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We assessed the serological response to pertussis vaccines administered pre- and post-liver transplantation in 58 pediatric patients at a children's hospital in Japan. A high rate of pertussis vaccine failure was observed, 44.8% against the pertussis toxin and 69.0% against filamentous hemagglutinin, with no difference in the seropositivity rate with respect to the timing of the vaccination during the peritransplant period.

Early life history traits of young-of-the-year (YOY) round herring Etrumeus teres, caught in Tosa Bay (south-western Japan), were studied using otolith microstructure analysis for the 2000-2003 year classes. Hatch dates ranged from October to March, and were restricted to either autumn or winter within each year class. YOY ranged from 50 to 123 mm total length (L T ) and from 57 to 192 days in age. The relationship of L T to otolith radius was linear. Individual growth rates (G I ) were backcalculated between the 70th and 150th days (the size range of most YOY caught) using the biological intercept method. G I ranged from 0·3 to 1·4 mm day -1 and decreased in most cases as season progressed irrespective of year class, although G 1 in winter cohorts were significantly higher than in autumn cohorts. Otolith growth rates (G O ) ranged from 2·13 to 12·25 μm days -1 for autumn spawned YOY and from 3·12 to 12·41 μm day -1 for YOY spawned in winter. The Go trajectories followed three consistent patterns: (1) an increase in increment widths after first feeding through the second week of larval life, then (2) a plateau in increment spacing before increment widths increased again until reaching the maximum growth rate, followed by (3) a gradual decrease in increment widths until the end of the fifth month. The three stages occurred irrespective of spawning season, although YOY spawned in October and December had higher G O during stages (1) and (2) than YOY spawned in February and March, whereas higher Go was observed for late-winter cohorts in stage (3). Otolith growth from YOY spawned in December and January showed an intermediate pattern between YOY hatched in the early autumn (October to December) and late winter (February to March). The G O trajectories were cross-matched to the calendar date to estimate time series of otolith growth rates (G OTS ) for each year. A parabolic trend was found with maximum G OTS in autumn and spring and minimum values in winter. This trend was significantly correlated to daily sea surface temperature variations. The differences in otolith growth trajectories suggest that the otolith microstructure of E. teres may be used as a natural tag for identifying autumn and winter spawned cohorts.

Aims: Invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) is associated with frequent lymph node metastasis and adverse clinical outcome. IMPC has been reported in breast, urinary bladder, ureter, lung and parotid gland but not in colon. We present the clinicopathological features of three cases of primary IMPC of the colon with a review of the literature. Methods and results: The patients (one man and two women) were 53, 67 and 68 years old, respectively. The size of the tumour ranged from 20 to 100 mm in diameter. Histologically, all cases were composed predominantly of papillary tumour cell clusters with spaces in a background of fine fibrocollagenous stroma. One of the tumours (case 1) was nearly completely composed of IMPC, but the other two were associated with foci of adenocarcinoma and concurrent mucinous carcinoma, respectively. MUC1 was positive in all cases, suggestive of reverse cell orientation which is responsible for its unique histological features. Conclusions: We report three cases of primary IMPC of the colon. Its clinical significance remains undetermined but the presence of this component may represent a poor prognostic factor.

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectra were measured for ultrathin films of OTi-phthalocyanine (OTiPc), which has an electric dipole perpendicular to the molecular plane, prepared on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite in order to study effects of the molecular orientation and the electric dipole layer on the organic electronic states. For the as-grown films, the observed highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) band consists of two prominent peaks that can be assigned to different molecular orientations. For the oriented monolayer obtained by annealing the as-grown film, we detected a very sharp HOMO band at 290 K. The binding-energy (EB) difference between the HOMO bands of the as-grown and annealed films was found to agree with the shift in the vacuum level. For the oriented monolayer, the observed sharp HOMO band involves at least four components that are ascribed to the coupling between the HOMO hole and the molecular vibration. Upon cooling the sample to 95 K, the HOMO bandwidth became sharper than that at 290 K. From the peak fitting using Voigt function, additional components are expected in the HOMO band at 95 K. Moreover, we detected the EB shift in the HOMO band for the oriented monolayer upon cooling, which can be originated from decrease in the HOMO-hole screening due to the change in the film structure and/or the molecule-substrate interaction.

