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A femoral nerve injury may result in cutaneous sensory disturbances of the anteromedial thigh and complete paralysis of the quadriceps femoris muscles resulting in an inability to extend the knee. The traditional mainstay of treatment for femoral neuropathy is early physiotherapy, knee support devices, and pain control. Case reports have used the anterior division of the obturator nerve as a donor nerve to innervate the quadriceps femoris muscles; however, a second nerve transfer or nerve grafting is often required for improved outcomes. We suggest a novel technique of combining an innervated, pedicled gracilis transfer with an adductor longus to rectus femoris nerve transfer to restore the strength and stability of the quadriceps muscles.This is a case series describing the use of a pedicled gracilis muscle transposed into the rectus femoris position with a concomitant nerve transfer from the adductor longus nerve branch into the rectus femoris nerve branch to restore quadriceps function after iatrogenic injury (hip arthroplasty) and trauma (gunshot wound).With electrodiagnostic confirmation of severe denervation of the quadriceps muscles and no evidence of elicitable motor units, 2 patients (average age, 47 years) underwent a quadriceps muscle reconstruction with a pedicled, innervated gracilis muscle and an adductor longus to recuts femoris nerve transfer. At 1 year follow-up, the patients achieved 4.5/5 British Medical Research Council full knee extension, a stable knee, and the ability to ambulate without an assistive aid.The required amount of quadriceps strength necessary to maintain quality of life has not been accurately established. In the case of femoral neuropathy, we assumed that a nerve transfer alone and a gracilis muscle transfer alone would not provide enough stability and strength to restore quadriceps function. We believe that the restoration of the quadriceps function after femoral nerve injury can be achieved by combining an innervated, pedicled gracilis transfer with an adductor longus to rectus femoris nerve transfer with low morbidity and no donor defects.

In this study, various Fe-based thermoelectric full-Heusler thin films were fabricated on MgO substrates by a post-annealing process. It is clarified that crystal growth through the post-annealing process is prevented by both an initial crystallization and a lattice mismatch between the thin films and the substrate. One of the thermoelectric materials, namely, Fe2TiAl, was almost epitaxially grown on the substrate from an initial amorphous state owing to a small mismatch of less than 3%. The thermoelectric properties of Fe2TiAl-based thin films were modulated by changing the material composition. We found that they strongly depend on not only the valence electron concentration and the Fe amount as was observed in typical thermoelectric full-Heusler, Fe2VAl, but also the electronic band structures. The flat band in the conduction band strongly affects not only the n-type thermoelectric performance but also the p-type ones; the large density of states in the conduction band prevents the p-type Seebeck coefficient from increasing. The Seebeck coefficient of a V-added Fe2TiAl thin film with a composition of Fe2.01Ti0.56V0.67Al0.76 was increased to 99 µV/K by controlling the flat band in the conduction band away from the valence band to reduce the effects of the flat band, resulting in a dimensionless figure of merit of 0.12 at room temperature.

Abstract In this work, we fabricated nanocomposite thin films of MnSiγ and SiGe, both of which are promising thermoelectric materials, and studied the dependence of their crystal structures and thermoelectric properties on the Ge content. The addition of Si1-xGex caused a reduction in the grain size of the MnSiγ matrix to the scale of the phonon mean free path of MnSiγ, which is essential for phonon scattering to reduce the lattice thermal conductivity. In addition, increasing the Ge ratio in the additive SiGe of the nanocomposite caused both a reduction at x = 0.2 ratio in the thermal conductivity and a monotonical reduction of the electrical resistivity with negligible change in the thermopower. The former of these two phenomena may be attributed to both a reduction in the thermal conductivity of SiGe as a result of heavier element (Ge) substitutions than Si and an increase in the thermal boundary resistance between MnSiγ and SiGe. In the case of the latter, introduction of carriers caused by the decrease in γ, which is the atomic ratio between Si and Mn, would be responsible. As a result, the estimated thermoelectric dimensionless figure-of-merit ZT increased to reach a maximum of 0.43 at 459 °C, which is larger than that of the single phase MnSiγ film, without any doping into the MnSiγ matrix with heavy elements.

All reconstructive microsurgeons realize the need to improve aesthetic and functional donor-site outcomes. A "kiss" flap design concept was developed to increase the surface area of skin flap coverage while minimizing donor-site morbidity.The main goal of the kiss flap technique is to harvest multiple skin paddles that are smaller than those raised with traditional techniques, to minimize donor-site morbidity. These smaller flap components are then sutured to each other, or said to kiss each other side-by-side, to create a large, wide flap. The skin paddles in the kiss technique can be linked to one another by a variety of native intrinsic vascular connections, by additional microanastomosis, or both. This technique can be widely applied to both free and pedicle flaps, and essentially allows for the reconstruction of a large defect while providing the easy primary closure of a smaller donor-site defect.According to their origin of blood supply, kiss flaps are classified into three styles and five types. All of the different types of kiss flaps are unique in both flap design and harvest technique. Most kiss flaps are based on common flaps already familiar to the reconstructive surgeon.The basis of the kiss flap design concept is to convert multiple narrow flaps into a single unified flap of the desired greater width. This maximizes the size of the resulting flap and minimizes donor-site morbidity, as a direct linear closure is usually possible.Therapeutic, V.

