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O-sulfated N-acetyl-d-galactosamine (GalNAc) residues in chondroitin sulfate (CS) play a crucial role in chondroitinase ABC I (cABC-I) activity. CSA containing mainly 4-O-monosulfated GalNAc was a good substrate for the enzyme, but not CSE containing mainly 4,6-O-disulfated GalNAc [GalNAc(4S,6S)]. Each CS isomer exhibits structural heterogeneity; CSE has di-sulfated disaccharide units and mono-sulfated disaccharide units. Disaccharide composition analysis of digested products revealed that mono-sulfated disaccharide units in CSE contributed to the enzyme reactivity. Although enough substrate (CSA) was present in mixtures of CSA and CSE for reaction, the reactivity was reduced depending on the amount of CSE in the mixture. These results suggested that CSE is not only resistant to enzyme digestion but also attenuates enzyme activity. To understand the mechanism of action, crystallography of cABC-I in complex with unsaturated CSE-disaccharide, ΔDi-(4,6)S, was performed. Both 4-O- and 6-O-sulfate groups in ΔDi-(4,6)S interact with Arg500, suggesting that there was a greater interaction between ΔDi-(4,6)S and Arg500 than between mono-sulfated disaccharides and Arg500. Besides, this interaction attenuated enzyme activity by interfering with a function of Arg500, which is the charge neutralization of the carboxy group of D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) residues in CS. When interacting with the CSE-disaccharide unit [GlcAβ1-3GalNAc(4S,6S)] in CS, cABC-I cannot interact with other CS-disaccharide units until it has digested the CSE-disaccharide unit. The low reactivity of cABC-I with CSE is attributable to two suggested factors: (a) resistance of E-units in CSE molecules to digestion by cABC-I, and (b) tendency of E-units in CSE molecules to attenuate cABC-I activity.

Retention durability, especially in the eye, is one of the most important properties of ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs) during ocular surgery. However, the information on the physical properties of OVDs is insufficient to explain their retention durability. The purpose of this study is to clarify the mechanism of OVD retention to improve understanding of the behavior of OVDs during ocular surgery. To elucidate the mechanism of OVD retention, we have developed a new test method for measuring repulsive force. As a result, the maximum repulsive force of OVDs was positively and well correlated with the retention durability of investigated OVDs. Consequently, we demonstrated that the repulsive force could be used as an index of retention durability on the ocular surface and in the eye. We directly compared the intraocular retention durability of three OVDs (Shellgan, Viscoat, and Opegan-Hi) in ex vivo porcine eyes. Opegan-Hi was immediately removed from the anterior chamber, but Shellgan and Viscoat remained largely in the anterior chamber as determined by fluorescence imaging. These results showed that the intraocular retention behavior of OVDs was similar to their ocular surface behavior in our previous report, suggesting that retention durability is dependent on the OVD itself. The retention durability of Shellgan seemed to be higher than that of Viscoat, and the maximum repulsive force of Shellgan was 1.35-fold higher than that of Viscoat. Therefore, the repulsive force might be a useful index for assessing the difference in the retention durability between OVDs such as Shellgan and Viscoat.

Very few studies have explored the structure of optimal switching regimes. We extend the existing research on the infinite-horizon multiple-regime switching problem with an arbitrary number of switch options by replacing the linear running reward function with a quadratic function in the objective function. To make our analysis more rigorous, we establish the theoretical basis for the application of the simultaneous multiple-regime switches to the problem with the extended objective function, and provide the sufficient condition under which each certain separated region in the space includes, at most, one single connected optimal switching region, which determines the structure of the optimal switching regions, and we identify the structure of the optimal switching regions for the particular problem.

Objective: To investigate whether differences exist in the effectiveness/safety of a single session of Okada Purifying Therapy (OPT), a type of biofield therapy, among those from different ethnicity/cultures, and to analyze factors associated with the outcomes in a real-world setting. Design: Pre–post test design using convenience sampling methods. Setting: Home setting. Subjects: A total of 11,303 individuals aged 16 years or older from 14 different countries (>1000 individuals each from Japan, the United States, Thailand, Chile/Peru, and

Some bacteria produce non-sulfated chondroitin (CH). Accurate, rapid, and high throughput methods to quantify CH in fermented cultures helps to improve microbial breeding and fermentation conditions efficiently. In this study, highly sensitive methods to quantify bacterial CH were developed based on ELISA techniques. An assay using an anti-K4 antiserum successfully determined the concentration of fructosylated CH in the range from 9 to 800 ng/mL. The method also enabled the determination of CH concentration exceeding 9 μg/mL. To improve the assay sensitivity for CH, hyaluronan (HA) binding protein (HABP) was applied instead of a capture antibody. HABP was bound to CH, but not to chemically desulfated chondroitin sulfate or fructosylated CH. The quantification limit of CH was 18 μg/mL in the HA assay using HABP. Replacing the HA-coated microplate with a CH-coated microplate increased the sensitivity1000 times (assay range = 14 to 1000 ng/mL). Pretreatment with hyaluronidase enabled us to accurately quantify CH in samples mixed with HA.

