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MicroRNA (miR)-203 is downregulated and acts as an anti-oncomir in melanoma cells. Here, using human and canine melanoma cells, we elucidated the effects of miR-203 on cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB)/microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)/RAB27a pathway, which is known to be important for the development and progression of human melanoma. In this study, we showed that miR-203 directly targeted CREB1 and regulated its downstream targets, MITF and RAB27a. miR-203 significantly suppressed the growth of human and canine melanoma cells and inhibited melanosome transport through the suppression of the signalling pathway. In conclusion, miR-203 was shown to be a common tumour-suppressive miRNA in human and canine melanoma and thus to play a crucial role in the biological mechanisms of melanoma development.

The Kidd blood group system consists of polymorphic antigens, Jk(a) (JK1) and Jk(b) (JK2), and a high-incidence antigen, Jk3. Anti-Jk3 is often observed in immunised Jk(a-b-) individuals. In this study, we aimed to establish a human hybridoma cell line secreting monoclonal anti-Jk3 (HIRO-294).Peripheral blood lymphocytes of a Filipino woman with the Jk(a-b-) phenotype having anti-Jk3 were transformed with Epstein-Barr virus and then hybridised with the myeloma cell line JMS-3 using the polyethylene glycol (PEG) method. The reactivity and specificity of the anti-Jk3 were examined by serology and flow cytometry.Four hybridoma clones secreting anti-Jk3 were established and the antibody from one of these clones, HIRO-294, was examined. The reactivity of HIRO-294 was positive with 227 Jk(a+b-) red blood cells (RBCs), 298 Jk(a-b+) RBCs, and 1043 Jk(a+b+) RBCs, but was negative with 21 Jk(a-b-) RBCs. Eluates from Jk(a+b-) RBCs and Jk(a-b+) RBCs sensitised with the anti-Jk3 were cross-reacted with Jk(a-b+) RBCs and Jk(a+b-) RBCs, respectively. The reactivity of HIRO-294 was enhanced by the treatment of RBCs with ficin, trypsin, pronase and α-chymotrypsin, but was not changed by their treatment with neuraminidase, dithiothreitol and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) glycine acid (GA). The RBCs sensitised by the anti-Jk3 were not agglutinated with the commercial reagents of anti-Jk(a) and anti-Jk(b) by saline test, whereas the nonsensitised RBCs or those sensitised by monoclonal anti-D [HIRO-3, immunoglobulin G (IgG) class] were agglutinated with those reagents.We established a human hybridoma cell line secreting monoclonal anti-Jk3 (HIRO-294). This antibody had unique specificity, recognising the Kidd glycoprotein including the Jk(a) /Jk(b) polymorphic site.

'Salvage chemoradiotherapy (CRT)' was introduced in 2005 to treat thoracic esophageal carcinomas deemed unresectable based on the intraoperative findings. The therapeutic concept is as follows: the surgical plan is changed to an operation that aims to achieve curability by the subsequent definitive CRT. For this purpose, the invading tumor is resected as much as possible, and systematic lymph node dissection is performed except for in the area around the bilateral recurrent nerves. The definitive CRT should be started as soon as possible and should be performed as planned. We hypothesized that this treatment would be feasible and provide good clinical effects. We herein verified this hypothesis. Twenty-seven patients who received salvage CRT were enrolled in the study, and their clinical course, therapeutic response, and prognosis were evaluated. The patients who had poor oral intake because of esophageal stenosis were able to eat solid food soon after the operation. The radiation field could be narrowed after surgery, and this might have contributed to the high rate of finishing the definitive CRT as planned. As a result, the overall response rate was 74.1%, and 48.1% of the patients had a complete response. No patient experienced fistula formation. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 66.5%, 35.2%, and 35.2%, respectively. Salvage CRT had clinical benefits, such as the fact that patients became able to have oral intake, that fistula formation could be prevented, that the adverse events associated with the definitive CRT could be reduced, and that prognosis of the patients was satisfactory. Although the rate of recurrent nerve paralysis was relatively high even after the suspension of aggressive bilateral recurrent nerve lymph node dissection, and the rate of the progressive disease after the definitive CRT was high, salvage CRT appears to provide some advantages for the patients who would otherwise not have other treatment options following a non-curative and residual operation.