We investigate the thickness and temperature dependence of a series of Ni0:8Fe0:2/Ir0:2Mn0:8 bilayer samples with varying thickness ratio of the ferromagnet/antiferromagnet (tFM/tAFM) in order to explore the exchange coupling strengths in tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) devices. Specific values of tFM/tAFM lead to four distinct scenarios with specific electric responses to moderate magnetic fields. The characteristic dependence of the measured TAMR signal on applied voltage allows us to confirm its persistence up to room temperature despite an overlapped contribution by a thermal magnetic noise.

Thermal boundary resistance (TBR) was controlled by changing the Ge ratio in a MnSi1.7-based nanocomposite with SiGe to investigate the effects of TBR on thermal transport. We demonstrated a continuous reduction of thermal conductivity with the Ge ratio down to 1.2 W/Km, which is less than the minimum thermal conductivity of MnSi1.7, even in granular structures: practical forms of thermoelectric (TE) technologies. The TBR between MnSi1.7 and SiGe was estimated quantitatively in multilayered structures to be as high as 5.6 × 10−9 m2 K/W and a detailed analysis suggests that 20%–30% of the thermal conductivity reduction is attributed to the TBR in granular structures. Our results shed light on the importance of controlling TBR in TE material design towards a widespread use of TE technologies, instead of utilizing rare materials or uneconomical nanostructures.

To study the atomistic behavior of the phosphoric ester molecule on the nascent Fe surface under boundary lubrication conditions, we adopted a hybrid tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method. First, we investigated chemical interactions between phosphoric ester and the nascent Fe surface. Phosphoric ester was shown to interact with the nascent Fe surface, forming both covalent and ionic bonds. Formation and dissociation dynamics of covalent bonds during tribochemical reaction was clearly observed during the simulation. The effect of friction condition on the tribochemical reaction dynamics was then studied, and it was indicated that friction would influence the formation and the dissociation of covalent bonds. By using a hybrid tight-binding quantum chemical molecular dynamics method, we obtained insights on initial tribochemical reaction processes for the formation of tribofilm from the phosphoric ester molecule on the nascent Fe surface.

By RF sputtering on a MgO [100] substrate, we have made Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [111] metal and Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [001]/TiN [001] films that have Verwey temperature (T/sub V/) near 120 K. The saturation magnetizations and resistivities of those Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ films were comparable to those of bulk Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/, and the magnetoresistive (MR) ratio and MR ratio area product A/spl Delta/R measured for various materials structures of current perpendicular to plane (CPP) samples using Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [111] increased sharply at 120 K. This increase around T/sub V/ seemed to be related to the change in the Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ crystal. The A/spl Delta/R and MR of CPP-GMR samples using Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [001], on the other hand, such as Ni/sub 80/Fe/sub 20//TiN/Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [001]/TiN [001], Co/sub 75/Fe/sub 25//TiN/Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [001]/TiN [001], and Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4//TiN/Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [001]/TiN [001], were 2-4 times larger than those of CPP-GMR samples using Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [111] were. And for Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [001] the increase of MR at T/sub V/ was smaller than it was for Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ [111].

La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO) films grown on (0 0 1) surfaces of various (pseudo-) cubic substrates, MgO, SrTiO3, LaSrGaO4 and YAlO3, were studied by means of transmission electron microscopy. In all cases, the (0 0 1) plane of LCMO perovskite primitive cell is parallel to the substrate surface. The film on SrTiO3 showed the single-variant structure with many twin boundaries while the films on other substrates had the three-variant structure where three [0 1 0] axes of the orthorhombic unit cell are perpendicular to each other. The LCMO cell on SrTiO3 was expanded by about 1% in the film plane and shrank by about 1% out of the plane. Many planar defects and intergrown grains were observed in the film on MgO. They originated at the substrate surface.

Although regional lymph nodes (LN) have been extensively studied as rich sources of effector T cells in contact hypersensitivity (CH), it remains unknown whether T cell responses in the LN reflect those in effector skin sites. We previously showed that repeated elicitation of CH results in a shift in the time course of Ag-specific CH from a delayed-type hypersensitivity response to an early-type response, a reflection of a shift in cutaneous cytokine expression from a type 1 to a type 2 profile. To investigate whether repeated elicitation of CH could also drive T cell development to the type 2 phenotype in the regional draining LN, sequential cytokine gene expression after hapten application was assessed during both the acute and the chronic phase of CH. In the draining LN the shift to type 2 cytokine production was also observed, but more mixed patterns of responses were induced than in the corresponding skin sites. The chronic LN cells (LNC), when stimulated in vitro, produced markedly lower levels of type 1 cytokines and higher levels of type 2 cytokines than the acute LNC. A successful passive transfer of an early-type response by the LNC was only induced in the recipient mice when the skin sites chronically treated with hapten were elicited. These results indicate that an early-type response by regional LNC would take place only in a milieu with sufficient levels of type 2 cytokines.

