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Area-preserving curvature flows in a two-dimensional homogeneous medium have been studied for several decades. In 1986, Gage showed that an initially convex closed curve remains convex and converges to a circle as time goes to infinity. This implies that circles are the only stationary solution up to translation. However, in many applications, the medium is not homogeneous and the closed curve moves towards a more favorable environment. The properties of the medium are described by a signal function, which is a twice continuously differentiable function defined in R 2 \mathbb {R}^2 . In this paper, we prove that when the signal function is radially symmetric with maximum at the origin and satisfies certain other conditions, the only stationary solutions are also circles. When these conditions are violated, we show the existence of non-radially symmetric stationary solutions that do not contain the origin. The method of proof is based on phase plane analysis.

Vascular changes at various stages of growth of 7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha)anthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary adenocarcinomas in 22 female Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated using histology, immunohistochemistry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of corrosion casts. In the early stage of tumour growth, capillaries within the neoplasms were thin, with 8-10 microm diameter, and characterized by rows of vascular sprouts representing extensive neovascularization and formation of a high-density capillary plexus. In the intermediate stage of tumour growth, the growing tumour was multi-nodular and tumour cells were arranged in a tubulopapillary pattern. Capillaries formed spheroid vascular capsules and were characterized by dilation, to a diameter of 10-80 mum, and blind ends. In the late stage of tumour growth, a remarkable reduction in the number of vascular endothelial growth factor-positive cells and Ki-67-stained nuclei was demonstrated. The tunica media of nutritive arteries displayed a tendency to atrophy. Many arteriovenous anastomoses between the major arteries and the veins were found in regions just before their entry into the tumour. The central regions of the tumour were degenerative and necrotic, and vasculature was confined to surface regions of the tumour, forming a basket-like configuration around the avascular central regions. Resin leakages representing haemorrhage or oedema and distortions such as flattening, break-off and strangulations of capillaries were frequently observed, all of which are known as late tumour signs. We concluded that these microvascular alterations might change the homogeneity of tumour perfusion and contribute to necrosis in central portions of the tumour.

The mission of the National Centralized Tokamak (NCT) is to establish high-beta steady-state plasma operation for DEMO and to contribute to ITER. Plasma performance with high-beta conditions is discussed. It is found that near break-even class plasma ( Q DT eq ≥ 0.7 ) with high beta ( β N ≥ 3.5) is achievable with 25 MW of NB power at I P = 4.0 MA and an aspect ratio of 2.6. High beta with steady-state full current drive is possible with 13 MW of NB power at I P = 1.5–1.7 MA. In the engineering design activity of NCT, the strength of the support structure and strength of material for the conductor is confirmed for the superconducting coils, and the successful progress of R&D of boron-loaded resin for neutron shielding is discussed.

Design studies are shown on the National Centralized Tokamak facility, formerly called JT-60SC. The machine design is carried out to investigate the capability for flexibility in aspect ratio and shape controllability for the demonstration of the high-β steady state operation with nation-wide collaboration, in parallel with ITER towards DEMO. Two designs are proposed and assessed with respect to the physics requirements such as confinement, stability, current drive, divertor and energetic particle confinement. The operation range in the aspect ratio and the plasma shape is widely enhanced consistent with sufficient divertor pumping. Evaluations of the plasma performance towards the determination of the machine design are presented.

This paper summarizes the results presented at the 20th IAEA Fusion Energy Conference 2004 in the sessions on confinement, plasma–material interactions and innovative confinement concepts. The highlights of the presentations are as follows. Long pulse operation has been achieved with high beta and high bootstrap fraction for periods much longer than the current diffusion time. The discharge scenario optimization and its extrapolation towards ITER have progressed remarkably. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of global confinement and transport physics. Progress has also been made in material and retention/migration studies. These results will greatly contribute to ITER and the ultimate goal of fusion power generation.

The Japanese large tokamak JT-60 has been focusing its research emphasis on the development of high performance plasmas, with high confinement, high temperature and high density and non-inductive sustainment for a long time with possible minimization of external power input. The first demonstration of high bootstrap current discharges up to 80% of the total plasma current in a high-poloidal-beta (high-βp) mode and the concept development of a steady-state tokamak reactor (SSTR) based on this experimental achievement initiated the so-called 'advanced tokamak research'. The internal transport barriers (ITBs), discovered in the JT-60 high-βp mode, have been followed by worldwide explorations of reversed shear discharges associated with ITBs. The highest DT equivalent energy gain of was achieved in the JT-60 reversed shear H-mode discharges. The highest ion temperature of Ti = 45 keV and the highest fusion triple product of ni(0)τETi(0) = 1.5 × 1021 m−3 s keV were obtained in high-βp discharges. Advanced tokamak research is now the major trend of the current tokamak development. A new concept of compact ITER has been developed and proposed in the context of this advanced tokamak approach pursued on JT-60. Prospects for burning plasma physics have been investigated along the progress made in these modern tokamak experiments on JT-60 and related computer simulation analyses.

