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We developed the ammonia radical injection system for converting Nitric oxide (NO) into harmless products, where the radicals are generated in a separate chamber from NO flow chamber. NO gas is not in the plasma. In order to confirm the energy efficiency of DeNO x using an intermittent dielectric barrier discharge source, the NO concentration is increased to 3000 ppm by varying the oxygen concentration from 2% to 5.6%. Using lower temperature operation with the dielectric barrier discharge it is possible to obtain a higher DeNO x rate. At an applied voltage slightly higher than the threshold voltage for plasma initiation, the removal amount of NO reaches maximum presenting maximum energy efficiency. In particular, for a designated oxygen concentration, in our case, 5.6% and a duty cycle of 5–10%, a high-energy efficiency of 98 g/kW h is obtained.

Type 1 diabetes is a multifactorial disease in which the genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play a key role. Recently, non-human leukocyte antigen (non-HLA) genes in the class III region of this complex have been presumed to be associated with type 1 diabetes by linkage analyses. We investigated the possibility of the inhibitor of kappaB-like (IKBL, also known as 'NFKBIL1') gene as one of these candidates. We carried out a case-control study of 124 patients with type 1 diabetes and 330 healthy control subjects. The haplotypes of the IKBL promoter, i.e., PA (-263A, -63T), PB (-263A, -63A), PC (-263G, -63T), were assigned by the single-nucleotide polymorphisms at positions -263 and -63 from the transcription start site. The frequency of the wild-type haplotype, PA, was elevated, while that of the variant-type haplotype, PC, was lower in patients than controls. In two-locus analyses with HLA-DRB1 alleles, the PA haplotype showed linkage disequilibrium with the DRB1*0405 allele and the PC haplotype with the DRB1*1502 allele. A notable observation was that the PC haplotype was significantly associated with protection in the DRB1*1502-negative population. Our study indicates the first evidence of a possible independent association between type 1 diabetes and polymorphisms in the promoter of the IKBL gene.

A planar imaging system for positron-emitting radiotracers was developed and its physical performance was evaluated. The new device consists of two opposing planar detectors, each having 4 (columns) × 6 (rows) detector units, and each unit composed of 10×10 arrays of 2×2×20 mm 3 pillars of Bi4Ge3O12 (BGO) scintillators and a metal-packaged position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. The system is very compact and has a simple structure that allows versatile positioning of detectors in the horizontal or vertical mode. Focal plane images are constructed from coincidence data collected by opposing planar detectors. The system provides good quality images even in a short period of time or with low tracer activity. Spatial resolutions of 1.6– 2.1 mm FWHM were achieved for the entire field of view. The sensitivity was 107 cps / kBq / ml measured in a uniform flat phantom. In this study, the capability of the new system was demonstrated by the imaging of radiotracer distribution in rats and plants.

Infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) have been applied to in-situ observations of fcc-Fe epitaxial growth on Cu(100) at room temperature under very low carbon monoxide (CO) pressures. Extended layer-by-layer growth of fcc-Fe is observed at a CO pressure of 2.7 x 10 - 8 Pa. Nevertheless, no adsorbed CO was detected on the growing film surface. The layer-by-layer growth is hampered severely at a CO pressure higher than 1.3 x 10 - 7 Pa. A small band that is attributable to CO adsorption appears in the IRRAS spectra taken in the early stages of deposition at 1.3 x 10 - 6 Pa. These observations indicate that the dissociation of adsorbed CO on the growing film surface plays an important role in the promotion of the layer-by-layer film growth of fcc-Fe.

