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Unlike human, rat and mouse calcyclin, purified rabbit calcyclin did not form a dimer on Tricine SDS-PAGE under non-reduced conditions. Based on the internal peptide sequence of rabbit calcyclin, we isolated and sequenced a cDNA clone encoding calcyclin. The sequence of this clone (pCaiC) is 629 bp long and codes 90 amino acid residues of a protein with a molecular mass of 10,153 Da. By Northern blot analysis, a major band of 0.9 kbp and a minor band of 2.6 kbp were detected in the lung. The recombinant calcyclin mutated serine at the third position to cysteine was expressed in E. coli and made dimer formation under non-reduced conditions on SDS-PAGE. Whether or not this type of mutation which prevents dimer formation of calcyclin plays a physiological role in the rabbit lung is the subject of an ongoing study.

Summary Neurocalcin (molecular weight 23,000 and 24,000) is a newly identified Ca 2+ binding protein with three EF-hand domains and has a strong amino acid sequence homology with visinin and recoverin (Terasawa, M., Nakano, A., Kobayashi, R., and Hidaka, H. J. Biol. Chem. In press). We produced antibody against neurocalcin. Immunoblotting showed the presence of neurocalcin in bovine retina as well as brain, suggesting that neurocalcin was a neuron specific Ca 2+ binding protein. Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression of neurocalcin in retinal amacrine cells and ganglion cells but not in the photoreceptor layer. This distribution of neurocalcin was quite different from that of visinin and recoverin. Our results suggest that neurocalcin may play an important role in a Ca 2+ signal pathway of the nervous system.

Summary We determined the cDNA sequence for neurocalcin, a novel calcium-binding protein in bovine brain. This clone (pCalN) has 582 nucleotides in the open reading frame including the termination codon TGA, 11 nucleotides of the 5′ leader and 1251 nucleotides of the 3′ noncoding region. The deduced amino acid sequence revealed that neurocalcin is composed of 193 amino acids, has a molecular mass of 22,284 daltons, and contains three putative calcium-binding sites (EF-hand motifs). By Northern blot analysis, 3.8kbp mRNA was detected in brain. The deduced amino acid sequence had a strong homology to visinin (46.5%) and recoverin (51.6%) in retina, suggesting that neurocalcin may play a visinin- or recoverin-like role in brain.

Holographic interferometry has been successfully applied quantitatively to visualize shock wave phenomena. This paper will demonstrate that this flow visualization technique is more effective in observing three-dimensional shock wave reflection over cones than other conventional flow visualization techniques.It is well documented that, in a two-dimensional shock wave reflection over a wedge, regular reflection or Mach reflection occurs according to the shock Mach number and the wedge angle. When a shock wave reflects at the surface of a cone which has an attack angle, these two reflections can both appear simultaneously because of the difference of incidence angle. Depending on the attack angle of the cone, either regular or Mach reflection occurs. However, very little is known of the three-dimensional shock transition from regular to Mach reflection or vise versa. From a physical point of view, it is important to determine the transitional angle between regular and Mach reflection by using a holographic method. In this paper, a shock wave reflected from a cone at an angle of attack was visualized quantitatively by using double exposure holographic interferometry and diffuse holographic interferometry.

The structure and behavior of a vortex ring and secondary shock waves which were generated behind the shock wave discharged from the open end of a square cross section shock tube were investigated experimentally and numerically. Double exposure diffuse holographic interferometry was used to observe this complicated three dimensional shock wave phenomenon. This diffuse holographic interferometric visualization is particularly useful to understand three dimensional flow. The TVD finite difference numerical simulation was carried out by solving the three dimensional unsteady Euler equations. A comparison was made between experimental results and computational results. These results clarified the generation and the transformation of the vortex ring and the behavior of three dimensional secondary shock waves.

Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is considered as the most promising candidate of the next generation of lithography for manufacturing ever smaller and faster chips. In our laboratory, a laser assisted tin target discharge produced plasma EUV source has been studied[1]. The system comprises an Nd:YAG laser, focusing on a tin (Sn) rod embedded in one of electrodes to create plasma; and a power supply system to generate a sinusoidal discharge current of 22 kA amplitude, 250 ns half cycle that flows through the plasma between the electrodes to pinch the plasma and produce EUV radiation.