Recent progress in the physics and engineering design study for the modification programme of JT-60 is presented. In order to achieve a steady state high-β plasma operation, which is the dominant issue of this programme, physics design for the MHD control and the stability analysis is investigated. Engineering design and the R & D for the superconducting coils, irradiation shield are performed well towards the mission of programme.

A fully superconducting tokamak named JT-60SC is designed for the modification programme of JT-60 to enhance economical and environmental attractiveness in tokamak fusion reactors. JT-60SC aims at realizing high-β steady-state operation in the use of low radio-activation ferritic steel in a low ν* and ρ* regime relevant to the reactor plasmas. Objectives, research issues, plasma control schemes and a conceptual design for JT-60SC are presented.

Recent experiments on JT-60U have been focused on the establishment of the scientific basis of advanced steady-state operation, utilizing the bootstrap current, and accordingly strove for the achievement and sustainment of improved confinement discharges. As a result, a equivalent fusion multiplication factor of QDTeq=1.25 was achieved in a transient state and QDTeq=0.5 was sustained for ∼0.8 s in the reversed shear discharges. It was then shown that active control schemes of stored energy and neutron emission rate were effective for the production of these high performances. The internal transport barrier was sustained for ∼5 s in reversed shear plasma with off-axis LHCD. In the high-βp mode of operation, simultaneous achievement of high confinement, high beta, and full non-inductive current drive with a large fraction of bootstrap current was demonstrated. For the stabilization of the neoclassical tearing mode, the ECRF system was introduced and the injection power into the plasma of 680 kW for 2 s and 250 kW for 5 s was achieved. With the negative-ion based neutral beam injection, the current drive efficiency increased to ∼1.3×1019A/W per m2. The W-shaped divertor with pumping was effective for reducing deuterium recycling, carbon impurity influx, heat load on the target tiles and the H-mode threshold power as well. Effectiveness of impurity gas puffing for the reduction of halo current was also demonstrated, which can mitigate the mechanical fatigue of the tokamak at disruptions.

To improve patients' quality of life and decrease pollution risks to medical personnel, we tested the usefulness of a nitric oxide (NO) inhalation system consisting of a nasal cannula and a demand valve in an open circuit system. To estimate the content of NO entering the lung with the open system, concentrations of NO and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) were measured in a mechanical lung model, and then nitrocylhaemoglobin (NO-Hb), methaemoglobin (Met-Hb), and nitrite (NO 2 − ) + nitrate (NO 3 − ) concentrations in venous blood were measured in eight healthy subjects. Exhaust NO and NO 2 in the open system were also observed in 14 healthy subjects. In the lung model, NO concentration delivered with the open system was approximately 1/11 of that in the gas tank. Increases in Met-Hb and NO 2 − + NO 3 − with the open system showed that the concentration of delivered NO was approximately 1/9 of that in the gas tank. The open system reduced exhaust NO to 1/10 in human subjects. These data suggest that this NO inhalation system delivers sufficient NO to spontaneously breathing patients. In addition, these findings indicate that there is little environmental toxicity associated with the open circuit system.

Electric conductivity and X-ray diffraction measurements are performed on deuterated triammonium hydrogen disulphate (ND 4 ) 3 D(SO 4 ) 2 in high temperature phase. A new structural phase transition that corresponds to the transition at 463 K of (NH 4 ) 3 H(SO 4 ) 2 is found at 413 K. The space group symmetry (monoclinic C2) and the crystal structure of (ND 4 ) 3 D(SO 4 ) 2 are determined at 404 K in phase I. The electric conductivity due to the deuterium ion migration in phase I is discussed with respect to the results of the structure refinement.

A study of teratogenicity and developmental toxicity of (+/-)-4-diethylamino-1,1-dimethylbut-2-yn-1-yl 2-cyclohexyl-2-hydroxy-2-phenylacetate monohydrochloride monohydrate (NS-21), a new drug for the treatment of urinary frequency and incontinence, was conducted in Crl:CD rats. Female rats were given NS-21 orally at dose levels of 0 (control), 2, 25 and 300 mg/kg from day 7 to day 17 of pregnancy. Twenty-two female rats per dose level were sacrificed on day 20 of pregnancy for examination of their fetuses, and the remaining pregnant rats (twenty-three per dose level) were allowed to deliver naturally for postnatal examination of their offspring. At the 300 mg/kg dosage level, rales, partially closed eyes and reduced activity were observed in pregnant rats. Decreases in body weight gain, food consumption and water consumption were observed in the dams at the 300 mg/kg dosage level. Fetal body weights were decreased at the 300 mg/kg dosage level. The drug never altered the numbers of corpora lutea and implantations, fetal mortality, the number of live fetuses, sex ratio, placental weight, and external, visceral and skeletal development of fetuses. NS-21 did not affect the delivery of dams, the number of live newborns, birth index, body weight or survival index. Nor did NS-21 have any adverse effect on the postnatal development of the offspring, including physical and functional development, emotionality, motor activity, learning ability and reproductive performance. These results demonstrate that the NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) of NS-21 is 25 mg/kg for general toxicity in mother animals. 300 mg/kg for reproductive function in mother animal and 25 mg/kg for developmental toxicity.

