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Study question Is it possible to determine the difference between 2.1 pronuclear (2.1PN) zygotes and tripronuclear (3PN) zygotes from time-lapse images? Summary answer A pronucleus of less than 15 μm in diameter can be considered the micro pronucleus (micro PN), and it is possible to classify 2.1PN zygotes. What is known already 2.1PN zygotes are defined as zygotes with two pronuclei and one smaller pronucleus. Capalbo et al. (2017) reported that most of the 2.1PN-derived blastocysts were diploid by preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A), including single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis. Thus, the treatment with 2.1 PN zygotes should be performed with chromosome testing. In Japan, where PGT-A is not available in principle, 2.1PN zygotes are rarely used in the embryo transfer. On the other hand, the size of the micro pronucleus in 2.1PN zygotes has not been clearly defined, and it is difficult to determine differences between 2.1PN and 3PN zygotes. Study design, size, duration The study was performed retrospectively on 2463 cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF) conducted at our clinic between August 2020 and December 2021. A total of 3073 embryos underwent conventional-IVF (c-IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and were cultured in the time-lapse incubator, of which 221 zygotes with three pronuclei were used in the study. Participants/materials, setting, methods The diameter of the three PNs at one hour before syngamy from time-lapse images; 2.1 PN and 3PN zygotes were classified in the report by Capalbo et al. (2017). The age of the patients and the method of insemination between the groups were compared, and the diameter of the micro PN was analysed. Moreover, logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the predictor of 2.1PN zygotes from the morphological characteristics of oocytes at ICSI. Main results and the role of chance The mean age of each patient was 42.9 years for 2.1PN zygotes and 39.8 years for 3PN zygotes, significantly higher for 2.1PN zygotes (P =0.003). On the other hand, when comparing the stage of oocyte maturation at the time of oocyte retrieval, there was no significant difference (P =0.749). According to the insemination method, the incidence of 2.1PN zygotes was significantly higher in ICSI (including rescue-ICSI) compared to c-IVF: 32.9% [95%CI: 22.5-44.6%] vs 2.4% [95%CI: 0.1-12.9%] (P Limitations, reasons for caution In this study, we have not investigated whether 2.1 PN zygotes become blastocysts. It will be necessary to further examine the criteria for 2.1PN along with chromosome testing to investigate the use of 2.1PN-derived blastocysts. Wider implications of the findings A pronucleus of less than 15 μm in diameter can be considered a micro PN. Compared to 3PN zygotes, 2.1PN zygotes were more frequently observed in older patients and in ICSI-derived zygotes. However, it is difficult to predict the incidence of 2.1PN zygotes from the oocytes’ morphological characteristics at ICSI. Trial registration number not applicable

