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The concept of zero-energy building (ZEB) has attracted global attention in recent years as it involves offsetting the primary energy usage of a building on an annual base by the energy generated from renewable resources. The performance of wall-mounted photovoltaics (PV) for building applications has great potential for ZEB. In this study, we compared wall-mounted and common roof-mounted PV systems using a combination of experimental and theoretical studies. The wall-mounted PV system exhibited an unusual performance behavior depending on the season. Winter is a suitable season for energy production from the wall-mounted PV system because of the low solar altitude and resulting lower incident angle of the sun. However, the performance ratio (PR) had twin peaks throughout the day that could not be explained by the classical model that uses irradiance and temperature variation. In summer, there was less irradiance on the vertical wall and the PR had triple peaks that were also hard to explain using the conventional model. We established a detailed output power model of the wall-mounted PV using spectrum variation on a vertical plane. Our approach is the development of spectrum model that can be applied to all-climate and computed the performance variation according to the sun’s orientation and incident angle. Our model quantitatively explains unique seasonal and daily efficiency variations for the wall-mounted PV system (twin peaks in winter and triple peaks in summer). Our validated model can be utilized to map a suitable location for a wall-mounted PV system.

Background Chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection (CAEBV) is defined as Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-positive T/NK cell-related neoplasia, and its major clinical symptom is systemic inflammation presenting as infectious mononucleocytosis, whereas enteritis and diarrhea are minor clinical symptoms. The complex mixture of tumorigenic processes of EBV-positive cells and physical symptoms of systemic inflammatory disease constitutes the varied phenotypes of CAEBV. Herein, we describe a case of CAEBV that was initially diagnosed as Crohn’s disease (CD) based on ileal ulcers and clinical symptoms of enteritis. Case presentation A 19-year-old woman complained of abdominal pain and fever. Blood examination showed normal blood cell counts without atypical lymphocyte but detected modest inflammation, hypoalbuminemia, slight liver dysfunction, and evidence of past EBV infection. The esophagogastroduodenoscopic findings were normal. However, colonoscopy revealed a few small ulcers in the terminal ileum. The jejunum and ileum also exhibited various forms of ulcers, exhibiting a cobblestone appearance, on capsule endoscopy. Based on these clinical findings, she was strongly suspected with CD. In the course of treatment by steroid and biologics for refractory enteritis, skin ulcers appeared about 50 months after her initial hospital visit. Immunohistology of her skin biopsy revealed proliferation of EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER)-positive atypical lymphocytes. We retrospectively assessed her previous ileal ulcer biopsy before treatment and found many EBER-positive lymphocytes. Blood EBV DNA was also positive. Therefore, she was diagnosed with extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma with CAEBV-related enteritis rather than CD. She was treated with cyclosporine and prednisolone combination therapy for CAEBV-related systemic inflammation and chemotherapy for malignant lymphoma. Unfortunately, her disease continued to progress, leading to multiple organ failure and death at the age of 23 years. Conclusion Clinicians need to remember the possibility of CAEBV as a differential diagnosis of refractory enteritis. Enteritis with intestinal ulcer is a rare symptom of CAEBV, and it is impossible to acquire a definitive diagnosis by ulcer morphology only. In cases where the possibility of CAEBV remains, tissue EBVR expression should be checked by in situ hybridization and blood EBV DNA.

An adiabatic experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of liquid properties on the characteristics of two-phase flows in a horizontal circular microchannel. Distilled water and aqueous solutions of ethanol were used as the test liquids. The ethanol concentration was varied to change the surface tension and the viscosity. One of the four liquids together with nitrogen gas was injected through a T-junction mixer to the test microchannel. Two mixers with different inner diameters of DM = 250 μm and 500 μm were used at a fixed microchannel diameter of D = 250 μm to study flow contraction effects at the channel inlet. Bubble velocity data correlated with the drift flux model showed that the distribution parameter, C0, increased with increasing of liquid viscosity and/or decreasing of surface tension, and C0 for flows with the contraction was higher. The pressure drop data correlated with the Lockhart–Martinelli method showed that the two-phase friction multiplier, ϕ L 2 , for flows with the contraction was lower. From data analysis, new correlations of C0 and ϕ L 2 were developed with some dimensionless numbers. On void fraction prediction, two-fluid model code could predict well the data when an appropriate correlation of interfacial friction force was used.

