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SUMMARYUsing a newly developed rapid test, an outbreak of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) infection in a long-term care facility was detected within only 2 days after the onset of symptoms in a putative index case. The outbreak was almost under control within 8 days mainly by zoning patients, with the exception of two cases of HMPV that were diagnosed 16 and 17 days after the onset of the outbreak. According to an immunological diagnosis as well as the rapid test, it was eventually proven that 18 patients had HMPV infections. We suspected that even asymptomatic residents, who had not been completely separated from the facility population, were a source of infection. That suggested that all asymptomatic residents should be tested and that the separation of the infected patients should be absolute, if an outbreak of HMPV infection is suspected in such a facility.

To calculate the iron loss in an electric machine accurately, the anomalous eddy current loss generated by domain wall motion should be considered. A simple numeric modeling of anomalous eddy current loss by modifying the conductivity of steel plates is sometimes used. However, investigation on this method in detail has not been carried out. In this paper, this method is investigated in two iron-loss models neglecting and including the skin effect and then applied to the loss calculation of various kinds of nonoriented and oriented silicon steel plates. Then, the dependence of the modified conductivity on the amplitude and frequency of the induction magnetic field for each material is obtained and the appropriate iron-loss model and method for modifying the conductivity are proposed for the nonoriented and oriented silicon steel plates. The calculated iron losses using the appropriate iron-loss model with modified conductivity are compared with the measured data. It is clarified that for nonoriented materials, the iron-loss model including the skin effect with constant modified conductivity shows good agreement. And for oriented materials, the model neglecting the skin effect with the modified conductivity depending on frequency is better.

The reduced transition probability B(E2;0gs+→21+) for the proton-rich nucleus 28S was determined experimentally using intermediate-energy Coulomb excitation. The resultant B(E2) value 181(31) e2fm4 is smaller than those of neighboring N = 12 isotones and Z = 16 isotopes. The double ratio |Mn/Mp|/(N/Z) of the 0gs+→21+ transition in 28S was obtained to be 1.9(2) by evaluating the Mn value from the known B(E2) value of the mirror nucleus 28Mg, showing the hindrance of proton collectivity relative to that of neutrons. These results indicate the emergence of the magic number Z = 16 in 28S.

The Coulomb dissociation of the proton-rich nuclei 31 Cl was studied experimentally using 31 Cl beams at 58 MeV/nucleon with a lead target. The relative energy between the reaction products, 30 S and proton, was obtained. The first excited state in 31 Cl was observed which is relevant to the resonant capture of stellar 30 S (p,γ)31 Cl reaction.

Ultrahigh-definition television (UHDTV) is the next-generation ultrahigh-resolution video system with more than 4000 lines, and 7680 horizontal pixels × 4320 vertical lines at 60 f/s (frames per second) in video format. We propose a method of converting high-quality UHDTV video to digital cinema video that is 3840 horizontal pixels × 2160 vertical lines at 24 f/s. Here, it is important to detect motion vectors extremely accurately to convert the frame rate. We introduced two new algorithms to increase the accuracy of detecting motion vectors. First, we introduced a method of interpolation frames using 1/2 block-shift bi-directional motion estimation by expanding the time axis. The experimental results revealed that our new method produced higher quality video images than conventional methods of video conversion using forward-directional and overlapped block bi-directional motion estimation. Next, we focused on Bayer pattern sampling in existing UHDTV, and introduced a motion-compensated method of interpolation where the first algorithm utilizes the high-frequency components from green signals. The experimental results demonstrated that our proposed method achieves higher quality video conversions than conventional methods using only the first algorithm for motion-compensated interpolation, linear interpolation, and 5:2 frame skipping.

