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Groundmass crystals indicate syneruptive magmatic conditions, and thus their crystal size distributions (CSDs) are used to infer magma ascent histories. Three-dimensional (3D) CSDs are most commonly estimated from two-dimensional (2D) observations and plotted against long-axis length, L (hereafter referred to as “L-plot CSDs”). However, L-plot CSDs have two significant problems: the error because of the conversion from 2D to 3D and a lowered sensitivity to changes in the degree of effective undercooling (ΔTeff), which arises because a crystal’s growth rate varies with ΔTeff most strongly along its long dimension. Although these problems can result in false interpretations of magma ascent dynamics, there has been little discussion of the influence of the size criteria on CSDs. In this study, we investigated which 3D size criterion [i.e., long (L), intermediate (I), or short (S) axis length] is optimum for 2D-estimated CSDs of groundmass crystals from two perspectives: (1) conformity with the actual distributions, and (2) the sensitivity of CSD slopes to the magma ascent conditions in the conduit. We observed groundmass pyroxene crystals in pumice clasts from sub-Plinian and Vulcanian eruptive phases during the 2011 eruption of Shinmoedake (andesitic volcano, Japan) by using synchrotron radiation-based X-ray computed nanotomography (SR-XCT) and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and rein-vestigated the crystallization kinetics of pyroxene nanolites ranging in width from a few hundred nanometers to 1 µm. The SR-XCT observations provided the detailed 3D shapes and 3D CSDs (CT-CSDs) of these nanolites directly. The FE-SEM observations allowed us to estimate 3D aspect ratios (S:I:L) and CSDs (SEM-CSDs). L-plot SEM-CSDs, acquired using the program CSDCorrections, were used to calculate S-plot SEM-CSDs and I-plot SEM-CSDs. We compared the data from FE-SEM with those from SR-XCT to evaluate the accuracy of 3D aspect ratios and CSDs estimated from 2D data. The L-plot SEM-CSDs from the sub-Plinian pumice sample showed significant inconsistencies with the CTCSD, a result of the difficulty in estimating representative 3D aspect ratios from 2D observations for elongated groundmass crystals. In contrast, the S- and I-plot SEM-CSDs kept the effect of aspect ratio to a minimum and preserved their actual slopes, except for a vertical discrepancy between the CSDs. Moreover, the slopes of S- and I-plot CSDs of the nanolites differed more markedly between the two eruptive styles (by ~20% more) than those of L-plot CSDs. For estimating magma ascent dynamics, we propose that the optimum method for acquiring SEM-CSDs is to measure the cross-sectional widths of crystals and convert the resulting 2D data set into S-plot CSDs. Our new finding that the 3D shapes and CSDs of pyroxene nanolites differ according to eruptive style means that nanolites indicate distinct differences in ascent histories at the shallow conduit: increasing ΔTeff just before sub-Plinian eruptions and decreasing ΔTeff before Vulcanian eruptions. Given the similarity in CSDs of micro-lites, our results suggest that eruptive style was determined in the shallow conduit. Monitoring the condition of the shallow conduit may contribute to predicting the time evolution of eruptive activity.

Background Adequate nutrition has been proposed for better cardiovascular prognosis as well as fitness, although the impact of the “changes” in nutrition and fitness at recovery phase on the future prognosis has been unclear. Purpose We aimed to examine whether the change in nutritional level as a result of dietary intervention combined with exercise would determine patients' cardiovascular prognosis. Methods This study involved 398 consecutive patients who participated in phase II comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CCR) for at least three months. All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPX) at the initial and completion periods of CCR. Individual dietary guidance was periodically performed with exercise. Peak oxygen uptake (PVO2) was measured through CPX to evaluate the fitness level, whereas nutritional status was evaluated using the geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). Patients were divided in two groups according to the baseline GNRI and the change in GNRI (ΔGNRI) by the median, respectively, to compare their prognosis between groups. Then they were classified into four categories according to the median values of the changes in GNRI (ΔGNRI) and PVO2 (ΔPVO2) during CCR: “Both improved”, “Only GNRI improved”, “Only PVO2 improved” and “Both NOT improved”, to compare MACCE-free rate between categories. Results The rate of MACCE showed significant difference between categories (14%, 18%, 19% and 36%, p Conclusion Changes in nutritional level would determine patients' cardiovascular prognosis rather than the baseline nutritional level. Non-responders who showed no improvement in nutritional or fitness by interventions may result in a poor cardiovascular outcome. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: None

