Mineral paragenesis in thermally metamorphosed serpentinites, Ohsa-yama, Okayama Prefecture

The Ohsa-yama ultramafic body, which consists of several types of serpentinized peridotites, underwent contact metamorphism caused by a Cretaceous granite intrusion ; this metamorphism resulted in the formation of contact aureole, 1.5-2.0 km wide, around the granite intrusion, and produced progressive mineral changes in metaserpentinites toward the contact between the Ohsa-yama body and the granite intrusion. On the basis of analysis of mineral paragenetic relations, the Ohsa-yama ultramafic body can be divided into three zones with progressive changes in mineral assemblages as follows : Zone Ⅰ : serpentine ± chlorite ± brucite Zone Ⅱ : olivine + talc ± tremolite ± chlorite Zone Ⅲ : olivine + orthopyroxene ± tremolite ± spinel Zone Ⅰ corresponds to the parts unaffected by the thermal event, and Zones Ⅱ and Ⅲ correspond to the thermally metamorphosed parts of the Ohsa-yama body. The results obtained in this study are generally consistent with those of the previous studies on metamorphic peridotites from the Sangun and Muzuru zones

Petrography of primary peridotites from the Ohsa-yama area, Okayama Prefecture

Ultramafic rocks exposed around Mt. Ohsa(= Ohsa-yama), Okayama prefecture, designated as "Ohsa-yama ultramafic body" all together, are one of the Alpine-type peridotites in the Sangun metamorphic belt. They are intensely serpentinized and locally suffered contact metamorphism by younger granitic intrusions. In a por-tion of the ohsa-yama body where it has been affected by the contact metamorphism, the constituent minerals, texture and structure of primary ultramafic rocks have been locally preserved. Petrographic studies revead that the primary ultramafic rocks of the ohsa-yama body consist domimantly of dunite and harzburgite possessing no obvious layering, and their constituent minerals are similar in composition to those of the Tari-Misaka and Ashidachi ultramafic bodies. These features indicate that unlike the Ochiai-Hokubo body, the Ohsa-yama ultra-mafic body belongs to the "massive group" of the Arai's (1980) classification

Solar-type Magnetic Reconnection Model for Magnetar Giant Flare

We present a theoretical model describing magnetar giant flares on the basis of solar flare/coronal mass ejection theory. In our model, a preflare activity plays a crucial role in driving evaporating flows and supplying baryonic matters into the magnetosphere. The loaded baryonic matter, that is called "prominence", is then gradually uplifted via crustal cracking with maintaining a quasi-force-free equilibrium of the magnetosphere. Finally the prominence is erupted by the magnetic pressure force due to the loss of equilibrium triggered by the explosive magnetic reconnection. The giant flare should be induced as a final outcome of the prominence eruption accompanied by large-scale field reconfigurations. An essential difference between solar and magnetar flares is the control process of their evolutionary dynamics. The flaring activity on magnetars is mainly controlled by the radiative process unlike the solar flare governed by the electron conduction. It is highly suggestive that our model is accountable for the physical properties of the extraordinary giant flare observed on 2004 December 27 from SGR1806-20, including the source of baryonic matters loaded in the expanding ejecta observed after the giant burst.Comment: Accepted for Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (PASJ Vol.62 No.4), 21 pages, 4 figure

Identification of principal factors of fabric aesthetics by the evaluation from experts on textiles and from untrained consumers

One of the important end-use performance measures of fabrics and other textile products is the handle, which measures the quality of fabrics as evaluated by reactions obtained not only tactilely but also visually. The well-known Kawabata Evaluation System includes both an objective evaluation and a prediction method of the handle. However, objective evaluations of the handle based on a visual perception of fabric aesthetics have not been investigated systematically. Thus, as the first step of a systematic study, we attempted to carry out a sensory evaluation of fabric aesthetics by experts on textile and untrained consumers using worsted and spun silk woven fabrics, which have different material effect and structural effect. Thereafter, the mean preference scores were examined by factor analysis to identify the principal factors of fabric aesthetics. From the result, it was found that two common factors-'luster and depth sensation' and 'surface roughness sensation'-were identified tentatively as the principal factors of fabric aesthetics.ArticleTEXTILE RESEARCH JOURNAL. 81(12):1216-1225 (2011)journal articl

Current state of therapeutic development for rare cancers in Japan, and proposals for improvement

This article discusses current obstacles to the rapid development of safe and effective treatments for rare cancers, and considers measures required to overcome these challenges. In order to develop novel clinical options for rare cancers, which tend to remain left out of novel therapeutic development because of their paucity, efficient recruitment of eligible patients, who tend to be widely dispersed across the country and treated at different centers, is necessary. For this purpose, it is important to establish rare cancer registries that are linked with clinical studies, to organize a central pathological diagnosis system and biobanks for rare cancers, and to consolidate patients with rare cancers to facilities that can conduct clinical studies meeting international standards. Establishing an all‐Japan cooperative network is essential. Clinical studies of rare cancers have considerable limitations in study design and sample size as a result of paucity of eligible patients and, as a result, the level of confirmation of the efficacy and safety shown by the studies is relatively low. Therefore, measures to alleviate these weaknesses inherent to external conditions need to be explored. It is also important to reform the current research environment in order to develop world‐leading treatment for rare cancers, including promotion of basic research, collaboration between industry and academia, and improvement of the infrastructure for clinical studies. Collaboration among a wide range of stakeholders is required to promote the clinical development of treatment for rare cancers under a nationwide consensus

Disconnectivity between Dorsal Raphe Nucleus and Posterior Cingulate Cortex in Later Life Depression

The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) has been repeatedly implicated as having a significant relationship with depression, along with its serotoninergic innervation. However, functional connectivity of the DRN in depression is not well understood. The current study aimed to isolate functional connectivity of the DRN distinct in later life depression (LLD) compared to a healthy age-matched population. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) data from 95 participants (33 LLD and 62 healthy) were collected to examine functional connectivity from the DRN to the whole brain in voxel-wise fashion. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) bilaterally showed significantly smaller connectivity in the LLD group than the control group. The DRN to PCC connectivity did not show any association with the depressive status. The findings implicate that the LLD involves disruption of serotoninergic input to the PCC, which has been suggested to be a part of the reduced default mode network in depression

Alteration of intestinal flora by the intake of enzymatic degradation products of adlay (Coix lachryma-jobi L. var. ma-yuen Stapf) with improvement of skin condition

AbstractAdlay has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine and nutrient for its beneficial effects on bowel movements and skin care. This study examined the effect of enzymatic degradation product of adlay, “Super Hatomugi” (SPH) on human skin and the intestinal flora in a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study. The subjects were divided into three groups: 500mg SPH, 1000mg SPH, and placebo, taken daily for 4weeks. Hematological and skin condition examinations as well as an analysis of intestinal flora were performed 2weeks before and 10weeks after the start of the SPH intake. Skin condition was improved by SPH intake as revealed by a reduction in the number of nucleated epidermal cells. In addition, an increase in the fecal population of Bacteroidetes followed the SPH intake. These results show the possibility that SPH improves the skin condition and changes the proportions of intestinal flora