Attainable βp and βN values were widely improved in JT-60U by peaking of the current profile and broadening of the pressure profile. In a quasi-steady state of ELMyy H mode, βp approximately 2.5-3, βN approximately 2.5-3.1 and H factor approximately 1.8-2.2 were sustained for approximately 1 s simultaneously under the full current drive condition (bootstrap current 60%, beam driven current 48% at Ip = 0.5 MA). In a transient case, the maximum values of βp, βp and βN reached 4.7, 1.2 and 4.2, respectively. The achievable βp value increases systematically with safety factor at the edge. To obtain these improved high β plasmas, it is essential to control MHD activities; suppression of βp collapse and medium m/n (poloidal mode number/toroidal mode number) modes by the modification in current and pressure profiles and control of ELM activity by suitable selection of the heating power

Amyloid beta/A4 protein precursor (APP) is secreted into medium by most cultured cells and can function as an autocrine factor. To study the biological function of secreted forms of APP (sAPP) on neurons, we used a clonal CNS neuronal line, B103, which does not synthesize detectable levels of APP. B103 cells transfected with APP construct developed neurites faster than the parent B103 cells when plated in a serum-free defined medium. Neurite outgrowth of B103 cells was promoted by the conditioned medium of APP-695-over-producing cells or by the bacteria- produced sAPP-695 (named KB75). A series of peptides having sequences between Ala-319 and Met-335 of APP-695 also stimulated neurite outgrowth of B103 cells. The sequence of five amino acids, RERMS (APP 328–332), within this stretch of sequence, was the shortest active peptide, although the concentration required for the neuritotropic activity was higher than that of KB75. Binding assay using 125I-labeled APP 17-mer peptide corresponding to Ala-319 to Met-335 of APP-695 as a ligand demonstrated specific and saturable cell-surface binding sites. The predicted KD value was 20 +/- 5 nM and the Bmax value was 80 +/- 8 fmol/10(6) cells. The binding could be displaced with KB75. A 17-mer peptide with reverse sequence neither induced neurite outgrowth nor competed for the binding. A bacteria-produced sAPP fragment lacking the active 17-mer sequence (named KB75 delta) did not compete with 125I- labeled 17-mer for binding or stimulate neurite extension. A peptide of sequence RMSQ (APP 330–333), which partially overlaps the active sequence RERMS, could block the neuritotropic effects of both KB75 and the 17-mer at higher concentrations. APP 17-mer was also found to induce the accumulation of inositol polyphosphates, suggesting that the APP 17-mer effects involve activation of inositol phospholipid signal transduction systems. These data indicate that sAPP induces neurite extension through cell-surface binding and that the domain containing the RERMS sequence (APP 328–332) represents the active site responsible for this function.

A new laser oscillation of the FeI atom has been obtained on two lines in the visible region; 532.418 and 562.455 nm. A pulsed YAG laser for producing Fe vapor and a KrF laser for optically pumping Fe vapor are employed. When the YAG laser energy is 2.0 J/pulse and the KrF laser energy is 34 mJ/pulse, a maximum laser energy of 135.3 nJ and a maximum energy conversion efficiency ([Fe laser energy]/[KrF laser energy]) of 3.98×10 -4 % are obtained. The optical gains at 532.418 and 562.455 nm are 0.66 and 0.41/cm, respectively. In order to elucidate the oscillation mechanisms of the visible Fe laser, output characteristics and temperature in the Fe vapor plasma are measured. As for the results, it is elucidated that the output characteristics of the visible Fe laser are mainly influenced by the temperature in the Fe vapor plasma.

