The snowfall-cloud at Syowa Station identified by convolutional neural network

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Wed. 4 Dec. / 2F Auditorium, National Institute of Polar Researc

Atmospheric sea-salt and halogen chemistry in the Antarctic region

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Thu. 5 Dec. / 2F Auditorium , National Institute of Polar Researc

The Late Phase/Early Phase Ratio of Pancreatic CT Values as a Novel Predictor of Pancreatic Fistula after Distal Pancreatectomy

Post-operative pancreatic fistula (POPF) remains the most common complication after distal pancreatectomy (DP). In this retrospective study, we reviewed the data from patients who underwent DP between 2008 and 2019 in our institute to determine whether the late phase/early phase ratio (L/E ratio) by preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan in the pancreas could predict POPF occurrence after DP. We examined the relationship between preoperative or intraoperative factors and the occurrence of POPF after DP using statistical methods in 23 males and 21 females with a mean age of 73. The mean L/E ratio was significantly lower in the POPF group than the non-POPF group (p=0.035). The L/E ratio had moderate diagnostic accuracy, with a calculated optimal cutoff value of 0.77. In univariate analysis, a significant association was noted between POPF and stump thickness ≥ 16.9, body mass index ≥ 27.5, and L/E ratio ≤ 0.77. In the multivariate analysis, the L/E ratio (odds ratio, 5.96; p=0.036) was an independent risk factor for POPF. Our findings suggest that the pancreatic L/E ratio may predict the occurrence of POPF after DP. This measure may be useful in preoperative risk stratification, patient counseling, and perioperative patient management, improving clinical outcomes after DP

Preliminary report of "Arctic Airborne Measurement Program 2002" (AAMP02)

The Arctic Airborne Measurement Program 2002(AAMP 02) campaign was carried out in March 2002 as one of the sub programs of the project Variations of atmospheric constituents and their climate impact in the Arctic". The main goal of the project was to investigate the transport, transformation and radiative effect of trace gases and aerosols, and their role in the global climate. An instrumented jet plane, Gulfstream II(G-II), was flown from Nagoya, Japan via Barrow, Alaska to Longyearbyen(78°N , 15°E ), Svalbard, crossing the Arctic Ocean in the lower stratospher. Three local flights were made over the Greenland Sea around Svalbard and two profile flights near Barrow. The plane was equipped with CO_2 and ozone analyzers, gas and aerosol sampling systems, aerosol particle counter, nephelometer, absorption photometer, PMS particle probes, sunphotometer, dew point hygrometer and dropsonde system. During the campaign, intensitive surface operations were also conducted at Ny-Ålesund(79°N , 12°E ), Svalbard. Vertical profiles of several trace gases gave information about transport, a new observation by sunphotometer derived an aerosol optical depth in the stratosphere, and another new observation by dropsonde gave information on the polar vortex

An Arabidopsis SBP-domain fragment with a disrupted C-terminal zinc-binding site retains its tertiary structure

AbstractSQUAMOSA promoter-binding proteins (SBPs) form a major family of plant-specific transcription factors, mainly related to flower development. SBPs share a highly conserved DNA-binding domain of ∼80 amino acids (SBP domain), which contains two non-interleaved zinc-binding sites formed by eight conserved Cys or His residues. In the present study, an Arabidopsis SPL12 SBP-domain fragment that lacks a Cys residue involved in the C-terminal zinc-binding pocket was found to retain a folded structure, even though only a single Zn2+ ion binds to the fragment. Solution structure of this fragment determined by NMR is very similar to the previously determined structures of the full SBP domains of Arabidopsis SPL4 and SPL7. Considering the previous observations that chelating all the Zn2+ ions of SBPs resulted in the complete unfolding of the structure and that a mutation of the Cys residue equivalent to that described above impaired the DNA-binding activity, we propose that the Zn2+ ion at the N-terminal site is necessary to maintain the overall tertiary structure, while the Zn2+ ion at the C-terminal site is necessary for the DNA binding, mainly by guiding the basic C-terminal loop to correctly fit into the DNA groove

