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In Japan, great damage to abutment backfills caused by large-scale floods occurs every year. It is necessary to examine the fundamental collapse mechanism on as close to full scale as possible, in order to achieve a sufficient effect of the similarity laws in geotechnical engineering, river engineering, and bridge engineering. In this study, geotechnical evaluations were carried out, such as observation of pore water pressure behavior in an embankment, settlement of an embankment crest, and applicability of a reinforced soil wall as a countermeasure construction, under conditions affected by flowing water. The results show that the collapse behavior of an embankment surface differs depending on the soil properties of the embankment material. The erosion of the river bed progressed even in the footing lower surface of the abutment foundation and in the upstream side of the abutment, where the flow velocity was locally large and changes in the flow direction were confirmed. In addition, when a gabion-reinforced earth wall with water permeability was used for the wall surface construction as a countermeasure, washout of the embankment in the abutment to the extent that a pavement surface above would collapse did not occur, thereby confirming the gabion’s usefulness as a countermeasure.

Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) has been reported to attenuate adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic disorder; however, the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study is to elucidate whether ILG shows the anti-inflammatory and antimetabolic syndrome effects through gut microbiota modification.Mice are fed a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without ILG for up to 12 weeks. The effect of ILG on body weight, blood glucose level, adipose tissue inflammation, gut barrier function, and gut microbiota composition are investigated. ILG supplementation alleviates HFD-induced obesity, glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance and suppresses inflammatory gene expression in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Moreover, ILG supplementation modifies gut bacterial composition by increasing the abundance of antimetabolic disease-associated species (e.g., Parabacteroides goldsteinii and Akkemansia muciniphila) and up-regulated genes associated with gut barrier function. Fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) from ILG-fed donors counteract HFD-induced body and eWAT weight changes, inflammation-related gene expression, glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance, thereby suggesting that ILG-responsive gut bacteria exerts anti-inflammatory and antimetabolic syndrome effects.Alterations in gut bacteria underly the beneficial effects of ILG against adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic disorders. ILG may be a promising prebiotic for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome.

Chronic activation of the IL-1β system in adipose tissue on metabolic disorders is well demonstrated. However, a mechanism for its expression and activation in the tissue has remained unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that IL-1β transcript was enriched in neutrophils of white adipose tissue (WAT) from lean mice. Mechanistically, the interaction of neutrophils with adipocytes induced IL-1β expression via NF-κB pathway. Lipolysis of adipocytes accumulated neutrophils prior to macrophages in WAT and produced high levels of IL-1β via an inflammasome pathway. Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production in WAT also contributed to neutrophil accumulation. Furthermore, an LTB4-inflammasome axis contributed to the expression of chemotactic molecules involved in high-fat diet-induced macrophage infiltration into WAT. We have identified previously unappreciated roles for neutrophils in the development of adipose tissue inflammation: robust IL-1β production and infiltration of macrophages to initiate chronic inflammation.-Watanabe, Y., Nagai, Y., Honda, H., Okamoto, N., Yanagibashi, T., Ogasawara, M., Yamamoto, S., Imamura, R., Takasaki, I., Hara, H., Sasahara, M., Arita, M., Hida, S., Taniguchi, S., Suda, T., Takatsu, K. Bidirectional crosstalk between neutrophils and adipocytes promotes adipose tissue inflammation.