Remineralization is the process by which hydroxyapatite (HAp) is restored in enamel subsurface lesions, and transversal microradiography (TMR) has been used to analyze remineralization in terms of the recovery of mineral content. In this study, we directly detected the distribution and orientation of longitudinal HAp crystallite at the remineralized zone in enamel subsurface lesions by using an X-ray microbeam (6-µm diameter) diffraction method. This method was demonstrated and involves the simultaneous detection of wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXRD) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). WAXRD reflects the amount of HAp crystallites, and SAXS reflects that of voids in crystallites. The polished surface of a bovine enamel block was divided into three zones of sound, demineralized, and remineralized zones. Thin sections of approximately 150 µm thickness were then cut perpendicular to the surface, and subjected to WAXRD and SAXS following TMR. The increase in the amount of HAp crystallites and the decrease in voids in the crystallites at the remineralized zone were detected by WAXRD and SAXS, respectively, which was consistent with the result of TMR. This study indicates that both the spatial distribution and orientation of the restored HAp crystals in the remineralization process at the subsurface lesion can be simultaneously analyzed by the X-ray diffraction methods.

Time development of Sm+ and Sm ablation plume produced by the femtosecond laser irradiation has been investigated. The two-dimensional spatial profiles of Sm and Sm+ emitted from oxidized and non-oxidized Sm surface were visualized using a planar laser-induced fluorescence method. It was observed that the flow velocity of Sm+ is much faster than that of Sm plume in both surfaces. The plumes from the oxidized Sm surface show higher velocity than that from non-oxidized surface, which is originated by the small electric conductivity at the surface. Expansion property observed for Sm+ and Sm plume in the oxidized Sm surface ablation implies the formation of the Knundsen layer nearby the surface. Meanwhile, continuous emission of Sm indicates the large contribution of heating effect to emission process at the non-oxidized surface. We conclude that the fsLA process strongly depends on the electric property of the ablated surface and the heating effect contributes to the particle emission process on the conductive material surface.

We have observed the motion of Sm+ ions as well as Sm atoms produced by femtosecond laser ablation of a solidified samarium solution sample on substrates by using a planar laser-induced fluorescence method. Kinetic energies of both Sm+ ions and Sm atoms increase as the electrical conductivity of the substrate decreases, which suggests the effect of surface charging. The kinetic energy of Sm+ ions is larger than that of Sm atoms for a variety of substrates due to the further electrical acceleration by the surface charge. The knowledge of ion motion will be the key information for the optimization of femtosecond laser simultaneous atomization and ionization of organic and inorganic samples on substrates.

In order to develop a femtosecond laser ablation (fsLA) ion source for TOF mass spectrometry, we have analyzed time-resolved images of laser-induced fluorescence from Sm+ ions produced by fsLA of a solid samarium in electric fields. The polarity and the strength of electric fields had a remarkable effect on the expansion of Sm+ ions. Moreover, accelerating electric fields elongated the duration of the ion emission from the samarium surface in fsLA, which degraded time-focusing of the ions. We have found that suppression the continuous ion emission caused by fsLA in electric fields is most important in TOF measurements.

By ablating solid C60 with a laser pulse, we observe various processes such as the prompt- and the delayed-ionization of C60, the fragmentation into molecular ions and the formation of cluster ions. We found these processes show distinct dependences on the temporal pulse width, the power and the wavelength of the ablation laser. From the observations, we could confirm efficient coupling of laser energy to C60 through the molecular absorption even with a laser pulse width less than the electron-phonon coupling time of the C60 molecule.

FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3) is a new therapeutic target for acute myelocytic leukemia (AML), because FLT3 mutations are the most common genetic alterations in AML and are directly related to leukemogenesis. We studied cytotoxic interactions of a FLT3 inhibitor, PKC412, with eight conventional antileukemic agents (cytarabine, doxorubicin, idarubicin, mitoxantrone, etoposide, 4-hydroperoxy-cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and vincristine) using three leukemia cell lines carrying FLT3 mutations (MOLM13, MOLM14 and MV4-11) and five leukemia cell lines without FLT3 mutations (KOPB-26, THP-1, BALL-1, KG-1 and U937). PKC412 showed synergistic effects with all agents studied except methotrexate for FLT3-mutated cell lines in isobologram analysis. In contrast, PKC412 was rather antagonistic to most drugs, except for 4-hydroperoxy-cyclophosphamide and vincristine, in leukemia cell lines without FLT3 mutations. Cell-cycle analysis revealed that PKC412 induced G1 arrest in leukemia cell lines carrying FLT3 mutations, whereas it arrested cells in G2/M phase in the absence of FLT3 mutations, which may underlie the divergent cytotoxic interactions. These results suggest that the simultaneous administration of PKC412 and other agents except methotrexate is clinically effective against FLT3 mutation-positive leukemias, whereas it would be of little benefit for FLT3 mutation-negative leukemias. Our findings may be of help for the design of PKC412-based combination chemotherapy.