Improvement of an enhanced confinement state in a high poloidal beta (βp) regime without sawtooth activity has been achieved in JT-60U. A confinement mode has been demonstrated where both the edge and the core confinement are improved. The attainable βp was also extended to higher values in this improved mode, because of its broader pressure profile. As a result of the improvement in confinement and in attainable βp, the highest value of the fusion triple product has been extended by a factor of 2.5 over that achieved in the 1992 experiments; it has reached (1.1 ± 0.3) × 1021 m-3.s.keV with a central ion temperature of about 37 keV. The D-D neutron emission rate has also been doubled in these experiments and has reached (5.6 ± 0.6) × 1016 s-1

The output characteristics of a KrF-laser-pumped Fe vapor laser have been investigated experimentally. A YAG laser of 1.5 J/pulse is used for producing Fe vapor and a KrF laser of about 34 mJ/pulse is employed for optically pumping the Fe vapor. The Fe laser output is measured as a function of He buffer gas pressure, delay time, vaporizing laser intensity and pumping laser intensity. A maximum laser energy of 1.08 μJ and a maximum optical conversion efficiency ([Fe laser energy]/[KrF laser energy]) of 6.5 × 10−3(%) are obtained. The optical gains at 299.95 and 304.04 nm are 1.53 and 1.77/cm, respectively.

The thickness dependence of soft magnetic properties was investigated for Fe-Si and Fe-Si-N films. The results were compared with the predictions of Hoffmann's ripple theory. It was suggested that the optimum soft magnetic properties can be obtained for films with thickness around 2000 A. Reducing the grain size as well as suppressing the column growth in the films lead to a way to improve the magnetic softness of Fe-based films, and the nitrogenation of the films is an effective method to realize this purpose.

A teratogenicity study of lactitol, a hepatic encephalopathy drug, was conducted in Sprague-Dawley rats. Female rats were given lactitol orally at dose levels of 0 (control), 0.7, 2.65 and 10 g/kg from day 7 to day 17 of pregnancy. Twenty-two female rats per dose level were sacrificed on day 20 of pregnancy for examination of their fetuses, and thirteen pregnant rats per dose level were allowed to deliver naturally for postnatal examination of their offspring. The high dose of lactitol caused diarrhea or soft stool in pregnant rats. The food consumption of female rats decreased in the intermediate and high dose groups. The water consumption of female rats increased in the high dose group. The drug failed to alter the body weight of female rats. The weights of cecum of dams increased in the intermediate and high dose group. The high dose caused enlargement of cecum in dams. The drug failed to alter the numbers of corpora lutea and implantations, fetal mortality, the number of live fetuses, body weight of live fetus, sex ratio, and external, visceral and skeletal development of fetuses. Lactitol did not affect the delivery of dams, the number of live newborns, birth index, external development, body weight, viability index, weaning index, and sex ratio of weanlings. Nor did lactitol have any adverse effect on the postnatal development of the first (F1) generation offspring, such as differentiation, emotionality, motor ability, learning ability or reproductive performance. Nor did lactitol have any adverse effect on the second (F2) generation offspring. The results show that no-effect dose levels of lactitol are 0.7 g/kg for general toxicity in mother animals, 10 g/kg for reproductive function in mother animals and their offspring.

In order to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the excimer formation kinetics in a discharge-pumped KrF laser, the time-resolved densities of Kr ∗ atoms, an F - ion and an electron in the discharge plasma have been measured by means of an interferometric method and an absorption method. On the basis of these experimental data, the formed density of the KrF ∗ excimer is calculated. It is experimentally elucidated that in a He buffer a degree of contribution of the neutral and ion channels for the excimer formation is almost equal, and in a Ne buffer that of the ion channel is an order of magnitude larger than that of the neutral channel.

The growth of A-1 fibroblasts depends on exogenous amyloid beta/A4 protein precursor (APP), providing a simple bioassay to study the function of APP. Our preliminary study, testing the activity of a series of fragments derived from the secreted form of APP-695 (sAPP-695) on this bioassay, has shown that at least one of the active sites of sAPP-695 was localized within a 40-mer sequence (APP296-335, Kang sequence; Roch, J.-M., I. P. Shapiro, M. P. Sundsmo, D. A. C. Otero, L. M. Refolo, N. K. Robakis, and T. Saitoh. 1992. J. Biol. Chem. 267:2214-2221). In the present study, to further characterize the growth-promoting activity of sAPP-695 on fibroblasts, we applied a battery of synthetic peptides on this bioassay and found that: (a) the sequence of five amino acids, RERMS (APP328-332), was uniquely required for the growth-promoting activity of sAPP-695; (b) the activity was sequence-specific because the reverse-sequence peptide of the active domain had no activity; and (c) the four-amino-acid peptide RMSQ (APP330-333), which partially overlaps the COOH-terminal side of the active sequence RERMS, could antagonize the activity of sAPP-695. Furthermore, a recombinant protein which lacks this active domain (APP20-591 without 306-335) did not promote fibroblast cell growth, suggesting that this domain is the only site of sAPP-695 involved in the growth stimulation. The availability of these biologically active, short peptides and their antagonists should prove to be an essential step for the elucidation of APP involvement in regulation of cellular homeostasis.

