Dynamic response analysis of monorail bridges under moving trains and riding comfort of trains

This paper introduces an analytical procedure to derive equations of motion for the monorail train–bridge interaction based on Lagrange’s formulation to investigate riding comfort of moving monorail trains on bridges. A 15 degrees-of-freedom dynamic model is assumed for a car in a monorail train that consists of driving, steering, and stabilizing wheels. It is based on the finite element method for modal analysis using three-dimensional models for a monorail bridge. Dynamic behaviors of a rationalized monorail bridge with a simplified structural system are investigated in comparison with those of a conventional monorail bridge using the developed analytical method. The riding comfort of running trains on the rationalized monorail bridge based on ISO 2631 is estimated using 1/3 octave band spectral analysis. Observations indicate that a rational type bridge does not engender difficulties related to the riding comfort of the monorail train, even when considering the longest traveling time of passengers between terminals.     

Characteristics of aerosol optical properties in pollution and Asian dust episodes over Beijing, China

Aerosol optical properties were continuously measured with the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) compact Raman lidar over Beijing, China, from 15 to 31 December 2007. The results indicated that in a moderate pollution episode, the averaged aerosol extinction below 1 km height was 0.39+/-0.15 km(-1) and the lidar ratio was 60.8+/-13.5 sr; in heavy pollution episode, they were 1.97+/-0.91 km(-1) and 43.7+/-8.3 sr; in an Asian dust episode, they were 0.33+/-0.11 km(-1) and 38.3+/-9.8 sr. The total depolarization ratio was mostly below 10% in the pollution episode, whereas it was larger than 20% in the Asian dust episode. The distinct characteristics of aerosol optical properties in moderate and heavy pollution episodes were attributed to the difference in air mass trajectory and the ambient atmospheric conditions such as relative humidity.     

Channel inception in cohesionless sediment by seepage erosion

This study presents a series of systematic experiments on channelization by seepage erosion with various sediment layer depths and chamber slopes. When the depth of the sediment layer increases, the threshold discharge for channel initiation decreases, but the channel width increases. This is due to the fact that an increase in the weight of sediment induces an increase in a gravitational driving force along the chamber bed. When the chamber slope increases, we also found a similar effect as an increase in the sediment layer depth that the threshold discharge decreases, but the width increases. While channel bifurcation was never found in the previous study using plastic pellets as sediment, it was observed in many experiments in the present study, in which very coarse sand was used. We hypothesized that the characteristics of groundwater flow field and the resistibility of sediment material to slope failure play important roles on the channel bifurcation.     

工业遗产科技价值认定与分类初探——以天津近代工业遗产为例

从天津近代工业遗产入手,通过对天津近代机械加工、造币、水泥、化工、纺织等不同工业类型的机器设备与生产工艺进行深入分析,归纳工业遗产科技价值的载体,并依据载体的不同加以分类,为工业遗产的保护提供基础研究。     

Production of electron vortex beams carrying large orbital angular momentum using spiral zone plates

We report the production of electron vortex beams carrying large orbital angular momentum (OAM) using micro-fabricated spiral zone plates. A series of the spherical waves, focussing onto different positions along the propagating direction of the electron beam, were observed. The nth order vortex beam has an OAM n times larger than that of the first-order vortex beam. We observed an electron vortex with an OAM up to in a high-order diffracted wave. A linear dependence of the diameter of the vortex beam on the OAM was observed, being consistent to numerical simulations.     

Gene structure and regulation of alkane monooxygenases in propane-utilizing Mycobacterium sp. TY-6 and Pseudonocardia sp. TY-7

Mycobacterium sp. TY-6 and Pseudonocardia sp. TY-7 were isolated from soil samples as propane-utilizing bacteria and were found to be able to utilize various gaseous and liquid n-alkanes as carbon and energy sources. One gene cluster, M-prmABCD, and two gene clusters, P-prm1ABCD and P-prm2ABCD, were cloned from the genomes of Mycobacterium sp. TY-6 and Pseudonocardia sp. TY-7, respectively. These gene clusters are homologous to the gene cluster encoding the multicomponent propane monooxygenase (prmABCD) of Gordonia sp. TY-5. The expression of prm gene clusters in Mycobacterium sp. TY-6 and Pseudonocardia sp. TY-7 was shown to be induced by gaseous n-alkanes (C2-C4) except methane, suggesting that the products of these genes are involved in gaseous n-alkane oxidation. Homologous genes for an alkane hydroxylase system (alk system) involved in liquid n-alkane oxidation were also cloned from the genomic DNA of Mycobacterium sp. TY-6. The alk gene cluster was transcribed in response to liquid n-alkanes (C11-C15). These results indicate that Mycobacterium sp. TY-6 has two distinct gene clusters for multicomponent monooxygenases involved in alkane oxidation. Whole-cell reactions revealed that propane is oxidized to 1-propanol through terminal oxidation in Mycobacterium sp. TY-6 and that propane is oxidized to 1-propanol and 2-propanol through both terminal and subterminal oxidations in Pseudonocardia sp. TY-7. This study reveals the diversity of propane metabolism present in microorganisms.     