Endoscopic diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection, before biopsies and serological tests are performed, is possible through careful analysis of the network of superficial vessels in patients with gastritis. At standard endoscopy, a regular arrangement of the collecting venules (RAC) is visible as numerous minute red points in the corpus of the noninfected stomach, and is not visible in H. pylori gastritis. Magnifying endoscopy provides more precise information concerning the collecting venules, the network of capillaries surrounding the gastric pits, the swelling of the surface epithelium between pits, and the enlargement and destruction of the pits. The magnified appearance is classified as Z-0 (noninfected stomach) or as Z-1 to Z-3 for successive degrees of mucosal damage in the infected stomach. Histological controls confirm the reliability of the endoscopic classification. Magnifying endoscopy also proves helpful in the assessment of completeness of eradication of H. pylori.

Experiments were conducted to study the effects of micro-pin-fins on boiling phenomena and heat transfer from square simulated silicon chips immersed in a pool of FC-72. Two kinds of micro-pin-fins having fin thickness of 30 μm and fin heights of 60 and 200 μm, respectively, were fabricated on the silicon chip surface with the dry etching technique. The experiments were conducted at the liquid subcoolings of 3, 25, 35 and 45 K. The effects of dissolved air in FC-72 and chip orientation were also investigated. The boiling curve of the micro-pin-finned chips was characterized by a very small increase in wall superheat with increasing heat flux, and the wall temperatures at the CHF point for all the micro-pin-finned chips were less than the upper limit for the reliable operation of LSI chips (Tw=85°C). Liquid subcooling was very effective in elevating CHF for the micro-pin-finned chips compared to the smooth surface and other treated surfaces. The enhanced boiling heat transfer mechanisms for the micro-pin-finned chips were discussed.

A modification (termed the slide-glass-embed-method, SGEM) of the embed method for preparing fish sagittae is described. The SGEM is based on a very simple principle: a dome of mixed resin containing the embedded sagittae loses hardness after being heated and can be easily cut with dissecting scissors.

Metastable atom electron spectroscopy was used to characterize monolayer formation of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine (ClAlPc) prepared on graphite. For as-grown film, molecules form island structure of staggered doublelayers on the substrate. By annealing the film, molecules diffuse to form a uniform monolayer where all the molecules are oriented flat with Cl atom directed to the vacuum. After the confirmation of the oriented monolayer formation, high-resolution ultraviolet photoelectron spectra were measured to study effects of the molecular orientation on the energy levels. ClAlPc has an electric dipole perpendicular to the molecular plane, hence a well-defined electric dipole layer could be intentionally prepared by using the oriented monolayer. Difference of binding energies of HOMO bands between the oriented monolayer and the doublelayer was found to agree with the vacuum level shift, leading to a conclusion that the molecular energy level with respect to the substrate Fermi level is changed when the molecule is in the dipole-layer field.

Ultraviolet photoelectron spectra were measured for titanyl- and lead-phthalocyanine ultrathin films prepared on graphite in order to study effects of the electric dipole layer on the organic energy levels. Each of these molecules has an electric dipole perpendicular to the molecular plane, and hence a well-defined electric dipole layer could be intentionally prepared by using oriented monolayer of these molecules. For as-grown films, the observed highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) band consists of many peaks that could be assigned to different molecular orientations/aggregations. For well-oriented monolayer films obtained by annealing the as-grown films, we observed a very sharp HOMO band with two satellites for both molecules as for copper phthalocyanine. Difference of binding energy of HOMO bands between the oriented monolayer and the doublelayer in which molecular electric dipoles are cancelled was found to agree with the vacuum level shift for both molecules, leading to important conclusions that (1) the molecular energy level with respect to the substrate Fermi level is changed when the molecule is in the dipole layer and (2) the binding-energy shift corresponds with the vacuum level shift.