The electrical and magnetic properties, including the magnetoresistance (MR) effect, of Lan-nxCa1+nxMnnO3n+1 thin films (n = ∞, 2; x = 0.3) grown on various substrates were investigated. For n = 2 (La1.4Ca1.6Mn2O7) thin films, the cusp temperature (Tcρ) in the ρ-T curve decreased very sharply with a decrease of the out-of-plane lattice parameter (a). The MR effect was enhanced drastically by decreasing Tcρ. These behaviors are interpreted in relation to the change in the transport character along the c-axis due to the strain.

The resistivity and magnetization of layered perovskite La{sub 2{minus}2x}Ca{sub 1+2x}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} have been studied systematically using bulk samples with a wide doping concentration range 0{le}x{le}0.5 and epitaxial thin film samples with x=0.3. The system becomes a metallic ferromagnet for doping concentrations 0.22{le}x{le}0.5. In this doping region, results for bulk samples as well as for thin films have clearly shown that there are two types of ferromagnetic ordering, possibly originating from an anisotropic exchange interaction. Magnetoresistance is observed over a wide temperature range below the ferromagnetic ordering temperatures. Based on these results, a model of temperature-dependent spin ordering is presented for a double perovskite ferromagnet, which suggests that there is a two-dimensional ferromagnetic alignment at temperatures between the two ordering temperatures. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

We report a lowered lattice thermal conductivity in nm-scale MnSi1.7/Si multilayers which were fabricated by controlling thermal diffusions of Mn and Si atoms. The thickness of the constituent layers is 1.5–5.0 nm, which is comparable to the phonon mean free path of both MnSi1.7 and Si. By applying the above nanostructures, we reduced the lattice thermal conductivity down to half that of bulk MnSi1.7/Si composite materials. The obtained value of 1.0 W/K m is the experimentally observed minimum in MnSi1.7-based materials without any heavy element doping and close to the minimum thermal conductivity. We attribute the reduced lattice thermal conductivity to phonon scattering at the MnSi1.7/Si interfaces in the multilayers.

The optimal treatment for natural killer (NK) cell leukemia after chronic active Epstein-Barr virus (CAEBV) infection has not been determined. A 15-year-old boy presented with NK cell leukemia following CAEBV infection for 5 years. The peripheral blood and BM had an increased number of CD3(-)CD56(+) large granular lymphocytes and a monoclonal integration of the EBV genome was detected. Chemotherapy was not sufficiently effective to control the disease. Allogeneic BMT from an HLA-identical sister was performed using a conditioning regimen consisting of total body irradiation, cyclophosphamide and thiotepa. The patient is disease-free with a perfect performance status 24 months after BMT. This is the first report to show that allogeneic BMT is potentially able to cure NK cell leukemia after CAEBV infection.

Although G-protein-coupled receptor, GPR30, has been considered as a G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor, conflicting results have been reported and the function of GPR30 in bone remains unresolved. The aim of this study was to clarify the functional role of GPR30 in osteoblasts using its derived cell line.Immunohistochemical study revealed that GPR30 is expressed in human osteoblasts. Human fetal osteoblast cell lines, hFOB cells, which express GPR30 but lack estrogen receptor, were used for the in vitro experiments. Estradiol or raloxifene induced the proliferation of hFOB cells, which was accompanied by the activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Those proliferative effects were completely abrogated by the transfection of GPR30 small interfering RNA, while the transfection alone did not affect the cell viability.GPR30 is required for the proliferation of hFOB cells induced by estradiol or raloxifene. This proliferative effect was at least partly mediated via MAP kinase activation. These findings revealed a novel function of GPR30 in osteoblasts and might lead to a better understanding of how estrogen and selective estrogen receptor modulators show their osteoprotective effects.

Recombinase-activating genes (RAG-1 and RAG-2) are expressed in immature T or B lymphocytes and possess activity to induce V(D)J rearrangement in TCR and Ig genes. We examined their expression in human decidual and non-pregnant endometrial samples using a highly sensitive RT-PCR technique. Expression of RAG-1 and 2 was noted in all (13/13) pregnant decidual tissues obtained at different gestational stages. After anti-human Ig treatment to rule out the possibility of RAG-1,2 expression from decidual B-cells, strong expression of RAGs was still noted in B cell depleted decidual cells in contrast to lymph nodes and PBMC that lost RAG mRNA expression after this treatment. After FACS mediated cell sorting, strong expression of RAG-1,2 was noted in CD16-CD56bright cells and weak expression in CD3+ cells. Although CD16-CD56bright cells lack surface CD3, they express CD3 epsilon mRNA only detectable by RT-PCR. Our results suggest the nature of decidual CD16-CD56bright cells as a progenitor of extrathymic T cells that possess RAG-1 and 2 mRNA as markers of their immaturity, and possibly differentiate into CD3+ extrathymic T-cells in the decidua under the influence of trophoblastic cells. We propose the human decidua as a new site of extrathymic T-cells differentiation and propose possible roles of trophoblastic cells to attract progenitor lymphocytes of bone marrow origin and trigger their TCR rearrangement as thymic epithelial cells.