We have investigated the performance of dual spin valve heads in the current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) geometry on dynamic electrical tests (DET) and quasi-static tests (QST). Shielded CPP reader and stitched pole writer composite heads were fabricated. A various physical read track width and area of the dual spin valve element were deliberately obtained in the range of 41-175 nm and 0.0034-0.022 /spl mu/m/sup 2/, respectively. Materials used for the CPP dual spin valve are Co/sub 90/Fe/sub 10/, Ni/sub 80/Fe/sub 20/, Cu, Ru, Ta, and Pt/sub 50/Mn/sub 50/, which are common in industrial current-in-plane (CIP) spin valves. The shape and smoothness of QST transfer curve, readback waveform, micro-track, and full-track profiles of the narrow read track CPP heads are essentially just the same as those of CIP spin valve. A track-average-amplitude of 0.6 mV was obtained at the bias current density of element around 100 MA/cm/sup 2/ in the CPP head with the physical read track width of 47 nm. Overall reader resistance of the CPP heads at head gimbals assembly (HGA) level was in the range of 10-35 /spl Omega/ and proved to be well appropriate.

In order to improve the mechanical properties and the dimensional accuracy of the steel model produced by the selective laser melting process, the distribution of residual stress within the model is measured, and some methods for reducing the residual stress are proposed. The experimental results show that a large tensile stress remains in the surface layer of the model. Heat treatment at 600 and 700 °C for one hour reduces the residual stress effectively by about 70%. Re-scanning of laser and heating of the powder bed decrease the tensile stress by 55% and 40%, respectively.

A boron monophosphide (BP) film was vapor-grown on (1 0 0)-Si which had been etched to form quadrilateral shaped pits bounded by four {1 1 1}-Si planes. Accompanying with epitaxial relationship of (1 0 0), [1 1 0]Si∥(1 0 0), [1 1 0]BP, an eaves layer of BP overhanging the pit was obtained. A homo-epitaxial BP films also grew inside the pit on the underside of the BP eaves layer. In contrast to the hetero-epitaxial BP layer on the (1 0 0)-Si surface, the homo-epitaxially grown BP film generated no extra electron diffraction due to twins or stacking faults. The homo-epitaxial growth technique utilizing the BP eaves layer is useful to obtain BP films with fewer crystalline imperfections.

Background:In vitro culture systems have been used to study the physiological and pathological characteristics of human mast cells. However, there are some differences in proliferation and maturation of mast cells between fetal bovine serum (FBS)-containing and serum-deprived cultures. Accordingly, we attempted to identify circulating factor(s) affecting the development of human mast cells. Methods: We measured the serum levels of retinol and several cytokines. To elucidate the antiproliferative effects of the serum, a retinoic acid receptor (RARα) antagonist and neutralizing antibodies against cytokines were used. Results: Similar to FBS, human serum dose-dependently suppressed the growth of tryptase+ cells from CD34+ cord blood cells or 20-week cultured mast cells under stimulation with stem cell factor (SCF). The serum-mediated inhibition might be based on a decline in proliferation rate. Among inhibitors for mast cell growth, retinol and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 were present at high levels in human serum. In contrast with anti-TGF-β1 antibody, an RARα antagonist counteracted the serum-induced suppression of human mast cell proliferation. Conclusions: Our results suggest that retinol and its derivatives act as a circulating regulator for human mast cell growth. The RARα antagonist may be a useful tool to obtain higher numbers of mast cells in FBS-containing cultures.

Objective: To describe the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings of a kindred with oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis and a newly associated transthyretin mutation. Background: Transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis can present in the form of oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis. Clinical features include dementia, seizures, stroke-like episodes, subarachnoid hemorrhage, ataxia, myelopathy, deafness, radiculopathy, and ocular amyloidosis. Eight TTR mutations associated with oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis have been described. Methods: Fourteen individuals from a kindred with oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis were examined clinically and radiologically. Analysis of the TTR gene was performed. Neuropathologic examination was obtained on the index patient. Results: Affected individuals had vitreous amyloid, radiculopathy, seizures, stroke-like episodes, encephalopathy, and dementia. Severely affected individuals died by the end of the fifth decade. Leptomeningeal enhancement on contrast MRI and elevated CSF protein were the defining features on investigations. Sequencing of exon 3 in the TTR gene found a base pair substitution at codon 69. This resulted in heterozygosity for normal tyrosine and variant histidine (ATTR Tyr69His) in affected family members. Domino liver transplantation was attempted as treatment for one family member. Conclusions: The ATTR Tyr69His mutation is associated with oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis. Expression of the genotype is variable. This has implications for treatment of affected individuals and counseling of family members. Efficacy of liver transplantation in patients with oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis remains unknown. The authors advocate the investigation of liver transplantation in patients with severe symptoms due to oculoleptomeningeal amyloidosis.