The nondestructive determination of the maturity of durian is an important process for quality control. Since durian has specific properties, such as the thickness of peel, non-uniformity of shape, roughness of prickle skin, largeness of size etc., the nondestructive determination of the maturity is hard to perform. This paper proposes two approaches for determining maturity of durian by using nondestructive vibration and ultrasonic. The appropriate vibration and ultrasonic are directly transferred through durian in the region between prickles located at the middle of durian. The measurement of frequency response from vibration of durian is done by using laser doppler. The signal measured by laser doppler is processed to extract high frequency part by wavelet transform and convert into spectrum form. The template matching is performed by correlation between the high frequency spectrum of signal and templates in order to determine the maturity of durain. To evaluate the proposed method, two prototypes of system using force vibration and ultrasonic are constructed. The experiments are performed for comparing with the results of dry-weight percentage method that is considered to be absolutely right destructive way. And the results of template matching by correlation as proposed signal processing are also compared with conventional signal processing such as vibration velocity way and elastic constants way. The results reveal that the methods using force vibration and ultrasonic with template matching are more accurate by 95% approximately.

Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) is the rate-limiting enzyme in dopamine (DA) biosynthesis.1,2 Exon 3 of the human TH gene encodes the sequence from Ser31 to Glu104 of type 1 enzyme,3,4 which contains the critical parts for regulation of the catalytic activity. The amino acid residues Gly36-Arg37-Arg38 were identified as a key sequence for DA to exert its inhibitory effect on catalytic activity.5–7 Therefore, we screened the nucleotide sequences of exon 3 from 201 Japanese patients with schizophrenia to explain the elevation in the synaptic or presynaptic DA concentrations in the schizophrenic brain,8–11 based on the hypothesis that any mutation changing the amino acid sequence Gly36-Arg37-Arg38 would result in the elevation of DA synthesis, due to a reduced inhibitory effect of DA on the catalytic activity.5–7 However, no mutated sequences of exon 3 and both exon–intron boundaries were detected in any of the patients examined. Polymorphisms generating Val81 and Met81 were compared of the distributions of genotype and allele between the patients and 175 Japanese healthy controls, which did not suggest an association between the polymorphism and schizophrenia. These results indicate that exon 3 of the human TH gene lacks association with schizophrenia in Japanese patients.

In February 1999, cineraria (Senecio×hybridus) plants with necrotic ring spot were found in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. A spherical virus with a diameter of ca. 85∼120nm was isolated. The virus infected seven plant species of four families after mechanical inoculation. In serological tests, the virus was closely related to Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV). In RT-PCR with INSV-specific primers, a fragment of about 900bp was amplified. The fragment had a high degree of nucleotide sequence homology with the S RNA of INSV. Based on these results, the virus isolated from cineraria was identified as INSV. This is the first report of INSV on cineraria in Japan.

Kyokai no. 7 is the most widely used yeast in sake brewing. This yeast is a pantothenic acid auxotroph at 35 degrees C, and this phenotype has been used to distinguish Kyokai no. 7 from other sake yeasts. We cloned a DNA fragment complementing the pantothenic acid auxotrophy from a genomic library of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae laboratory strain. DNA sequence analysis revealed that the DNA fragment encodes ECM31, the deletion of which had previously been identified as a calcofluor white-sensitive mutation. The ECM31 product is similar to the Escherichia coli ketopantoate hydroxymethyltransferase. Disruption of ECM31 in a laboratory S. cerevisiae strain resulted in pantothenic acid auxotrophy, indicating that ECM31 is also involved in pantothenic acid synthesis in yeast. A hybrid of a Kyokai no. 7 haploid and the ecm31 disruptant required pantothenic acid at 35 degrees C for its growth, suggesting that Kyokai no. 7 possesses a temperature-sensitive allele of ECM31. Thus, the ECM31 gene can be used as a selective marker in the transformation of Kyokai no. 7.

In 2004, an unidentified disease causing chlorotic yellows on the leaves of melon (Cucumis melo) plants was found in Kumamoto Prefecture. A few flexuous filamentous structures (ca. 900 nm in length) were observed with transmission electron microscopy. RT-PCR and subsequent nested PCR amplified a DNA fragment, which had 75% and 73% similarities with a corresponding sequence for Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus and Beet pseudo-yellows virus, respectively. Both Bemisia tabaci Q-biotype and B. tabaci B-biotype (syn. B. argentifolii) acquired and transmitted the virus, and the infected melon plants developed the original symptoms of the disease. These results demonstrate that the virus is a new species in the genus Crinivirus (family Closteroviridae), and we propose the name Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus.

