ABSTRACT. To assess the potential volume of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) more precisely than in previous studies, we analyze ground survey data and remote-sensing digital elevation models (DEMs) around glacial lakes in the Lunana region, Bhutan. Based on a DEM generated from differential GPS ground surveys, we first evaluate the relative accuracies of DEMs produced by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Root-mean-square errors of the altitudinal difference between these DEMs and ground survey data were 11.0 m for ASTER and 11.3 m for SRTM. These errors are similar to those of previous studies. We show that a topographical classification allows a better estimate of elevation on lakes/ ponds, riverbeds and glaciers due to their flat surfaces, while the relative accuracy is worse over moraines and hill slopes due to their narrow ridges and steep slopes. Using the optical satellite images and the ground survey data, we re-evaluate the GLOF volume in 1994 as (17.2 AE AE 5.3) Â 10 6 m 3 . We show GLOF-related information such as distance, altitudinal difference and gradient at possible outburst points where the lake level is higher than the neighboring riverbed and/or glacial lake.

[1] A newly discovered hydrothermal field called the Mariner field on the Valu Fa Ridge in the southern Lau Basin was explored and characterized with geochemical and microbiological analyses. The hydrothermal fluid discharging from the most vigorous vent (Snow Chimney, maximum discharge temperature 365°C) was boiling at the seafloor at a depth of 1908 m, and two distinct end-member hydrothermal fluids were identified. The fluid chemistry of the typical Cl-enriched and Cl-depleted hydrothermal fluids was analyzed, as was the mineralogy of the host chimney structures. The variability in the fluid chemistry was potentially controlled by the subseafloor phase-separation (vapor loss process) and the microbial community activities. Microbial community structures in three chimney structures were investigated using culture-dependent andindependent techniques. The small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene clone analysis revealed that both bacterial and archaeal rRNA gene communities on the chimney surfaces differed among three chimneys. Cultivation analysis demonstrated significant variation in the culturability of various microbial components among the chimneys, particularly of thermophilic H 2 -oxidizing (and S-oxidizing) chemolithoautotrophs such as the genera Aquifex and Persephonella. The physical and chemical environments of chimney surface habitats are still unresolved and do not directly extrapolate the environments of possible subseafloor habitats. However, the variability in microbial community found in the chimneys also provides an insight into the different biogeochemical interactions potentially affected by the phase separation of the hydrothermal fluids in the subseafloor hydrothermal habitats. In addition, comparison with other deep-sea hydrothermal systems revealed that the Mariner field microbial communities have unusual characteristics.Citation: Takai, K., et al. (2008), Variability in the microbial communities and hydrothermal fluid chemistry at the newly discovered Mariner hydrothermal field, southern Lau Basin,

The Yonaguni Knoll IV hydrothermal vent fi eld (24°51 ′ N, 122°42 ′ E) is located at water depths of 1370 -1385 m near the western edge of the southern Okinawa Trough. During the YK03 -05 and YK04 -05 expeditions using the submersible Shinkai 6500 , both hydrothermal precipitates (sulfi de/sulfate/carbonate) and high temperature fl uids (Tmax = 328°C) presently venting from chimney-mound structures were extensively sampled. The collected venting fl uids had a wide range of chemistry (Cl concentration 376 -635 mmol kg -1 ), which is considered as evidence for sub-seafl oor phase separation. While the Cl-enriched smoky black fl uids were venting from two adjacent chimney-mound structures in the hydrothermal center, the clear transparent fl uids sometimes containing CO 2 droplet were found in the peripheral area of the fi eld. This distribution pattern could be explained by migration of the vapor-rich hydrothermal fl uid within a porous sediment layer after the sub-seafl oor phase separation. The collected hydrothermal precipitates demonstrated a diverse range of mineralization, which can be classifi ed into fi ve groups: (i) anhydrite-rich chimneys, immature precipitates including sulfi de disseminations in anhydrite; (ii) massive Zn-Pb-Cu sulfi des, consisting of sphalerite, wurtzite, galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and marcasite; (iii) Ba-As chimneys, composed of barite with sulfi de disseminations, sometimes associated with realgar and orpiment overgrowth; (iv) Mn-rich chimneys, consisting of carbonates (calcite and magnesite) and sulfi des (sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, alabandite, and minor amount of tennantite and enargite); and (v) pavement, silicifi ed sediment including abundant native sulfur or barite. Sulfi de/sulfate mineralization (groups i -iii) was found in the chimney -mound structure associated with vapor-loss (Cl-enriched) fl uid venting. In contrast, the sulfi de/carbonate mineralization (group iv) was specifi cally found in the chimneys where vapor-rich (Cl-depleted) fl uid venting is expected, and the pavement (group v) was associated with diffusive venting from the seafl oor sediment. This correspondence strongly suggests that the subseafl oor phase separation plays an important role in the diverse range of mineralization in the Yonaguni IV fi eld. The observed sulfide mineral assemblage was consistent with the sulfur fugacity calculated from the