Differential cross sections for jet photoproduction in the reaction ep→e jet X have been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using 82.2 pb−1 of integrated luminosity. Inclusive jet cross sections are presented as a function of the jet transverse energy, ETjet, for jets with ETjet>17 GeV and pseudorapidity −1

Carbon monoxide (CO) adsorption at 90 K on Cu(100), (110), and (111) covered with submonolayer Fe at room temperature has been investigated using infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). Saturated adsorption of CO on the 0.3-monolayer (ML)-thick Fe/Cu(111) bimetallic surface yields two C−O stretch bands at 2075 and 2015 cm-1 due to adsorption on the uncovered Cu and on deposited Fe, respectively. The former band agrees in frequency with the C−O stretch band on the clean Cu(111) surface, indicating that the deposited Fe does not affect the Cu surface. In contrast, on the 0.3-ML Fe/Cu(100) surface, an additional C−O stretch band emerges at 2104 cm-1 on the high-frequency side of the band (2090 cm-1) due to CO adsorbed on the uncovered Cu surface. This band arises from CO bound to Cu atoms formed by intermixing of the deposited Fe and substrate Cu atoms. Even more intense Fe−Cu intermixing occurs on the 0.3-ML Fe/Cu(110) surface; for saturated adsorption, the corresponding band is observed at 210...

Areal density growth in longitudinal magnetic recording requires physical scaling of component features and properties that cannot continue indefinitely. The authors discuss in this paper the limitations and extendibility of longitudinal recording media focusing on its microstructural features and historical rate of change. Based on these trends, they estimate that an areal density of 200 Gb/in/sup 2/ is achievable. In order to make such media thermally stable, synthetic antiferromagnetic structures will likely be used. The crystallographic grain size will be between 5 and 6 nm and the coercivity of the media will likely not exceed 5000 Oe. Additionally, a significant decrease from current values in the width of the grain size distribution will need to occur to satisfy SNR requirements in the drive.

Thermodynamic simulation of the morphology of monomer-adsorbed, cross-linked polymer particles prepared by the dynamic swelling method which the authors proposed was conducted to clarify its thermodynamic stability from the viewpoint of the total interfacial free energy. By comparing it with experimental results reported in previous articles, it was found that the morphology was controlled thermodynamically. Snowman-shaped composite polymer particles having different morphologies were prepared by seeded polymerization of the monomer-adsorbed, cross-linked polymer particles, in which the polymer particles had different cross-linking densities.

We have calculated the Young's interference of two electron beams that are asymmetrical about the emission current and/or emission area and compared them with the experimental results of field emission patterns from multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Most of the fringes observed from the clean surface were similar to those produced with the symmetric slit system, which corresponds to the fact that asymmetry in intensity does not change the fringe shape. In addition, no interference fringes of the two asymmetrical beams about the area were detected. Molecular chemisorption enhanced the emission current at an emission site, but the electron waves were incoherent to the others. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope, CALET, mission is proposed for the Japanese Experiment Module Exposure Facility of the International Space Station. Major goals of the mission are precise measurements of the electrons in a few GeV - 10 TeV and the gamma-rays in 100 MeV - several TeV, keeping an energy resolution of a few % over 100 GeV. From the measurements, a systematic investigation of high-energy electromagnetic process in universe will be performed. A detection of SUSY particle which is a candidate of the dark matter would also be expected. The detector is composed of an imaging calorimeter of scintillating fibers and a total absorption calorimeter. Total thickness of the absorber is 45 r.1 for electro-magnetic particles and 2.1 m.f.p for protons. Total weight of the payload is nearly 2,200 kg, and the effective geometrical factor should be ∼ 1.0 m 2 sr. The hadron rejection power can be 10 6 for electrons.