Development of a novel artificial intelligence algorithm to detect pulmonary nodules on chest radiography

Background: In this study, we aimed to develop a novel artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to support pulmonary nodule detection, which will enable physicians to efficiently interpret chest radiographs for lung cancer diagnosis. Methods: We analyzed chest X-ray images obtained from a health examination center in Fukushima and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chest X-ray 14 dataset. We categorized these data into two types: type A included both Fukushima and NIH datasets, and type B included only the Fukushima dataset. We also demonstrated pulmonary nodules in the form of a heatmap display on each chest radiograph and calculated the positive probability score as an index value. Results: Our novel AI algorithms had a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.74, a sensitivity of 0.75, and a specificity of 0.60 for the type A dataset. For the type B dataset, the respective values were 0.79, 0.72, and 0.74. The algorithms in both the type A and B datasets were superior to the accuracy of radiologists and similar to previous studies. Conclusions: The proprietary AI algorithms had a similar accuracy for interpreting chest radiographs when compared with previous studies and radiologists. Especially, we could train a high quality AI algorithm, even with our small type B data set. However, further studies are needed to improve and further validate the accuracy of our AI algorithm

ナンキョク ショウワキチ ニ オケル セイジョウ タイキ カンソクシツ ノ セッチ ニツイテ

南極大気のモニタリング観測およびプロジェクト研究観測に資するため,南極・昭和基地に19m^2の清浄大気観測室(通称エアロゾル観測小屋)を設置した.第45次日本南極地域観測隊の夏季作業で,昭和基地の主要部から約300m風上に建設し,2004年2月10日から大気エアロゾルとオゾンの連続観測を開始した.この観測室は電気暖房と外気の取り込みで室温を約20°C に保つようになっている.6m高の観測タワーとエアロゾル観測用の試料大気導入管も有している.この報告では,設置に至る背景から観測室の詳細と初年度から2年度の運用状況と問題点,導入管の特性などについて述べる.運用初年度は,基地主要部に位置する観測棟で従来から行っているエアロゾル濃度やオゾン濃度のモニタリングと並行して観測を行った.双方の観測値を比較したところ,観測棟における従来の状況に比べて,清浄大気を観測した有効率は最大で1割ほど向上したことがわかった.An observatory (19m^2 inside area) was built for monitoring clean air constituents, such as aerosol particles and ozone, near the core block of Syowa Station. The observatory is located about 300m windward of the main buildings of Syowa Station to reduce atmospheric contamination from an electric power plant and other station activities. Continuous observations of aerosols and surface ozone started on February 10, 2004. The observatory uses electric heaters and outside cool air to control room temperature at about 20°C ±3°C to avoid self contamination by heating fuel combustion. The observatory has a 6-m height tower for an air inlet system that connects to an aerosol sub-sampling line under constant laminar air flow condition. Comparison of aerosol data between the Kansokutou (Atmospheric Observatory in the main station area) and this new observatory from February 2004 to January 2005 suggests that the effectiveness for monitoring clean air was improved about 10%