The combination of 3% sodium hyaluronate (HA) and 4% sodium chondroitin sulfate (CS) is used as a dispersive ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD) during cataract surgery. For most OVDs containing HA, storage at 2–8 °C is recommended to preserve product characteristics. In order to develop a dispersive OVD that can be stored at room temperature, in this study, we searched additives which can stably maintain the viscosity, a key parameter of OVD, under preservation stability testing at 60 °C. The addition of D-sorbitol to a combination OVD, 3% HA and 4% CS, suppressed the reduction in viscosity compared with other OVDs with or without additives. The addition of D-sorbitol was also effective in improving the residual viscosity of the combination OVD after thermal treatment and light irradiation. Moreover, the OVD containing D-sorbitol can be stored at 25 °C with stably maintaining the initial viscosity for at least 24 months. In conclusion, the new dispersive OVD, 3% HA, 4% CS, and 0.5% D-sorbitol, can be stored at room temperature instead of under cold conditions and may represent an attractive option for clinical use because it is not necessary to bring the product to room temperature prior to use.

Objective: To investigate whether the frequency of the practice of each of diet, art, and biofield therapy influences improvement in quality of life (QOL), and to examine whether the simultaneous practice of all three components increasingly improves QOL in a real-world setting. Design: Pre–post-test design using convenience sampling methods. Setting: Home setting. Subjects: A total of 4681 individuals aged 16 years or older who answered the questionnaire appropriately. Intervention: Participants agreed to practice the three components daily and self-evaluated the frequency of their weekly practice for three consecutive months. At the beginning and end of the study, they completed the MOA quality-of-life questionnaire (10-item MOA quality-of-life questionnaire [MQL-10]). Outcome measures: Factors associated with the increase in MQL-10 scores for each component, and the relationship between the simultaneous practice of multiple components and the changes in MQL-10 scores were analyzed. Results: Frequent practice of the diet and/or art components was associated with an increase in the term-end MQL-10 score (p

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the rheological properties and adhesive force of ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs) as parameters for understanding and identifying the surgical behavior of cohesive and dispersive OVDs. The apparent viscosity, and the storage and loss moduli (dynamic rheological parameters) of 50% chondroitin sulfate (CS), 3% sodium hyaluronate (HA), Shellgan (the combination of 3% HA and 4% CS), Opegan (1% HA with a low molecular mass) and Opegan-Hi (1% HA with a high molecular mass) were obtained with a rheometer. The adhesive force of each sample was measured by using a texture analyzer. Opegan-Hi showed a solid-like behavior, while 50% CS showed a fluid-like behavior from their apparent viscosity and dynamic rheological parameters. Shellgan, 3% HA, and Opegan exhibited similar rheological properties and intermediate characteristics between Opegan-Hi and 50% CS, although their respective values were slightly different. Among these OVD samples, the adhesive force was higher in the order of 50% CS > Shellgan, 3% HA > Opegan > Opegan-Hi. The adhesive force of dispersive OVDs tended to be higher than that of cohesive OVDs, which correlated well with the removal times of OVDs from the eye that have previously been reported. In conclusion, we demonstrated that cohesive OVDs and dispersive OVDs have particular rheological and adhesive properties that can be applied to identify both types. These parameters obtained in this study provide useful information for a greater understanding and prediction of the behavior of OVDs in the eye during surgery.

Ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs), mainly containing sodium hyaluronate (HA), are used in cataract surgeries to protect the cornea endothelium. In this study, the rheological properties of 9 launched products (containing 1% HA) were evaluated. The molecular weights (MWs) of HA estimated based on intrinsic viscosity varied widely, between 1100-2500 kDa, and showed a particular value for each product. Of the 9 products, 6 are classified as cohesive OVDs and their product specifications show the same value for intrinsic viscosity (25-45 dL/g), with high MW HA (>2000 kDa); however, the MW of each HA showed a particular value (2200-2500 kDa) within the range of the product specification. As with the MW of HA, apparent viscosity and dynamic rheological parameters showed particular values for each OVD. The product Opegan-Hi exhibited the highest value of apparent viscosity at low shear rate, and a solid-like behavior among the OVDs. In a questionnaire survey among 198 cataract surgeons, 42% of surgeons had experienced a difference in ability to maintain the depth of anterior chamber during surgery among the different cohesive OVDs used. This suggested that surgeons select OVD properties based on surgical procedure and patient cases. In conclusion, we demonstrated that each OVD has particular rheological properties within the range of the product specification defined by the intrinsic viscosity. The results might provide useful information for surgeons in their selection of OVDs based on their experience.