For one week from August 17 to 23, 2016, three consecutive typhoons made landfall in Hokkaido for the first time on record. These typhoons and the front they stimulated brought record-breaking torrential rain over the eastern part of Hokkaido. To investigate the damage to grounds and rivers resulting from this rainfall, the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) and the Japanese Geotechnical Society (JGS) formed a disaster research group to conduct an investigation. This report provides the results of the investigation into damage to the grounds of areas along the Tokoro River of the Okhotsk region, Hokkaido, that suffered from this tremendous and diverse disaster. Specifically, the report describes the situation of the levees which were broken and eroded by the overflowing water, the shape of the levee bodies, the levee body soil properties examined by observation of the sections, as well as the occurrence of sand boiling and air blows. The washout of road embankments as well as damage to road bridge mounting fills and abutment backfills were also investigated. The investigation has demonstrated the need to clarify the resistance of the abutment backfills and levee bodies to flowing water as well as the geotechnical predominant factors in order to clarify the mechanisms behind erosion and washout, the need to review new measures that allow for the scale of sand boiling and resultant changes in levee body stability, and the fact that the existing embankments were able to temporarily suppress the flooding water which had spilled over from the river. Furthermore, although it has been identified that the findings of a study on an embankment washout associated with a tsunami can be applied to measures taken against the overflowing water, it has also been found necessary to clarify the predominant geotechnical factors using model tests and to use a more sophisticated analytical approach to establish a geotechnical stability review as soon as possible in order to prevent the levees and embankments from being eroded and washed out due to overflowing water.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a severe inherited metabolic disease with cerebral inflammatory demyelination and abnormal accumulation of very long chain fatty acid (VLCFA) in tissues, especially the brain. At present, bone marrow transplantation (BMT) at an early stage of the disease is the only effective treatment for halting disease progression, but the underlying mechanism of the treatment has remained unclear. Here, we transplanted GFP-expressing wild-type (WT) or Abcd1-deficient (KO) bone marrow cells into recipient KO mice, which enabled tracking of the donor GFP+ cells in the recipient mice. Both the WT and KO donor cells were equally distributed throughout the brain parenchyma, and displayed an Iba1-positive, GFAP- and Olig2-negative phenotype, indicating that most of the donor cells were engrafted as microglia-like cells. They constituted approximately 40% of the Iba1-positive cells. Unexpectedly, no decrease of VLCFA in the cerebrum was observed when WT bone marrow cells were transplanted into KO mice. Taken together, murine study suggests that bone marrow-derived microglia-like cells engrafted in the cerebrum of X-ALD patients suppress disease progression without evidently reducing the amount of VLCFA in the cerebrum.

The Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation factor-2 (MD-2) complex is essential for LPS recognition and induces innate immune responses against Gram-negative bacteria. As activation of TLR4/MD-2 is also critical for the induction of adaptive immune responses, TLR4/MD-2 agonists have been developed as vaccine adjuvants, but their efficacy has not yet been ascertained. Here, we demonstrate that a funiculosin (FNC) variant, FNC-RED, and FNC-RED and FNC derivatives are agonists for both murine and human TLR4/MD-2. FNC-RED induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation via murine TLR4/MD-2, whereas FNC had no TLR4/MD-2 stimulatory activity. Biacore analysis revealed that FNC-RED binds to murine TLR4/MD-2 but not murine radioprotective 105 (RP105)/myeloid differentiation factor-1 (MD-1), another LPS sensor. FNC-RED induced CD14-independent expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines and co-stimulatory molecules in murine macrophages and dendritic cells. In contrast, FNC-RED stimulation was reduced in CD14-dependent LPS responses, including dimerization and internalization of TLR4/MD-2 and IFN-β expression. FNC-RED-induced IL-12p40 production from murine dendritic cells was dependent on NF-κB but not MAPK pathway. In addition, fetal bovine serum augmented lipid A-induced NF-κB activation but blocked FNC-RED-mediated responses. Two synthetic phosphate group-containing FNC-RED and FNC derivatives, FNC-RED-P01 and FNC-P01, respectively, activated human TLR4/MD-2, unlike FNC-RED. Finally, computational analysis revealed that this species-specific activation by FNC-RED and FNC-RED-P01 resulted from differences in electrostatic surface potentials between murine and human TLR4/MD-2. We conclude that FNC-RED and its synthetic derivative represent a novel category of murine and human TLR4/MD-2 agonist.

Adipose tissue hypoxia is an important feature of pathological adipose tissue expansion. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in adipocytes reportedly induces oxidative stress and fibrosis, rather than neoangiogenesis via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A. We previously reported that macrophages in crown-like structures (CLSs) are both hypoxic and inflammatory. In the current study, we examined how macrophage HIF-1α is involved in high-fat diet (HFD)–induced inflammation, neovascularization, hypoxia, and insulin resistance using mice with myeloid cell–specific HIF-1α deletion that were fed an HFD. Myeloid cell–specific HIF-1α gene deletion protected against HFD-induced inflammation, CLS formation, poor vasculature development in the adipose tissue, and systemic insulin resistance. Despite a reduced expression of Vegfa in epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), the preadipocytes and endothelial cells of HIF-1α–deficient mice expressed higher levels of angiogenic factors, including Vegfa, Angpt1, Fgf1, and Fgf10 in accordance with preferable eWAT remodeling. Our in vitro study revealed that lipopolysaccharide-treated bone marrow–derived macrophages directly inhibited the expression of angiogenic factors in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Thus, macrophage HIF-1α is involved not only in the formation of CLSs, further enhancing the inflammatory responses, but also in the inhibition of neoangiogenesis in preadipocytes. We concluded that these two pathways contribute to the obesity-related physiology of pathological adipose tissue expansion, thus causing systemic insulin resistance.

