Kajima Corporation (Japan)

Abstract. The volume increase that accompanies many hydration reactions can stress and fracture the surrounding rock, a process commonly called reaction-induced fracturing. Reaction-induced fracturing accelerates the rate of hydration by creating new pathways for fluids to migrate into reactive rock and by generating new reactive surface areas. The evolution of reaction-induced fractures also depends on the background stress state, which varies among different tectonic environments. We investigate the impact of tectonic stresses on reaction-induced fracturing using 2-D hydraulic-chemical-mechanical distinct element models. The results indicate that the general pattern of reaction-induced fractures depends on the orientation of background tectonic stresses relative to fluid-supplying channels. A spalling fracture pattern characterized by short cracks parallel to and along fluid-supplying channels occurs when the maximum principal tectonic stress is parallel to the channels whereas a branching fracture pattern characterized by long tensile cracks that propagate in a hierarchical manner into unreacted parts of the rock is expected when the tectonic stress is hydrostatic or when the maximum principal tectonic stress is normal to fluid-supplying channels. Spalling localizes hydration and fluid flow along the channels whereas branching promotes spatially extensive hydration and fluid flow away from the fluid supply. The results indicate tectonic stresses may guide the hydration distribution in the oceanic lithosphere at mid-ocean ridges and outer rises and in the cold mantle wedge corner in subduction zones.

Coin ingestion is a frequent reason for paediatric radiology referrals, with most cases resolving spontaneously without complications. This imaging case report describes the diagnosis and conservative management of a 2-year-old boy who accidentally ingested a two-Kwacha coin at a public hospital in Zambia. The child remained asymptomatic throughout his hospital and home stay, allowing for a non-invasive approach involving serial plain film radiographs to monitor the coin’s progression through the gastrointestinal tract. Over three days, imaging confirmed the coin’s movement from the oesophagus to the mid-abdomen, culminating in its natural expulsion on the fourth day. This case highlights the crucial role of plain film radiography in both diagnosing and monitoring foreign body ingestion in children, particularly in low-resource settings. It also highlights significant systemic challenges, including the lack of paediatric radiographers, the absence of national paediatric imaging guidelines, a critical shortage of radiologists, and the unavailability of electronic systems for patient data and radiographic image management. Despite these limitations, the successful outcome supports existing evidence that asymptomatic paediatric patients with coin ingestion can be safely managed through careful observation and serial imaging, thus avoiding the risks associated with invasive procedures and sedation.

The coauthors of this book draw on their decades of research and innovation to describe an inexpensive and easy-to-interpret early warning system for rainfall-induced landslides. This system will enable readers to identify slope collapses before they happen and act to prevent economic and human losses. Readers will gain an understanding of existing slope monitoring technologies and their applications, advantages and disadvantages. They will also understand the need for early warning systems for rapid landslides caused by heavy rainfall. Because such landslides are increasing in frequency due to climate-change-related increase in short-term but heavy rainfall, the authors first review the current context before explaining the importance of field monitoring for their continuing professional career development. The authors describe their technology, which is based on an inexpensive tiltmeter sensor and can detect landslides several hours prior to their onset. It is important that the authors present ample cases in which their technology could foresee imminent landslides. This description is supported by in-depth comparisons with other methodologies, field tests and case studies. Finally, existing problems are introduced and future research directions are presented. This information will enable readers to implement their own systems to identify slopes at imminent risk of collapse following rainfall events so that they may take appropriate action to prevent economic damage and loss of life. Slope Monitoring for Early Warning of Rapid Landslides: Mitigating Rainfall-Induced Disasters is an indispensable guide for practitioners in both public and private sectors who are responsible for the implementation of slope monitoring and landslide early warning systems. Postgraduate students who specialize in the mitigation of natural disasters and the effects of global climate change will also benefit from the discussions of differing available technologies and case studies.

The utilisation of microbes for the production of enzymes and pharmaceutical proteins is an important step towards a sustainable future. However, the energy requirement for agitation, aeration and cooling during industrial fermentation processes is substantial. To address this challenge, we have previously developed a 'breathing' polytetrafluoroethylene fermenter vessel that allows effective gas exchange with ambient air and, thus, does not require sparger aeration. The present study aimed to explore the potential application of the breathing vessel for enzyme production by the Gram-positive bacterial cell factory Bacillus subtilis. Here, we compared production of the secreted α-amylase AmyQ by the genome-reduced multiple protease-deficient B. subtilis strain IIG-Bs-27-31 during parallel culturing in breathing vessels and shake flasks. Enzyme yields and the cellular and extracellular proteome compositions were assessed. We observed comparable growth characteristics and AmyQ yields per liter in both culture systems. However, proteome analyses indicated statistically significant differences (p < 0.05, log2fold change>|0.5|) in the utilization of carbon sources and stress responses between cells grown in the breathing vessels versus shake flasks. In particular, bacteria in the breathing vessel presented activation of the Sigma B-dependent general stress response, presumably to sustain bacterial growth and viability. In contrast, bacteria grown in shake flask presented activated cell envelope stress pathways and typical sheer stress symptoms. While the overall AmyQ yields per liter were similar in both fermentation systems, the total enzyme yields in the breathing fermenter were significantly higher due to the 15-fold increase in culture volume. Our findings imply that breathing fermentation vessels are suitable for B. subtilis enzyme production and, upon further scale-up, they may represent sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to traditional fermentation systems for microbial cell factories.

