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Many kinds of new extractants have been studied for the separation of minor actinides, Am and Cm in particular, from high-level liquid waste (HLLW) which is generated from spent fuel reprocessing for the recovery of U and Pu. The authors have developed a new type of extractant for the extraction of Am and Cm, N,N,N',N'-tetraoctyldiglycolamide (TODGA) which is one of the diamides and shows the tridentate feature. To apply such a new extractant to the separation process for Am and Cm from HLLW, many criteria should be investigated and satisfied; e.g., high separation factor between An(III) and fission products, chemical and radiolytic stability, high extraction capacity, fast kinetics, compatibility with hydrocarbon diluents, controllability for the behaviour of U, Pu and Np which exist as residue of the former step, and so on. TODGA is fully soluble in n-dodecane, but has a relatively low extraction capacity. Therefore, TODGA was modified and a new DGA extractant, N,N,N',N'-tetradodecyldiglycolamide, was developed, which can extract Ln with one-third of the extractant concentration. Since both TODGA and TDdDGA extract Zr and Pd, effective masking agents for them were examined and selected. To extract Np quantitatively, the method to reduce Np(V) to Np(IV) was studied. With those achievements, a counter-current extraction test with 0.1M TDdDGA in n-dodecane and simulated solution of HLLW was carried out using a small-scale mixer-settler. As results of the counter-current extraction test, very clear phase separation was observed without any crud formation during the operation and quantitative recovery of Nd which is a substitute for Am was obtained.

An accurate determination of baseline length is of basic importance in the interpretation of crustal motions in earth’s interior for the study of earthquake prediction. A complete understanding of the crustal motion of a particular region requires a dense set of geodetic measurements in space and time. During the past decade, Global positioning System (GPS) at the United State National Geodetic Service has been developed chiefly for instantaneous positioning and dynamic navigation. This system has developed further with the capability of measuring baseline length on the order of 1 to 2 ppm accuracy for distances of several ten to several hundred kilometers in length, by using phase interferometric method with the GPS carrier wave length (e.g,, Hothem and Fronczek, 1983).

PURPOSE. To identify the genes that can differentiate primary from recurrent pterygia. METHODS. The transcriptional differences of primary and recurrent pterygia were first determined by microarray analyses. Computational analyses were used to extract the biological significance of the genes accurately, and a significant functional classification of the genes was made by unsupervised methodologies. After confirming the functional classification for primary and recurrent pterygia by a clustering algorithm, a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was applied. Based on a machine learning technique, the minimum number of genes that can accurately classify primary and recurrent pterygia was determined. RESULTS. Clustering analyses classified primary and recurrent pterygia transcriptomes and identified 10 clusters associated with distinct biological processes. When the SVM algorithm was applied to the microarray-analyzed products from three primary and three recurrent cases, periostin, TIMP-2, and L-3phosphoserine phosphatase homolog (PSPHL) were identified as the minimum set of predictors with 100% accuracy. A differential expression of these genes in primary and recurrent pterygia was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. When the 24 patients with primary disease and the 8 patients with recurrent disease were analyzed with this gene set, an accuracy of classification of 84.38% was achieved. CONCLUSIONS. Periostin, TIMP-2, and PSPHL can be used as predictor genes for the recurrence of pterygia. Their biological activities may explain the events leading to recurrences of pterygia and thus may be genes to target for pharmaceutical interventions. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2007;48: 3566‐3575) DOI:10.1167/iovs.06-1149

Check valves for checking reverse water flows in drainage systems sometimes make large impacts through their sudden closure caused by accidental cutoff of drain pumps. In order to characterize such phenomena and to find design criteria for impactless check valves, we observed the motion of a check valve and measured its impact acceleration and pressures in the drainage pipe, using a subscale drainage system. Two peaks of impact acceleration were observed; The first one seemed due to collision of the check valve and the valve seat, whereas the second one did due to water column separation and recombination caused by the low pressure during the closure state of the valve. The former can be reduced by adding mass to the check valve and by setting an appropriate valve-seat angle. The latter possibly can be reduced by relaxing the low pressure during the closure. Subsequently, the check valve opened through the water-column recombination impacts and sometimes showed opening-closing oscillation.

Refraction effect of x-ray fluorescence, which can be measured with scattered x-ray fluorescence and take off angle distribution curve, was utilized to study surfaces and interfaces. Informations on island state of films, surface roughness, chemical state of thin films and so forth on optical flat substrate could be obtained.