Trichophyton infection is highly prevalent and tends to be recurrent. Therefore, it is important to develop new therapeutic agents. Previously, we established a mouse model of Trichophyton-induced contact hypersensitivity (CHS) and demonstrated that dectin-1 was involved in inflammation induced by trichophytin, the Trichophyton antigen. Here, we used that model to investigate glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) from plants of the genus Glycyrrhiza as a potential anti-inflammatory agent against superficial mycoses. GA suppressed swelling and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interferon (IFN)-γ mRNA. Anti-MIP-2 antibody suppressed trichophytin-induced inflammation, and antidectin-1 antibody suppressed zymosan-induced MIP-2 production in keratinocyte cells. These results suggest that MIP-2 is produced by dectin-1 activation and is involved in inflammation associated with CHS to trichophytin. GA also suppressed zymosan-induced MIP-2 and interleukin (IL)-8, production in mouse and human macrophages and keratinocytes. Furthermore, GA suppressed the phosphorylation of spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) and inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B (IκBα) and the degradation of IκBα in zymosan-simulated RAW264.7 cells. The results of this study suggest that GA suppresses inflammation induced by trichophytin, partly by the downregulation of Syk phosphorylation.

A braided gravel-bed river provides essential habitats for various plants and animals. However, human regulation of rivers, such as dams, channelization, and other engineering works, alter flow and sediment regimes, which generally cause the degradation of river and riparian ecosystems. One of the prominent changes prevailing in Japanese rivers is forest expansion over gravel bars, and many native plants and animals that depend on gravel-bar habitat are now endangered. The Satsunai River is typical of rivers experiencing forest expansion, so the Japanese government launched a restoration project in 2012 to partially restore its riparian ecosystems. This is a large-scale experiment developed jointly by an interdisciplinary science team and river managers, who conduct monitoring and evaluation under an adaptive management scheme. The main measure to restore gravel bed habitat was an artificial flood regime, releasing a maximum water volume of 120 m3/s, which was a 2-year return period flood before dam construction. A unique feature of the project is that we considered the role of high-magnitude floods with recurrence intervals greater than 20 years after dam construction. We hypothesize that the artificial floods can be timed seasonally to create sites for regeneration and nesting of riparian species, and the high-magnitude floods contribute to maintaining a shifting mosaic structure of floodplain forest and unvegetated gravel-bar patches. We also used critical non-dimensional shear stress analysis to define “flood-disturbance areas” that can be disturbed under the artificial flow regime created by a dam. Artificial floods have been initiated once a year since 2012 at the end of June, synchronized with the seed dispersal period of Salix arbutifolia, which is endangered and a high conservation priority in the project. Thus far, the idea of setting floodplain-disturbance areas and the strategy of using both artificial and high-magnitude floods to restore a shifting mosaic of floodplain habitat patches is appropriate, as we found successful regeneration of S. arbutifolia and an exponential decay curve of the age distribution of floodplain forest patches. However, the sediment regime regulated by the dam was not addressed in this research, so future monitoring should track changes in river morphology associated with reduced sediment supply caused by the dam.

Obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes. Chronic activation of IL-1β system in adipose tissue on metabolic disorders is well demonstrated. However, a mechanism for its expression and activation in the tissue has remained unexplored. Here we demonstrate that IL-1β transcript was enriched in neutrophils of white adipose tissue (WAT), and the expression of IL-1β was up-regulated by a high-fat diet in the WAT but not in other tissues, including bone marrow, peripheral blood, and spleen. The co-culture of neutrophils with 3T3-L1 adipocytes indicate that contact interaction with adipocytes is critical for the expression of IL-1β via NF-κB activation in adipose tissue neutrophils. Lipolysis of adipocytes accumulated neutrophils prior to macrophages in the WAT, and produced high levels of IL-1β via an ASC-caspase-1-mediated inflammasome pathway. Leukotriene B4 production in the WAT also contributed to neutrophil accumulation. Furthermore, neutrophils and IL-1β contributed to the expression of chemotactic molecules involved in high-fat diet-induced macrophage infiltration into the WAT. We have identified previously unappreciated roles for neutrophils in the development of adipose tissue inflammation: robust IL-1β production and infiltration of macrophages to initiate chronic inflammation.

LPS stimulates the TLR4/Myeloid differentiation protein-2 (MD-2) complex and promotes a variety of immune responses in B cells. TLR4 has two main signaling pathways, MyD88 and Toll/IL-1R (TIR)-domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) pathways, but relatively few studies have examined these pathways in B cells. In this study, we investigated MyD88- or TRIF-dependent LPS responses in B cells by utilizing their knockout mice. Compared with wild-type (WT) B cells, MyD88(-/-) B cells were markedly impaired in up-regulation of CD86 and proliferation induced by lipid A moiety of LPS. TRIF(-/-) B cells were also impaired in these responses compared with WT B cells, but showed better responses than MyD88(-/-) B cells. Regarding class switch recombination (CSR) elicited by lipid A plus IL-4, MyD88(-/-) B cells showed similar patterns of CSR to WT B cells. However, TRIF(-/-) B cells showed the impaired in the CSR. Compared with WT and MyD88(-/-) B cells, TRIF(-/-) B cells exhibited reduced cell division, fewer IgG1(+) cells per division, and decreased activation-induced cytidine deaminase (Aicda) mRNA expression in response to lipid A plus IL-4. Finally, IgG1 production to trinitrophenyl (TNP)-LPS immunization was impaired in TRIF(-/-) mice, while MyD88(-/-) mice exhibited increased IgG1 production. Thus, MyD88 and TRIF pathways differently regulate TLR4-induced immune responses in B cells.

Due to a typhoon and a stationary rain front, record amounts of rain fell in September 2011, and the largest class of discharge in recorded history was observed in the Otofuke River of eastern Hokkaido in Japan, and extensive bank erosion occurred in various parts of the river channel. Damages were especially serious in the middle reaches, where part of a dike was washed out. The results of a post-flood survey suggested that the direct cause of the dike breach was lateral advance of the bank erosion associated with the development of meandering channels. As the related development mechanism and predominant factors have not yet been clarified, this remains a priority from the viewpoint of disaster prevention. A past study on the development of meandering channels was reported by Shimizu et al. (1996). In this study, the meandering channel development process was reproduced using a slope failure model that linked bank erosion with bed changes. The study attempted to clarify the meandering development mechanism in the disaster and its predominant factors by using this model. The analysis properly reproduced the characteristics of the post-flood meandering waveforms. Therefore, it is suggested that the development of meandering during the flood attributed to the propagation of meandering downstream, which is triggered by the meandering flow from the meandering channel in the upstream, which also suggests that this propagated meandering then caused a gradual increase of meandering amplitude accompanied by bank erosion in the recession period of the flood., c Author(s) 2014. This work is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Rhamnose-binding lectins (RBLs) have been isolated and characterized from various kinds of fish. RBLs recognize the structures of lipopolysaccharides and lipoteichoic acid on microbes, and have an opsonic effect, suggesting that RBLs play an important role as pattern recognition proteins in innate immunity. However, the function of RBLs in the removal of pathogens from the body has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of three RBLs—named CSL1, 2, and 3—that were isolated from chum salmon Oncorhynchus keta eggs on the respiratory burst activity in a macrophage cell line. The CSLs induced reactive oxygen species in the peritoneal macrophage cell line from rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (RTM5). However, this activity was not affected by l-rhamnose or dl-threo-1-phenyl-2-palmitoylamino-3-morpholino-1-propanol, an inhibitor for glucosylceramide synthesis, indicating that the interaction between CSLs and Gb3 on cell surfaces was not involved in the induction of respiratory burst activity.