A new intermetallic compound, Mn3Ge, has been synthesized by direct reaction of elemental components at 6.2 GPa and 1000°C for 30 min using a belt-type high-pressure apparatus. The compound crystallizes into a cubic structure with the space group Pm3m, namely the L12-type (Cu3Au-type) structure. The structure was refined by Rietveld analysis of the powder x-ray diffraction data and the lattice constant was determined as a = 0.380 19(3) nm. The compound shows metallic conductivity and ferromagnetism with a Curie temperature of 400 K.

Adsorption behavior of carbon monoxide (CO) on 4 monolayer (ML) thick fcc-Fe films grown on Cu(1 0 0) has been investigated with IR reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The as-grown film gives a 5×1 LEED pattern which remains unchanged during CO exposure at 90 K. Simultaneous IRRAS measurements show that the band due to CO adsorbed on the on-top site dominates the spectra at saturation coverage. In contrast CO exposure at room temperature leads to change in the LEED pattern from 5×1 to diffuse c(2×2) accompanied by preferential adsorption of CO on the bridge site of the film surface. These results suggest that room temperature CO exposure gives rise to a change in the reconstructed surface of the as-grown film and c(2×2) overlayer of CO adsorbed on the bridge site, while CO adsorption takes place on the on-top site of the 5×1 reconstructed surface with no long-range ordered overlayer at 90 K.

We report the usefulness of coarse septa in positron emission tomography (PET) by Monte Carlo simulation. Coarse septa result in higher sensitivity than found with the two-dimensional mode with conventional full septa and lower scatter fraction than the three-dimensional mode without septa. We propose a new scatter correction method using coarse septa, where scatter components are estimated from coincidence data for those line-of-responses that are intercepted by the coarse septa. This scatter correction potentially has the ability to cope with scatter from radioactivity outside the field of view. In addition, we show the feasibility of a lead tungstate PET scanner with coarse septa.

Eminoplasty using T-shaped titanium miniplate was performed on 15 joints in nine patients suffering from recurrent dislocation of the temporomandibular joint with several general complications. After the conventional pre-auricular approach to the zygomatic arch and eminence, the bent over miniplate was inserted anteriorly against the articular eminence and fixed to the zygomatic arch with miniscrews to limit the over-movement of the condyle. In one case, the miniplate fractured, but no recurrence of dislocation was observed. In another case, it was possible to evaluate the mandibular movement by Sirognathograph analysis, which proved satisfactory function of the joints.

In field emission patterns of multi-walled carbon nanotubes, we have observed interference fringes of electrons emitted through different sites. Main features of the emission patterns are reproduced from Young's interference formula of optics. We point out reasons to observe clear Young's interference fringes in the electron emission patterns.

Nonirradiated and irradiated ATLAS silicon microstrip barrel and endcap modules have been beamtested with 4-GeV/c pions. Pulse shapes confirmed the peaking time of the amplifier to be 22 ns with slight deterioration in the irradiated modules. Median charges saturated around 3.8 fC, both in the nonirradiated and the irradiated modules. Signal/noise ratios, using the noise estimates from the in-situ calibration, were >16 in the nonirradiated (>150 V) and >10 in the irradiated (>300 V) barrel modules. No excess common-mode noise was observed.

