The relation between earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, each of which is manifested by large-scale tectonic plate and mantle motions, has been widely discussed. Mount Fuji, in Japan, last erupted in ...1707, paired with a magnitude (M)-9-class earthquake 49 days prior. Motivated by this pairing, previous studies investigated its effect on Mount Fuji after both the 2011 M9 Tohoku megaquake and a triggered M5.9 Shizuoka earthquake 4 days later at the foot of the volcano, but reported no potential to erupt. More than 300 years have already passed since the 1707 eruption, and even though consequences to society caused by the next eruption are already being considered, the implications for future volcanism remain uncertain. This study shows how volcanic low-frequency earthquakes (LFEs) in the deep part of the volcano revealed unrecognized activation after the Shizuoka earthquake. Our analyses also show that despite an increase in the rate of occurrence of LFEs, these did not return to pre-earthquake levels, indicating a change in the magma system. Our results demonstrate that the volcanism of Mount Fuji was reactivated by the Shizuoka earthquake, implying that this volcano is sufficiently sensitive to external events that are considered to be enough to trigger eruptions.
This paper reports a facile and environment-friendly process to synthesize electrically conductive porous alumina/graphite composites by starch consolidation technique followed by reductive ...sintering. Green ceramic composites were consolidated with different starches and sintered at different temperatures in an argon atmosphere. Electrical measurements, carbon contents and Raman analyses of carbon structures determined an optimal sintering temperature of 1700°C, which lead to a uniform formation of conductive graphitic networks at an optimal concentration of about 3.8vol% in the porous composites. These carbon networks resulted into porous composites having high electrical conductivities measured in the range from 3 to 7S/cm, which depended on the starch types and their porous properties. Correspondingly, the bulk porosities of the sintered composites were measured from 42 to 46%, with rounded micropores having diameters ranging from 14 to 39μm. These porous properties of the sintered composites offer promising applications for conductive membrane and porous electrode.
Six new species of the genus Hercostomus Loew, 1857, are described from Japan: Hercostomus acutiformis Negrobov, Kumazawa & Tago sp. nov., H. falcilis Negrobov, Kumazawa & Tago sp. nov., H. ...flavipalpus Negrobov, Kumazawa, Tago & Sato sp. nov., H. nigricollaris Negrobov, Kumazawa & Tago sp. nov., H. spathulatus Negrobov, Kumazawa, Tago & Sato sp. nov., H. spinitibialis Negrobov, Kumazawa & Tago sp. nov. Hercostomus flaveolus Negrobov & Chalaya, 1987 is newly recorded from Japan, and Hercostomus arcticus Yang, 1996 is newly synonymized with Hercostomus flaveolus (syn. nov.). The holotype of Hercostomus flaviventris Smirnov & Negrobov, 1979 is redescribed. Hercostomus ussurianus Stackelberg is transferred to the genus Gymnopternus Loew, 1857 (stat. nov.). A key to the eleven recognized species of Japanese Hercostomus is provided.
It has been postulated that physical immobilization is an essential factor in developing chronic pain after trauma or surgery in an extremity. However, the mechanisms of sustained ...immobilization‐induced chronic pain remain poorly understood. The present study, therefore, aimed to develop a rat model for chronic post‐cast pain (CPCP) and to clarify the mechanism(s) underlying CPCP. To investigate the effects of cast immobilization on pain behaviours in rats, one hindlimb was immobilized for 2 weeks with a cast and remobilization was conducted for 10 weeks. Cast immobilization induced muscle atrophy and inflammatory changes in the immobilized hindlimb that began 2 h after cast removal and continued for 1 week. Spontaneous pain‐related behaviours (licking and reduction in weight bearing) in the immobilized hindlimb were observed for 2 weeks, and widespread mechanical hyperalgesia in bilateral calves, hindpaws and tail all continued for 5–10 weeks after cast removal. A sciatic nerve block with lidocaine 24 h after cast removal transitorily abolished bilateral mechanical hyperalgesia in CPCP rats, suggesting that sensory inputs originating in the immobilized hindlimb contribute to the mechanism of both ipsilateral and contralateral hyperalgesia. Intraperitoneal injection of the free radical scavengers 4‐hydroxy‐2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperydine‐1‐oxy1 or N‐acetylcysteine 24 h after cast removal clearly inhibited mechanical hyperalgesia in bilateral calves and hindpaws in CPCP rats. These results suggest that cast immobilization induces ischaemia/reperfusion injury in the hindlimb and consequent production of oxygen free radicals, which may be involved in the mechanism of widespread hyperalgesia in CPCP rats.
Summary
Introduction
The number of infused CD34+ cells is crucial to the success of peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). Here, we present, for the first time, a new method of ...enumerating hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) for PBSCT.
Method
This novel method is based on hemolysis and chemical staining, followed by flow cytometry‐based optical detection, conducted using an automated hematology analyzer (XN series, Sysmex). CD34+ cells and HPCs were compared in 76 granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF)‐mobilized blood or apheresis samples taken from healthy donors (n = 18) or patients undergoing autologous PBSCT (n = 6).
Results
There was a strong correlation between the numbers of HPCs and CD34+ cells (R2 = 0.958). The expected total number of HPCs in the final products, which was estimated from HPCs in pre‐apheresis PB or mid‐apheresis products, also correlated well with the total number of CD34+ cells in the final products. The change in HPCs in PB closely resembled that of CD34+ cells during mobilization. Experiments using immunomagnetic beads suggested that the majority of CD34+ cells existed in HPCs, and vice versa.
Conclusion
Hematopoietic progenitor cells may serve as surrogates for CD34+ cells in PBSCT. However, further investigations are required to verify this.
ABSTRACT Radio frequency (RF) direct sampling is a technique used to sample RF signals that are higher than the sampling rate, without the use of a frequency converter and an anti-aliasing filter. In ...the case of geodetic VLBI, the RF frequency is at most 9 GHz. Recently, a digital sampler with high sensitivity at RF frequencies greater than 10 GHz was developed. The sampler enables us to evaluate the use of the RF direct sampling technique in geodetic VLBI. RF direct sampling has the potential to make the system simple and stable because, unlike a conventional system, analog frequency converters are not used. We have developed two sets of RF direct sampling systems and operated them on Kashima and Tsukuba baseline (about 50 km length) in Japan. At first, we carried out the VLBI experiment only for X band (8 GHz) signals and successfully got the first fringes. Aliased signals could be discriminated through correlation processing. Then, we adopted RF direct sampling for mixed signals, i.e., S band (2 GHz) and X band signals are combined with each other to make a geodetic VLBI observation. We carried out a 24 hr geodetic VLBI session on 2011 October 19 and succeeded in fringe detection for both S and X bands. After correlation processing, baseline analysis was carried out and we got results consistent with those obtained by conventional VLBI.
In this study, the composite magnetic nanoparticles of coated SiO nano film with about 8 nm size and high saturation magnetization value, were synthesized by liquid phase precipitation method. The ...magnetic nanoparticles can be dispersed in various liquid media, widely known as magnetic fluids or ferrofluids with both magnetic and liquid properties. The materials been collected great interests and more and more attentions to focus into Drug Delivery System (DDS) as a new technology in this paper. We use the composite nanoparticles to disperse H2O and inject the solutions into rat's in-vivo organs. And, in the experiments by using a strong photon beam of SPring-8 Synchrotron Radiation facility, the distribution stat and the effects of magnetic field as well as drug delivery behaviour of nanoparticles in the rat' kidney are verified by the in-vivo observations.
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