ショウワキチ マイクロパルスライダー ニヨッテ カンソク サレタ ヒチケイセイ カンセイ ジュウリョクハ キゲン ノ ナンキョク キョクセイソウケン クモ

昭和基地に設置されたマイクロパルスライダー(MPL)により下部成層圏高度領域において極成層圏雲(PSC)が観測された.ラジオゾンデで観測されたPSCの出現高度における気温は氷の露点温度より約4度低く,提唱されている氷粒子生成温度とほぼ一致している.また,PSCの散乱強度は十分大きく,このPSCは氷粒子からなるType IIと分類された.観測されたPSCは温度の高度分布に対応し,温度極小高度を中心にして縞状に存在している.出現高度は時間とともに1日あたり～ 2 km降下している.温度極小は約4 kmの幅で4箇所存在し,それぞれの温度極小高度にPSCが現れている.ラジオゾンデで観測された風向風速の高度分布の解析から,この温度極小が非地形性の慣性重力波によることが示された.この種の重力波がPSCの生成に重要な役割を果たしている可能性が示唆された.PSCの出現に必要な気温低下が地形に制限されないため,非地形性慣性重力波が南北両極上空のPSC粒子生成に広く寄与している可能性が示唆された.Type II Polar Stratospheric Clouds (PSCs) were observed by micropulse lidar (MPL) at Syowa Station in the Antarctic on 30 June and on 1 July 2001. The vertical profiles of the PSCs had a wavy structure that was synchronized with the temperature fluctuations. A wave analysis using radiosonde data shows that the wavy fluctuations were associated with an inertia gravity wave that was not forced by ground topography, but probably by spontaneous adjustment in association with synoptic-scale wave-breaking processes in the upper troposphere. It is suggested that the observed PSCs were generated under the low-temperature conditions induced by these waves and that such gravity waves generated by spontaneous adjustment of large-scale fields can be more important to the formation of PSC particles, in both the Antarctic and Arctic stratospheres, than topographically forced gravity waves, because the former are not fixed to the ground topography

ナンキョクイキ デノ カイエン リュウシ タイキチュウ ノ ヘンシツ カテイ ト カイヒョウ セキセツ チュウ ノ ソセイ ブンベツ カテイ

昭和基地(1997-1998,2003-2006; JARE-38-39,JARE-44-47)とドームふじ基地(1997,JARE-38)で,エアロゾル成分と酸性ガスの連続観測を実施した.海塩粒子濃度の季節変化はいずれの基地でも夏季に極小を示し,冬季に濃度が高くなる変化を示した.冬季に海塩粒子濃度が高いのは,低気圧接近に伴う強風による海塩粒子の発生と長距離輸送に起因しているのだろう.昭和基地では,海塩粒子のほとんどが微小粒子域(D_p: 0.2-2.0 μm),超微小粒子域(D_p,検出下限以下～ 1.5 nmol m^ だった.海塩組成分別によるSO_4^ 損失は昭和基地だけでなく,内陸のドームふじ基地でも確認された.Mg^ Na^+ の濃度比の季節変化は,低温下で濃度比が高くなる傾向を示した.濃度比の値とその温度依存性から,Mirabilite形成以外の海塩組成分別過程(例えばGypsum,Hydrohaliteの形成)も南極沿岸域で起きていることが示唆される.ドームふじ基地と昭和基地でのMg^ Na^+ 比の季節変化や値が大きく異なっていたことから,内陸部でも積雪表面で海塩組成分別が進行し,風により大気中へ海塩粒子が再飛散している可能性が考えられる.Observations of aerosol constituents and acidic gases were carried out at Syowa Station (1997-1998 and 2003-2006; JARE-38～ 39, and JARE-44～ 47) and Dome Fuji Station (1997, JARE-38). Seasonal variations and size distribution of sea-salt particles were compared between coastal and inland stations. Seasonal variations of the concentrations of sea-salt particles showed a minimum in the austral summer and higher during the winter at both stations due to strong winds and long-range transport. Sea-salt particles were mostly distributed in fine (D_p: 0.2-2.0 μm) and ultra-fine (D_p and below the detection limit (BDL)-1.5 nmol m^, respectively. Sea-salt fractionation (SO_4^ depletion) due to Mirabilite formation was identified not only at Syowa Station but also at Dome Fuji Station. Seasonal variation of molar ratio of Mg^ Na^+ showed higher ratios at lower temperature. The range and temperature dependence of Mg^ Na^+ strongly suggested that other sea-salt fractionation (e.g., formation of gypsum and hydrohalite) occurred in the Antarctic coasts in addition to Mirabilite formation. Because of different seasonal variation and range of Mg^ Na^+ between Dome Fuji and Syowa Stations, sea-salt fractionation may proceed even in the inland area