The final goal of nanostructure integration based on self-assembly is full-wafer design of whole atomic-level structures. Toward this goal, we must first be able to control atomic steps, reconstructed domains, surface strain, and atomic species. Atomic steps can be rearranged artificially in a large area using lithographic technique and we are now close to achieving complete control of step positions. Patterns of reconstructed domain regions can be ordered by self-organization. In nanostructure self-assembly, such as the coherently grown Ge quantum nanostructures on Si(0 0 1) and Si(1 1 3) surfaces, strain engineering is important for controlling position, shape, and distribution. Ordered Ge-island chains on Si(0 0 1) show that artificial strain distribution design is a powerful tool for nanostructure integration. Surface composition on SiGe mixed surfaces can be reversibly changed by hydrogen adsorption and desorption. These approaches to designing surface structures show that the bottom-up approach is a promising alternative in semiconductor integration technology.

Optimized two types of granular, double-layer perpendicular recording media based on CoCrPtB and CoCrPtO alloy systems focusing mainly on signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and thermal stability characteristics of the media. For the soft underlayer (SUL) portion of this study we compared NiFe, FeTaC, and FeAlSi films with and without lamination. Lamination of the SUL films resulted in marginal SNR improvement but was not effective in inhibiting the presence of magnetization domains. The CoCrPtB based media was found to have significantly lower noise than CoCrPtO, but its thermally stability is greatly compromised. On the other hand, the CoCrPtO media displayed negative nucleation fields and stable magnetization states even at DC-erased conditions.

A high-resolution positron emission tomography (PET) scanner dedicated to brain studies has been developed and its physical performance was evaluated. The block detector consists of a new compact position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PS-PMT, Hamamatsu R7600-C12) and an 8/spl times/4 bismuth germanate (BGO) array. The size of each crystal is 2.8 mm/spl times/6.55 mm/spl times/30 mm. The system has a total of 11 520 crystals arranged in 24 detector rings 508 mm in diameter (480 per ring). The field of view (FOV) is 330 mm in diameter/spl times/163 mm, which is sufficient to measure the entire human brain. The diameter of the scanner's opening is equal to the transaxial FOV (330 mm). The system can be operated in three-dimensional (3-D) data acquisition mode, when the slice septa are retracted. The mechanical motions of the gantry and bed are specially designed to measure the patient in various postures; lying, sitting, and even standing postures. The spatial resolution of 2.9 mm in both the transaxial and axial directions is obtained at the center of the FOV. The total system sensitivity is 6.4 kc/s/kBq/ml in two-dimensional (2-D) mode, with a 20-cm-diameter cylindrical phantom. The imaging capabilities of the scanner were studied with the Hoffman brain phantom and with a normal volunteer.

Prototypes of ATLAS-SCT modules with ABCD readout chips were tested in a 4 GeV/c pion beam at KEK's proton synchrotron. Of both SCT module geometries—barrel and forward—three identical modules were placed in the beam. One module of each type had been irradiated to 3×1014 protons/cm2 in the CERN PS previous to the beam test. A method has been developed to reconstruct the time-resolved shaper pulse from the binary hit information, allowing a more detailed study of the timing properties of the ABCD. The present results will be compared to a simulation of the charge collection and Front End electronics response.

A new method for a four-stage depth of interaction (DOI) detector is proposed. The four-stage DOI detector is constructed with two kinds of Gd/sub 2/SiO/sub 5/:Ce (GSO) crystals doped with different amounts of Ce, 0.5 mol% and 1.5 mol%. The amount of Ce in GSO determines the scintillation decay time constant, and it is 60 ns for the 0.5 mol% GSO and 35 ns for 1.5 mol% GSO. This difference led to the introduction of pulse-shape discrimination, which would distinguish between two kinds of event data from respective GSOs and sort them into two groups. By independently applying Anger-type position arithmetic to the data of each group, two two-dimensional (2-D) histograms are obtained. The crystal of interaction can be identified on these histograms in which only 0.5 mol% or 1.5 mol% GSO crystal elements are expressed. To evaluate this method, we constructed the four-stage DOI detector by alternately stacking 1.5 mol% GSO crystal stages and 0.5 mol% stages. The result of a scanning measurement with a /sup 137/Cs gamma-ray beam proved that the DOI detector had enough accuracy in crystal identification.