Accepted: 2003-08-12, 資料番号: SA1003989000

Accepted: 2003-09-19, 資料番号: SA1003994000

Pituitaries of various teleosts belonging to 25 orders were immunostained with antisera raised against synthetic fragment peptides corresponding to conservative regions of gonadotropinβ subunits (mummichog FSHβ 50-60 and mummichog LHβ 91-106). Both immunoreactive FSH cells and immunoreactive LH cells were successfully identified in the fishes of almost every order of the superorder Acanthopterygii and several species of the superorders Paracanthopterygii and Polymixiomorpha, such as mullet, alfonsino, flyingfish, mackerel, flounder, cod, beardfish, etc. These antisera are therefore considered as universal antisera for immunocytochemical application to acanthopterygian fishes. Extensive diversity in the abundance of the FSH cells and the LH cells among species was noted even in fishes with similar gonadal stages, indicating the possibility that the respective roles of FSH and LH may vary considerably among species in advanced teleosts. Evident but generally weak immunoreactivities to anti-mummichog LHβ 91-106 were observed in the fishes of the superorder Cyclosquamata; and slight or weak immunoreactivities to the antiserum were observed in the fishes of several more primitive taxa (superorder Stenopterygii, Protacanthopterygii, Ostariophysi, subdivision Clupeomorpha, and subdivision Elopomorpha). No immunoreactivity to anti-mummichog FSHβ 50-60 was observed in these fishes. These results are consistent with the phylogenetic status of the fishes and the degree of conservativeness in the amino acid sequences of the antigen regions.

35Cl NMR spectra were measured using the highest-temperature solid phase of n-CxH(2x+1) NH3Cl and n-CxH(2x+1)ND3Cl (x=5−10). The observed quadrupole coupling constants (e2Qqh−1) decreased upon heating in this phase, and significant frequency differences of ca. 20 − 30 kHz were detected between the -NH3 and -ND3 analogs. In the low-temperature range of this phase, the observed e2Qqh−1 values for x = 8,10 were larger than those for x = 5,7, 9, which is attributable to the even-odd effect. Point-charge calculation was employed to explain this effect, in which the geometrical parameters and electric charge distributions of the cations were estimated using the B3LYP/6- 31G* and B3LYP/6-31+G** method, respectively. The results show that the double-layer width between the Cl− ions at the 2a and 4f sites strongly contributes to the e2Qqh−1 value.

To explain the previously observed changes in the bulk etching property of CR-39 induced by gamma or high-energy electron irradiation, both a mass balance equation for the radicals, the active sites by irradiation, and a diffusion equation for the dissolved oxygen were applied to calculate the damage distribution in depth. The depth distribution of the damage in gamma-irradiated CR-39 was interpreted as a result of the exhaust of the dissolved oxygen in the deeper layer. The present calculations and the previous experiments imply that latent tracks in CR-39 are also produced through the local oxidation process along the ion path.

Systematic collections of stratospheric air samples have been conducted over Japan since 1985 using a balloon-borne cryogenic sampler. The collection of stratospheric air samples was also carried out twice over Scandinavia and once over Antarctica. Vertical profiles of CO 2 concentration thus obtained over these locations were quite similar to each other; CO 2 concentration decreased with increasing altitude in the lower stratosphere and reached an almost constant value in the mid-stratosphere. δ 13 C of stratospheric CO 2 observed over these locations enriched with increasing altitude. A negative correlation between δ 13 C and CO 2 concentration with Δδ 13 C/ΔCO 2 of −0.02‰ ppmv −1 was found in the lower stratosphere. Although CO 2 concentration was almost constant in the mid-stratosphere, the δ 13 C enrichment was observed in succession. δ 18 O of stratospheric CO 2 also enriched with increasing altitude. The enrichment was significant; δ 18 O was almost 0‰ at the tropopause and reached a maximum value of about 11‰ at a layer with N 2 O concentration of about 10 ppbv. A compact relation between δ 18 O and N 2 O concentration was consistently observed for these locations. Stratosperic CO 2 over Japan showed a secular increase with an average rate of 1.4 ppmv yr −1 for the period 1985–2000. The secular increase was not constant with time, and temporal stagnation of the CO 2 increase was observed in 1997. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.2003.00059.x