We evaluated the effect of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) administration during hepatectomy on arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR), which is an indicator of liver function, and on other liver functions in the postoperative period. Eighteen patients were divided into two groups: Continuous intravenous administration of PGE1 (0.02 μg·kg−1·h−1) was started immediately before hepatic resection and ceased at the end of operation in nine patients (PGE1 group); the other nine did not receive PGE1 (control group). After hepatic resection, a significant increase in AKBR was observed in the PGE1 group. However, no change was observed in the control group. In the PGE1 group, total bilirubin and SGOT recovered more rapidly to the preoperative level than in the control group. These findings suggested that PGE1 might have a protective effect on the liver.

Maturation of some T cell populations has been suggested to occur in epithelial tissues. The CD8 molecule, which is expressed as heterodimers made of alpha/beta-chains on virtually all peripheral T cells, is preferentially expressed as homodimers made only of alpha-chains on a subset of CD8+ mouse gut intraepithelial lymphocytes, which arise from bone marrow (BM) precursors in a thymus-independent mechanism. This unique population of CD8 alpha+ beta- T cells, however, has not been identified in other lymphoid tissues in normal adult mice. Because our previous study demonstrated that reconstitution of thymectomized irradiated mice with T cell-depleted BM cells resulted in the appearance of CD8+, TCR-alpha beta+ dendritic epidermal cells (DEC) and suggested that a proportion of the BM-derived DEC may mature within the epidermis, we asked whether the unique phenotype of CD8 alpha+ beta- could be detected among the CD8+ BM-derived DEC. In this report for the first time we identified this unique population of CD8 alpha+ beta- cells among the DEC. Although this population comprised the predominant fraction of the BM-derived DEC in the early post-transfer period (2 to 3 mo), gradual shift from the CD8 alpha+ beta+ phenotypes occurred during the late post-transfer period (4 to 6 mo) independently of the presence of the thymus. Kinetic studies on the BM-derived DEC revealed that this phenotypic shift could be caused by the subsequent expansion of the CD8 alpha+ beta+ DEC. In contrast, the CD8 alpha+ beta- population was the major subset of the BM-derived intraepithelial lymphocytes throughout the entire observation period and the phenotypic shift with age was never observed. These results indicate that CD8 alpha+ beta- cells are preferentially detected on T cells that home to the epithelial tissues and that in the epidermis, but not in the gut epithelia, the subsequent expansion of the CD8 alpha+ beta+ DEC would dilute the high number of the CD8 alpha+ beta- cells.

The direct drive manipulator must be made as low friction and no backlash in its joints. It is one solution to use the direct drive motors. But the usual direct drive motors have big size and heavy weight. As a direct motor, an ultrasonic motor has many good characteristics, but it has a little flexibility on the rotation speed and torque. So, it is developed that the speed and torque control system for the motor by a phase difference control of two-phase driving signals. Also, it is realized that the compliant motion likes an adjustable dash pot with spring.

The majority of murine Thy-1+ dendritic epidermal T cells (DETC) express virtually identical TCR encoded by V gamma 5 and V delta 1 genes and are derived from early fetal thymic precursors. However, not consistent with this notion is an early finding that DETC arise continuously from bone marrow (BM) precursors by a thymus-independent mechanism. To address this issue, donor-type DETC were characterized in lethally irradiated mice that were reconstituted by Thy-1-disparate BM cells with or without a thymus. The BM-derived DETC, unlike their normal TCR-gamma delta counterparts, were found to express the TCR-alpha beta/CD3 complex and CD8, and their migration to the epidermis dermis occurred independently of the thymus. The numbers of the BM-derived DETC increased with time and reached a plateau 6 mo after BM transfer, at which time the TCR-alpha beta/CD3 complex was expressed on a small fraction of the DETC in athymic BM chimeras. Although no further increase in the number was observed at later times, at 1 yr after transfer most of the BM-derived DETC came to express the TCR-alpha beta/CD3 complex in the absence of thymic influence. By contrast, most of BM-derived T cells in other lymphoid organs from athymic BM chimeras still failed to express the TCR-alpha beta/CD3 complex even at 1 yr after transfer. These results suggest that extrathymic differentiation of BM-derived DETC could occur with the epidermal microenvironment.

The effect of Co20Fe60B20 insertion on tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties of MgO barrier magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) was studied with Co90Fe10/Pd multilayer electrodes showing perpendicular anisotropy. The TMR ratio, which depended on the sputtering power density of the CoFeB layer, reached 43% at 1.77W/cm in MTJs with a 1.8-nm-thick CoFeB layer inserted on both sides of the MgO barrier. With increasing CoFeB layer thickness, the optimal annealing temperature (Ta) realizing the maximum TMR ratio increased along with the TMR ratio. The MTJs with 3.0-nm-thick CoFeB deposited at 1.77W/cm showed a TMR ratio of 91% at Ta 1⁄4 250 C, where the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is maintained. # 2010 The Japan Society of Applied Physics

The lattice parameter, transport properties, and magnetoresistance effect of perovskite manganite La0.7Ca0.3MnO3thin films deposited on several substrates (SrTiO3(001), LaSrGaO4(001), YAlO3(001), LaA1O3 (001)) have been investigated in the range of themismatchof -4∼1% between the film and the substrates. We have found that metal-insulator transition temperature (Tcρ)depend on the out-of-plane lattice parameter (c). Magnetoresistance effect increases linearly with decreasing Tcρ. These results are understood in terms of the latticeeffect induced by the strain.

