The developmental process of flood shoals based on observations in Toufutsu lake, Japan

Recently, the flood tidal sand bars have been developed at the entrance channel of Toufutsu Lake located along Okhotsk Sea in Hokkaido, and they affect flood control, inland water fisheries in lake, and so forth. In this study, we aimed to reveal the developmental process of sand bars by observations, which are velocity observation, water level observation, bed material investigation and video monitoring. Followings were major accomplishments of this study. (1) The maximum magnitude of reverse velocity at St.400 in the entrance channel during the periods of flood-tide was faster than that of normal velocity during the periods of ebb-tide. (2) The relationship between velocity at SP400 and friction velocity at SP400 during the periods of flood-tide is different from that during the periods of ebb-tide. (3) The\ud flood tidal sand bars at the entrance channel of Toufutsu Lake were developed by not only sea waves, but also adverse tidal current in the spring-tide

Estimation of drag coefficient of trees considering the tree bending or overturning situations

Drag coefficients of a real tree trunk and the sheltering effects of an upstream trunk on a downstream one in a linear arrangement with different spacings and inclinations were investigated in detail. In addition, for elucidating the change of drag coefficient for an overturned tree, drag force acting on a real tree with roots was also measured in this study. For the measurement of drag force with different inclinations, Terminalia Cattapa and Albizia sp., vegetated in Sri Lanka, were selected in this study. Drag coefficient of inclined tree trunk has the similar tendency in relation to the Reynolds number with that of vertical standing tree investigated in Tanaka et al.(2011). For the vertical tree trunk with rough surface, drag coefficient of rear-side tree trunk was decreased with decreasing L/d (where, L is spacing and d is the diameter of trunk). In addition, as a result of mutual interference experiment of two inclined tree trunk, the drag coefficient of rear-side trunk decreased with the increase of the inclination. Under the influence of the increment of projected area due to existence of roots and shear force acting on tree trunk surface, the drag coefficient of a tree with roots became similar value (1.0-1.2) comparing with that of a vertical standing tree

Possibility of \Lambda\Lambda pairing and its dependence on background density in relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model

We calculate a \Lambda\Lambda pairing gap in binary mixed matter of nucleons and \Lambda hyperons within the relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model. Lambda hyperons to be paired up are immersed in background nucleons in a normal state. The gap is calculated with a one-boson-exchange interaction obtained from a relativistic Lagrangian. It is found that at background density \rho_{N}=2.5\rho_{0} the \Lambda\Lambda pairing gap is very small, and that denser background makes it rapidly suppressed. This result suggests a mechanism, specific to mixed matter dealt with relativistic models, of its dependence on the nucleon density. An effect of weaker \Lambda\Lambda attraction on the gap is also examined in connection with revised information of the \Lambda\Lambda interaction.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, REVTeX 4; substantially rewritten, emphasis is put on the LL pairing in pure neutron matte

Impossible worlds

Impossible worlds are representations of impossible things and impossible happenings. They earn their keep in a semantic or metaphysical theory if they do the right theoretical work for us. As it happens, a worlds-based account provides the best philosophical story about semantic content, knowledge and belief states, cognitive significance and cognitive information, and informative deductive reasoning. A worlds-based story may also provide the best semantics for counterfactuals. But to function well, all these accounts need use of impossible and as well as possible worlds. So what are impossible worlds? Graham Priest claims that any of the usual stories about possible worlds can be told about impossible worlds, too. But far from it. I'll argue that impossible worlds cannot be genuine worlds, of the kind proposed by Lewis, McDaniel or Yagisawa. Nor can they be ersatz worlds on the model proposed by Melia or Sider. Constructing impossible worlds, it turns out, requires novel metaphysical resources

Mechanisms of organelle division and inheritance and their implications regarding the origin of eukaryotic cells

Mitochondria and plastids have their own DNAs and are regarded as descendants of endosymbiotic prokaryotes. Organellar DNAs are not naked in vivo but are associated with basic proteins to form DNA-protein complexes (called organelle nuclei). The concept of organelle nuclei provides a new approach to explain the origin, division, and inheritance of organelles. Organelles divide using organelle division rings (machineries) after organelle-nuclear division. Organelle division machineries are a chimera of the FtsZ (filamentous temperature sensitive Z) ring of bacterial origin and the eukaryotic mechanochemical dynamin ring. Thus, organelle division machineries contain a key to solve the origin of organelles (eukaryotes). The maternal inheritance of organelles developed during sexual reproduction and it is also probably intimately related to the origin of organelles. The aims of this review are to describe the strategies used to reveal the dynamics of organelle division machineries, and the significance of the division machineries and maternal inheritance in the origin and evolution of eukaryotes

Alopecia in a Viable Phospholipase C Delta 1 and Phospholipase C Delta 3 Double Mutant

BACKGROUND: Inositol 1,4,5trisphosphate (IP(3)) and diacylglycerol (DAG) are important intracellular signalling molecules in various tissues. They are generated by the phospholipase C family of enzymes, of which phospholipase C delta (PLCD) forms one class. Studies with functional inactivation of Plcd isozyme encoding genes in mice have revealed that loss of both Plcd1 and Plcd3 causes early embryonic death. Inactivation of Plcd1 alone causes loss of hair (alopecia), whereas inactivation of Plcd3 alone has no apparent phenotypic effect. To investigate a possible synergy of Plcd1 and Plcd3 in postnatal mice, novel mutations of these genes compatible with life after birth need to be found. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We characterise a novel mouse mutant with a spontaneously arisen mutation in Plcd3 (Plcd3(mNab)) that resulted from the insertion of an intracisternal A particle (IAP) into intron 2 of the Plcd3 gene. This mutation leads to the predominant expression of a truncated PLCD3 protein lacking the N-terminal PH domain. C3H mice that carry one or two mutant Plcd3(mNab) alleles are phenotypically normal. However, the presence of one Plcd3(mNab) allele exacerbates the alopecia caused by the loss of functional Plcd1 in Del(9)olt1Pas mutant mice with respect to the number of hair follicles affected and the body region involved. Mice double homozygous for both the Del(9)olt1Pas and the Plcd3(mNab) mutations survive for several weeks and exhibit total alopecia associated with fragile hair shafts showing altered expression of some structural genes and shortened phases of proliferation in hair follicle matrix cells. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The Plcd3(mNab) mutation is a novel hypomorphic mutation of Plcd3. Our investigations suggest that Plcd1 and Plcd3 have synergistic effects on the murine hair follicle in specific regions of the body surface