Study question The aim of this study is to analyse the association between blastocyst diameter and TVs development, and to examine the efficacy of AH. Summary answer Blastocysts with a diameter of more than 170 μm leads to high incidence of TVs and AH applied from the incidence should be effective. What is known already TVs are protrusion of trophectoderm cells often observed in expanding blastocyst stages. TVs can be observed in expanding blastocysts regardless of Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and Conventional-IVF (C-IVF), when the internal pressure of blastocysts increase. The rate of TVs incidence in blastocysts inseminated by ICSI is higher than that by C-IVF, due to penetration of the needle into the zona pellucida. Moreover, it has been reported that TVs may inhibit blastocyst hatching. However, the developmental timing of TVs is still unclear, and there is no study that has analysed the association between blastocyst diameter and the incidence of TVs. Study design, size, duration 1) Diameters and TVs incidence of blastocysts by ICSI and C-IVF were measured, and the cut-off value and the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were calculated to estimate the timing of TV incidence. 2) We analysed the clinical pregnancy rates of blastocysts with TVs treated by AH compared to those of blastocysts by C-IVF not subjected to AH. Participants/materials, setting, methods This study included 821 transferred frozen blastocysts ranging from March 2018 to November 2019. The embryos were cultured in a dry incubator after insemination by ICSI or C-IVF. Blastocyst freezing conditions were set at day5 to day7 with a diameter of more than 150 μm in inner diameter of zona pellucida, and this was measured before freezing. The ROC curve was performed using EZR statistical analysis software. Main results and the role of chance 1) The incidence of TVs in blastocysts by ICSI and C-IVF was 27.5% (117/424) and 14.6% (58/397) respectively. The rate of the incidence of TVs in blastocysts inseminated by ICSI and C-IVF; 8.6% (12/140) and 0.95% (1/105) in 150–159 μm, 12.7% (14/110) and 8.2% (6/73) in 160–169 μm, 40.6% (28/69) and 10.5% (6/57) in 170–179 μm, 55.6% (30/54) and 25.5% (13/51) in 180–189 μm, 66.7% (20/30) and 35.7% (10/28) in 190–199 μm, and 68.4% (13/19) and 26.8% (22/82) in the diameter of more than 200 μm. The cut-off value of the ROC curve was respectively 170 μm (sensitivity 78.6% and specificity 73.0%) and 176 μm (sensitivity 84.5% and specificity 59.6%) in the diameter; the AUC was 0.8 [95%CI:0.752–0.848] and 0.74 [95%CI:0.687–0.793] respectively. 2) The clinical pregnancy rate of TVs blastocyst vs C-IVF blastocyst was 52.7% (88/167) vs 57.8% (37/64) respectively. There is no significant difference between the two clinical pregnancy rates (P = 0.556). Limitations, reasons for caution The findings of this study have to be seen in light of some limitations. Since this study aimed to analyse the incidence of TVs based on blastocyst size, we did not take into account the grade according to the Gardner classification and the number of trophectoderm cells. Wider implications of the findings: Blastocysts inseminated by ICSI and C-IVF were highly likely to have TVs above 170 μm and 176 μm respectively. The clinical pregnancy rates of the blastocyst with TV treated by AH was similar to those of the C-IVF blastocyst. Trial registration number Not applicable

Aims: To establish a system for screening and identification of essential genes from the pathogenic haploid yeast Candida glabrata by using temperature-sensitive (ts) mutants. Methods and Results: Based on the general concepts that ts mutations are generated within essential genes in the genome by virtue of point mutation, we attempted to establish a system where essential genes were screened and identified from the C. glabrata genomic DNA library by the complementation of ts point mutations. By using this system, we successfully identified a putative TEM1 homologue as an essential gene by the complementation of a point mutation (-GAT-/-AAT- corresponding to Asp-143/Asn substitution) within its coding region in a ts mutant, T-3. Conclusions: We were able to establish a system for screening and identification of the essential genes, such as the TEM1 homologue, from the pathogenic yeast C. glabrata, as the gene that complements ts mutation. Significance and Impact of the Study: The identification of essential genes, by using the present system, may provide novel potential antifungal targets.

When insects molt, the exoskeleton is renewed under the controls of insect hormones via the biosynthesis and degradation of cuticle proteins. To understand the hormonal control of cuticle formation, we used the differential display method to look for stage-specific cuticle genes, and identified a novel cDNA named Bombyx mori Cuticle Protein GlyGlyTyr-repeat 1 (BMCPG1). Expression of BMCPG1 mRNA peaked sharply immediately after a pulse of ecdysteroid during the fourth molt and pre-pupal stages, concurrent with the expression of genes for FTZF1 and dopa decarboxylase. BMCPG1 was expressed only in the epidermis, but not in any other tissue. We cultured the larval epidermis and found that BMCPG1 expression is not induced by the continuous presence of ecdysteroid. Removal of ecdysteroid from the medium, which constitutes a pulse treatment, is required for the induction of BMCPG1 transcription. These results explain well the stage-specific expression of BMCPG1 by ecdysteroid in vivo. Based on its expression patterns and unique structure, we propose that BMCPG1 may be a novel component of epicuticle of B. mori, and is probably involved in cross-linking of proteins via its GGY repeats.