In Japan, generally, the lifetime of distribution pipes (ductile cast iron pipes) is considered to be 40-50 years. However, starting in 1973 in Sapporo, leakage incidents, owing to corrosion on external surface of pipes and joint bolts, started to be found in ductile cast iron pipes which had been laid for less than 10 years. Therefore we have covered the entire length of newly laid pipes with polyethylene sleeves as an anti-corrosion measure. However, leakage incidents caused by external corrosion occurred occasionally along a total of 856 km of distribution pipes laid before this measure started. Such a problem of widespread maintenance of externally corroded distribution pipes was quite rare in Japan. We investigated the cause of external corrosion and corrosion situations and derived the formula to predict depth of external corrosion. Consequently, we established an effective renewal method by building an externally corroded pipe danger map to give renewal priority to externally corroded distribution pipes depending on leakage possibility.

For a better understanding of the cycles of atmospheric trace gases, we have continued to systematically collect air samples in the stratosphere over Japan since 1985, using a balloon-borne cryogenic sampler. The collection of the stratospheric air samples was also made twice over the Scandinavian Peninsula in 1997 and once over Japanese Antarctic station, Syowa in 1998. The air samples collected were analyzed not only for the concentrations of CO2, CH4, N2O and various halocarbons but also for their isotopic ratios. These measurements revealed that, in general, the concentrations of all gas components decreased and their isotopic ratios increased with increasing height, due to influence of atmospheric transport and photochemical destruction in the stratosphere. However, detailed inspection of the results indicated that the observed vertical profiles of the respective components were quantitatively different, depending on location and time. Stratospheric CO2 over Japan showed the secular increase with an average rate of 1.4 ppmv/year for the period 1985–1999.

In 2012, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the National Police Agency (NPA) issued the “Guideline for the Creation of Safe and Comfortable Bicycle Use Environments in Japan” to road managers and to prefectural police in charge of road traffic administration in their respective jurisdiction. The Guideline was prepared jointly by MLIT and NPA based on the results of surveys and research by the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management (NILIM), and presented concepts to guide the creation of environments for using bicycles throughout Japan in the future. This paper explains the characteristics of bicycle travel in Japan and presents an outline and the concepts of Japanese bicycle guidelines, which state principles for the provision of road space to allow bicycles to travel safely and comfortably on roads. The Guideline is divided into four chapters: Planning, Design, Compliance with Rules, and Overall Initiatives, and the concepts and points of the Guideline especially “Planning” are outlined in this paper. The “Planning” chapter presents planning and preparation procedures, and detailed methods for studying the creation of a bicycle network plan, in order to effectively create efficient spaces for traveling by bicycle. The “Design” chapter outlines precautions when designing bicycle traveling spaces for uninterrupted roads and for intersections.

Previous studies in East Asia have revealed that the short-term associations between tropospheric ozone and daily mortality rate were strongest in winter, which is opposite to the findings in North America and Western Europe. Therefore, we investigated the season-varying association between ozone and daily mortality rate in 21 cities of East Asia from 1979 to 2010. Time-series Poisson regression models were used to analyze the association between ozone and daily nonaccidental mortality rate in each city, testing for different temperature lags. The best-fitting model was obtained after adjustment for temperature in the previous 2 weeks. Bayesian hierarchical models were applied to pool the city-specific estimates. An interquartile-range increase of the moving average concentrations of same-day and previous-day ozone was associated with an increase of 1.44% (95% posterior interval (PI): 1.08%, 1.80%) in daily total mortality rate after adjustment for temperature in the previous 2 weeks. The corresponding increases were 0.62% (95% PI: 0.08%, 1.16%) in winter, 1.46% (95% PI: 0.89%, 2.03%) in spring, 1.60% (95% PI: 1.03%, 2.17%) in summer, and 1.12% (95% PI: 0.73%, 1.51%) in fall. We found significant associations between short-term exposure to ozone and higher mortality rate in East Asia that varied considerably from season to season with a significant trough in winter. © 2014 The Author 2014.

