Non-calcareous beachrock found in Akagurisaki, Ohi Town, Fukui Prefecture

Beachrock which was formed about 0.5 meter higher than high tide is found in Akagurisaki, Ohi Town, Fukui Prefecture. The outcrops always get wet by spring water. The sediments are composed of well sorted rounded gravels and sands but calcareous shell is not found at all. Intergranular space is occupied by white amorphous cement. Magnesium and silicon rich composition of the cement is obtained by EPMA analysis. There is a conjecture that the magnesium rich cement was precipitated in spite of solution of calcareous shell under saturated state by spring water, because calcium has a higher tendency to ionize than magnesium

Prediction Models of Breast Cancer Outcome

The goal of this study is to establish a method for predicting overall survival (OS ) and disease‐free survival (DFS ) in breast cancer patients after surgical operation. The gene expression profiles of cancer tissues from the patients, who underwent complete surgical resection of breast cancer and were subsequently monitored for postoperative survival, were analyzed using cDNA microarrays. We detected seven and three probes/genes associated with the postoperative OS and DFS , respectively, from our discovery cohort data. By incorporating these genes associated with the postoperative survival into MammaPrint genes, often used to predict prognosis of patients with early‐stage breast cancer, we constructed postoperative OS and DFS prediction models from the discovery cohort data using a Cox proportional hazard model. The predictive ability of the models was evaluated in another independent cohort using Kaplan–Meier (KM ) curves and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ). The KM curves showed a statistically significant difference between the predicted high‐ and low‐risk groups in both OS (log‐rank trend test P = 0.0033) and DFS (log‐rank trend test P = 0.00030). The models also achieved high AUC scores of 0.71 in OS and of 0.60 in DFS . Furthermore, our models had improved KM curves when compared to the models using MammaPrint genes (OS : P = 0.0058, DFS : P = 0.00054). Similar results were observed when our model was tested in publicly available datasets. These observations indicate that there is still room for improvement in the current methods of predicting postoperative OS and DFS in breast cancer

対話場面における中国人日本語学習者の「と思う」の習得過程の一考察 : 『北京日本語学習者縦断コーパス(B-JAS)』のデータから

国立国語研究所 研究系 日本語教育研究領域 非常勤研究員Adjunct Researcher, JSL Research Division, Research Department, NINJAL本研究は，『北京日本語学習者縦断コーパス（B-JAS）』をもとに，中国人日本語学習者の対話場面における思考動詞「と思う」の4年間にわたる習得過程を形態面・用法面から分析したものである。分析の結果，まず形態面の習得過程について，「と思う」を，その単独使用，「と」に前接する表現（終助詞・助動詞）をともなう使用，「思う」に後接する表現（接続助詞・終助詞）をともなう使用に三分してみていくと，①単独使用，②前接表現の助動詞の使用，③後接表現の使用，④前接表現の終助詞の使用，⑤前接表現と後接表現の複合使用の順に習得が進んでいた。一方，用法面の習得過程は，①話し手の主観的認識を表す「意見評価」，②話し手の不確実な認識を表す「推量」，③話し手の希望や意思を示す「希望決意」や，聞き手への配慮から発話を婉曲的に表現する「断定回避」，および過去の記憶を述べる「回想」，④ある条件下での話し手の認識・判断を表す「条件的判断」，⑤話し手が発話時に断定できない事柄を明示して伝える「蓋然性判断」，⑥聞き手の意向を確認し，さらに聞き手の反応を期待する「相手伺い」の順で習得が進んでいた。Based on Beijing Corpus of Japanese as Second Language (B-JAS), this study focuses on how Chinese JSL learners go through the four-year process of learning the phrase to omou (think that) in dialog, in terms of morphology and usage. In terms of morphology, to omou typically either stands alone, follows a constituent ending with a final particle or ending with an auxiliary verb, or precedes a constituent starting with a connective particle or starting with a final particle. The learners have progressed with their learning of to omou as the following progress levels in descending order: 1. Use of to omou alone. 2. Use of preceding constituents with auxiliary verbs. 3. Use of following constituents. 4. Use of preceding constituents with final particles. 5. Combined use of preceding and following constituents. In terms of usage, their progress is as the following progress levels in descending order: 1. Opinion/Evaluation: Expression of subjective recognition of the speaker. 2. Guess: Expression of uncertain recognition of the speaker. 3.1. Hope/Resolution: Statement of desire and intention of the speaker. 3.2. Assertiveness Avoidance: Euphemistic utterances in consideration of the listener. 3.3. Recollection: Statement of past memories. 4. Conditional Judgment: Expression of recognition/judgment of the speaker under certain conditions. 5. Probability Judgment: Probability-based expression of a matter the speaker is unsure of its authenticity and thus cannot make assertive utterances. 6. Asking other\u27s intention: Reading of the listener\u27s intention and anticipation of reaction from the listener

High-dose Chemotherapy with Peripheral Blood Stem Cell (PBSCT) Support for Recurrent Breast Cancer

