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Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a non-atheromatous, non-inflammatory, multifocal segmental angiopathy. FMD is the most common cause of pediatric renovascular hypertension. Aneurysmal formation of the main renal artery and distal branches is a rare complication of FMD in infancy. We report an 8-month-old boy with FMD presenting with shock caused by sudden renal hemorrhage that necessitated removal of one kidney. A diagnosis of renovascular hypertension resulting from intimal type FMD with aneurysmal formation was made on the basis of the presence of hypertension, elevation of PRA and aldosterone activity, pathological findings and the results of renal angiography. Our findings suggest that it is therefore necessary to consider FMD with aneurysmal formation as a possible cause of hypertension and renal hemorrhage in infants.

The study aimed to combine a metagenomics approach with complementary genetics to identify novel bacterial genes with orthologous functions, with the identification of novel RNase H genes as a test case.A metagenomic DNA library was prepared from leaf-and-branch compost and used to screen for the RNase H genes by their abilities to complement the temperature-sensitive growth phenotype of the rnhA mutant Escherichia coli strain MIC3001. Determination of the nucleotide sequences of the cloned DNA fragments allowed us to identify 12 different genes encoding type 1 RNases H. Eleven of them encode novel RNases H, which show 40-72% amino acid sequence identities to those available from database. One of them lacks a typical DEDD/E active-site motif, which is almost fully conserved in various RNases H.Functional screening of environmental DNA without cultivation of microbes is a useful procedure to isolate novel RNase H genes.One of the identified RNase H genes had no sequence similarity to a previously assumed conserved motif, suggesting multiple catalytic mechanisms exist. This test case illustrates that metagenomics combined with complementary genetics can identify novel genes that are orthologous without sequence similarity to those from cultivated bacteria.

This paper provides qualification test results of large forgings and thick hot rolled plates of austenitic stainless steels, newly developed JJ1 (0.03C-12Cr-12Ni-10Mn-5Mo-0.24N), and 316LN containing high nitrogen of 0.2%, to be used in coil cases of the ITER toroidal field coils. The distributions of tensile properties at liquid helium temperature (4K) in products, average strengths with standard deviations at 4K, temperature dependence of strengths are evaluated to qualify the materials and to establish a reasonable quality control method to be applied to mass production materials for the ITER toroidal field coils. It is also demonstrated that temperature dependence of strengths are expressed by quadratic curves, which are expressed as a function of carbon and nitrogen contents and strengths at room temperature.Copyright © 2009 by ASME

In this study, we have carried out Monte Carlo simulation of L11(CuPt)-type ordering in II–V semiconductor alloys of A0.5B0.5C during the (001) epitaxial growth, on the basis of an Ising-like model for the layer-by-layer stacking including surface migration of atoms. Fourier power spectra of the atom configurations thus obtained exhibit diffuse streaks running along the growth direction through peaks at 1 2 1 2 1 2 positions indicative of the L11-type ordering. An additional tendency for first nearest neighboring atoms toward clustering gives rise to wavy modulation of the streaks such as observed in electron diffraction patterns of epitaxial layers of Ga0.5In0.5P or GaAs0.5Sb0.5. The result suggests that the epitaxial growth develops L11 ordered domains with numerous stacking faults and small like-atom clusters simultaneously within the epilayers.

The hematologic disorders in patients with acute cardioembolic stroke are not fully understood, and no reliable measures are available to identify patients at high risk for recurrent embolism. We analyzed coagulation and fibrinolytic functions in 22 patients with cardiogenic cerebral embolism less than or equal to 24 hours after onset and in 25 age-matched controls. The levels of antithrombin III, protein C, and alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor were significantly lower in the patients than in the controls (p less than 0.001, 0.02, and 0.05, respectively). In contrast, the plasma concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin III complex and crosslinked D-dimer were markedly higher in the patients than in the controls (p less than 0.01 and 0.001, respectively). At the time of admission, the plasma concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin III complex and crosslinked D-dimer in the eight patients at high risk for recurrent embolization (one with prodromal embolism, three with intracardiac thrombi, and four with recurrent embolization) were 2.8 and 3.5 times, respectively, higher than those in the 14 patients without recurrence or thrombus formation. The lowest concentration of crosslinked D-dimer in the eight patients at high risk for recurrent embolization was 600 ng/ml on admission. Our results suggest that patients with acute cardioembolic stroke have various degrees of consumption coagulopathy and that the plasma concentrations of thrombin-antithrombin III complex and crosslinked D-dimer can be useful indicators of those who are prone to recurrent embolization during this stage.