Mouse and rat whole embryo cultures are widely used in teratogenicity studies. We attempted to improve the technique of culturing rabbit embryo. Rabbit embryos of the Japanese White strain were explanted on day 9, 10 or 11 of gestation and cultured for 24 or 48 hr. Rabbit embryos on day 9 of gestation were cultured in 100% rabbit serum with a gas mixture containing 20% O2 for the first 24 hr and 95% O2 for the following 24 hr. Rabbit embryos on day 10 or 11 of gestation were cultured in 100, 80 or 60% rabbit serum with a gas mixture of 95% O2 for 48 or 24 hr. The development of embryos cultured for 48 hr from day 9 or day 10 or for 24 hr from day 11 was nearly the same as that of embryos that had developed in vivo. These results indicate that rabbit embryo culture is a useful and promising technique in teratogenicity studies. We then examined the effects of trypan blue on cultured rat and rabbit embryos. Slc:SD rat embryos on day 9.5 of gestation were explanted and cultured in rat serum exposed to trypan blue (300–2700 μg/ml) for 48 hr. Rabbit embryos on day 9 or 10 of gestation were explanted and cultured in rabbit serum containing trypan blue (300–2700 μg/ml) for 48 or 24 hr. Cultured rat embryos exposed to trypan blue showed neural tube abnormalities, and all growth parameters were suppressed with increasing concentrations of trypan blue. However, trypan blue had no effect on cultured rabbit embryos. These results indicate that trypan blue has species-specific effects on embryos.

The erythrocyte membrane inhibitor of the human terminal complement proteins, surface antigen CD59, has previously been shown to enter into a detergent-resistant complex with either the membrane-bound complex of C5b-8 or C5b-9 (Meri, S., Morgan, B. P., Davies, A., Daniels, R. H., Olavesen, M. G., Waldmann, H. and Lachmann, P. J. (1990) Immunology 71, 1-9; Rollins, S. A., Zhao, J., Ninomiya, H., and Sims, P. J. (1991) J. Immunol, 146, 2345-2351). In order to further define the interactions that underlie the complement-inhibitory function of CD59, we have examined the binding interactions between 125I-CD59 and the isolated components of human complement membrane attack complex, C5b6, C7, C8, and C9. By density gradient analysis, we were unable to detect interaction of 125I-CD59 with any of these isolated complement components in solution. Specific binding of 125I-CD59 to C8 and C9 was detected when these human complement proteins were adsorbed to either plastic or to nitrocellulose, suggesting that a conformational change that accompanies surface adsorption exposes a CD59-binding site that is normally buried in these serum proteins. The binding of 125I-CD59 to plastic-adsorbed C8 and C9 was saturable and competed by excess unlabeled CD59, with half-maximal binding observed at 125I-CD59 concentrations of 80 and 36 nM, respectively. No specific binding of 125I-CD59 was detected for surface-adsorbed human C5b6 or C7 nor was such binding observed for C8 or C9 isolated from rabbit serum. Binding of CD59 to human C8 and C9 was not mediated by the phospholipid moiety of CD59, implying association by protein-protein interaction. In order to further define the binding sites for CD59, ligand blotting with 125I-CD59 was performed after separation of C8 into its noncovalently associated subunits (C8 alpha-gamma and C8 beta) and after alpha-thrombin digestion of C9. These experiments revealed specific and saturable binding of 125I-CD59 to C8 alpha-gamma subunit (half-maximal binding at 75 nM), but not to C8 beta, and specific and saturable binding to the 37-kDa fragment (C9b) of thrombin-cleaved C9 (half-maximal binding at 35 nM), but not to the 25-kDa C9a fragment. Partial reduction of C8 alpha-gamma revealed that only C8 alpha polypeptide exhibited affinity for CD59, and no specific binding to the C8 gamma chain was detected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

