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In addition to its other functions, the skin controls water loss from the body and acts as a barrier against the external environment. The molecules in skin cells play a major role in these functions and are markedly affected by hormone and cytokine levels, which are regulated by aging and nutritional status. The protein hormone adiponectin increases skin collagen, hyaluronan, and ceramide levels and decreases liver lipid levels. Mallotus japonicus leaf extract increases adiponectin levels in 3T3L1 cells. Therefore, we investigated the effects of M. japonicus leaf extract on skin cell molecules and lipid metabolism in rats fed a high-fat diet, which decreased collagen synthesis as well as hyaluronan and ceramide levels. Collagen, hyaluronan, and ceramide levels increased in rats administered 0.3% M. japonicus leaf extract powder over one month. The extract also significantly reduced triacylglycerol levels around the testicles. These results suggest that M. japonicus leaf extract powder effectively improves skin functioning and decreases adipose tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nihon Daicho Komonbyo Gakkai Zasshi is the property of Japan Society of Coloproctology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A 43-year-old female with acute lymphoblastic leukemia received an umbilical cord blood transplant and required frequent red blood cell and platelet transfusions. On day 29 after the transplant, platelet transfusion was started based on the appearance of the blood bag and swirling. After 15min, the patient's blood pressure and arterial oxygen saturation had decreased, and fever, chills, and shivering appeared. Based on the symptoms, anaphylactic shock was suspected, and hydrocortisone, epinephrine, and glucagon were administered. Blood culture was performed for possible septic shock. Bacterial identification tests of blood and residual samples of the platelet bag showed E.coli with matched serotypes, species, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Endotoxin level in the residual sample of the platelet bag was >2,000pg/ml, and endotoxin produced by E.coli contamination in the platelet bag was therefore considered to have caused her shock and related symptoms. Bacterial contamination of blood products is a rare but potentially lethal complication. Current transfusion systems cannot completely prevent bacterial contamination. Reducing the risk of contamination requires the introduction of systems such as the automated microbial detection system, which can identify trace amounts of bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a software-defined vehicle (SDV), where software controls all of the vehicle behaviors, heterogeneous communication flows with different characteristics share a single in-vehicle network. While Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is promising to prevent interferences among the flows, conventional network design methods for TSN require huge computational effort. To reduce computational complexity, we propose “time and bandwidth division flow assignment method” where the communication resource is partitioned based on the characteristics of the communication flows. By the evaluation, we confirmed our method could generate network design within one second satisfying all of the communication requirements supposing autonomous driving level 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamic body acceleration (DBA) derived from the data obtained by tri-axial accelerometer has been widely used in various animal species as a proxy for estimating energy expenditure (EE) under free-moving conditions. More recently, the use of 9- axis sensor equipped with tri-axial accelerometer, tri-axial gyroscope and tri-axial magnetometer is examined to estimate EE as well as tri-axial accelerometer. In order to estimate EE correctly from DBA, sensors should be placed near the center of mass of animals. However, in practice, livestock farmers attach sensors usually on collar because the place is easier to be attached. Therefore, the aims of this study were to examine the relationship between the sensors attached on back and collar of animals and to develop EE estimation models from the sensor data attached on collar in cattle and sheep. Four pregnant Japanese Black cows and four castrated Corriedale sheep were used in this study. Twenty-four hours of sensor data in grazing conditions were collected. First, the correlations of the sensors data attached on back and collar were analyzed by each behavioral classification. Then, the models to estimate the calculated EE derived from DBA gained from the sensor placed on back were developed by regression analyses by cows and sheep. The independent variables in the models were behavioral indicators calculated from 9- axis sensors attached on collar and the dependent variables in the models were calculated EE from the sensor data on back. As a result, the distinctive relationship of behavioral indicators between collar and back in each livestock species were found. As for the development of EE estimation models, although the effect of animals in the model was significant in each species, it was found that the models without the effect of animals could also estimate EE with some degree of accuracy; there is a possibility to estimate EE with the indicators derived from the sensor attached on collar. Also, the coefficients of determination (R2 ) of the models using 9-axis sensor data from collar were similar with those of the model using only tri-axial accelerometer data from collar, indicating that the use of tri-axial accelerometer data is enough for EE estimation of grazing livestock animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Community Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of Pharmacy Society of Japan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

AlSi10Mg alloy products with a hydrogen content of approximately 3.9 or 5.6 cm³ /100g–Al of hydrogen were fabricated by selective laser melting (SLM) using normal (as–received) and moist powders, and their non–reversible dimensional changes during heat treatment at 473 or 803 K were investigated. The linear dimensional change arising from the heat treatment at 473 K was approximately 0.22％ by 3.6 ks and remained constant thereafter. This behavior was independent of the amount of hydrogen in the SLM products, suggesting that the dimensional changes at 473 K were induced by precipitation of Si phase from the α–Al phase. However, the linear dimensional changes during the heat treatment at 803 K were comparatively large and continued to increase during the heat treatment. At the same time, the linear dimensional changes at 803 K also showed a dependence on the amount of hydrogen in the SLM products. These phenomena indicated that the porosity expansion and precipitation of Si phase occurred simultaneously at 803 K. For the SLM product with a hydrogen content of approximately 3.9 cm³ /100g–Al, the linear dimensional change during the heat treatment at 803 K was 0.867％ at 18 ks, of which 0.116％ and 0.751％ were estimated to have been induced by the precipitation of Si phase and the porosity expansion, respectively. From gas analyses using different methods, it was elucidated that the hydrogen desorbed from the powder and was entrapped in the SLM products at the time of laser scanning, and then enriched to the porosities during the heat treatment at 803 K, causing the porosity expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transactions