Between May 1995 and June 1999 Seven patients with recurrent breast cancer received high dose chemotherapy (HDCT) with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) . The HDCT regimen consisted of epirubicin (120-260 mg/m? ), cyclophosphamide (0-4000 mg/body) . Medroxy-progesterone (1200 mg/day) was given more than 2 weeks prior to induction chemotherapy. HDCT with PBSCT support was performed on all patients on schedule. No toxic death by chemotherapy occurred. The clinical response was CR in 3, PR in 3 and NC in one patient. The rate of good clinical re-sponse was 86 %. The mean survival duration after recurrence was 24 months (range10-34) . The mean survival period after HDCT was 12 months (range 8-25) . The durations of efficacy were shorter than had been ex-pected. While this treatment resulted in higher rates of clinical response, the prognosis for patients with metastatic tumor was not improved

Topographic variability of the left atrium and pulmonary veins assessed by 3D-CT predicts the recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation

AbstractBackgroundCatheter ablation (CA) is an established therapy for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the assessment of anatomical information and predictors of AF recurrence remain unclear. We investigated the relationship between anatomical information on the left atrium (LA) and pulmonary veins (PVs) from three-dimensional computed tomography images and the recurrence of AF after CA.MethodsSixty-seven consecutive AF patients (mean age: 62±10 years, median AF history: 42 (12; 60) months, mean LA size: 41±7mm, paroxysmal: 56%) underwent CA and were followed for 19±10 months. The segmented surface areas (antral, posterior, septal, and lateral) and dimensions (between the anterior and posterior walls, the right inferior PV and mitral annulus [MA], the right superior PV and MA, the left superior PV and MA, and the mitral isthmus) of the LA were evaluated three dimensionally using the NavX system. The cross-sectional areas of the PVs were also evaluated.ResultsAfter the follow-up period, 49 patients (73%) remained free from AF. A multivariate analysis showed that the diameter of the mitral isthmus and cross-sectional area of the right upper PV were associated with AF recurrence (odds ratio: 1.070, CI: 1.02–1.12, p=0.001; odds ratio: 0.41, CI: 0.21–0.77, p=0.006).ConclusionEnlargement of the mitral isthmus and a smaller right superior PV cross-sectional area were associated with AF recurrence

Predictors towards entrepreneurial intention: a Malaysian case study

The bumiputra population in Malaysia seems unable to match the nonbumiputras especially the Chinese in terms of their entrepreneurial character. The small number of small business startup by the bumiputras in Malaysia evidently shows this. One reason suggested by many academics is the risktaking propensity by the bumiputras. This research intends to investigate the relationship between risk taking propensity and entrepreneurial intention among the bumiputras and Chinese in Malaysia. The respondents for this study were 746 students studying in Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Questionnaires were used in the data collection process. The results revealed that the Chinese respondents had significantly higher risk taking scores than the bumiputras. The Chinese were also found to be more intent to become entrepreneurs upon graduation from the university. This clearly explains why the Chinese are predominantly involved in business in Malaysia as compared to the bumiputras. Significant differences were also found between genders whereby male respondents were found to have higher risk taking scores and more intent to become entrepreneurs than the females. The degree programs in which the students are enrolled in also showed significant differences with the Science students having the highest risk taking scores followed by the Business and the Arts students. The regression result examining the relationship between risk taking propensity and intention to become an entrepreneur was found to be significant. However, the ability of risk taking propensity to explain the variance in entrepreneurial intention is very small. Suggestions were given to overcome the problems of low risk taking propensity among the bumiputras

Germline mutation of HRPT2 in patients with HPT

Background A subset of familial isolated primary hyperparathyroidism (FIHP) is a variant of hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome (HPT-JT). Aim/Patients and Methods We investigated the involvement of the HRPT2, MEN1, and CASR genes in provisional 11 FIHP families and 2 HPT-JT families. Results Germline mutations of HRPT2 were found in 2 of 11 FIHP families and 1 of 2 HPT-JT families. One FIHP family with parathyroid carcinoma and atypical adenomas, and another FIHP family with cystic parathyroid adenoma had novel frameshift mutations of 518-521del and 62-66del, respectively. In a patient with HPT-JT, a de novo germline mutation of 39delC was detected. Novel somatic HRPT2 mutations of 70-73del and 95-102del were found in 2 of 5 parathyroid tumors in a family with 518-521del mutation. Biallelic inactivation of HRPT2 by a combination of germline mutation and somatic mutation was confirmed in parathyroid tumors. The finding that 2 families diagnosed with FIHP carried HRPT2 mutations suggests that they have occult HPT-JT. In the remaining 10 families, one family had a missense MEN1 mutation. No mutations of CASR were detected. Conclusion Our results confirm the need to test for HRPT2 in FIHP families, especially in those with parathyroid carcinomas, atypical adenomas, or adenomas with cystic change

高等植物におけるクロロフィル分解の分子機構

博士(理学)doctoral理工学研究科静岡大学甲第360号ET