The present paper carried out the numerical simulation and experimental study of the thermofluid fields induced by a pen-like atmospheric nonthermal plasma torch, which is a very simple device to produce atmospheric plasma and has been successfully applied for surface treatment to improve the hydrophilic properties of plastic film and polyethylene. The device consists of a small cylindrical stainless steel pipe with 6.5 mm diameter and 170 mm length inserted into a ceramic tube as the inner electrode. A ring outer electrode made of stainless steel is fixed at near the edge of the ceramic. The 13.56 MHz RF power was applied between the two electrodes to produce a surface discharge. The power into the torch is 60 W. The driving gas is argon and the flow rate varies in the range of 3–12 L min −1 . Fundamental research results describing the major features of the flow fields induced by the plasma torch are provided in the present study. The stress is laid on the investigation of the influence of gas flow rate, which is one of important operation conditions, on the flow fields excited by the plasma torch. The principal results show that as the power input is fixed the increase of the gas flow rate will reduce the plasma temperature. The plasma penetration length stretching toward the atmospheric surroundings is also found to be closely related with the gas flow rate. Experimental confirmation by measuring the rotational temperature using optical spectroscopic method has been carried out, and a reasonable agreement between calculation and experiment has been obtained. These results provide fundamental understanding of the thermofluid fields induced by a pen-like atmospheric plasma torch, and also build up a basic predictive capability by numerical simulations to perform the further detailed investigation for practical applications in future.

Summary 1 Although metabolic resource losses are maintained at low rates during diapause, the accumulation of losses over a long period negatively affects organisms with prolonged diapause usually extending beyond 1 year. The seed-predatory weevil Exechesops leucopis (Jordan) (Coleoptera: Anthribidae) enters winter diapause at the final-instar larval stage within seeds of Styrax japonica Sieb. et Zucc. (Styracaceae) at a density of one larva per seed. After diapause, larvae pupate within the seeds and then emerge as adults. 2 The adult emergence pattern of a single cohort of E. leucopis was monitored for 5 years under seminatural conditions in the laboratory. The duration of diapause varied from 1 year (single winter) to 4 years (four winters). Adults that emerged after 1 year were smaller than those that emerged after 2 years or more. When temperature was not decreased experimentally in winter, no adults emerged in the following season. 3 Metabolic resource losses during diapause were examined by comparing adult body sizes between controls and groups in which emergence was delayed by 1 year under manipulated winter temperature regimes. Adults that emerged after an additional year in the larval stage were smaller than those in the control group. Moreover, the rates of reduction in body size as a consequence of diapause being extended experimentally were greater in smaller individuals. Thus smaller individuals have disadvantages in longer diapause, suggesting that weevils may vary the duration of diapause depending on individual body size. 4 Exechesops leucopis shows sexual dimorphism in the degree of eye protrusion. Eyestalk length affects male fitness through intrasexual selection. The duration of diapause affected the length of the eyestalks: when an additional year was spent in diapause, eyestalk length was nearly maintained in larger males but was greatly decreased in smaller males. In all females eyestalk length decreased according to the duration of diapause.