Background and study aims An indocyanine green derivative (ICG-sulfo-OSu) that can be used as an infrared fluorescent labeling substance suitable for detecting microlesions with an infrared fluorescence endoscope has been developed. The aims of the present study were to develop an infrared fluorescence endoscope and to demonstrate its usefulness in detecting cancerous tissue using an antibody coupled with ICG-sulfo-OSu. Materials and methods ICG-sulfo-OSu-labeled mouse anti-human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibody and an infrared fluorescence endoscope were used in this study. Biopsy specimens of gastric cancer were stained with anti-CEA antibody using the avidin-biotinylated peroxidase complex method. The positive specimens used for the infrared imaging analysis were freshly resected stomachs from three patients. Results Treatment of freshly resected stomach specimens with ICG-sulfo-OSu-labeled-anti-CEA antibody complex resulted in positive staining of the tumor sites on infrared fluorescence endoscopy, and the infrared fluorescent images correlated well with the tumor sites. Conclusions An anti-CEA antibody with affinity for cancerous lesions and labeled with ICG-sulfo-OSu can therefore be imaged using this infrared fluorescence endoscope. Specific antibodies tagged with ICG-sulfo-OSu can label cancer cells and can generate a strong enough fluorescent signal to detect small cancers when examined with an infrared fluorescence endoscope.

Abell 115 exhibits two distinct peaks in the surface brightness distribution. ASCA observation shows a significant temperature variation in this cluster, confirmed by a hardness ratio analysis and spectral fits. A linking region between main and sub clusters shows a high temperature compared with other regions. Two possibilities are examined as the cause of the temperature variation: cooling flows in the main cluster and a shock heating due to the collision of the subcluster into the main system. Spectral fits with cooling flow models to the main-cluster data show a mass-deposition rate less than 419 solar-mass/yr. Temperatures in the main cluster, the linking region, and the subcluster are estimated by correcting for the effects of X-ray telescope response as 4.9 (+0.7/-0.6), 11 (+12/-4), and 5.2 (+1.4/-1.0) keV, respectively. The high temperature in the linking region implies that Abell 115 is indeed a merger system, with possible contribution from cooling flows on the temperature structure., Comment: 23 pages, including 7 Postscript figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Time-resolved 2-dimensional (2D) X-ray images were taken to evaluate laser irradiation non-uniformity of fusion pellets. X-ray distributions corresponding to the drive laser geometry were obtained on the circumference of the image of a gold-coated surrogate target. The experimental results were analyzed to derive the irradiances by using an experimentally-determined relation between the laser irradiation intensity and the X-ray intensity. The analyzed results were compared with a laser illumination calculation in which temporally varying laser beams were projected onto a target sphere. A reasonable agreement between the measurement and calculation has been obtained.

One of the components key to increased mobile computer performance is level-2 (L2) cache memory, which is usually a high-frequency synchronous SRAM and typically consumes >2 W. This SRAM has to be housed in low-thermal-resistance package such as the plastic ball grid array (PBGA). Power dissipation must be reduced, since battery life is prolonged and a lower-cost TQFP package can be used. In addition, cosmic-ray-induced single soft errors are becoming a problem, since memory cell node capacitance is reduced with reduction of memory cell size. At high altitude (air flight level of 30000 ft), cosmic-ray-induced SER is increased by 2 orders of magnitude. This type of soft error is significant for mobile applications. The 64k x 36 synchronous pipelined burst SRAM (PBSRAM) described has lower power and improved SER immunity.