The radioprotective 105 (RP105)/MD-1 complex is a member of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family of proteins. We have previously reported that this complex cooperates with the essential lipopolysaccharide (LPS) receptor TLR4/MD-2 complex and plays a crucial role in LPS responses by B cells. Recent evidences suggest that TLRs can also recognize endogenous ligands and promote non-infectious chronic inflammation. For instance, TLR4/MD-2 can be ligated by adipose tissue-derived saturated free fatty acids (FAs) and induce adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Recently, we reported that RP105 knockout (KO) or MD-1 KO mice have less high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance than wild-type (WT) or TLR4 KO mice. As RP105/MD-1 is not involved in recognition of palmitic and stearic acids, which are endogenous ligands for TLR4/MD-2, we conclude that RP105/MD-1 is itself a key regulator of diet-induced chronic inflammation in adipose tissue, obesity and insulin resistance that appears to be independent of the TLR4-dependent pathway. In this mini-review, we will highlight the significance of the RP105/MD-1 complex in adipose tissue inflammation and discuss implications for human diseases.

Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is a flavonoid derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis and potently suppresses NLRP3 inflammasome activation resulting in the improvement of diet-induced adipose tissue inflammation. However, whether ILG affects other pathways besides the inflammasome in adipose tissue inflammation is unknown. We here show that ILG suppresses adipose tissue inflammation by affecting the paracrine loop containing saturated fatty acids and TNF-α by using a co-culture composed of adipocytes and macrophages. ILG suppressed inflammatory changes induced by the co-culture through inhibition of NF-κB activation. This effect was independent of either inhibition of inflammasome activation or activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ. Moreover, ILG suppressed TNF-α-induced activation of adipocytes, coincident with inhibition of IκBα phosphorylation. Additionally, TNF-α-mediated inhibition of Akt phosphorylation under insulin signaling was alleviated by ILG in adipocytes. ILG suppressed palmitic acid-induced activation of macrophages, with decreasing the level of phosphorylated Jnk expression. Intriguingly, ILG improved high fat diet-induced fibrosis in adipose tissue in vivo. Finally, ILG inhibited TLR4- or Mincle-stimulated expression of fibrosis-related genes in stromal vascular fraction from obese adipose tissue and macrophages in vitro. Thus, ILG can suppress adipose tissue inflammation by both inflammasome-dependent and -independent manners and attenuate adipose tissue fibrosis by targeting innate immune sensors.

Recent accumulating evidence suggests that innate immunity is associated with obesity-induced chronic inflammation and metabolic disorders. Here, we show that a Toll-like receptor (TLR) protein, radioprotective 105 (RP105)/myeloid differentiation protein (MD)-1 complex, contributes to high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, and insulin resistance. An HFD dramatically increased RP105 mRNA and protein expression in stromal vascular fraction of epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) in wild-type (WT) mice. RP105 mRNA expression also was significantly increased in the visceral adipose tissue of obese human subjects relative to nonobese subjects. The RP105/MD-1 complex was expressed by most adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs). An HFD increased RP105/MD-1 expression on the M1 subset of ATMs that accumulate in eWAT. Macrophages also acquired this characteristic in coculture with 3T3-L1 adipocytes. RP105 knockout (KO) and MD-1 KO mice had less HFD-induced adipose tissue inflammation, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance compared with wild-type (WT) and TLR4 KO mice. Finally, the saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, are endogenous ligands for TLR4, but they did not activate RP105/MD-1. Thus, the RP105/MD-1 complex is a major mediator of adipose tissue inflammation independent of TLR4 signaling and may represent a novel therapeutic target for obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

結氷河川の解氷現象は，水位の急激な上昇を引き起こすアイスジャムの発生の可能性がある．河川結氷時の河道内工事や流量観測を実施する際には，作業計画および安全面から，解氷現象に関する知見および河道内の氷板厚を計算する技術が求められている．結氷河川における解氷現象を解明するために，氷板厚を連続的に測定し，熱フラックスを用いた氷板厚計算モデルを用いて，放射・対流，積雪，流水の3因子が氷板厚の変動に与える影響を評価した．本計算モデルを基にして，積雪と晶氷の影響を係数α，河氷の融解の影響を係数βに織り込み，気温，水温，有効水深から氷板厚を計算する実用的な計算式を開発した．さらに，気温から水温を計算し，有効水深を一定値とすることで，気温データのみから氷板厚を計算可能であることを示した．