Agradecimentos: The authors gratefully acknowledge the Brazilian research funding agencies National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), and the Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES). We are also in debt to Eder Conde Vieira and the Children’s Cancer Hospital Boldrini (Campinas, Brazil) for providing access to the MRI facilities, and to Prof. Dr. Rubens Caram for providing access to his laboratory facilities Abstract: This study compared Zr-Mo alloys with commercial metallic biomaterials. It was observed that the Zr-Mo alloys exhibited favourable mechanical properties, particularly the Zr-10Mo alloy, which showed the highest strength to Young's modulus ratio among all evaluated metals. These alloys also exhibited the lowest magnetic susceptibilities, which are important for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, both Zr- and Ti-based metals yielded comparable artifacts. It was concluded that the magnetic susceptibility must differ considerably to afford significantly improved MRI quality owing to the increased importance of non-susceptibility-related artifacts when comparing materials with relatively similar magnetic susceptibilities CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQ FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPES Aberto

Chondroitin sulfate E (CSE) is a polysaccharide containing mainly disaccharide units of D-glucuronic acid (GlcA) and 4,6-O-disulfated N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (GalNAc) residues (E-unit) in the amount of ∼ 60%. CSE is involved in many biological and pathological processes. In this study, we established new monoclonal antibodies, termed E-12C and E-18H, by using CSE that contained more than 70% of E-units as an immunogen. These antibodies recognized CSE but not other CSs isomers or dermatan sulfate (DS). We evaluated the reactivities of the antibodies to 6-O-sulfated CSA (6S-CSA) and DS (6S-DS) that possessed ∼ 60% of GalNAc (4S, 6S) moieties in their structures. Neither of the antibodies reacted with 6S-DS. The antibodies strictly distinguished the structural difference of GlcA and L-iduronic acid in the polysaccharide. Binding affinities of the antibodies were determined by a surface plasmon resonance assay using CSE and 6S-CSA. The binding affinities were strongly associated with the molecular weight of CSE and the E-unit content of 6S-CSA. Moreover, we demonstrated that the antibodies are applicable to histochemical analysis. In conclusion, the new anti-CSE monoclonal antibodies specifically recognize the E-unit of CSE. The antibodies will become useful tools for the investigation of the biological and pathological significance of CSE.

Iduronic acid (IdoA) is a critical component of heparan sulfate in its interaction with functional proteins. Heparosan-N-sulfate-glucuronate 5-epimerase (HNSG-5epi) converts d-glucuronic acid (GlcA) residues in N-sulfated heparosan (NS-heparosan), as an intermediate in heparan sulfate biosynthesis, to IdoA. In the present study, the authors discovered a different 5-epimerase, designated HG-5epi (heparosan-glucuronate 5-epimerase), that is involved in acharan sulfate biosynthesis and possesses novel substrate specificity. A candidate cDNA of HG-5epi was cloned from the cDNA library of Achatina fulica. The cloned cDNA contained a whole coding region that predicts a type II transmembrane protein composed of 601 amino acid residues. The amino acid sequence of HG-5epi is homologous to that of HNSG-5epi. Recombinant HG-5epi was expressed in insect cells and its enzymatic properties characterized. As expected, HG-5epi epimerizes GlcA residues in heparosan, but not in NS-heparosan. Conversion of IdoA to GlcA was also catalyzed by HG-5epi when completely desulfated N-acetylated heparin was used as the substrate, indicating a reversible reaction mechanism. At equilibrium of the epimerization, the proportion of IdoA in the reaction product reached up to 30% of total hexuronic acid. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe an enzyme that catalyzes the epimerization of non-sulfated heparosan. This new enzyme may be applied to the study of synthetic heparan sulfate-related polysaccharides having certain biological and pharmacological activities. In addition, a new method using anion-exchange HPLC connected to a post-column fluorescent labeling system was developed for analyzing hexuronic acid isomers.