Summary form only given. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the air cause photochemical oxidant formation and stratospheric ozone depletion. Non-thermal plasma technologies using electrical discharges or electron beam irradiation offer an energy- and cost- efficient approach to the decomposition of VOCs. In the present work, VOC removal using electron beam is studied. The electron beam was generated by a secondary electron emission gun (SEEG) using a wire ion plasma source (WIPS). The device has some inherent advantages over conventional ones, such as compactness in size and generation of a uniform and wide electron beam. The treatment process is based on a reaction with free radicals. These active species are produced by electron-impact dissociation and ionization of the background gas molecules. Positive ions (He+) generated in WIPS, which is a glow- discharge device using a thin wire electrode, are extracted through an ion extraction window and accelerated toward a stainless steel cathode plate biased at -100 kV in a vacuum chamber. The pressure in the vacuum chamber is 2times10-3 Torr. The WIPS uses the pulsed power system delivering an output discharge voltage of 10 kV with a pulse width in the order of a microsecond at the repetition frequency up to 10 Hz. The secondary electrons are generated in vacuum chamber by the collision of helium ions against the cathode plate and are accelerated toward an electron window made of a PET film, which separates the gas treatment chamber from the SEEG. An absorbed dose is about 3 kGy per one shot. The pressure in the treatment chamber is an atmosphere during the process and inlet gas flow rate is controlled by using a mass flow controller. Gas composition and concentration before and after the treatment are measured with a gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GCMS-QP2010, Shimadzu Co Ltd). The VOCs used in the experiment were toluene, benzene and trichloroethylene. The relationship between the absorbed dose and the decomposition rate in batch and flow system was obtained. The experimental results indicate good efficiency of VOCs removal and show that the VOCs treatment by the SEEG is a promising technology.

High levels of granulocyte/macrophage–colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) autoantibodies are thought to cause pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP), a rare syndrome characterized by myeloid dysfunction resulting in pulmonary surfactant accumulation and respiratory failure. Paradoxically, GM-CSF autoantibodies have been reported to occur rarely in healthy people and routinely in pharmaceutical intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) purified from serum pooled from healthy subjects. These findings suggest that either GM-CSF autoantibodies are normally present in healthy people at low levels that are difficult to detect or that serum pooled for IVIG purification may include asymptomatic persons with high levels of GM-CSF autoantibodies. Using several experimental approaches, GM-CSF autoantibodies were detected in all healthy subjects evaluated (n = 72) at low levels sufficient to rheostatically regulate multiple myeloid functions. Serum GM-CSF was more abundant than previously reported, but more than 99% was bound and neutralized by GM-CSF autoantibody. The critical threshold of GM-CSF autoantibodies associated with the development of PAP was determined. Results demonstrate that free serum GM-CSF is tightly maintained at low levels, identify a novel potential mechanism of innate immune regulation, help define the therapeutic window for potential clinical use of GM-CSF autoantibodies to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and have implications for the pathogenesis of PAP.

A laser triggerd discharge produced Sn plasma light source has been developed. Experimental parameters such as electrode separation and laser irradiation power are varied to optimize EUV emission power. It is clear that the maximum EUV radiation was occurred in the position where the pinch was observed.

We found a novel 81-kDa acidic protein (ACAMP-81) in the bovine brain membrane fraction, which bound to calmodulin in a Ca 2+ -dependent manner. The present study reveals physicochemical properties and phosphorylation of this protein with various protein kinases in vitro . The Stokes radius and sedimentation coefficient were calculated to be 52 A and 2.05 S, respectively, suggesting that the structure of ACAMP-81 is highly elongated. Purified Ca 2+ /phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C), cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and Ca 2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (Ca 2+ / CaM kinase II) catalyzed the incorporation of 1.46, 0.72, and 0.44 mol of phosphate/mol of ACAMP-81, respectively. The amino acid residues of ACAMP-81 phosphorylated by either protein kinase C or cAMP-dependent protein kinase were almost exclusively on serine. Sequential phosphorylation of ACAMP-81 by cAMP-dependent protein kinase and protein kinase C resulted in the additional incorporation of 1.15 mol of [ 32 P]phosphate into ACAMP-81. Comparison of phosphopeptide maps of ACAMP-81 phosphorylated by each kinase revealed that there are two classes of phosphorylatable polypeptide, one is phosphorylatable by both protein kinases which contained two polypeptides and the others are specific sites for protein kinase C.

The effect of cyanide, arsenate, Mg++ or EDTA on the uptake of norfloxacin in Escherichia coli was measured. Uptake of norfloxacin was suppressed by either 0.1 mM MgSO4 or 0.1 mM EDTA, while the presence of 0.1 mM MgSO4 increased the minimum suppressive concentration of EDTA from 0.1 to 0.2 mM. Increased uptake in the presence of 10 mM cyanide was observed, but the addition of 10 mM arsenate had no significant effect. Concentration of norfloxacin in bacterial cells was observed even when uptake was suppressed by the addition of 10 mM EDTA. Uptake in mini-cells was comparable to that in whole cells. These results suggest that the uptake of norfloxacin in E. coli, in addition to influx by simple diffusion and energy-dependent efflux, is influenced by binding of norfloxacin to the cell surface as a result of chelating activity to Mg++, together with an unknown concentration step resulting from binding to cell components other than the chromosome.