The control of the mesoporous structure in a carbon membrane from a poly(ethylene glycol)/polyimide-blended polymer was investigated. The size of the pores tends to become large with increase of the content of poly(ethylene glycol) against polyimide, that is, the mesoporous structure could be controlled by the composition of the blended polymers. On the other hand, the average molecular weight of poly(ethylene glycol) has little effect from the viewpoint of the control of the pore structure. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 836–841, 2001

Saccharomyces cerevisiae rhk mutants were previously shown to have a phenotype that is resistant to HM-1 killer toxin secreted from Hansenula mrakii IFO 0895. The RHK1/ALG3 gene encodes a mannosyl-transferase that is involved in the synthesis of an oligosaccharide in protein N-glycosylation. Previously, this gene was cloned and shown to complement the rhk1 mutation. In this study, the RHK2 gene, which complements the rhk2 mutation, was cloned. The RHK2 gene was found to be identical to the essential gene STT3, which encodes a subunit of the oligosaccharyl-transferase complex. This complex transfers the core oligosaccharide to proteins. The rhk2 mutants showed supersensitivity to several drugs (Calcofluor White, caffeine and FK506), suggesting that these strains have cell-wall defects. Activity staining of invertase in an acrylamide gel indicated that it was underglycosylated. These results suggest that one or more mannoproteins are involved in the cytocidal process of HM-1.

Single-phase crystalline fine particles of (CrxV1−x)2O3 have been synthesized by a vapor-phase explosive reaction of a gas mixture of CrO2Cl2 + VOCl3 + H2 + O2 induced by a single laser pulse. The distribution of particle size was uniform with a mean particle size of 80 nm. Lattice constants of (CrxV1−x)2O3 (x=0−1) were accurately determined by the whole-powder-pattern decomposition (WPPD) method. A sharp increase in the a axis-length and a sharp decrease in the c axis-length of the hexagonal unit cell of the oxide (x=0.03) have been observed. The crystal structures of (CrxV1−x)2O3 (x=0.15, 0.5, 0.7) were studied by Rietveld analysis.

A transformation system for Hansenula fabianii J640, a commonly used wastewater treatment yeast, was constructed. As a host cell, a uracil auxotrophic mutant designated as H. fabianii J640 u-1, which was confirmed to have a mutation at the locus of the gene for orotidine-5'-phosphate (OMP) decarboxylase (URA3), was obtained by positive selection using 5-fluoroorotic acid. A plasmid named pHFura3, which includes a 795-bp open-reading frame of the OMP decarboxylase H. fabianii, was obtained by complementation of the Escherichia coli pyrF mutant, pHFura3 could transform H. fabianii J640 u-1 by a non-homologous and frequently multicopy integration into the host genomic DNA.

The HM-1 killer toxin from Hansenula mrakii is known to inhibit cell wall beta-1,3-glucan synthase of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and other sensitive strains of yeast. A number of mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that show resistance to this toxin were isolated in order to clarify the killing mechanism of the toxin. These mutants, designated rhk (resistant to Hansenula killer), were classified into three complementation groups. A novel gene RHK1, which complements the killer-resistant phenotype of the largest complementation group rhk1, was isolated. DNA sequence analysis revealed an open reading frame that encodes a hydrophobic protein composed of 458 amino acids. Gene disruption followed by tetrad analysis showed that RHK1 is not essential and loss of RHK1 function endowed S. cerevisiae cells with complete killer resistance. A biochemical analysis suggested that RHK1 does not participate directly in the synthesis of beta-1,3-glucan but is involved in the synthesis of the receptor for the HM-1 killer toxin.

For the ternary intermetallic compound NdPd{sub 2}Al{sub 3} systematic measurements by means of X-ray diffraction, dc susceptibility, and specific heat on a series of polycrystalline and single-crystalline samples reveal a significant dependence of physical and magnetic properties on sample preparation procedures. The Neel temperature T{sub N} with values between 7.7 K and 5.2 K shows a linear dependence on the hexagonal lattice constant a, which is not valid for c. The best NdPd{sub 2}Al{sub 3} sample was investigated by high-resolution powder neutron diffraction: The crystal structure agrees well with the ordered hexagonal PrNi{sub 2}Al{sub 3}-type structure. The antiferromagnetic structure corresponds to a propagation vector k = [1/2, 0, 0]. The ordered magnetic Nd moments of (2.28 {+-} 0.07) {mu}{sub B} at saturation lie in the basal plane due to the crystal-electric field anisotropy and are oriented perpendicular to the propagation vector. Magnetic properties of NdPd{sub 2}Al{sub 3} are compared with those of isostructural compounds including the heavy-fermion superconductor UPd{sub 2}Al{sub 3} and the heavy-fermion antiferromagnetic CePd{sub 2}Al{sub 3}.

