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The use of azacitidine (AZA) has been known to lead to a high incidence of hematotoxic adverse events. The aims of this study were to identify the risk factors for thrombocytopenia after the administration of AZA and to analyze time to the initial platelet transfusion. Sixty-two patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), who were treated with AZA in Gifu Municipal Hospital between March 2012 and June 2020, were included in this study. The risk factors for thrombocytopenia were identified using univariate analysis of patient characteristics, disease type, and laboratory values immediately before the start of treatment. Variables with p<0.2 identified in the univariate analysis were used as independent variables in the multivariate analysis. This analysis identified "creatinine clearance (CCr) <60 mL/min" as a significant factor (odds ratio, 4.790; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.380-16.70; p=0.014). Subsequently, time in days to the initial platelet transfusion after the initial administration of AZA was analyzed using the log-rank test. The overall median time in days to platelet transfusion was 370 days. The log-rank test was used to determine the influence of patient characteristics, disease type, and laboratory values immediately before the start of treatment. The subsequent Cox proportional hazard regression analysis using variables with p<0.2 as independent variables identified "hemoglobin (Hb) <8.0 g/dL" as a significant factor (hazard ratio, 2.143; 95% CI, 1.001-4.573; p=0.048). The results of this study led to the following clinical implications: first, patients with CCr of <60 mL/min at the start of treatment should be treated with caution due to the risk of thrombocytopenia. Second, patients with Hb of <8.0 g/dL at the start of treatment may require platelet transfusion in the early stage of treatment.

AimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between Salter’s criteria and Kalamchi’s classification of avascular necrosis in patients treated for developmental dysphasia of the hip (DDH).Patients and MethodsThe study involved a retrospective analysis of 123 patients (123 hips) with DDH treated by operative and non-operative reduction before the age of two years, with a minimum follow-up of ten years. Salter’s criteria (S1 to S4) were determined from radiographs obtained at one to two years post-reduction, whilst the Kalamchi grade was determined from radiographs obtained at ten or more years of age. Early post-reduction radiographs were also used to evaluate the centre-head distance discrepancy (CHDD) and the occurrence of a dome-shaped deformity of the proximal femoral metaphysis (D-shaped metaphysis).The prognosis was described as good (Kalamchi grade K0 or KI), fair (Kalamchi grade KII) or poor (Kalamchi grade KIII or KIV) for analysis and correlation with the early Salter criteria, CHDD and D-shaped metaphysis.ResultsS1 and S2 criteria were predictive of a poor prognosis. The outcome following S3, S4 and S3 + S4 varied; 18 (40%) had a good prognosis, 17 (38%) a fair prognosis and ten (22%) a poor prognosis. A CHDD ≥ 10% and a D-shaped metaphysis were also predictive of a poor prognosis.ConclusionThe Salter criteria were predictive of the Kalamchi grade of avascular necrosis in patients with DDH aged ten or more years after reduction of the hip. Cite this article: Bone Joint J2017;99-B:1115–20.

The present study has concerned on some electrochemical reactions in non-aqueous electrolytes containing 1,3- substituted imidazolium cations, having unique planar(aromatic) structures and properties such as forming hydrogen bond, which are expected to provide pseudo-capacitance in the application for electrochemical capacitor systems. The pseudo-capacitance of ruthenium oxide can be obtained in these electrolytes. The composite electrode of ruthenium oxide nano-particles dispersed with large surface area activated carbon support provides capacitance available in practical system. The tuning of capacitance by molecular design of imidazolium cation is also possible. The intercalation of imidazolium ion into interlayer space of graphite is promoted by the well-defined crystalline graphite and appropriate solvent such as acetonitrile. Such dependence of solvent species for pseudo-capacitive reactions is somewhat in relation to the solvation status of imidazolium cation.

High levels of cholesterol have been proposed as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Polymorphism of genes encoding proteins that regulate cholesterol metabolism have also been associated with the frequency of Alzheimer's development. Some studies have shown that cholesterol-lowering drugs reduce the frequency of AD development. The proposed role of cholesterol in AD has been challenged by several studies. In this review, we provide a brief account of the major pieces of evidence in support of and against the possible role of cholesterol in the development of AD, and the methodologies used. We highlight the interactions between cholesterol and amyloid beta (Aβ) and, with the peptide's precursor protein. Drawing from our teams' recent findings, we speculate on how Aβ peptides may influence the fluidity, stability of the membrane, as well as membrane morphological changes.