Abstract Background Aggregation of α-synuclein is a central pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet reliable and broadly applicable fluid biomarkers reflecting disease-relevant α-synuclein biology remain limited. We aimed to establish acetylated α-synuclein (Ac-αSyn), the predominant proteoform in vivo , as a novel biomarker for PD and to evaluate its diagnostic utility based on a sensitive immunoassay. Methods Using a single molecule array technique capable of quantitatively detecting N-terminally acetylated α-synuclein, plasma Ac-αSyn levels were measured in 110 samples obtained from 52 patients with PD, 24 patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA), and 34 healthy controls (HCs). In a subset of PD patients, plasma Ac-αSyn measurements and 123 I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) cardiac scintigraphy were performed in the same individuals, enabling direct comparison between these two testing modalities. Ac-αSyn levels were also quantified in 91 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples obtained from 51 patients with PD, 25 patients with MSA, and 15 non-parkinsonian disease controls (DCs). Results Plasma Ac-αSyn levels robustly differentiated PD from both MSA and HCs ( p &lt; 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated high diagnostic performance (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.89 for PD vs MSA; AUC = 0.94 for PD vs HCs), comparable to established imaging biomarkers. In the same individuals, plasma Ac-αSyn levels correlated with the heart-to-mediastinum ratio derived from MIBG cardiac scintigraphy. CSF Ac-αSyn levels also clearly differentiated PD from both MSA and DCs ( p &lt; 0.0001), with high diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.85 for PD vs MSA; AUC = 0.93 for PD vs DCs), supporting the biological relevance of plasma Ac-αSyn as a biomarker. Conclusion This study identifies Ac-αSyn in plasma as a novel biomarker for PD, enabled by quantitative immunoassay-based detection. Plasma Ac-αSyn represents a practical and minimally invasive biomarker that supports biology-based diagnosis of PD and discrimination from MSA.

Inflammation is a vital protective response against injury or infection, but chronic inflammation contributes to diseases such as arthritis, cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. The murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line is a key in vitro model to study inflammatory pathways, particularly nitric oxide (NO) and cytokine production upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory potential of the ethanolic extract of Couroupita guianensis Aubl. aerial parts. The extract was prepared by Soxhlet extraction using ethanol and tested for its effects on NO inhibition (Griess assay), cell viability (MTT assay), and cytokine modulation (TNF-α, IL-6 by ELISA). The extract significantly and dose-dependently reduced NO production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells, with minimal cytotoxicity. It also suppressed TNF-α and IL-6 secretion and downregulated iNOS expression. These results suggest that C. guianensis exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects through inhibition of NO synthesis and cytokine release, validating its traditional use and potential for natural anti-inflammatory drug development.

It has recently been recognized that the ionosphere is highly sensitive to pre-seismic effects, and the detection of ionospheric perturbations associated with earthquakes (EQs) is one of the most promising candidates for short-term EQ prediction. In this review, we focus on a possible use of VLF/LF (very low frequency (3–30 kHz)/low frequency (30–300 kHz)) radio sounding of seismo-ionospheric perturbations to study seismogenic effects. Because an understanding of the early history in any area will provide a lot of crucial insights to the readers (especially to young scientists) working in the field of seismo-electromagnetics, we provide a brief history (mainly results reported by a Russian group of scientists) of the initial application of subionospheric VLF/LF propagation for the study of ionospheric perturbations associated with EQs, and then we present our first convincing evidence on the ionospheric perturbation for the disastrous Kobe EQ in 1995, with a new analysis method based on the shifts in terminator times in VLF/LF diurnal variations (minima in the diurnal variations in amplitude and phase). We then summarize our latest results on further evidence of seismo-ionospheric perturbations. Firstly, we present a few statistical studies on the correlation between VLF/LF propagation anomalies and EQs based on long-term data. Secondly, we showcase studies for a few large, recent EQs (including the 2011 Tohoku EQ). Building on those EQ precursor studies, we demonstrate scientific topics and the underlying physics that can be studied using VLF/LF data, highlighting recent achievements including the revolutionary perspective of lithosphere–atmosphere–ionosphere coupling (LAIC) (or how the ionosphere is perturbed due to the lithospheric pre-EQ activity), modulation in VLF/LF data by atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs), Doppler-shift observation, satellite observation of VLF/LF transmitter signals, etc., together with the recommendation of the application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and critical analysis to VLF/LF analysis. Finally, we want to emphasize again the essential significance of the information on lower-ionospheric perturbations within LAIC studies.

ABSTRACTBackgroundTension‐type headache (TTH) is one of the most prevalent headache disorders worldwide, yet its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. Previous research suggests a potential link between myofascial factors, such as trapezius muscle stiffness, and headache severity. This study investigates the association between upper trapezius muscle stiffness and headache severity in patients with TTH.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of 203 patients diagnosed with TTH, evaluating muscle stiffness using a portable muscle hardness meter and headache severity using the Headache Impact Test‐6 (HIT‐6) and Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS). Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify correlations between muscle stiffness and headache severity, adjusting for age, sex, and other clinical variables.ResultsThe mean muscle stiffness values were 32.5 ± 5.8 on the left and 31.3 ± 5.6 on the right. HIT‐6 scores positively correlated with muscle stiffness (β = 0.148), chronic TTH (β = 0.304), and age (β = −0.203). Significant clinical symptoms associated with headache severity included weakness (β = 0.154) and a heavy eyelid sensation (β = 0.154). However, shoulder stiffness and neck pain were not significantly associated with headache severity. Triggers such as stress and weather changes were also identified as significant predictors of headache severity.ConclusionsIncreased trapezius muscle stiffness positively correlates with greater headache severity in TTH patients. Weakness and heavy eyelid sensation may serve as important clinical indicators of headache severity, offering potential insights for improved diagnosis and management.