Iron nanocrystalline films were prepared by a gas deposition method. The nanocrystal has a diameter of about 300 Å and its surface was covered with a 40-Å-thick oxide layer. The electric resistance versus temperature curve showed a minimum in the low-temperature region. The resistance minimum was analyzed from the viewpoint of electron hopping through the oxide layer on the nanocrystal surface.

A sensitive method for the determination of ruthenium involving the formation of volatile species in solution and subsequent nebulization for inductively coupled plasma/atomic emission spectrometry is proposed. The sensitivity of the determination of ruthenium was increased by a factor of 70 with the addition of 1×10 −2 M periodic acid as an oxidizing agent. The detection limit was 5 ng ml −1 of ruthenium and the calibration was linear over the range 0.01–0.5 μg ml −1 of ruthenium. Serious interferences were not found except from reducing agents.

Properties of COA-dependent aldehyde dehydrogenase and NAD-linked alcohol dehydrogenase of Leuconostoc mesenteroides IFO 3426 were studied, and it was found that the two dehydrogenases cannot be separated from each other, as well as from those of Escherichia coli B, by various methods of enzyme fractionation. It was also observed that the dehydrogenases of Leuconostoc mesenteroides appeared in a precipitate fraction prepared by centrifugation at 105, 000×g, and estimated to be associated with intracellular particles containing RNA.

The authors observed the air temperature in and around the urban area in Sendai in the cold season (Oct.-Dec., 1968). The results of observations can be summarized as follows ;1) The differences between the daily minimum air temperature in urban area and that in suburbs range 2.5 to 4.5°C. 2) Influenced by the prevailing wind, the relatively warmer area appeared in the leeward of the urban center (Fig. 2). 3) The distributions of warmer area and colder area in the forenoon (Fig. 4) and in the night (Fig. 3) are reversed. 4) In the air temperature distribution along the route (A-B-C-D in Fig. 1), a relatively warm-island appears in the urban area in the afternoon (Fig. 6-1) and it develops noticeably during the night (Fig. 6-2, 3). However, the area becomes an area of relatively low temperature after sunrise (Fig. 6-5, 6). 5) The phase of the diurnal variation of the air temperature is retarded in the urban center than in the suburbs (Fig, 7). 6) The facts above mentioned will be understood from the view point of thermal capacity of urban area.

飼料に発生するかびの研究の一環として,昭和37年9月から昭和38年3月までの間に,北海道内で甚大な被害をもたらした馬の飼料中毒の原因となったと考えられる飼料64点を検討して,次の結果を得た.1. 飼料中毒をひき起こした飼料のすべてからFusarium〓を検出し,この菌による汚染のはなはだしい飼料を食べた馬ほど中毒症状が重いことを明らかにした.2. 中毒症状として下痢を起こした飼料ではFusariumの発生が著しかったが,下痢と共に脳炎症状を呈した患馬に与えた飼料では,FusariumよりもCladosporiumの発生が著しかった.3. 中毒飼料において発生率の高かったかびを分類学的に検討し,次の3種に同定した.a. Fusarium graminearum SCHWABEb. Alternaria tenuis NEESc. Cladosporium herbarum (PERS.) LINK

ビートトップサイレージの熟成に関与する微生物の生態を明らかにすると共に,有益な菌類の発見と利用,有害な菌類の防除などの方針を確立しようとの目的で,まず北海道内で調製されたビートトップサイレージ72試料を採集し,微生物相の検討を行ない次の結果を得た.1. ビートトップサイレージから分離した微生物989株を分類学的に検討し,細菌,放線菌,酵母およびかびの4群に大別し,更にそれぞれの所属する属を明らかにした.2. ビートトップサイレージ中には,Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, StreptococcusおよびPediococcusに属する乳酸菌が存在することを明らかにし,品質良好なサイレージでは,Lactobacillusが多数繁殖しているものと推測した.3. Bacillus属菌は,サイレージの熟成が進むにつれて胞子を形成し,熟成終了後でも多数残存するが,無胞子好気性細菌は,熟成過程に消失するものと考える.4. 酪酸菌(Clostridium)は,ほとんどすべてのサイレージ中に存在する.従つて乳酸菌によるpHの低下が充分でない場合には,いかなるサイレージでも酪酸醗酵に傾く可能性を内包している.5. かびはほとんどすべてのサイレージ中に存在し,中でもPenicilliumおよびAspergillusの出現頻度が高かつた.