A favourable comparison is made between track widths measured from the analysis of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images and those measured from spin stand data for tracks written with trimmed and untrimmed magneto-resistive heads onto a high-performance media. The analysis of MFM images of tracks is extended to probe sources of media noise. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measured by MFM is found to be closely related to the relative amplitudes of the various Fourier components of written tracks. The influence on SNR of longer wavelength components attributable to hard transitions is found to decrease with increasing head current. The effect of such hard transition noise is more easily overcome with trimmed heads.

Amyloid beta peptide (Abeta), 42-residue peptide and its variations, is known to form amyloid fibrils in Alzheimer's disease. Solid-state NMR study reveals a parallel beta-sheet structure in the Abeta fibrils. The atomic level structure of Abeta in aqueous environment, however, has not been determined, because of its tendency to aggregate. There are several reports that soluble forms of Abeta possess intrinsic neurotoxicity. It has recently become possible to determine the crystal structure of Abeta fragments in an aqueous solution without organic solvents and detergents using a fusion technique with a hyperthermophile protein. Abeta28-42 forms a beta-conformation. This fusion technique enables us to obtain structural information at atomic resolution for amyloidogenic peptides in aqueous environments. This review describes our current knowledge on the Abeta conformation in aqueous environments and some viewpoints based on the knowledge.

The route by which pollen enters dwellings has not been clarified.To evaluate the amount of pollen entering dwellings by ventilation and adhesion to textile products.The amount of pollen clinging to fabrics (clothes, laundry, and futon bedding) out of doors was measured by quantification of Japanese cedar pollen antigen Cry j 1. The effect of air ventilation on the amount of pollen indoors was also investigated using several neighboring unoccupied apartments with an identical layout while controlling the ventilation conditions.The amount of pollen adhering to futons was especially high. More than half of the pollen on futons or laundry remained on the surface, even after being brushed off by hand or shaken off. Vacuuming laundry and futons after airing out would be an effective way to decrease the amount of indoor pollen. A large amount of pollen entered dwellings through air ducts when the windows were closed and the ventilation fans working. Since most pollen that entered by ventilation remained near the windows, cleaning carefully and frequently near windows could reduce the amount of pollen indoors.To decrease the amount of pollen indoors, special attention must be paid to textile products and ventilation systems during the pollen season.

Introduction: Collagen phagocytosis by fibroblasts is involved in the intracellular pathway related to collagen breakdown in soft connective tissues. The possible role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in regulating this fibroblast function has not been elucidated so we investigated the effect of LPS from Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, a periodontopathic bacterium, on collagen phagocytic activity in human gingival fibroblasts and associated regulatory mechanisms. Methods: LPS pretreatment stimulated binding of collagen-coated beads to cells and, subsequently, their internalization. Results: The LPS-activated collagen phagocytic process was enhanced in the presence of the soluble form of CD14 (sCD14) or LPS-binding protein (LBP), while the LPS/LBP treatment activated Akt and induced actin reorganization. Furthermore, these LPS/LBP-induced effects were partially suppressed by adding phosphatidyl-inositol-3 kinase (PI3K) inhibitors. Conclusion: These results suggest that A. actinomycetemcomitans LPS disturbs the homeostasis of collagen metabolism within gingival tissue by facilitating collagen phagocytosis by gingival fibroblasts, and serum sCD14 and LBP positively regulate the action of LPS. In addition, the PI3K/Akt signaling is thought to partially mediate the LPS/LBP-stimulated collagen phagocytic pathway, which may be dependent on actin cytoskeletal rearrangement.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has developed jacketing technologies for ITER Toroidal Field (TF) and Central Solenoid (CS) conductor. Full scale TF and CS conduits were fabricated using carbon‐reduced SUS316LN and boron‐added (∼40 ppm ) high manganese stainless steel (0.025C ‐22Mn ‐13Cr ‐9Ni ‐0.12N: JK2LB), respectively. Welding condition was optimized so that back bead does not interfere a cable insertion. The weld joint samples were compacted by a compaction machine that was newly constructed and tested at 4.2 K. Mechanical characteristics at 4K of CS, TF conduits and CS welded joint satisfied ITER mechanical requirements. TF welded joint shows slightly lower value of 0.2% yield strength (885 MPa) than that of ITER requirement (900 MPa). The TF conduit contains nitrogen content of 0.14%, which is minimum value in ITER specification. The lower nitrogen content may be caused by the release of nitrogen from molten metal during non‐filler welding resulting in a 4 K strength decrease. To satisfy the ITER requirements, minimum nitrogen contents of conduit should be increased from 0.14% to 0.15% at least. Therefore, JAEA successfully developed TF and CS conduits with welding technologies and finalized the procurement specification for ITER conductor jacketing.