In our joint project in the search for anti-tumor promoters from natural plant sources, we carried out a primary screening of 12 phenylpropanoids isolated from Boronia pinnata Sm. (Rutaceae) by examining their possible inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate in Raji cells. All tested compounds in this study showed inhibitory activity against the EBV activation even at 1 x 10 mol ratio without any cytotoxicity. Among 12 phenylpropanoids tested, boropinal-C (1), boropinol-A (5), boropinol-C (9) and 3-(3'-methoxy-4'-prenyloxy)phenyl-1-propene (10), all having a 4'-(3-methylbut-2-enyloxy) group, a so-called prenyloxy group, showed more potent activities. Furthermore, 3-(3'-methoxy-4'-prenyloxy)phenyl-1-propene (10) also exhibited remarkable inhibitory effects on mouse skin tumor promotion in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test. This investigation indicated that certain phenylpropanoids might be valuable anti-tumor promoters.

A series of experiments on the mechanical reduction of 263 mm diameter round billets of 13%Cr steel by forging with a liquid core was carried out, with variation in the amount of reduction. The decrease in the centre cavity with the amount of reduction was investigated. Then the conditions preventing centre cavity formation and the influence of the presshead shape were assessed by a deformation model using finite element modelling (FEM) analysis. In the experiments it was found that the centre cavity was nearly removed by a 2 mm reduction with a round presshead. A 3 mm reduction was demonstrated by FEM analysis to give a reduction in area almost equal to the percentage shrinkage. The use of a round presshead with a radius similar to the original billet is recommended for efficient centre cavity reduction.

To date, reports about the macroscopic appearance of ventriculitis have been rare, consisting only of a few autopsy cases. A patient in our hospital had ventriculitis caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci, and under neuroendoscopy we obtained clear findings of granular ependymitis. A 44-year-old man was admitted for disturbance of consciousness caused by progressive hydrocephalus. He had experienced subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) from a left vertebral dissecting aneurysm, and had subsequently received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt against post-SAH hydrocephalus. After admission, he was found to have retrograde shunt infection from peritonitis caused by cholecystitis. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and the infection persisted even with intrathecal administration of gentamycin, and intravenous administration of vancomycin and arbekacin. Endoscopic rinsing was performed, and multiple small yellowish microgranulations, less than 1 mm in diameter, were observed in the lateral ventricles and the third ventricle. Rinsing of the CSF after intensive antimicrobial treatment resulted in a cure. Because there have been no reports of endoscopic observations of bacterial ventriculitis, we were unable to be certain about the origin or significance of the microgranulations. However, whether or not the microgranulations were bacterial colonies, infection did not recur during a 2-year follow-up period.

Cross-linking of allergen specific IgE bound to the high affinity IgE receptor (FC epsilonRI) on the surface of mast cells with multivalent allergens results in the release of both pre-formed and newly generated mediators, and in the manifestation of allergic symptoms. The expression of Fc epsilonRI, and the synthesis of IgE are therefore critical for the development of allergic diseases. In this study, we report that nasal mast cells (NMC) from patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) expressed significantly greater levels of the Fc epsilonRI, CD40L, IL-4, and IL-13 as compared to NMC from patients with chronic infective rhinitis (CIR). The level of Fc epsilonRI expression in NMC of PAR patients strongly correlated with the levels of serum total (r = 0.8, P < 0.003) and specific IgE (r = 0.89, P < 0.0004) antibodies. In addition, stimulation of NMC with IL-4, upregulated the Fc epsilonRIalpha chain expression both at the protein and mRNA levels, as detected by flow cytometry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, NMC from PAR, but not CIR, patients induced IgE synthesis by purified B cells in the presence of Der fII (mite antigen). These results suggest novel and critical roles for mast cells in promoting the allergic reaction through the increased expression of Fc epsilonRI and by enhancing and amplifying the IgE production, within the local microenvironment.

We describe a prototype system that analyzes video from a camera mounted on a TV receiver or set-top-box, showing viewers watching the TV. The system recognizes the faces of registered viewers, and estimates the level of interest that each viewer displays in the program being viewed. This information, along with receiver operation history, can be used to build viewer profiles and to offer personalized program recommendations reflecting each viewer's perceived interests.

Angiotensin II (ANG II), a potent growth-promoting factor of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC), induces activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and subsequent expression of the c-fos protooncogene in VSMC. However, it remains obscure whether ANG II induces activation of the ras protooncogene product (Ras), and if it does, whether Ras is involved in signaling from the ANG II receptor to the MAP kinase pathway in VSMC. In cultured VSMC, ANG II activated Ras comparably to epidermal growth factor. ANG II-induced Ras activation was detectable within 1 min and maximal at 2–5 min. The ANG II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist, CV-11974, completely inhibited this reaction. Pertussis toxin treatment of VSMC inhibited ANG II-induced Ras activation by approximately 70% but had no effect on ANG II-induced MAP kinase activation and c-fos expression. These results indicate that ANG II activates Ras via AT1 receptors, which are predominantly linked to a G protein of the Gi subfamily in VSMC1 and suggest that Ras activation may not be a prerequisite for ANG II-induced MAP kinase activation and c-fos expression in this cell type.

