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To evaluate the impacts of global warming on local‐scale extreme precipitation in Japan, 720‐year ensemble dynamical downscaling is conducted by a regional climate model with a 5 km grid spacing. Our dynamical downscaling is based on the large ensemble data set called the database for Policy Decision making for Future climate change (d4PDF). Comparing the historical and 4K warming climates, the annual maximum daily and hourly precipitation are enhanced over Japan due to global warming. The increasing rate of annual maximum daily precipitation is larger over the coast of the Pacific Ocean in eastern and western Japan and the northern parts of Japan. The periods in which the extreme daily precipitation increases in each region depend on the movement of the Baiu front and the number of typhoons from June through September. The 50‐year return value of the maximum 24‐hr land precipitation within 500 km of the typhoon center is 960 mm/24hr in the 5 km experiment. This value is larger by 1.87 times than that of the 20 km experiment. The rate of future increase in the 50‐year return value related to typhoons is 1.30 relative to the present values for the 5 km experiments. The local‐scale quasi‐stationary band‐shaped precipitation system, which is called senjo‐kousuitai in Japanese, sometimes brings local‐scale heavy precipitation to Japan. The senjo‐kousuitai is well reproduced in the 5 km experiments and shows increases in frequency and intensity under the 4K warming condition. This study also discusses the application of our 5 km experiments to hydrological fields. Plain Language Summary: Annual maximum daily and hourly precipitation extremes are enhanced due to warming over the whole of Japan, while their increasing rates are different in each region. The months of the largest increase in extreme precipitation depend on the region and correspond to the movement of the Baiu front and the number of typhoons hitting each region in Japan. Local‐scale quasi‐stationary band‐shaped precipitation systems, which sometimes bring extremely heavy precipitation to Japan, are well reproduced in the 5 km experiments and show increases in frequency and intensity under the 4K warming condition. The major river basins in the western parts of the Japanese island, Kyushu, would be influenced by global warming more than other river basins in Japan, indicating that the risk of flooding would increase. Key Points: In all of Japan, large ensemble experiments with 5 km grid spacing enable us to evaluate future changes in extreme precipitationExtreme precipitation can be enhanced in all of Japan due to global warming, while the rate of increase depends on the region and monthIn the rainy season in Japan, 10‐day precipitation will decrease, while infrequent extreme hourly and daily precipitation will increase [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF), an activated type of fibroblast, is a major stromal cell that contributes to tumor initiation and development in the tumor microenvironment (TME). We previously reported that fractionated radiation rather than acute radiation causes progressive damage to mitochondria and increases the generation of reactive oxygen species, playing an important role in the fibroblast activation in normal tissue injury. Activated fibroblasts then become CAF by interacting with tumor cells, promoting tumor growth in vivo. We here examined the chronic radiation effect on fibroblast activation. Acute radiation (<2.5 Gy) did not increase alpha-Smooth muscle actin, a CAF marker expression in healthy human cells, whereas chronic radiation (2.5 Gy) did. It can be concluded that the induction of fibroblast activation changes across acute radiation, fractionated radiation, and chronic radiation depending on the irradiation technique. This study highlights that radiation activates fibroblasts, playing a role in radiation-related tumor development via TME formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous global ocean wave reanalysis and hindcast products currently being distributed and used across different scientific fields. However, there is not a consistent dataset that can sample across all existing products based on a standardized framework. Here, we present and describe the first coordinated multi-product ensemble of present-day global wave fields available to date. This dataset, produced through the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLIP) phase 2, includes general and extreme statistics of significant wave height (Hs), mean wave period (Tm) and mean wave direction (θm) computed across 1980–2014, at different frequency resolutions (monthly, seasonally, and annually). This coordinated global ensemble has been derived from fourteen state-of-the-science global wave products obtained from different atmospheric reanalysis forcing and downscaling methods. This data set has been processed, under a specific framework for consistency and quality, following standard Data Reference Syntax, Directory Structures and Metadata specifications. This new comprehensive dataset provides support to future broad-scale analysis of historical wave climatology and variability as well as coastal risk and vulnerability assessments across offshore and coastal engineering applications. Measurement(s) Significant wave height • Mean wave period • Mean wave direction Technology Type(s) Global wave reanalysis and