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We have developed a SERS stamp that can be pressed directly onto a solid surface for characterization of surface-adsorbed target molecules. The stamp was fabricated by transfer of a dense monolayer of SiO2 nanospheres from a glass surface onto a piece of adhesive tape and subsequent evaporation of silver. The performance of the resulting SERS stamps was evaluated by their exposure to methyl mercaptan vapor, and immersion in rhodamine 6G and ferbam solutions. It was found that beside the nanosphere diameter and metal deposition thickness, the extent of burial of the nanospheres into the adhesive tape, dictated by the pressure during the nanosphere transfer process, had a significant effect. We carried out FDTD calculations of the near field. Models are based on morphological information obtained from helium ion microscopy, which can provide high-resolution images of poor electrical conductors such as our SERS stamp. While one of our main eventual goals is detection of pesticides on agricultural produce, we have begun to take a careful step by testing our SERS stamp on better characterized surfaces such as a porous gel surface, having been immersed in fungicides such as ferbam. We also present our preliminary results with ferbam on oranges. It is expected that our well-characterized SERS stamp will play a role in shedding light on the poorly studied transfer process of target molecules onto a SERS surface as well as serving as a new SERS platform.

Background: We know Estrogen Receptor (ER) positive and/or Progesterone Receptor (PgR) positive tumors tend to develop more frequently in obese individuals in postmenopausal women. However, the average body size of a Japanese woman is relatively smaller than that of a Caucasian woman. There are few reports about the influence of the obesity to the character of the Japanese breast cancer women and the tendency is not clear. The aim of this study is to clarify whether the tendency is the same even in Japanese breast cancer women. Furthermore, we investigate whether HER2 expression (HER2) and Ki-67 index (Ki-67) have some relations with the height (HT), the weight (WT) and the body mass index (BMI) in Japanese breast cancer women. Methods: HT and WT of 279 Japanese women with breast cancer in Kitamurayama hospital were evaluated. The mean HT and WT of them are 153.6cm and 54.9kg. Subsequently, the women's BMI (WT/(HT)2) was calculated. The mean BMI was 23.3. The ER and PgR were stained for immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. Regardless of the intensity, stained cases were defined as positive. HER2 was divided into HER2 negative (IHC score 0, +1 and/or FISH negative) or positive (IHC score +3 and/or FISH positive). Ki-67 was determined by staining with MIB-1 antibody, and the cutoff value was decided on 20%, and divided into two groups of more than 20% (Higher) and less than 20% (Lower). Then, we examined the relationship of HT, WT and BMI with ER, PgR, HER2 and Ki-67 in postmenopausal and premenopausal women. Result: In postmenopausal women, WT and BMI were significantly higher in ER positive (p=0.0230, p=0.0129). WT and BMI were also significantly higher in PgR positive (p=0.0049, p=0.0294,). There was no significant difference between HER2 positive and Her2 negative, and between Ki-67 Higher and Ki-67 Lower either. In premenopausal women, no significant association was observed in all items. Conclusion: In postmenopausal women, HT did not have the significant difference between ER (and PgR) positive and ER (and PgR) negative. However, ER (and PgR) positive were significantly higher in WT and BMI. It was thought that the obesity influences the character of the breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Compared to less obese postmenopausal Japanese women with breast cancer, more obese postmenopausal Japanese women have a propensity for developing hormone sensitive tumors. Citation Format: Suzuki M, Takei H. Obesity influences the character of the breast cancer in postmenopausal women in Japan [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-10-15.

Background Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) is widely used for regeneration therapy in dental clinical situations, but the mechanism of EMD bioactivity remains obscure. To clarify this mechanism, we focused on the formation of connective tissue and blood vessels. The aim of this study was to confirm whether EMD induces the formation of connective tissue and blood vessels by using the diffusion chamber (DC) technique. Materials and methods Individual DCs containing EMD (DC-EMD) or propylene glycol alginate (PGA) were implanted subcutaneously in rat dorsum. At 4 weeks after the implantation, histological analysis of DCs was performed using azan staining. Results DC-EMD induced the formation of much larger amounts of connective tissue containing abundant blood vessels than did DC-PGA. Conclusion The results indicated that EMD can induce the formation of both connective tissue and blood vessels. This bioactivity may contribute to the mechanism whereby EMD induces tissue regeneration.