Nitrides of transition metals have good wear- and corrosion-resistant properties because of their high hardness and chemical stability. Chromium-nitride coatings can be deposited by ion plating; however, the thin thickness due to the slow deposition rate must be improved for severe wear-resistant applications. The main objective in this paper is to realize good structural control in the processing of chromiumnitride in situ composite coatings formed at a high deposition rate. They were synthesized by reactive low-pressure plasma spraying using elemental chromium powder as a spray material. The transferred arc between the gun electrode and the substrate was used to accelerate the nitriding reaction. The sprayed coatings consist of chromium, Cr2N, and CrN, which have a composition gradient from the substrate interface to the surface. The volume fraction of Cr2N increases with transferred arc current, and nonreacted chromium concurrently decreases, except close to the substrate. The CrN phase, however, only exists as a surface layer of 20 to 30 μm because it is decomposed to Cr2N above 1420 K. The hardness of the composite coatings depends on the volume fraction of Cr2N, and it increases to 1300 HV at a Cr2N volume fraction of 0.98. The seizure stress with lubricant depends on the coating hardness. The maximum seizure stress of 24.9 MPa is obtained at a hardness of 1300 HV. The composite coatings also show a superior wear resistance. Hence, the Cr2N in situ composite coatings synthesized by reactive plasma spraying with transferred arc are expected to be good candidates for wear-resistant applications.

T cells expressing the T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma delta home in on various epithelia and may play an important role in local immunity to foreign antigens. The nasal mucosa is a potential site for chronic inflammatory diseases, yet little is known about the characteristics of nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells. Using flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and RT-PCR, we elucidated the characteristics of nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR), chronic infective rhinitis (CIR), and seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and in normal subjects. The gamma delta T cells were significantly increased in the nasal mucosa of patients with PAR (PAR, 24.3 +/- 4.5%; CIR, 12.9+/- 2.7%, p0.01), unrelated to those in autologous peripheral blood (PAR, 5.6 +/- 0.8%; CIR, 9.6 +/- 2.8%), and they were preferentially distributed in the epithelial compartment (26.7 +/- 2.3%) rather than in the lamina propria (5.4 +/- 2.5%). Of the expanded population of nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells in patients with PAR, CD4+ and CD4-8- gamma delta T cells were selectively increased (p0.01). Although nasal intraepithelial gamma delta T cells from all groups of patients and normal subjects dominantly expressed the V gamma 1/V delta 1 genes, and a bias for V gamma 3 gene expression was noted in those of patients with PAR, a significantly larger fraction of nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells in patients with PAR expressed the V gamma 1/V delta 1 TCR (p, 0.01), whereas those of the peripheral blood expressed the V gamma 2/V delta 2 TCR. More than 60% of V gamma 1/V delta 1 TCR+ cells in patients with PAR, were CD45RO+ ("memory cells"), independent of those in their peripheral blood (p0.01). Furthermore, a substantial proportion of nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells in patients with PAR synthesized IL-4 and IL-5 but negligible amounts of IFN-gamma. These observations of an increase in the proportions and activation of distinct subsets of nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells and their Th2-type cytokine profile in patients with PAR, unrelated to those in autologous peripheral blood suggest an important role for the oligoclonally expanded expanded nasal mucosal gamma delta T cells in the pathogenesis of PAR.

The results of meson and baryon spectroscopy composed of charm and strange quarks are reported by the use of quenched Wilson fermions on a 323 x 48 lattice at β = 6.3. Ground state hadrons composed of two or three quarks with different hopping parameters, in a region κ = 0.13 to 0.15, are measured. It is found that their masses are well described by a quadratic polynomial in terms of multi-1/κ variables in this region. Adjusting vector meson mass ratios between (ss), (sc) and (cc), the hopping parameters of strange quark and charm quark are determined to be κs = 0.14999(22) and κc = 0.13548(82) without chiral extrapolation. Masses of not yet observed ssc, scc and ccc baryons in GeV are estimated to be 2.778 ± 0.0]6 (ssc), 3.858 ± 0.015 (scc) for (12)+ and 2.813 ± 0.167 (ssc), 3.869 ± 0.055 (scc) 4.880 ± 0.017 (ccc) for (3/2)+. As for the meson spin splitting structure, the quenched Wilson spectrum is more degenerate in comparison with real hadrons, as already pointed out by many authors.