High levels of cholesterol have been proposed as a risk factor for Alzheimers disease (AD). Polymorphism of genes encoding proteins that regulate cholesterol metabolism have also been associated with the frequency of Alzheimers development. Some studies have shown that cholesterol-lowering drugs reduce the frequency of AD development. The proposed role of cholesterol in AD has been challenged by several studies. In this review, we provide a brief account of the major pieces of evidence in support of and against the possible role of cholesterol in the development of AD, and the methodologies used. We highlight the interactions between cholesterol and amyloid beta (A) and, with the peptides precursor protein. Drawing from our teams recent findings, we speculate on how A peptides may influence the fluidity, stability of the membrane, as well as membrane morphological changes.

The programmed death‐1 (PD‐1)/B7‐H1 pathway acts as an important negative regulator of immune responses. We herein investigated the role of the PD‐1/B7‐H1 pathway in establishing an immunological spontaneous tolerance status in mouse liver allografting. B7‐H1 is highly expressed on the donor‐derived tissue cells and it is also associated with the apoptosis of infiltrating T cells in the allografts. Strikingly, a blockade of the PD‐1/B7‐H1 pathway via anti‐B7‐H1mAb or using B7‐H1 knockout mice as a donor led to severe cell infiltration as well as hemorrhaging and necrosis, thus resulting in mortality within 12 days. Furthermore, the expression of the FasL, perforin, granzyme B, iNOS and OPN mRNA in the liver allografts increased in the antibody‐treated group in comparison to the controls. Taken together, these data revealed that the B7‐H1 upregulation on the tissue cells of liver allografts thus plays an important role in the apoptosis of infiltrating cells, which might play a critical role of the induction of the spontaneous tolerance after hepatic transplantation in mice.