Background/aim Enterococcus faecalis is responsible for most cases of endodontic treatment failure. Despite various conventional disinfection methods, root canals are not completely free of microorganisms. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new antimicrobial strategy that involves the use of a non-toxic photosensitizer (PS) and a light source. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of PDT using diode laser and pyoktanin blue (PB) and confirm the nontoxicity of PB as a PS. Materials and methods Laser irradiation with an output power of 3 W was performed with PB as the PS to a bacterial solution containing E. faecalis. Then, the number of colony-forming units was counted. PB cytotoxicity was also assessed by the MTT assay. Results E. faecalis counts were reduced after laser irradiation, laser irradiation with PB, or the combination thereof compared to the control, non-irradiation or water. The 50% cytotoxic concentration value for adult human dermal fibroblasts incubated with PB for 1 min was 108 μg/ml. Conclusion Diode laser irradiation in combination with PB as the PS is efficacious for the elimination of E. faecalis without toxic effects to human dermal fibroblasts. This strategy might be useful for root canal irrigants.

Background:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by a novel corona virus named SARS-CoV-2, has emerged as a global pandemic. Severe inflammatory process is one of main pathogenesis of COVID-19 and this involves cytokine storm along with overactivation of macrophage. On another front, cytokine storm with macrophage activation is frequently observed in various connective tissue diseases including dermatomyositis with positive antimelanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (anti-MDA5) autoantibodies and adult Still’s disease. Macrophage activation during inflammatory states is partially characterized by an increased serum ferritin levels and hyperferritinaemia and characteristics shared by the three diseases are a topic of interest to rheumatologists, however, no study has evaluated anti-MDA5-positive dermatomyositis and adult Still’s disease in comparison to COVID-19.Objectives:The aim of this study was to highlight the homology and heterogeneity of COVID-19, anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis, and adult Still’s disease by comparing clinical pictures of each disease in order to discuss their respective pathogeneses.Methods:We reviewed consecutive, newly diagnosed, untreated patients with COVID-19, anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis, or adult Still’s disease. We compared their clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics, including the prevalence of macrophage activation syndrome and lung involvement in each disease.Results:The numbers of patients with COVID-19, anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis, and adult-onset Still’s disease with hyperferritinaemia (serum ferritin ≥ 500ng/dL) who were included for main analysis were 22, 14, and 59, respectively. COVID-19 and adult Still’s disease both featured hyperinflammatory status, such as high fever and elevated serum C-reactive protein, whereas COVID-19 and anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis both presented with severe interstitial lung disease and hypoxaemia. While two-thirds of the patients in each group met the criteria for macrophage-activated syndrome that is used in systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, the HScore, an indicator of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, was low in anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis and COVID-19 even in severe or critical cases. The findings of chest computed tomography were similar between COVID-19 and anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis (Figure 1).Conclusion:COVID-19 shared clinical features with rheumatic diseases characterised by hyperferritinaemia, including anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis and adult Still’s disease. These findings should be investigated further in order to shed light on the pathogenesis of not only COVID-19 but also the aforementioned rheumatic diseases.References:[1]Mehta P, McAuley DF, Brown M, et al. COVID-19: consider cytokine storm syndromes and immunosuppression. Lancet. (2020) 395: 1033-4.[2]Gono T, Sato S, Kawaguchi Y, et al. Anti-MDA5 antibody, ferritin and IL-18 are useful for the evaluation of response to treatment in interstitial lung disease with anti-MDA5 antibody-positive dermatomyositis. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2012; 51(9):1563-70.Figure 1.Imaging characteristics of chest CT scans in patients with COVID-19, anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis, and adult Still’s disease A)Bilateral ground-glass and consolidative opacities with peripheral distribution in COVID-19. B)Bilateral ground-glass opacities with peripheral consolidations in anti-MDA5 dermatomyositis. C)Pleural effusion with pleural thickening on the left side in adult Still’s disease.Disclosure of Interests:Yasushi Kondo: None declared., Yuko Kaneko: None declared., Hisoshi Takei: None declared., Hiroya Tamai: None declared., Tsutomu Takeuchi Grant/research support from: received research grants outside the submitted work from Abbvie, Astra Zeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Eisai Pharmaceutical, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Novartis, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Abbott Japan Co., Ltd., Astellas Pharma, Ltd., Daiichi Sankyo, Pfizer, Sanofi–Aventis, Santen Pharmaceutical, Teijin Pharma Ltd., Asahikasei Pharma Corp., SymBio Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Celtrion, Nipponkayaku Co. Ltd., Eli Lilly Japan, and Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical.

