Cases Histories and Recent Development of the Sand Compaction Pile Method as a Countermeasure Against Liquefaction

The Sand Compaction Pile (SCP) method is the most useful countermeasure against liquefaction in Japan. The investigation on the effectiveness of improved ground by the SCP method suffered from the past large-scale earthquakes (the 1993 Kushiro-Oki Earthquake, the 1994 Hokkaido Toho-Oki Earthquake, the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nambu Earthquake etc.) were conducted and found that the behavior of the compacted ground apparently differ from unimproved one. Especially less subsidence occurred on the compacted area compared with the unimproved area at Port Island and Rokko Island during even the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nambu (Kobe) earthquake. The conventional SCP method aims to increase the bearing capacity of soft ground by reinforcing it as compacted ground, or by increasing the density of loose sandy ground, through the vibratory installation of additional sand piles. However, the use of a vibro-hammer generates noise and vibration, which may adversely affect the surrounding environment. It is therefore difficult to use this method for ground improvement work in urban areas or on sites close to existing structures. To reduce noise and vibration, the non-vibratory SCP method which is based on a rotary penetration system using a forced lifting/driving device and a rotary drive motor were developed. This paper describes the case histories during the past large-scale earthquakes and newly development (objectives, applications etc.) of the SCP method applied as a countermeasure against liquefaction in Japan

Vector and Axial Form Factors Applied to Neutrino Quasielastic Scattering

We calculate the quasielastic cross sections for neutrino scattering on nucleons using up to date fits to the nucleon elastic electromagnetic form factors GEp, GEn, GMp, GMn, and weak form factors. We show the extraction of Fa for neutrino experiments. We show how well \minerva, a new approved experiment at FNAL, can measure Fa. We show the that Fa has a different contribution to the anti-neutrino cross section, and how the anti-neutrino data can be used to check Fa extracted from neutrino scattering.Comment: Presented by Howard Budd at NuInt04, Mar. 2004, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso - INFN - Assergi, Ital

Seismic response analysis and damage verification of notojima bridge during noto peninsula earthquake

Noto Peninsula earthquake of magnitude 6.7 occurred near Noto Peninsula in Japan on March 25 2007. Notojima Bridge across Nanao Bay which was completed in 1982 is located about 30 km east-southeast of the epicenter. It is 1050 m long multi-span bridge consisting of 21 spans in which the 10 and 8 spans are simply supported PC girder bridges and the central three spans are a rigid frame PC bridge with pin-connection at the mid-span. Notojima Bridge sustained considerable damage in many RC piers bearing supports and expansion joints. Especially the piers of P10 and P13 in the central portion of the bridge sustained damage asymmetrically in spite of the symmetrical figure of the superstructure and piers. In order to verify unexpected damage the central portion is investigated based on seismic response analysis taking account of the inelastic hysteretic property of piers and the strong-motion data observed near the bridge. It is found that the difference of steel pipe piles between P10 and P13 might affect the asymmetrical damage

Direct evidence of electronic ferroelectricity in YbFe2O4 using neutron diffraction and nonlinear spectroscopy

We report the first observation of room temperature spontaneous electric polarization in an electronic ferroelectric material, a YbFe2O4 single crystal. The observation was based on second harmonic generation (SHG), a nonlinear optical process. Tensor analysis of the SHG signal revealed that this material has a polar charge superstructure with Cm symmetry. This result settles the long-term discussion on the uncertainty about electronic ferroelectric properties, including the charge order structure. We present a complete picture of the polar charge ordering of this material via consistent results from two different characterization methods. The SHG signal shows the same temperature dependence as the superlattice signal observed in neutron diffraction experiments. These results prove ferroelectric coupling to electron ordering in YbFe2O4, which results in electronic ferroelectricity which is enabled by the real space ordering of iron cations with different valences. The existence of electronic ferroelectricity holds promise for future electronics technologies where devices run a thousand times faster than frequency of the present CPU (a few gigahertz) embedded in smartphones, etc