The Internet business is rapidly growing in recent years, and therefore the installation of new electrical facilities and the expansion of existing facilities are increasing. However, there are two problems facing these facilities: How to secure installation space, and the increase in power consumption of the facilities. There is also a demand for compact, highly efficient power supply. As the input power supply for datacom equipment used for telecommunication services, DC-48 V has been the mainstream, but some routers and other devices that require AC100 V are found in the telecommunication buildings. For such devices, an uninterruptible power system (UPS) is incorporated in many cases. However, the installation of UPS, which also requires a dedicated battery, possibly poses additional problems of installation space and investment costs. Considering this situation, we have developed and put into operation a highly reliable, space-saving DC/AC inverter that converts DC-48 V input into AC100 V output. When an existing UPS is replaced by this DC/AC inverter, operation of the datacom equipment may not be allowed to stop during the transfer from the UPS to the DC/AC inverter. The details and installation procedure of the DC/AC inverter are described in detail in the paper.

To add to our knowledge of collagen diseases, plasma fibronectin (FN) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been measured, and it was determined that the plasma FN value in those with SLE was 454 +/- 36 micrograms/ml, is significantly higher than the FN value in normal subjects (234 +/- 21 micrograms/ml) than that of patients with FN value of patients with active SLE was significantly higher (591 +/- 46 micrograms/ml) that of the patients with non-active SLE (287 +/- 31 micrograms/ml). The plasma FN value of SLE patients was also seen to be associated with the peripheral blood platelet count and with the dose level of the corticosteroid hormone administered to patients. In active SLE patients, it was similarly found that the plasma FN value had a significant correlation with the peripheral blood lymphocyte count and with the dose level of the corticosteroid hormone given to patients. Since the plasma FN value is known to be high in untreated SLE patients, it was felt that the increase of the FN value in SLE patients is not due to the effect of the corticosteroid but to the disease itself.

A novel SPRAM (spin-transfer torque RAM) consisting of MgO-barrier-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a synthetic ferrimagnetic (SyF) structure in a free layer was demonstrated for both higher immunity to read disturbance and a sufficient margin between the read and write currents. Since magnetization of the free layer becomes stable against thermal fluctuation with increasing thermal-stability factor E/kBT, the SyF free layer of the MTJs realized a magnetic information retention of over 10 years due to its high E/kBT of 67. Furthermore, it was found that the SyF free layer has an advantage of reducing dispersion of write-current density Jc, which is necessary for securing an adequate margin between the read and write currents.

A 1.8 V 2-Mb SPRAM (SPin-transfer torque RAM) chip using 0.2-mum logic process with MgO tunneling barrier cell demonstrates the circuit technologies for potential low power non-volatile RAM, or universal memory. This chip features: an array scheme with bit-by-bit bi-directional current write to achieve proper spin-transfer torque writing of 100-ns, and parallelizing-direction current reading with low voltage bit-line that leads to 40-ns access time.

The ferromagnetic compound La3−3xCa1+3xMn3O10 with a triple perovskite structure can be successfully synthesized by using a thin-film growth method. Sputtered a-axis thin films with x=0.3 have been examined with respect to their magnetotransport properties. For the triple perovskite compound, we have observed the features, including the enhanced magnetoresistene (MR) effect and the characteristic low-temperature MR effect resulting from intragrain spin-polarized tunneling, which were reported for the double perovskite manganites. A comparison of the magnitude of these features in triple and double perovskite manganites suggests that the features are actually determined by the c-axis Mn–O bond configuration in a layered-perovskite ferromagnet.

Epitaxial thin-film and polycrystalline bulk samples of ferromagnetic La2−2xCa1+2xMn2O7 (x=0.3) with a layered perovskite structure have been examined with respect to their magnetotransport properties. In addition to a large magnetoresistance (MR) effect at temperatures around the metal–insulator transition, a-axis thin films exhibit unusual low-temperature MR behavior with apparent hysteresis in applied magnetic fields. The features in the bulk samples are a low-temperature MR effect without such hysteresis, and also an MR effect at high temperatures well above the metal–insulator transition temperature. The unique MR behavior depending on the sample form would reflect an anisotropic nature in the layered-perovskite ferromagnet with two-dimensional Mn-O networks.

Bulk samples of La2−2xCa1+2xMn2O7 with the layered Sr3Ti2O7‐type perovskite structure have been successfully synthesized and investigated with respect to their magnetic and electrical properties. It is found that La2−2xCa1+2xMn2O7 (x=0.25) is a metallic ferromagnet with a magnetic transition temperature Tc of 215 K. The large magnetoresistance (MR) effect with Δρ/ρ0 of ∼60% at 1.8 T was observed in a wide temperature range below a cusp temperature in resistivity of 96 K, which is well below the magnetic Tc. This behavior is quite different from that of the well‐known double‐exchange ferromagnets such as La1−xCaxMnO3, where large MR effects are restricted to a narrow temperature range around the ferromagnetic transition. The present result could be interpreted by using the double‐exchange theory incorporating the anisotropy resulting from the two‐dimensional Mn‐O‐Mn networks in La2−2xCa1+2xMn2O7.