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidative susceptibility is recognized as a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We previously reported that the ingestion of a supplement containing sesame lignans (sesamin/episesamin) for 4 weeks reduced LDL oxidative susceptibility in humans.To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this observation, 12-week-old New Zealand White rabbits were fed a fat/cholesterol-enriched diet (100 g/day) for 6 weeks followed by oral administration of vehicle (control) or sesame lignans (50 mg/kg) for 4 weeks with the fat/cholesterol-enriched diet.The results showed that the ingestion of sesame lignans prolonged LDL oxidation lag time, regardless of the existence of the anti-oxidative catechol metabolite of sesamin/episesamin in LDL. Plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) activity was significantly reduced by sesame lignans. The prolongation of LDL oxidation lag time was abolished by the addition of a PAF-AH inhibitor. The expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines and macrophage infiltration observed in the liver following the feeding of the fat/cholesterol-enriched diet were also significantly reduced by sesame lignans.These results indicate that sesame lignans reduce LDL oxidative susceptibility by downregulating plasma PAF-AH activity via the reduction of inflammation in the liver induced by fat/cholesterol-enriched diets.

The composition dependence of transition temperatures on quaternary Co-Fe-Ni-Ga melt-spun alloys with constant Ga content are examined. A few at.% of Fe replacement for Co in Co50Ni22Ga28 drastically reduce martensitic transformation temperature (TM) whereas ferromagnetic transition temperature (Tc) remains above 400 K. Increasing Ni instead of Co in Fe doped specimen can raise TM around room temperature again. Further increase of Fe content with this manner, the alloys finally connected to ternary Ni-Fe-Ga of ferromagnetic shape memory region. The martensitic transition start temperature (MS) of Co-Fe-Ni-Ga28 alloys show good correlation with the valence electron ratio (e/a). The MS vs e/a plot clearly shows that trend lines are separated for each Fe content, and intervals of trend lines seem to be proportional to Fe content at lower Fe region. The Tc and saturation magnetization of Co-Fe-Ni-Ga28 alloys show almost linear relation with magnetic valence Zm.

We calculate transverse spin susceptibility in the linear response method based on the ground states determined in the quasiparticle self-consistent $GW$ (QSGW) method. Then we extract spin-wave (SW) dispersions from the susceptibility. We treat bcc Fe, hcp Co, fcc Ni, and B2-type FeCo. Because of the better description of the independent-particle picture in QSGW, calculated spin stiffness constants for Fe, Co, and Ni give much better agreement with experiments in QSGW than those in the local density approximation (LDA); the stiffness for Ni in LDA is two times greater than in experiment. For Co, both acoustic and optical branches of SWs agree with experiment. As for FeCo, we have some discrepancy between the spin stiffness in QSGW and that in experiment. We may need further theoretical and experimental investigations on the discrepancy.

We will describe the performance of one Concrete Face Rockfill Dam (CFRD) and two Asphaltic Concrete Face Dams (AFRD) which were affected significantly by earthquakes. The 2008 Iwate-Miyagi earthquake caused the crest settle of 56 cm for Ishibuchi CFRD. However, the concrete facing was not affected largely. The water storage function of the dam was completely maintained. Cracks of asphalt facing were caused by The 2011 Tohoku earthquake in two AFRDs of Yashio and Numappara. The two significant cracks along the left and right abutments were found in Yashio dam. The totally 1547 m long cracks were concentrated at a vicinity of the boundary of the dam foundation and the embankment in Numappara dam. The numerical dynamic analysis was conducted in order to understand the contributing factors which could maintain the seismic stability of CFRD and to pursue the crack mechanism and design adequate remedial works for AFRDs.