Restoration of lost interdental papilla remains one of the most challenging goals for clinicians. When a single tooth is replaced with an implant, the papilla between the tooth and the implant can often be maintained or predictably reconstructed as long as the periodontal attachment and bone of the adjacent tooth is preserved. However, if the periodontal support is compromised on the neighboring natural tooth, the papilla will often be deficient or missing. This article presents a multidisciplinary treatment approach to regenerate the interdental papilla between an implant and a periodontally compromised tooth using surgical procedures and a customized abutment. Specifically, an abutment with modified subgingival contours is used to enhance support of the surgically reformed papilla.

Background/Aim: Enterococcus faecalis is responsible for most cases of endodontic treatment failure. Despite various conventional disinfection methods, root canals are not completely free of microorganisms. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a new antimicrobial strategy that involves the use of a non-toxic photosensitizer (PS) and a light source. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effect of PDT using diode laser and pyoktanin blue (PB) and confirm the nontoxicity of PB as a PS. Materials and Methods: Laser irradiation with an output power of 3 W was performed with PB as the PS to a bacterial solution containing E. faecalis. Then, the number of colony-forming units was counted. PB cytotoxicity was also assessed by the MTT assay. Results: E. faecalis counts were reduced after laser irradiation, laser irradiation with PB, or the combination thereof compared to the control, non-irradiation or water. The 50% cytotoxic concentration value for adult human dermal fibroblasts incubated with PB for 1 min was 108 μg/ml. Conclusion: Diode laser irradiation in combination with PB as the PS is efficacious for the elimination of E. faecalis without toxic effects to human dermal fibroblasts. This strategy might be useful for root canal irrigants.

The surface topography of implant fixture is an important factor affecting the osseointegration. We herein demonstrated the effects of surface microtopography of titanium disks on proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast-like cells isolated from rat calvariae. Titanium disks with machine surface (MS), rough surface (R1) and rough surface combined with small cavities (R2) were used in an in vitro culture system. Rough surfaces (R1 and R2 disks) induced stronger osteoblast proliferation and differentiation (BGP and sclerostin mRNA expressions and calcium content) than the smooth surface (MS disk). Furthermore, surface microtopography of R2 disk, which was rough with small cavities, more strongly induced cell proliferation and mineralized bone matrix production than R1 disk. Our results suggest that surface microtopography influences osteoblast proliferation and differentiation. R2 disk, which is rough with small cavities, may be used in implant fixtures to increase osseointegration.

Orthodontic extrusion of nonrestorable teeth has been used for almost 20 years as an alternative to bone grafting in preparation for implant placement. Although this technique predictably creates bone and soft tissue, and improves the socket diameter and depth, most of the bone apposition occurs in the marginal alveolar and periapical areas of the extruded tooth. To create more labial bone, the standard orthodontic extrusion technique was modified to apply pressure on the hopeless tooth both coronally and palatally, which allowed bone at the site to develop apically and labially. Gingival thickness on the labial aspect was also increased, and the tissue biotype was improved. A clinical treatment is presented that illustrates the use of this technique.

Reformation of the lost interdental papilla remains one of the most challenging goals for clinicians. When a single tooth is replaced with an implant, the papilla between the tooth and the implant can often be maintained or predictably reformed as long as the adjacent tooth's periodontal attachment and bone are preserved. However, if the periodontal support is compromised on the neighboring natural tooth, the papilla will often be deficient or missing. The cases presented herein demonstrate long-term follow-up of successful reformation of periodontal/peri-implant tissue contours, including reconstruction of lost interproximal bone and papilla at periodontally compromised sites using a combined hard and soft tissue surgical approach.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to propose a microfocus x-ray imaging technique for observing the internal structure of small radioactive sources and evaluating geometrical errors quantitatively, and to apply this technique to traceable pointlike22 Na sources, which were designed for positron emission tomography calibration, for the purpose of quality control of the pointlike sources. Methods: A microfocus x-ray imaging system with a focus size of 0.001 mm was used to obtain projection x-ray images and x-ray CT images of five pointlike source samples, which were manufactured during 2009–2012. The obtained projection and tomographic images were used to observe the internal structure and evaluate geometrical errors quantitatively. Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the effect of possible geometrical errors on the intensity and uniformity of 0.511 MeV annihilation photon pairs emitted from the sources. Results: Geometrical errors were evaluated with sufficient precision using projection x-ray images. CT images were used for observing the internal structure intuitively. As a result, four of the five examined samples were within the tolerance to maintain the total uncertainty below ±0.5%, given the source radioactivity; however, one sample was found to be defective. Conclusions: This quality control procedure is crucial and offers an important basis for using the pointlike22 Na source as a basic calibration tool. The microfocus x-ray imaging approach is a promising technique for visual and quantitative evaluation of the internal geometry of small radioactive sources.