We prepared FePt/Pt multilayer films on MgO (100) substrates, by using an ion beam sputtering method. The FePt layer thickness (dFePt) as varied from 10 to 100A keeping the Pt layer thickness 50A. X-ray diffraction data showed that the [100] axis in the Pt layer and the [100] or [001] axis in the FePt layer were preferred orientations normal to the film plane in all the samples. Torque measurements revealed that the easy axis of magnetization was perpendicular to the film plane in all the samples except for dFePt=50A. The perpendicular anisotropy is considered to be ascribed mainly to the uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy along the [001] axis of the ordered FePt. As dFePt decreases, the Kerr rotation θK was found to decrease, while the remanence θK ratio was improved.

The outer membrane permeability of carbapenems (imipenem [IPM], panipenem [PAPM], meropenem [MEPM], and biapenem [BIPM]) and ceftazidime (CAZ) to Pseudomonas aeruginosa was determined by the Zimmermann and Rosselet method. The permeability coefficients of beta-lactams tested at 50mgr;M concentration of substrates ranged from (0.40 +/- 0.10) x 10-6 cm/s for CAZ to (2.33 +/- 0.33) x 10-6 cm/s for IPM, indicating that the outer membrane permeability of carbapenems to P. aeruginosa was high in comparison with that of CAZ. In particular, IPM and BIPM showed a higher rate of penetration than MEPM and PAPM.

We prepared ultrafine Fe–Pt alloy nanoparticle colloids by UV laser solution photolysis (KrF excimer laser of 248 nm wavelength) using precursors of methanol solutions into which iron and platinum complexes were dissolved together with PVP dispersant to prevent aggregations. From TEM observations, the Fe–Pt nanoparticles were found to be composed of disordered FCC A1 phase with average diameters of 0.5–3 nm regardless of the preparation conditions. Higher iron compositions of nanoparticles require irradiations of higher laser pulse energies typically more than 350 mJ, which is considered to be due to the difficulty in dissociation of Fe(III) acetylacetonate compared with Pt(II) acetylacetonate. Au colloid preparation by the same method was also attempted, resulting in Au nanoparticle colloids with over 10 times larger diameters than the Fe–Pt nanoparticles and UV–visible absorption peaks around 530 nm that originate from the surface plasmon resonance. Differences between the Fe–Pt and Au nanoparticles prepared by the KrF excimer laser solution photolysis are also discussed.

In order to evaluate the effect of cusp magnetic field in the cylindrical Radially Convergent Beam Fusion (RCBF) device, four kinds of experimental setups were examined. The maximum Neutron Production Rate (NPR) of 7.4 x 10 9 n/s was obtained at -80 kV and 15 A. As a result of the theoretical evaluation of fusion regimes in the RCBF device, the NPR normalized by the cathode current and the gas pressure was compared between the setups. The experimental data showed that the normalized NPR is highly correlated with the gas pressure, and it was independent of the setups. As the gas pressure decreased, the normalized NPR was increased. Hence, the present study suggests that the effect of the cusp magnetic field is to achieve lower pressure operation which improves the normalized NPR. The numerical estimation became in agreement with the experimental result by introducing an adjusting factor which was highly correlated with the pressure. The difference of the pressure is expected to affect some factors, such as an effective cathode transparency.

Recently, a lot of progresses have been made in the field of gas discharge and laser assisted extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light sources. In order to realize the EUV lithography, we have been developing the discharge produced plasma EUV light source with either Xe or Sn fuels. A Xe gas jet Z-pinch discharge system has been developed for generating high quality debris-free EUV emission. A 25kA pulsed power supply system has been constructed and introduced. Observation of optical characteristics are presently in progress. Also, the laser triggered discharge produced plasma with Sn electrode system has been constructed. In our system, after Nd-YAG laser was irradiated on Sn electrode surface for triggering the main discharge, EUV radiation will occur from the generated Sn plasma between electrodes and be collected radially. The maximum discharge current of about 6 kA with a pulse width of 500 ns was supplied to anode-cathode gap. In present study, EUV radiation emitted from gas jet Z- pinch Xe plasma and laser triggered Sn discharge produced plasma was quantitatively measured using an in-band calorimeter. Time-resolved in-band source image measurement was also conducted using a pinhole camera system.