Purpose: Our goal of this study was to investigate a computational framework for beam angle configurations based on similar cases using treatment-plan-related features in lung stereotactic body radiation therapy. Methods: A radiation treatment planning database including 81 lung cancer cases and 10 test cases were employed for development and test of the proposed framework. A lung shape feature, which is a shape similarity of two-dimensional (2D) lung region using a Dice’s similarity coefficient (DSC), was newly introduced as a treatment-plan-related feature. First, ten cases with slice levels similar to a test case were selected based on a 2D lung shape similarity at an isocenter plane. Second, five similar cases were chosen using additional treatment-plan-related features with respect to lung and spinal cord. Finally, five beam angle configurations of the test case were determined from 5 similar cases by performing an affine linear registration of the lung region between the similar case and the test case. For evaluation of the proposed framework, dose evaluation indices with respect to planning target volume (PTV), lung, and spinal cord were computed to select a usable plan among five similar-case-based plans. Dose evaluation indices of usable plans produced by the proposed and conventional frameworks for 10 test cases were compared with original plans designed by radiation oncologists. Results: The average homogeneity index in PTVs and V10 in lung for usable plans made by the proposed framework were statistically lower than those for original plans (p

The influence of laser light components specularly reflected by the inner wall of an x-ray confining cavity was experimentally investigated by means of time-resolved x-ray imaging and shock wave measurements. The experiments were made for two different cavity shapes (circular and decagonal cylinders) to investigate the geometrical effect of the reflected light. The results were compared with calculations involving a simple illumination code. Time-resolved x-ray images for a gold-coated surrogate sphere at the cavity centre were replicated by the calculations, showing that the reflected light shines strongly on the sphere at the beginning of the laser pulse. It was also found that, for the experimental conditions adopted in this study, about one third of the drive pressure of a shock wave propagating through a planar sample placed at the cavity centre is due to the reflected light. The estimated intensity of the reflected light is high enough to impose noticeable imprinting onto a fusion capsule set in the vacuum cavity conventionally used for indirect-drive implosions.

Low-voltage SRAMs operating at

The irradiation uniformity of the GEKKO XII laser has been improved by implementing the state-of-the-art beam smoothing and laser control techniques in the system. Non-uniformity modes higher than 20 are improved to less than 1% RMS by introducing partially coherent light, while the lower modes are improved to 3 - 4% RMS. Implosion experiments were carried out with the new GEKKO XII: a fast-rise square pulse preceded by a pre-pulse was used to suppress the Rayleigh - Taylor instability at the acceptable expense of implosion efficiency. The experimental results are compared with a pusher-fuel mixing model combined with a one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation. The degradation of experimentally obtained neutrons is mainly attributed to the lower-mode asymmetry. Recent results of planar target experiments on hydrodynamic instabilities are also presented. Particular emphasis is given to the noticeable reduction of fluid instability by the flushing of an external x-ray over the target surface prior to the main drive pulse, leading to suppression of the initial imprint amplitude by the pre-formed plasma

A simulation study of ultrashort-pulse interactions is presented. One-dimensional wave equations for O- and X-modes are solved numerically and ultrashort-pulse reflectory is studied to analyze density-profile reconstruction by the measurement of reflected pulses. The two-dimensional propagation of the O-mode pulse is also studied.

Time integrated X-ray emission images at an energy range of 1.8–3.6 keV were obtained to evaluate laser irradiation nonuniformity on fusion pellets. The experimental results were analyzed with a simple illumination calculation. A positive correlation was found between the nonuniformity obtained from the measured X-ray emission intensity and that from the calculated laser irradiation intensity, although the absolute values of the nonuniformities are discrepant.

The time course of extraretinal eye position signals (EEPSs) for visually guided saccades made successively with a short intersaccadic interval was estimated on the basis of perceptual errors in localizing a visual target flashed between the two saccades. The EEPSs for the first and the second saccades were shown to interact in a specific way when the intersaccadic interval was short. The pattern of interaction depended on the direction of the second saccade. It is suggested that when the second saccade was made in the opposite direction to the first saccade, the EEPS for the first saccade was interrupted before its completion in preparation for the onset of the second saccade. When the two saccades were made in the same direction, the EEPS for the first saccade developed more quickly than in a single-saccade condition. The results are discussed in relation to the findings of recent neurophysiological studies.