Purpose: In the conventional techniques for determining the calibration factors of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners, cylindrical water and resin phantoms with radioisotope 18F or 68Ge/68Ga are used. In these methods, however, the results depend on attenuation and scatter correction. The purpose of this study is to develop a point-like 68Ge/68Ga radioactive source that can be used to determine the calibration factors of PET scanners without the uncertainty of attenuation and scatter correction. Methods: A spherical absorber design was employed to realize a symmetric angular distribution of emitted annihilation photons. A Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulation code was used to compare physics characteristics of point-like sources with various absorber materials. On the basis of this simulation, a point-like 68Ge/68Ga source with a spherical aluminum absorber was manufactured. Its radioactivity was calibrated at an accredited national calibration facility. A calibration factor of a clinical PET scanner was then obtained with a point-like source and compared with that obtained by a standard cross-calibration method. Results: The emission probability of 0.511 MeV annihilation photon pairs per positron decay was typically 0.6-0.8. The fraction of background photon pairs was 6-8% in the energy region of 0.4-0.6 MeV. Considering these two figures, lower density materials such as aluminum and pol(ymethyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were preferable. For the aluminum absorber, a diameter of 8 mm was suitable to prevent positrons from escaping. The calibration factor obtained with the point-like source agreed with that obtained by the standard method within 2-3%. Conclusion: A point-like 68Ge/68Ga radioactive source was successfully designed, manufactured, and used for determining a calibration factor of a PET scanner. It can be considered a practical tool for calibrating and evaluating the quantitative aspects of PET scanners.

Purpose: Point-like 22Na radioactive sources have been widely used for checking radiation detectors that measure annihilation photons and for evaluating PET scanners. We developed new types of 22Na point-like radioactive sources that are expected to be more symmetric than conventional source types in the angular distribution of the emitted photons. The purpose of this study is to use Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the basic characteristics of the photons emitted from the new type 22Na point-like radioactive sources. Methods: Two new types of 22Na point-like sources, a cylinder type and a sphere type, were considered in comparison with two conventional source types, a disk type and a cube type. The angular distribution and energy spectra of the emitted 0.511 MeV annihilation photons and 1.275 MeV gamma rays were calculated using a Monte Carlo code based on Geant4. Results: The angular distribution of the emitted photons was more symmetric in the new type point-like sources than in the conventional types. The asymmetry of the angular distribution of the unscattered 0.511 MeV annihilation photon pairs counted in coincidence was 0.1 ±0.1% and 1.6±0.1% in the sphere and cylinder types, compared with 4.1±0.1% and 22.6±0.1% for the cube and disk types. The scatter components around the 0.511 MeV photopeaks in the new source types were typically less than 2/3 and 1/2 of those in the disk and cube types, respectively. Conclusion: The new point-like 22Na sources offer a more symmetric angular distribution of the emitted photons with fewer scatter components. They are useful for applications where the symmetry of the emitted photons is crucial.