Degradation of tetrachloroguaiacol is catalyzed by an extracellular enzyme, the laccase of the white-rot fungus Coriolus versicolor. This enzyme catalyzes the dechlorination of tetrachloroguaiacol and release of chloride ions. The pathway for the degradation was deduced from the intermediates produced by purified laccase and 18O-labeling experiments. The first step is demethylation. The resulting tetrachlorocatechol is dechlorinated to give 2,3,5-trichloro-6-hydroxy-p-benzoquinone, 2,5-dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-p-benzoquinone, and dichloro-6-hydroxy-p-benzoquinone. Isotopic experiments established the mechanism of dechlorination of tetrachloroguaiacol by laccase. The laccase-catalyzed dechlorination is not caused by oxidative coupling but by nucleophilic substitution in which Cl- is released by water from cation radicals generated by laccase.

Hydrogen-like exciton states at high magnetic fields up to 25 T are studied by magnetic-optical spectroscopy of a multiquantum well sample with 265 A-thick wells of GaAs and 260 A-thick barriers of AlAs. These excitonic states are well explained by effective mass calculations which takes into account residual electric fields in the sample and the valence band mixing in magnetic fields. A symmetry change of the exciton ground state is observed at a magnetic field of ≈ 15 T.

The ultrafine particles synthesized by a TEA-CO2 laser induced plasma reaction of a UF6/H2/Ar gas mixture were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The product was found to be UF5 ultrafine particles with an average diameter of 15 nm by XPS and TEM. XRD measurements showed that the 2θ values of the three peaks observed for the UF5 ultrafine particles were shifted to lower angle by 1° than the corresponding peaks of β-UF5 crystal. This suggests that the lattice constants of the ultrafine particles became larger by 2 to 5% than those of the crystal.

We constructed a Hopfield-type optical neural computing system that performs the operation of autoassociative memory and pattern recognition as recollection using ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) EO devices for a part of the neuron. We succeeded in using this optoelectric system consisting of nine FLC based neurons and black / white photomasks as interconnection weight for simple striped pattern recognition. It takes 1 or 1.5 ms to perform the computation; the dynamics of the computing process is successfully reproduced by a simulation.

Energy shifts of the higher states of 2D excitons in a GaAs(265 A)/AlAs(250 A) Multi-Quantum-Well (MQW) under high magnetic fields up to 23 T were observed clearly with photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy (PLE) in the photon energy region of 1.52 eV up to 1.55 eV. The H3(1s)-assigned line was split into 3 lines over 18 T. The crossing behavior between the ground state of a heavy-hole exciton (HH1(1s)) and the ground state of a light-hole exciton (LH1(1s)) was also observed around 15 T.

The electric-field dependence of the dielectric constant of some materials which show a strong electroclinic effect in the SA phase, has been studied by measurement of the transitional dielectric constant. We suggest that the observed variation of the dielectric constant may originate from the electric field induced dielectric biaxiality; this is inherent in a material that exhibits the electroclinic effect.

We have directly observed the site-selective photo-enhanced decomposition of triethylgallium (TEG) for the first time by using reflection high energy electron diffraction in chemical beam epitaxy (CBE) of GaAs. The decomposition rate of TEG is enhanced to a greater extent on an As surface in comparison with that on a Ga surface under Ar + laser irradiation. The laser irradiation also enhances the surface migration of adsorbates.

An initial growth stage of InGaAs on (100) GaAs using gaseous sources of triethylgallium (TEG), trimethylindium (TMI), and arsine has been studied through reflection high-energy electron diffraction intensity oscillations. The growth rate of InGaAs gradually decreased with proceeding growth. The decreasing growth rate had strong dependencies on the growth temperature and the AsH 3 flow rate. At a growth temperature of 570° C, a 50% reduction of the growth rate was observed after the growth of eight monolayers of InGaAs. These phenomena are attributed to indium surface segregation, by which the decomposition and /or desorption kinetics of gallium compound gases (diethylgallium, TEG, etc.) are strongly affected.