Fertility of mice receiving vitrified adult mouse ovaries

Cryopreservation of the ovaries is a useful technology for preservation of germ cells from experimental animals, because if the female founder is infertile or has mutated mitochondrial DNA, preservation of female germ cells is necessary. Although it is possible to cryopreserve immature mouse ovaries with a high degree of viability by vitrification with a mixture of several cryoprotectants, the viability of cryopreserved adult mouse ovaries is still unknown. Here, we investigated the viability of mouse ovaries at various ages after cryopreservation by vitrification techniques. Donor ovaries were collected from 10-day-, 4-week-, 10-week- and 7-month-old, female, nulliparous, green fluorescence protein (GFP)-transgenic mice and cryopreserved by vitrification. The vitrified-warmed ovaries were orthotopically transplanted to 4- or 10-week-old mice. GFP-positive pups were obtained in all experimental groups. In the 4-week-old recipients, the percentages of GFP-positive pups among the total pups from recipients transplanted with ovaries of 10-day-, 4-week-, 10-week- and 7-month-old donors were 44%, 9%, 12% and 4% respectively. In the 10-week-old recipients, the percentages of GFP-positive pups among the total pups from recipients transplanted with ovaries of 10-day-, 4-week-, 10-week- and 7-month-old donors were 36%, 16%, 2% and 9% respectively. Furthermore, GFP-positive pups also were obtained from recipients transplanted with ovaries of donors without normal estrous cyclicity. Our results indicate that cryopreservation of mouse ovaries by vitrification is a useful method for the preservation of female germ cells from mice of various ages.     

Application of a quick-freezing and deep-etching method to pathological diagnosis: a case of elastofibroma

A case of elastofibroma in a middle-aged Japanese woman was examined by the quick-freezing and deep-etching (QF-DE) method, as well as by immunohistochemistry and conventional electron microscopy. The slowly growing tumor developed at the right scapular region and was composed of fibrous connective tissue with unique elastic materials called elastofibroma fibers. A normal elastic fiber consists of a central core and peripheral zone, in which the latter has small aggregates of 10 nm microfibrils. By the QF-DE method, globular structures consisting of numerous fibrils (5-20 nm in width) were observed between the collagen bundles. We could confirm that they were microfibril-rich peripheral zones of elastofibroma fibers by comparing the replica membrane and conventional electron microscopy. One of the characteristics of elastofibroma fibers is that they are assumed to contain numerous microfibrils. Immunohistochemically, spindle tumor cells showed positive immunoreaction for vimentin, whereas alpha-smooth muscle actin, desmin, S-100 protein and CD34 showed negative immunoreaction. By conventional electron microscopy, the tumor cell had thin cytoplasmic processes, pinocytotic vesicles and prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum. Abundant intracytoplasmic filaments were observed in some tumor cells. Thick lamina-like structures along with their inner nuclear membrane were often observed in the tumor cell nuclei. The whole image of the tumor cell was considered to be a periosteal-derived cell, which would produce numerous microfibrils in the peripheral zone of elastofibroma fibers. This study indicated that the QF-DE method could be applied to the pathological diagnosis and analysis of pathomechanism, even for surgical specimens obtained from a patient.     

Detection of short tandem repeat (STR) polymorphisms by microchip electrophoresis for individual identification of cattle

A simple and rapid detection of short tandem repeat (STR) markers was studied as a screening test for individual identification of cattle. DNAs were extracted from eight commercial beef samples by a proteinase K-boil method followed by purification with 2-propanol precipitation. Five STR markers, known to be highly polymorphic, were amplified by PCR and analyzed both by a conventional sequencing analysis (SEQ) and by a proposed microchip electrophoresis (MEP). Every marker revealed high polymorphism, such as 5-9 alleles in SEQ analysis, and 4-6 alleles in MEP analysis. This simple and rapid MEP analysis is expected to be an effective screening tool with use of confirmatory SEQ analysis.     

Changes in Endogenous Oxytocin Levels and the Effects of Exogenous Oxytocin Administration on Body Weight Changes and Food Intake in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Model Rats

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is frequently seen in females of reproductive age and is associated with metabolic disorders that are exacerbated by obesity. Although body weight reduction programs via diet and lifestyle changes are recommended for modifying reproductive and metabolic phenotypes, the drop-out rate is high. Thus, an efficacious, safe, and continuable treatment method is needed. Recent studies have shown that oxytocin (OT) reduces body weight gain and food intake, and promotes lipolysis in some mammals, including humans (especially obese individuals), without any adverse effects. In the present study, we evaluated the changes in endogenous OT levels, and the effects of acute and chronic OT administration on body weight changes, food intake, and fat mass using novel dihydrotestosterone-induced PCOS model rats. We found that the serum OT level was lower in PCOS model rats than in control rats, whereas the hypothalamic OT mRNA expression level did not differ between them. Acute intraperitoneal administration of OT during the dark phase reduced the body weight gain and food intake in PCOS model rats, but these effects were not observed in control rats. In contrast, chronic administration of OT decreased the food intake in both the PCOS model rats and control rats. These findings indicate that OT may be a candidate medicine that is efficacious, safe, and continuable for treating obese PCOS patients.