Objective The objective of this study was to compare video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS lobectomy) with standard thoracotomy in terms of morbidity and mortality. Patients and methods Two-hundred and forty-nine consecutive patients with clinical (c) stage I non-small cell lung cancer who underwent surgery between 1999 and 2003 were retrospectively analyzed. All of the patients underwent surgical resection that was at least as extensive as lobectomy. VATS lobectomy was performed in 73 patients, and thoracotomy in 176 patients. Results The clinical stages were stage IA in 151 (60.6 %), and stage IB in 98 (39.4 %), and the pathological stages were I in 206 (82.7 %), II in 16 (6.4 %), and III in 27 (10.9 %). The mean operation time was 291 minutes for VATS and 215 minutes for thoracotomy ( P = 0.0 042). The mean blood loss was 160 ml and 191 ml ( P = 0.2 738), respectively. Mortality was 1.4 % (1/73) in the VATS group, and 2.3 % (4/176) in the thoracotomy group ( P = 0.6 438). Morbidity was 19.2 % (14/73), and 24.4 % (44/176), respectively ( P = 0.1 315). Air leakage was the most frequent complication. Anastomotic leakage was found in four patients who underwent thoracotomy. The incidence of pulmonary vessel injury was 8.2 % in the VATS group and 1.7 % in the thoracotomy group ( P = 0.0 361). While pulmonary vessel injury was observed frequently in the intermediate part of the study period, the incidence decreased in the late period. Conclusions Pulmonary vessel injury, longer operation times, and greater blood loss have been frequently observed with VATS lobectomy. Proficiency is required to perform VATS lobectomy, and the procedure should be performed by a well-trained surgeon as indicated by the results of this study.

To evaluate the optical properties of a laser light through a waveguide, a pinhole layer was fabricated on an air-bearing surface of a slider. The pinhole layer consisted of a chromium thin film with a thickness of 160 nm. The pinhole (with diameter of 2 μm) was fabricated by dual-layer lift-off. The light-shielding effect of the pinhole layer was verified. The stray light outside of the pinhole was 0.18% of the light through the pinhole when the power of laser diode was 50 mW. The experimentally measured light-propagation efficiency of the waveguide was 83% of the design value.

This paper presents a novel mathematical model-based feedforward compensator design for the nonlinear friction in table drive systems using the Group Method of Data Handling (GMDH). In the proposed approach, the nonlinear friction can be autonomously modeled as a polynomial expression for appropriate control state variables according to the process of GMDH and, as a result, the complicated structural modeling and its parameterization, indispensable to conventional model-based strategies, can be completely eliminated. In addition, since the proposed GMDH-based model can achieve the generalization ability for table drive conditions, the robust compensation for friction can be attained against the change of drive conditions. Experimental verifications using a table drive system of actual machine tools show the significant performance improvement of the proposed algorithm in the trajectory control with velocity reversal motion.

We report our recent developments of experimental systems for measuring the de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) effect under hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures. The dHvA effect of CeB6 has been studied under both hydrostatic and uniaxial pressures and the effects of the pressures on the electronic structure are discussed.

We have found that addition of 1-ethyl 3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide (EDC) to a suspension of sulfated polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles leads to formation of an irregular, dense-packed monolayer of self-assembled particles on homogeneous as well as chemically patterned surfaces. The adsorption process depends sensitively on the EDC concentration with a critical concentration of 13 mM. At higher concentrations above this critical value, random-close-packed (rcp) monolayers form irrespective of whether the substrate is native gold, a gold surface modified by either hydrophobic or hydrophilic alkanethiols, or chromium/chromium oxide. On the other hand, at lower concentrations particle adsorption is observed only on carboxy-terminated surfaces. We will describe how this phenomenon can be utilized to form 2-dimensional patterns of PS nanoparticles. First, a pattern consisting of carboxy and methyl-terminated thiols is formed on native gold by means of microcontact printing (µCP). Subsequent exposure of the pattern to a suspension of sulfated PS particles with an appropriate EDC concentration in the range 1.3 to 5.2 mM leads to a patterned rcp monolayer. In the second half of the paper we discuss various adsorption mechanisms based on observations with UV–vis spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Two adsorption mechanisms governing the observed phenomena are proposed.

Based on HI gas-plasma etching (high-density plasma-assisted RIE), the activation energy for an ITO dry-etching reaction was obtained. The value was calculated 35-40 kJ/mol for 20 sec from the reaction starting time. The reaction dead time is characteristic of the ITO dry-etching process, but the reaction is relatively simple. Therefore, ITO dry-etching technology, based on HI gas plasma, is useful in the the fabrication of LCDs, and was used in a recently developed Multi-Coaxial-Plasma-Source (MCPS) dry etcher.

