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Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology (QST), a Japan Domestic Agency in ITER, is responsible for procuring nine ITER Toroidal Field coils. QST developed an optimized manufacturing plan to solve technical issues in doublepancake (DP) fabrication andwinding pack (WP) fabrication, such as optimization of inter-DP glass fabric thickness to avoid damage of DP andWP insulation and degradation of conductor near joint due to glass fabric compression duringWP insulation and impregnation. To this purpose, DP thickness was successfully increased by 3 mm by putting glass fabric during DP insulation. Then, this compensates local distortion, which is originated by cover plate (CP) welding and difficult to correct. This DP expansion made it easier to achieve tight tolerance in the WP height. The series production of DP and WP then proceeded and 31 DP winding, 15 DP impregnation, and curing of first WP impregnation was completed in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study attempts to describe trends in energy intake and weight change over 12 years according to age at first participation in the study. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: The National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging (NILS-LSA), a community-based study. Participants: Participants included 922 men and 879 women who participated in the first study-wave (age 40-79 years) and also participated in at least one study-wave from the second to seventh study-wave. Each study-wave was conducted biennially. For individuals, the entire follow-up period was 12 years. Measurements: Energy intake was calculated from 3-day dietary records with photographs. Weight and height were measured under a fasting state. To estimate linear changes in energy intake and weight over 12 years according to age at first study-wave, we used the mixed-effects model. Results: Mean (SD) follow-up time and number of study-wave visits were 9.5 (3.7) years and 5.4 (1.8) times, respectively. The fixed effect of the interaction of age and time in energy intake and weight was statistically or marginally statistically significant both in men (p<0.01) and in women (p<0.06). In men, when energy intake was estimated according to age, the rate of decrease in energy intake increased from -6.8 to -33.8 kcal/year for ages 40-79 years. In women, the rate of decrease in energy intake slightly increased in older age groups (-9.1 to -16.7 kcal/year for ages 40-79 years). Weight increased in males in their 40s (0.07 kg/year from age 40) and started to decline by age 53. In women, weight started to decline around age 47 (-0.04 kg/year). Conclusion: Twelve-year longitudinal data showed energy intake declined both in men and women in their 40s, and the rate of decrease increased in older males. Weight started to decline in men in their mid-50s and women in their late 40s. Further studies that focus on energy intake and weight reduction are needed to prevent weight loss or underweight in an increasingly aging society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent electrodes were formed on Eu-doped GaN-based red-light-emitting diode (GaN:Eu LED) substrates by the screen printing of indium tin oxide nanoparticle (ITO np) inks as a wet process. The ITO nps with a mean diameter of 25nm were synthesized by the controlled thermolysis of a mixture of indium complexes and tin complexes. After the direct screen printing of ITO np inks on GaN:Eu LED substrates and sintering at 850°C for 10min under atmospheric conditions, the resistivity of the ITO film was 5.2mΩcm. The fabricated LED up to 3mm square surface emitted red light when the on-voltage was exceeded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexual plasticity of the gonads is not retained after the completion of sex differentiation in vertebrates, except in some hermaphroditic species. Here, we report that the depletion of estradiol-17b (E2) by aromatase inhibitors (AI) for up to six months resulted in a functional female-to-male sex reversal in sexually-mature adults of two gonochoristic fish species, Nile tilapia and medaka. The sex-reversed fish showed a typical male pattern of E2 and androgen levels, secondary sexual characteristics, and male-like sex behavior, producing fertile sperm. Conversely, co-treatment of E2 inhibited AI-induced sex reversal. In situ hybridization of medaka gonads during AI-induced sex reversal indicated that cysts on the dorsal side of the adult ovaries are the origin of germ cells and Sertoli cells in the newly formed testicular tissue. Gonochoristic fish maintain their sexual plasticity until adulthood and E2 plays a critical role in maintaining the female phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives:Studies on the associations between coffee and green tea consumption and arterial stiffness are rare. This study evaluated the possible relationships between coffee and green tea consumption and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (ba-PWV) values in Japanese men.Subjects/Methods:In total, 540 eligible men who enrolled in the baseline survey of a cohort study in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan, and who underwent ba-PWV measurement were analyzed. Information about lifestyle characteristics including coffee and green tea intake were obtained from a structural self-administered questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the associations between