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We developed a new type of biologically inspired "flexible pipes" as a tsunami countermeasure to reduce tsunami risk on energy storage tanks located in coastal areas vulnerable to large-scale tsunamis. Flexible pipes for the reduction of tsunami wave load acting on oil and gas tanks are firehose-like pipes on a much larger scale that can be inflated with compressed air to form long vertical pipes when a tsunami occurs. These pipes can reduce the wave energy of the tsunami by energy dissipation similar to natural tsunami countermeasures such as mangroves and giant kelps. We developed flexible pipes by mimicking such biologically inspired tsunami protection mechanisms. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the development of flexible pipes and present the effectiveness of our pipes through experimental results. We designed the dimensions of the full-scale pipes. Then, we carried out laboratory-scale experiments in the tsunami wave flume using 1:100 scale pipes and an oil tank model and long-period tsunami-like waves. We measured the reduction of momentum flux carried by this wave behind our flexible pipes and the hydrodynamic forces acting on the oil tank model reduced by the flexible pipes in a direct manner. The experimental results suggested that around 50% of maximum momentum flux could be reduced behind the flexible pipes whereas 40% of maximum hydrodynamic force in inflow direction could be reduced compared to the case without flexible pipes. The difference is attributed to overflow of water above the model oil tank in the no pipes case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Renal cell carcinoma expresses CXCR3 but the function of CXCR3 in renal cell carcinoma has not been clarified. We explored the function of CXCR3 in renal cell carcinoma and investigated CXCR3 regulating factors. Materials and Methods We obtained 56 clinical samples of clear cell renal cell carcinoma and corresponding normal renal tissue samples from the surgical specimens of Japanese patients who underwent radical nephrectomy at Chiba University Hospital between 2000 and 2011. As renal cell carcinoma cell lines, we used 786-O, ACHN and Caki-1. The expression profiles of CXCR3 and its splice variants were examined. For functional analyses 786-O and interferon-γ inducible 10 kDa protein or IP-10 (CXCL10) were selected as representatives. Results CXCR3 and its ligands were abundant in renal cell carcinoma samples compared to corresponding normal kidney samples. The CXCR3-A-to-CXCR3-B ratio was 1.5 times higher in renal cell carcinoma samples than in normal kidney samples. CXCL10 treatment induced 786-O cell migration and invasion, and these effects were inhibited by neutralizing antibody. Phosphorylated RhoA and pro/active matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression was up-regulated by CXCL10 treatment. In clinical samples CXCR3 and CXCR3-A expression was significantly higher in metastatic than in nonmetastatic carcinoma samples. Finally, the expression of CXCR3-A and HIF-1α correlated significantly in clinical samples. In 786-O treatment with CoCl2 up-regulated CXCR3 and HIF-1α expression 4.5 and 2.2-fold, respectively. Conclusions We determined the association of CXCR3 and renal cell carcinoma metastasis. CXCR3 expression may be regulated by hypoxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about a study on the overexpression of ERG oncoprotein in prostate cancer and the role of AR, PTEN, SPINK1, Ki-67, and EZH2 gene expression, mutations, and deletion. Topics include chromosomal region 3p14 and TP53, castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPC), and CRPC metastases. Findings reveal that the loss of PTEN expression is associated with shorter progression-free survival among ERG-positive prostate cancer and suggests an interaction between the PTEN and ERG pathways.