Calcium substitution in the Y-Ba-Cu-O system at elevated P(${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$) results in superconducting compounds with novel and enhanced properties: tetragonal ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Y}}_{(1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x})}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{\mathit{y}}$ with ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$=86 K for x=0.2 prepared at P(${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$)=16 bars, and ${\mathrm{Ca}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Y}}_{(1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x})}$${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{4}$${\mathrm{O}}_{\mathit{y}}$ (1:2:4) with ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$=89 K for x=0.1 prepared at 50--200 bars. Calcium substitution shifts the phase-stability boundary between 1:2:3, 2:4:7, and 1:2:4 phases to higher P(${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$), and stabilizes a tetragonal 1:2:3 structure at moderately elevated P(${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$) without substantial decrease in ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$. The ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ of 1:2:4 increases with Ca substitution up to x=0.1, and then decreases gradually for larger x, possibly because of excessive hole concentration.

The electrical properties and distortion characteristics of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs) with composite dielectric material, which consisted of ferroelectric and paraelectric phases were studied. In composite dielectrics, BaTiO3 (BTO) was used for the ferroelectric phase, while SrTiO3 (STO) and CaTiO3 CTO were used for the paraelectric phases. The dielectric ceramics with composite structure of MLCC were prepared with these perovskite grains and additives. The temperature dependence of dielectric constant of the MLCC could be controlled by the volume ratio of ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. The distortion characteristic of MLCC with composite structure was smaller than that of BTO.

In this paper, we propose a vector space retrieval method with causal relationship computation functions for event data. The method is used for the domain in which a query given by a user can be regarded as an event. By expressing an event as a vector, causal relationships between events can be described as numerical values. This feature enables to set a level of importance on a specific event flexibly. The method can be applied to document retrieval with causal relationship computation. We clarify effectiveness of the method by showing several experimental results using synthetic event and document data sets.

The perpendicular media investigated employed silicon oxide in the recording layer to facilitate grain segregation, as reported. Overcoat used for these studies includes sputtered CNx, SiNx and ion beam carbon. Method for corrosion assessment includes (1) ICP-MS measurement of extractable Co, (2) Electrochemical polarization curve, and (3) Temperature and Relative Humidity (T&RH) condensation test. Roughness-induced challenges on subsequent post processing steps is reported. Because PMR media is reported to have high surface roughness, our first study has been designed to quantify overcoat coverage limit and compare that with longitudinal media.

Speech quality of VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) may potentially be degraded by transmission errors such as packet loss and delay which are basically inevitable in best-effort communications. This study proposes an error concealment technique for such degradation by exploiting a receiver-based technique called pitch waveform replication. For improving the conventional technique, this study investigates a waveform reconstruction technique that also takes account of the pitch variation between the backward and forward frames of gap frames. From experimental results of objective and subjective evaluation, it is indicated that the proposed technique may potentially be useful for improving the speech quality, compared with the conventional technique. In addition, this study has also developed a hardware VoIP system that implements the proposed error concealment technique

An 81-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the treatment for left spontaneous pneumothorax. A chest X-ray revealed a left-sided total pneumothorax and complete collapse of the lung. After intravenous administration of methylprednisolone, a 16 Fr chest tube was inserted, and drainage was started without negative pressure suction. Four hours after chest tube insertion, the patient's condition deteriorated. He complained severe cough and dyspnea, and pulse oximetry reading was 70%. A repeat chest X-ray demonstrated diffuse reexpansion pulmonary edema (RPE) on the left. After mechanical ventilation and intravenous infusion therapy with sivelestat sodium hydrate, methylprednisolone and ulinastatin were started, P(O2)/ Fi(O2) ratio improved rapidly. He was extubated on hospital day 6 and was discharged after pleurodesis for the pneumothorax. This case suggests that sivelestat sodium hydrate may be useful for the treatment for RPE.

