Blogs

Other coastal and below sea level cities in similar predicaments to Tokyo can learn a lot about different preventative methods that could be taken. Houston, Texas is another area prone to flooding and one of the reasons is because of the large amounts of impermeable surface, such as concrete and pavement. If Houston were to adopt something like the Watarase-yusuichi, the artificial wetland in Tokyo, or the underground regulating reservoirs, it might be able to prevent intense damage from flooding by allowing for areas that can accomodate for excess water. If Houston were to plan for some of the green or grey infrastructure found in Tokyo, natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey may be prevented and future storms might not destroy as much of the city. Tokyo has set a standard for preventative measures that most coastal cities should use in order to better protect themselves

When the chimeric gene is created as a result of a double stranded break in the DNA, it produces a chimeric protein. In the case of the Abl-Bcr chimeric gene, this lead to an overactive kinase and eventually cancer. Bcr replaces the N-terminal portion of the Abl protein, which in the wild type Abl is responsible for inactivating Abl at the right time. In addition, the CAP domain of the Abl and the myristate are not present on the chimeric Bcr-Abl gene, which normally keep Abl in the inactive state. Since Abl is normally involved in DNA damage response, regulation, and cell motility, when the chimeric form is present all of these processes are affected. Bcr-Abl does not have the ability to enter the nucleus, affecting its DNA damage response, and is hyperactive. Bcr-Abl is able to signal through additional pathways as well, including proliferative pathways. This eventually leads to CML.

In this new sequestration process proposed by Iizuka, waste cement used in reference to concrete that is being torn up from how it had been used. Since there is a continual source of waste concrete from dismantled buildings, a long-term source of waste cement is expected. This waste is considered to be source of the necessary ions that are needed for the sequestration of carbon dioxide. By sequestering carbon with calcium and magnesium in the form of carbonates, a stable solution that is environmentally benign is produced. Other methods may sequester carbon dioxide as liquid, which could result in the reduction of pH in seawater or could evaporate to the surface and back to the atmosphere. The process of using waste concrete as a means to sequester carbon dioxide is demonstrated in Figure 1, which shows the order of events that can lead to the recycling of waste cement or as just a means of sequestration.

When a large chromosomal rearrangement occurs, the chromosomes experience a break that leads to pieces of chromosome being swapped between one another. This causes the formation of a chimeric gene, because it incorporates two genes that are normally separate. In the case of chronic myelogenous leukemia, the chimeric gene produces a protein that actually functions. The resultant protein is a combination of the Abl kinase and Bcr kinase, creating Abl-Bcr kinase. Wild type Abl exists throughout our body, and is involved in many processes/pathways throughout the body. It is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase and is soluble in the cytosol. Abl has the ability to travel between the cytosol and the nucleus due to it having both a NLS signal and a NES signal. In addition, it also has both a SH2 domain and a SH3 domain which together work to prevent Abl from being overactive by binding to one another.

Chronic myelogenous leukemia is a cancer that affects the white blood cells and causes them to become over-proliferative. These cancerous white blood cells look as if they properly differentiated, but they are not capable of fulfilling their proper function. Thus, the immune system is negatively affected and if a person with CML is left untreated, they will die in short order. Prior to the 1950s, patients would survive for an average of 2.5 years. Then, Busulfan was introduced to the market and the average life expectancy was increased to about 4 years. However, Busulfan was found to kill stem cells and considered to be very detrimental to the health of the patient. Following the introduction of Busulfan, drug known as Hydroxyurea was created. It further increased the life expectancy to around 4.6 years, but also came with its own side effects. One more drug was introduced before oncologists discovered a drug that worked better than all of the others and had low side effects. This miracle drug was known as gleevec and as of 2011, it increased the survival rate of CML to 95%.

The mechanism controlling this interaction is most likely facilitation. Figure 3 shows that when there is less Aspen the Fir die significantly more.  One reason may be due to the Fir being able to take over much faster than they would usually be able to in the successional cycle. If they are taking over faster, and more often then the case of fires is going to occur more. With more fires the cycle will begin again after both species get burnt down. Aspen will then arrive first, and if re-thinned will get taken over by Fir again very quickly resulting in more frequent fires and a higher mortality rate for Fir. The Aspen morality rate does not increase by a lot because by the time the fire occurs the plot is already overtaken by the Fir. 

The mechanism controlling this interaction is most likely facilitation. Figure 3 shows that when there is less Aspen the Fir die significantly more.  One reason may be due to the Fir being able to take over much faster than they would usually be able to in the successional cycle. If they are taking over faster, and more often then the case of fires is going to occur more. With more fires the cycle will begin again after both species get burnt down. Aspen will then arrive first, and if re-thinned will get taken over by Fir again very quickly resulting in more frequent fires and a higher mortality rate for Fir. 

Figure 3 shows the effect of thinning Aspen in its early successional stage. Before the thinning of the Aspen the morality percent of Aspen and Fir were both about 5%. After the thinning of the Aspen the morality of Aspen increased slightly to about 6%. This is not the same for the Fir, instead the Fir morality percent jumped up to almost 21%. We know the Aspen is the early arriving species, and without it Fir do worse. This shows a facilitation relationship between the two species. 

Ulva lactuca is an early colonist who has an effect on the later arriving Gigartina conaliculata. Figure 1 shows us that it is facilitation relationship. Facilitation as a successional mechanism says that the early arriving species will make it less suitable for other early arrival species, but more suitable for late arriving species. This is seen in Figure 1 because when Ulva is present the number of Gigartina is much higher than it is when Ulva is removed.

Incandescent lights create the most attraction to insects due to their high emission of light and heat. LED lights have the lowest attraction of insects, yet still attract a wide variety of insects. This is because they do not give off much light or heat (Arthur 2017). Cooler colors of light attract more insects than warmer coolers of light due to the lower frequency of wavelength that is given off. The lower the frequency of wavelength in cooler colored light is easier for insects to detect and therefore is highly attractive. The more insects that are attracted, the more likely a spider will produce a dense web in that relative location in order to increase its likelihood of capturing prey.