The programmed death-1 (PD-1)B7-H1 pathway acts as an important negative regulator of immune responses. We herein investigated the role of the PD-1B7-H1 pathway in establishing an immunological spontaneous tolerance status in mouse liver allografting. B7-H1 is highly expressed on the donor-derived tissue cells and it is also associated with the apoptosis of infiltrating T cells in the allografts. Strikingly, a blockade of the PD-1B7-H1 pathway via anti-B7-H1mAb or using B7-H1 knockout mice as a donor led to severe cell infiltration as well as hemorrhaging and necrosis, thus resulting in mortality within 12 days. Furthermore, the expression of the FasL, perforin, granzyme B, iNOS and OPN mRNA in the liver allografts increased in the antibody-treated group in comparison to the controls. Taken together, these data revealed that the B7-H1 upregulation on the tissue cells of liver allografts thus plays an important role in the apoptosis of infiltrating cells, which might play a critical role of the induction of the spontaneous tolerance after hepatic transplantation in mice.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between patient characteristics and reasons for extraction of permanent teeth. METHODS: 5131 dentists were selected from the list of the membership directory of the Japan Dental Association by systematic random selection. The dentists were asked to record the reason for each extraction of permanent teeth during a period from February 1 to 7, 2005. Reasons for tooth extraction were assigned to five groups: caries, fracture of teeth weakened by caries or endodontics, periodontal diseases, orthodontics and other reasons. We used cross tabulation and multiple logistic regression analysis to estimate the relationships between patient characteristics and reasons for tooth extraction. RESULTS: 2001 dentists (response rate of 39.0%) returned the forms, and complete information on 7333 patients was obtained. A total of 3,196 (43.6%) patients underwent tooth extraction due to caries and its sequela, and 2721 (37.1%) patients underwent tooth extraction due to periodontal disease. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that denture wearers were more likely to undergo tooth extraction due to periodontal disease in all age groups (p < 0.05). Males tended to undergo tooth extraction due to periodontal disease than did females in all age groups (p < 0.05) except for age group 30-49. Subjects with 19 or less teeth were more likely to undergo tooth extraction due to periodontal disease in the age groups 30-49 (p < 0.001) and 50-69 (p < 0.001). In the age group of 50 years or older, female (p<0.01) and the possession of 20 or more natural teeth (p < 0.05) were related to caries extraction. However, there was no clear relationship between caries extraction and patient characteristics under 50 years old. CONCLUSION: There was a significant relationship between denture wearing and periodontal extraction. In the middle aged population, patients with 19 or less teeth lost their teeth mainly due to periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between patient characteristics and reasons for extraction of permanent teeth. Methods: 5,131 dentists were selected from the list of the membership directory of the Japan Dental Association by systematic random selection. The dentists were asked to record the reason for each extraction of permanent teeth during a period from February 1 to 7, 2005. Reasons for tooth extraction were assigned to five groups: caries, fracture of teeth weakened by caries or endodontics, periodontal diseases, orthodontics and other reasons. We used cross tabulation and multiple logistic regression analysis to estimate the relationships between patient characteristics and reasons for tooth extraction. Results: 2,001 dentists (response rate of 39.0%) returned the forms, and complete information on 7,333 patients was obtained. A total of 3,196 (43.6%) patients underwent tooth extraction due to caries and its sequela, and 2,721 (37.1%) patients underwent tooth extraction due to periodontal disease. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that denture wearers were more likely to undergo tooth extraction due to periodontal disease in all age groups (p<0.05). Males tended to undergo tooth extraction due to periodontal disease than did females in all age groups (p<0.05) except for age group 30-49. Subjects with 19 or less teeth were more likely to undergo tooth extraction due to periodontal disease in the age groups 30-49 (p<0.001) and 50-69 (p<0.001). In the age group of 50 years or older, female (p<0.01) and the possession of 20 or more natural teeth (p<0.05) were related to caries extraction. However, there was no clear relationship between caries extraction and patient characteristics under 50 years old. Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between denture wearing and periodontal extraction. In the middle aged population, patients with 19 or less teeth lost their teeth mainly due to periodontal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenol present in wastewaters from various industries has an inhibitory effect on nitrification even at low concentrations. Hence, the biological treatment of wastewater containing both phenol and ammonia involves a series of treatment steps. It is difficult to achieve nitrification capability in an activated sludge system that contains phenol at concentrations above the inhibitory level. Batch treatment of wastewater containing various concentrations of phenol showed that the ammonia oxidation capability of suspended Nitrosomonas europaeacells, an ammonia oxidizer, was completely inhibited in the presence of more than 5.0 mg/L phenol. To protect the ammonia oxidizer from the inhibitory effect of phenol and to achieve ammonia oxidation capability in the wastewater containing phenol at concentrations above the inhibitory level, a simple bacterial consortium composed of an ammonia oxidizer (N. europaea) and a phenol‐degrading bacterial strain (Acinetobactersp.) was used. Ammonia oxidation did not occur in the presence of phenol at concentrations above the inhibitory level when suspended or immobilized N. europaeaand Acinetobactersp. cells were used in batch treatment. Following the acclimatization of the immobilized cells, accumulation of nitrite was observed, even when the wastewater contained phenol at concentrations above the inhibitory level. These results showed that immobilization was effective in protecting N. europaeacells from the inhibitory effect of phenol present in the wastewater.

To examine the relation between the results of cardiac 123I-meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy and cardiovascular autonomic function in Lewy body disease (LBD).

The biological reduction of selenium oxyanions is capable of reducing both selenate and selenite to insoluble elemental selenium. In this process, however, bacteria inevitably require expensive chemicals such as yeast extract in almost all cases. Therefore, the reduction of selenium oxyanions with inexpensive alcohol would be more practical. A Pseudomonassp. strain 4C‐C isolated from a sludge in a wastewater treatment facility was able to reduce selenate to selenite using ethanol as an electron donor for its anaerobic respiration, but could not reduce selenite to elemental selenium. Paracoccus denitrificansJCM‐6892, on the other hand, was observed to be able to reduce selenite to elemental selenium in the presence of ethanol, but not selenate to selenite. Therefore, a mixture containing a suspension of Pseudomonassp. strain 4C‐C and P. denitrificansJCM‐6892 cells allowed selenate to be reduced to insoluble elemental selenium via selenite in the presence of ethanol and was also capable of reducing nitrate to nitrogen gas. Aiming at simplicity of the recovery process of insoluble elemental selenium, a polymeric gel immobilized mixture of the two bacterial strains was examined using ethanol as an electron donor. The immobilized mixture could therefore reduce not only selenate to elemental selenium, but also nitrate to nitrogen gas in a single step. The gel that immobilized the microbial mixture changed its color during the process to bright red and no red elemental selenium was left in the wastewater. This indicates that the reduced elemental selenium was completely absorbed in the gel. This simple bacterial combination would therefore be effective in the presence of ethanol to reduce selenium oxyanions in various wastewaters containing selenium and the other oxyanions.