The catalytic activity and stability of Au/TiO 2 have been examined under ambient conditions. The best performance was obtained for a catalyst calcined at 473 K and left at room temperature for a few days. The activity for CO oxidation was greatly influenced by moisture in the reactant gas and a maximum was observed at around 200 ppm. We have also succeeded in regenerating the catalysts exposed to various environments, such as rest room, using irradiation with light. The above results show that the Au/TiO 2 catalysts are very useful for indoor air quality control at room temperature without using thermal energy for regeneration.

現在,防除を要する水稲の主要病害は紋枯病を除いて,いもち病,ごま葉枯病,ばか苗病,もみ枯細菌病,苗立枯細菌病等種子伝染性病害が大部分を占める.これらの種子伝染性病害の根本的な防除を目的として無病種子の作成を試みた.通常種子として用いるもみでの種子伝染性病害病原菌の存在部位は主にもみ殻で,玄米はほぼ無病原菌であることから,玄米に保護膜として水溶性ポリアクリル樹脂と粉末活性炭で二重被膜した水稲の無病化種子“玄米種子”を開発した.本玄米種子を育苗箱で通常に育苗することにより育苗期の病害であるばか苗病,もみ枯細菌病,苗立枯細菌病,本田移植後ではいもち病が種子消毒剤による薬剤防除とほぼ同等に防除可能であることが明らかになった.本種子を用いることにより種子もみの長期間の種子浸漬や種子消毒の削除,種子消毒剤の廃液処理問題解消,本田期での種子伝染性病害防除作業の削減が可能となり,種子伝染性病害の根本的防除および,環境と人間に優しい農業確立に大きく貢献するものである.

Membrane conductance of cultured rabbit articular chondrocytes was characterized by means of the patch-clamp technique. The resting membrane potential of the articular chondrocytes was about -42 mV. The membrane potentialshifted in accordance with the prediction by the Nernst equation for Cl - when intracellular and extracellular concentrations of Cl - were changed. On the other hand, change in extracellular concentration of K + produced no shift in the membrane potential of chondrocytes. The Cl - channel blocker 4-acetamido-4'-isothiocyanatostilbene-2'2-disulfonic acid (SITS) depolarized the membrane potential. These findings suggest that the membrane potential of the chondrocytes is determined mainly by Cl - conductance. Using the cell-attached patch-clamp method, a large unitary conductance of 217 pS was observed in the articular chondrocytes. The unitary current was reversibly blocked by SITS. Therefore, the unitary current was carried by Cl - . The Cl - channel showed voltage-dependent activation and the channels exhibited long-lasting openings. Therefore, the membrane potential of rabbit cultured articular chondrocytes was mainly determined by the activities of the large-conductance and voltage-dependent Cl - channels.

In vivo effect of a bolus combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and CPT-11 was studied against experimental rat lung cancer, SLC cells. 5-FU and CPT-11, when administrated individually, showed dose-dependent inhibition against the tumor (ID50, 7.0 mg/kg/day and 16.0 mg/kg/day, respectively). 5-FU synergistically enhanced the sensitivity of the tumor cells to CPT-11 and permitted the administration of approximately a one-third lower dose of CPT-11 to obtain the same inhibition against the tumor cell growth. The ID50 of CPT-11 alone (16.0 mg/kg/day) was reduced to 4.8 mg/kg/day when combined with 5-FU at 2.5 mg/kg. There were no deaths caused by toxicity in the combination group, and for lower doses (less than 4 mg/kg/day) of CPT-11 combined with 2.5 mg/kg/day of 5-FU, all rats showed less than 10% body weight loss at the end of the experiments. When the tumor weights were evaluated by using isoeffect plot analysis, the data points resulting from the combination showed a synergistic interaction between these agents. There was no significant increase of toxicity as assessed by the body weight. The results might support for the use of the combination of 5-FU and CPT-11 in cancer chemotherapy.