A novel compact type slip-power recovery system having sinusoidal rotor currents is proposed. In the proposed system, a PWM boost rectifier is used as a substitute for a diode rectifier and a boost chopper in a conventional compact type slip-power recovery system. The conventional compact type system has the advantage that the ratings of the inverter and the transformer are only 15% of the motor power capacity. However, a diode rectifier remains in the system. Therefore, it has a rectangular rotor current, and the stator current is distorted. The use of the system proposed in this paper has solved this problem. The effectiveness of the proposed system was verified through computer simulations and experiments.

We studied the roles of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K)-protein kinase B/Akt-BAD cascade in both cisplatin-resistant Caov-3 and -sensitive A2780 human ovarian cancer cell lines. Treatment of both Caov-3 and A2780 cells with cisplatin but not with the trans-diaminodichloroplatinum (transplatin) isomer stimulated the activation of Akt, and the PI-3K inhibitor wortmannin blocked the cisplatin-induced activation of Akt. Treatment of both Caov-3 and A2780 cells with cisplatin but not with the trans-diaminodichloroplatinum isomer also stimulated the phosphorylation of BAD at both the Ser-112 and Ser-136 sites. Whereas the phosphorylation of BAD at Ser-136 was blocked by treatment with wortmannin, its phosphorylation at Ser-112 was blocked by a MAP/ERK kinase inhibitor, PD98059. Exogenous expression of a dominant-negative Akt in both Caov-3 and A2780 cells decreased the cell viability after treatment with cisplatin. In contrast, no sensitization to cisplatin was observed in cells expressing wild-type Akt. We further examined the role of BAD in the viability after cisplatin treatment using BAD mutants. Exogenous expression of each of the singly substituted BADS112A or BADS136A in both Caov-3 and A2780 cells decreased the viability after treatment with cisplatin to a degree intermediate between that caused by exogenous expression of wild-type BAD and doubly substituted BAD2SA. Cisplatin did not stimulate the phosphorylation of BAD Ser-136, but did stimulate the phosphorylation of BAD Ser-112 in cells expressing a dominant-negative Akt, suggesting that BAD Ser-136 but not Ser-112 was phosphorylated by Akt. Our findings suggest that cisplatin-induced DNA damage causes the phosphorylation of both BAD Ser-112 via an extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) cascade and BAD Ser-136 via a PI-3K-protein kinase B/Akt cascade and that inhibition of either of these cascades sensitizes ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin.

Emerging evidence indicates that sex steroid hormones regulate telomerase in target tissues. We have reported that estrogen activates telomerase through transactivation of the telomerase catalytic subunit, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Progesterone usually antagonizes estrogen action in reproductive organs, but the effect on telomerase remains unclear. In this study, we examine the effects of progesterone on the gene expression of hTERT in breast and endometrial cancer cell lines expressing progesterone receptor. Progesterone significantly induced hTERT mRNA expression within 3 h after exposure. This transient effect peaked at 12 h and then decreased. In contrast, exposure to progesterone for48 h antagonized estrogen effects and inhibited the estrogen-induced activation of hTERT expression; the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21/Waf1/Cip1 plays an integral role in this inhibition. Thus, progesterone exerts diverse effects on hTERT mRNA expression in a time-dependent manner. We also found that the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway mediates both the short-term and long-term effects of progesterone on hTERT gene expression. These findings support the notion that hTERT gene is a target of both estrogen and progesterone.

Although gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) have been used in the therapy of the endocrine-dependent cancers, their biological mechanism remained obscure. We have studied the roles of mitogen-activated protein kinase family in the antiproliferative effect of GnRHa on the Caov-3 human ovarian cancer cell line. Reverse transcription-PCR assays confirmed mRNA for GnRH receptor in Caov-3 cells. In the presence of 1 microM GnRHa, the proliferation of cells was significantly reduced to 76% of controls after 24 h, and the effect was sustained up to 4 days. Although GnRHa had no effect on the activation of the Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), treatment of Caov-3 cells with GnRHa activated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), and its effect was more than that induced by GnRH. Activation of ERK by GnRHa occurred within 5 min, with the maximum occurring at 3 h and sustained until 24 h. GnRHa also activated ERK kinase (mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase) and resulted in an increase in phosphorylation of son of sevenless (Sos), and Shc. Furthermore, we examined the mechanism by which GnRHa induced ERK activation. Both pertussis toxin (10 ng/ml), which inactivates Gi/Go proteins, and expression of a peptide derived from the carboxyl terminus of the beta-adrenergic receptor kinase I, which specifically blocks signaling mediated by the betagamma subunits of G proteins, blocked the GnRHa-induced ERK activation. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) also induced the ERK activity, but pretreatment of the cultured cells with PMA to down-regulate protein kinase C did not abolish the activation of ERK by GnRHa. Elimination of extracellular Ca2+ by EGTA also did not abolish the activation of ERK by GnRHa. To examine the role of ERK cascade in the antiproliferative effect of GnRHa, PD98059, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase, was used. This inhibitor canceled the antiproliferative effect of GnRHa and apparently reversed the GnRH-induced dephosphorylation of the retinoblastoma protein, the hyperphosphorylation of which is a hallmark of G1-S transition in the cell cycle. These results provide evidence that GnRHa stimulation of ERK activity may be mediated by Gbetagamma protein, not by PMA-sensitive protein kinase C nor extracellular Ca2+ in the Caov-3 human ovarian cancer cell line, suggesting that this cascade may play an important role in the antiproliferative effect of GnRHa.