This paper reports the fabrication and properties of a QMG®coil magnet as a high field application of an oxide bulk high Tcsuperconductor. QMG®is a high Jcbulk material, which consists of single crystalline 123 with finely dispersed 211. A QMG®coil with seven turns is made from a slice of Ag doped Gd-Ba-Cu-O QMG®by using precise machining techniques. The magnet is made from six layers of the QMG®coil with magnetic fields of 0.56 T at 340 A at 77 K and 1.18 T at 700 A at 63 K. In the present study, the magnetic fields reported in experiments are numerically analysed with an axisymmetric model, where the superconductive characteristic is evaluated using a critical state model. The numerical results for the magnetic field agree well with the experimental results.

Commercially pure titanium thin films were uniformly formed on inner surfaces of tissue culture dishes by DC sputtering method. Then, the thickness of the film was about 30nm and the films were thin titanium oxide layer on commercially pure titanium. MC3T3-E1 cells were normally cultured on the dishes. Then, The films on the dishes were not broken and did not decompose. After 24 hours, observations of the sample from the direction of the cells' bottom surfaces adhered the titanium oxide on the commercially pure titanium film by an inverted optical microscope succeeded. Therefore, the new technique is useful for observations the interactions between titanium oxide and cells.

This study compared the effect of intraperitoneal CO2insufflation with abdominal wall lift on RR interval, QT interval, the rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval, QT dispersion (QTD), and the rate-corrected QTD (QTcD) using computerized measurement during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Thirty patients scheduled for laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly assigned to 2 groups intraperitoneal CO2insufflation (CO2group) or abdominal wall lift (lift group). A 12-lead electrocardiogram was monitored to measure parameters. The RR interval, QT interval, and QTc interval did not change significantly during the study in both groups. The QTD and QTcD in the CO2group increased significantly during CO2insufflation, and were significantly higher than those of the lift group. Statistically significant increases of QTD and QTcD, which are associated with an increased risk of arrhythmias and cardiac events, occur during CO2insufflation, and QTD and QTcD in the CO2group were significantly higher than those of the lift group.

To perform genetic linkage analysis in a family affected with ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).

Progressive myoclonus epilepsy of the Unverricht-Lundborg type is an autosomal recessive disorder that is characterized clinically by myoclonic seizures and ataxia. The majority of affected individuals carry repeat expansions of a dodecamer in the promoter region of the cystatin B gene. The unusually high GC content of this tract is refractory to conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and, as a result, a circumventive procedure involving the deamination of DNA with sodium bisulfite has been proposed. This study evaluates the effectiveness of this deamination modification for the detection of dodecamer repeat variants. An analysis of 258 healthy Japanese individuals revealed an allele with four copies of the dodecamer repeat with a frequency of 0.01, in addition to the more commonly observed two and three copy repeat alleles. Homozygous repeat expansions 600 and 680 base pairs in length were detected in the analyses of two affected individuals. For these cases, sequencing, along with an alternative PCR-stutter formation, revealed 41 and 48 copies, respectively, of the dodecamer repeat. The complete conversion of C to T was observed in the expanded tracts, indicating that no methylation occurred at the CpG sites. Based on these results, it was concluded that the use of deaminated DNA allows for a precise analysis of consecutive GC tracts.