Objective: Whether intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) associated with non–vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOAC-ICH) has a better outcome compared to ICH associated with vitamin K antagonists (VKA-ICH) is uncertain. Methods: We performed a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of cohort studies comparing clinical and radiological outcomes between NOAC-ICH and VKA-ICH patients. The primary outcome measure was 30-day all-cause mortality. All outcomes were assessed in multivariate regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, ICH location, and intraventricular hemorrhage extension. Results: We included 7 eligible studies comprising 219 NOAC-ICH and 831 VKA-ICH patients (mean age = 77 years, 52.5% females). The 30-day mortality was similar between NOAC-ICH and VKA-ICH (24.3% vs 26.5%; hazard ratio = 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.67–1.31). However, in multivariate analyses adjusting for potential confounders, NOAC-ICH was associated with lower admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (linear regression coefficient = −2.83, 95% CI = −5.28 to −0.38), lower likelihood of severe stroke (NIHSS > 10 points) on admission (odds ratio [OR] = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.30–0.84), and smaller baseline hematoma volume (linear regression coefficient = −0.24, 95% CI = −0.47 to −0.16). The two groups did not differ in the likelihood of baseline hematoma volume < 30cm3 (OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.81–1.62), hematoma expansion (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.63–1.48), in-hospital mortality (OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.49–1.11), functional status at discharge (common OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.57–1.07), or functional status at 3 months (common OR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.75–1.43). Interpretation: Although functional outcome at discharge, 1 month, or 3 months was comparable after NOAC-ICH and VKA-ICH, patients with NOAC-ICH had smaller baseline hematoma volumes and less severe acute stroke syndromes. Ann Neurol 2018;84:702–712. © 2018 American Neurological Association

We have succeeded to fabricate body-centered cubic (bcc) single phase of Fe–Mn–Ga alloys using melt-spinning technique. Heusler type L21 structure of Fe2MnGa alloy are predicted to have half-metallic properties, however bulk Fe2MnGa alloys crystallize into face-centered cubic (fcc) lattice with small admixture of bcc phase. By changing either ejection temperature or rotation speed of melt-spinning processing parameters, fcc or bcc lattice can be obtained from same precursor ingot. For stoichiometric Fe2MnGa as-spun alloy, super-lattice diffraction peaks indicative of L21 structure are observed from XRD measurements. The as-spun bcc alloys transform into ferromagnetic hexagonal lattice by thermal annealing.

We detected the H + ions recoiled from Si(1 1 1)–1 × 1-H by medium energy 80–150 keV Ne + impacts. The H + fraction is dependent on emerging angle and emerging energy. With decreasing the emerging angle scaled from the surface normal the H + fraction increases and reaches a saturation below ∼70° and almost 100% for emerging energy above 13 keV. In contrast, the charge state is not equilibrated even at ∼85°. Such strong dependence on emerging angle is due to the location of H bound by Si atoms on top of the surface. The sensitivity to H on the surfaces is estimated to be better than 5 × 10 12 atoms/cm 2 at a small emerging angle ( θ out + fraction reaches ∼100%. The unexpectedly large energy spread for the recoiled H + spectra is attributed to the Doppler broadening caused by the zero-point energy of the vibrating H–Si system and additionally to small energy transfers among the three bodies of Ne + and H–Si, although the assumption of binary collision between Ne + and H is approximately valid. This H detection technique can be widely applied to analysis of chemical reactions including adsorption and desorption mediated by water and hydroxyl on various kinds of metal-oxide surfaces.

The influence of quenching rate on the magnetic and martensitic properties of Ni–Fe–Al β phase alloys, with Al content less than 25 at.%, was investigated through melt-spinning. Rapidly solidified ribbons with different rotation speeds were fabricated for comparison. Microstructure observation and X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that lower quenching rate produced a β + γ two phase structure, whereas higher rate could produce a single β phase in a certain range of composition. The solid solution range of the β phase can be extended to lower Al content range by preventing the precipitation of the γ phase with an appropriate quenching rate. In Ni 75− x Fe x Al 25 ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, the magnetic transition temperatures ( T C ) are limited to below 250 K in conventional processing, which is a disadvantage for practical applications. In the ribbons with lower Al content and higher quenching rate, both T C and martensitic transformation temperatures ( T M ) became simultaneously around room temperature. The T M and T C showed a linear dependence with average electron concentration e / a and the magnetic valence Z m , respectively.

After exposing a reduced TiO 2 (1 1 0) surface to an O 2 gas, the defect state seen in the band gap for the reduced surface almost disappeared, while O adatoms (O ad ) appeared on the 5-fold Ti rows. We then dosed a CO gas onto the TiO 2 (1 1 0) surface oxidized by 18 O 2 exposure and measured the defect state intensity and the amount of 18 O by photoemission and ion scattering spectroscopy, respectively. With increasing CO dose, the defect state intensity increases, whereas the amount of 18 O decreases. The results obtained clearly show the reaction of CO with O ad probably to form CO 2 .