To better define secondary aberrations that occur in addition to translocation t(11;14)(q13;q32) in mantle cell lymphomas (MCL) and in multiple myelomas (MM), seven t(11;14)-positive MCL cell lines and four t(11;14)-positive MM cell lines were analysed by fluorescence R-banding and spectral karyotyping (SKY). Compared with published data obtained by G-banding, most chromosome aberrations were redefined or further specified. Furthermore, several additional chromosome aberrations were identified. Thus, these cytogenetically well defined t(11;14)-positive MCL and MM cell lines may be useful tools for the identification and characterization of genes that might be involved in the pathogenesis of MCL and MM, respectively. Since MCL and MM were found to have different alterations of chromosome 1, these were investigated in more detail by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and multicolor banding (MCB) analyses. The most frequently altered and deletion-prone loci in MCL cell lines were regions 1p31 and 1p21. In contrast, breakpoints in MM cell lines most often involved the heterochromatic regions 1p12→p11, and the subcentromeric regions 1q12 and 1q21. These data are in accordance with previously published data of primary lymphomas. Our findings may indicate that different pathways of clonal evolution are involved in these morphologically distinct lymphomas harboring an identical primary chromosome aberration, t(11;14).

We prepared fine Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) powder suitable for screen printing using a mechanochemical process. Particulate precursors were deposited in a thin layer by a screen-printing technique, the remaining organic solvent was removed from the screen-printed CIGS film and finally the porous precursor layer was sintered into a dense polycrystalline film by atmospheric-pressure firing. The crystal structure of the film was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and the microstructure was observed in a SEM. The thickness of the film was 5-10 μm with a grain size of about 2 μm. The films were also observed in a TEM. The grain size of the as-prepared powder was less than 1 μm; however, it enlarged to 2-3 μm after firing at 575 °C under a Se ambient. Preliminary CIGS solar cells with our standard Al grid/B-doped ZnO/i-ZnO/ CdS/CIGS/Mo/soda-lime glass structure were fabricated. An efficiency of 2.7%, a V oc of 0.325 V, a J sc of 28.3 mA/cm 2 and a FF of 0.295 was obtained.

We have been developing three-dimensional (3-D) packaging technology for forming through-type electrodes in chips that are then directly connected in stacks. The model examined in this study is defined by its simple structure. The structure was optimized for successful connection in a chip stack without degrading the features of the chips. The use of this structure enabled a stable and rigid connection, and a four-layer chip stack assembled on a ceramic substrate exhibited adequate thermal cycle performance. This paper discusses how the structure of terminals was optimized for chip stacking. A finished package assembled from static random access memory (SRAM) with through-type electrodes was confirmed to operate well and exhibit normal functioning.

We developed a new float polishing technique for use as a non-contact polishing tool utilizing a magnetic compound fluid (MCF). MCF has been developed by one of the present authors for the purpose of magnetically and hydrodynamically improving intelligent or smart fluid. The float polishing succeeded experimentally during wide clearance range between the polishing tool and the polished material surface of 0.1–0.3 mm. The polishing effect changes according to the magnetic field strength. The cause is due to the possibility of polishing a material using magnetic clusters involved in MCF as a polishing tool. It is also useful to substitute the buffer material for the polishing pad in the case of MCF float polishing.

A giant magnetostrictive material (GMM) has large magnetostriction. Therefore, GMM is successfully applied to many actuators and sensors. Recently, practical micro-actuators and micro-sensors have been anticipated in the industry. In this study, the influence of Co addition to a Tb–Fe GMM thin film and the influence of heat treatment were examined. Then the GMM thin film was applied to a force sensor. This paper describes the following: (1) The thin film which made the ratio of cobalt for the sum of iron and cobalt to be 25.5%, and annealing at 300 °C, showed the magnetostriction of 1200 ppm at 80 kA/m. (2) The characteristic of the force sensor that used the GMM thin film with a relative permeability of 210 is examined.

To facilitate studies of hormonal control in the honeybee (Apis mellifera L.), a cDNA for a honeybee homologue of the ecdysteroid-regulated gene E74 (AmE74) was isolated and its expression was analysed. Northern blot analysis indicated strong expression in the adult queen abdomen, and no significant expression in the adult drone and worker abdomens. In situ hybridization demonstrated that this gene was expressed selectively in the ovary and gut in the queen abdomen. Furthermore, this gene was also expressed selectively in subsets of mushroom body interneurones in the brain of the adult worker bees. These findings suggest that AmE74 is involved in neural function as well as in reproduction in adult honeybees.