The technique of patterning of surfaces with metal-rich structures on micro- or nanoscales was developed by assembling metal nanoparticles into a thin film of polymer in a controllable way. Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles were incorporated into a thin film of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) using palladium (II) bis(acetylacetonato), Pd(acac)2, as a precursor vaporized in a nitrogen atmosphere. Depending upon its dose, the irradiation of a PMMA film by UV light or an electron beam (EB) enhances its reducing capability against Pd(acac)2. This dependency on dose can be used to control the formation and assembly of Pd nanoparticles. Using this technique, binary patterns consisting of metal-rich and metal-poor regions in the polymer film can be created simply by irradiating the surface of the polymer through a binary photomask. Besides the creation of binary patterns, it is also possible to create grayscale patterns where the density of Pd nanoparticles can be tuned to provide shades of gray by the use of light with continuously modulated intensity. Because the electron beam also enhances the reducing power of PMMA against Pd(acac)2, it is thus possible to obtain highly metallized films with nanoscale pattern features. The PMMA film can be selectively removed by oxygen plasma treatment or by pyrolysis. Thus, highly metallized surfaces with binary or grayscale patterns can be obtained by selective removal of the PMMA films. The metallized regions possess relatively high resistivity against CF4 plasma compared to the bare silicon surface; therefore, the metallized surface patterns can be transferred onto the underlying silicon substrate by CF4 plasma treatment. Because of the nanosize effect of metal nanoparticles, the thermal treatment at 900 °C, which is significantly lower than the melting temperature of the bulk Pd, yields continuous metallic features by binding the assembled nanoparticles.

The effects of side chain length on the molecular aggregation states and surface properties of poly(fluoroalkyl acrylate) [PFA-Cy, where y is the fluoromethylene number of the Rf groups] thin films were systematically investigated. Spin-coated PFA-Cy thin films were characterized by static and dynamic contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), differential scanning calorimetry, and wide-angle X-ray diffraction. The receding contact angles showed small values for PFA-Cy with short side chain (y ≤ 6) and increased for ones with y ≥ 8. It has been revealed that PFA-Cy with y ≥ 8 was crystallized and formed ordered structures. These results suggest that the water-repellent mechanism of PFA-Cy can be attributed to the presence of highly ordered fluoroalkyl chains at the outermost surfaces. The results of XPS in the dried and hydrated states and the contact angle measurement in water indicate that the contact angle for water is lowered by exposure of the carbonyl groups to the water interface through reorientation of short fluoroalkyl chains.

Organosilane monolayers are novel ultrathin films used to control the physicochemical properties, such as friction and wear, of solid surfaces. In this study, the authors prepared alkylsilane and fluoroalkylsilane monolayers with a series of chain lengths by a chemical vapor adsorption method. The monolayers’ tribological properties were investigated by lateral force microscope (LFM) and friction tester. LFM nanoscale measurements of tribological properties showed that alkylsilane monolayer gave lower lateral force than the Si substrate surface. The lateral force decreased as the length of the alkyl chain increased. On the macroscale, friction test revealed that the organosilane monolayers gave lower dynamic friction coefficients than the Si substrate surface in air at room temperature. The longer the alkyl chain, the greater the wear resistance of the organosilane monolayers. Friction experiments using tetradecane as a lubricant showed better tribological properties than were obtained in air. Furthermore, microscopically line-patterned two-component organosilane monolayers were prepared and their macroscopic friction behavior was investigated. Even though the height difference between the two-components was less than 1 nm, friction force anisotropy between the parallel and perpendicular directions against the line pattern was observed.

Micropatterned fluoroalkylsilane monolayer surfaces with liquidphilic/liquidphobic area (line width 1−20 μm) were prepared with few defects by vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photolithography. The anisotropic wetting of a macroscopic droplet with a 0.5−5 mm diameter on the micropatterned surfaces was investigated. The strong anisotropy of the contact angle and the sliding angle and droplet distortion for fluoroalkylsilane/silanol patterned surfaces was attributed to the difference in the energy barrier of wetting between parallel and orthogonal lines. The wetting anisotropy decreased with decreases in the liquidphilic area. Fluoroalkylsilane/alkylsilane patterned surfaces with small differences in the surface free energies of the components showed anisotropic wetting only for the low-surface-tension liquids.