We aimed to examine the association between impaired proinsulin processing in pancreatic beta cells and type 2 diabetes mellitus in non-obese Japanese patients. Participants were divided into groups for normal glucose tolerance, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes based on the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Activities of prohormone convertase (PC) 1/3 and PC2 in fasting states were estimated. Multiple regression analysis was undertaken to ascertain if alteration of the activities of these enzymes contributes to the development of impaired glucose tolerance by comparison with HOMA-β and the oral disposition index (DI(O)). Overall, 452 subjects were included. PC1/3 activity tended to decrease in type 2 diabetes compared with normal glucose tolerance. PC2 activity showed no difference among the three groups. Decreased estimated PC1/3 activity was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes after adjustment for sex, age, creatinine, triglycerides, HOMA-β and DI(O). Odds ratios (95% CI) of PC1/3, HOMA-β, and DI(O) were 2.16 (1.12-4.19), 3.44 (1.82-6.52) and 14.60 (7.87-27.11), respectively. Furthermore, decreased PC1/3(≤1.7) combined with decreased HOMA-β (≤30) had a sensitivity of 73% and specificity of 62%. Decreased PC1/3 activity may be a useful measurement of beta-cell function alongside decreased HOMA-β or DI(O). A combined decrease in estimated fasting PC1/3 activity and HOMA-β measurement led to suspicion of type 2 diabetes in the non-obese Japanese population studied.

For corals that establish symbioses with dinoflagellate Symbiodinium spp. at the lar- val stage or later through horizontal transmission, the ecological significance of the early uptake of algal symbionts remains unknown. It has been hypothesized that early uptake of symbionts is an advantage for long-distance dispersal. Here, we tested the hypothesis that early acquisition of symbionts enhances post-settlement survival. We used a cultured strain of clade A Symbiodinium that was isolated from wild Acropora spat as the algal symbiont. Symbiotic and aposymbiotic Acropora larvae were prepared in the laboratory and settled on experimental plates in the field. The survival of settlers was monitored for 15 mo. Our results showed that more larval-stage set- tlers harbouring symbionts survived than those without, even when there was no difference in the initial density of settled larvae. We analysed the Symbiodinium clades harboured by the corals at 1 mo after settlement, and found that clade A was less abundant in the corals that grew from aposymbiotic larvae than in those that developed from symbiotic larvae. There was also a marked difference in coral survival between aposymbiotic and symbiotic larvae over this period. The higher survival rate of 'early uptake' corals was more pronounced on shaded plates. These results suggest that the early uptake of specific symbionts enhances post-settlement survival in dark places such as reef crevices, which are sites commonly settled by coral larvae.

EDM machinability of PCD was investigated using a copper electrode giving ultrasonic vibrations. In this series of EDM experiments, three types of ultrasonic vibration modes were selected (axial vibration, flexural vibration and complex vibration). From the experimental results, it was found that EDM efficiency became 3 times higher than the ordinary EDM (no vibration given to the electrode) under the two specific vibration modes, namely, 1) the axial vibration (large) mode and 2) the complex vibration (axial vibration: large+flexural vibration: small) mode. Furthermore, it was shown that the effects resulted from not only the cavitation effect of the working fluid but also the vibrational action of the electrode itself.

Electrically conductive polycrystalline composite diamond (EC-PCD) material, which consists of electrically conductive diamond particles, has recently been developed for the purpose of providing the material with both excellent tool property and machinability. This paper deals with material properties and electrical discharge machinability of EC-PCD. The result shows that the EC-PCD is superior in heat resistance to conventional PCD by a factor of about 200 °C. And the EC-PCD shows low frictional wear at high temperature in a sliding test against a stainless steel disk. Furthermore, processing speed of EC-PCD is more than 7 times higher than that of conventional PCD in EDM.

Poly(styrene derivative) particles, average diameter of which is

This paper proposes a conversational content recognition method for robot-assisted therapies. In the proposed method, nouns in the conversation are first extracted by morphological analysis techniques. As the next step, the dominant conception of them, which is called “synset” in this paper, are obtained by using a concept dictionary. And finally the conversational topic is determined considering the number and kinds of obtained synsets. In this paper, Japanese Word-Net was employed as concept dictionary, and evaluation experiments using daily conversation voice data recorded in the welfare facility were conducted. The obtained results by the proposed method were quite similar to those by human and indicated that the proposed method had enough possibility to recognize conversation among some persons. This paper describes the detail of the proposed method, experimental results and also does some problems about the proposed method.