Summary form only given. Characteristics of high voltage capillary discharge system for the excitation of capillary discharge soft X-ray laser, which has a high step-up ratio of discharge voltage to the charging voltage of primary capacitors, will be reported. The discharge system consists of a 2.2 muF LC inversion generator, a 2:54 step-up transformer, a 3 nF water capacitor, a self triggered gap switch and a load capillary. The LC generator and the pulse transformer are connected through a low stray inductance transmission line of about 400 nH. In addition, the chamber, in which the step-up transformer is set, is filled with 2 atm SF6 gas to increase dielectric strength. Consequently, leakage inductance of pulse transformer is decreased to about 300 nH. The low inductance, which exists between the primary LC generator and the secondary water capacitor, enables the water capacitor to be charged within 2.5 mus without saturation of the core of pulse transformer or much energy loss through the water. With this new system, the obtained step-up ratio of the water capacitor voltage to the initial charging voltage of a capacitor used in the LC generator is about 35. Therefore, when the charging voltage of primary capacitor is 20 kV, the charging voltage of 3 nF water capacitor reaches 700 kV. With this high voltage capillary discharge system, discharge current can be increased to generate high-density and high-temperature long plasma column in order to shorten the wavelength of the laser to EUV range.

Camptothecin (CPT) is a strong antitumor agent, but its use limited by its low solubility and the instability of the active lactone form. To overcome these difficulties, liposomes incorporating CPT (CPT liposomes) were designed and tested. CPT liposomes were formulated by the addition of 3,5-bis(dodecyloxy)benzoic acid (DB) to polyethylene glycol-containing liposomes, and by coating the surface of the liposomes with human serum albumin (HSA, HSA-DB-L). HSA-DB-L successfully entrapped CPT with about 80% efficiency and with a particle size of about 150 nm. HSA-DB-L showed attenuated drug release and storage stability. Pharmacokinetics studies in mice showed that i.v. injection of HSA-DB-L (2.5 mg/kg) led to prolonged circulation in the plasma; the area under the curve was 22-fold higher than that of CPT solution. The tumor growth in mice with subcutaneous transplantation of colon 26 tumor cells was significantly inhibited after a single i.v. injection of HSA-DB-L at a dose of 15 mg/kg without any significant body weight loss. HSA-DB-L increased the accumulation of CPT in tumor tissue significantly (9.6-fold) more efficiently than CPT solution 24 h after i.v. injection. These findings suggest that HSA-DB-L could increase the stability and the antitumor effect of CPT. CPT delivery by novel liposome formulations is a potential approach for effective treatment of cancer.

The c-myc and cyclin D1 genes are included among the oncogenes the amplifications of which have been detected in cancers of various organs. However, there have been few reports on the amplification of both these genes in primary and metastatic liver carcinomas. In the present study, c-myc and cyclin D1 gene amplification was examined in 76 primary and metastatic liver carcinomas using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections and a differential polymerase chain reaction procedure. c-myc and cyclin D1 gene amplification was detected in 15 (33%) and two (4%) of 46 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), one (10%) and 0 (0%) of 10 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (ICC), one (33%) and 0 (0%) of three combined hepatocellular and cholangiocarcinomas (HCC + ICC), and nine (56%) and three (19%) of 16 metastatic lesions to the liver from colorectal adenocarcinoma (MCA), respectively. The incidence of c-myc amplification was significantly higher in MCA than in ICC (P = 0.023), and it tended to be higher in HCC than in ICC. These results indicate that the amplification of the c-myc proto-oncogene is not unusual in HCC and MCA, and its detection may have a useful diagnostic significance in differentiating ICC from MCA or HCC from ICC.

Mutations in p53 gene exons 5-9 were studied in 44 non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) consisting of 35 B-NHL and 9 T-NHL. Missense mutations were found in two diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBL) and one peripheral T-cell lymphoma (unspecified). Double transversion missense and nonsense mutations were detected in one DLBL and one adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma. Silent mutations were found in two DLBL. Detailed histomorphological study showed that cases harboring p53 missense mutation with/without nonsense mutation tended to have larger nuclei with much more prominent nucleoli. Cytomorphometric analysis was therefore conducted by measuring the gross area of 100 lymphoma cell nuclei in 44 cases and the results were compared between lymphomas harboring p53 missense mutation with/without nonsense mutation and lymphomas harboring p53 silent mutation or lacking mutation. It was found that the lymphomas harboring p53 missense mutation with/without nonsense mutation had a highly significantly larger nuclear gross area than lymphomas with silent p53 mutation or lacking mutation (two-sample t-test, P < 0.00001; Exact Wilcoxon rank-sum test, P < 0.00001). This result suggests that p53 mutation might induce enlargement of neoplastic cell nuclei by some molecular mechanism.