Experiments aiming at 'day long operation at high performance' have been carried out in TRIAM-1M. The record value of the discharge duration was updated to 5 h and 16 min. Steady-state tokamak operation is studied under the localized plasma wall interaction conditions. The distributions of the heat load, the particle recycling flux and impurity source are investigated to understand the co-deposition and wall pumping. The formation and sustainment of an internal transport barrier (ITB) in enhanced current drive mode has been investigated by controlling the lower hybrid driven current profile by changing the phase spectrum. An ITER relevant remote steering antenna for electron cyclotron wave injection was installed and a relativistic Doppler resonance of the oblique propagating extraordinary wave with energetic electrons driven by lower hybrid waves was studied.

This paper describes techniques and approaches capable of achieving real-time motion-JPEG2000 encoding/decoding of high definition images with low power consumption. We propose a highly efficient VLSI implementation of procedure of two-dimensional wavelet transform that uses intermediate results through wavelet calculation. Double data-BUS and double encoder architecture with cross data flow is also introduced in order to make an improvement in coding performance and power consumption. The processor performs compression of 1440 /spl times/ 1080 pixels images with the speed of 30 frames per second (fps) at a required operating frequency as low as 54 MHz. A test chip of this implementation has been fabricated in a 0.18-/spl mu/m 5-layer CMOS process. The chip is 9.2 /spl times/ 9.2 mm/sup 2/ in size and consumes 0.9 W when supplied with 1.8 V and 54 MHz.

The BolA-like proteins are widely conserved from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. The BolA-like proteins seem to be involved in cell proliferation or cell-cycle regulation, but the molecular function is still unknown. Here we determined the structure of a mouse BolA-like protein. The overall topology is alphabetabetaalphaalphabetaalpha, in which beta(1) and beta(2) are antiparallel, and beta(3) is parallel to beta(2). This fold is similar to the class II KH fold, except for the absence of the GXXG loop, which is well conserved in the KH fold. The conserved residues in the BolA-like proteins are assembled on the one side of the protein.

An overview of steady state tokamak studies in TRIAM-1M (R0 = 0.8 m, a × b = 0.12 m × 0.18 m and B = 8 T) is presented. The current ramp-up scenario without using centre solenoid coils is reinvestigated with respect to controllability of the current ramp-up rate at the medium density region of (1–2) × 1019 m−3. The plasma is initiated by ECH (fundamental o-mode at 170 GHz with 200 kW) at B = 6.7 T, and the ramp-up rate below the technical limit of 150 kA s−1 for ITER can be achieved by keeping the LH power less than 100 kW during the current ramp-up phase. The physics understanding of the enhanced current drive (ECD) mode around the threshold power level has progressed from a viewpoint of transition probability. A transition frequency, ftrans, for the ECD transition is determined as a function of PCD. At ~70 kW no transition occurs for an ftrans value of ~0.017 Hz, meaning almost zero transition probability. With increasing PCD > Pth, ftrans increases up to 10 Hz, and the transition tends to occur with high probability. The record value of the discharge duration is updated to 3 h 10 min in a low and low power (

CD20 is a B-cell differentiation antigen and known to induce apoptosis in Burkitt's lymphoma/leukemia (BL) cells upon antibody-mediated crosslinking. We examined the biological effect of CD20 crosslinking on BL cell lines and observed that apoptosis induction is accompanied by activation of multiple caspases, including caspase-8, -9, -3, -2, and -7. Further investigation revealed a clear synergism between apoptosis mediated by CD20 and by B-cell antigen receptor (BCR). Examination of the effect of simultaneous crosslinking of other cell surface molecules with crosslinking of CD20 or BCR on apoptosis induction showed that these molecules had either a synergistic or inhibitory effect on induction of apoptosis. It is worth noting that some molecules had a different effect on CD20- and BCR-mediated apoptosis. Simultaneous crosslinking of the molecules CD10, CD22, CD72, and CD80 inhibited BCR-mediated apoptosis, but enhanced CD20-mediated apoptosis. Further studies revealed that regulation of CD20-induced apoptosis by other costimulatory molecules is achieved by modification of caspase activation. CD20-mediated apoptosis in BL cells may provide not only a model for understanding the mechanism regulating clonal selection of B cells but a new therapeutic strategy for BL patients.

