Basic rockfall simulation with consideration of vegetation and application to protection measure

金沢大学理工研究域環境デザイン学系The estimation of risk due to rockfall is often done empirically. As a rational and effective method towards performance-based design of protection measures, a three-dimensional simulation method helps to describe the motion of rockfall on a slope and to consider the effect of vegetation probabilistically. This document details a typical simulation method and analyses the manner of rockfalls paired with interference of vegetation and other factors. As application, an actual slope is analyzed where rockfall occurred during the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Finally, the validity and the benefits of the shown method are the basis for a hazard mapping for rockfall and the planning of measures

Basic rockfall simulation with consideration of vegetation and application to protection measure

The estimation of risk due to rockfall is often done empirically. As a rational and effective method towards performance-based design of protection measures, a three-dimensional simulation method helps to describe the motion of rockfall on a slope and to consider the effect of vegetation probabilistically. This document details a typical simulation method and analyses the manner of rockfalls paired with interference of vegetation and other factors. As application, an actual slope is analyzed where rockfall occurred during the Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Finally, the validity and the benefits of the shown method are the basis for a hazard mapping for rockfall and the planning of measures

PosMed (Positional Medline): prioritizing genes with an artificial neural network comprising medical documents to accelerate positional cloning

PosMed (http://omicspace.riken.jp/) prioritizes candidate genes for positional cloning by employing our original database search engine GRASE, which uses an inferential process similar to an artificial neural network comprising documental neurons (or ‘documentrons’) that represent each document contained in databases such as MEDLINE and OMIM. Given a user-specified query, PosMed initially performs a full-text search of each documentron in the first-layer artificial neurons and then calculates the statistical significance of the connections between the hit documentrons and the second-layer artificial neurons representing each gene. When a chromosomal interval(s) is specified, PosMed explores the second-layer and third-layer artificial neurons representing genes within the chromosomal interval by evaluating the combined significance of the connections from the hit documentrons to the genes. PosMed is, therefore, a powerful tool that immediately ranks the candidate genes by connecting phenotypic keywords to the genes through connections representing not only gene–gene interactions but also other biological interactions (e.g. metabolite–gene, mutant mouse–gene, drug–gene, disease–gene and protein–protein interactions) and ortholog data. By utilizing orthologous connections, PosMed facilitates the ranking of human genes based on evidence found in other model species such as mouse. Currently, PosMed, an artificial superbrain that has learned a vast amount of biological knowledge ranging from genomes to phenomes (or ‘omic space’), supports the prioritization of positional candidate genes in humans, mouse, rat and Arabidopsis thaliana

Calculating flood probability in Obihiro using a probabilistic method: incorporating the probability of dike failure with uncertainty

In Japan, estimating flood risk follows a deterministic approach. A probabilistic risk method, as adapted in the Netherlands, would be better suited for the quantitative evaluation of flood damage. This study applies such a method in Obihiro, Hokkaido, northern island of Japan. We modelled dike failure with the mechanism overtopping. The probability of dike failure is calculated with a Monte Carlo simulation, considering uncertainties in water levels, critical flow velocity, and dike heights. This results in more accurate failure probabilities compared to the deterministic approach. Additionally, we corrected the dike failure probability for upstream dike failures because these reduce downstream water levels. This conditional flood probability is about 1/10th of the independent situation, indicating a significant effect of considering dike failure in dependence on upstream failures.</p

The RIKEN integrated database of mammals

The RIKEN integrated database of mammals (http://scinets.org/db/mammal) is the official undertaking to integrate its mammalian databases produced from multiple large-scale programs that have been promoted by the institute. The database integrates not only RIKEN’s original databases, such as FANTOM, the ENU mutagenesis program, the RIKEN Cerebellar Development Transcriptome Database and the Bioresource Database, but also imported data from public databases, such as Ensembl, MGI and biomedical ontologies. Our integrated database has been implemented on the infrastructure of publication medium for databases, termed SciNetS/SciNeS, or the Scientists’ Networking System, where the data and metadata are structured as a semantic web and are downloadable in various standardized formats. The top-level ontology-based implementation of mammal-related data directly integrates the representative knowledge and individual data records in existing databases to ensure advanced cross-database searches and reduced unevenness of the data management operations. Through the development of this database, we propose a novel methodology for the development of standardized comprehensive management of heterogeneous data sets in multiple databases to improve the sustainability, accessibility, utility and publicity of the data of biomedical information

