Development of joints in the Sandankyo Area, Hiroshima Prefecture, Southwest Japan <Articles>

Joints are markedly developed in the acidic welded tuff of the Sandankyo Area, Hiroshima Prefecture, Southwest Japan. Six sets of joint are distinguished in this area, namely N-S set, NESW set, NNE-SSW set, NW-SE set, NNW-SSE set, and horizontal set. It is considered that NESW, NNE-SSW, NW-SE, and NNW-SSE sets of joint were formed by the simple shear due to NE-SW strike-slip faulting with right-lateral shear sense. Detailed microscopy shows that N-S and NE-SW sets of joint contain narrow quartz vein with newly recrystallized muscovite, and cut by the other sets. This suggests that, preceding the NE-SW faulting, WNW-ESE extention accompanied with granite porphyry intrusion formed N-S and NE-SW sets of joint

CHARACTERISTICS OF CARBON FLOW ON PELAGIC ECOSYSTEMS AT HYPERNUTRIENT AREA IN AMAGASAKI CANAL

本研究では，大阪湾湾奥に位置する尼崎運河における植物プランクトン，動物プランクトンおよびコウロエンカワヒバリガイの現存量・生産速度を定量化することで，一次生産者から二次生産者へ至る年間の炭素フローを算出し，転送効率について評価した．植物プランクトンによる一次生産速度は他の水域に比べて高く，動物プランクトンの個体数，二次生産速度は低かった．年間を通して，植物プランクトンから動物プランクトン，コウロエンカワヒバリガイの転送効率はそれぞれ0.76%，7.8%であり，合わせて8.6%の有機炭素が二次生産者へ移行していた．運河ではコウロエンカワヒバリガイは効率よく成長して炭素を固定しているが，動物プランクトンは食物連鎖において魚類の現存量・生産速度に影響していることが示唆された．The purpose of this study was to reveal the carbon flow from primary producer (phytoplankton) to secondary producers (zooplankton and Xenostrobus securis), transfer efficiency at hyper-nutrient area in the Amagasaki Canal of inner part of Osaka Bay. The primary production rate was higher than that of other water area, while zooplankton biomass and secondary production rate were lower. The production rate of X. securis was about 1/12 of that of phytoplankton, but biomass was about 29 times higher. Transfer efficiency from phytoplankton to zooplankton and X. securis was 0.76% and 7.8%, respectively. These results suggested that X. securis grew efficiently and fixed organic carbon, zooplankton were not functioning properly as intermediaries in the food chain between phytoplankton and fishes

Phage Therapy against β-hemolytic Streptococcicosis of Japanese Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

We examined the therapeutic effect of Streptococcus iniae phages isolated from fish culture environments against experimental streptococcicosis of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus. Phage sensitivity tests with a double agar method revealed that 31 of 35 S. iniae strains from the flounder have a similar sensitivity to six phage isolates. In phage therapy experiments, fish were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with S. iniae PSi402 and 1 h later IP-injected with a mixture of two or four phage isolates, and observed at 25°C for 2 wk. Mortalities of fish receiving phages were significantly lower than those of control fish without phage-treatment in all four trials. The effect of phage treatment was also demonstrated even at 24 h post-infection, when cell numbers of S. iniae were 10^7.4 and 10^4.5 CFU/g in the kidneys and brains of fish, respectively. However, as phage-resistant S. iniae were frequently isolated from dead fish in the phage-treated group, further investigations are required to establish phage therapy of the disease

Correction to: Quality of life after laparoscopic hysterectomy versus abdominal hysterectomy

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article

Recurrence of uterine myoma after myomectomy: Open myomectomy versus laparoscopic myomectomy

Aim: Open myomectomy (OM) was previously frequently performed; however, laparoscopic myomectomy (LM) has recently become more common. Nevertheless, myoma can recur after both LM and OM. In this study, we report our retrospective investigation of myoma recurrence by comparing LM and OM. Mathods: A total of 474 patients underwent LM and 279 patients underwent OM. The patients were followed‐up postoperatively from six months to eight years. Recurrence was confirmed when a myoma with a diameter of ≥ 1 cm was detected. Post‐LM, post‐OM and cumulative recurrence rates were investigated, and a Cox hazard test was performed. Results: The cumulative recurrence rates between the two groups were 76.2% (LM) vs. 63.4% (OM) at eight years postoperatively. A log‐rank test revealed a significant difference between the two groups. Cox hazard testing revealed that LM, a larger number of enucleated myoma masses and the absence of postoperative gestation significantly contributed to the postoperative recurrence rate. Conclusions: LM yielded a higher recurrence rate than OM, likely a result of manual myoma removal in OM, which is a more exhaustive extraction of smaller myoma masses than performed in LM. In other words, fewer residual myoma masses after OM contribute to a lower postoperative recurrence rate

A Report on Overseas Teaching Practicum by Graduate Students in Elementary / Secondary Schools in the United States (II)

This is a second year's report on overseas teaching practicum by Japanese graduate students in elementary / secondary schools in the United States in September 2007. It awaits no discussion that future teachers need to develop enhanced awareness and skills in teaching young global citizens in the future. For this purpose, Global Partnership School Center, Hiroshima University, conducted a second-year overseas teaching practicum by education-major graduate students in the United States. Reviewing the teaching practices and the participants' self reports, it was found that this innovative opportunity helped them raise their cross-cultural awareness and gain confidence in teaching