During the study on the sugar metabolism of molds, several strains of Pullularia pullulans were found to produce large amounts of gluconic acid from glucose. Thirty seven strains of P. pullulans were then tested for their acid-producing abilities. Seven strains did not produce any amount of gluconic acid. However, all of the other strains were shown to be capable of producing this acid. The superior strains produced yiclds of gluconic acid as high as about 90%, based on glucose available, in shaking cultures at 30°C after 2 days. The yields were increased up to approximately 100% during later stages. In addition to high yields, gluconic acid was produced exclusively by these strains. Glutamic acid and inorganic ammonium salts, such as (NH4)2SO4, NH4Cl and (NH4)2HPO4, were favorable nitrogen sources for acid production. In the case of (NH4)2SO4, the optimum concentration was 0.05%. The addition of CaCO3 was essential for gluconic acid production by P. pullulans and a 3% concentration of CaC03 appeared to b...

Aeration during the early period of glucose dissimilation by resting cells of Lactobacillus buchneri IFO 3961 was found to induce succeeding anaerobic dissimilation of glucose, and it was confirmed that acetate, one of products in aerobic glucose dissimilation, is a compound which has the ability to induce anaerobic glucose dissimilation of this organism.

Objective There is no optimal substitute for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction in congenital heart defects. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) valved conduits and patches may be a good alternative to homografts and bovine jugular veins. We have developed a fan-shaped ePTFE valve and an ePTFE valved conduit and patch with bulging sinuses with the aim of enhancing the long-term valve function. Method Bulging sinuses were constructed on ePTFE conduits and patches as described previously (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2007;134:327-32). Between February 2001 and January 2011, 794 patients (aged 14 days to 56.8 years old; median, 2.0 years old) had ePTFE valves implanted for RVOT reconstruction at 52 Japanese institutes. Conduits with a fan-shaped ePTFE valve were implanted in 325 patients and a patch with a fan-shaped ePTFE valve was implanted in 469 patients. Valve function was assessed by a series of echocardiograms postoperatively. Results The mean follow-up was 3.6 years (1.1 months to 10.0 years). Freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 95.4% in patients with conduits and 92.3% in those with patches. Pulmonary insufficiency was mild or nonexistent in 95.0% of patients with conduits and 79.6% of patients with patches. The pressure gradient between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery was 14.0 ± 13.2 mm Hg in patients with conduits and 11.6 ± 11.6 mm Hg in patients with patches. Conclusions Fan-shaped ePTFE valved conduits and patches with bulging sinuses have a high freedom from reoperation and prevent pulmonary insufficiency. They represent a promising material for RVOT reconstruction.

Selectivities were examined between alpha 1 and alpha 2-adrenolytic activities of two apogalanthamine analogs (dibenzazocine derivatives), 6-methyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrodibenz[c,e]-azocine (DA-VIII-Me) and its N-allyl analog (DA-VIII-allyl), and two dibenzazepine derivatives, azapetine (DA-VII-allyl) and its N-methyl analog (DA-VII-Me). The alpha-adrenolytic activities were evaluated as inhibitory effects against the response to norepinephrine of isolated vas deferens and anococcygeus muscle of rats. The pA2 values for DA-VIII-Me, DA-VIII-allyl, DA-VII-Me and azapetine on the isolated rat vas deferens were 7.32, 7.76. 6.61 and 7.78 respectively, which were similar to those on the anococcygeus muscle. The alpha 2-adrenolytic activities of these compounds against the twitch-inhibitory response to clonidine in transmurally stimulated rat vas deferens and guinea-pig ileum were less potent than those against the above alpha 1-adrenoceptors. In addition, their inhibitory activities on the aggregation of human platelets induced by norepinephrine were weaker than those of phentolamine and yohimbine. These results indicate that the apogalanthamine and azapetine analogs tested are more selective in blocking alpha 1-adrenoceptors than alpha 2-adrenoceptors.

The paper proposes an optimized modulation scheme for the Dual Active Bridge (DAB) DC-DC converter topology, ensuring complete Zero Voltage Switching (ZVS) over the whole operating range. At first,...

The authors studied the bacteriostatic activities of furan derivatives; furan, furfuryl alcohol, furan carboxylic acid, furfural acetone, furfural oxime, furfuracrolein, furfuryl acetate, furfuracrylic acid and furfural, for the molds, yeasts and bacteria in the solution media. As the results of the oxperiments they found that furfural acetone and furfuracrolein had compa-ratively high bacteriostatic activities ; and they were more effective on molds and yeasts than on bacteria. At the concentration 47.5/10, 000 of each derivative no microorganisms used could develop. Furfural and furfuracrylic acid also showed some activity but were comparatively weak. It is of some interest to note the relation between the chemical structures and bacteriostatic activities of the furan derivatives, especially at the conditions of vapor and solution.