Effect of Matric Suction on Shear Characteristics of Unsaturated Fraser River Sand

This paper discusses the shear strength and volume change characteristics of a loose Fraser River sand. Suction-controlled simple shear tests were carried out for the unsaturated sand. Drained tests for the saturated sand were also carried out for the comparison with the unsaturated sand. The increase of the shear strength of the sand with the matric suction is very small and there is almost no increase of that over 20 kPa of the matric suction. The suppression effect of the matric suction on the volume change bahavior during shear is small, and the degree of dilation increases with the increase of the matric suction

Determination of Crossarm Installation in Fill Dams by Back Analysis

This paper discusses a numerical model that can be used to optimize the installation in a zoned type and a homogeneous type fill dam. Before installation in a real dam to evaluate dam behavior, numerical model described in this paper is carried out on a prototype dam to check the optimum installation, using cross arm measurements. Three cross arm installations at the upstream, the core and downstream to measure displacements are considered. The installation options considered are three cross arm combinations for best installation to verify the safety of dams and to reduce cost. Finite element method is used for generating the displecement field in a linear elastic numerical model. The generated data is used as an input data in the back analysis to check the adequacy of each installation option

Innate Immune Effectors in Mycobacterial Infection

Tuberculosis, which is caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), remains one of the major bacterial infections worldwide. Host defense against Mtb is mediated by a combination of innate and adaptive immune responses. In the last 15 years, the mechanisms for activation of innate immunity have been elucidated. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) have been revealed to be critical for the recognition of pathogenic microorganisms including mycobacteria. Subsequent studies further revealed that NOD-like receptors and C-type lectin receptors are responsible for the TLR-independent recognition of mycobacteria. Several molecules, such as active vitamin D3, secretary leukocyte protease inhibitor, and lipocalin 2, all of which are induced by TLR stimulation, have been shown to direct innate immune responses to mycobacteria. In addition, Irgm1-dependent autophagy has recently been demonstrated to eliminate intracellular mycobacteria. Thus, our understanding of the mechanisms for the innate immune response to mycobacteria is developing

イシ イリョウ キカン ト カンジャ ノ ホウリツ カンケイ

Medical examination and treatment is an obligation by the contract between medical doctor and patient. When the doctor (medical treatment side) does the diagnosis and treatment in the contract as a matter of duty, the doctor always needs well informed consents by the opponent of the contract (patient side). It is necessary to report and to indicate the result to the patient according to patient’s request. The good explanation of the diagnosis and treatment will awake a patient to think about his own responsibility come from the contract theory. On the other hand, there is danger of which too much responsibilities are demanded on the medical treatment side, because of thinking that the medical treatment side monopolizes medical expertises

Settlement Prediction Method Using Observed Settlement Velocity

This paper presents a new method for prediction of consolidation settlements of soft grounds. The method is based on the theoretical result which shows that the settlement velocity of soft grounds non-improved or improved with sand drains decreases exponentially with time. Final settlements can be easily derived from the regression analysis for the relationship between the elapsed time and the observed settlement velocity. The method has advantages of its simplicity and capability to give the satisfactorily good estimate of the consolidation settlements, and also the support of the theoretical background

Aromatic ring cleavage of β-O-4 lignin substructure model dimers by lignin peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium

AbstractExtracellular lignin peroxidase (ligninase) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyzed aromatic ring cleavage of β-O-4 lignin substructure model dimers to give three esters of arylglycerol, cyclic carbonate, formate and methyl oxalate. H2O2, was required for the activity of the enzyme

Evaluation of Liquefaction Resistance by In-situ Testing and Its Application to Reliability Design

A calculation method of probability of liquefaction is proposed in this paper. The spatial variability of soil parameters for the dynamic shear strength, i.e., N-values, median grain size, fines contents, and the statistical characteristics of the earthquake frequency are considered in the analysis. The standard penetration test (SPT) is convenient to estimate the spatial variability of the dynamic shear strength and mainly used in this study. Furthermore the determination of dynamic shear strength based on Swedish weight Sounding test also introduced here, because it is the simpler test than SPT. While the statistical model of the earthquake frequency is determined based on the record of historical earthquakes. Using this method the probability of liquefaction is calculated. The sand compaction pile method is considered for the ground improvement against the liquefaction. Finally, the relationship between the sand replacement rate and the probability of liquefaction is clarified

Update on perioperative management of patients undergoing surgery for liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma is often accompanied by chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis. Preoperative evaluation of liver function and postoperative nutritional management are critical in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who undergo liver surgery. Although the incidence of postoperative complications and death has declined in Japan over the last 10 years, postoperative complications have not been fully overcome. Therefore, surgical procedures and perioperative management must be improved. Accurate preoperative evaluations of liver function, nutrition, inflammation, and body skeletal muscle are required. Determination of the optimal surgical procedure should consider not only tumor characteristics but also the physical reserve of the patient. Nutritional management of chronic liver disorders, especially maintaining protein synthesis for postoperative protein/energy, is important. Prophylactic antibiotics are recommended for short-term use within 24 hours after surgery. Abdominal drainage is recommended for patients with cirrhosis who may develop large amounts of ascites, who are at risk of postoperative bleeding, or who may have bile leakage due to a large resection area. Postoperative exercise therapy may improve insulin resistance in patients with chronic liver damage. Implementation of an early/enhanced recovery after surgery program is recommended to reduce biological invasive responses and achieve early independence of physical activity and nutrition intake. We review the latest information on the perioperative management of patients undergoing liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Simple Culture System for Bobwhite Quail and Japanese Quail Embryos from the Blastoderm Stage to Hatching using a Single Surrogate Eggshell

The ex vivo culture of avian embryos is a technique for the long-term culturing of embryos outside of their own shell and shell membrane. It allows easy access to the developing embryos and embryo manipulation. The two-step system is widely applied when the culture is performed after oviposition. Japanese quail as well as bobwhite quail are used as models for avian safety assessment as recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines. However, biological studies on the bobwhite quail have been more limited than those on the Japanese quail. We have developed a more simplified ex vivo culture protocol for the two species of quail embryos from the blastoderm stage through to hatching using a single surrogate eggshell. Hatchabilities of 31% and 27% were obtained in bobwhite quail and Japanese quail embryos, respectively. The simple system described in the present study is an easy and acceptable procedure.ArticleJOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE. 51(2):202-205 (2014)journal articl