coffee and green tea consumption and ba-PWV.Results:Subjects with greater coffee consumption were younger and showed higher proportions of current smoking and alcohol consumption. Subjects with greater green tea consumption were older and showed lower proportions of current smoking and alcohol consumption. Greater coffee consumption was significantly inversely associated with ba-PWV after the adjustment for probable covariates, including serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P for trend =0.031). After additional adjustment for serum triglycerides, this inverse association persisted, but was somewhat attenuated (P for trend =0.050). In contrast, green tea consumption was not associated with ba-PWV.Conclusions:Coffee consumption was inversely associated with arterial stiffness independent of known atherosclerotic risk factors, and this association was partly mediated by reduced circulating triglycerides. Further prospective or interventional studies are needed to confirm the causal association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-temperature pressureless bonding process using a mixture of trimodal-sized Ag nanoparticles was proposed to form excellent Cu-to-Cu joints. Cu-to-Cu joints formed using the mixed Ag nanoparticles at 350°C for 5 min showed bonding strength of 13.7 MPa, in spite of the bonding process without pressure. Elongated dimples observed on the fracture surface of the Cu-to-Cu joint strongly support the effect of the trimodal mixture system of Ag nanoparticles in the low-temperature pressureless bonding process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A low-temperature bonding process to form joints with high strength and ionic migration resistance using mixed Cu–Ag nanoparticles was studied. Although it was difficult to obtain strong joints using Cu nanoparticles, with the addition of Ag nanoparticles to the Cu nanoparticles the bonding strength of the Cu-to-Cu joints increased. The joints formed by the mixed Cu–Ag nanoparticles at 350°C exhibited a high bonding strength of ~50 MPa. Counterelectrodes made of the mixed Cu–Ag nanoparticles had four times higher ionic migration resistance compared with counterelectrodes made only of Ag nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transparent conducting single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films were fabricated using the spin coating technique. UV-ozone treated and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) coated glass substrates together with SWCNT dispersed in 1,2-dichlorobenzene were used to promote the adhesion of SWCNT at room temperature. The produced film had a sheet resistance of 430 Ω/□ for 80% optical transparency at 550 nm. The spin coated SWCNT film after a post fabricated treatment in a mixer of isopropyl alcohol and nitric acid solution had a sheet resistance as low as 120 Ω/□ for 80% optical transparency at 500 nm. Besides reduction in sheet resistance, we obtained stable and strongly adherent SWCNT films on substrate that could serve as an alternative to transparent conducting oxides in display and optoelectronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the formation of electronic circuit plastic substrate, with the use of metal nanoparticle paste, in a micro-conductive pattern to enhance its usability. It focuses on micro-conductive pattern using silver-palladium compound nanoparticle paste, silver nanoparticle paste and copper nanoparticle paste. It is stated that when silver nanoparticles protected by organic material are heated, the organic protective layer is disposed and the particles merge to become a thin film.

Germline LKB1 mutations cause Peutz–Jeghers syndrome, a hereditary disorder that predisposes to gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyposis and several types of malignant tumors. Somatic LKB1 alterations are rare in sporadic cancers, however, a few reports showed the presence of somatic alterations in a considerable fraction of lung cancers. To determine the prevalence and the specificity of LKB1 alterations in lung cancers, we examined a large number of lung cancer cell lines and lung adenocarcinoma (AdC) specimens for the alterations. LKB1 genetic alterations were frequently detected in the cell lines (21/70, 30%), especially in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) (20/51, 39%), and were significantly more frequent in cell lines with KRAS mutations. Point mutations were detected only in AdCs and large cell carcinomas, whereas homozygous deletions were detected in all histological types of lung cancer. Among lung AdC specimens, LKB1 mutations were found in seven (8%) of 91 male smokers but in none of 64 females and/or nonsmokers, and were significantly more frequent in poorly differentiated tumors. The difference in the frequency of LKB1 alterations between cell lines and tumor specimens was likely to be owing to masking of deletions by the contamination of noncancerous cells in the tumor specimens. These results indicate that somatic LKB1 genetic alterations preferentially occur in a subset of poorly differentiated lung AdCs that appear to correlate with smoking males.Oncogene (2007) 26, 5911–5918; doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1210418; published online 26 March 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify tumor markers and differentiation markers for lung adenocarcinoma (AdC), we analysed expression profiles of 14 500 genes against three cases of type II alveolar