MD-1 is a secreted protein that forms a complex with radioprotective 105 (RP105) and this complex plays a crucial role in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) recognition by B cells. Disease progression is known to improve in RP105-deficient lupus-prone MRLlpr/lpr mice. Furthermore, a soluble form of the homologous MD-2 protein is present in the plasma of septic patients and can opsonize gram-negative bacteria in cooperation with Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4. We have now established a flow cytometry-based assay to detect the soluble form of murine MD-1 (sMD-1) and explored potential roles in autoimmunity. The assay was quantitative and validated with sera from MD-1-deficient mice. Interestingly, heat-inactivated murine serum diminished the ability of sMD-1 to bind RP105. The sMD-1 was secreted by bone marrow-derived macrophages from C57BL/6 mice. Autoimmune prone MRLlpr/lpr mice had higher levels of sMD-1 than control MRL+/+ mice, and levels markedly increased with disease progression. Expression of MD-1 but not MD-2 mRNA increased with age in the liver and kidney of MRLlpr/lpr mice. Finally, immunohistochemical analyses revealed that MD-1 was present in infiltrated macrophages within perivascular lesions of the MRLlpr/lpr kidney. This correlation suggests that sMD-1 may contribute to pathogenesis in this autoimmune disease model.

Cathepsin D was purified from ostrich (Struthio camelus) skeletal muscle using pepstatin-A chromatography. The enzyme was comprised of two subunits (29.1 and 14 kDa). The N-terminal amino acid sequence of both subunits were determined and showed high amino acid sequence identity to other cathepsin D homologs. Ostrich cathepsin D was optimally active at pH 4 and at a temperature of 45°C, and was strongly inhibited by pepstatin-A (K(i)=3.07×10(-9)M) and dithiothreitol. Cathepsin D activities from five ostriches were monitored over a 30-day period. Cathepsin D remained substantially active throughout the 30-day storage period with an average remaining activity of 112±8.57% at day 30 (mean value from 5 ostriches).

L-rhamnose-binding lectins (RBLs) have been isolated from various kinds of fish and invertebrates and interact with various kinds of bacteria, suggesting RBLs are involved in various inflammatory reactions. We investigated the effect of RBLs from chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), named CSL1, 2 and 3, on the peritoneal macrophage cell line from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (RTM5) and an established fibroblastic-like cell line derived from gonadal tissue of rainbow trout (RTG-2). CSLs were bound to the surface of RTM5 and RTG-2 cells and induced proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-1beta1, IL-1beta2, TNF-alpha1, TNF-alpha2 and IL-8 in both cells by recognizing globotriaosylceramide (Gb3). In addition, CSLs had an opsonic effect on RTM5 cells and this effect was significantly inhibited by L-rhamnose, indicating that CSLs enhanced their phagocytosis by binding to Gb3 on cell surfaces. This is the first finding that Gb3 plays a role in innate immunity by cooperating with natural ligands, RBLs.

Field surveys, experiments and numerical calculations were conducted to examine driftwood accumulation in a river channel, with respect to the existence of sandbars. We investigated the areas where driftwood accumulated and captured from river channel is observed in two rivers. It seemed that factors such as the existence of riparian woods, sandbar configurations, and sandbar locations relative to the river flow determined the points of driftwood accumulation. Based on the field survey results, hydraulic model experiments investigated the flow path of driftwood in model river with alternate sandbars. The analysis related to flood flow indicates that when the flow velocity and the water depth of the main current differ greatly from the flow velocity and the water depth of the flow that is away from the main current, the force of the main current acting on driftwood pushes the driftwood outward. And we clarified the relationship between discharge and the locations of driftwood capture, traps were built at different points on a sandbar.

A rhamnose-binding lectin, named SFL, was isolated from the eggs of ayu (sweet fish, Plecoglossus altivelis) by affinity and ion-exchange chromatographies. SFL revealed 287 amino acid residues with 3 tandemly repeated domains, and contained 8 half-Cys residues in each domain. The lectin was shown to have a highly specific binding affinity to globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) by frontal affinity chromatography using 100 oligosaccharides. SFL was localized in several tissues and serum of both male and female ayu, such as gill, liver, ovary, testis, intestine, stomach, brain, kidney and serum. The lectin agglutinated the spores of the microsporidian Glugea plecoglossi, which is a pathogen of ayu. Although SFL bound to glycoproteins and glycolipids of G. plecoglossi spores, Gb3 could not be detected in either of them. The results suggest that SFL could interact with various glycoconjugates of pathogens to play a role in the adhesion of microorganisms invading in the body.

