during home care

In Japan, with the progress of aging society, home care will be promoted due to alteration of social security in near future. In these circumstances, increase of "deaths at home" is expected. Thus as "death at home" increase, it is suspected that physicians will have to investigate and diagnose in the case of "death at home" more frequently than the present time. In this review, on the basis of the laws and regulations, we describe the issue of death certificate or postmortem examination of "death at home", and the roles of "family doctors" for home care

Transfer of rice mitochondrial ribosomal protein L6 gene to the nucleus: acquisition of the 5'-untranslated region via a transposable element

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mitochondria of contemporary organisms contain fewer genes than the ancestral bacteria are predicted to have contained. Because most of the mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus, the genes would have been transferred from the mitochondrion to the nucleus at some stage of evolution and they must have acquired cis-regulatory elements compatible with eukaryotic gene expression. However, most of such processes remain unknown.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The ribosomal protein L6 gene (<it>rpl6</it>) has been lost in presently-known angiosperm mitochondrial genomes. We found that each of the two rice <it>rpl6 </it>genes (<it>OsRpl6-1 </it>and <it>OsRpl6-2</it>) has an intron in an identical position within the 5'-untranslated region (UTR), which suggests a duplication of the <it>rpl6 </it>gene after its transfer to the nucleus. Each of the predicted RPL6 proteins lacks an N-terminal extension as a mitochondrial targeting signal. Transient assays using green fluorescent protein indicated that their mature N-terminal coding regions contain the mitochondrial targeting information. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that <it>OsRpl6-2 </it>expresses considerably fewer transcripts than <it>OsRpl6-1</it>. This might be the result of differences in promoter regions because the 5'-noncoding regions of the two <it>rpl6 </it>genes differ at a point close to the center of the intron. There are several sequences homologous to the region around the 5'-UTR of <it>OsRpl6-1 </it>in the rice genome. These sequences have characteristics similar to those of the transposable elements (TE) belonging to the <it>PIF</it>/Harbinger superfamily.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The above evidences suggest a novel mechanism in which the 5'-UTR of the transferred mitochondrial gene was acquired via a TE. Since the 5'-UTRs and introns within the 5'-UTRs often contain transcriptional and posttranscriptional cis-elements, the transferred rice mitochondrial <it>rpl6 </it>gene may have acquired its cis-element from a TE.</p

Forensic casework of personal identification using a mixture of body fluids from more than one person by Y-STRs analysis

We applied Y-STRs (DYS385/DYS19/YCAII) to an adhesive plaster left at a crime scene. This plaster may have included body fluids from more than one person. Firstly, we performed preliminary examinations, ABO-blood type examinations, and commonly used DNA examinations (D1S80, HLADQα, TH01, and PM) on these specimens. As a result of these examinations, we could evidence that suspect A did not contacted with the plaster, but could not confirm the presence of perspiration from suspect B. As the next step, we applied Y-STR examination to the plaster. Using this examination, we detected alleles that coincided to those of suspect B. We also concluded that the fluid from an unidentified person was vaginal fluid based on crime scene investigation. Y-STRs examination data obtained from 124 persons in Tokushima prefecture showed that 1.613% of individuals demonstrated haplotypes 10-18/ 15/19-23, which was detected from the plaster and from suspect B. Therefore, we considered that there was a high probability that the persiration detected in the plaster was that of suspect B. Based on these studies, we concluded that Y-STR examination of trace evidence was very useful to screen suspects using materials that contained body fluid from more than one person

Impact of Cationic Amino Acid Transporter 1 on Blood- Retinal Barrier Transport of L-Ornithine

PURPOSE. To elucidate L-ornithine transport at the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). METHODS. Integration plot and retinal uptake index (RUI) were used to investigate the in vivo [ 3 H]L-ornithine transport across the BRB. In vitro transport studies of [ 3 H]L-ornithine were performed with TR-iBRB2 cells and RPE-J cells, the model cells of the inner and outer BRB, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was performed on cationic amino acid transporter 1 (CAT1/SLC7A1). RESULTS. The apparent influx permeability clearance of [ 3 H]L-ornithine was found to be 18. 7 lL/(minÁg retina), and the RUI of [ 3 H]L-ornithine was reduced by L-ornithine and L-arginine, suggesting the blood-to-retina transport of L-ornithine at the BRB. [ 3 H]L-Ornithine uptake by TR-iBRB2 cells showed a time-, temperature-and concentration-dependence with a MichaelisMenten constant (K m ) of 33.2 lM and a nonsaturable uptake rate (K d ) of 2.18 lL/(minÁmg protein). The uptake was Na þ -independent, and was inhibited by L-ornithine, L-arginine, and L-lysine, suggesting the involvement of CAT1 in L-ornithine transport at the inner BRB. Immunohistochemistry revealed the luminal and abluminal localization of CAT1 at the inner BRB, and at the basal localization at the outer BRB. Retinal pigment epithelium-J cells showed that the basal-to-cell (B-to-C) uptake of [ 3 H]L-ornithine was greater than that of the apical-tocell (A-to-C) uptake, and the B-to-C transport was inhibited by unlabeled L-ornithine, suggesting the involvement of CAT1 in the blood-to-cell transport of L-ornithine across the basal membrane at the outer BRB. CONCLUSIONS. These suggest the involvement of CAT1 in L-ornithine transport at the luminal and abluminal sides of the inner BRB and the basal side of the outer BRB