Enregistrement des spectres d'excitation d'un puits quantique large de haute qualite GaAs/AlAs en presence de champs magnetiques allant jusqu'a GT. Les spectres se distinguent par une structure fine compliquee qui depend fortement du champ magnetique. En comparant les resultats aux calculs theoriques qui prennent en compte les effets de melange d'excitons, on peut attribuer la plupart des structures observees dans les spectres. Les spectres obtenus a haute resolution montrent clairement qu'un modele du melange de nombreux excitons est necessaire pour expliquer les spectres d'excitation des puits quantiques larges

This paper proposes a hybrid meta-heuristic method of parallel tabu search (PTS) and ordinal optimization (OO) for transmission network expansion planning in power systems. It determines the optimal structure that keeps the balance between generations and loads. The formulation is expressed as a combinatorial optimization problem that is very hard to solve. PTS is one of meta-heuristics that is useful for solving a combinatorial optimization. To speed up computational time of PTS, OO is used to reduce the number of solution candidates in a probabilistic way. The proposed method with OO-TS is successfully applied to a sample system.

High performance normal incidence multilayer optics has been required for water-window wavelengths raging from 2.33 to 4.37 nm, at which soft x-ray microscope can be expected for living cells. Various fabrication studies have been reported with multilayer structures of W/Sc, W/B4C, and so on. However, high reflectance enough to be practically used has not been obtained, because surface roughness, imperfections of interfaces and atomic-scale controllability of layer thickness are technical issues to be solved in these wavelengths. We have developed novel metal oxide multilayers with amorphous titanium oxide and aluminum oxide fabricated by atomic layer deposition technique, which can preferably prevent from making an alloy at the interface. This technique makes it possible to control the film thickness on an atomic scale due to self-limiting adsorption mechanism in surface chemical reactions.

This paper proposes an efficient method for distribution network expansion planning under new environment. The proposed method optimizes the distribution network expansion planning with two-layered tabu search that considers different neighborhood creation. In this paper, a new network expansion planning method is presented to consider distributed generation and the outage cost in distribution systems. The problem formulation may be expressed as a more complicated combinatorial optimization problem. As a result, a new technique is required to solve the problem. This paper proposed a two-layered tabu search that deals with the optimal location of distribution generation at layer 1 and the feeder and substation at layer 2. The technique allows tabu search to handle different types of integer variables. The proposed method is tested in a sample system.

In this paper, dual tabu search is presented for capacitor control in distribution systems. Capacitor control is important in maintaining power quality in distribution systems. The problem formulation of capacitor control may be expressed as a combinatorial optimization problem of capacitor banks. Meta-heuristics is more efficient for solving a combinatorial optimization problem. In particular, tabu search of meta-heuristics is one of the promising meta-heuristics. However, tabu search still has room for improving the solution quality in a large-scale combinatorial optimization problem. This paper proposes a new tabu search that makes use of the dual code for the initial value. For a given initial value, the dual code is considered and a couple of initial values allow the algorithm to evaluate better solutions. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated in the 32-node and 69-node distribution systems.

This paper proposes a parallel tabu search (PTS) based method for distribution network expansion planning in consideration of distributed generation (DG). It may be expressed as a combinatorial optimization problem that determines the location and capacity of feeders and substations while minimizing the network loss and installation cost. In this paper, DG is considered in the network expansion planning due to the importance in the deregulated distribution network. At the same time, the outage cost is introduced to improve the power quality in distribution systems. As a result, the formulation makes the network expansion planning problem much more complicated. To overcome the problem, this paper applies PTS of meta-heuristics to the distribution network expansion planning so that computational effort is reduced and the diversity of solution candidate is improved to evaluate a better solution. The proposed method is successfully applied to a sample system.

Cyanobiphenyl liquid crystals absorb strongly in the ultraviolet. These absorption bands are highly dichroic. The dichroic ratio changes as a function of order parameter and orientation of the liquid crystals. Plots of the dichroic ratio as a function of film thickness demonstrate that the polymer alignment layer not only imposes an orientation on the liquid crystal director but also lowers the order parameter of the liquid crystal near the polymer surface. A sharp decrease in dichroic ratio occurs at film thicknesses near 35 nm, suggesting a phase transition which may be caused by the appearance of a biaxial phase or smectic layering at the air interface.