OmicBrowse: a Flash-based high-performance graphics interface for genomic resources

OmicBrowse is a genome browser designed as a scalable system for maintaining numerous genome annotation datasets. It is an open source tool capable of regulating multiple user data access to each dataset to allow multiple users to have their own integrative view of both their unpublished and published datasets, so that the maintenance costs related to supplying each collaborator exclusively with their own private data are significantly reduced. OmicBrowse supports DAS1 imports and exports of annotations to Internet site servers worldwide. We also provide a data-download named OmicDownload server that interactively selects datasets and filters the data on the selected datasets. Our OmicBrowse server has been freely available at http://omicspace.riken.jp/ since its launch in 2003. The OmicBrowse source code is downloadable from http://sourceforge.net/projects/omicbrowse/

Metropolis simulations of Met-Enkephalin with solvent-accessible area parameterizations

We investigate the solvent-accessible area method by means of Metropolis simulations of the brain peptide Met-Enkephalin at 300$K$. For the energy function ECEPP/2 nine atomic solvation parameter (ASP) sets are studied. The simulations are compared with one another, with simulations with a distance dependent electrostatic permittivity $\epsilon (r)$, and with vacuum simulations ($\epsilon =2$). Parallel tempering and the biased Metropolis techniques RM$_1$ are employed and their performance is evaluated. The measured observables include energy and dihedral probability densities (pds), integrated autocorrelation times, and acceptance rates. Two of the ASP sets turn out to be unsuitable for these simulations. For all other systems selected configurations are minimized in search of the global energy minima, which are found for the vacuum and the $\epsilon(r)$ system, but for none of the ASP models. Other observables show a remarkable dependence on the ASPs. In particular, we find three ASP sets for which the autocorrelations at 300$$K are considerably smaller than for vacuum simulations.Comment: 10 pages and 8 figure

Immunolocalization of notch signaling protein molecules in a maxillary chondrosarcoma and its recurrent tumor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Notch receptors are critical determinants of cell fate in a variety of organisms. Notch signaling is involved in the chondrogenic specification of neural crest cells. Aberrant Notch activity has been implicated in numerous human diseases including cancers; however its role in chondrogenic tumors has not been clarified.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Tissue samples from a case of primary chondrosarcoma of the maxilla and its recurrent tumor were examined immunohistochemically for Notch1-4 and their ligands (Jagged1, Jagged2 and Delta1) expression.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both primary and recurrent tumors were histopathologically diagnosed as conventional hyaline chondrosarcoma (WHO Grade I). Hypercellular tumor areas strongly expressed Notch3 and Jagged1 in spindle and pleomorphic cells suggesting up-regulation of these protein molecules at sites of tumor proliferation. Expression patterns were distinct with some overlap. Differentiated malignant and atypical chondrocytes demonstrated variable expression levels of Jagged1, and weak to absent staining for Notch1, 4 and Delta1. Protein immunolocalization was largely membranous and cytoplasmic, sometimes outlining the lacunae of malignant chondrocytes. Hyaline cartilage demonstrated a diffuse or granular precipitation of Jagged1 suggesting presence of soluble Jagged1 activity at sites of abnormal chondrogenesis. No immunoreactivity for the other Notch members was observed. Calcified cartilage was consistently Notch-negative indicating down-regulation of Notch with cartilage maturation. Stromal components namely endothelial cells and fibroblasts variably expressed Notch1, 3 and Jagged1 but were mildly or non-reactive for the other members.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results indicate that Notch signaling pathway may participate in cellular differentiation and proliferation in chondrosarcoma. Findings implicate Notch3 and Jagged1 as key molecules that influence the differentiation and maturation of cells of chondrogenic lineage.</p