Wireless sensor networks have traditionally focused on low duty-cycle applications where sensor data are reported periodically in the order of seconds or even longer. This is due to typically slow changes in physical variables, the need to keep node costs low and the goal of extending battery lifetime. However, there is a growing need to support real-time streaming of audio and/or low-rate video even in wireless sensor networks for use in emergency situations and shortterm intruder detection. In this paper, we describe a real-time voice stream-capability in wireless sensor networks and summarize our deployment experiences of voice streaming across a large sensor network of FireFly nodes in an operational coal mine. FireFly is composed of several integrated layers including specialized low-cost hardware, a sensor network operating system, a real-time link layer and network scheduling. We are able to provide efficient support for applications with timing constraints by tightly coupling the network and task scheduling with hardware-based global time synchronization. We use this platform to support 2-way audio streaming concurrently with sensing tasks. For interactive voice, we investigate TDMA-based slot scheduling with balanced bi-directional latency while meeting audio timeliness requirements. Finally, we describe our experimental deployment of 42 nodes in a coal mine, and present measurements of the end-to-end throughput, jitter, packet loss and voice quality. ©2006 IEEE Personal use of this material is permitted. However, permission to reprint/republish this material for advertising or promotional purposes or for creating new collective works for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or to reuse any copyrighted component of this work in other works must be obtained from the IEEE. Keywords Scheduling Algorithms for Embedded Wireless Networks AbstractWireless sensor networks have traditionally focused on low duty-cycle applications where sensor data are reported periodically in the order of seconds or even longer. This is due to typically slow changes in physical variables, the need to keep node costs low and the goal of extending battery lifetime. However, there is a growing need to support real-time streaming of audio and/or low-rate video even in wireless sensor networks for use in emergency situations and shortterm intruder detection. In this paper, we describe a real-time voice stream-capability in wireless sensor networks and summarize our deployment experiences of voice streaming across a large sensor network of FireFly nodes in an operational coal mine. FireFly is composed of several integrated layers including specialized low-cost hardware, a sensor network operating system, a real-time link layer and network scheduling. We are able to provide efficient support for applications with timing constraints by tightly coupling the network and task scheduling with hardware-based global time synchronization. We use this platform to support 2-way audio streaming concurrently with sensing tasks. F...

Recent successes in tumor immunotherapies have highlighted the importance of tumor immunity. However, most of the work conducted to date has been on T cell immunity, while the role of B cell immunity in cancer remains more elusive. In this study, immunogenetic repertoire profiling for tumor-infiltrating B and T cells in gastric cancers was carried out to help reveal the architecture of B cell immunity in cancer. Humoral immunity in cancer was shown to involve oligoclonal expansions of tumor-specific and private B cell repertoires. We find that B cell repertoires in cancer are shaped by somatic hypermutation (SHM) either with or without positive selection biases, the latter of which tended to be auto-reactive. Importantly, we identified sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) as major functional B cell antigens among gastric tumors. Furthermore, natural anti-sulfated GAG antibodies discovered in gastric cancer tissues showed robust growth-suppressive functions against a wide variety of human malignancies of various organs.

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Objectives Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a primary disorder of the myocardium, is the most common cardiac disease in cats. However, determination of myocardial deformation with two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in cats with various stages of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has not yet been reported. This study was designed to measure quantitatively multidirectional myocardial deformations of cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Methods Thirty-two client-owned cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and 14 healthy cats serving as controls were enrolled and underwent assessment of myocardial deformation (peak systolic strain and strain rate) in the longitudinal, radial and circumferential directions. Results Longitudinal and radial deformations were reduced in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, despite normal systolic function determined by conventional echocardiography. Cats with severely symptomatic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy also had lower peak systolic circumferential strain, in addition to longitudinal and radial strain. Conclusions and relevance Longitudinal and radial deformation may be helpful in the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Additionally, the lower circumferential deformation in cats with severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may contribute to clinical findings of decompensation, and seems to be related to severe cardiac clinical signs. Indices of multidirectional myocardial deformations by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography may be useful markers and help to distinguish between cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and healthy cats. Additionally, they may provide more detailed assessment of contractile function in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) is a common right ventricular (RV) function indicator. However, TAPSE was not decreased in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and postcapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) because of its load, angle, and body weight dependency, and TAPSE was considered a preload-dependent index.