The present paper describes a simple enrichment technique which enables rapid and selective isolation of diverse zoosporic actinomycete genera directly from soil and plant litter. This technique, designated the rehydration and centrifugation (RC) method, consists of immersing the air-dried source material in 10 mM phosphate buffer containing 10% soil extract, letting the preparation stand at 30 degrees C for 90 min, followed by centrifugation of the fluid at 1,500 x g for 20 min. Portions of the supernatant containing actinomycete zoospores are plated on the humic acid-vitamin agar which is supplemented with nalidixic acid and trimethoprim as the selective inhibitors for Gram-negative bacteria and bacilli. The phosphate buffer-soil extract solution significantly promoted liberation of motile zoospores from the source material. The centrifugation stage greatly eliminated streptomycetes and other non-motile actinomycetes from the liquid phase, thereby facilitating selective growth of rare, motile actinomycetes on the isolation plates subsequent to inoculation. Ten different soil and leaf-litter samples, taken from fields, forests, and stream banks, were examined. The RC method consistently achieved preferential isolation of motile actinomycetes in all samples, which accounted for 37-86% of the total microbial population recovered. The most frequently isolated motile actinomycetes were Actinoplanes and Dactylosporangium. Strains of Actinokineospora, Catenuloplanes and Kineosporia were also recovered, depending on the nature of the samples examined. Other motile actinomycetes that were occasionally isolated in small numbers included Actinosynnema, Geodermatophilus and Sporichthya.

A White-rot fungus Coriolus versicolor is a typical lignin-biodegrading fungus and secretes laccases. We could isolate three laccase fractions, Laccase I, II and III by gel-filtration, ion-exchange, carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxyapatite chromatographies. These three laccases were characterized by substrate specificity for several simple phenols, electrophoresis patterns, ultraviolet spectra, electron spin resonance spectra, copper content, immunological similarity, and the biodegradability of several lignin model compounds, wood meals and thin cross-sections of woods. It was clear that laccase III is the most abundant secreted isozyme among them and is involved in the depolymerization of lignin. We obtained a candidate gene of laccase III from the cDNA library. The genomic library of C. versicolor was screened with the cDNA probes of laccase III and two positive clones were selected. One was a laccase gene encoding laccase III, another clone was an unknown laccase gene. Finally, we succeeded in the isolation of the Laccase III gene. We tried to establish the transformation system by the electroporation method to make a new C. versicolor secreting more laccase III. Protoplasts were prepared from the mycelia harvested from C. versicolor. Green Fluorescent Protein Vector (GFP) was used as a marker gene to determine the efficiency of transformation. Finally, the introduction of foreign genes by electroporation was confirmed by fluorescent microscope and these transformants could be screened on media containing G418.

The KlPCK1 gene encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK; ATP-dependent) was cloned from the Kluyveromyces lactis genome using a PCR amplicon from Saccharomyces cerevisiae PCK1 gene as a probe. A DNA fragment of about 4.8 kb containing KlPCK1 complemented PEPCK activity of the mutant of S. cerevisiae defective in PEPCK. The KlPCK1 gene has an open reading frame of 1629 bp (543 amino acids). The KlPCK1 nucleotide sequence and deduced amino acid sequence showed 76% and 84% homologies to those of S. cerevisiae PCK1, respectively. Multiple alignment of ATP-dependent PEPCK genes shows highly conserved regions.

In search for factors that cause encapsulation of foreign bodies in insect hemolymph we discovered that larval hemolymph of Galleria mellonella caused aggregation of mammalian erythrocytes. The hemagglutinating agent was identified as an 18-kDa protein that did not react with lectins. The sequence of 81 amino acids in three protein fragments and the properties of the protein revealed that it was Galleria homologue of apolipophorin III (apoLp-III). ApoLp-III was found in high amounts in the hemolymph of Galleria larvae, pupae, and adults, as well as in the molting fluid. The hemagglutinating action of the whole hemolymph or the purified apoLp-III was independent of the presence of sugars in the medium. This indicated that it was not mediated by carbohydrates on the erythrocyte surface. The hemagglutination was inhibited at low pH (3.0), in the absence of calcium ions, and in the presence of certain bacterial lipopolysaccharides or their essential component, the 2-keto-3-deoxyoctonate-3-deoxyoctulosonic acid (KDO). It is suggested that interaction of apoLp-III with lipopolysaccharides in bacterial cell walls may play a role in insect immune reactions.

