Characteristics of ChgH–GFP transgenic medaka lines, an in vivo estrogenic compound detection system

We previously reported the characteristics of a ChgH–GFP transgenic medaka line that indicates estrogenic compound pollution in environmental water by the green fluorescence of their liver. Recently, we established four more lines. In this study, the characteristics of the five transgenic medaka lines were investigated. The intensity of reporter gene expression varied among transgenic lines and generally correlated well with the amount of integrated transgene in each line. Line-specific ectopic expression was also observed. However, the sensitivity to 17-β estradiol did not differ among transgenic lines. Three transgenic lines are considered to be suitable as bio-indicators of estrogenic activity, due to the ease of observing green fluorescence in their livers. The transgenic lines can also detect the estrogenic activity of testosterone and 17-β trenbolone at the nominal concentration of 30 and 100 μg/l, respectively.     

On the performance of lumped parameter models with gyro‐mass elements for the impedance function of a pile‐group supporting a single‐degree‐of‐freedom system

Lumped parameter models with a so called “gyro‐mass” element (GLPMs) have been proposed recently in response to a strong demand for efficiently and accurately representing frequency‐dependent impedance functions of soil–foundation systems. Although GLPMs are considered to be powerful tools for practical applications in earthquake engineering, some problems remain. For instance, although GLPMs show fairly close agreement with the target impedance functions, the accuracy of the transfer functions and the time‐histories of dynamic responses in structural systems comprising GLPMs have never been verified. Furthermore, no assessment has been performed on how much difference appears in the accuracy of dynamic responses obtained from GLPMs and those from conventional Kelvin–Voigt models comprising a spring and a dashpot arranged in parallel with various frequency‐independent constants. Therefore, in this paper, these problems are examined using an example of 2×4 pile groups embedded in a layered soil medium, supporting a single‐degree‐of‐freedom system subjected to ground motions. The results suggest that GLPMs are a new option for highly accurate computations in evaluating the dynamic response of structural systems comprising typical pile groups, rather than conventional Kelvin–Voigt models. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Abrupt Late Holocene uplifts of the southern Izu Peninsula,central Japan: Evidence from emerged marine sessile assemblages

Evidence for abrupt coastal uplifts has been found in emerged sessile assemblages in a sea cave at the southern end of the Izu Peninsula, central Japan. We identified five sessile assemblage zones: Zones I to V, in ascending order. The uppermost zone (Zone I), located at an elevation of 2.7–3.5 m above the present‐day mean sea level (amsl), is a hard massive shellcrust consisting mainly of the barnacles Chthamalus challenger and the tube worm Pomatoleios kraussii. Zone II, at 2.35–2.7 m amsl, is dominated by well‐preserved individuals of C. challenger. Zone III, at 2.0–2.35 m amsl, is strongly eroded and consists mainly of C. challenger and P. kraussii. Zone IV, at 1.6–2.0 m amsl, is characterized by the co‐occurrence of very fresh shells of C. challenger and P. kraussii. Zone V (the lowest zone), at 1.0–1.60 m amsl, is characterized by the co‐occurrence of very fresh shells of Saccostrea kegaki and P. kraussii, and by the absence of C. challenger. Radiocarbon dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) and the presence of modern taxa in the sessile assemblages suggest that three episodes of coastal uplift have occurred in the area, during AD 570–820, AD 1000–1270, and AD 1430–1660, with magnitudes of 0.9–2.0 m, 0.3–0.8 m, and 1.9–2.2 m, respectively.     

Cooperation aspects of international observatories

From the user's point of view, it is essential to promote collaborations to make full use of large telescopes, by covering the wide range of the wavelengths. To do that efficiently, it is necessary to work with other facilities, often abroad. Other talks in this symposium are concerned about the spatial resolution or the coverage at one wavelength or one to two octaves in wavelength. Though the above is important, that is not enough to attach the mysteries in the Universe, since a considerable amount of energy is emitted in the infrared, and mass exists in molecular gas form. In this paper, two examples of international, multiwavelength work are shown which turned out to be beneficial for the world-wide community. One is the Japan-U.K. arrangement mainly between the radio and infrared facilities, and the other is the arrangement around James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), challenging a new regime of the observational astronomy.Paper presented at the Symposium on the JNLT and Related Engineering Developments, Tokyo, November 29–December 2, 1988.     