Human leukemia-lymphoma (LL) cell lines represent an extremely important resource for research in a variety of fields and disciplines. As the cell lines are used as in vitro model systems in lieu of primary cell material, it is crucial that the cells in the culture flasks faithfully correspond to the purported objects of study. Obviously, proper authentication of cell line derivation and precise characterization are indispensable requirements to use as model systems. A number of studies has shown an unacceptable level of LL cell lines to be false. We present here the results of authenticating a comprehensively large sample (n = 550) of LL cell lines mainly by DNA fingerprinting and cytogenetic evaluation. Surprisingly, near-identical incidences (ca 15%) of false cell lines were observed among cell lines obtained directly from original investigators (59/395: 14.9%) and from secondary sources (23/155: 14.8%) implying that most cross-contamination is perpetrated by originators, presumably during establishment. By comparing our data with those published, we were further able to subclassify the false cell lines as (1) virtual: cross-contaminated with and unretrievably overgrown by other cell lines during initiation, never enjoying independent existence; (2) misidentified: cross-contaminated subsequent to establishment so that an original prototype may still exist; or (3) misclassified: unwittingly established from an unintended (often normal) cell type. Prolific classic leukemia cell lines were found to account for the majority of cross-contaminations, eg CCRF-CEM, HL-60, JURKAT, K-562 and U-937. We discuss the impact of cross-contaminations on scientific research, the reluctance of scientists to address the problem, and consider possible solutions. These findings provide a rationale for mandating the procurement of reputably sourced LL cell lines and their regular authentication thereafter.

Using the cross-section model for neutron scattering in liquid H2 and D2, a neutron transport analysis is performed for spherical cold-neutron sources composed of either para H2, normal H2 or normal D2. A special effort is made to generate a set of energy-averaged cross-sections (80 group constants between 0.1 μeV and 10 eV ) for liquid H2 and D2 at melting and boiling points. A number of conclusions on the spherical cold-neutron source configurations are drawn. It is especially shown that the highest cold-neutron flux is obtainable from the normal D2 source with a radius of about 50 cm, while the normal- and para-H2 sources with radii around 3– 4 cm produce maximum cold-neutron fluxes at the center.

A neutron transport analysis is performed for liquid H2 moderators with 100% para and normal (ortho:para=0.75:0.25) fractions. Four sets of energy-averaged cross-sections (group constants) for liquid ortho- and para-H2 at melting and boiling points are generated and neutron energy range between 0.1 μeV and 10 eV is broken into 80 groups. Basic moderating characteristics are studied of a model cold-neutron source in a one-dimensional bare-slab geometry. It is shown that liquid para-H2 is superior in cold neutron production to liquid normal H2 on account of a para-to-ortho transition (molecular rotational excitation) and a good transmission property with a mean free path of about 10 cm . In the case of neutron extraction from the inside of the source, high intensity of cold neutrons is possible with liquid normal H2 at higher temperatures up to the boiling point.

From MnZn ferrite ("6H20" of FDK production), cores having grain size of about 8/spl sim/10 /spl mu/m were produced by controlling the calcination temperature, after-calcination milling time, and sintering conditions. The ferrite powder production conditions and core microstructure were examined to determine their effects on the magnetic properties and mechanical strength of MnZn ferrite cores. A tendency of core loss to decline with a decrease in grain size was confirmed. Strength increased also with a decrease in grain size. Thus, a relation similar to that between strength and fracture toughness in the equation of Griffith-Irwin was noted. By these findings, it has become possible to produce MnZn ferrite cores with lower loss and greater strength.

We analyze the defect density change caused by B and Sb doping and the determination of configuration of doped N in silicon from the viewpoint of stress accompanied by doping. The former is phenomenologically analyzed by the size-effect model and the threshold point defect concentration change for void density change is estimated. The latter is analyzed using the valence force field model and the atomic strain energy is calculated. The role of strain energy and unpaired electron in determining the structure is discussed.