Geographical Survey Institute (GSI) established the GPS Regional Array for PrEcise Surveying (the Grapes) and started the operation from October, 1994. Since the start of the operation, three large earthquakes took place in Japan; the 1994 Kurile Islands (Hokkaido-Toho-Oki) earthquake (M8.1), the 1994 Far-Off-Sanriku earthquake (M7.5), and the 1995 Kobe earthquake (M7.2). We applied a post-processing kinematic analysis for the GPS data from these earthquakes to investigate crustal deformations with high temporal resolution. We will discuss the possibility of using a dense GPS array as seismographs for monitoring crustal deformation in a seismo-geodetic band.

Amorphous TN(twisted by 90°) and amorphous highly twisted chiral nematic (N*)(twisted by 300°) are utilized for fabricating TN and GHLCDs, respectively, and furthermore, photopolymer films are utilized for fabricating TNLCD and hybrid aligned N-LCD. These NLC alignment techniques are non-rubbing techniques and they make it possible to overcome the disadvantages of current rubbing technique. An overview of LCDs in Japan is also given.

With an aim of improving a current-driving capability, Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) diodes consisting of a photoconductive polyimide (PI) layer sandwiched between conventional thin PI contact layers have been fabricated by a Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) method, and electrical characterizations of the diodes have been carried out. The results show that, in comparison with conventional homo-type diodes, the heterostructured diodes had stable current vs. voltage characteristics and the improved current-driving capability.

376 Background: Gasless single port retroperitoneal radical nephrectomy is minimally invasive, curative and cost effective operation which we have developed since 1998 (Eur Urol Suppl 2009; 8: 392), and covered by the Japanese universal insurance system from April, 2008. Patients necessitating dialysis are considered high risk operative candidates because of their multiple comorbidities. We compared surgical outcomes of dialysis patients with non-dialysis patients to evaluate this operation as treatment for high risk group. Methods: We reviewed 304 consecutive patients including 59 (19.4%) dialysis patients who underwent CO2 gasless single port retroperitoneal radical nephrectomy at our institute between 2000 and 2009. Complications within the first 30 days after the surgery were graded retrospectively according to the modified Clavien classification system. Patient demographics, operative outcomes, and complications were compared between dialysis and non-dialysis patients. Results: In all patients, the median patient age and body mass index were 60 years and 23.0 kg/m2. The median length of surgical incision, operative time (OT) and estimated blood loss (EBL) were 6.5 cm, 189 minutes and 214 mL, respectively. The transfusion rate was 3.3%. The intra and postoperative complication rate were 3.9% and 10.1%. Two grade 3a (ureteral obstruction, 1; diverticulitis, 1), three grade 3b (occlusion of peripheral hemodialysis shunt, 3) and two grade 4 (pulmonary embolism, 1; acute heart failure, 1) surgical complications occurred. In dialysis patients, the mean BMI was lower (20.4 vs. 23.3, p Conclusions: Our data supports the safety and feasibility of gasless single port retroperitoneal radical nephrectomy for dialysis patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

385 Background: Indication of nephron sparing surgery (NSS) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been extending, as NSS can be considered for not only cT1a but also cT1b tumors. However, some cT1 diseases have pathological perinephric or renal sinus fat invasion. It is useful to know the probability of the presence of fat invasion before surgery, but diagnostic ability of imaging studies such as CT for predicting pT3a disease is limited. Therefore, estimation of the risk for pT3a disease in cT1 RCC patients could be helpful. C-reactive protein (CRP) has been shown to be a strong prognostic factor in RCC patients, reflecting tumor aggressiveness. We evaluated the predictive ability of preoperative CRP for pT3a disease in cT1N0M0 RCC patients. Methods: Of consecutive 386 patients treated with radical nephrectomy for cT1a-bN0M0 RCC, 82 were excluded due to hemodialysis, inflammatory disease, bilateral synchronous renal tumors, synchronous other malignant disease or loss of each data. The remaining 304 patients constituted the current study cohort. Cut off point of CRP was 3 mg/L. Associations were analyzed between pT3a and preoperative factors including age, sex, BMI, laterality, tumor size, CRP, hemoglobin, platelet, LDH, ALP, calcium and albumin. We developed a multivariate model for predicting pT3a disease in cT1 RCC. Results: Of the 304 patients, 28 (9%) had pT3a disease. Of 43 patients with elevated CRP level, 10 (23%) had pT3a disease. In contrast, of the remaining 261 patients with non-elevated CRP level, 18 (7%) had (p=0.002). Univariate and then multivariate analyses identified age (p=0.021), tumor size (p=0.007), and CRP (p=0.024) as independent and significant predictors for pT3a disease. Incorporating these three factors, we developed a predictive model for pT3a disease with predictive accuracy of area under the ROC curve of 0.772. Conclusions: Preoperative CRP is an independent predictor for pT3a disease in cT1 RCC along with age and tumor size. The model could be useful to estimate the risk of the probability of fat invasion before surgery, especially NSS. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