Summary form only given. Application of atmospheric plasma for industrial purpose widely spread because it dose not need vacuum chamber and pumping system. In various atmospheric plasmas, microplasma sources attract attention. Because it has a large potential for small area and low cost processing. In this study, we designed and developed a new high power pulse microplasma source. The new hollow cathode type plasma source has metal-insulator-metal structure with small discharge hole. Molybdenum plates that have 300 mum thickness are used as electrodes and a glass plate that has 900 mum thickness is used as an insulator. An atmospheric plasma is stably generated in the small hole. However, the electron number density and the plasma temperature are limited by small input power (~ few W). The input power is limited by electrode melting. To increase the input power, we developed a pulsed power generator. The discharge waveform has high voltage predischarge pulse and long main pulse. The previous pulse is used for ignite the pre-plasma and latter pulse is used to maintain the stable plasma. The basic properties of the plasma that includes emission intensity and some plasma temperatures are reported.

Summary form only given. Atmospheric plasma has a large potential for high speed and low cost processing in industrial use because it does not need vacuum chamber and pumping system. Moreover, atmospheric plasma has higher ion and reactive species densities so that also helps high speed processing. But it is not easy to generate large-sized plasma under the atmospheric pressure. In this work, to realize atmospheric long line plasma source, asymmetric barrier discharge source and high voltage pulse generator are designed and developed. With our new line plasma source, a 100 cm long atmospheric plasma can be generated in atmospheric pressure. To generate large amount of ozone, oxygen mixed helium gas is used as a plasma gas. The gas flow rates are 0.5 and 30 L/min for oxygen and helium, respectively. In this study, to generate uniform and stable plasma, some electrode gap length and combination of electrode shapes were tested. To demonstrate the effect of ozone, large area and high speed hydrophilization of plastic surface are performed. The degree of hydrophilization was measured by surface tension measurement pen.

Summary form only given. A gas jet Z-pinch discharge light source has been developed for realize the EUV lithography. Our original light source has advantages of a smaller size of pinch plasma, a larger collection solid angle and possibility of low debris emission. It is well-known that the debris generation is an inherent problem of the discharge produced plasma light source. Therefore it is expected that our gas jet Z pinch electrode will overcome the debris problem. In previous study, it is observed that the He gas curtain has an additional function of limiting the expansion of Xe gas and increasing the emission intensity. However, it is also observed that the interaction between discharge gas (Xe) and curtain gas (He) causes the attenuation of EUV emission. In present study, for the purpose of optimizing the gas flow around the discharge electrodes, the discharge and curtain gas flow have been visualized by using the planar laser-induced fluorescence method. Details and preliminary experimental results will be presented.

Summary form only given. VOCs are released into the atmosphere from various plants and cars. And they are very harmful to human body. Nonthermal plasma methods using electrical discharges or electron beam irradiation are some of the emerging technologies for the disposal of VOCs, and other toxic substances. Especially, electron beam processing is more energy-and cost-efficient than others. We have developed a low-energy secondary emission electron gun (SEEG) using a wire ion plasma source (WIPS) for VOCs treatment. The device has some inherent advantages compared to conventional ones such as compact in size, wide and uniform electron beam. The WIPS itself acts as an ion source for the SEEG. The WIPS generates helium ions. And the ions are extracted as an ion beam from the WIPS and accelerated in vacuum towards a negatively biased stainless steel cathode plate inside the SEEG by high accelerating voltage. Then the ions collide with the cathode plate and secondary emission takes place. The emitted electrons will form a relatively uniform electron beam and the beam penetrates into a gas treatment chamber at atmospheric pressure causing the treatment process of VOC. It offers better capability in high repetition rate pulse operation with easy control than that of glow discharge or field emission control cathode guns. In this work, distribution of electron team energy in the gas treatment chamber was measured with gafchromic film and enough energy to decomposition of VOC is confirmed. The removal ratio of benzene, toluene and trichloroethylene and removal efficiency were investigated in terms of gas flow rate, pulse repetition rate and cathode voltage, respectively. The experimental results indicate better benzene, toluene and tri-chloroethylene removal than other techniques such as electrical discharges.

Anti-cytokine autoantibodies in healthy individuals have been widely reported but the occurrence is variable and inconstant. We hypothesized that cytokine-binding in vivo may explain their variable and infrequent detection. Therefore, we focused on the detection of the cytokine-autoantibody complexes and found that anti-cytokine autoantibody to IL-2, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor were present in all 15 individuals evaluated, while those to IL-3, osteopontin and macrophage-colony stimulating factor were not detected in anyone. Autoantibodies against IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and interferon-gamma were variously detected. Thus, we discovered that anti-cytokine autoantibodies to multiple cytokines are ubiquitous in healthy individuals.