東京国際空港D滑走路建設工事は東京国際空港の南方沖合に約150万m2の新滑走路島を築造し，2,500mの滑走路を新設するプロジェクトである。本工事では，施工中に圧密放置期間が十分に得られない条件下で高盛土を急速施工するため，地盤の挙動を精度良く把握し，地盤の沈下および安定に関して十分な管理を行う必要があった。本論文は、電気式静的コーン貫入試験（CPT）による地盤調査結果を用いて，護岸部と埋立部の各施工段階における圧密の進行状況を把握する方法について検討した。また，関西国際空港第二期事業で行われた一軸圧縮試験結果と，今回の工事で用いたCPTによる調査結果を強度のバラツキの観点から比較した。

Heparan sulfate is a ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan in the extracellular matrix of most animals. It interacts with various molecules and exhibits important biological functions. K5 antigen produced by Escherichia coli strain K5 is a linear polysaccharide N-acetylheparosan consisting of GlcUA β1–4 and GlcNAc α1–4 repeating disaccharide, which forms the backbone of heparan sulfate. Region 2, located in the center of the K5-specific gene cluster, encodes four proteins, KfiA, KfiB, KfiC, and KfiD, for the biosynthesis of the K5 polysaccharide. Here, we expressed and purified the recombinant KfiA and KfiC proteins and then characterized these enzymes. Whereas the recombinant KfiC alone exhibited no GlcUA transferase activity, it did exhibit GlcUA transferase and polymerization activities in the presence of KfiA. In contrast, KfiA had GlcNAc transferase activity itself, which was unaffected by the presence of KfiC. The GlcNAc and GlcUA transferase activities were analyzed with various truncated and point mutants of KfiA and KfiC. The point mutants replacing aspartic acid of a DXD motif and lysine and glutamic acid of an ionic amino acid cluster, and the truncated mutants deleting the C-terminal and N-terminal sites, revealed the essential regions for GlcNAc and GlcUA transferase activity of KfiC and KfiA, respectively. The interaction of KfiC with KfiA is necessary for the GlcUA transferase activity of KfiC but not for the enzyme activity of KfiA. Together, these results indicate that the complex of KfiA and KfiC has polymerase activity to synthesize N-acetylheparosan, providing a useful tool toward bioengineering of defined heparan sulfate chains.

E・T・A・ホフマンの『アウトマーテ』という小説は、17、18世紀にヨーロッパで多く作られたからくり人形を題材にした作品である。物語の発端に「喋るトルコ人」という人形がでてきて、この人形に伺いを立てるとお告げをする謎をめぐってストーリーが展開する。人形が人間の運命を透視する謎を二人の若者が追及してゆくが、その過程で当時の様々な自動人形、自動楽器が取り上げられる。二人の推理は人形制作者の何らかの手立てで、未知の世界を覗く霊視者が人形を通じて謎の交信を送っているのではないか、というように進み、物語は、当時これもまた世間の注目を浴びていた動物磁気(催眠術)による魂と魂との不思議な触れ合い、精神の交感というテーマに進んでいく。, 研究ノート(Note)

学問・技芸のあらゆる分野に関心を持ち、百科全書的博物学者と呼ばれたアタナシウス・キルヒァー(1601-1680)の音楽分野の主要な業績『普遍音楽論』Musurgia Universalis を取り上げ、音響・音楽に関する当時の知識を網羅したこの著作中の「情動理論」、すなわち音楽が人間の心身に及ぼす効果に関する彼の思想を、バロックの世界観と音楽史のコンテキストに位置づける試み。, 研究ノート(Note)

マイクロエマルション重合では常にミセル数が生成高分子粒子やラジカルの数より遥かに多いことを考慮し，水相中のラジカルはすべて別々のミセルに侵入し成長反応をおこしてミセルを高分子粒子に転化させると仮定した動力学的モデルを提案した．このモデルでは，高分子ラジカルの成長は連鎖移動反応によってのみ停止し，また，高分子粒子の成長は，連鎖移動反応により生じる低分子ラジカルの粒子外への脱出によってのみ終了する．このモデルに基づき，スチレンのマイクロエマルション重合における重合速度，生成高分子の分子量分布，生成高分子粒子数および粒子径分布の経時変化を予測したところ，予測値は実測値とおおむね良好に一致した．油溶性開始剤を用いた場合の重合速度の値は系全体でのラジカル発生速度が同一の条件で水溶性開始剤を用いた場合の値に比べて低かった．これはミセルや粒子などの微小空間で発生したペアラジカルは水相へと脱出することなく迅速に 2 分子停止反応を生起することを示唆する．