A high current electron beam is required for transmuting fission products using /spl gamma/-rays. Elemental technology for a linac that generates a high current beam in an efficient and stable manner is being developed at the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC). A beam dump for the high current, low energy electron beam (20 mA, 10 MeV) from this accelerator has been constructed and tested at JNC. A ring-and-disk structure was adopted to absorb the beam safely and to analyze the beam condition in real time. The thermal and stress analysis showed that a 200-kW electron beam could be securely stopped. The performance of the beam dump was evaluated using a beam of 7.0 MeV and an average current of 0.84 mA. The measured results showed that the electrons transported from the accelerator were completely absorbed. In addition, the beam dump was found to be capable of monitoring the beam condition directly from the temperature distributions and peak current.

A project to develop a high-temperature superconducting split magnet for Si single-crystal growth applications began in October 1997 and is scheduled to be completed for three years. The project is being executed on the basis of collaboration between Toshiba Corp., Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. and Shin-Etsu Handotai Co. Ltd., and is partially funded by Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan. The purpose of this project is to confirm the energy-saving performance and high reliability of a large HTS split magnet (1 MJ) using Bi2223 tapes. This split coil system is composed of 2 coils, each consisting of 18 pancakes, and the total length of HTS tapes is approximately 80 km. The magnet is to be cooled to below 20 K by a highly efficient GM-type cryocooler in order to make overall current density of the magnet close to the density of metal superconducting magnets. In the first year of this project, a conceptual design was established and R&D of the fragile HTS tapes was carried out. In the second year, the design, fabrication, testing and evaluation of an experimental magnet, incorporating pancake coils of the same size as those of the actual magnet, has been accomplished. This work will contribute to the improvement of the design and fabrication of the full-scale magnet in the final year of this project.

We report here a novel glycosylphosphatidyl-inositol (GPI)-anchored glycoprotein on human leukocytes. Treatment of neutrophils with a mAb (3H9) to this molecule sequentially up-regulates and down-regulates β2 integrin-dependent adhesion of these cells as well as their transendothelial migration in vitro. In addition, this mAb simultaneously modulates the avidity of β2 integrin for its ligand, iC3b, with kinetics similar to those observed in 3H9 modulation of neutrophil adherence. This mAb also induces β2 integrin-dependent cytoskeletal remodeling. This novel GPI-anchored protein (GPI-80) is highly homologous with Vanin-1, a recently reported GPI-anchored protein that is expressed on perivascular thymic stromal cells and is involved in thymus homing in mice. The finding that both GPI-80 and Vanin-1 are 40% homologous with human biotinidase suggests the existence of a biotinidase superfamily of molecules that may be involved in the regulation of leukocyte trafficking.

High temperature plastic deformation in a single crystal of a 2-3-4 garnet, Ca3Ga2Ge3O12, was investigated. A Czochralski-grown single crystal of Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 was deformed in compression in air along 〈100〉 or 〈110〉 at temperatures of 1472 to 1573 K (T/Tm = 0.90–0.96). The samples show higher resistance to creep than other 3-3 garnets, namely the flow stress at the strain-rate of 4 × 10− 6 s− 1 is ∼200–400 MPa in this temperature range. The TEM observations of dislocation microstructures show little evidence of climb and plastic deformation in this garnet appears to occur exclusively by dislocation glide, using mostly the 1/2〈111〉{110} slip systems. Dislocations with b = 〈100〉 are frequently observed but they are interpreted as products of dislocation reactions among 1/2〈111〉. The single crystal used contained a number of precipitates that grew during annealing and also during deformation. These precipitates act as sources for dislocations but no evidence for their significant effects on creep strength is observed. The normalized flow law of Ca3Ga2Ge3O12 is similar to other 3-3 oxide garnets (e.g., YAG, GGG), but in contrast to 3-3 garnets, the more stable and hence less mobile dislocations have a large edge component.

The optical properties of LiNbO3 are discussed by considering the dipole interaction among the ions and also the aspect of electronic polarizability of the respective ions. The origin of the birefringence, electrooptic and elastooptic effects is also discussed.