We report 2 patients with chondrosarcoma of the chest wall. They were a 67-year-old woman (case 1) with an anterior chest wall tumor and a 68-year-old woman (case 2) with a painful rib tumor. Their computed tomography (CT) both revealed calcified tumors. Case 1 underwent a wide resection by partial sternectomy, with free surgical margins. Case 2 underwent tumor resection with the posterior part of the 3rd rib, with positive surgical margin in the vertebral site, and received adjuvant radiotherapy. Both patients were pathologically diagnosed as having grade II chondrosarcoma. In their postoperative courses, they are free from recurrence. Wide resection is likely to be the key to successful management of chest wall chondrosarcoma.

This paper reports 65-nm node ultra-low standby power CMOS technology for mobile applications, utilizing the combination of HfSiON FET and back-biasing scheme for the first time. With well-optimized channel, offset-spacer and halo conditions, physical gate length is successfully scaled down to 55 nm with excellent V/sub th/ roll-off and small DIBL, for both surface channel nFET and buried channel pFET. The record I/sub on//I/sub off/ ratio, the drive current of 510/220 /spl mu/A//spl mu/m with off-state leakage of 20/20 pA//spl mu/m, are obtained. We have also demonstrated body-biasing scheme feasibility for further subthreshold leakage (I/sub subth/) reduction. By exploiting Fermi-level-pinning effect, we have reduced the channel doping concentration and suppressed gate induced drain leakage (I/sub GIDL/) even under reverse body-biasing condition. Total standby leakage (I/sub subth/+I/sub GIDL/+I/sub g/) are reduced to 1.4/0.32 pA//spl mu/m at V/sub dd/= 0.8 V and Vb= /spl plusmn/1 V, which is the smallest value ever reported for 65nm-node LSTP.

In rodents, ACTH induces steroidogenesis in the adrenal cortex and also lipolysis in adipose tissues via the sole specific receptor for ACTH. Up-regulation of the ACTH receptor (ACTH-R) mRNA by ACTH was found to be evident in adrenocortical cells. However, a role of in vivo ACTH on ACTH-R mRNA expression in the adrenal cortex is not well understood. In addition, so far less attention has been also paid to the regulation of ACTH-R expression in adipose tissues. We investigated the effects of hypophysectomy and in vivo administration of ACTH or dexamethasone on the level of ACTH-R mRNA in the adrenal gland and adipose tissues of mice.ACTH mRNA in the adrenal glands and epididymal adipose tissues of mice sacrificed 10 days after hypophysectomy or sham operation, and 24 hours after ACTH-Z (2 IU i.m.) or physiological saline solution (PSS) injection, and also 3-days after dexamethasone (300 microg/day i.m.) or PSS administration was analysed by Northern blot, and intensities of autoradiographic bands were quantified.In the adrenal gland, in vivo administration of ACTH-Z significantly increased the level of ACTH-R mRNA to 342% of control values, but in vivo administration of dexamethasone or hypophysectomy induced no significant alteration of ACTH-R mRNA. In adipose tissues, these conditions did not significantly alter the level of ACTH-R mRNA.Low circulating ACTH may not be a substantial factor for ACTH-R gene expression in the adrenal gland, but a high level of in vivo ACTH dose up-regulated the expression. A different regulation of ACTH-R gene expression exists in the adrenal cortex and adipose tissues of mice.

Dual-layer perpendicular recording uses a magnetically soft under layer (SUL) beneath the recording layer to conduct the flux from the recording head. The required thickness of the SUL is determined by the SUL moment, the write pole moment and pole dimensions. Typically, the SUL thickness is from tens to a few hundred nanometers. Domains are often present in this thickness range. In this study, we examine in detail the properties of spike noise and assess the effect of spike noise on error rate.

In this retrospective study, we investigated the prognosis of 25 patients with resected bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) of 3.0 cm or less in diameter. We assigned a diagnosis of BAC for non-invasive tumors as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. The patients ranged in age from 47 to 78 years with an average of 64.0 years. Eighteen patients (72%) were male and 7 patients (28%) were female. All the patients underwent complete resection. As the mode of surgical resection, at least lobectomy was performed in 84%. Sections of the resected tumor were stained by HE and Elastica, and then examined by light microscopy. The tumors ranged in size from 0.5 to 3.0 cm with an average of 1.9 cm. Neither pleural involvement nor vascular permeation was seen in BACs. There was also no lymph node involvement for BACs. The 5-year disease-free survival rate of all 25 patients with BAC was 100%. The unequivocally recognizing invasive features by morphology is important for a prospect of the prognosis of resected BACs.