Both saturated and unsaturated forms of isomeric unsulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) oligosaccharides, i.e., tetrasaccharides of chondroitin (CH) and hyaluronan (HA), were analyzed by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry. Although the only structural difference between them was the hydroxyl group at the C-4 position in N-acetylhexosamine (GalNAc or GlcNAc, respectively), given the same m/z value of precursor ions, these isomers in both their saturated and unsaturated forms could be separated by careful examination of diagnostic fragment ions in their product ion mass spectra when the relative abundances of these fragment ions were considered. In addition, the product ion mass spectrum of the unsaturated HA tetrasaccharide was compared with its linkage isomer, N-acetylheparosan tetrasaccharide. In this case, the isomers were more easily differentiated by comparing their characteristic spectral patterns. By adopting this approach, systematic differentiation of isomeric unsulfated GAG oligosaccharides should be achieved by means of fragmentation. It should also contribute widely to GAG-related biochemical and medicinal research in the future.

ベルリンの科学アカデミーはロンドン王立協会、パリ王立科学アカデミーに次いで、一七〇〇年に創設された。これは十七世紀における自然科学の飛躍的な発展が促した出来事である。創設したメンバーの中心には、G・W・ライプニッツがいた。神学、哲学、数学、物理学、言語学など多くの学問領域で抜きん出た業績を挙げた天才が、キリスト教会と世俗権力の軋轢、新旧宗教対立の騒擾、神聖ローマ帝国の凋落、ドイツ領邦の権力抗争の只中でどのようにアカデミー創設に関わったのかを追ってゆくと、科学アカデミーについて、文化史上の意味ばかりではなく、科学者を組織化することの宗教的・政治的な文脈も見えてくる。本稿は宗教、政治、思想、文化のさまざまな角度からベルリン科学アカデミー設立の歴史的意義を検討する試みである。

Emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate was carried out using a mixture of anionic emulsifier, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and nonionic emulsifier, poly(oxy ethylene) nonyl phenyl ether with an average of 40 oxy ethylene units per molecule (NP-40). The rate of polymerization and the number of polymer particles produced both increased with increasing the amount of NP-40 initially charged, when NP-40 was used as the sole emulsifier. Interestingly, however, both the rate of polymerization and the number of polymer particles produced was found to decrease, when the amount of NP-40 added to the fixed amount of SDS is increased in the mixed emulsifier. On the contrary, they both increased when the amount of SDS added to the fixed amount of NP-40 is increased in the mixed emulsifier. The mixed emulsifier did not affect the number of the radicals per polymer particle at a certain number of polymer particles, but affected the number of polymer particles, thus the rate of polymerization.

A 73-year-old man admitted for febrile left leg pain with dyspnea, who had poorly controlled diabetes was found on admission to have severe hypoxia and chest X-ray showed infiltrates in the middle to lower left lung. X-rays of the left leg showed gas around the knee joint. These findings suggested severe pneumonia with gas gangrene, necessitating immediate debridement of the gas gangrene lesion and hyperbaric oxygenation. Antibiotics were also administered intravenously (panipenem/betamipron 0.5 g x 3/day, clindamycin 600 mg x 2/day, and erythromycin 500 mg x 3/day). We conducted fiberoptic bronchoscope daily because consolidation of the whole left lung developed with purulent sputum expectoration. Both pneumonia and gas gangrene gradually ameliorated avoiding amputation of theleg. Gas gangrene was cured without leaving sequelae such as motor dysfunction. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in both pus from the leg and sputum collected by bronchoscopy. Microorganisms showed the same pattern of sensitivity to antibiotics, suggesting a causal relationship between pneumonia and gas gangrene through the blood stream. Gas gangrene was considered the primary infection followed by pneumonia, since pain and swelling of the left leg preceded the airway symptoms. The present case illustrates in compromised hosts including diabetics, gas gangrene may develop taking an opportunity of airway infection, and that in some cases, early debridement of the lesion and optimal use of antibiotics may help cure this disease without aggressive surgery. Hyperbaric oxygenation may also be useful, although its validity must be investigated further.

A novel method, based on quantitative PCR and amplified fragment length polymorphism was applied to the analysis of high-coverage gene expression profiles during the development of rice seeds. This represents the first report of the application of this method to plants, which permitted the detection and analysis of approximately 70% of all the genes that are expressed in rice. The method was used to compare gene expression at different developmental stages, subspecies or cultivars, and phyletic lines to identify genes of interest through differences in their level of expression. Using this approach, even novel anonymous genes could be detected. Examples of these include the soluble starch synthase (SS) II-I and the rice branching enzyme 4 (rbe4) genes in the starch synthesis pathway. A profiling database was compiled and the results compared with public data on full-length cDNA sequences of rice. The method enables candidate novel genes to be immediately identified among the large numbers of genes that are expressed during the development of rice seeds. Our results will contribute to a better understanding of comparative transcriptomics in all plant species.