We describe simulations of a polymer melt sample containing 640 chains, each chain being composed of 100 methylene groups. Using these large scale simulations radii of gyration have been calculated with a statistical error of ∼2%. At this level of precision it is shown that even for this modest chain length configurational equilibrium is not achieved in less than 4 ns at 500 K. Values of the square radii of gyration, square end‐to‐end distances and proportion of conformers at equilibrium show good agreement with predictions of the Flory model of alkane chains in which all long range interactions along the chains are ignored. These simulations were performed using a Fujitsu AP1000 massively parallel processing machine with 1024 processors in conjunction with a recently described domain decomposition molecular dynamics algorithm [D. Brown, J. H. R. Clarke, M. Okuda, and T. Yamazaki, Comput. Phys. Commun. 83, 1 (1994)] capable of handling systems containing rigid bond constraints and threea are made with previous accurate data obtained for smaller samples containing just 10 n=100‐site chains using the alternative cloning method of parallel processing [D. Brown, J. H. R. Clarke, M. Okuda, and T. Yamazaki, J. Chem. Phys. 100, 1684 (1994)].

大腸癌の肉眼的治癒切除例を対象に, 術直後の5-FU門脈内持続注入療法の肝転移再発予防に対する有用性の検討を無作為比較対照研究で行った.対象はDukesB, Cの大腸癌290例 (結腸癌164例, 直腸癌126例) で, 投与スケジュールは, A群は術直後1週間の5-FU320mg/m2/日の門脈内持続注入+UFT400mg/日の術後1年間の経口投与, B群はUFT400mg/日の術後1年間の経口投与のみを行った.両群間の主な背景因子に偏りはなく, 検査値, 副作用に重篤なものはなく, 出現率にも差はなかった.5年生存率, 健存率は, 結腸癌A群88%, 79%, B群89%, 87%, 直腸癌A群78%, 69%, B群76%, 69%と両群間に有意差はなく, 肝転移再発率も, 結腸癌A群7%, B群4%, 直腸癌A群10%, B群13%と両群間に差はなく, 肝転移再発までの期間でも各群間に差はなかった.以上より, UFT投与例では術直後の5-FUの門脈内持続注入療法の肝転移再発予防に対する効果は認められなかった.

T cells have been considered to play a primary role in IgE-mediated atopic diseases, yet little is known about the T-cell subsets in the nasal mucosa of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. To elucidate the characteristics of T cells at the site of allergic inflammation, we analyzed the proportions, phenotypes, stages of differentiation, and distribution of T-cell subsets in the nasal mucosa of 15 patients with house-dust-mite perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) and 14 patients with chronic infective rhinitis (CIR), using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. We also examined the T-cell subsets in the peripheral blood (PBL) in conjunction with those of the nasal mucosa in 10 patients with PAR and in nine patients with CIR. Our results revealed no obvious difference in the percentage of nasal CD3+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and alpha beta T cells in the PAR and CIR patients. In contrast, CD4+ T cells (p0.05), CD3+4-8- double-negative T cells, (p0.01), and gamma delta T cells (p0.01) were significantly increased in the nasal mucosa of PAR patients. A majority of the CD4+ T cells in the nasal mucosa of PAR patients coexpressed the CD45RO surface molecule, and a predominant proportion of CD4+ T cells in the nasal coexpressed the CD45RO surface molecule, and a predominant proportion of CD4+ T cells in the nasal epithelium were CD45RO+. The ratio of CD4+ CD45RO+:CD4+ CD45RA+ T cells in the allergic patients' nasal mucosa was significantly greater than that in autologous peripheral blood (p0.01). The proportion and stages of activation and differentiation of T-cell subsets in the allergic patients' nasal mucosa were independent of those in the peripheral blood. An increase in the proportion of natural killer (NK) cells was observed in the nasal mucosa of CIR patients. Taken together, our results suggest that nasal T cells exhibit distinct patterns of distribution, differentiation, and activation in different inflammatory conditions of the nose. PAR is characterized by a selective increase in CD4+ memory T cells, CD3+4-8- double-negative T cells, B cells, and gamma delta T cells in the nasal mucosa. The increase in CD4+ memory T cells in the allergic nasal epithelium may have critical implications in the pathogenesis of PAR.