of the Japan Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics is the property of Japan Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To investigate the availability of behavioral evaluation by dynamic body acceleration (DBA), we examined the effect of floor cleaning, commonly practiced in stalls, on the changes in behavioral condition of beef cattle using DBA measurement. Two experiments were conducted; one with Japanese Black breeding cows and another with Japanese Black fattening steers. In the experiments, data from tri-axial accelerometer on back of the animals and timelapse images were collected for 12 hours per day for three consecutive days: the day before cleaning, the day of cleaning and the day after cleaning. The activity measurements (DBA values) were calculated from the tri-axial acceleration datasets and the behavioral types (lying or non-lying) were classified from the timelapse image datasets. Changes in the DBA values and behavioral types among the observation days were analyzed. The result showed that, compared with “before cleaning”, lying time increased and non-lying time decreased significantly in “day of cleaning” and “one day after cleaning” (P<0.05). Also, DBA values decreased significantly in “day of cleaning” and “one day after cleaning” (P<0.05). Furthermore, the DBA values during non-lying time significantly increased in “day of cleaning” and “one day after cleaning” (P<0.05), which indicated that the energy consumption of the beef cattle increased after floor cleaning because the floor became softer to walk on. Hence, the use of DBA could identify subtle different responses of beef cattle to floor cleaning conditions in non-lying behavior. It was concluded that DBA is a useful indicator to evaluate the behavioral changes of beef cattle in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nihon Chikusan Gakkaiho is the property of Japanese Society of Animal Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Transactions of the Japan Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics is the property of Japan Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Vacuum & Surface Science is the property of Japan Society of Vacuum & Surface Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Community Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences is the property of Pharmacy Society of Japan and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The segregation behaviors on the prior austenite grain boundaries for the B added-high C case hardening steel (Fe-0.82C-0.22Si-0.86Mn-0.02P-1.1Cr-0.21Mo-0.005B (mass％)) were evaluated by three-dimensional atom probe (3DAP). The results revealed the intense segregation of C, Mo, Cr, and B on the grain boundaries. In contrast, it was confirmed that the segregation of P known as a strong segregation element for steel was suppressed. The thermodynamic analysis based on the parallel tangent law by McLean-Hillert was carried out in order to validate the segregation of each element. To evaluate the chemical potentials taking the interaction with multiple elements into account, the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagram) method was employed, where liquid phase was adopted to estimate the Gibbs free energy of grain boundaries. The calculation results represented the segregation tendencies obtained from 3DAP. Detailed investigations of the interaction effects of C, B, and Mo on the other elements were also conducted. The results showed the suppression of the P segregation by increasing B content. Therefore, the efficiency of the segregation prediction method that implemented the CALPHAD method for the B added high C steel was demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the effects of laser peening (LP) on the surface and bending fatigue properties of carburized steel (JIS SCM420), surface roughness measurements, residual stress measurements, retained austenite measurements, and four-point bending fatigue tests were conducted. After LP, the compressive residual stress was introduced on the surface, with the effect extending to a depth of more than 1 mm. Due to the high compressive stress, the bending fatigue strength of LP specimen was 1.46 times higher than that of the as-heat-treated specimen even though the surface roughness was increased by LP. Notably, the amount of retained austenite was 10.9％ at the top surface of LP specimen, and high-density twins were observed in the lath martensite structure. This can be attributed to high strain rate deformation by LP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Advancement in neuroradiological diagnostic techniques, endocrinological evaluation, and hormonal replacement therapy, as well as introduction of extended endoscopic endonasal transsphenoidal surgery (Ext-EETS) and innovative neuroendoscopic instruments have revolutionized the treatment for craniopharyngiomas in the pediatric populations. Treatment of craniopharyngioma warrants maximum tumor resection within safe limits; therefore, primary care, including first-time surgery, is particularly important. Notably, pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma tend to present with typical clinical and anatomical issues. In this case series, we present our findings of long-term follow-up of pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively investigated 61 patients with craniopharyngioma, who were treated at our institute between July 2005 and December 2020. This single-center study included 18 patients (29.5%) aged ≤ 19.0 years. We recorded the following data from patients’ medical records: age, sex, preoperative symptoms, types of masses (cystic vs. solid), maximum diameter of the mass, tumor location (including hypothalamic involvement), degree of tumor removal, hypothalamic and pituitary function disturbances, previous surgeries, diagnosis of hydrocephalus, radiotherapy, complications, tumor histology, recurrence, hypothalamic edema, duration of follow)up, postoperative Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) scores, and academic status. Results: This study included 10 males and 8 females aged 0.3-19 years (mean age, 9.0±4.8 years). All except one patient were symptomatic; 15 patients had visual disturbances, 10 had endocrinological dysfunction, and 6 had hydrocephalus that manifested with headache and consciousness disturbance. Ten and three patients presented with cystic and solid masses, respectively. The craniopharyngioma was completely suprasellar in location in 10 patients and showed suprasellar extension in 3 patients. Transsphenoidal surgery was performed in 13 cases, including Ext)EETS in 11, and 9 patients underwent craniotomy. Grossly total removal was performed in six, subtotal removal in three, partial excision in three, and biopsy in one patient. Postoperative radiotherapy was administered to 12 patients with craniopharyngioma. Hormonal replacement therapy was performed. The mean follow-up period was 15.3 years (2.0 to 30.0 years). KPS scores were 100 in 11, 90 in two, 80 in three, others in two patients. This case series specifically include a case with diencephalic syndrome and a case with late-onset post-radiotherapy cerebral infarction. Conclusion: Our study highlights that aggressive tumor removal using Ext-EETS and radiotherapy contributes to excellent long-term prognosis. However, cautions hormonal replacement and comprehensive neuroradiological evaluation are essential to maintain quality of life in pediatric patients with craniopharyngioma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]