A model-base prediction method is proposed for delamination/cracking failures in Low-k/Cu interconnects with Pb-free FCBGA (Flip Chip-Ball Grid Array). The low-k failure under the solder bump, so called as a white bump (WB) failure, is caused by large thermal stress to a brittle low-k film during the cooling process from high reflow temperature for the Pb-free solder. Based on failure analysis using several low-k films and several packaging materials/structures, we found that occurrence of the WB failure is able to be predicted by a simple evaluation function of the simulated strain energy and a critical energy release rate of crack, which is defined by the fracture toughness and the adhesion-strength of the low-k film. According to this method, we can lead a preliminary design guideline on the bump pitch/structure or the interposer material/structure toward no WE failure quickly.

An actin filament sliding on myosin moleculesdemonstrates both longitudinal distortions and transversal fluctuationswith the linear dimension far exceeding the diameter of an actinmonomer. Local swaying of a single actin filament was identified byreading speckled fluorescent markers attached on the filament. Theaccuracy of reading each speckled marker was about 10.4 nm (r.m.s.).Longitudinal distortions of an actin filament at a low ATP concentrationof 20 μM were as much as 0.5 μm for the average filament lengthof 5.4 μm. The magnitude of transversal fluctuations was as much as60 nm, that was independent of the filament length. Both longitudinaldistortions and transversal fluctuations are suggested to play a pivotalrole for facilitating a smooth sliding movement of an actin filament.

Significant temperature variation is found from ASCA observations of the hot intracluster medium in the Coma cluster of galaxies. The whole cluster out to 1° from the center was covered by 14 pointings. The temperature of the hot gas in the outside region is estimated by correcting for the stray-light effect from the bright center. The inferred temperature is lower than 4.5 keV in the west region and higher than 10 keV in the east, both offset by 40' (1.6 Mpc for H0 = 50 km s-1 Mpc-1) from the center. The temperature variation is not explained by a systematic error in the complex point-spread function of the ASCA X-ray telescope. The azimuthal variation of temperature is probably caused by recent mergers and may reflect an extended distribution of the dark matter.

Laparoscopic splenectomy often involves difficulties in patients with splenomegaly because of a poor visual field and distorted and enlarged vessels secondary to the enlarged spleen. For safe and efficient laparoscopic splenectomy, we performed balloon occlusion of the splenic artery with the interventional angiographic technique in a patient with hereditary spherocytosis and splenomegaly. This new approach may be useful in terms of safety and time savings, especially in patients with splenomegaly.

Intracellular calcium is considered to play a major role in secretory responses of various exocrine cell types. We examined whether xanthine derivatives can inhibit Ca2+ mobilization and entry in secretory cells in the airways. Therefore, the inhibitory effect of xanthines in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in the isolated submucosal acinar cells of the guinea-pig nasal septum was investigated by means of fluorescence ratio microscopy. The inhibitory effects on Ca2+ release from stores was examined in Ca(2+)-free conditions. Effects on Ca2+ entry were estimated by two different protocols; 1) the sustained phase in a long-term application of acetylcholine (ACh) and 2) the [Ca2+]i overshoot following removal of ACh in Ca(2+)-free conditions. Xanthine derivatives, 3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX), caffeine, and theophylline, significantly inhibited the increase in [Ca2+]i evoked by ACh; both mobilization from internal Ca2+ stores and Ca2+ entry from the external space. The rank order of potency of these xanthine derivatives was IBMX > theophylline > caffeine. The addition of dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and forskolin to nasal gland acinar cells failed to inhibit the ACh-evoked increase in [Ca2+]i. Furthermore, a protein kinase A inhibitor, H-89, did not affect the inhibitory effect of the xanthine derivatives. The action of xanthines on the present acinar cells did not involve Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) or an interaction with purinergic receptors. Thus, xanthines have a direct inhibitory effect both on Ca2+ release and entry in nasal gland acinar cells, and might thereby have antisecretory activity within the airways.