The contribution of N-linked carbohydrate to the complement-inhibitory function of the human erythrocyte membrane glycoprotein, CD59, was investigated. Amino acid sequence analysis of tryptic peptides labeled with [3H]borohydride revealed an N-linked carbohydrate moiety at the Asn18 residue. No O-linked carbohydrate was detected, as judged by the failure of asialo-CD59 to bind peanut agglutinin and by its resistance to digestion by O-glycanase. The apparent molecular mass of CD59 was reduced from 18-20 to 14 kDa upon complete digestion with N-glycanase, with no detectable proteolysis. N-glycanase digestion of CD59 was associated with an 88 +/- 4% loss of the complement-inhibitory activity of the protein, as assessed by its capacity to protect chicken erythrocytes from lysis by the human C5b-9 proteins. By contrast, no change in function was observed after digestion of CD59 with neuraminidase, under conditions that removed greater than 60% of [3H]sialic acid residues. Despite loss of functional activity after N-glycanase digestion, we detected no change in the capacity of the deglycosylated CD59 to incorporate into erythrocyte membranes or to bind specifically and with species selectivity to the C8 and C9 components of the membrane attack complex. In order to alter the branched-chain structure of the N-linked carbohydrate of CD59 without enzymatic digestion, Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with cDNA for human CD59 were grown in the alpha-mannosidase inhibitor, 1-deoxymannojirimycin, resulting in conversion of approximately 70% of the membrane glycoprotein to a high mannose. When grown in the presence of 1-deoxymannojirimycin, the C5b-9-inhibitory activity of CD59 expressed on the surface of the transfected CHO cells was reduced by an amount comparable to that observed for the N-glycanase digested protein. Taken together, these data suggest that normal glycosylation of Asn18 in CD59 is required for the normal expression of its complement-inhibitory activity on membrane surfaces, although these N-linked sugar residues do not contribute to CD59's affinity for the C8 and C9 components of the C5b-9 complex.

The time variation of population densities of V atoms in absorption levels pertinent to an optically pumped atomic V vapor laser is studied experimentally. V vapor is generated from a V metal by irradiation of a pulsed Nd:YAG (λ=1.06 μm) laser of 2 J/pulse energy and 1.4 ms pulse duration. The population densities of the ground‐state and excited‐state (E∼2400 cm−1) V atoms have been measured by the interferometric method, and the temperature in the vapor is estimated from these populations. It has been experimentally observed that the populations of the ground state and the excited state are about 1×1014/cm3 and 4×1013/cm3, respectively. The temperature in the vapor increased from about 1800 to 4000 K with time during the YAG laser irradiation.

Output characteristics of an optically pumped tantalum vapor laser and the distribution of tantalum vapor generated by irradiation of a laser have been investigated experimentally. Ta vapor is generated by irradiation of a pulsed YAG laser and then the Ta atoms are optically pumped by a KrF excimer laser. It is observed that the maximum output energy is 160 nJ, the maximum optical conversion efficiency is 0.01%, and the ground‐state Ta atoms are distributed not only in the luminous space of the vapor but also around it.

The capacity of the human complement regulatory protein CD59 to interact with terminal complement proteins in a species-selective manner was examined. When incorporated into chicken E, CD59 (purified from human E membranes) inhibited the cytolytic activity of the C5b-9 complex in a manner dependent on the species of origin of C8 and C9. Inhibition of C5b-9-mediated hemolysis was maximal when C8 and C9 were derived from human (hu) or baboon serum. By contrast, CD59 showed reduced activity when C8 and C9 were derived from dog or sheep serum, and no activity when C8 and C9 were derived from either rabbit or guinea pig (gp) serum. Similar specificity on the basis of the species of origin of C8 and C9 was also observed for CD59 endogenous to the human E membrane, using functionally blocking antibody against this cell surface protein to selectively abrogate its C5b-9-inhibitory activity. When E bearing human CD59 were exposed to C5b-8hu, CD59 was found to inhibit C5b-9-mediated lysis, regardless of the species of origin of C9, suggesting that the inhibitory function of CD59 can be mediated through recognition of species-specific domains expressed by human C8. Consistent with this interpretation, CD59 was found to bind to C5b-8hu but not to C5b67hu or C5b67huC8gp. Although CD59 failed to inhibit hemolysis mediated by C5b67huC8gpC9gp, its inhibitory function was observed for C5b67huC8gpC9hu, suggesting that, in addition to its interaction with C5b-8hu, CD59 also interacts in a species-selective manner with C9hu incorporated into C5b-9. Consistent with this interpretation, CD59 was found to bind both C5b67huC8gpC9hu and C5b-8huC9gp, but not C5b67huC8gpC9gp. Taken together, these data suggest that the capacity of CD59 to restrict the hemolytic activity of human serum complement involves a species-selective interaction of CD59, which involves binding to both the C8 and C9 components of the membrane attack complex. Although CD59 expresses selectivity for C8 and C9 of human origin, this "homologous restriction" is not absolute, and this human complement regulatory protein retains functional activity toward C8 and C9 of some nonprimate species.

Technology for the world's first production of 6.5% Si steel sheets has been commercially developed in coil-form. The DC and AC magnetostriction in 6.5% Si steel sheets and the noise of the transformer made of 6.5% Si steel sheets were investigated in comparison with that of conventional 3% Si steel sheets. 6.5% Si steel sheets showed extremely low magnetostriction and were recognized to be suitable for application to the low noise audio frequency transformer.