Synthetic Fluid Inclusions in the Systems NaCl-H2O and NaCl-CO2-H2O: Dissolution Temperatures of Halite

Abstract. This study examined the effect of CO₂ on NaCl solubility in hydrothermal fluid, with the synthetic fluid inclusion technique. Fluid inclusions of 30–40 wt% NaCl and 5 mol % CO₂ were synthesized, and their halite dissolution temperatures, T_m(halite), were measured. The solubilities of NaCl in CO₂-bearing aqueous fluid were obtained at 160–320C under vapor-saturated pressures. The T_m(halite) value in aqueous fluid with 5 mol % CO₂ obtained in this study agrees with that of Schmidt et al. (1995), showing that 5 mol % CO₂ reduces the solubility of NaCl by about 1 wt%.
Calculation of magnetite solubility suggests that 5–10 mol % CO2 decreases magnetite solubility by 4.5–8.9 % relative to the magnetite solubility in CO2-free solution. Therefore, an increase of CO2 content in ore-forming solutions may cause deposition of iron minerals and produce ore deposits.     

Using GIS to develop a mobile communications network for disaster-damaged areas

Communications network damage resulting from a large disaster causes difficulties in the ability to rapidly understand the current situation and thus make appropriate decisions towards mitigating problems, such as where to send and dispense emergency supplies. The research outlined in this paper focuses on the rapid construction of a network after a disaster occurs. This study suggests ZigBee and geographic information systems (GIS) technologies to resolve these problems and provide an effective communication system. The experimental results of the ZigBee network system are presented, examples are provided of the mapping and analysis undertaken using GIS for the disaster-stricken area of Tsukuba City, Japan, and the communications node arrangements are determined for this region. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of establishing such a communications system for supporting efforts to relieve disaster-damaged areas.     

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: Optimization of the Spectral Line Inversion Code

The Very Fast Inversion of the Stokes Vector (VFISV) is a Milne–Eddington spectral line inversion code used to determine the magnetic and thermodynamic parameters of the solar photosphere from observations of the Stokes vector in the 6173 Å Fe i line by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We report on the modifications made to the original VFISV inversion code in order to optimize its operation within the HMI data pipeline and provide the smoothest solution in active regions. The changes either sped up the computation or reduced the frequency with which the algorithm failed to converge to a satisfactory solution. Additionally, coding bugs which were detected and fixed in the original VFISV release are reported here.     

An overview of decadal climate predictability in a multi-model ensemble by climate model MIROC

Decadal climate predictability is examined in hindcast experiments by a multi-model ensemble using three versions of the coupled atmosphere-ocean model MIROC. In these hindcast experiments, initial conditions are obtained from an anomaly assimilation procedure using the observed oceanic temperature and salinity with prescribed natural and anthropogenic forcings on the basis of the historical data and future emission scenarios in the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change. Results of the multi-model ensemble in our hindcast experiments show that predictability of surface air temperature (SAT) anomalies on decadal timescales mostly originates from externally forced variability. Although the predictable component of internally generated variability has considerably smaller SAT variance than that of externally forced variability, ocean subsurface temperature variability has predictive skills over almost a decade, particularly in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic where dominant signals associated with Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) are observed. Initialization enhances the predictive skills of AMO and PDO indices and slightly improves those of global mean temperature anomalies. Improvement of these predictive skills in the multi-model ensemble is higher than that in a single-model ensemble.     

Holocene estuarine sediments as a source of arsenic in Pleistocene groundwater in suburbs of Hanoi,Vietnam

Groundwater pollution by arsenic is a major health threat in suburban areas of Hanoi, Vietnam. The present study evaluates the effect of the sedimentary environments of the Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, and the recharge systems, on the groundwater arsenic pollution in Hanoi suburbs distant from the Red River. At two study sites (Linh Dam and Tai Mo communes), undisturbed soil cores identified a Pleistocene confined aquifer (PCA) and Holocene unconfined aquifer (HUA) as major aquifers, and Holocene estuarine and deltaic sediments as an aquitard layer between the two aquifers. The Holocene estuarine sediments (approximately 25–40 m depth, 9.6–4.8 cal ka BP) contained notably high concentrations of arsenic and organic matter, both likely to have been accumulated by mangroves during the Holocene sea-level highstand. The pore waters in these particular sediments exhibited elevated levels of arsenic and dissolved organic carbon. Arsenic in groundwater was higher in the PCA (25–94 μg/L) than in the HUA (5.2–42 μg/L), in both the monitoring wells and neighboring household tubewells. Elevated arsenic concentration in the PCA groundwater was likely due to vertical infiltration through the arsenic-rich and organic-matter-rich overlying Holocene estuarine sediments, caused by massive groundwater abstraction from the PCA. Countermeasures to prevent arsenic pollution of the PCA groundwater may include seeking alternative water resources, reducing water consumption, and/or appropriate choice of aquifers for groundwater supply.