374 Background: The widespread use of modern imaging techniques has resulted in the increased detection of small, asymptomatic renal tumors. Some recent studies from Western countries have reported that the incidence of benign lesions is approximately 15% in patients undergoing definitive surgery for renal masses presumed to be clinical stage I renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The high level of noncancerous lesions is, to some extent, due to the fact that no imaging feature can accurately distinguish either oncocytoma or lipid-poor angiomyolipma (AML) from RCC. This study attempts to determine the incidence of benign pathologic findings for such renal masses in Asian patients. Methods: Between 1991 and 2009, 711 consecutive patients (218 women and 493 men) underwent partial (n=206) or radical (n=505) nephrectomy for renal masses presumed to be stage T1N0M0 (T1a/T1b= 503/208) sporadic RCC on preoperative imaging in two Japanese centers. The mean size of the lesions was 3.3 cm (range 0.3-7.0). The pathologic features were reviewed by an experienced pathologist. Results: Of the 711 masses, 53 (7.5%) revealed benign pathologic findings. Twenty-two (3.1%) were AMLs, 13 (1.8%) were oncocytomas, 8 (1.1%) were complicated cysts, and 10 were others. Twenty-eight (12.8%) of the 218 females and 25 (5.1%) of the 493 males had benign lesions (p=0.0005). Of the 357 patients aged 60 years or younger, 37 (10.4%) had benign lesions while only 16 (4.5%) of the 354 patients over 60 years did (p=0.024). Forty six (9.2%) of the 503 T1a and 7 (3.4%) of the 203 T1b masses were benign (p=0.0071). A multivariate logistic regression model showed that sex, age and tumor size were all independently predictive of benign histology, particularly of AML. Conclusions: The present incidence (7.5%) of benign lesions in presumed clinical stage T1N0M0 RCC masses at nephrectomy was lower than the incidence of approximately 15% previously reported from Western countries, probably because of the low incidence of oncocytomas in Japanese patients. Female gender, young age and small tumor size are all independently predictive of benign lesions, particularly of AML in Japanese patients. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

159 Background: Treatment with an LH-RH agonist is a standard alternative to surgical castration for prostate cancer patients. The serum testosterone level is kept at castrate levels continuously during LH-RH agonist therapy in almost all patients (Fujii Y, BJU Int 2008). LH- RH agonists, however, are more expensive than surgical castration, with drugs costing between US $300 and $500 per month in Japan. Recent studies suggest that 3-monthly formulations of LH-RH agonists suppress the serum testosterone levels far longer than the 3-month dosing interval. Methods: A total of 43 Japanese patients with prostate cancer who were treated with 3-monthly LH-RH agonists (23 with 11.25mg leuprolide, and 20 with 10.8 mg goserelin) for one year or longer and whose testosterone levels were kept at castrate level (defined as < 50 ng/dL) were entered into this prospective, longitudinal study. After entry, the 43 men received the same 3-monthly LH-RH agonists at 6-month intervals, and had serum LH and testosterone tests performed at 3-month intervals. Bicalutamide was combined with the LH-RH agonists in 12 of the patients. Results: At entry, median patient age was 74 years (range 59 to 89), median duration of LH-RH agonists treatment was 26 months (12 to 125), and median LH and testosterone levels were Conclusions: Administration of 3-monthly LH-RH agonists, either leuprolide or goserelin, at 6-month intervals could maintain the castrate level of serum testosterone at least in Japanese prostate cancer patients who have received LH-RH agonists treatment for one year or longer. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The temporal dynamics of an exciton in a higher quantum-well subband is observed. The lifetime of the exciton formed by an electron of the lowest subband and a heavy hole of the second subband in GaAs quantum wells is determined by time-resolved luminescence as 130±20 ps, in agreement with theoretical estimations of intersubband scattering by acoustic-phonon emission. Consequences for intersubband lasers are substantial