hindcasts Sample Characteristic - Environment Wind-waves Sample Characteristic - Location Global [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous global ocean wave reanalysis and hindcast products currently being distributed and used across different scientific fields. However, there is not a consistent dataset that can sample across all existing products based on a standardized framework. Here, we present and describe the first coordinated multi-product ensemble of present-day global wave fields available to date. This dataset, produced through the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLIP) phase 2, includes general and extreme statistics of significant wave height (Hs), mean wave period (Tm) and mean wave direction (θm) computed across 1980–2014, at different frequency resolutions (monthly, seasonally, and annually). This coordinated global ensemble has been derived from fourteen state-of-the-science global wave products obtained from different atmospheric reanalysis forcing and downscaling methods. This data set has been processed, under a specific framework for consistency and quality, following standard Data Reference Syntax, Directory Structures and Metadata specifications. This new comprehensive dataset provides support to future broad-scale analysis of historical wave climatology and variability as well as coastal risk and vulnerability assessments across offshore and coastal engineering applications. Measurement(s) Significant wave height • Mean wave period • Mean wave direction Technology Type(s) Global wave reanalysis and hindcasts Sample Characteristic - Environment Wind-waves Sample Characteristic - Location Global [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous global ocean wave reanalysis and hindcast products currently being distributed and used across different scientific fields. However, there is not a consistent dataset that can sample across all existing products based on a standardized framework. Here, we present and describe the first coordinated multi-product ensemble of present-day global wave fields available to date. This dataset, produced through the Coordinated Ocean Wave Climate Project (COWCLIP) phase 2, includes general and extreme statistics of significant wave height (Hs), mean wave period (Tm) and mean wave direction (θm) computed across 1980–2014, at different frequency resolutions (monthly, seasonally, and annually). This coordinated global ensemble has been derived from fourteen state-of-the-science global wave products obtained from different atmospheric reanalysis forcing and downscaling methods. This data set has been processed, under a specific framework for consistency and quality, following standard Data Reference Syntax, Directory Structures and Metadata specifications. This new comprehensive dataset provides support to future broad-scale analysis of historical wave climatology and variability as well as coastal risk and vulnerability assessments across offshore and coastal engineering applications. Measurement(s) Significant wave height • Mean wave period • Mean wave direction Technology Type(s) Global wave reanalysis and hindcasts Sample Characteristic - Environment Wind-waves Sample Characteristic - Location Global [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For coastal adaptation purposes, it is important to estimate the climate related changes in extreme sea levels due to storm surges and ocean waves, in addition to mean sea level rise. This study provides the first consistent and continuous estimation of projected changes in global storm surges and ocean waves from the past to the warmer future, based on an extremely high resolution global climate model. The spatial pattern in the trend of annual maximum sea surface heights and wave heights is predominantly driven by changes in tropical cyclone (TC) frequency. In the western North Pacific, future TC frequencies are projected to decrease, and the annual maximum sea surface heights and wave heights show decreasing trends (−20 cm/century and −200 cm/century). Although highly intense tropical cyclones are enhanced in the warmer climate, highly extreme storm surges and wave heights do not necessarily increase due to the large natural variability. Plain Language Summary: Ocean waves and storm surges induced by atmospheric low pressure systems are major drivers of coastal hazards. Future global warming can alter the intensity of ocean waves and storm surges as well as sea level rise. Therefore, for coastal adaptation purposes, it is important to estimate the global warming related changes in ocean waves and storm surges in addition to sea level rise. This study provides the first estimation of future changes in global storm surges and global ocean waves at the same time. In the western North Pacific, future tropical cyclone frequencies are expected to decrease, and the annual maximum storm surges and wave heights show decreasing trends (−20 cm/century and −200 cm/century). Less probable extreme storm surges and wave heights such as events occurring once every 50 years do not show clear trends because the trends are masked by large natural variability which is intrinsic to the climate. Key Points: The first consistent and continuous estimation of changes in global storm surges and ocean waves from the past to the warmer futureStorm surge and ocean wave projections are based on an extremely high resolution (20 km) global climate modelFuture