We kinetically analyzed the disposition of L-carnitine of juvenile visceral steatosis (JVS) mice compared with that of normal mice to elucidate the mechanism of the systemic L-carnitine deficiency of JVS mice. There were significant differences in the plasma concentration-time course of total radioactive carnitine (L-[3H]carnitine, [acetyl-3H]carnitine, and other [acyl-3H]carnitines) between normal and JVS mice after a single i.v. or p.o. administration of L-[3H]carnitine (250 ng/kg). The oral bioavailability of L-[3H]carnitine in JVS mice (0.341) was about half of that in normal mice (0.675). The cumulative urinary excretion of total radioactive carnitine in JVS mice was about 10-fold more than that in normal mice, and the total clearance of unchanged L-[3H]carnitine for JVS mice (6.70 ml/min) was significantly higher than that for normal mice (2.45 ml/min). The distribution volume at the steady state of unchanged L-[3H]carnitine in JVS mice (1.10 liters/kg) was significantly smaller than that in normal mice (8.16 liters/kg). At 4 h after an i.v. administration, the apparent tissue-to-plasma concentration ratios of unchanged L-[3H]carnitine for various tissues of JVS mice, except for brain, were about one half to one 20th of those in normal mice. In conclusion, this in vivo disposition kinetic study of L-carnitine supports the previous in vitro finding that the L-carnitine transporter is absent or functionally deficient in JVS mice because the renal reabsorption, the intestinal absorption, and the apparent tissue-to-plasma concentration ratios in JVS mice are significantly lower than those in normal mice. The JVS mouse should be a useful experimental model for studying carnitine deficiency diseases.

In 1986 an albino mouse with cream yellow coat color was discovered in a breeding colony of strain CAL20, which is an IgH-C congenic strain of BALB/c mice, supported by the Institute for Experimental Animals, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University. Genetic analysis revealed that the cream yellow coat color phenotype was controlled by a single recessive mutant gene on chromosome 13. A preliminary study with biochemical and histologic examinations showed that cream yellow hair contained more fatty acid than unaffected normal hair and a large number of lipid droplets accumulated in parenchyma cells of the liver in mutant mice, as early as the age of 32 days old, suggesting that the cream yellow coat color was due to unusual lipid metabolism. The locus was designated cream fur locus and was given the gene symbol crf. In addition, it was found that recombination frequencies in the vicinity of the region of the crf locus were markedly different between male and female meiosis.

A simple, rapid and reproducible analytical method for thiabendazole (TBZ) and imazalil (IMA) in citrus fruit and banana has been developed. The method involves the use of an ion-exchange cartridge for sample clean-up followed by ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. The recoveries of TBZ and IMA from citrus fruits spiked at levels of 10 microgram/g and 5 microgram/g were in the range of 94-98% and 93-98% with coefficients of variation of 0.5-2.2% and 1.6-2.7%, respectively. The recoveries of TBZ and IMA from banana spiked at levels of 3 microgram/g and 2 microgram/g were 94% and 94% with coefficients of variation 1.1% and 4.9%, respectively. The detection limits for TBZ and IMA were 0.1 microgram/g in citrus fruit and 0.05 microgram in banana.

To reliably identify the residual tetracycline antibiotics (TCs), oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline, chlortetracycline (CTC) and doxycycline (DC), in bovine tissues, we have established a confirmation method using electrospray ionization liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI LC-MS-MS) with daughter ion scan. All TCs gave [M+H-NH3]+ and [M+H-NH3-H2O]+ as the product ions, except for DC when [M+H]+ was selected as the precursor ion. The combination of C18 cartridge clean-up and the present ESI LC-MS-MS method can reliably identify TCs fortified at a concentration of 0.1 ppm in bovine tissues, including liver, kidney and muscle, and has been successfully applied to the identification of residual OTC in bovine liver and residual CTC in bovine muscle samples previously found at concentrations of 0.58 ppm and 0.38 ppm by LC, respectively.

With a use of the epitaxial a-axis thin films of perovskite series Lan-nxCa1+nxMnnO3n+1 (n=2,3, and ∞) with fixed carrier concentration (x=0.3), the transport properties of the series compounds have been examined to be associated with the difference in the number of the MnO2 layers. Results have indicated that a reduction in the number of layers results in systematic changes in the various features. These include an increase in resistivity, a decrease in resistivity peak temperature Tcρ corresponding to the metal-insulator transition, an enhancement of the maximum MR near Tcρ, and an increase in low temperature intrinsic MR. In order to explain the variation in these features with the number of MnO2 layers, it is necessary to take both anisotropie c-axis transfer interaction and two-dimensional spin fluctuation into account.