Family history in stone disease: how important is it for the onset of the disease and the incidence of recurrence?

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of a positive family history on the age at the onset of urinary stone disease and the frequency of subsequent symptomatic episodes relating to the disease. Between March 2006 and April 2009, patients with either a newly diagnosed or a previously documented stone disease were included in the study program. They were required to fill in a questionnaire and divided into two groups according to the positive family history of stone disease; group I comprised patients with a family history for urinary calculi and group II those without. Depending on the data obtained from questionnaires, all patients were evaluated in detail with respect to the age at the onset of the stone disease, stone passage and interventions over time, time to first recurrence (time interval between the onset of the disease and the first recurrence), number of total stone episodes and recurrence intervals. 1,595 patients suffering from urolithiasis with the mean age of 41.7 (14–69 years) were evaluated with respect to their past history of the disease. There were 437 patients in group I and 1,158 in group II. There was no statistically significant difference between the mean age value of two groups (P = 0.09). When both genders in group I were analyzed separately, female patients tended to have higher rate of family history positivity than males. Comparative evaluation of the age at the onset of the disease between the two groups did reveal that stone formation occured at younger ages in patients with positive family history [P = 0.01 (males), P = 0.01 (females)] and the mean age of onset of the disease was lower in males than females in group I (P = 0.01). Patients in group I had relatively more stone episodes from the onset of the disease [P < 0.01 (2–4 episodes), P < 0.01 (≥5 episodes)]. Male patients were associated with higher number of stone episodes (P = 0.01). Mean time interval between recurrences was noted to be significantly shorter in group I patients when compared with patients in group II [P < 0.01 (males), P = 0.02 (females)]. In conclusion, our results showed that urinary stone formation may occur at younger ages and that the frequency of symptom episodes may be higher in patients with a positive family history. We believe that the positive family history for urinary stone disease could give us valuable information concerning the onset as well as the severity of the disease

Coexistence of a colon carcinoma with two distinct renal cell carcinomas: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>We present the case of a patient with two tumors in his left kidney and a synchronous colon cancer. While coexisting tumors have been previously described in the same kidney or the kidney and other organs, or the colon and other organs, to the best of our knowledge no such concurrency of three primary tumors has been reported in the literature to date.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 72-year-old man of Greek nationality presenting with pain in the right hypochondrium underwent a series of examinations that revealed gallstones, a tumor in the hepatic flexure of the colon and an additional tumor in the upper pole of the left kidney. He was subjected to a right hemicolectomy, left nephrectomy and cholecystectomy, and his postoperative course was uneventful. Histopathology examinations showed a mucinous colon adenocarcinoma, plus two tumors in the left kidney, a papillary renal cell carcinoma and a chromophobe renal cell carcinoma.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case underlines the need to routinely scan patients pre-operatively in order to exclude coexisting tumors, especially asymptomatic renal tumors in patients with colorectal cancer, and additionally to screen concurrent tumors genetically in order to detect putative common genetic alterations.</p

Assessment of the effect of betaine on p16 and c-myc DNA methylation and mRNA expression in a chemical induced rat liver cancer model

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The development and progression of liver cancer may involve abnormal changes in DNA methylation, which lead to the activation of certain proto-oncogenes, such as <it>c-myc</it>, as well as the inactivation of certain tumor suppressors, such as <it>p16</it>. Betaine, as an active methyl-donor, maintains normal DNA methylation patterns. However, there are few investigations on the protective effect of betaine in hepatocarcinogenesis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Four groups of rats were given diethylinitrosamine (DEN) and fed with AIN-93G diets supplemented with 0, 10, 20 or 40 g betaine/kg (model, 1%, 2%, and 4% betaine, respectively), while the control group, received no DEN, fed with AIN-93G diet. Eight or 15 weeks later, the expression of <it>p16 </it>and <it>c-myc </it>mRNA was examined by Real-time PCR (Q-PCR). The DNA methylation status within the <it>p16 </it>and <it>c-myc </it>promoter was analyzed using methylation-specific PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Compared with the model group, numbers and areas of glutathione S-transferase placental form (GST-p)-positive foci were decreased in the livers of the rats treated with betaine (<it>P < 0.05</it>). Although the frequency of <it>p16 </it>promoter methylation in livers of the four DEN-fed groups appeared to increase, there is no difference among these groups after 8 or 15 weeks (<it>P > 0.05</it>). Betaine supplementation attenuated the down-regulation of <it>p16 </it>and inhibited the up-regulation of <it>c-myc </it>induced by DEN in a dose-dependent manner (<it>P </it>< 0.01). Meanwhile, increases in levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in model, 2% and 4% betaine groups were observed (<it>P < 0.05</it>). Finally, enhanced antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) was observed in both the 2% and 4% betaine groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our data suggest that betaine attenuates DEN-induced damage in rat liver and reverses DEN-induced changes in mRNA levels.</p