tropical cyclone frequencies would decrease, and the annual maximum storm surges and waves show negative trends [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multivariate classification of the global wave climate into types driven by atmospheric circulation patterns. The primary source of the net long-term variability is evaluated based on historical wave simulations. Results show that the monsoon, extratropical, subtropical, and polar wave climate types of the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans are dominated by natural variability, whereas the extratropical and subtropical wave climate types in the Indian Ocean, and the tropical wave climate types of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans exhibit a global warming signal. In the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean, strong natural variability may mask a global warming signal that is yet to emerge as being statistically significant. In addition, wave climate teleconnections were found across the world that can provide a framework for joint strategies to achieve the goals of climate adaption for resilient coastal communities and environments. Plain Language Summary Near-surface wind systems drive global ocean wave conditions that are usually studied at regional or local scale. However, analyzing these relationships at the global scale is important to understand how natural climate oscillations, such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation, and global warming, impact wave climate. Here we identify the large wave climates in homology to the climate regions (e.g., Tropical, Temperate, Polar) and are originated by the planetary wind systems. The results show that global warming signals have already emerged in the Indian Ocean and the tropical regions of the Pacific and Atlantic basins. In contrast, in the other ocean basins, natural variability is still the dominant signal and could mask global warming signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, in the interests of international debate, we introduce a Japan version of the GeoCapabilities project. In Japan, the current revision of the National Curriculum indicates that Geography will again become a compulsory subject in senior high schools. However, some unfavourable situations for the new compulsory subject still remain: such as the continuing shortage of geography specialist teachers. The GeoCapabilities approach can respond in new way to the situations facing Japanese geography education. The Japanese GeoCapabilities team was established in 2016, including teacher educators and teachers. Teachers themselves cooperate with teacher educators to create vignettes that involve "powerful disciplinary knowledge" (PDK). The project encourages teachers to embrace their role as the curriculum makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photorefractive properties of the iron-doped Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 (PZN-PT) relaxor ferroelectric single crystals were investigated by two-beam coupling experiments. The Fe:0.01 wt %- and the Fe:0.1 wt %-doped 0.91PZN-0.09PT single crystals were grown with the flux solution method. The Extinction spectrum, the electro-opric coefficient, the light-induced absorption change, and the photoconductivity were measured in these samples. The maximum gain coefficient reached to 21 cm-1, which is about twice as large as that of undoped PZN-PT. The grating formation rate decreases with the Fe concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We fabricate semi-insulating InGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells and observe the excitonic enhancement of the photorefractivity in the Franz-Keldysh geometry at wavelengths of 0.92-0.94 μm. A maximum two-wave mixing gain of 138 cm[sup -1] and a maximum diffraction efficiency of 1.5x10[sup -4] are obtained. The saturation intensity and the spatial resolution are also measured by four-wave mixing. The diffraction efficiency is saturated at a high external electric field. The dominant cause of this saturation is the deviation of the excitonic electroabsorption from its quadratic law. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. We fabricate semi-insulating InGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells and observe the excitonic enhancement of the photorefractivity in the Franz-Keldysh geometry at wavelengths of 0.92-0.94 μm. A maximum two-wave mixing gain of 138 cm[sup -1] and a maximum diffraction efficiency of 1.5x10[sup -4] are obtained. The saturation intensity and the spatial ! resolution are also measured by four-wave mixing. The diffraction efficiency is saturated at a high external electric field. The dominant cause of this saturation is the deviation of the excitonic electroabsorption from its quadratic law. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. We fabricate semi-insulating InGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells and observe the excitonic enhancement of the photorefractivity in the Franz-Keldysh geometry at wavelengths of 0.92-0.94 μm. A maximum two-wave mixing gain of 138 cm[sup -1] and a maximum diffraction efficiency of 1.5x10[sup -4] are obtained. The saturation intensity and the spatial resolution are also measured by four-wave mixing. The diffraction efficiency is saturated at a high external electric field. The dominant cause of this saturation is the deviation of the excitonic electroabsorption from its quadratic law. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver fibrosis is a risk factor for hepatectomy but cannot be determined accurately before hepatectomy because diagnostic procedures are too invasive. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) can determine liver stiffness (LS), a surrogate marker for assessing liver fibrosis, non‐invasively. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the LS value determined by MRE is predictive of major complications after hepatectomy. Methods: This prospective study enrolled consecutive patients who underwent hepatic resection between April 2013 and August 2016. LS values were measured by imaging shear waves by MRE in the liver before hepatectomy. The primary endpoint was major complications, defined as Clavien–Dindo grade IIIa or above. Logistic regression analysis identified independent predictive factors, from which a logistic model to estimate the probability of major complications was constructed. Results: A total of 96 patients were included in the study. Major complications were observed in 15 patients (16 per cent). Multivariable logistic analysis confirmed that higher LS value (P = 0·021) and serum albumin level (P = 0·009) were independent predictive factors for major complications after hepatectomy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that the best LS cut‐off value was 4·3 kPa for detecting major complications, comparable to liver fibrosis grade F4, with a sensitivity of 80 per cent and specificity of 82 per cent. A logistic model using the LS value and serum albumin level to estimate the probability of major complications was constructed; the area under the ROC curve for predicting major complications was 0·84. Conclusion: The LS value determined by MRE in patients undergoing hepatectomy was an independent predictive factor for major complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We synthesized iron nanoparticles, 15–20 nm in size, having saturation magnetization, Ms, of 170 emu/g. They were embedded in copolymer beads of styrene (St) and glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), which were coated with poly-GMA by seed polymerization. The resultant Fe/St-GMA/GMA beads had diameters of 100–200 nm and Ms of 60 emu/g. By coating with poly-GMA, the zeta potential of the beads changed from -93.7 to -54.8 mV, as measured by an electrophoresis method. This facilitated (as revealed by gel electrophoresis method) nonspecific protein adsorption suppression, a requisite for nanoparticles to be applied to carriers for bioscreening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correction to: I Scientific Data i https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01459-3, published online 22 June 2022 In this article the affiliation details for Claire Trenham were incorrectly given as 'US Geological Survey (USGS), Pacific Coastal Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California, US' but should have been 'Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia '. The original article can be found online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01459-3. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Tropomyosin-related receptor kinase B (TrkB) promotes proliferation and invasion, relating to poor prognosis of various malignancies. We examined the role of TrkB at the invasive front of gastric cancer (GC) and its association with tumour cell dedifferentiation and tumour budding.Methods: Immunoreactive TrkB was evaluated at the tumour centre and margin using whole-tissue sections of 320 GC patients. Tumour cell dedifferentiation was defined as higher histologic grade at the tumour margin than the surface or tumour centre. Tumour budding was also scored on cytokeratin-stained sections.Results: Sixty-five patients (20%) showed higher TrkB expression at the invasive front (TrkB expression was higher at the tumour margin than tumour centre). It was significantly associated with several aggressive phenotypes in the full cohort (n=320). It showed a prognostic significance in test subgroup (n=98) and was identified as an independent prognostic factor (HR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.26-3.53) by multivariate analysis in validation subgroup (n=222). Twenty-one patients showed tumour cell dedifferentiation. In predominantly differentiated tumour, higher TrkB at the invasive front was significantly associated with tumour budding rather than tumour cell dedifferentiation.Conclusions: Assessment of immunoreactive TrkB at the invasive front by whole-tissue sections provides prognostic information for GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Tropomyosin-related receptor kinase B (TrkB) promotes proliferation and invasion, relating to poor prognosis of various malignancies. We examined the role of TrkB at the invasive front of gastric cancer (GC) and its association with tumour cell dedifferentiation and tumour budding.Methods:Immunoreactive TrkB was evaluated at the tumour centre and margin using whole-tissue sections of 320 GC patients. Tumour cell dedifferentiation was defined as higher histologic grade at the tumour margin than the surface or tumour centre. Tumour budding was also scored on cytokeratin-stained sections.Results:Sixty-five patients (20%) showed higher TrkB expression at the invasive front (TrkB expression was higher at the tumour margin than tumour centre). It was