Allergic rhinitis is an IgE mediated atopic disease characterized by elevated levels of allergen specific IgE antibodies that play a central role in mediating allergic reactions. Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a novel T-cell-derived cytokine that shares several functional properties with IL-4 and has been demonstrated to be capable of inducing IgE synthesis. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of IL-13 gene in the epithelial compartment of the nasal mucosa of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) to house dust mite, comparing it with that in the nasal epithelial compartment of chronic infectious rhinitis (CIR) patients and normal volunteers (NV). We also investigated the IL-13 gene expression in the peripheral blood of PAR patients. Nasal scrapings were collected from the inferior turbinate of patients undergoing conchotomy surgery and from outpatients, and the mRNA expression of IL-13 was analyzed by the RT-PCR method. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by density-gradient centrifugation and the expression of IL-13 gene was examined by the RT-PCR method. IL-13 expression at protein level and its cell source were analyzed by immunohistochemistry of inferior turbinate biopsies. The levels of total serum IgE and allergen-specific IgE antibodies in the serum were estimated by the PRIST and CAP RAST method, respectively. IL-13 gene expression was detected in the epithelial compartment of the nasal mucosa of 18/19 PAR patients but was undetected in normal volunteers and CIR patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A parallelization study of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) simulation on a non-dedicated MIMD computer, Fujitsu AP1000, is reported. The AP1000 is a highly parallel computer with distributed memory. Data communication is fast not only among the nearest neighbor processing units, but also between widely separated ones. We study SU(3) quenched QCD simulation with lattice sizes of 324 and 323 × 48, on the 512-processor AP1000, and report parallelization techniques and physical results for a renormalization group study and hadron spectroscopy. The AP1000 is efficient for these QCD simulations and shows good performance. A bottleneck occurs in the current simulation as data is passed to the front-end processor for storage.

Dihydroxyacetoone synthase (EC 2.2.1.3), which is a key enzyme of the C1-compound-assimilating pathway in yeasts, catalyzes transketolation between formaldehyde and hydroxypyruvate, leading to the formation of dihydroxyacetone and CO2. When [13C]formaldehyde was used as a substrate with dihydroxyacytone synthase from Candida boidinii 2201, 13C was confirmed to be incorporated to the C-1 and C-3 positions of dihydroxyacetone, and the 13C content of each carbon (atoms/100 atoms) was estimated to be 50%. [13C]Methanol was also useful for the enrichment of dihydroxyacetone with 13C, when alcohol oxidase from a methylotrophic yeast was added for the conversion of methanol to formaldehyde. A fed-batch reaction with periodic addition of the substrates was required for the accumalation of 13C-labelled dihydroxyacetone at a higher concentration, because the enzyme system was relatively susceptible to the C donor, formaldehyde or methanol. The optimum conditions for the production gave 160mM (14.4 mg/ml) dihydroxyacetone for 180 min; the molar yield relative to methanol added was 80%. Diyhdroxyacetone kinase (EC 2.7.1.29) from methanol-grown Hansenula polymorpha CBS 4732 was a suitable enzyme for the phosphorylation of dihydroxyacytone. The phosphorylation system, comprising of dihydroxyacetone kinase, adenylate kinase, and ATP, could be coupled with the system for dihydroxyacetone production. A fed-batch reaction afforded 185 mM [1, 3-13C]dihydroxyacetone phosphate from [13C]methanol; the molar yield of the ester relative to methanol added was 92.5%

An unstable resonator was used for an e-beam pumped argon-excimer laser in the VUV-spectral region, for the first time to our knowledge. Adoption of the unstable resonator achieved successful operations of the high output energy of 28 mJ without any damage of the resonator mirrors. Beam divergence of the argon-excimer laser output was measured with a beam profiler, which was developed in our laboratory, It was found that the output beam involved a large ASE output. The maximum focused fluence at the center of the output beam was measured to be 42 mJ/cm/sup 2/. The coherence of the argon-excimer laser was degraded by the ASE, which was caused due to high gain condition of the argon-excimer laser. >

大腸癌肉眼的治癒切除術後補助化学療法として,結腸癌ではTegafurとUFTの比較,直腸癌では術中MMC門脈内投与の意義を検討すべく,封筒法による無作為比較対象研究を行った.結腸癌A群:術中MMC門柱+Tegafur内服,B群:術中MMC門注+UFT内服,直腸癌C群:MMC(術中門柱+術後間歇静注)+Tegafur内服,D群:MMC(術後間歇静注)+Tegafur内服の投与スケジュールに従った.集積された355例のうち適格例313例を検討した.結腸,直腸ともに2群間に背景因子の偏りはみられず,副作用に重篤なものはなく,出現率もそれぞれの群間に差はなかった.結腸癌5生率(A : 74.9%, B : 83.3%)に有意差なく,5年健存率(A : 65.9%,B : 79.8%)で有意に(p=0.0384)B群が優れていた.直腸癌5生率(C : 63.8%,D : 77.4%),5年健存率(C : 62.6%,D : 73.2%)とも有意差はなかった.再発率,再発部位からも結腸,直腸のそれぞれの群間に差はみられなかった.