Effects of Peer Victimization in Childhood and Trait Anxiety on Job Stress in Adulthood

Yoshio Iwata,1 Miki Ono,1 Yoshitaka Ishii,1 Shunichiro Ito,1 Masayuki Kikkawa,1 Chihiro Morishita,1 Yu Tamada,1,2 Mina Honyashiki,1 Takeshi Inoue,1 Jiro Masuya1 1Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, JapanCorrespondence: Jiro Masuya, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan, Tel +81-3-3342-6111, Email [email protected]: The experience of peer victimization in childhood increases the risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression, risk of suicide, as well as sensitivity to stress, in adulthood. Various personality traits are known to be associated with these effects. However, the influence of trait anxiety on job stress has not yet been reported. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the experience of peer victimization in childhood and trait anxiety influence job stress in adulthood.Methods: A questionnaire survey, including State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Childhood Victimization Rating Scale, and Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, was administered to 566 adult workers. The interrelationship between multiple variables was analyzed by multiple regression analysis and path analysis.Results: In the path model, childhood peer victimization had a positive direct effect on trait anxiety and the psychological and physical stress response (PPSR). Trait anxiety had a positive direct effect on job stressors and PPSR, and job stressors had a positive direct effect on PPSR. Regarding indirect effects, childhood peer victimization had a significant adverse effect on job stressors and PPSR via trait anxiety.Conclusion: Our results showed that childhood peer victimization has a negative impact on job stress in adulthood, which is influenced by trait anxiety. Interventions to address peer victimization in childhood and trait anxiety may reduce job stress in adulthood, and thus contribute to improved occupational mental health and productivity in the workplace.Keywords: job stress, peer victimization, trait anxiety, path analysis, mediation effec

Effects of Subjective Social Status and Self-Esteem in the Association Between Childhood Abuse and Adulthood Anxiety

Misaki Endo,1,2 Miki Ono,1 Ayaka Deguchi,1 Yoshio Iwata,1 Yu Tamada,1,3 Jiro Masuya,1 Hajime Tanabe,4 Naoki Hashimoto,5 Takeshi Inoue,1 Mina Honyashiki1 1Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Psychiatry, Saitama Prefectural Psychiatric Hospital, Saitama, Japan; 3Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan; 4Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shizuoka University, Shizuoka, Japan; 5Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, JapanCorrespondence: Miki Ono, Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan, Tel +81-3-3342-6111, Email [email protected]: Subjective social status influences anxiety, but at present, the mechanism is not fully understood. It has been reported that negative childhood experiences, such as abuse, can influence depressive symptoms through subjective social status and personality traits, such as self-esteem. A similar mechanism is presumed to underlie anxiety symptoms in adulthood. Therefore, we hypothesized that subjective social status and self-esteem are intermediate factors in the indirect effects of childhood abuse on state anxiety in adulthood, and analyzed the indirect effects via these factors using a path analysis.Subjects and Methods: Child Abuse and Trauma Scale, Subjective Social Status, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y questionnaires were administered in a self-report format to 404 adult volunteers from January 2014 to August 2014. In addition, a path analysis was conducted to determine whether subjective social status and self-esteem are associated with the indirect effects of childhood abuse on anxiety symptoms in adulthood.Results: Childhood abuse did not directly affect state anxiety in adulthood, but affected state anxiety via subjective social status and self-esteem. Subjective social status affected state anxiety via self-esteem. This model explained 25.2% of the variation in state anxiety in adult volunteers.Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that childhood abuse affects anxiety in adulthood through subjective social status and self-esteem. Therefore, interventions that enhance subjective social status and self-esteem for adults who experienced childhood abuse may help reduce their anxiety.Keywords: childhood abuse, subjective social status, self-esteem, anxiet