Characteristics of soft X-ray radiation from nitrogen Z-pinch plasma column energized by a capillary discharge is reported as a fundamental study for H-like N recombination pumped soft X-ray laser, wavelength of which is 13.4 nm emitted by quantum transition from n = 3 to n = 2. A current pulse of about 15 kA with half-cycle duration of about 110 ns was utilized to excite nitrogen plasma in a 3.0 mm diameter channel. From spectroscopic measurement using a transmission grating spectrometer, ionic charge state of nitrogen in the plasma was analyzed to estimate plasma parameters and the discharge current required for realizing a H-like N recombination soft X-ray laser.

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from a gas jet z-pinch source has been examined by employing a photodiode and pinhole camera. Visible images of the pinched plasma have been also recorded. A current pulse of 10kA is used to heat the gas jet, which emits radiation around 13.5nm. Experimental parameters such as electrode separation and gas flow rate are varied to optimize EUV emission. The maximum EUV energy is obtained for 12mm electrode separation and 20Torr xenon pressure and it is estimated to 10.95mJ∕sr per 2% bandwidth per pulse. The presence of gas curtain improves EUV emission by 30%.

Summary form only given. We will report characteristics of soft X-ray radiation from nitrogen filled Z-pinch plasma columns energized by capillary discharge in order to evaluate optimum plasma parameters for H-like recombination pumped soft X-ray laser, wavelength of which is 13.4 nm emitted by quantum transition from n=3 to n=2. The discharge system consists of an LC vector inversion high voltage generator, a step-up pulse transformer and a 3-nF water capacitor. By selecting the optimum initial filling pressure, which is low enough to obtain fully stripped nitrogen ions and high enough to match the time of pinch with that of current crest, a pinched plasma column with population inversion adequate for lasing may be obtained in the expansion phase after the pinch

Summary form only given. Radially convergent beam fusion (RCBF) device is a compact fusion neutron/proton source with extremely simple configuration, high controllability, and hence high safety. It has been mainly studied for practical use as a portable neutron source for various applications such as landmine detection, and the results of previous studies indicate that the RCBF device has a high potential as a neutron source. On the other hand, however, the RCBF device as a proton source has not been investigated sufficiently. In this study, not only neutrons but also protons generated by D-D and D-3He reactions in a cylindrical RCBF device were measured for practical proton source. In order to detect protons, a solid-state detector (SSD) was used. However, there is a difficulty in applying the SSD to the RCBF device. The SSD can not discriminate protons from X-rays, which are produced simultaneously in the RCBF device. In addition, it is difficult to stop the X-rays with a metallic foil filter because of its high transmittance. Therefore, a new proton counting system based on magnetic deflection was designed and used to eliminate the X-rays. The system has three magnetic deflectors, which consist of a pair of neodymium magnets. The SSD position in this system was determined by a calculation of the deflected proton trajectory. At first, the cylindrical RCBF device was operated using only deuterium gas. Generated D-D protons of 3.03 MeV were measured with and without this proton counting system, and the count rate was compared with that of D-D neutrons. Then D-3He protons of 14.7 MeV were counted feeding not only deuterium gas but also helium-3 gas. By comparing D-3He proton and D-D neutron count rates, the optimal ratio of helium-3 gas to deuterium gas was obtained

Summary form only given. A new atmospheric pulse operated multi-gas ICP (inductively coupled plasma) source is developed. With our multi-gas ICP source, not only Ar but He, O2, N2, CO2, air and their mixture gas plasma can be stably generated in the atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, aqueous solutions can be introduced directly into the plasmas using common pneumatic nebulizers. To generate molecular gas plasma and to realize direct injection, higher RF power is necessary because dissociation of molecules (plasma gases or aqueous solutions) needs large input power. Therefore, the torch has external gas-cooling system. The torch consists of coaxial three quartz glass tube and the carrier gas, the plasma gas and the cooling gas flow between the tubes. When appropriate cooling gas species and flow rate were chosen, immixing of cooling gas and atmospheric air into the plasma can be reduced. In this study, to improve plasma properties (temperature, electron number density, emission intensity etc.) and to generate non-equilibrium plasma, pulsed operation is applied to multi-gas ICP and tested. A driving scheme by applying RF power input of rectangular waveform with a peak power of over 1 kW and a base power of around 300 W was adopted. Time resolved characteristics of atomic emission properties that include emission intensity and plasma excitation temperature of various plasmas are investigated

Summary form only given. Emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a serious environmental problem. It is well known that the nonthermal plasma processes using electrical discharge or electron beam are effective for the pollutant removal. Especially, the electron beam can efficiently remove pollutant, because a lot of radicals which are useful to remove pollutant can be easily produced by high energy electrons. A pulsed low energy (