In Japan, a national surveillance study of antimicrobial consumption has never been undertaken. This study aimed to describe antimicrobial consumption and resistance to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 203 Japanese hospitals, to identify targets for quality improvement.We conducted an ecological study using retrospective data (2010). Antimicrobial consumption was collected in the World Health Organization (WHO) anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose (ATC/DDD) format. Rates of imipenem (IPM), meropenem (MEPM), ciprofloxacin (CPFX), or amikacin (AMK) resistance were expressed as the incidence of non-susceptible isolates. Additionally, hospitals were asked to provide data concerning hospital characteristics and infection control policies. Hospitals were classified according to functional categories of the Medical Services Act in Japan.Data were collected from 203 Japanese hospitals (a total of 91,147 beds). The total antimicrobial consumption was 15.49 DDDs/100 bed-days (median), with consumptions for penicillins, carbapenems, quinolones, and glycopeptides being 4.27, 1.60, 0.41, and 0.49, respectively. The median incidences of IPM, MEPM, CPFX, and AMK resistance were 0.15, 0.10, 0.13, and 0.03 isolates per 1,000 patient-days, respectively. Antimicrobial notification and/or approval systems were present in 183 hospitals (90.1 %). In the multivariate analysis, the piperacillin/tazobactam, quinolones, and/or total consumptions and the advanced treatment hospitals showed a significant association with the incidence of P. aeruginosa resistant to IPM, MEPM, CPFX, and AMK [adjusted R (2) (aR (2)) values of 0.23, 0.30, 0.22, and 0.35, respectively).This is the first national surveillance study of antimicrobial consumption in Japan. A continuous surveillance program in Japan is necessary in order to evaluate the association among resistance, antimicrobial restriction, and consumption.

We describe in this paper a domain decomposition molecular dynamics algorithm for use on distributed memory parallel computers which is capable of handling systems containing rigid bond constraints and three- and four-body potentials as well as non-bonded potentials. The algorithm has been successfully implemented on the Fujitsu 1024 processor element AP1000 machine. The performance has been compared with and benchmarked against the alternative cloning method of parallel processing [D. Brown, J.H.R. Clarke, M. Okuda and T. Yamazaki, J. Chem. Phys., 100 (1994) 1684] and results obtained using other scalar and vector machines. Two parallel versions of the SHAKE algorithm, which solves the bond length constraints problem, have been compared with regard to optimising the performance of this procedure.

A superconducting magnet for a bioreactor system was developed in order to determine the biotechnical and biomedical responses of microorganisms to a high magnetic field. The magnet has a horizontal bore, and the field strength at the center is 7 tesla at an operating current of 120 Amperes. The room-temperature bore diameter is 160 mm. Persistent current mode and detachable power leads are adopted. A cryocooler was installed to cool the radiation shields, which enable continuous operation for 6 months without the need to resupply liquid helium. Magnetic shields cover the cryostat to minimize the leakage field. Two reactors are installed inside and outside of the bore. Magnetic shields also cover the outside reactor in order to reduce the strength of the magnetic fields to less than the geomagnetic level. The temperatures of the reactors are controllable, ranging from 283K to 343K with /spl plusmn/0.1K. >

We study the autocorrelation time of blocked loops on 8 4 , 16 4 and 32 4 lattices in pure SU(3) lattice gauge theory over a wide range of β (= 6/ g 2 ) with high statistics. The critical exponent of integrated autocorrelation time by hybrid overrelaxation updating with fixed mixing ratio is found to be 1.74 ± 0.06. This suggests that the overrelaxation still suffer from critical slowing down toward the continuum limit.

We have previously proposed a method for preparing dense amorphous polymer samples which was designed to circumvent the need for long periods of relaxation to equilibrium [J. I. McKechnie, D. Brown, and J. H. R. Clarke, Macromolecules 25, 1562 (1992)]. In the current article, we examine in more detail the application of the method to the preparation of polymer melts using precise data from massively parallel simulations. We expose deficiencies in the original method and introduce a modification which improves the equilibration. The limitations of the overall procedure are discussed in detail.

