Compressibility of Liquefied Sand

Laboratory measurement using CCD camera was conducted to trace the sedimentation process of sand grains in a liquefied model layer. The purpose of this measurement was basically intended to obtain a visual evidence of appearance of suspended state in upper part of the liquefied soil. For this purpose, glass bead particles were used as model ground material. The test results prevailed that the glass bead grains were suspended in pore water at the instant when complete liquefaction was brought about to the layer, then they began to settle in the water. The measured pore water kept high value until grains ceased moving. And the moving velocity was far slower than that estimated by Stokes equation for sedimentation of single particle. From these findings, a predicting method was proposed to obtain the compressibility of liquefied sand layer and the continuation time of suspended state of grains

タンバンチュウ ノ ウラワレ ノ ハッセイ ヲ ソウテイ シタ モクザイチュウ ノ キレツデンパ ノ サイボウレベル デノ カンサツ

単板切削において単板に生ずる裏割れは単板の品質に,また単板をエレメントとする合板の品質に大きく影響を及ぼす。裏割れの発生は切削に伴って工具刃先近傍に発生する諸切削応力のうち,主として引張応力に起因することが明らかになっている。単板内での裏割れの発生および成長過程を細胞レベルにおいて検証するべく,小さい試験片(厚さ2.5mm)の曲げ試験を実施した。試験片の引張側に亀裂を事前に施し,負荷に伴う亀裂の伝播を細胞の変形および破壊挙動を観察した。また,二次元切削を実施し,得られた切屑の横断面(木口面)で確認できる裏割れの微視的観察を行い,曲げ試験による亀裂の伝播状況と比較した。In veneer production, lathe checks created during the cutting process affect the veneer qualities. Previous studies have clarified that lathe checks are generated due to tensile stress in bending at the rake face of the knife. To compare lathe checks propagated inside veneers in orthogonal cutting, small thin wood specimens with minute cracks inserted beforehand on the tension side were bended. Deformation and fracture of the wood structures due to propagation of the cracks were observed continuously through a digital microscope at the cellular level. The modes of crack propagation on early wood and late wood of Japanese cedar, sugi, (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) were differed due to the difference in hardness between early wood and late wood, and classified into three patterns in early wood and twos in late wood according to the anatomy of the wood. The results obtained in this study were as follows ; 1) Crack propagation in early wood showed any one or a combination of the following characteristics in both the radial and tangential directions : (1) Propagation by separation between cells ; (2) propagation by partial splitting of cell walls ; and (3) propagation by rupture of cell walls. 2) Crack propagation in the radial direction in late wood almost always proceeded by separation between cells. This was also true in the tangential direction, but in rare cases, cracks propagate by the rupture of cell walls. 3) The mode of crack propagation differed with propagation direction. 4) The development of lathe checks in orthogonal cutting of wood perpendicular to grain, lathe checks developed chips inside from the loose side of the chips almost same modes as crack propagation observed in fundamental bending tests

Pathogenic mechanisms and clinical implications of congenital neutropenia syndromes

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to summarize pathogenic mechanisms and clinical implications of the most illustrative genetic entities of congenital neutropenia syndromes.Recent findingsCongenital neutropenia comprise monogenetic entities with or without additional immunologic and extrahaematopoietic syndromatic features. Continuous careful explorations of known entities such as ELANE, GFI1, HAX1, G6PC3 deficiency and XLN help to define principles controlling differentiation and function of neutrophil granulocytes. Furthermore, the identification of novel genetic defects associated with congenital neutropenia, such as VPS45 deficiency, broadens our understanding of neutrophil biology. Pathogenic mechanisms imply protein and vesicle mistrafficking, endoplasmic reticulum stress, the unfolded protein response, destabilization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, disturbed energy metabolism, dysglycosylation and deregulated actin polymerization.SummaryAdvanced genetic and biochemical techniques have helped to expand our knowledge of congenital neutropenia syndromes. Known and novel genetic entities shed light on fundamental biological processes important for the homeostatis and functioning not only of the neutrophil granulocyte but as well of the entire haematopoietic system. Furthermore, treatment decisions become more tailored and might pave the road towards personalized molecular medicine

A critical role of RBM8a in proliferation and differentiation of embryonic neural progenitors

BACKGROUND: Nonsense mediated mRNA decay (NMD) is an RNA surveillance mechanism that controls RNA stability and ensures the speedy degradation of erroneous and unnecessary transcripts. This mechanism depends on several core factors in the exon junction complex (EJC), eIF4A3, RBM8a, Magoh, and BTZ, as well as peripheral factors to distinguish premature stop codons (PTCs) from normal stop codons in transcripts. Recently, emerging evidence has indicated that NMD factors are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). However, the mechanism in which these factors control embryonic brain development is not clear. RESULT: We found that RBM8a is critical for proliferation and differentiation in cortical neural progenitor cells (NPCs). RBM8a is highly expressed in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the early embryonic cortex, suggesting that RBM8a may play a role in regulating NPCs. RBM8a overexpression stimulates embryonic NPC proliferation and suppresses neuronal differentiation. Conversely, knockdown of RBM8a in the neocortex reduces NPC proliferation and promotes premature neuronal differentiation. Moreover, overexpression of RBM8a suppresses cell cycle exit and keeps cortical NPCs in a proliferative state. To uncover the underlying mechanisms of this phenotype, genome-wide RNAseq was used to identify potential downstream genes of RBM8a in the brain, which have been implicated in autism and neurodevelopmental disorders. Interestingly, autism and schizophrenia risk genes are highly represented in downstream transcripts of RBM8a. In addition, RBM8a regulates multiple alternative splicing genes and NMD targets that are implicated in ASD. Taken together, this data suggests a novel role of RBM8a in the regulation of neurodevelopment. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies provide some insight into causes of mental illnesses and will facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodevelopmental illnesses. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13064-015-0045-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

TETRAGOMPHIUS MELIS N. SP. (NEMATODA : ANCYLOSTOMIDAE) FROM THE JAPANESE BADGER, MELES MELES ANAKUMA TEMMINCK

A new nematode, Tetragomphius melis n. sp., was obtained from the pancreatic duct of Meles meles anakuma TEMMINCK captured in Gifu, central Japan. This species differs from two known species of this genus in intermediate length of the spicules, small eggs, etc