Various methods have been examined to transmute long-lived fission products using accelerators at PNC. The present paper describes the development of a high power continuous wave (CW) electron linac which was started in 1989 to study the feasibility of nuclear waste transmutation. Transmutation by photonuclear reaction using an electron accelerator has the advantage of producing a relatively small amount of secondary radioactive waste. It is also deemed to broaden the base of accelerator technology. The PNC high power CW electron accelerator, which is designed to accelerate energies up to 10 MeV and an average beam current of 20 mA and has a normal conducting traveling wave resonant ring (TWRR) disk-loaded accelerating tubes, was pre-commissioned with an injector and the first accelerating tube. In December 1995, the accelerator had been partially built and the pre-commissioning of the injector began. We have been successful to produce electron beams with 3 msec pulse width, 100 mA peak, and about 2.9 MeV energy. The facility construction will be completed in March 1997, followed by the commissioning of the entire 10 MeV linac.

We describe a simple yet general method for preparing microscopic probes that are gradient sensitive. Gold was first evaporated on one side of latex spheres, which were then chemically modified by a thiol. As one example, by using thiols with ionizable groups, we prepared microscopic spheres with pH dependent electric dipole moments. Under an electric field such spheres reoriented themselves depending on the pH value of the environment. This method can be naturally extended to other thiol-modified molecules such as dyes and antibodies to prepare various probes that are sensitive to the gradient of the physicochemical microenvironment or that are directional in binding.

We examined the reduction of the core loss of Mg-Mn-Zn ferrite for deflection yoke cores. We tried to decrease hysteresis loss by selection of composition and additive, because hysteresis loss is much larger then eddy current loss in Mg-Mn-Zn ferrite having high resistance. We succeeded in decreasing hysteresis loss and improved the core loss approximately 30% compared with conventional materials. And as the result of a simulation, we can expect that the rising temperature of it is smaller than that of our conventional materials for deflection yoke at high frequencies and high magnetic flux density.

A new phase unwrapping method that has the advantage of unwrapping of phase distribution with severe noise such as those obtained in speckle interferometry is proposed. First, computer simulations were carried out to examine the performance of the proposed method. Speckled noisy data were generated in the computer, and various types of filters having different sizes for the windows were used to carry out the phase unwrapping. It is found that the method is largely capable of phase unwrapping, and it works quite well even when the human eye cannot recognize clearly the phase jumps due to noise. Finally, the present method was applied to experimental phase distribution obtained by the speckle-shearing interferometer. The proposed method is quite simple and effective from the point of computations involved.

We propose intensity constraint-based closed sequential pattern mining algorithm, called IC-BIDE, for a coding pattern extraction. Source code often contains frequent patterns of function calls or control flows, i.e., "coding patterns." Previous studies used sequential pattern mining to extract coding pattern, however, these algorithms have not been optimized for coding pattern extraction, which results in useless patterns as well as long execution times. We propose a new constraint, called "intensity constraint," in order to enhance closed sequential pattern mining and efficiently extract coding patterns. Our proposed algorithm is based on BI-Directional Execution (BIDE), an algorithm proposed expressly for closed sequential pattern mining. BIDE algorithm is not able to adapt to constraint-based closed sequential pattern mining. We extend BIDE algorithm and prove that our extended algorithm is able to adapt to intensity constraint-based closed sequential pattern mining. Our contributions are as follow, 1) We propose a new constraint, which we call "intensity", 2) We propose intensity constraint-based closed sequential pattern mining algorithm, which we call "IC-BIDE" algorithm. Experimental results with open source software (Bullet Physics, MySQL, and OpenCV) show that IC-BIDE algorithm successfully excludes useless pattern effectively. Moreover, our proposed method is able to accelerate the extraction by a factor of 8.9 in comparison with the BIDE algorithm.

Both the syn - and anti -diastereomers of 4-aryl-2,3-dimethyl-4-oxobutanamides were respectively synthesized in a highly diastereoselective manner.

The magnetic ordering of the S=2/3 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a rhombohedrally stacked triangular lattice LiCrO2 is studied by susceptibility, neutron diffraction and polarization analysis measurements using a single crystal. The temperature dependence of the susceptibility strongly suggests that a 120 degrees structure is established in each quasi-two-dimensional layer, which is parallel to the c plane. Assuming the 120 degrees structure in which magnetic moments are confined in a plane including the c axis because of an Ising-type anisotropy, neutron scattering shows that the magnetic ordering is a double-Q structure with non-equivalent wave numbers q=(1/3 1/3 0) and (-2/3 1/3 1/2). It is characterized by an alternating sequence of rotational direction of the 120 degrees structure along the c axis.