We present very precise results from the MCRG analysis on large lattices performed in the frame of the QCD-TARO collaboration using the highly parallel computer AP1000 of Fujitsu. We find good scaling behavior of pure SU(3) theory with strong non-perturbative effects in the range 6 β

We present precise measurements of the configurational properties of n‐alkane‐like liquids with 4, 5, 8, 20, 50, and 100 methylene groups. Quantities measured include the distributions of square radii of gyration, square end‐to‐end distances and proportion of conformers. To achieve high precision for n=50 and 100 a Fujitsu AP 1000 massively parallel processing machine with up to 512 processors is used. The results are compared with those obtained for the Flory model of alkane chains in which only correlation between nearest‐neighbor torsion angles are considered; the latter were obtained by Monte Carlo sampling of isolated chains using the pivot algorithm. Discrepancies between the two sets of data are discussed in terms of solvent and end effects. For n=100 full configurational relaxation was not observed within 2 ns.

The modified ADM1 including lactate and ethanol was verified using experimental data for methane/hydrogen production processes from model organic waste. Monosaccharides were presumably degraded into acetate, lactate, butyrate, and ethanol; lactate is further degraded into propionate and acetate; ethanol is degraded into acetate. The methane production experiment was carried out using an 8-L reactor operated at 55°C, pH 6.8, and sludge retention time (SRT) of 7–20 days for 370 days. Concentrations of carbohydrates, monosaccharides, butyrate, propionate, valerate, acetate, and the methane production rate were simulated well by the modified ADM1. The ratio of degradation pathways from monosaccharides to acetate, lactate, butyrate, and ethanol were inferred, respectively, to be 0.4, 0.6, 0.0, and 0.0. The hydrogen production experiment was carried out using a 2-L (1.5L) reactor operated at 35°C, pH 6.0-6.5, and SRT of 0.5–2.0 days for 370 days. The simulation results suggested that all bacterial populations except the sugar-degrading bacteria were washed out from the reactor because of the short SRT. The respective ratios of degradation pathways from monosaccharides to acetate, lactate, propionate, and ethanol were inferred to be 0.55, 0.0, 0.4, and 0.05 at pH 6.5 and 0.7, 0.2, 0.05 and 0.05 at pH 6.0.

We present the QCD-TARO program of calculations which uses the parallel computer AP1000 of Fujitsu. We discuss the results on scaling, correlation times and hadronic spectrum, some aspects of the implementation and the future prospects.

Monte Carlo renormalization group analysis on SU(3) lattice at large β is studied. On 32 4 lattice, coupling shift Δβ is 0.48 ± 0.02 and 0.53 ± 0.02 at β =6.55 and 6.80, where the lattice remains in confinement phase. Δβ is approaching its 2-loop asymptotic scaling value. However, deviation is still 20% and 13% at β =6.55 and 6.80, respectively. We also report high statistics data on 16 4 lattice at β =6.80, giving Δβ = .52 ± 0.03 in the deconfined regime.

Quenched Wilson hadron spectroscopy at β = 6.3 has been studied by using parallel computer AP1000. Spectrum of hadrons composed of various combinations of hopping parameters are measured on 32 3 × 48 and 16 3 × 48 lattices. We report results of spatial size effects based on various hadron masses. Dependence on boundary conditions along the temporal direction is also examined and discussed.

An algorithm is described which allows large scale molecular dynamics simulations to be carried out on a distributed memory parallel computer. The method is a development of a spatial decomposition technique already described [S.Y. Liem, D. Brown and J.H.R. Clarke, Comput. Phys. Commun. 67 (1991) 261] but incorporates decomposition of 3-D space in all three dimensions with link-cell and neighbour table techniques for enhanced efficiency. It is shown that communications between processors can be minimized without incurring the penalties associated with redundant force calculations. The method has been tested on a Fujitsu AP1000 parallel machine with up to 512 processor elements.

Mitochondria are one of the possible sources of potentially harmful reactive oxygen species in tissue during ischemia-reperfusion. In order to delineate the capacity of the respiratory chain to produce reactive oxygen species, the effect of respiratory inhibitors on the oxygen uptake and luminol and lucigenin enhanced chemiluminescence was measured in isolated blood-free perfused rat livers. Concomitant tissue damage was monitored by measuring the release of lactate dehydrogenase and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances by the livers. Cyanide inhibited oxygen uptake reversibly while rotenone and Antimycin A effects were not reversible. Enhanced chemiluminescence was increased immediately by cyanide, suggesting increased formation of reactive oxygen species. Antimycin A produced a delayed, large increase in chemiluminescence concurrent with severe cell damage and increased lipid peroxidation; Cyanide and rotenone induced only limited cell damage. The cell damaging effect of Antimycin A was delayed by the simultaneous administration of cyanide. These results are discussed in terms of the possible role of reactive oxygen species produced during Antimycin A inhibition of the respiratory chain in cell damage.