Understanding flow characteristics from tsunami deposits at Odaka, Joban Coast, using a deep neural network (DNN) inverse model

The 2011 Tohoku-oki tsunami inundated the Joban coastal area in the Odaka region of the city of Minamisoma, up to 2818 m from the shoreline. In this study, the flow characteristics of the tsunami were reconstructed from deposits using the DNN (deep neural network) inverse model, suggesting that the tsunami inundation occurred in the Froude supercritical condition. The DNN inverse model effectively estimated the tsunami flow parameters in the Odaka region, including the maximum inundation distance, flow velocity, maximum flow depth, and sediment concentration. Despite having a few topographical anthropogenic undulations that caused the inundation height to fluctuate greatly, the reconstructed maximum flow depth and flow velocity were reasonable and close to the values reported in the field observations. The reconstructed data around the Odaka region were characterized by an extremely high velocity (12.1 m s⁻¹). This study suggests that the large fluctuation in flow depths on the Joban Coast compared with the stable flow depths in the Sendai Plain can be explained by the inundation in the supercritical flow condition

Bryosphere within an Antarctic moss pillar

第6回極域科学シンポジウム分野横断セッション：[IB2] 地球環境変動の解析と地球生命システム学の構築11月19日（木）　統計数理研究所 セミナー室1（D305

Effect of Hemocoagulase on the Prevention of Bleeding after Percutaneous Renal Biopsy

A percutaneous renal biopsy is an essential tool for the diagnosis of various renal diseases;however, post-biopsy bleeding is a major complication. Hemocoagulase is a detoxified and purified snake venom enzyme that is widely used to prevent post-procedural bleeding. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the effect of hemocoagulase on post-renal biopsy bleeding. We included 221 patients who underwent percutaneous renal biopsy between April 2017 and December 2020 and analyzed post-renal biopsy hemoglobin (Hb) decline in patients who were administered a periprocedural hemocoagulase injection. After the renal biopsy, the mean Hb decrease in the entire patient cohort was 0.33 ・ 0.84 g/dL. Periprocedural hemocoagulase injection lowered the Hb decline post-renal biopsy (0.50 ・ 0.87 vs. 0.23 ・ 0.80 g/dL, p = 0.0204). The propensity-matched cohort was also adjusted for factors influencing postprocedural bleeding; periprocedural hemocoagulase injection reduced the Hb decline post-renal biopsy (0.56 ・ 0.89 vs. 0.17 ・ 0.74 g/dL, p = 0.006). There were no adverse events (e.g., thrombosis and anaphylactic shock) due to hemocoagulase. Our study demonstrated the beneficial effect of hemocoagulase on post-renal biopsy Hb decline, suggesting its clinical value in preventing post-renal biopsy bleeding

Thalidomide Prevents the Progression of Peritoneal Fibrosis in Mice

Thalidomide is clinically recognized as a therapeutic agent for multiple myeloma and has been known to exert anti-angiogenic actions. Recent studies have suggested the involvement of angiogenesis in the progression of peritoneal fibrosis. The present study investigated the effects of thalidomide on the development of peritoneal fibrosis induced by injection of chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) into the mouse peritoneal cavity every other day for 3 weeks. Thalidomide was given orally every day. Peritoneal tissues were dissected out 21 days after CG injection. Expression of CD31 (as a marker of endothelial cells), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), α-smooth muscle actin (as a marker of myofibroblasts), type III collagen and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β was examined using immunohistochemistry. CG group showed thickening of the submesothelial zone and increased numbers of vessels and myofibroblasts. Large numbers of VEGF-, PCNA-, and TGF-β-positive cells were observed in the submesothelial area. Thalidomide treatment significantly ameliorated submesothelial thickening and angiogenesis, and decreased numbers of PCNA- and VEGF-expressing cells, myofibroblasts, and TGF-β-positive cells. Moreover, thalidomide attenuated peritoneal permeability for creatinine, compared to the CG group. Our results indicate the potential utility of thalidomide for preventing peritoneal fibrosis

Jumping to conclusion bias in adolescents with ASD

Background and Purpose: Jumping to conclusion (JTC)—a cognitive bias in thinking processes—leads to drawing conclusions based on little information, and could be related to psychosis and paranoia. While it has recently been pointed out that it could accompany the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), no interventions targeting this bias in adolescents with ASD have been reported. Therefore, this exploratory study investigated the effects of a group social cognition program on JTC bias in adolescents with ASD. Patients and Methods : Group rehabilitation using social cognition and interaction training (SCIT) was conducted for 12- to 18-year-old adolescents with ASD. An SCIT program comprehensively targets social cognitive functions, including interventions for JTC bias, and examines changes before and after the SCIT intervention, social cognitive functioning tasks, and subjective quality of life (QOL). Results : Thirteen adolescents with ASD participated in this program ; 10 (76.9%) stayed through it. The proportion of participants with JTC bias decreased significantly before and after SCIT (before : 7 / 10 ; after : 1 / 10 ; p = 0.041), and subjective QOL increased significantly (p = 0.014). Conclusion : The results show that a group social cognition program with a JTC bias approach improves the JTC bias and increases subjective QOL in adolescents with ASD

Enhanced expression of complement C5a receptor mRNA in human diseased kidney assessed by in situ hybridization

Enhanced expression of complement C5a receptor mRNA in human diseased kidney assessed by in situ hybridization.BackgroundAnaphylatoxin C5a mediates inflammatory responses through interaction with a specific C5a receptor (C5aR), the expression of which is thought to be restricted to peripheral blood leukocytes. Although the presence of C5aR on cultured mesangial cells and tubular epithelial cells has recently been documented, the tissue distribution of C5aR in diseased kidney has not yet been determined.MethodsImmunohistochemistry and nonradioactive in situ hybridization for C5aR were performed in 34 tissue samples of kidneys from patients with various renal diseases, including 4 with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), 5 with membranous nephropathy (MN), and 25 with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (mesGN; 15 patients with IgA nephropathy, 5 with non-IgA mesGN, and 5 with lupus nephritis). Normal portions of surgically resected kidney served as the control.ResultsIn normal kidneys, C5aR protein was detected in tubular epithelial cells, while C5aR mRNA was detected in a few glomerular cells, tubular epithelial cells, and vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. In MCNS, the distribution of C5aR protein and mRNA was similar to that in normal kidneys. In MN and mesGN, C5aR protein and mRNA were detected in mesangial cells, glomerular epithelial and endothelial cells, Bowman's capsule cells, tubular cells, infiltrating cells, and vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. The glomerular expression of C5aR mRNA and protein correlated positively with the degree of mesangial hypercellularity and mesangial matrix expansion in mesGN. In the tubulointerstitium, interstitial expression of C5aR mRNA correlated positively with the degree of tubular atrophy and interstitial broadening in mesGN. Furthermore, the interstitial expression of C5aR mRNA correlated positively with the level of serum creatinine.ConclusionsOur results indicate that renal cells produce C5aR and that activation of C5a/C5aR pathway on renal cells may be involved in tissue injury in mesGN