The molecular aggregation state of octadecylsiloxane monolayers on Si-wafer substrate surfaces prepared from octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) or octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) was investigated on the basis of grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), contact angle measurement, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and scanning force microscopy (SFM). The OTMS monolayer was prepared by using the chemical vapor adsorption (CVA) method, and the OTS monolayers, which were used as reference samples, were prepared either by chemisorption (OTS-S) or by the water-cast method (OTS-W). The GIXD, FT-IR, lateral force microscopic (LFM) measurements, and FE-SEM observation revealed that the alkyl chains in the OTMS monolayers prepared using the CVA method are in an amorphous state at room temperature. According to the LFM measurement, the transition temperature from the hexagonal crystalline phase to the amorphous phase was found to be ca. 333 K for the OTS-S monolayer prepared by the chemisorption method. However, the phase transition was not observed in the OTMS monolayer prepared by the CVA method. Also, the atomic force microscopic (AFM) observation and the contact angle measurement showed that the OTMS monolayer prepared by the CVA method has a uniform surface when compared to the OTS monolayers. These results indicated that organosilane compounds in the monolayer prepared by the CVA method were immobilized on the Si-wafer substrate surface in an amorphous state, which was quite different from the hexagonal crystalline state obtained by the chemisorption and water-cast methods.

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Two derivatives of ethylenedioxy-substituted terthiophene−fullerene dyads were newly synthesized as the precursors for polythiophene having fullerene side chains. By electrolytic oxidation of dyad 1, the charm-bracelet type polythiophene, poly-1, was obtained as a purple film, which showed electrochemical activity, electrochromism, and photoelectronic response.

The applicability of various density functional theory (DFT)-based descriptors&sbd;chemical softness, electronegativity, and electrophilicity index&sbd;for quantitative structure−activity relationships (QSARs) was investigated for polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The DFT descriptors were obtained by using the three parameter hybrid density functional, B3LYP, with the 6-311G(d,p) basis set. QSARs were developed relating aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) binding affinities, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase induction potencies of PCDFs with DFT descriptors, hydrophobicity, and steric parameters. These QSARs explain around 75% of variation in AhR binding affinities of PCDFs. Congeners with higher toxicity values had larger softness values. Studies also showed that the most toxic isomer of tetrachlorodibenzofurans (TCDFs) and dibenzo-p-dioxins (TCDDs), respectively, had the largest chemical softness value in its respective group. The results show that DFT descriptors could be used as useful electronic descriptors in QSARs for the prediction of toxicity of PCDFs. Overall, 85 congeners of PCDFs and TCDDs were considered in this study.

The reaction of (η²-CH2&dbd;CHCHO)ML2 (M = Pd, Pt; L = PPh3, L2 = DPPF) with methyl triflate gave η³-methoxyallyl complexes [(η³-CH3OCHCHCH2)ML2][OTf]. X-ray diffraction analysis on [(η³-CH3OCHCHCH2)M(dppf)][OTf] (M = Pd, Pt) showed a distorted η³-allyl structure. The enone complexes (η²-CH2&dbd;CHCOCH3)M(PPh3)2 also reacted with methyl triflate to give [(η³-CH3OC(CH3)CHCH2)M(PPh3)2][OTf]. It was proposed that these complexes were formed by the direct electrophilic attack of methyl triflate at the carbonyl oxygen of the enal or enone ligand on the palladium and platinum. In fact, no insertion of acrolein into the platinum−methyl bond of the separately isolated methylplatinum complex proceeded. On the other hand, methyl iodide underwent oxidative addition with zerovalent enal or enone complexes to give methylmetal complexes concomitant with dissociation of an enal or enone molecule.

We measured the serum concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) by a high-sensitive method in patients with lumbar disc herniation. There were 48 patients in the study group and 53 normal controls. The level and type of herniation were evaluated. The clinical data including the neurological findings, the angle of straight leg raising and post-operative recovery as measured by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, were recorded. The high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) was measured by an ultrasensitive latex-enhanced immunoassay. The mean hs-CRP concentration was 0.056 ± 0.076 mg/dl in the patient group and 0.017 ± 0.021 mg/dl in the control group. The difference was statistically significant (p = 0.006). There was no other correlation between the hs-CRP concentration and the level and type of herniation, or the pre-operative clinical data. A positive correlation was found between the concentration of hs-CRP before operation and the JOA score after. Those with a higher concentration of hs-CRP before operation showed a poorer recovery after. The significantly high concentration of serum hs-CRP might indicate a systemic inflammatory response to impingement of the nerve root caused by disc herniation and might be a predictor of recovery after operation.