An impedance of rehabilitation and assisting robot should be matched with that of human in order to carry out cooperative works harmoniously. If not so, we could not set our expectations highly to get stability and effectivity in the cooperative works of human-robot. In this paper, we develop the cooperative work system to adjust the impedance of a robot driven by ultrasonic motor (USM) to that of human's arm. There is reason to adopt a USM for the robot's actuator. It has many good characteristics like high torque at low speed. When we use the adjusting phase difference method among the various control methods of USM, we have to consider cautiously how to set the value of the driving frequency because the characteristics of USM is changed according to which value of the driving frequency is set. Therefore, we suggested a novel method that the suitable driving frequency is supplied according to each the phase difference. Using this method, we could change the mechanical impedance of USM such as viscosity and stiffness. To evaluate the proposed cooperative work system, we conduct the two types of tasks.

Summary form only given. Development of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light source with enough usable power and long lifetime is key problem of realizing EUV lithography. In order to overcome problems, a Z-pinch discharge light source has been made and demonstrated. In next step, for generating high quality debris-free EUV emission, a new electrode system using gas jet Z-pinch plasma has been proposed and tested. In this system, two cylindrical electrodes are set apart without a discharge tube. One of electrodes acts as a nozzle and the other as a diffuser. The generated EUV radiation from the pinched plasma between electrodes will be collected radially. In present study, EUV radiation emitted from gas jet Z-pinch Xe plasma was quantitatively measured using an in-band calorimeter. Time-integrated in-band source image measurement was also conducted using a pinhole camera system. The details of experimental results will be discussed

In this paper, the effect of a pulsed low-energy electron beam on bacteria has been explored. The experiment has been carried out using an electron beam with a pulse duration of 5 µs and an acceleration voltage of 80 kV. It is shown that homogeneous irradiation with an electron beam decontaminates surfaces. Completely Sterilization is achieved at a low concentration of bacteria. With increasing concentration of bacteria or for a wet target, the survivability of a microorganism increases. A spectroscopic experiment and also scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images show that the low-energy electron beam does not break the outer structure of a bacterial cell and that bacteria inactivation occurs through internal chemical or genetic changes.

Purpose: For identification of CTL epitopes useful for cancer vaccines, it is crucial to determine whether cognate epitopes are presented on the cell surface of target cancer cells through natural processing of endogenous proteins. For this purpose, we tried to use the cellular machinery of both mice and human to define naturally processed CTL epitopes derived from two “cancer germ line” genes, MAGE-A4 and SAGE. Experimental Design: We vaccinated newly produced HLA-A2402 transgenic mice with DNA plasmids encoding target antigens. Following screening of synthesized peptides by splenic CD8+ T cells of vaccinated mice, we selected candidate epitopes bound to HLA-A2402. We then examined whether human CD8+ T cells sensitized with autologous CD4+ PHA blasts transduced by mRNA for the cognate antigens could react with these selected peptides in an HLA-A2402-restricted manner. Results: After DNA vaccination, murine CD8+ T cells recognizing MAGE-A4143-151 or SAGE715-723 in an HLA-A2402-restricted manner became detectable. Human CTLs specific for these two peptides were generated after sensitization of HLA-A2402-positive CD8+ T cells with autologous CD4+ PHA blasts transduced with respective mRNA. CTL clones were cytotoxic toward tumor cell lines expressing HLA-A2402 and cognate genes. Taken together, these CTL epitopes defined in HLA-A24 transgenic mice are also processed and expressed with HLA-A2402 in human cells. The presence of SAGE715-723-specific precursors was observed in HLA-A2402-positive healthy individuals. Conclusions: Two novel HLA-A2402-restricted CTL epitopes, MAGE-A4143-151 and SAGE715-723, were identified. Our approach assisted by cellular machinery of both mice and human could be widely applicable to identify naturally processed CTL epitopes.

A new gas jet type Z-pinch source of 13.5 nm radiation, which has the characteristics of a gas jet electrodes configuration and the scheme for radial extraction of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light, has been developed. The gas jet type Z-pinch discharge has two nozzles and two diffusers. The EUV beam is collected from the side of pinch plasma, generated in between the inner nozzle and corresponding diffuser, at the radial direction. The design feature of the gas jet type Z-pinch source accommodates the cylindrical annular shape helium (He) gas curtain that is produced by the outer nozzle. The dimension of pinch plasma is FWHM diameter of 0.07 mm and length of 0.34 mm. The EUV output in 2 % bandwidth at 13.5 nm is 0.78 mJ/sr/pulse.

