トルコ・コンヤ盆地からの６０．８５ｍ柱状堆積物の層相

In 1991, a 60.85 m continuous core was collected from the Konya basin (37°45′13.3″N and 32°43′5.4″E) which is located in the western part of the Anatolian Plateau Turkey, where there ware a number of important ancient civilizations. The core sediment consists of a continuous lacustrine accumulation of homogeneous silty clay and clay with shell bands, sand streams and organic-rich accumulated layers. It also contains visible gypsum crystals suggesting the existence of dry climatic condition in the past. Three ash layers were also recognized at 7.72-7.77 m, 12.15-12.20 m and 51.5 m in depth. The preliminary radiocarbon datings of the shells collected from 6 m depth are older than 40 environmental record such as interglacial-glacial cycles occurring about every 100,000 years during the past million years. This report is a sedimentological description of the core samples form the Konya Basin

Modification of a neuronal network direction using stepwise photo-thermal etching of an agarose architecture

Control over spatial distribution of individual neurons and the pattern of neural network provides an important tool for studying information processing pathways during neural network formation. Moreover, the knowledge of the direction of synaptic connections between cells in each neural network can provide detailed information on the relationship between the forward and feedback signaling. We have developed a method for topographical control of the direction of synaptic connections within a living neuronal network using a new type of individual-cell-based on-chip cell-cultivation system with an agarose microchamber array (AMCA). The advantages of this system include the possibility to control positions and number of cultured cells as well as flexible control of the direction of elongation of axons through stepwise melting of narrow grooves. Such micrometer-order microchannels are obtained by photo-thermal etching of agarose where a portion of the gel is melted with a 1064-nm infrared laser beam. Using this system, we created neural network from individual Rat hippocampal cells. We were able to control elongation of individual axons during cultivation (from cells contained within the AMCA) by non-destructive stepwise photo-thermal etching. We have demonstrated the potential of our on-chip AMCA cell cultivation system for the controlled development of individual cell-based neural networks

Anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, using CT-based navigation and fiducial markers

Accurate placement of separate anteromedial and posterolateral bundle bone tunnels is crucial for anatomic, double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, identifying the anatomic footprint at which to make the tibial and femoral bone tunnels is not a straightforward procedure. To overcome this problem, we used a CT-based navigation technique with a registration procedure based on fiducial markers (FMs). Preoperatively, 10 FM points were placed on skin around knee joint and scanned with CT. Imaging data of the knee were recorded on the computer system for preoperative registration and surgical planning. Intraoperatively, with a reference frame fixed to the distal medial aspect of femur and tibia, paired-point matching registration was performed with the use of points marked on skin through FM center holes. During tibial tunnel guide wire placement, tibial aiming guide with tracking device fed back the position of tip and direction of the guide wire on the three-dimensional (3D) tibia bone surface image and multiple image planes in real time. For the femoral side, the navigation pointer was placed at the footprint center with visual guidance of 3D image of lateral wall sagittal view on navigation monitor and marked with navigation awl. The average registration accuracy of 22 consecutive patients was 0.7 +/- A 0.2 mm and 0.6 +/- A 0.2 mm for femoral and tibial bone, respectively. Most of the bone tunnel positions evaluated with 3D-CT image were confirmed to be accurately placed in reference to the preoperative plan. There was no damage to femoral condyle cartilage and no other complication. This new CT-based computer navigation system opens the possibility for surgeons to plan bone tunnel positioning preoperatively and control it during technically demanding anatomic double-bundle ACL reconstruction.ArticleKNEE SURGERY SPORTS TRAUMATOLOGY ARTHROSCOPY. 19(3):378-383 (2011)journal articl

Autonomous elastic microswimmer

A model of an autonomous three-sphere microswimmer is proposed by implementing a coupling effect between the two natural lengths of an elastic microswimmer. Such a coupling mechanism is motivated by the previous models for synchronization phenomena in coupled oscillator systems. We numerically show that a microswimmer can acquire a nonzero steady state velocity and a finite phase difference between the oscillations in the natural lengths. These velocity and phase difference are almost independent of the initial phase difference. There is a finite range of the coupling parameter for which a microswimmer can have an autonomous directed motion. The stability of the phase difference is investigated both numerically and analytically in order to determine its bifurcation structure

Sphingomyelinase and ceramide inhibit formation of F-actin ring in and bone resorption by rabbit mature osteoclasts

AbstractRecent studies have demonstrated that ceramide plays an important role as a second messenger in many kinds of cells. However, it is not known whether apoptosis of and bone resorption by mature osteoclasts are mediated via sphingomyelinase (SMase) and ceramide. Thus, we examined the possible involvement of SMase and ceramide in the induction of apoptosis in and bone resorption by rabbit mature osteoclasts. SMase and C2-ceramide inhibited strongly F-actin ring formation of and bone resorption by the osteoclasts. However, the osteoclast apoptosis was not induced by C2-ceramide. The ceramide inhibition of the bone resorption was suppressed by dl-threo-dihydrosphingosine, an inhibitor of sphingosine kinase. In addition, we observed that sphingosine-1-phosphate is able to inhibit bone resorption by the osteoclasts. These results suggest an important role of the sphingomyelin pathway in bone resorption by rabbit mature osteoclasts