We studied [3H]glutamate binding to human brain membrane preparations. We found that the binding assay of [3H]glutamate should be done at 4 degrees C using glass-fiber filters pretreated with polyethyleneimine, sterile incubation buffer, and membrane preparations pretreated with a detergent. Under these assay conditions, we have characterized the three subtypes of glutamate receptors: N-methyl-D-aspartate-, quisqualate- and kainate-sensitive binding sites. Scatchard analysis revealed that the N-methyl-D-aspartate-sensitive [3H]glutamate binding sites consisted of a single component with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 28.2 +/- 2.8 nM and total concentration (Bmax) of 36.2 +/- 3.6 fmol/mg protein (N = 8). These data were much different from those presented in previous studies.

A population inversion density on the Ti 551.4‐nm (3D01−3F2) transition in a N2 ‐laser‐pumped Ti‐vapor laser has been estimated from measurements of an optical gain on the laser transition, length of the laser medium, and temperature in the vapor to determine the linewidth. Ti vapor is generated by irradiation of a pulsed YAG laser light of 1 J/pulse energy and then the Ti atoms are optically pumped by a N2 laser of 0.2 mJ/cm2 intensity. It has been experimentally observed that, in pure Ti vapor, the population of Ti (3d24s2 3F2) is about 8×1013/cm3, the temperature in the vapor is about 9000 K, the population inversion on the 551.4‐nm transition is about 1.5×1011/cm3, and the absorption cross section of the N2 ‐laser light at 337.044 nm by a Ti atom is 3.0×10−15 cm2.

This communication describes a fully automated method by which the position of the diaphragm surface can be estimated by deforming a thin-plate model to match the bottom surface of the lung in CT images. This method was applied to 338 X-ray CT scans, and its validity was proved by the experimental results.

Paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) is a haemolytic disease characterized by complement-sensitive red blood cells (RBC). PNH-affected RBC (PNH-RBC) should have a shortened mean lifespan (MLS); however, direct measurement is difficult. We have recently developed a sensitive flow cytometric assay to analyse PNH-affected reticulocytes that may closely correspond to the PNH clone-derived erythropoiesis. Naturally, the CD59-negative populations in reticulocytes were larger than those in whole RBC in PNH. We estimated the MLS of PNH-RBC in six PNH patients from the differences in the ratios of CD59-negative populations between reticulocytes and whole RBC. The MLS of PNH-RBC was calculated using the following formula: W/100 = R x M/[(100 - R) x 120 + R x M], where W, percentage CD59-negative whole RBC; R, percentage CD59-negative reticulocytes; M, MLS (days) of CD59-negative RBC. The MLS of PNH-RBC, estimated as 16-45 days in the PNH patients, showed a weak positive and a weak negative relation with RBCs and percentage reticulocytes, respectively, among the patients. The MLS, in individual patients, altered irrespective of RBC and percentage reticulocytes. The MLS calculated from our methods may be a parameter that evaluates the haemolytic conditions in PNH.

Recent lower hybrid current drive (LHCD), and heating (LHH) experiments on JT-60 are reported. The current drive product of neRpIRF approximately 12.5*1019 m-2 MA was achieved at the LH power of approximately 4.5 MW, and the CD efficiency, the energy confinement, the global power balance and the heat load on divertor plates were investigated in high power LHCD plasmas. Nearly steady state H-mode discharges were found during LHCD with two different frequency injections. Sawtooth suppression in NB heated plasmas by LHCD have shown an improvement in confinement near the plasma center. Parametric instabilities in LH heating experiments were significantly reduced by increasing the plasma current, and the stored energy increased linearly with heating power of up to approximately 9 MW at ne approximately 7*1019 m-3 and Ip=2.75 MA. Parametric instabilities near the plasma edge in the ion heating regime were also reduced in peaked density plasmas produced by pellet injection and LH waves increased the central plasma pressure at ne(0) > 1.4*1020 m-3.

Characteristics of an optically pumped titanium vapor laser have been investigated on the 3d2 4s(4P)4p 3D01−3d3(4F)4Rs 3F2 transition at 551.4 nm. An excimer laser of 14 mJ/pulse for vaporization and an N2 laser of 5 mJ/pulse for optical pumping are employed. The laser output energy is measured as a function of buffer gas pressure, delay time, output mirror reflectivity, pumping laser intensity, and vaporizing laser intensity. The possibility of lasing on the other transitions is also discussed.

The output characteristics of an optically pumped titanium vapor laser on various buffer gas species and pressures have been measured, and the role of buffer gas on the laser output is accordingly discussed. He, Ne, Ar, and Kr are used as buffer gases. The optimum condition for the maximum output energy is 4 Torr of He with 10 μs delay time.