We have prepared super-water-repellent fluorinated inorganic-organic coating films on nylon 66 substrate from poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), and 2-perfluorooctylethyltriethoxysilane (17F) by the sol-gel method. The contact angle for water of the film was 149°. The fluorinated inorganic-organic film including PMMA particles exhibits the super-water-repellence on nylon 66 and the high ultrasonics-resistance in spite of the low 17F content of the molar ratio of 0.001 per mol of TEOS. The surfaces of the films were characterized by using XPS and SEM in combination with the surface roughness data. It was considered that the fluorinated component was segregated to form separated microphase regions, appropriate surface roughness being resulted to develop high water-repellence.

Regarding sintered bodies of hydroxyapatite (HAP)/zirconia (PSZ) composite particles prepared by covering the surface of HAP particles with PSZ particles, their strength of the bond to bone after implanting them into an organism and their cytotoxicity were evaluated. Cytotoxicity tests were conducted by the colony formation method. Cytotoxicity was not observed in the sintered bodies of HAP/PSZ composite particles, or in sintered monolithic HAP body and sintered monolithic PSZ body. The strength of bond between a sintered body and a bone was evaluated by measuring the shear strength at the interface between them after a fixed period following implantation of a sintered body into a rabbit femur. In all cases of the sintered monolithic HAP body, and the sintered bodies of HAP/PSZ composite particles and monolithic PSZ body, when the implantation period increased, the shear strength of the sintered body/bone interface tended to increase. In particular, this tendency was very high in the case of sintered bodies of HAP/PSZ with weight ratios of 1/1.0 and 1/1.5, the shear strength for each reaching 20 MPa 12 months after implantation.

We report the observation of superconductivity in a thick amorphous (a-) MgxB1−xfilm with x∼0.3, which was prepared by coevaporation of Mg and B. The resistivity in the normal state is by approximately two order of magnitude higher than that for clean MgB2crystals. The transition temperature Tcat which the resistivity vanishes is found to be 6 K, that is even lower than Tc=39 K for clean MgB2crystals. The upper critical field extrapolated to zero temperature is about 5 T. Based on the data of resistivity measured down to 0.4 K for various fields B, we construct the possible B−Tphase diagram over the broad temperature/field region.

We study the effects of reduced dimensionality on the vortex phase diagram based on the measurements of ac complex resistivity for amorphous MoxSi1−xfilms. As the film thickness decreases, the (normalized) vortex-glass-transition (VGT) line is suppressed, while the (normalized) uppercritical-field line stays almost unchanged. The trend for the vortex-liquid phase to increase with decreasing film thickness is in accordance with the VG theory. The (relative) width of the liquid phase at low temperatures is wider for the thinner film. This result is consistent with a view that the quantum-vortex-liquid phase is driven by strong quantum fluctuations, which are enhanced with decreasing dimensionality.

Nonaqueous proton-conducting gel electrolyte has been prepared by incorporating anhydrous H3PO4 in poly(ethylene oxide)-modified poly(methacrylate) (PEO−PMA) plasticized by poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether (PEGDE). Optically transparent polymeric gel membranes were obtained in a wide range of the component ratio. The sample membranes have been characterized by AC conductivity, FTIR, and DSC measurements. High conductivity of 1.3 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 was obtained at room temperature for the composition of the (PEO−PMA)/PEGDE mass ratio 32:68. The ionic conductivity was enhanced by the addition of small amounts of the second plasticizer, dimethylformamide (DMF). The DC polarization experiments of the gel membranes with Pt blocking electrodes revealed that the charge transport in the gel was mainly ionic (tion > 0.99), where the type of the major mobile species was considered to be H⁺ cation with mobility μ = 2.5 × 10^-4 cm² V^-1 s^-1. The FTIR spectroscopy proved that hydrogen-bonding and protonic interactions exist between the dopant H3PO4 and the PEO−PMA matrix and/or entrapped plasticizer in the gel. In all cases, the Arrhenius plots of the conductivity showed linear relations in the temperature range of 22−90 °C. The mechanism of the ion transport in the nonaqueous gel is briefly discussed.