epithelial cells, bronchiolar epithelial cells, and bronchial epithelial cells, respectively, and 10 cases of AdC cells isolated by laser capture microdissection. Hierarchical clustering analysis indicated that AdC cells and noncancerous lung epithelial cells are significantly different in their expression profiles, and that different sets of differentiation markers are expressed among alveolar, bronchiolar and bronchial epithelial cells. Nine genes were identified as being highly expressed in AdC cells, but not expressed in noncancerous lung epithelial cells. Sixteen genes were identified as differentiation markers for lung epithelial cells. Real-time RT–PCR analysis of 45 lung AdC cases further revealed that expression of four tumor markers in AdC cells was significantly higher than that in noncancerous lung cells and that expression of ten differentiation markers was retained in a considerable fraction of lung AdC cases. Five tumor markers and seven differentiation markers were not expressed in peripheral blood cells. Similarities and differences in expression profiles between normal epithelial cells from different lung respiratory compartments and AdC cells demonstrated in this study will be informative for the molecular diagnosis of lung AdC.Oncogene (2006) 25, 4245–4255. doi:10.1038/sj.onc.1209442; published online 20 February 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have led to the development of a host of tiny machines and sensors over the past decade. Plasma physics is in great need of small detectors for several reasons. First of all, very small detectors do not disturb a plasma, and secondly some detectors can only work because they are very small. We report on the first of a series of small (sub-Debye length) probes for laboratory plasmas undertaken at the basic Plasma Science Facility at UCLA. The goal of the work is to develop robust and sensitive diagnostic probes that can survive in a plasma. The probes must have electronics packages in close proximity. We report on the construction and testing of probes that measure the electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface tension plays an important role in lowering the melting temperature of nanometer-sized particles, but whether the surface tension determined in macro scale is valid for the nanometer-sized particles is unclear. Moreover, the melting of the nanometer-sized particles formed on solid substrates can be affected by interfacial tension, but no research has been reported on the effect of substrates on the melting temperature. Therefore, in order to predict the melting temperature of nanometer-sized metallic particles on solid substrates, thermodynamic parameters such as surface tension and interfacial tension should be properly estimated. In the present work, thermodynamic assesment is given on the melting temperature of gold particles in nanometer-size placed on a graphite substrate. Surface tension of liquid gold and the contact angle between liquid gold and the graphite substrate are measured by the constrained drop method and the sessile drop method in macro scale, respectively. Then, the effect of the graphite substrate on the melting temperature of nanometer-sized gold particles are examined by thermodynamic calculations minimizing the total Gibbs free energy, the sum of bulk, surface and interface energies. It is found that the graphite substrate has negligible effect on the melting temperature of nanometer-sized gold particles. Thermodynamic assessments provide that the surface tension of solid gold is 1.339 N/m at 1373 K and that the decrease in the surface tension of liquid gold with size will be considerable for the particles smaller than ~5 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique of (2+1)-photon laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy has been developed for measuring hydrogen atom density in plasmas. In this method, the following two-step excitation scheme is employed to excite ground-state H atoms to the 4p state. In the first step, H atoms at the ground (1s) state are excited to the 2s state by two photons at a wavelength of 243 nm. Subsequently, the 2s state is excited to the 4p state by the third photon at 486 nm in the second step. Fluorescence emission at 486 nm (4p→2s, H[sub β] line) is detected to determine the H atom density at the ground state. Since the wavelength used in the first-step excitation is the half of the wavelength used in the second-step excitation, one tunable laser with a system for second harmonic generation can be utilized in the measurement. The absolute density was evaluated by comparing the intensity of LIF emission from H with that from Xe at a known gas pressure. The present method is suitable for diagnostics of reactive plasmas since optical dissociation of molecules and radicals can be avoided because of the low photon energy of the laser radiation. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After successful subtotal parathyroidectomy (PTX) in 10 chronic haemodialysis patients, significant elevation of Epo was observed, from 48.4± 17.8 mU/ml(M ±SEM) at preoperative state to 103.3±34.7mU/ml at 6 h and 163.4±50.2mU/ml at 12 h after PTX. Significant reductions in both PTH-m and ionized calcium (iCa) were confirmed. Since Epo did not increase in the cases with an inadequate PTX and ovariectomy, an abrupt reduction in PTH with a decrease in iCa may play some role in the elevation of Epo. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]