We established spontaneously immortalized Schwann cell lines from long-term cultures of adult mouse dorsal root ganglia and peripheral nerves. One of the cell lines, designated IMS32, responded to mitogenic stimuli by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (aFGF, bFGF), and transforming growth factors (TGF)-beta 1 and -beta 2, as determined by bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and double immunofluorescence for S100 and BrdU. Furthermore, conditioned media (CM) obtained from IMS32 cells showed mitogenic activity for both IMS32 cells and long-term cultured Schwann cells. Western blot analysis revealed TGF-beta-like molecule in the CM, and the activity was absorbed with anti-TGF-beta neutralizing antibody. Reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of IMS32 RNA revealed that these cells expressed TGF-beta 1, -beta 2, and -beta 3 transcripts. When rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells were incubated with the CM, they developed neurite growth. Coculture of PC12 and IMS32 cells also showed neurite growth of PC12 cells. RNA transcripts of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) were detected from IMS32 cells by RT-PCR. In these, we sequenced the mouse GDNF cDNA coding region and observed 97% and 90% homologies to corresponding rat and human cDNA sequences, respectively. These results indicate that the immortalized Schwann cell line mitotically responds to various growth factors and secretes autocrine and paracrine growth-promoting activities in vitro.

Stratospheric air samples have been collected once per year since 1985 over Japan using a balloon-borne cryogenic sampler and then analyzed for their CO2 concentrations. The measurements showed high values of CO2 in the lowest part of the stratosphere, then a decrease with height to 20.0–25.0 km, and almost constant values above this level. From the comparison with the results of our aircraft measurements in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere, it is suggested that the vertical profile of stratospheric CO2 over Japan is strongly related to transport processes that are associated with tropospheric air being introduced into the stratosphere in the tropical region and then moving poleward with different speeds at different heights. The average rate of the CO2 increase from 1985 to 1991 was estimated to be 1.4 ppmv/year; this is similar to the rate found for the troposphere over the same period.

Background Lung diseases related to collagen disorder are often accompanied by fibrosis and TGF-β is one of the essential mediators in tissue fibrosis. Leucine rich alpha-2 glycoprotein (LRG) is a novel serum protein that is increased in patients with inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. LRG expression is increased in inflamed tissues, suggesting that the molecule is involved in the pathogenesis of the diseases. Since LRG has recently been reported as a modulator of TGF-β signals [1] [2], LRG may play a role in tissue fibrosis. Objectives In this study, we aimed to investigate the involvement of LRG in a murine model of lung fibrosis. Methods Wild type mice and LRG knockout (KO) mice were intratrachally treated with bleomycin and fibrosis were evaluated 21 days after the treatment. At the time of sacrifice, the lungs were harvested and processed for histological examination using hematoxylin and eosin staining, detection of collagen fibers using azan staining, and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the effect of LRG on TGF-β signaling was investigated using L929 mouse fibroblast cell line. Results Intratracheal administration of bleomycin increased LRG protein levels in bronchial alveolar lavage fluids (BALF) and lung tissues. When compared to wild type mice, fibrosis was markedly inhibited in LRG knockout (KO) mice, as evalulated by azan staining and by hydroxyproline assay. Although there was no significant difference in BALF TGF-β levels between WT and LRG KO mice, phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of Smad2 protein were attenuated in the lung of LRG KO mice. In vitro experiments using L929 revealed that LRG enhanced TGF-β-induced Smad2 phosphorylation and the expression of downstream genes, such as plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and alpha smooth muscle actin (SMA). Furthermore, TGF-β-induced Smad2 phosphorylation was enhanced by exogenous LRG protein in a dose-dependent manner. Although LRG has been reported to interact with endoglin, an accessory receptor of TGF-β, knockdown of endoglin showed no effect on LRG-induced enhancement of Smad2 activation. Conclusions These data demonstrate that LRG enhances TGF-β-induced activation of Smad2 cascade in fibroblasts leading to promote fibrosis in murine model of lung fibrosis. References Nature 2013 Jul 18; 499 (7458):306–11 Oncotarget 2015 May 10; 6 (13):11009–22 Acknowledgement We wish to thank K. Omori and Y. Maeda for their advice and expertise, E. Harada and R. Nishi for their technical assistance and the staff of Animal Bioscience Department of the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology for their help in histopathological evaluation. Disclosure of Interest None declared