We introduced two mutant genes (beige or bg, which induces a deficiency of natural killer activity, and xid, which decreases the production of immunoglobulins) into KSN nude mice with high reproductive performance. At first we produced the KSN-bg/bg(nu/nu) (KSN-bg) and KSN-xid/xid(nu/nu) (KSN-xid) congenic strain by backcross (cross-intercross method). After we identified homozygosity at the biochemical locus and polymorphic microsatellite loci, we mated KSN-bg and KSN-xid mice, and selected the KSN-xid/xid;bg/bg(nu/nu) (KSN-BNX) mice from the progeny. Furthermore we introduced the non-nude gene, which originated from CBA/N, into the KSN strain and produced KSN-nu/+ (KS) mice that have the same genetic background except for the nu locus. All strains had as high a reproductivity rate as the parental KSN mice. The KSN-xid and KSN-BNX mice had a reduced percentage of B220-positive cells in the spleen compared with KSN and KSN-bg mice, but they had increased percentages of Thy-1 and asialo GM1-positive cells. The serum immunoglobulin concentrations of BNX were as low as those of KSN-xid mice. Both KSN-bg and KSN-BNX mice had deficient natural killer activity in the spleen, whereas KSN-xid mice had increased natural killer activity. Compared with nude mice, the growth of the human thyroid tumor cell line transplanted subcutaneously was enhanced in BNX mice. These KSN, KSN-bg, KSN-xid, KSN-BNX, and KS nice not only are of value for use in various fields as the hosts of xenograft but also are good models of the combination effect of multiple immunodeficient genes.

Because the number of people who reach an advanced age has been increasing at an unprecedented rate in Japan, geriatricians are expected to play a central role in health care for the elderly. However, only 16 out of 80 medical schools (20 percent) now have departments of geriatrics for undergraduate education. To develop undergraduate education in the field of geriatrics, a survey was sponsored by the Research Projects on Aging and Health (Health Science Research Grant the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan). A questionnaire regarding the present status and future plans of the university about a program in geriatrics, was sent to deans of medical faculties or vice-presidents of medical schools. The questionnaire included questions about current status and future plans regarding undergraduate geriatric education, the presence of a department or clinic of geriatrics, educational requirements in the field of geriatrics, opportunities for practice, institutions of practice, research on geriatrics, and other suggestions. The response rate was 93.7 percent (74/79). Departments or clinics of geriatrics had been established in 15 institutions (20.3 percent) and were planned in 18 (24.3 percent). Undergraduate education in geriatrics was considered necessary in 73 schools (98.7 percent) and indispensable as an obligatory subject in 56 (75.7 percent). Clinical practice was considered more important and effective than lectures in 50 schools (63.3 percent). Coordinated lectures on basic biomedical gerontology (such as mechanism of aging) and geriatric medicine for chronic degenerative diseases such as senile dementia were considered essential to the curriculum. In practicing geriatrics, experience in providing medical care to aged patients as well as social support and a welfare system for the aged is emphasized. Institutions, nursing homes, and geriatric hospitals outside medical schools be easily accessible. It was generally agreed that geriatrics should be taught in advanced classes. In conclusion, medical schools in Japan regard undergraduate education in geriatrics as necessary and agree on the optimal curriculum, but it is not universally implemented.

The effect of glucose infusion on portal and peripheral blood immunoreactive insulin (IRI) concentrations and arterial ketone body ratio (AKBR) during gastrectomy were evaluated on twenty patients divided into two groups. Portal and peripheral blood IRI concentrations, AKBR, total ketone body concentration (TKB: acetoacetate + beta-hydroxybutyrate), and blood glucose were determined before and 30, 60, and 120 minutes after 25g glucose infusion in 30 minutes in ten patients (group 1) and 50 g glucose infusion in 30 minutes in ten patients (group 2). In both groups, the rate of increase in the portal blood IRI concentration was markedly higher than that in the peripheral blood IRI concentration after glucose infusion and AKBR increased and TKB decreased with the increase of the portal blood IRI concentration. These findings suggest that the peripheral blood IRI concentration does not reflect the pancreatic insulin secretion after glucose infusion during surgery and that portal insulin plays an important role for elevating and maintaining AKBR at higher levels. On the other hand, in both groups, the blood glucose had its peak just after completion of glucose infusion and then decreased gradually. After glucose infusion, however, the blood glucose in group 2 increased markedly and was significantly higher than that in group 1. It is suggested that, during surgery, glucose infusion rate of 50 g in 30 minutes may be too rapid.

We evaluated the effect of aging on portal blood immunoreactive insulin concentration, AKBR, and keton body concentration (acetoacetate + beta-hydroxybutyrate) after glucose infusion (25 g glucose in an hour) in patients undergoing gastrectomy. Twenty-seven patients studied were elderly (above 65 years) and twenty-eight were younger (below 60 years). There was no significant difference in portal blood immunoreactive insulin concentration after glucose infusion between the two groups of patients. In elderly patients, however, AKBR was significantly lower and keton body concentration was significantly higher than those in younger patients, and these imply that suppression of ketogenesis and activation of hepatic mitochondrial function due to insulin may be reduced in elderly patients. These findings suggest that, during gastrectomy, pancreatic insulin secretion may not be impaired in elderly patients, but insulin action may be attenuated with aging.