Accurately identifying corresponded landmarks from a population of shape instances is the major challenge in constructing statistical shape models. In this paper, we address this landmark-based shape-correspondence problem for 3D cases by developing a highly efficient landmark-sliding algorithm. This algorithm is able to quickly refine all the landmarks in a parallel fashion by sliding them on the 3D shape surfaces. We use 3D thin-plate splines to model the shape-correspondence error so that the proposed algorithm is invariant to affine transformations and more accurately reflects the nonrigid biological shape deformations between different shape instances. In addition, the proposed algorithm can handle both open-and closed-surface shape, while most of the current 3D shape-correspondence methods can only handle genus-0 closed surfaces. We conduct experiments on 3D hippocampus data and compare the performance of the proposed algorithm to the state-of-the-art MDL and SPHARM methods. We find that, while the proposed algorithm produces a shape correspondence with a better or comparable quality to the other two, it takes substantially less CPU time. We also apply the proposed algorithm to correspond 3D diaphragm data which have an open-surface shape.

We present a case of multiple schwannomas in the radial nerve. The occurrence of multiple schwannomas in a single major nerve is very rare. Magnetic resonance imaging was useful in detecting the tumours. As schwannomas may be multiple without clinical symptoms, we recommend MR imaging of the entire limb when schwannomas occur in a major nerve in the upper extremity.

Metallic airway stents were used widely at the beginning of airway stent use, but an accumulation of cases has revealed complications due to their use. A patient who received a Gianturco Z stent for bronchial tuberculosis suffered massive haemoptysis due to stent migration into the aortic wall. Left pneumonectomy with aortic repair was successfully performed. We suggest that metallic stents should not be used for benign airway palliation, as they may later cause life-threatening complications.

We propose superjunction UMOSFET devices (SJ-UMOS) with split p-column structures for automotive applications with rated voltage of 40-75 V. The split p-column fabricated by multi-ion-implantations consists of p-type islands separated by small distances in an n-type epi-layer. This structure was designed to improve the repetitive inductive switching performance without sacrificing the original benefits of the SJ structure. We achieved a specific on-resistance of 28.7 m/spl Omega/mm/sup 2/ at a gate voltage of 10 V for breakdown voltage of 68.0 V. In addition, we confirmed high immunity against inductive switching stress at 175/spl deg/C and good reverse recovery properties.

The disclosed 5-year survival rate for lung cancer in the Internet website represents a various difference by each institution. The better inferiority of the survival has been listed in a table to compare with other institutions and has been reported in magazines and media with a lack of an enough inspection, i.e., with a sufficient considering of a risk adjustment such as patient's background, operative policy, postoperative adjuvant therapy, and statistical background. We report our outcome of the surgical treatment for primary lung cancer. Of 875 patients treated for lung cancer in our department for 23 years between January 1980 and December 2002, 115 patients containing of 42 cases in 1997 and of 48 ones in 1992 and of 25 ones in 1987 were selected and the accumulated survival analysis was treated by Kaplan-Meier method. Eighty males and 35 females were between 15 and 80-year-old (average 63.2 +/- 11.4). The pathological classification was adenocarcinoma (n=69), squamous cell carcinoma (n=32), and others (n=14). The operative procedures were pneumonectomy (n=14), bilobectomy (n=12), lobectomy (n=85), and wedge resection (n=4). The survival time was from 29 days to 182 months (median survival time was 1471+/- 1180 days, the averaged time was 49 months). The 5-year survival rate was 41.4 +/- 9.1% (n=25) in 1987, 35.6 +/- 6.2% (n=48) in 1992, and 56.0 +/- 7.0% (n=42) in 1987, respectively (log-rank test, p = 0.2555). The 10-year survival rate was 24.1 +/- 7.9% in 1987 and 8.5 +/- 3.6% in 1992, respectively. The 5-year survival rate was as follows: IA 81.0 +/- 8.6% (n=20), IB 73.7 +/- 10.1% (n=19), IIA 57.1 +/- 18.7% (n=7), IIB 55.6 +/- 16.6% (n=9), IIIA 28.6 +/- 7.6% (n=35), IIIB 15.4 +/- 10.0% (n=13), IV 16.7 +/- 10.8% (n=12), respectively. The 5-year survival rate was as follows: male 42.8 +/- 5.3% (n=80), female 63.2 +/- 7.3% (n=35), respectively (p = 0.0147). In regard to the histological classification, the 5-year survival rate was as follows: adenocarcinoma 47.2 +/- 5.9% (n=69), squamous cell carcinoma 50.8 +/- 8.9% (n=32), respectively (p = 0.9012). As a rule of the disclosure on the internet website, we report our survival data by accompanying with minimum parameters such as, patient's background, pathological types, gender, pathological stages, and mean survival rate with standard error. When we compare the 5-year survival rate with other institutes, in considering of a risk adjustment, we would carefully have to estimate the determined survival rate with a standard error.