A High Statistics Search for Electron-Neutrino --> Tau-Neutrino Oscillations

We present new limits on nu_e to nu_tau and nu_e to nu_sterile oscillations by searching for electron neutrino dissappearance in the high-energy wide-band CCFR neutrino beam. Sensitivity to nu_tau appearance comes from tau decay modes in which a large fraction of the energy deposited is electromagnetic. The beam is composed primarily of muon neutrinos but this analysis uses the 2.3% electron neutrino component of the beam. Electron neutrino energies range from 30 to 600 GeV and flight lengths vary from 0.9 to 1.4 km. This limit improves the sensitivity of existing limits and obtains a lowest 90% confidence upper limit in sin**2(2*alpha) of 9.9 x 10**(-2) at delta-m**2 of 125 eV**2.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. D. Rapid Com

"Of Mice and Measures": A Project to Improve How We Advance Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Therapies to the Clinic

A new line of dystrophic mdx mice on the DBA/2J (D2) background has emerged as a candidate to study the efficacy of therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). These mice harbor genetic polymorphisms that appear to increase the severity of the dystropathology, with disease modifiers that also occur in DMD patients, making them attractive for efficacy studies and drug development. This workshop aimed at collecting and consolidating available data on the pathological features and the natural history of these new D2/mdx mice, for comparison with classic mdx mice and controls, and to identify gaps in information and their potential value. The overall aim is to establish guidance on how to best use the D2/mdx mouse model in preclinical studies

A Novel Role of the L-Type Calcium Channel α1D Subunit as a Gatekeeper for Intracellular Zinc Signaling: Zinc Wave

Recent studies have shown that zinc ion (Zn) can behave as an intracellular signaling molecule. We previously demonstrated that mast cells stimulated through the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) rapidly release intracellular Zn from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and we named this phenomenon the “Zn wave”. However, the molecules responsible for releasing Zn and the roles of the Zn wave were elusive. Here we identified the pore-forming α1 subunit of the Cav1.3 (α1D) L-type calcium channel (LTCC) as the gatekeeper for the Zn wave. LTCC antagonists inhibited the Zn wave, and an agonist was sufficient to induce it. Notably, α1D was mainly localized to the ER rather than the plasma membrane in mast cells, and the Zn wave was impaired by α1D knockdown. We further found that the LTCC-mediated Zn wave positively controlled cytokine gene induction by enhancing the DNA-binding activity of NF- κB. Consistent with this finding, LTCC antagonists inhibited the cytokine-mediated delayed-type allergic reaction in mice without affecting the immediate-type allergic reaction. These findings indicated that the LTCC α1D subunit located on the ER membrane has a novel function as a gatekeeper for the Zn wave, which is involved in regulating NF-κB signaling and the delayed-type allergic reaction

Hepatic Osteodystrophy: The Mechanism of Bone Loss in Hepatocellular Disease and the Effects of Pamidronate Treatment

OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to evaluate the bone phenotypes and mechanisms involved in bone disorders associated with hepatic osteodystrophy. Hepatocellular disease was induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4). In addition, the effects of disodium pamidronate on bone tissue were evaluated. METHODS: The study included 4 groups of 15 mice: a) C = mice subjected to vehicle injections; b) C+P = mice subjected to vehicle and pamidronate injections; c) CCl4+V = mice subjected to CCl4 and vehicle injections; and d) CCl4+P = mice subjected to CCl4 and pamidronate injections. CCl4 or vehicle was administered for 8 weeks, while pamidronate or vehicle was injected at the end of the fourth week. Bone histomorphometry and biomechanical analysis were performed in tibiae, while femora were used for micro-computed tomography and gene expression. RESULTS: CCl4 mice exhibited decreased bone volume/trabecular volume and trabecular numbers, as well as increased trabecular separation, as determined by bone histomorphometry and micro-computed tomography, but these changes were not detected in the group treated with pamidronate. CCl4 mice showed increased numbers of osteoclasts and resorption surface. High serum levels of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand and the increased expression of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase in the bones of CCl4 mice supported the enhancement of bone resorption in these mice. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that bone resorption is the main mechanism of bone loss in chronic hepatocellular disease in mice