Obesity-associated chronic inflammation is a key event to type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recent advances in deciphering the various immune cells and signalling networks that link the immune system and metabolic system have contributed to our understanding of the pathogenesis of obesity-associated chronic inflammation. Recent studies have suggested that pattern recognition receptors in the innate immune system recognise various kinds of endogenous ligands, and play a crucial role in initiating or promoting obesity-associated chronic inflammation. These findings have also informed new therapeutic strategies based on immunomodulation. Chinese herbal medicines have been used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus in Asian countries. With the rapid advancement of novel technologies and the increased research on natural products, many new plant-derived extracts and active compounds have been identified to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects. Here we overview natural products that inhibit activation of pattern recognition receptors, particularly Toll-like receptors and inflammasomes, as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of obesity-associated chronic inflammation. We also discuss molecular mechanisms by which the natural products regulate pattern recognition receptors, with a particular focus on our findings regarding unique compounds of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.

The variation of the water level at Palangka Raya is well described by the Nearest Neighbor Method (NNM) and the prediction can be made with 1-month lead time. A rainfall runoff model, traditional Tank Model, is applied to analyze the rainfall runoff to predict the water level at Palangka Raya using the data of several rainfall gauging station. The water balance is evaluated at Palangka Raya from the rainfall, the discharge and the evaporation.

Disasters causedby torrential downpours have recently been increasing throughout ournation. Inparticular, there have been many cases of flood damage on small and medium-sized rivers with relatively small design flood discharge in valley flats. Specific instances of this type damage include that which occurred in Tochigi Prefecture's Yosasa River in 1998, the Appetsu River in Hokkaido in 2003. These disasters are characterized by the flow of flood waters that were not confined to the river channel and caused damage to many houses, roads and bridges. In this study, we examined a method for adopting double Fourier analysis, which is used for shape analysis of the results of experiments on sediment hydraulics, to assess the flow channel geometry of an actual valley flat. The originof the terrain of the valley flat was estimated based on the results of sediment hydraulic studies, including experiments on compound meandering channel anddouble-row bar. The potential for utilizing the estimate results to predict the flow of flood waters and measures to reduce the impact of disasters at times of large-scale flooding in a valley flat was then indicated.

This paper presents investigations, performed to assess the effect of the initial bed perturbation on the sand bar formation and evolution process. Computations were conducted with two different kind of initial bed perturbations. In the series of first computations, the influence of the amplitude of random field of perturbations was tested. The time to reach an equilibrium state was found to be depending on the amplitude of the initial random bed perturbation. It was found that the larger the amplitude, the shorter the time to reach an equilibrium state. The second test was conducted with the initial bed perturbation in the form of a double row bar. During the first stage of the computation, double row bar type bed configurations were formed, however the modes of bed configurations appeared to be reduced and finally turned into single mode type bed configurations. Since the hydraulic condition of the numerical experiment is single-bar regime, this experiment corresponds to the transformation of bar conditions from the doublemodes to the single-mode during the flood in the natural rivers.

The ecosystem in the tidal region of a river tends to be diverse because of seawater intrusion. Such an ecosystem is observed in the Abashiri River in eastern Hokkaido. The downstream end of Lake Abashiri is about 7 kilometers from the Abashiri river mouth. The lower layer of the lake is saline water that has flowed upstream from the sea. Dissolved nutrient salts from the saline water layer make the lake a good fishing ground. However, in recent years, the damage to fishery of blue tide happens frequently because the fresh water depth of the lake became shallow. One solution is based on the comb-shaped weir traps that are used for catching fish in Abashiri River. Mesh structures that simulate weir traps were used in laboratory experiments to study the relationship between mesh porosity and salinity intrusion velocity. The following findings were obtained: The salinity intrusion experiment showed that when the mesh porosity is low, the flow velocity decreases before the water reaches the structure, and that the flow velocity does not differ greatly between before and after passing through the structure.

