Variable-Length Intrinsic Randomness Allowing Positive Value of the Average Variational Distance

This paper considers the problem of variable-length intrinsic randomness. We propose the average variational distance as the performance criterion from the viewpoint of a dual relationship with the problem formulation of variable-length resolvability. Previous study has derived the general formula of the $\epsilon$-variable-length resolvability. We derive the general formula of the $\epsilon$-variable-length intrinsic randomness. Namely, we characterize the supremum of the mean length under the constraint that the value of the average variational distance is smaller than or equal to a constant $\epsilon$. Our result clarifies a dual relationship between the general formula of $\epsilon$-variable-length resolvability and that of $\epsilon$-variable-length intrinsic randomness. We also derive a lower bound of the quantity characterizing our general formula

Compressional and shear wave attenuations from walkway VSP and sonic data in an offshore Abu Dhabi oilfield

Seismic attenuation was estimated from compressional (P) and shear (S) waves carefully extracted from three-component vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data. A high sensitivity of attenuation to fluid content was noticed, which shows the advantage of its use as a seismic attribute for reservoir studies. Contrary to most observations in fully saturated sandstones, the magnitude of P to S wave attenuation in the studied carbonate reservoir zones is higher than one. This disagreement is most probably because the fluid flow models developed to describe the attenuation mechanisms in sandstones are not valid for carbonate rocks due their complex texture. Moreover, the magnitude of seismic attenuation in the reservoir zones is controlled by the saturation of pore fluids and clay content. Furthermore, the attenuation magnitudes obtained at sonic and VSP frequencies are of the same order, and compressional and shear attenuations show similar variation at both frequencies. This indicates frequency-independent attenuations in the studied oilfield

Compressional and shear wave attenuations from walkway VSP and sonic data in an offshore Abu Dhabi oilfield

Seismic attenuation was estimated from compressional (P) and shear (S) waves carefully extracted from three-component vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data. A high sensitivity of attenuation to fluid content was noticed, which shows the advantage of its use as a seismic attribute for reservoir studies. Contrary to most observations in fully saturated sandstones, the magnitude of P to S wave attenuation in the studied carbonate reservoir zones is higher than one. This disagreement is most probably because the fluid flow models developed to describe the attenuation mechanisms in sandstones are not valid for carbonate rocks due their complex texture. Moreover, the magnitude of seismic attenuation in the reservoir zones is controlled by the saturation of pore fluids and clay content. Furthermore, the attenuation magnitudes obtained at sonic and VSP frequencies are of the same order, and compressional and shear attenuations show similar variation at both frequencies. This indicates frequency-independent attenuations in the studied oilfield

(-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate Reduces Platelet-Derived Growth Factor-BB-Stimulated Interleukin-6 Synthesis in Osteoblasts: Suppression of SAPK/JNK

We previously showed that the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase superfamily, p44/p42 MAP kinase, p38 MAP kinase, and stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/c-Jun N-terminal (JNK), positively plays a part in the platelet-derived growth factor-BB- (PDGF-BB-) stimulated synthesis of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a potent bone resorptive agent, in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells while Akt and p70 S6 kinase negatively regulates the synthesis. In the present study, we investigated whether (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), one of the major green tea flavonoids, affects the synthesis of IL-6 in these cells and the mechanism. EGCG significantly reduced the IL-6 synthesis and IL-6 mRNA expression stimulated by PDGF-BB, EGCG reduced the PDGF-BB-stimulated IL-6 synthesis also in primary-cultured osteoblasts. EGCG had no effect on the levels of osteocalcin and osteoprotegerin in MC3T3-E1 cells. The PDGF-BB-induced autophosphorylation of PDGF receptor β was not suppressed by EGCG. The PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of p44/p42 MAP kinase and p38 MAP kinase was not affected by EGCG. On the other hand, EGCG markedly suppressed the PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK. Finally, the PDGF-BB-induced phosphorylation of Akt and p70 S6 kinase was not affected by EGCG. These results strongly suggest that EGCG inhibits the PDGF-BB-stimulated synthesis of IL-6 via suppression of SAPK/JNK pathway in osteoblasts

