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Takashi Takeda, Tze Fang Wong, Mari Kitamura, Nobuo YaegashiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Miyagi, JapanPurpose: Traditionally, oral estrogens have been used for hormone replacement therapy. However, in Japan, additional estrogen formulations have been used, including transdermal patches and transdermal gels. The latter have a unique commonality with cosmetics because both of them are applied to the skin. Beauty care is one of the most important lifestyle factors for women, and it has been reported that the amount of attention paid to beauty care has an effect in determining whether or not women will choose to undergo HRT during menopause. Therefore, our study focused on estrogen formulations and beauty care practices.Patients and methods: Fifty women who use hormone replacement therapy were recruited from the outpatient clinic of Tohoku University Hospital. They were treated with oral conjugated estrogen (n = 11), transdermal 17ß -estradiol patch (n = 11), and transdermal 17ß-estradiol gel (n = 28). They completed a questionnaire to assess their lifestyle (beauty care practices and exercise habits) and their compliance. The transdermal gel users were further interviewed about their subjective impressions regarding “smell”, “sticky feeling”, “spreadability”, and “irritation” on the skin using a five-grade scale.Results: There were no differences in the usability of medicines and patient compliance among the estrogen formulations. We observed a positive tendency between the level of beauty care and transdermal gel use (P = 0.0645, ordinary logistic regression analysis). The gel users placed top priority on a lack of “sticky feeling” but the subjective impression regarding “sticky feeling” was worst among the four factors (P < 0.01, Steel–Dwass test). Correspondence analysis showed that the subjective impressions of transdermal gel corresponding to usability in the range of “moderate” to “very good” and “sticky feeling” greatly affected the usability of the formulation.Conclusion: These results suggest that the level of attention to beauty care plays some role in the choice of estrogen formulations.Keywords: HRT, estrogen, transdermal gel, cosmetics, subjective impression

To clarify the long-term creep rupture strength and microstructure stability of Ni-based alloy HR6W (45Ni-24Fe-23Cr-7W-Ti, ASME Code Case 2684), creep tests were conducted up to about 70,000h and 117,000h for the weldment and parent metal respectively, and the microstructure of crept specimens was experimentally investigated. The weldment showed comparable strength with the parent metal. The metallurgical microstructure characterization and quantitative evaluation on the precipitation behavior indicated the precipitation strengthening of Laves phase, M23C6 carbide and αCr phase in the HAZ (Heat Affected Zone) and parent metal contributing to the long-term creep rupture strength stability of weldment. Satisfactory microstructural stability was proven without distinct degradation during long-term creep at 700°C up to around 117,000h. Furthermore, the internal pressure creep test of circumferential weldment was performed to verify the damage and failure morphology of actual components under the multiaxial loading [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical relationship between the porosity and P‐wave velocity is a useful tool for probing large‐scale underground physical properties and stress states based on P‐wave velocity structures acquired by seismic surveys. In this study, the porosity‐velocity curves were examined using local core sample and logging datasets acquired along the Kumano transect in the Nankai Trough, Southwest Japan. We tested Hashimoto et al.'s (2010) hypothesis that slope apron and accreted sediments have different relationships. Our advantage is using a large amount of logging and core data obtained at multiple sites in the Nankai Trough under various geological conditions, from the incoming oceanic plate to the inner wedge. We identified multiple types of porosity – P‐wave velocity relationships: 1) The first type agrees with the low‐velocity model in the global empirical relation of Erickson and Jarrard 1998), which is observed at lithostatic stress state condition (incoming upper Shikoku basin and slope sediments), 2) The second type consistent with high‐velocity models of the global empirical relation observed at compressive stress state condition (accreted sediments), which have a higher velocity and larger dependence on the porosity than the first type with the same porosity, and 3) The third type for incoming sediments with high smectite content has lower velocity than the first type. Based on our results, the transition between the first and second porosity – velocity relationships occurs in the prism toe, implying that compressive stress due to subduction controls acoustic properties and the lithification process of these sediments. Plain Language Summary: Physical properties of rocks in subduction zones are important factors controlling genesis of earthquakes. Among many kinds of physical properties, this study focuses on the relationship between porosity and P‐wave velocity at the Nankai Trough, Southwest Japan. As this relationship is affected by how the soft sediments are lithified through the subduction process, it has been studied frequently to understand physical properties and stress states of geological formations around plate boundary faults. This study compiles P‐wave velocity datasets acquired by scientific drilling projects in offshore regions, as well as porosity datasets. We tested the hypothesis proposed by a previous study that there are two types of the relationships between the two quantities. We find these two types are consistent with the global empirical relationships observed at lithostatic and compressive stress states respectively. The former includes sediments on the oceanic plate before subduction and slope apron sediments. The latter are sediments accreted toward the Japan arc. We also find that the transition from the former to the latter occurs in the sediments at the tip of accretionary prism. This suggests that compressive stress state due to subduction plays an important role in controlling the acoustic properties of sediments. Key Points: Porosity and P‐wave velocity data were compiled to investigate their relationships at the Kumano transect in the Nankai TroughAccreted sediments have higher P‐wave velocity compared with incoming and slope apron sediments with the same porosityThe stress state in the accretionary prism might be a factor controlling the porosity – P‐wave velocity relationships of sediments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study is conducted on shielding stray magnetic fields in a newly developed magnet for open high field (0.7 T) MRI (Magnetic resonance imaging) systems. In order to study feasibility of active shielding, the higher order multipole stray fields are considered.

A new magnet for open high field MRI systems is developed and in order to homogenize magnetic fields in the field of view, an optimization method to determine configuration of large correction Iron pieces, is developed. Linear programming and 3D magnetic FEA are combine d and using analytic formulae for LP, field harmonics due to the volume of magnetized iron is computed.

An extended Huckel tight-binding method is employed to calculate band-structure, associated with cubic and tetragonal barium titanate structures. Total and partial densities of states and total electronic energies are calculated, revealing the higher stability of tetragonal structures than the cubic arrangement. Theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

An optimization method to determine coil positions in iron-shielded MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) magnets has been developed. In our method, strengths of the field harmonics of desired orders, instead of the spatial distribution of the central field, are restricted to obtain a highly homogeneous magnetic field. Details of the optimization procedure and calculation results are presented.

In superconducting parallel circuits of a insulated multi-strand cable or a parallel persistent current switch (PCS), the current distribution during the current sweep, the persistent mode, and the quench process were investigated. In order to measure the current distribution, two methods were used. (1) Each strand was surrounded with a pure iron core with the air gap. In the air gap, a Hall probe was located. The accuracy of this method was deteriorated by the magnetic hysteresis of iron. (2) The Rogowski coil without iron was used for the current measurement of each path in a 4-parallel PCS. As a result, it was shown that the current distribution characteristics of a parallel PCS is very similar to that of a insulated multi-strand cable for the quench process.