For the purpose of realising the battery-less smart shoes, we have developed piezoelectric vibration energy harvesters (PVEHs), and PVEH-driven sports shoes. The smart shoes are equipped with acceleration sensors in the sole and Bluetooth LE (BLE) modules, which were driven by PVEHs composed of piezoelectric bimorph cantilevers. We have confirmed the capability of the PVEHs to frequently transmit the sensing data from the beacons of BLE when the subjects practically run while wearing shoes.

Wurtzite-derived CuGaO2 (β-CuGaO2) is a recently synthesized oxide and expected as a candidate material for photovoltaic solar cells. In this paper, we propose computational material design concerning β-CuGaO2 based on the first-principles calculations. We perform hybrid calculations by using the VASP code. It is predicted that β-CuGaO2 has a direct bandgap (Eg = 1.56 eV), which is nearly optimal for high efficiency solar cells. The calculated formation energy of Cu vacancy (VCu) is very small and can be negative depending on the Fermi level. This result reasonably explains the observed p-type conduction in this material. As for the n-type doping, Cd doping could be suitable; however, VCu formation needs to be repressed in order to realize n-type β-CuGaO2. It is also shown that halogen impurities are not suitable for n-type β-CuGaO2 because of their large formation energy. Band alignment between β-CuGaO2 and ZnO is predicted to be type-II, leading to a suggestion of photovoltaic device based on the heterojunction.

Summary It is still controversial whether patients with a history of gastrectomy have high risk of esophageal carcinogenesis. On the other hand, the treatment strategy for esophageal cancer patients after gastrectomy is complicated. The association between histories of gastrectomy and esophageal carcinogenesis was retrospectively analyzed, and the treatment of esophageal cancer patients after gastrectomy was evaluated based on questionnaire data collected from multiple centers in Kyushu, Japan. The initial subject population comprised 205 esophageal cancer patients after gastrectomy. Among them, 108 patients underwent curative surgical treatment, and 70 patients underwent chemoradiation therapy (CRT). The time between gastrectomy and esophageal cancer development was longer in peptic ulcer patients (28.3 years) than in gastric cancer patients (9.6 years). There were no differences in the location of esophageal cancer according to the gastrectomy reconstruction method. There were no significant differences in the clinical background characteristics between patients with and without a history of gastrectomy. Among the 108 patients in the surgery group, the 5‐year overall survival rates for stages I (n = 30), II (n = 18), and III (n = 60) were 68.2%, 62.9%, and 32.1%, respectively. In the CRT group, the 5‐year overall survival rate of stage I (n = 29) was 82.6%, but there were no 5‐year survivors in other stages. The 5‐year overall survival rate of patients with CR (n = 33) or salvage surgery (n = 10) was 61.2% or 36%, respectively. For the treatment of gastrectomized esophageal cancer patients, surgery or CRT is recommended for stage I, and surgery with or without adjuvant therapy is the main central treatment in advanced stages, with surgery for stage II, neoadjuvant therapy + surgery for stage III, and CRT + salvage surgery for any stage, if the patient's condition permits.

It is well established that the molecular weight of recycled PP decreases significantly as compared to the virgin material. Hence this study involved 2 PP grades of different molecular weights in order to simulate the recycling process. The effect of weight–average molecular weight on interfacial adhesion between GF and PP was investigated. Tensile test was done and the fiber length distribution around the fracture zone in both composites was compared with the distributions from similar locations of unstressed composites. The effect of PP-grafted maleic anhydride coupling agent was also studied. It was found that a decrease in weight–average molecular weight of PP improved interfacial adhesive strength between GF/PP. The lower molecular weight matrix has a lower viscosity that enables its molecules to penetrate easily into the silane interphase. In that case, the interfacial area that is available for coupling is higher, leading to a more effective coupling. The higher interfacial shear strength between the glass fiber and the lower molecular weight matrix induced more breakage of the glass fiber during tensile test.