Summary form only given. Radially convergent beam fusion (RCBF) has been studied for practical use as a portable neutron/proton source for various applications such as landmine detection and medical positron emission tomography. However, some problems remain for the practical use, and the most critical one is the insufficiency of absolute neutron/proton yields. In this study, a new RCBF device was designed and tested to obtain high neutron/proton yields. The key features of the new device are the cylindrical electrode configuration in consideration of better electrostatic confinement of ions and extraction of protons, and an integrated bucket-type ion source which consists of sixteen ferrite magnets and sixteen filaments. To investigate the performance characteristics of the device and the effect of the ion source, three types of experimental setup were used for comparison. At first, the basic RCBF setup was operated. Then a cusp magnetic field was applied by using ferrite magnets, and a thermionic cathode was added. As a result, it was confirmed that the ion source works effectively. At the same discharge condition of voltage and current, the obtained neutron production rate was about one order of magnitude higher than that of the conventional spherical RCBF device. The maximum neutron production rate of 6.8times109 n/s was obtained at a pulsed discharge of -70 kV, 10 A

Summary form only given. For realizing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a debris-free EUV source with collectable radiation power of about 115 W and repetition rates exceeding 7-10 kHz will be required. Discharge produced plasma is one of the promising radiation source for achieving the required parameters. However, it has a problem of debris generation, which is due to the melting and evaporation of electrodes and a capillary caused by the excess input of heat into their surfaces and the fact that the pinching plasma interacts more strongly with the insulator surface than others. In present study, in order to overcome these difficulties and to satisfy the source requirements, a capillary Z-pinch discharge light source has been made and demonstrated. Our device is equipped with a water-cooled ceramic capillary and electrodes, and a solid state pulsed power generator. A stacked static induction thyristors are used as switching elements, which enable high repetition rate operation of pulsed power supply. A magnetic switch is connected in series, which not only assists the semiconductor switch but also provides a preionization current. It has been confirmed that the duration of preionization current can be controlled by amplitude of offset current flowing through magnetic switch and that the preionization is essential to generate a uniform and stable plasma. For generating high quality EUV emission, a new electrode system using plasma jet has been installed and tested. In this system, two cylindrical electrodes are set apart without a discharge tube. One of electrodes acts as a nozzle and the other as a diffuser. The generated EUV radiation from the pinched plasma between electrodes will be collected radially. The preliminary experimental results will be shown and discussed

Background Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in inflammation and neoplastic invasion and metastasis. Little is known about the effects of MMP inhibitors on hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. The aim of this study is to examine the inhibitory effects of ONO-4817 (oral inhibitor of MMPs) in rats. Methods Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion was induced in male Wister rats by clamping the portal vein and hepatic artery. The animals were randomized into an ONO-4817 group (300 mg/kg body weight per/day) and a vehicle group by oral gavage of a test substance. Serum alanine aminotransferase, histologic changes, gelatinolytic activity, MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, and mRNA and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) were measured in both groups. Results ONO-4817 prevented ischemia/reperfusion injury to the hepatocytes as shown by significant reductions of serum alanine aminotransferase and less severe histologic changes. Gelatinolytic activity was inhibited markedly in the liver of the ONO-4817 group as demonstrated by film in situ zymography. MMP-9 and MMP-2 activities also were inhibited in the ONO-4817 group as shown by gelatin zymography. TIMP-2 mRNA levels showed no significant differences between the 2 groups. TNFα mRNA showed no downregulation, but IL-1β mRNA was downregulated in the liver of the ONO-4817 group 1 to 3 hours after reperfusion. Serum levels of TNFα and IL-1β showed a significant decrease in the ONO-4817 group, compared with the vehicle group after reperfusion. Conclusions Hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury was improved by a novel MMP inhibitor, ONO-4817, not only by inhibition of gelatinolytic activity but also by a decrease in release of inflammatory cytokines.

The anti-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) autoantibody is inferred to cause idiopathic pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (iPAP): the antibody neutralizes GM-CSF and thereby impairs differentiation of alveolar macrophages. Administration of GM-CSF improves respiratory function of patients with iPAP, as confirmed in this study using aerosolized GM-CSF. To elucidate its mechanism, we characterized bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and alveolar macrophages obtained from three patients with iPAP who were treated successfully with aerosolized GM-CSF. Cell number, expressions of surface mannose receptor and the transcription factor PU.1, and phagocytic ability of alveolar macrophages were all restored to control levels. With treatment, the neutralizing capacity of GM-CSF activity was reduced markedly, concomitant with the decreasing autoantibody levels. Interestingly, the amount of GM-CSF autoantibody complex also decreased. In one case in which the complex was analyzed, the majority of GM-CSF binding the complex was endogenous protein, suggesting that the complex is removed immediately from the lung after treatment. Our study shows that GM-CSF administration engenders a decrease in the neutralizing capacity against the protein in the lungs. Thereby, it facilitates restoration of the normal function of alveolar macrophages.