Density functional theory studies provided the adiabatic ionization potentials and electron affinities of six polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs):  3,3‘,4,4‘- and 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl; 3,3‘,4,4‘,5-, 2,2‘,4,5,5‘-, and 2,3‘,4,4‘,5-pentachlorobiphenyl; and 3,3‘,4,4‘,5,5‘-hexachlorobiphenyl. A popular three-parameter hybrid functional (B3LYP) with the 6-311G(d,p) and 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis sets was used for this study. We present the optimized structures of the cations and anions of the selected PCBs at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) level. In almost all of the studied PCBs, the structure of the ions tended to be more nearly planar than the structure of the corresponding neutrals. The radical ions of 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl and 2,2‘,4,5,5‘-pentachlorobiphenyl have energetically close syn- and antilike structures. The anions of non-ortho-chlorinated PCBs have coplanar structures. Ionization potentials obtained at the B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,2p) level were 8.07, 8.34, 8.16, 8.36, 8.20, and 8.26 eV for 3,3‘,4,4‘- and 2,2‘,5,5‘-tetrachlorobiphenyl, 3,3‘,4,4‘,5-, 2,2‘,4,5,5‘-, and 2,3‘,4,4‘,5-pentachlorobiphenyl, and 3,3‘,4,4‘,5,5‘-hexachlorobiphenyl, respectively. Adiabatic electron affinities obtained for all of the selected PCBs were positive and larger than the electron affinity of biphenyl. Furthermore, the electron affinities of the non-ortho-chlorinated PCBs were higher than those of their ortho-substituted counterparts.

The alignment correlation terms in the β-ray angular distributions from the purely spin aligned mirror pair 12B(Iπ= 1+T1/2= 20.2ms) and 12N(Iπ= 1+,T1/2= 11.0ms)were precisely measured to place a new limit on the G-parity conservation law. For the creation of the alignment, the spin manipulation technique was applied, which utilized the nuclear quadrupole interactions. The - parity violating induced tensor coefficient was determined to be 2MfT/fa = -0,15 ± 0,12 ± 0,05 (theor.), which is consistent with the theoretical prediction based on QCD in which 2MfT/fAis proportional to the mass difference between up and down quarks which constitute the nucleon. Also determined the axial charge to be y= 4,90±0,10 (90% CL). From the result, we have found that the nucleon mass inside the nucleus is reduced (16 4)% relative to the free nucleon mass

To elucidate how the palatine glands grow postnatally, the palatine glands of rats from 0 to 8 weeks of age were investigated histologically and immunohistochemically. Under light microscope, three dimensions of the right part of the palatine glands were measured and the total number of excretory ducts of the glands was counted from the parasagittal serial sections. Immunohistochemistry with anti-5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU) monoclonal antibody was also employed to detect the cellular proliferative activity. At birth (0 weeks), the palatine glands consisted of ducts and immature acini. The ducts in the glands were connected with excretory ducts. After 2 weeks, there was no duct in the glands. Most acinar cells became mature as mucous cells and took the form of tubulo-acini connected directly with excretory ducts. In the posterior region of the glands, serous acinar cells forming demilunes were occasionally seen. All three dimensions of the palatine glands became longer, and the number of excretory ducts tended to increase. Immunohistochemistry showed acinar and duct cells were highly proliferative in early stage of postnatal life and their proliferative activity decreased thereafter. This study demonstrated that immature rat palatine glands of newborn rats grow three-dimensionally during maturation, and that the parenchymal cell proliferation contributes to the growth of the rat palatine glands. In addition, it is suggested that the glandular tissue arises from the excretory ducts formed postnatally.

A malignant pheochromocytoma with multiple metastases was diagnosed in a 7-year-old male wolfdog that resulted from a cross between an eastern timber wolf (Canis lupus lycaon) and an Alaskan malamute. A yellowish white neoplastic mass approximately 10 cm diameter was found in the right adrenal gland. The neoplasm penetrated through the wall of the caudal vena cava. A diagnosis of pheochromocytoma was established by histopathologic and immunohistochemical procedures. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells expressed chromogranin A, substance P, synaptophysin, Leu-7, protein gene product 9.5, methionine- enkephalin, S100 protein, and galanin. Multiple metastatic tumors were found in the kidneys, spleen, lungs, heart, and liver.