ECOMICS: A Web-Based Toolkit for Investigating the Biomolecular Web in Ecosystems Using a Trans-omics Approach

Ecosystems can be conceptually thought of as interconnected environmental and metabolic systems, in which small molecules to macro-molecules interact through diverse networks. State-of-the-art technologies in post-genomic science offer ways to inspect and analyze this biomolecular web using omics-based approaches. Exploring useful genes and enzymes, as well as biomass resources responsible for anabolism and catabolism within ecosystems will contribute to a better understanding of environmental functions and their application to biotechnology. Here we present ECOMICS, a suite of web-based tools for ECosystem trans-OMICS investigation that target metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, and meta-metabolomic systems, including biomacromolecular mixtures derived from biomass. ECOMICS is made of four integrated webtools. E-class allows for the sequence-based taxonomic classification of eukaryotic and prokaryotic ribosomal data and the functional classification of selected enzymes. FT2B allows for the digital processing of NMR spectra for downstream metabolic or chemical phenotyping. Bm-Char allows for statistical assignment of specific compounds found in lignocellulose-based biomass, and HetMap is a data matrix generator and correlation calculator that can be applied to trans-omics datasets as analyzed by these and other web tools. This web suite is unique in that it allows for the monitoring of biomass metabolism in a particular environment, i.e., from macromolecular complexes (FT2DB and Bm-Char) to microbial composition and degradation (E-class), and makes possible the understanding of relationships between molecular and microbial elements (HetMap). This website is available to the public domain at: https://database.riken.jp/ecomics/

Removal of accidentally ingested large foreign object via the anus after watchful waiting

One of the commonest complaints, for which a patient arrives in hospitals, is the presence of foreign body. It could be due to accidental ingestion or any other cause which leads to presences of a foreign body in the gastrointestinal tract. It is believed that foreign objects larger than 5–6 cm in size are unlikely to pass through the duodenum. Here, we describe a case wherein the patient accidentally swallowed a 7-cm-sized mouthguard that could not be removed by emergency upper gastrointestinal endoscopy but was subsequently removed via the anus after a period of watchful waiting

AIRE Functions As an E3 Ubiquitin Ligase

Autoimmune regulator (AIRE) gene mutation is responsible for the development of autoimmune-polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis ectodermal dystrophy, an organ-specific autoimmune disease with monogenic autosomal recessive inheritance. AIRE is predominantly expressed in medullary epithelial cells of the thymus and is considered to play important roles in the establishment of self-tolerance. AIRE contains two plant homeodomain (PHD) domains, and the novel role of PHD as an E3 ubiquitin (Ub) ligase has just emerged. Here we show that the first PHD (PHD1) of AIRE mediates E3 ligase activity. The significance of this finding was underscored by the fact that disease-causing missense mutations in the PHD1 (C311Y and P326Q) abolished its E3 ligase activity. These results add a novel enzymatic function for AIRE and suggest an indispensable role of the Ub proteasome pathway in the establishment of self-tolerance, in which AIRE is involved

Atmospheric muography for imaging and monitoring tropic cyclones

Large-scale solid bodies on Earth such as volcanoes and man-made pyramids have been visualized with solid earth muography, and the recently invented technique, acqueous muography, has already demonstrated its capability to visualize ocean tides and tsunami. In this work, atmospheric muography, a technique to visualize and monitor the vertical profile of tropic cyclones (TCs) is presented for the first time. The density distribution and time-dependent behavior of several TCs which had approached Kagoshima, Japan, has been investigated with muography. The resultant time-sequential images captured their warm cores, and their movements were consistent with the TC trails and barometric pressure variations observed at meteorological stations. By combining multidirectional muographic images with barometric data, we anticipate that muography will become a useful tool to monitor the three-dimensional density distribution of a targeted mesoscale convective system