In July 2000, a new automatic gauge control (AGC) system was successfully installed at the Kakogawa Works, Kobe Steel, Ltd., Hyogo, Japan. The new AGC system consists of two functions: multivariable AGC based on mass flow thickness; and roll eccentricity control. The multivariable AGC is designed using inverse linear quadratic theory, a type of optimal control theory, and controls both thickness and tension. Repetitive control theory is applied to roll eccentricity control as roll eccentricity is a periodic disturbance related to the rotational angle of the rolls. The new AGC system has contributed to improved thickness accuracy and stable rolling. In this paper, details of the new AGC system are described and the application results are shown.

We investigated the structures and expansion behavior of double-Shockley stacking faults (DSFs) formed in heavily nitrogen-doped 4H-SiC during annealing. Heavily doped epilayers prepared as specimens were successively annealed. Various types of DSFs showing different shapes and dislocation contrasts were found in photoluminescence and synchrotron X-ray topography images. Taking account of every possible stacking sequence forming DSFs, the structures of various types of DSFs were determined from observations by plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and cross-sectional high-angle annular dark-field scanning TEM. We found that a bounding dislocation enclosing a DSF splits into two partial dislocations (PDs), and their Burgers vectors are identical, while the distance of the two PDs depended on their core structures (30° Si-, 30° C- or 90° C-core). We also discussed the contrast rule for the dislocation consisting of two PDs in the synchrotron X-ray topography images and the mobile PDs for the DSF ...

Stacking faults expanded by the application of forward current to 4H-SiC p–i–n diodes were observed using a transmission electron microscope to investigate the expansion origin. It was experimentally confirmed that long-zonal-shaped stacking faults expanded from basal-plane dislocations converted into threading edge dislocations. In addition, stacking fault expansion clearly penetrated into the substrate to a greater depth than the dislocation conversion point. This downward expansion of stacking faults strongly depends on the degree of high-density minority carrier injection.

Objective: Japan is a rapidly aging society, and thus nursing approaches that enable the elderly to lead longer and more independent lives are needed. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of higher-level functional capacity among community-dwelling elderly.

著者人数: 12名, Accepted: 2017-05-24, 資料番号: SA1170040000

We report on a search for the process p anti-p --> gamma + W/Z with W/Z --> qq-bar in events containing two jets and a photon at the center-of-mass energy s**(1/2) = 1.96 TeV, using 184 pb-1 of data collected by the CDF II detector. A neural network event selection has been developed to optimize the rejection of the large QCD production background; it is shown that this method gives a significant improvement in both signal-to-noise ratio and signal sensitivity, as compared with an event selection based on conventional cuts. An upper limit is presented for the gamma + W/Z production cross section with the W and Z decaying hadronically.

The ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids exert antinociceptive effects in inflammatory and neuropathic pain; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Docosahexaenoic acid-induced antinociception may be mediated by the orphan GPR40, now identified as the free fatty acid receptor 1 (FFA1 receptor). Here, we examined the involvement of supraspinal FFA1 receptor signalling in the regulation of inhibitory pain control systems consisting of serotonergic and noradrenergic neurons.Formalin-induced pain behaviours were measured in mice. Antinociception induced by FFA1 receptor agonists was examined by intrathecal injections of a catecholaminergic toxin, 5-HT lowering drug or these antagonists. The expression of FFA1 receptor protein and c-Fos was estimated by immunohistochemistry, and the levels of noradrenaline and 5-HT in the spinal cord were measured by LC-MS/MS.FFA1 receptors colocalized with NeuN (a neuron marker) in the medulla oblongata and with tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH; a serotonergic neuron marker) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH; a noradrenergic neuron marker). A single i.c.v. injection of GW9508, a FFA1 receptor agonist, increased the number of c-Fos-positive cells and the number of neurons double-labelled for c-Fos and TPH and/or DBH. It decreased formalin-induced pain behaviour. This effect was inhibited by pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine, DL-p-chlorophenylalanine, yohimbine or WAY100635. Furthermore, GW9508 facilitated the release of noradrenaline and 5-HT in the spinal cord. In addition, GW1100, a FFA1 receptor antagonist, significantly increased formalin-induced pain-related behaviour.Activation of the FFA1 receptor signalling pathway may play an important role in the regulation of the descending pain control system.

