[1] Many debris flows initiate in steep channels (>20 degrees), yet studies have focused on lower-gradient streams where failure is controlled by water height above channel deposits. Multiple debris flows in a steep channel in Ohya landslide, central Japan, were linked to infilling processes (i.e., freeze-thaw and dry ravel) and partial saturation of accumulated sediment. Because of very active geomorphic processes in this catchment, 39 debris flows were observed in the past 6 yr. Pre-and post event imagery indicates selective transport of finer materials during most debris flows that comprise saturated and unsaturated flows; however, fluvial sediment processes, important in relation to debris flow initiation in gentler channels, were minimal. Critical conditions for the movement of such unsaturated materials are derived by equating shear stress with solid friction of the channel bed.

Bacterial iodate (IO 3؊ ) reduction is poorly understood largely due to the limited number of available isolates as well as the paucity of information about key enzymes involved in the reaction. In this study, an iodatereducing bacterium, designated strain SCT, was newly isolated from marine sediment slurry. SCT is phylogenetically closely related to the denitrifying bacterium Pseudomonas stutzeri and reduced 200 M iodate to iodide (I ؊ ) within 12 h in an anaerobic culture containing 10 mM nitrate. The strain did not reduce iodate under the aerobic conditions. An anaerobic washed cell suspension of SCT reduced iodate when the cells were pregrown anaerobically with 10 mM nitrate and 200 M iodate. However, cells pregrown without iodate did not reduce it. The cells in the former category showed methyl viologen-dependent iodate reductase activity (0.31 U mg ؊1 ), which was located predominantly in the periplasmic space. Furthermore, SCT was capable of anaerobic growth with 3 mM iodate as the sole electron acceptor, and the cells showed enhanced activity with respect to iodate reductase (2.46 U mg ؊1 ). These results suggest that SCT is a dissimilatory iodate-reducing bacterium and that its iodate reductase is induced by iodate under anaerobic growth conditions.

This paper aims to present an illustrative case study on the economic impacts of transport infrastructure disruptions caused by the hypothetical Tokai-Tonankai earthquakes in Japan. We formulate a spatial computable general equilibrium (SCGE) model, which integrates a transportation model that can estimate two types of interregional flows of freight movement and passenger trips. The case study shows the impacts of transportation disruptions and the importance of network redundancy with transport-related economic losses corresponding to several scenarios from disasters and network levels of development.Spatial computable general equilibrium model, catastrophic earthquakes, transport-related losses,

The stereoselective synthesis of tetracyclic intermediate, the indoline spiroaminal 3 for neoxaline (1) and oxaline (2), has been accomplished. The key step of the stereoselective synthesis of 3 was the Lewis acid mediated transcyclization of 4 to the diaminal 18, and the tungstate-catalyzed oxidation of 18 to obtain the nitrone 19, which easily cyclizes to the indoline spiroaminal framework 3. [structure: see text]