Archaerhodopsin-1 and -2 (aR-1 and aR-2) are light-driven proton pumps found in Halorubrum sp. aus-1 and -2, which share 55-58% sequence identity with bacteriorhodopsin (bR), a proton pump found in Halobacterium salinarum. In this study, aR-1 and aR-2 were crystallized into 3D crystals belonging to P4(3)2(1)2 (a = b = 128.1 A, c = 117.6 A) and C222(1) (a = 122.9 A, b = 139.5 A, c = 108.1 A), respectively. In both the crystals, the asymmetric unit contains two protein molecules with slightly different conformations. Each subunit is composed of seven helical segments as seen in bR but, unlike bR, aR-1 as well as aR-2 has a unique omega loop near the N terminus. It is found that the proton pathway in the extracellular half (i.e. the proton release channel) is more opened in aR-2 than in aR-1 or bR. This structural difference accounts for a large variation in the pKa of the acid purple-to-blue transition among the three proton pumps. All the aromatic residues surrounding the retinal polyene chain are conserved among the three proton pumps, confirming a previous argument that these residues are required for the stereo-specificity of the retinal isomerization. In the cytoplasmic half, the region surrounded by helices B, C and G is highly conserved, while the structural conservation is very low for residues extruded from helices E and F. Structural conservation of the hydrophobic residues located on the proton uptake pathway suggests that their precise arrangement is necessary to prevent a backward flow of proton in the presence of a large pH gradient and membrane potential. An empty cavity is commonly seen in the vicinity of Leu93 contacting the retinal C13 methyl. Existence of such a cavity is required to allow a large rotation of the side-chain of Leu93 at the early stage of the photocycle, which has been shown to accompany water translocation across the Schiff base.

The development of highly efficient power and improved fuel costs are much desired for reasons concerned with global environment and energy saving, particularly in the automobile industry and for transport machinery. Accordingly, in recent years, materials such as aluminium and magnesium alloys, which are lightweight and have superior specific strength, are enthusiastically employed with the aim of reducing car body weight. There are only a few examples where most of the entire car body is constructed using lightweight aluminium alloys; in reality, a combination of conventional steel and light metal materials is generally employed from aspects of workability and cost. Where there is a combination of two or more types of materials which are metallurgically quite different, techniques to join them are, of course, crucial. This is particularly so for combinations of dissimilar metals, such as steel/aluminium and steel/titanium, where it is known that brittle and hard intermetallic compounds are form...

Bacteriorhodopsin, a light-driven proton pump found in the purple membrane of Halobacterium salinarum, exhibits purple at neutral pH but its color is sensitive to pH. Here, structures are reported for an acid blue form and an alkaline purple form of wild-type bacteriorhodopsin. When the P622 crystal prepared at pH 5.2 was acidified with sulfuric acid, its color turned to blue with a pKa of 3.5 and a Hill coefficient of 2. Diffraction data at pH 2-5 indicated that the purple-to-blue transition accompanies a large structural change in the proton release channel; i.e. the extracellular half of helix C moves towards helix G, narrowing the proton release channel and expelling a water molecule from a micro-cavity in the vicinity of the retinal Schiff base. In this respect, the acid-induced structural change resembles the structural change observed upon formation of the M intermediate. But, the acid blue form contains a sulfate ion in a site(s) near Arg82 that is created by re-orientations of the carboxyl groups of Glu194 and Glu204, residues comprising the proton release complex. This result suggests that proton uptake by the proton release complex evokes the anion binding, which in turn induces protonation of Asp85, a key residue regulating the absorption spectrum of the chromophore. Interestingly, a pronounced structural change in the proton release complex was also observed at high pH; i.e. re-orientation of Glu194 towards Tyr83 was found to take place at around pH 10. This alkaline transition is suggested to be accompanied by proton release from the proton release complex and responsible for rapid formation of the M intermediate at high pH.

Two-dimensional (2D) GaN nucleation on a gallium (Ga) induced 3×3-SiC (0001) surface was achieved by molecular-beam epitaxy. The Ga adsorbate on SiC (0001) revealed well-ordered ∛×∛−R30° and 3×3 surface reconstructions with respect to Ga adatom coverage. The 3×3 surface was found to be highly reactive toward 2D GaN nuclei. This enhances the surface mobility of impinging adatoms during GaN growth, which promotes a step-flow growth mode. On the ∛×∛−R30° surface, polygonal Stranski–Krastanov islands formed during the initial stages, coalescing as thickness increased. The GaN growth kinetics was found to depend on the Ga atomistic process of the reconstructed SiC (0001) surfaces.