This paper first describes the architecture of the network digital camera. Then, a real-time streaming system using the network digital camera, an access point (AP) and a digital photo album is proposed and evaluated. The evaluation is based on the characteristics of the packet transmission time, which depends on two varying parameters, namely, the condition and population of the wireless environment.

As areal densities increase and track-widths become narrower, adjacent-track interference (ATI) is becoming a major engineering concern in magnetic recording systems. In perpendicular recording, the nature of ATI is more complex due to the novel head designs and the soft underlayer. ATI arises when stray fields from the sides of a head cause erasure or create interference on an adjacent track. To uncover the sources of ATI in perpendicular systems, we developed a method using DC erase noise to identify the polarity as well as the extent and magnitude of the stray fields. This paper extends this earlier work to explain some of the puzzling phenomena that were observed and explores further the general ATI issues such as rate of signal decay with multiple writes and ultimately the impact on error-rate.

A 77GHz MMIC transceiver module has been developed for automotive radar applications by using a low-cost thick-film multi-layer ceramic substrate. The module accommodating all MMIC-based transceiver functions in a single-cavity housing for improved manufacturability can be either assembled with built-in Tx/Rx antennas or mounted on external antenna sheet, depending on required antenna beam width. The module, measuring 25/spl times/25/spl times/3.4mm/sup 3/ with 3.3g in weight, has demonstrated >150m target detection capability when evaluated in a radar system, compatible with our current production-type radar.

A fully-MMIC 77 GHz T/R module has been developed, which is incorporated with microstrip-patch planar antennas to constitute a one-body antenna/transceiver (A/T) unit for automotive forward-looking radars. The module employs a single-cavity structure for low cost manufacturing to house a dielectric interconnecting sheet and four MMIC chips consisting of a 77 GHz fundamental frequency VCO, a power amplifier and two receivers. A newly developed filtering lid for the cavity facilitates a 90 dB isolation between the Tx and Rx ports of the module to avoid undesirable interference. When combined with signal processing electronics, the A/T unit achieved a >120 m maximum detection range and a 16 deg. azimuth angle coverage.

This paper is concerned with the electrical breakdown of liquid helium under a simulated quenching condition of superconducting (s.c.) coils; bubble-triggered electrical breakdown of liquid helium has been recognized as the subject of extensive research. The bubble behavior in liquid helium under non-uniform electric field is studied theoretically and experimentally and breakdown voltage is measured as a function of heater power to produce the boiling and discussed on the basis of the bubble dynamics.

A Kalman filter algorithm to estimate direction for automotive navigation is reported. An extended Kalman filter is used to combine a magnetic compass and a rate gyroscope and to compensate for the sensor errors; the result is an optimal estimate for heading direction. A mathematical model for magnetic compass errors caused by body magnetization and the body effect of magnetic material is proposed. An error model of the rate gyroscope is also established. Errors of both sensors are calibrated through a computer simulation. Finally, experimental navigation results are demonstrated.

We have developed a Ku-band portable digital satellite news gathering (SNG) RF terminal and evaluated the hardware performance through experiments. This SNG RF terminal employs a 16-planar microstrip subarray antenna and an electronic antenna beam tracking circuit. The dimensions for the flat antenna are 60 cm by 60 cm. The terminal can promptly capture the satellite and transmit the video at 15-Mbps, 11-Mbps, and 7-Mbps coding rates. After satellite transmission experiments, we confirmed the stable transmission of a QPSK signal. This paper first describes the system configuration. It then shows the experimental results of the hardware performance such as antenna beam tracking performance and the radiation patterns. Finally, it shows the results of satellite transmission experiments of TV pictures. From these experimental results it is verified that (1) within the tilt angle of /spl plusmn/3 degrees, the off axis e.i.r.p. density level of the terminal is less than the technical standard specified in the ITU-R Recommendation 524; and (2) the SNG stably transmits TV programs and has a sufficient C/N margin of about 3 dB, 5 dB or 7 dB for the respective video coding rates of 15 Mbps, 11 Mbps, and 7 Mbps.

Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries are used in telecommunications networks for standby power systems. An advantage of VRLA batteries is that they are maintenance-free. On the other hand, these batteries are completely sealed, which makes it extremely difficult to determine deterioration levels. A useful battery test system for estimating the battery deterioration was developed in NTT and NTT Power and Building Facilities Inc. It can measure the battery's capacity in less than 1 ms without affecting telecommunications equipment or power equipment, and it is accurate to within 10%, and is compact, light, and easy to handle. However, as this method measures minute levels of resistance, precise measurements are difficult under high noise environment such as UPS systems. This paper describes the types of noises applied to VRLA batteries in telecommunications power supply systems. It also introduces a method whereby measurements are conducted while high noise exists.

The intrinsic AC electrical breakdown of low-density polyethylene film was studied above room temperature under the partial-discharge-free condition using McKeown-type specimens. The dependence of AC electric strength on the temperature, the rise rate, and the frequency of applied electric field suggests that, under AC voltage application, the thermal process might be dominant rather than the electronic process. The results are also discussed in terms of the dependence of the high-field dielectric dissipation factor on the applied electric field and the voltage application time. >

Recent high-performance microprocessors have two or more functional units (FUs) to exploit instruction-level parallelism. To make full use of this capability, multiport register files are generally used. However, conventional multiport register files need a considerable amount of hardware. This paper proposes a multiport register file scheme, which uses time-division multiplexing with wave pipelining in order to save the needed hardware resources. For adjusting propagation delay timings, we develop a tool which automatically inserts dummy buffers into combinatorial logic.

The business activities of NTT Power and Building Facilities Inc. (NTT-F) consists of engineering and management for NTT's telecommunications system. A maintenance work related to batteries occupies about 1/4 of the entire telecommunications power system maintenance work. Moreover, a large number of valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries have been installed and maintenance work of these batteries will increase in the future. To reduce this maintenance work, NTT-F has developed technology to evaluate the condition of a battery by discharging under a real load condition and to measure deterioration simply by measuring internal resistance of a single cell. NTT-F is scheduled to improve the efficiency of battery maintenance work by systematically using this technology.

This paper describes the fundamental characteristics of EPDM (ethylene propylene rubber) which is applied as a high voltage insulation material. Also recently, polymer compounds have been applied as high voltage insulation materials. EPDM rubber is inferior in weather resistance to silicone rubber. However, we found that the addition of carbon black results in an excellent weathering property of EPDM rubber without any degradation of tracking resistance. We also improved the electrical tracking resistance of EPDM rubber by adding alumina trihydrates (ATH) as fillers. The compound shows excellent physical properties and low cost in comparison with silicone rubber. We carried out a tracking test which followed IEC pub. 587 as a short term evaluation, and the rotating wheel dip test as a long term evaluation test. Furthermore, the xenon-arc radiation exposure test was carried out as an accelerated weathering test. From the results of the tracking test, we found that the tracking resistance is dependent upon the particle diameter of alumina trihydrates and the compound with a small particle filler has less weight loss than that with larger ones. As one of high voltage insulation applications, we applied EPDM to a polymer housing arrestor and evaluated the electrical characteristics of the polymer housing.

A nondestructive beam profile monitor using a neutral gas sheet is developed for ion synchrotron beams. To produce the intense gas sheet, a nozzle beam method is employed. The typical sizes of the sheet are 100 mm width and 1 mm thickness. Up to now the pressure of the gas sheet has been achieved 5/spl times/10/sup -7/ Torr. As the sheet is inclined 45 degrees in the transverse direction to the beam, a cross-sectional profile of the beam would be measured. As a performance test, a profile of an extracted proton beam from NIRS-Cyclotron was successfully measured.

We consider only P-invariants that are nonnegative integer vectors. A P-invariant of a Petri net N=(P, T, E, /spl alpha/, /spl beta/) is a |P|-dimensional vector Y with Y/sup /spl dagger//spl middot//A=0 for the place-transition incidence matrix A of N. The support of an invariant is the set of elements having nonzero values in the vector. Since any invariant is expressed as a linear combination of minimal-support invariants (MS-invariants) with nonnegative rational coefficients, it is common to try to obtain either several invariants or the set of all MS-invariants. The Fourier-Motzkin method (FM) is wellknown for computing a set of invariants including all MS-invariants, but it has critical deficiencies. We propose the following two methods: (1) FM1_m2 that finds a smallest possible set of invariants including all MS-invariants; and (2) STFM_T/sub _/ that necessarily produces one or more invariants if they exist. Experimental results are given to show their superiority over existing ones.