Measurement of thermal conductivity in soils and application of de Vries model

Thermal conductivity of soil samples were measured using a twin transient-state cylindrical-probe method. The system of measurement consists of DC power supply, data logger, personal computer, 100cc soil sample, reference material sample, and two heat probes. The typical results were as follows: (1) Thermal conductivity of soils increased according to an increase of soil water content. (2) The thermal conductivity of Toyoura sand was larger than one of Kuroboku soil. (3) The thermal conductivity estimated by de Vries model had good agreement with the measured value

Long-term Change Trend of Climate at Aomori City

Characteristics of long-term change for air temperature, precipitation and snowfall-depth at Aomori city were analyzed with data during the 111 years, from 1886 to 1996. The typical results were as follows: (1) The increasing rate of the annual mean air temperature was 1.07℃/111 year. (2) The increasing rate of the monthly minimum air temperature was larger than that of the monthly maximum air temperature. (3) The increasing rate of the monthly air temperature was large from winter to spring, however, was not so from summer to autumn. (4) The decreasing rate of annual precipitation was 0.187 mm/year. (5) The 5-year moving average of annual snowfall-depth might indicate the existence of about 10-year period

Up-regulation of protease-activated receptor-2 by bFGF in cultured human synovial fibroblasts

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) have been implicated in the development of acute and chronic inflammatory responses. We have examined the expression of mRNA for PARs and their regulation by growth factors and cytokines in synovial fibroblasts derived from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Messenger RNA for PAR-1, -2 and -3 was detected in these cells, but not that for PAR-4. Expression of mRNA for PAR-2 was up-regulated by bFGF in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas expression of mRNA for PAR-1 and PAR-3 was not affected. Levels of mRNA encoding PAR-1, PAR-2 and PAR-3 did not increase in response to IL-1beta and TNF-alpha. Expression of mRNA for PAR-2 was maximal 12 h after addition of bFGF, and maximal levels of immunoreactive PAR-2 were reached after 24 h. Furthermore, PAR-2 agonist peptide (SLIGKV-NH(2)), but not the inactive reverse peptide (VKGILS-NH(2)), induced transitory cytosolic Ca(2+) mobilization in cells, and its response was increased by pretreatment with bFGF. An important role could be played by bFGF in the regulation of functional PAR-2 expression in cultured RA synovial fibroblasts

男性化副腎皮質癌の1例

A 36-year-old woman who had experienced two pregnancies consulted our hospital, because of scant menses and virilization. A 24-hour excretion of 17-ketosteroids and 17-hydroxy-corticosteroids demonstrated a decrease in 11-hydroxylase. A computed tomogram showed a huge inhomogenous tumefaction in the left adrenal. Left selective renal angiography revealed a large adrenal tumefaction. Selective adrenal venous samplings revealed that testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) were produced in response to stimulation by 0.25 mg exogenous adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). After left adrenalectomy was performed, a diagnosis of adrenocortical carcinoma was made by pathological examination. This is the first report of a patient with a virilizing adrenocortical carcinoma, which produced testosterone and DHA in response to exogenous ACTH stimulation