Purpose : This article introduces the use of a measurement device that was recently developed.Materials and Methods : This device was designed so that it can estimate changes in occlusal vertical dimension more precisely to measure the distance between the subnasal and the gnathion. It has several indicators and two scales. When positioned correctly, this device can measure, for example, the distance between the subnasal and gnathion on a patient or the distance of the interalveolar crest of the ridge of dentures. The authors performed an experiment using this measuring device to determine vertical dimension. Resin plates were used to raise the bite in a patient's mouth. The changes in the jaw position were measured by 11 clinicians using the device, and the measurements were statistically analyzed.Results : The results of the experiment confirmed that the device is stable. There was no correlation between the number of clinical years of experience of the clinicians and the distance measured from the subnasal to the gnathion of the subject.Conclusion : Stable measurements can be achieved with this measurement device.

Type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients exhibit fasting relative hyperproinsulinemia owing to pancreatic β-cell dysfunction. To clarify the mechanism underlying this hyperproinsulinemic state, we evaluated the activities of the endopeptidases prohormone convertase (PC) 1/3 and PC2 in T2D patients. Fasting blood levels of intact proinsulin (IPI), total proinsulin (t-PI) and C-peptide were measured simultaneously, and intravenous glucagon loading was performed to investigate the dynamics of circulating proinsulin-related molecules released from pancreatic β-cells in 12 healthy volunteers and 18 T2D patients. Taking advantage of the 95% cross-reactivity between proinsulin and des-31,32-proinsulin (des-31,32-PI) with the human proinsulin radioimmunoassay kit used in this study, we estimated PC1/3 and PC2 activities using the following formulas: des-31,32-PI = (t-PI-IPI)/0.95; PC1/3 activity = des-31,32-PI/IPI; and PC2 activity = C-peptide/des-31,32-PI. C-peptide responses to glucagon were slightly lower among T2D patients. IPI and the IPI/C-peptide ratio were significantly higher in T2D patients (p

This study was carried out to select suitable welding methods and welding consumables used for constructing a galvanizing bath. In this report, these were selected in terms of the elevated temperature strength, the susceptibility of liquid metal embrittlement and corrosion resistance in liquid zinc.The base metal used was a carbon steel specialized for a galvanizing bath. The shielded metal arc (SMA) and gas shield arc weldings (GMA) were used with a covered electrode (E1) and solid and flux cored wires (F1, F2 and F3).The elevated temperature strength of all deposited metals were measured at the temperature range from room temperature to 600°C.Moreover, the notched bar tensile (NBT) test, where the bottom of notch was coated by liquid zinc, was performed at the temperature of 480°C to know the susceptibility of liquid metal embrittlement. Corrosion resistance was measured at the temperature of 450°C in molten zinc of practical bath.Strength at the elevated temperature of deposited metals by GMA welding was higher than that by SMA welding. The susceptibilities of liquid metal embrittlement of deposited metals became high in the order of E1, F3, F1 and F2. The susceptibilities of F1 and F3 were almost corresponded with that of the base metal. The susceptibility of liquid metal embrittlement at liquid zinc increased with an increase in the term of C+Si+Mn. Moreover, corrosion resistances of F1 and F2 in liquid zinc were higher than those of the base metal, E1 and F3. When the value of C+Si+Mn exceeds 1.7%, corrosion resistance of weld metal decreases.The solid wire, F3 was. selected as a candidate of welding consumable used for constructing a galvanizing bath from the present results.

The effect of pH on polymerization rate is studied. The rate of polymerization was found to be unaffected by pH. A kinetic model for the polymerization of styrene in O/W microemulsion, which has previously been proposed by the present authors, was extended to predict the particle size distribution (PSD) of the polymer particles produced. The proposed kinetic model is also extended so as to be applicable to a system containing chain transfer agent. The predicted PSD was found to agree fairly well with the measured value, which demonstrates the importance of radical desorption from polymer particles in determination of particle size.