Hydraulic experiments were conducted to clarify a changing process of bar shape formed during flood at usual time. Double-row bar-like shape appeared and reaching a meandering style channel was observed. It became clear that the component which has wavenumber 1 and 0 in the transverse and longitudinal directions respectively with formation of a meandering style channel increases as a result of the wave number analysis of bed forms. Furthermore, although it was examination near the limit of theory, weak nonlinear analysis considering the interference between (1, 1) and (2, 2) components was carried out, and the same result as an experiment result was obtained.

Radioprotective 105 (RP105) is a type I transmembrane protein, which associates with a glycoprotein, MD-1. Monoclonal antibody (mAb)-mediated ligation of RP105/MD-1 robustly activates B cells. RP105/MD-1 is structurally similar to Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/MD-2. B-cell responses to TLR2 and TLR4/MD-2 ligands are impaired in the absence of RP105 or MD-1. In addition to RP105/MD-1, MD-1 alone is secreted. The structure of MD-1 shows that MD-1 has a hydrophobic cavity that directly binds to phospholipids. Little is known, however, about a ligand for MD-1 and the role of MD-1 in vivo To study the role of RP105/MD-1 and MD-1 alone, specific mAbs against MD-1 are needed. Here, we report the establishment and characterization of two anti-MD-1 mAbs (JR2G9, JR7G1). JR2G9 detects soluble MD-1, whereas JR7G1 binds both soluble MD-1 and the cell surface RP105/MD-1 complex. With these mAbs, soluble MD-1 was detected in the serum and urine. The MD-1 concentration was altered by infection, diet and reperfusion injury. Serum MD-1 was rapidly elevated by TLR ligand injection in mice. The quantitative PCR and supernatant-precipitated data indicate that macrophages are one of the sources of serum soluble MD-1. These results suggest that soluble MD-1 is a valuable biomarker for inflammatory diseases.

We measured the cross-sectional flow velocities in the tree zone of the Otofuke River during a flood caused by Typhoon Etau in August 2003 and tried to clarify the flow conditions at that time. It was confirmed that the obtained flow pattern of cross sectional distribution sufficiently reproduced behavior of the flow velocity in the tree zone. The calculated average flow velocity in the tree zone was about 0.12 - 0.27 m/s, which was 1/15th that of the main stream, whose average velocity was 3 m/s without trees. Discharge from the vegetated section accounted for about 6% of total section. And it has become necessary to examine the existing methods of measuring tree density. Key Words: field observation, the flow velocity in tree zone, ADP, tree density, the Otofuke river

Riparian wood area is assumed to be dead water section on study for flowing ability. But, calculation results of water level might not correspond with observations on medium-small scale rivers. We surveyed about vertical formation of flood flow velocity on the cross section including riparian wood area in Bibai River on August 22, 2005. As a result, about 27% of total flow quantity flowed down through the riparian woods on this survey section. And, formation of flow velocity on woods area almost agrees with the theoretical value. But, formation of flow velocity outside the woods is lower than the theoretical one.

Various hydraulic test and numerical simulations have reported that under the condition in which doublerow bars initially form, the mode of bars is reduced and alternate bars are formed over time. In this study, weakly nonlinear analysis is performed in order to elucidate the interaction between the modes of double-row bars and alternate bars. A concept of the rate of linear amplification is introduced in to the weakly nonlinear analysis in order to enable a consistent expansion of alternate bars and double-row bars. This analysis succeeds in reproducing the characteristics of bar mode decrease process. According to this analysis, neither of both modes (alternate bars and double-row bars ) can grow up simultaneously.

The magnitude 9.0 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on December 26, 2004 that killed over 225, 000 people, making it the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. In order to investigate this tsunami and related damages from the hydrological and hydraulic aspects, the Committee on Hydroscience and Hydraulic Engineering, Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE) delegated its members whose majors are coastal hydraulics, river engineering, hydraulic engineering and hydrology as a tsunami investigation team by JSCE. In this paper, results of filed investigation are shown mainly for disasters in rivers. The present survey results will be useful for future planning of tsunami disaster prevention in Sri Lanka, as well as in Japan, where near future occurrence of tsunami disaster is highly expected.