For structural investigation of the L intermediate of bacteriorhodopsin, a 3D crystal belonging to the space group P622 was illuminated with green light at 160 K and subsequently with red light at 100 K. This yielded a approximately 1:4 mixture of the L intermediate and the ground-state. Diffraction data from such crystals were collected using a low flux of X-rays ( approximately 2 x 10(15) photons/mm2 per crystal), and their merged data were compared with those from unphotolyzed crystals. These structural data, together with our previous data, indicate that the retinal chromophore, which is largely twisted in the K-intermediate, takes a more planar 13-cis, 15-anti configuration in the L intermediate. This configurational change, which is accompanied by re-orientation of the Schiff base N-H bond towards the intracellular side, is coupled with a large rotation of the side-chain of an amino acid residue (Leu93) making contact with the C13 methyl group of retinal. Following these motions, a water molecule, at first hydrogen-bonded to the Schiff base and Asp85, is dragged to a space that is originally occupied by Leu93. Diffraction data from a crystal containing the M intermediate showed that this water molecule moves further towards the intracellular side in the L-to-M transition. It is very likely that detachment of this water molecule from the protonated Schiff base causes a significant decrease in the pKa of the Schiff base, thereby facilitating the proton transfer to Asp85. On the basis of these observations, we argue that the vertical movement of a water molecule in the K-to-L transition is a key event determining the directionality of proton translocation in the protein.

The effect of blood volume contraction induced by a 4-week regimen of spironolactone (100 mg/day) or furosemide (40 mg/day) on the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), an indicator of portal hypertension, was evaluated in patients with cirrhosis and no ascites. In the spironolactone group (n = 15), HVPG decreased significantly from 16.5 +/- 0.9 mmHg (mean +/- S.E.M.) to 12.9 +/- 1.0 mmHg (P0.005) and total blood volume contracted significantly from 4338 +/- 231 ml to 4006 +/- 203 ml (n = 14, P0.01). Although the HVPG changes did not correlate significantly with changes in measured total blood volume or in simultaneously determined systemic haemodynamics, a significant inverse correlation (r = -0.74, P0.01, n = 12) was found between the HVPG change and posttreatment plasma aldosterone levels, attesting to the effectiveness of spironolactone therapy in lowering HVPG. In the furosemide group (n = 10), neither HVPG (13.7 +/- 0.3 mmHg vs. 13.6 +/- 0.9 mmHg) nor total blood volume (4961 +/- 153 ml vs. 4964 +/- 162 ml) declined significantly. These results show that long-term administration of spironolactone to patients with cirrhosis and no ascites produced a significant reduction in HVPG that may have been due to gradual, sustained volume contraction. Thus, spironolactone may prove to be an effective treatment for portal hypertension in cirrhosis without ascites.

A new mixed Petrov–Galerkin formulation employing the MINI element with a non-confirming bubble function for an incompressible media governed by the Stokes equations, which is equivalent to the stabilized finite element by P 1-P 1 approximation, is proposed. The new formulation possesses better stability properties than the conventional Bubnov–Galerkin formulation employing the MINI element. In this aspect, the stabilizing effect of this formulation is evaluated by a stabilizing parameter determined by both shapes of the trial and the weighting bubble functions.

Bacteriorhodopsin, the sole membrane protein of the purple membrane of Halobacterium salinarum , functions as a light-driven proton pump. A 3-D crystal of bacteriorhodopsin, which was prepared by the membrane fusion method, was used to investigate structural changes in the primary photoreaction. It was observed that when a frozen crystal was exposed to a low flux of X-ray radiation (5×10 14 photons mm −2 ), nearly half of the protein was converted into an orange species, exhibiting absorption peaks at 450 nm, 478 nm and 510 nm. The remainder retained the normal photochemical activity until Asp85 in the active site was decarboxlyated by a higher flux of X-ray radiation (10 16 photons mm −2 ). The procedure of diffraction measurement was improved so as to minimize the effects of the radiation damage and determine the true structural change associated with the primary photoreaction. Our structural model of the K intermediate indicates that the Schiff base linkage and the adjacent bonds in the polyene chain of retinal are largely twisted so that the Schiff base nitrogen atom still interacts with a water molecule located near Asp85. With respect to the other part of the protein, no appreciable displacement is induced in the primary photoreaction.

The magnetic and structural properties of LaCo5-based LaxCo100−x (x=17–22) alloys have been studied in powders synthesized by mechanical milling and subsequent annealing. A record high coercivity (over 1.7 T) with a Mr/Ms ratio about 0.7 (measured at room temperature) has been obtained in La22Co78 powders. Their microstructure consists of major LaCo5 phase grains with the grain size of about 150–350 nm, coexisting with LaCo13 phase particles (30–70 nm) and La/La oxide grains (100–200 nm). The observed magnetic properties originate from the high anisotropy field and uniform grain size and shape of the LaCo5 phase. The demagnetization curve, however, often exhibits a shoulder, which was correlated with the appearance of the magnetically soft 1:13 phase and with the inhomogeneity in the microstructure. All the analyses are consistent with a nucleation-type LaCo5 magnet, where the coercivity is attributed to the difficulty in the formation of reversed magnetic domains. The observed phases and microstructure a...