Fire spread upper floor is mostly incurred by external window flames, which depends on the generation rate of fuel volatile from combustible products in the room. The generation rate of the volatile is thought to be strongly influenced by the area of the combustible exposed to the fire environment. In order to assess the risk of the fire spread to upper floor in high-rise buildings, it is important to know the surface area of combustibles contained in building spaces in actual use. Therefore, the fire load and surface areas of the combustibles in office, hotel room, and apartment, which are considered to be dominant use of high-rise buildings, are investigated. The correlation between the fire load density and the surface area factor, of live fire load in actual use, was obtained for each of the occupancies.

インスリン依存型糖尿病及びインスリン非依存型糖尿病患者の慢性合併症の1つとして, 糖尿病性骨減少症がある。病態上の特徴として, 主に皮質骨の骨塩量が減少し, その背景として骨芽細胞機能の低下が指摘されている。一方, 破骨細胞機能についてはむしろ亢進しているものと考えられる。また, 成因には少なくとも一部にビタミンD代謝異常や相対的な副甲状腺機能の低下, 骨芽細胞へのインスリン作用の不足などが関与している可能性がある。高齢化社会を迎えるに当たり, 糖尿病での骨代謝異常の病態・病因の解明を進め, その治療法や予防法を早期に確立することが必要である。

Objectives. We sought to determine the intrinsic risk factors of valve regurgitation in complete atrioventricular septal defect.Background. Progression of regurgitation varies in each case, although the structure of the common atrioventricular valve itself is a predisposing factor.Methods. In 90 consecutive patients undergoing surgical repair, we evaluated the preoperative and postoperative regurgitation, valve morphology, age at surgery and associated anomalies. A regurgitation jet with a high velocity reaching the deep left atrial wall by echocardiography was estimated as marked regurgitation.Results. None of the 40 patients with Rastelli type C and an undivided inferior bridging leaflet had preoperative regurgitation in the first year of life, and 12% of them (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0% to 28%) showed regurgitation at the age of 2. Of the remaining 50 with Rastelli type A and/or a divided inferior leaflet, regurgitation was determined in 21% (95% CI: 6% to 35%) of those 1 year old and in 49% (95% CI: 29% to 69%) of those 2 years old (p < 0.01). All patients underwent corrective surgery using the double-patch technique, with the “cleft” being sutured adequately. Irrespective of the valve morphology, regurgitation remained in 52% (12 of 23) of those with preoperative regurgitation, whereas regurgitation developed postoperatively in 28% (16 of 58) of those without regurgitation (p < 0.001).Conclusions. Those with Rastelli type C and an undivided inferior leaflet had a lesser degree of progression of preoperative regurgitation. However, regurgitation was likely to exist even after adequate repair once regurgitation had already advanced. Therefore, early primary repair before progression of the regurgitation may be the key to maintaining better competence of the atrioventricular valve.

Little attention has been paid to whether the interventricular communication in complete atrioventricular septal defect is different beneath the superior and inferior bridging leaflets, a feature of obvious surgical significance. We searched for a defect under the bridging leaflets and examined the valve morphologies in 98 autopsied and 86 surgical patients. Of the overall specimens, 27 were associated with Fallot's tetralogy, and a further 20 had subaortic stenosis, aortic coarctation, or both. In the autopsied specimens, we also measured the degree of deficiency of the ventricular septum. No communication was found under the inferior bridging leaflet in 30% (29 of 98) of the specimens. All 29 hearts except two without such communications showed an undivided inferior leaflet. In contrast, all patients undergoing operation except 1 had a communication beneath both bridging leaflets (p < 0.001). The absence of a communication beneath the inferior leaflet was observed more in hearts with Fallot's tetralogy (seven of 14) or those with subaortic stenosis, aortic coarctation, or both (eight of 18) than in those without associated anomalies (14 of 66; p < 0.01). Those with a communication under the inferior leaflet showed a greater deficiency of the inlet ventricular septum than did those without it (p < 0.001). In a certain percentage of patients with complete atrioventricular septal defect, there will be no communication under the inferior bridging leaflet. Surgeons should be aware of this possibility, particularly when confronted with a patient with obstruction in either ventricular outlet

Localization of xyloglucan in cell walls regenerated from tobacco protoplasts {Nicotiana tabacum L.; cv. BY2) is visualized by rapid-freezing and deep-etching (RFDE) electron microscopy coupled with immunogold electron microscopy. Xyloglucan was already deposited in the cell wall 3 h after culture initiation. Xyloglucan was mainly localized along microfibrils with a lesser amount in intersections between two crossed microfibrils in 120-hour-old cells. These data support the previous hypothesis of Keegstra et al. (1973) that propose an interconnection between xyloglucan and cellulose.