Mutation of the cytochrome P450c17 (CYP17) gene causes 17 alpha-hydroxylase deficiency (17OHD). Recently, several researchers have elucidated the molecular basis of 17OHD by gene analysis. We experienced a case of 17OHD and intended to reveal the abnormality of the CYP17 gene in this Japanese female with 17OHD. Leukocytes were obtained from the patient, her mother and sister, and normal control subjects. We amplified the CYP17 gene using polymerase chain reaction and performed the sequence analysis using the dideoxy terminator method and restriction enzyme analysis. We found that the patient had one base-pair deletion at the position of amino acid 438. An identical result was obtained with restriction enzyme analysis. This G deletion altered the reading frame and resulted in a premature stop codon at position 443; the ligand of heme iron (Cys: cystine 442) was absent. This small mutation may account for the patient's clinical manifestations of 17OHD. This is the first case of 17OHD with only one base pair deletion of the CYP17 gene.

We previously demonstrated that human TNF-alpha induces rapid apoptosis of human neutrophils. To understand better the in vivo significance of neutrophil apoptosis, we examined spontaneous, recombinant human and mouse TNF-alpha- or cycloheximide-induced apoptosis of normal peripheral blood neutrophils (PBN), PBN from rats injected i.p. with proteose peptone or a streptococcus preparation, OK-432 (inflammatory PBN), peritoneally exudated neutrophils (PEN) obtained after a proteose peptone injection, and normal bone marrow neutrophils. The following observations were made. 1) Normal PBN responded to TNF-alpha, but PEN, normal bone marrow neutrophils, and inflammatory PBN at 12 h after stimulation did not. 2) The sensitivity to TNF-alpha of the inflammatory PBN started to decrease at 3 h, was lowest at 12 h, and was almost restored at 52 h after stimulation. 3) Spontaneous apoptosis of normal and inflammatory PBN reached 25% at 12 h after in vitro incubation, but that of PEN and normal bone marrow neutrophils was very low over this period. 4) The sensitivity to cycloheximide (6 h incubation) was high for normal PBN and bone marrow neutrophils, but low for PEN and inflammatory PBN after 12 h. 5) 125I-rhTNF-alpha binding of bone marrow neutrophils was significantly lower than that of normal and inflammatory PBN and PEN. 6) TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis of normal or inflammatory PBN and bone marrow neutrophils was enhanced by treatment with low doses of cycloheximide that alone were barely able to induce neutrophil apoptosis; however, apoptosis of PEN was not. The mechanisms and in vivo significance of these phenomena are discussed.

The purpose of this study is to propose a microfocus x-ray imaging technique for observing the internal structure of small radioactive sources and evaluating geometrical errors quantitatively, and to apply this technique to traceable pointlike (22)Na sources, which were designed for positron emission tomography calibration, for the purpose of quality control of the pointlike sources.A microfocus x-ray imaging system with a focus size of 0.001 mm was used to obtain projection x-ray images and x-ray CT images of five pointlike source samples, which were manufactured during 2009-2012. The obtained projection and tomographic images were used to observe the internal structure and evaluate geometrical errors quantitatively. Monte Carlo simulation was used to evaluate the effect of possible geometrical errors on the intensity and uniformity of 0.511 MeV annihilation photon pairs emitted from the sources.Geometrical errors were evaluated with sufficient precision using projection x-ray images. CT images were used for observing the internal structure intuitively. As a result, four of the five examined samples were within the tolerance to maintain the total uncertainty below ±0.5%, given the source radioactivity; however, one sample was found to be defective.This quality control procedure is crucial and offers an important basis for using the pointlike (22)Na source as a basic calibration tool. The microfocus x-ray imaging approach is a promising technique for visual and quantitative evaluation of the internal geometry of small radioactive sources.

The SciBooNE and MiniBooNE collaborations report the results of a νμ disappearance search in the Δ'm2 region of 0.5-40 eV2. The neutrino rate as measured by the SciBooNE tracking detectors is used to constrain the rate at the MiniBooNE Cherenkov detector in the first joint analysis of data from both collaborations. Two separate analyses of the combined data samples set 90% confidence level (CL) limits on νμ disappearance in the 0.5-40 eV2 Δm2 region, with an improvement over previous experimental constraints between 10 and 30 eV2