Detection of drug-target proteins and biomarkers that are expressed in cancer tissue has significant potential for both diagnosis and treatment of cancer. However, current immuno-histochemical and cytogenetic analyses of biopsy specimens for pre-operational diagnosis are highly invasive and often difficult to apply to lung cancer patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possible utility of determining epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression on exosomal membranes using a targeted ELISA with an anti-CD81 antibody as a capture antibody for lung cancer diagnosis. While soluble EGFR (sEGFR) levels in plasma were not remarkably different between lung cancer patients and normal controls, significantly higher exosomal EGFR expression levels were observed in 5/9 cancer cases compared to normal controls. These results suggest that measurement of exosomal protein levels could be useful for in vitro diagnosis, and that exosomal EGFR is a possible biomarker for characterization of lung cancer.

The most recent upgrades of the electromagnetic (EM) physics “standard” and “low energy” sub-libraries of the general purpose Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit are described. These upgrades are relevant to different application domains including high energy physics, medical physics and space science. Validation results are presented and discussed.

NHK has been researching Super Hi-Vision (SHV) as a next-generation broadcasting system. SHV aims at an ultra-high definition television (UHDTV) system with a 7,680 × 4,320 resolution (8 K resolution), 120-Hz frame frequency, and wide-colour gamut, which we refer as `full-specification SHV', although its R&D was initiated with limited parameter values owing to the available technologies. In this paper, we discuss the equipment developed for a full-specification SHV system. Utilising CMOS image sensors for capturing 8 K images at 120 Hz and a prism designed for the wide gamut, we produced the world's first full-specification SHV camera system. A new signal interface for studio equipment was developed to transmit the full-specification SHV signal with a data-rate of approximately 144 Gbit/s using a single optical cable. In addition, we developed an 8 K/120 Hz liquid crystal display and 8 K/120 Hz wide-colour gamut laser projector. We used these pieces of equipment to produce full-specification SHV video content, and confirmed the improvements in the image quality of 8 K resolution, 120-Hz frame frequency, and wide-gamut colorimetry.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma is a rapidly growing, aggressive neoplasm affecting the elderly which does not respond to most of the therapies. We established cultured cell lines from four untreated tumors. The cultures grew in a monolayer of spindle-shaped cells in three cell lines and of small polygonal cells in one line, having relatively long doubling times and chromosomal abnormalities. The xenotransplantation of the lines in athymic nude mice produced tumors with a histology similar to the original tumors. The immunocytochemical staining showed the expression of PCNA, HLA-class 1, cytokeratin, vimentin and FAS (fatty acid synthase) but not CEA, desmin or P-glycoprotein. The lines secreted TPA, IL-6, IL-8 and few or no thyroid-related hormones in the culture supernatant. One cell line produced G-CSF. The chemosensitivity assay revealed intrinsic drug resistance to nine out of 11 antineoplastic agents. The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detected MRP (multidrug resistance-associated protein) mRNA but not mdr (multidrug resistance protein)-1 and mdr-3 mRNAs. This finding indicates that the multidrug resistance of these lines is mediated by a P-glycoprotein-unrelated mechanism. The RT-PCR also presented FAS mRNA in all the lines, and IL-6 and IL-8 mRNAs in some of the lines.