significantly associated with several aggressive phenotypes in the full cohort (n=320). It showed a prognostic significance in test subgroup (n=98) and was identified as an independent prognostic factor (HR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.26-3.53) by multivariate analysis in validation subgroup (n=222). Twenty-one patients showed tumour cell dedifferentiation. In predominantly differentiated tumour, higher TrkB at the invasive front was significantly associated with tumour budding rather than tumour cell dedifferentiation.Conclusions:Assessment of immunoreactive TrkB at the invasive front by whole-tissue sections provides prognostic information for GC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiuser communication is demonstrated using experimental data (450-550 Hz) collected in deep water, south of Japan. The multiple users are spatially distributed either in depth or range while a 114 -m long, 20-element vertical array (i.e., base station) is deployed to around the sound channel axis (∼1000 m). First, signals received separately from ranges of 150 km and 180 km at various depths are combined asynchronously to generate multiuser communication sequences for subsequent processing, achieving an aggregate data rate of 300 bits/s for up to three users. Adaptive time reversal is employed to separate collided packets at the base station, followed by a single channel decision feedback equalizer. Then it is demonstrated that two users separated by 3 km in range at ∼1000 m depth can transmit information simultaneously to the base station at ∼500 km range with an aggregate data rate of 200 bits/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and study aims: Acute colorectal obstruction (ACO) often accompanies colorectal cancer (CRC) and requires urgent treatment, but achieving elective laparoscopy-assisted colectomy (LAC) is difficult in this setting. The aim of the current study was to assess the clinical out- comes of a transanal tube (Dennis colorectal tube [DCT]) for CRC with ACO, focusing in particular on the impact of the DCT on subsequent elective LAC. Patients and methods: Among 1142 patients who underwent surgery for CRC between January 2007 and December 2011, 92 patients with ACO were identified retrospectively. Of these 92 patients, the DCT procedure was performed in 66 patients who fulfilled the indications for DCT, and these patients were included in the study. Results: All 66 patients presented with complete obstruction. Technical and clinical success rates for DCT were 93.9% and 86.4%, respectively. Perforation after DCT occurred in 4.5% and the mortality rate was 1.5%. The rate of LAC was 48.5%, and the rate of primary stoma was 13.6%. For curative stage II/III CRC with ACO, DCT resulted in a primary stoma rate of 13.6%, a one-stage surgery rate of 90.9%, a LAC rate of 50.0%, and a 3-year survival rate of 73.1%. For stage II/III CRC cases with clinical success by DCT, the one-stage surgery rate was 97.4% and the LAC rate was 56.4%. Conclusions: DCT achieved a high rate of clinical success and enabled safe one-stage surgery and LAC for CRC with ACO. DCT followed by LAC is proposed as a promising non-invasive strategy for CRC with ACO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2011 a long-range acoustic communication experiment was conducted in deep water, west of Izu-Ogasawara Islands, Japan. The experiment involved a stationary source (450-550 Hz) and an 18-element vertical array (102-m aperture), both deployed at around the sound channel axis. Initial analysis of data demonstrates that a data rate of 400 bits/s can be achieved over ∼600-km range in deep water using 16 quadrature amplitude modulation and passive time reversal equalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a fundamental process governing not only morphogenesis in multicellular organisms, but also cancer progression. During EMT, epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin) is downregulated while neural cadherin (N-cadherin) is upregulated, referred to as 'cadherin switch'. This study aimed to investigate whether cadherin switch promotes cancer progression in cholangiocarcinoma (CC).Methods: CC cell lines were examined for migration, invasion, and morphological changes with typical EMT-induced model using recombinant TGF-β1. The changes in E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression were investigated during EMT. We also examined E-cadherin and N-cadherin expression in resected specimens from extrahepatic CC patients (n=38), and the associations with clinicopathological factors and survival rates.Results: TGF-β1 treatment activated cell migration, invasion, and fibroblastic morphological changes, especially in extrahepatic CC HuCCT-1 cells. These changes occurred with E-cadherin downregulation and N-cadherin upregulation, that is, cadherin switch. Patients with low E-cadherin expression had a significantly lower survival rate than patients with high E-cadherin expression (P=0.0059). Patients with decreasing E-cadherin and increasing N-cadherin expression had a significantly lower survival rate than patients with increasing E-cadherin and decreasing N-cadherin expression (P=0.017).Conclusion: Cadherin switch promotes cancer progression via TGF-β-induced EMT in extrahepatic CC, suggesting a target for elucidating the mechanisms of invasion and metastasis in extrahepatic CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]