Impaired functional performance and decreased muscle strength and muscle atrophy generally persist for a long period after total hip arthroplasty (THA).To investigate the effects of weight-bearing (WB) and non-weight-bearing (NWB) exercises on functional performance, Harris hip score (HHS), muscle strength and muscle thickness in women after THA.A randomised, controlled trial.Community.Sixty-five women who had undergone unilateral or bilateral THA at least 6 months before enrolment in the study.Participants were randomly allocated to the following groups: WB (n = 22), NWB (n = 21) and control (n = 22) groups. Participants in the WB and NWB groups performed daily home exercise programs for 8 weeks. Functional performance (timed up and go, sit-to-stand, stair climbing, walking speed and 3-min walk test), HHS, isometric muscle strength of the hip and knee muscle and gluteus and quadriceps muscle thickness were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks.An intention-to-treat analysis revealed that both the intervention groups exhibited significant improvements in almost all functional performance measures compared with the control group. Furthermore, the WB group showed significantly greater pre-post changes in the sit-to-stand and 3-min walk test compared with the NWB group. In terms of HHS, only the WB group showed significantly greater improvement compared with the control group. Relative to the control group, improvements in all isometric strength measures were observed in both the intervention groups. Significant improvement in quadriceps muscle thickness was observed in the WB group compared with the control group. However, no significant difference was observed among the three groups in pre-post changes in gluteus muscle thickness.WB and NWB home exercise programs were both effective for improving functional performance and muscle strength in women after THA. However, the WB exercise was more effective than the NWB exercise for improving sit-to-stand ability and walking endurance.In this study, we demonstrated that the WB exercise was more effective than the NWB exercise for improving functional performance in patients after THA.

In this work we propose a standard practice covering temperature calibration of a Si substrate, ranging from 400 to 1000 °C, for temperature programmed desorption (TPD) analysis. The practice consists of heating silicon calibration materials at a controlled rate in a TPD instrument, measuring characteristic desorption peak temperatures, and quadratic calibration fitting the measured temperatures to standard temperatures. The calibration materials are (1) a CaC2O4⋅H2O pellet on Si, (2) Ar, and (3) H ion implanted into Si wafers. The standard temperatures of the characteristic desorption, associated with decomposition, structural transformation, and lamination of Si, were determined by a special TPD instrument with the highest isothermal space around the specimen in several laboratories, which was confirmed to be accurate for practical application. The precision of this practice was determined in an interlaboratory test in which four to five laboratories participated using two different instrumental models. This proved that the correction practice provided interlaboratory precision of 5.7 °C between 400 and 1000 °C for ramping rates of 10, 30, and 60 °C/min.

It is difficult to resurface skin defects of the sole because of its unique anatomy, which is resistant to mechanical stimuli. Though various methods have been reported, few are functionally satisfactory, and it is especially difficult to repair the distal plantar area. We report a reconstruction of the distal plantar area using a flexor digitorum brevis muscle flap based on a reverse-flow lateral plantar artery pedicle in a patient with a malignant melanoma on the right lateral metatarsal head of the fifth toe. The muscle flap was sufficient to cover the exposed fifth metatarsal and was covered with a full-thickness skin graft. The result was favourable and the patient has a normal gait and no pressure sores.

Hydrogen atoms on solid surfaces were measured directly by elastic recoil detection analysis (ERDA) using medium energy (100–150 keV) Ne + ions with an excellent sensitivity of (∼ 1 × 10 12 H/cm 2 ) without any absorber foils and time-of-flight techniques. An electrostatic toroidal analyzer acquired H + ions with energy around 11 keV recoiled from Si(111)-1 × 1-H surfaces. The H + fraction strongly depends upon emerging angle and takes a value more than 50% at the angle below 70° and a saturated value of 17% at the angle above 80° with respect to surface normal. We detected H atoms on the reduced TiO 2 (110) exposed to water molecules at room temperature (2 L) and estimated the absolute amount of H to be ∼ 2.0 × 10 14 H/cm 2 corresponding to ∼ 38% (∼ 0.38 ML) of the bridging oxygen atoms.