下水汚泥または畜産廃棄物コンポスト中のエストロゲン及びアンドロゲン残存量の調査を行った。コンポスト26サンプル中からE1はすべてのサンプルから検出され, E2は21サンプル, E3は1サンプルに検出された。EE2は検出されなかった。テストステロンは21サンプル中18サンプルに検出された。酵母Two-hybridアッセイによる内分泌攪乱性調査の結果, エストロゲン活性はコンポスト21サンプル中13サンプルから確認され, アンドロゲン活性は2サンプルに確認された。本研究結果から, 一般に市販される下水汚泥または畜産廃棄物コンポスト中から性ホルモンが検出され, その半数以上にエストロゲン活性が確認された。

We report 2 patients with acute cholecystitis for which percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder aspiration (PTGBA) was useful. In Case 1, the patient was a 75-year-old woman who experienced a sudden onset of back pain and upper abdominal pain at night. Abdominal ultrasound (US) showed enlargement of the gallbladder with thickening of the wall, a sonolucent layer, and a stone in the neck of the gallbladder, which led to a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated thickening of the gallbladder wall and 2 areas of low-intensity signal. The pain and fever persisted, for which we performed PTGBA, aspirating about 113 ml of infected bile. Subsequently, the pain and fever subsided, and abdominal US revealed a reduction in the enlargement of the gallbladder with the persistence of thickening of the wall. On the eighth day after PTGBA, open abdominal cholecystectomy was performed. In Case 2, the patient was a 56-year-old woman who had right hypochondriac pain after supper. The pain gradually increased in severity. Abdominal US showed enlargement of the gallbladder with a thickened wall, a sonolucent layer, and a gallstone in the neck of the gallbladder, which led to a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) showed enlargement of the gallbladder with no abnormalities in the common bile duct. After admission to hospital, the pain and fever persisted, for which we performed PTGBA, aspirating about 50 ml of infected bile. Subsequently, the pain and fever vanished. Abdominal US revealed a reduction in the enlargement of the gallbladder with the persistence of thickening of the wall. On the seventh day after PTGBA, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. PTGBA seems useful for early alleviation of the symptoms of acute cholecystitis because of low invasiveness and ease of performance.

Between 1978 and 1999, 86 patients with chronic pancreatitis were surgically treated at the Surgical Department of Kurume University Hospital. Of these patients, 30 were treated by pancreatic duct drainage operation (drainage operation), while 40 were treated by pancreatic resection, and the results were compared between the two groups. In patients who underwent drainage operation, pain disappeared in 85.7%, slightly relieved in 10.7%, and not relieved in 3.6%. In patients who underwent pancreatic resection, pain disappeared in 73.4%, slightly relieved in 13.3%, and not relieved in 13.3%. Therefore, there was no significant difference in the pain-relieving effect between the two groups. However, the pain-relieving effect was poorer in patients who underwent pancreatic resection than in those who underwent drainage operation. In addition, all patients who showed poor results for pain relief had alcoholic pancreatitis. Endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas were improved in 6, maintained in 2, and exacerbated in 4 patients who underwent drainage operation. In patients who underwent pancreatic resection, endocrine and exocrine function of the pancreas were improved in 3, maintained in 3, and exacerbated in 13. Therefore, endocrine and exocrine function of the pancreas were poorer in patients who underwent pancreatic resection than in those who underwent drainage operation. Distant results in patients who underwent drainage operation were good in 75.0%, fair in 15.0%, and poor in 10.0%. In patients who underwent pancreatic resection, distant results were good in 80.0%, fair in 13.3%, and poor in 6.7%. Therefore, favorable distant results were obtained in both groups. These findings suggest that surgical techniques that preserve functions of the pancreas should be selected during surgical treatment for chronic pancreatitis. We consider that the presence or absence of main pancreatic duct dilation and the site of pancreatic lesions are important indices for selecting surgical techniques. Therefore, drainage operation consisting of pancreaticojejunostomy should be indicated for patients with main pancreatic duct dilation, while pancreatic resection should be indicated for those without main pancreatic duct dilation, those with localized pancreatic lesions, and those with suspected pancreatic cancer.

Coexistence of horseshoe kidney and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a rare entity that presents a technical challenge to vascular surgeons. How to approach such an AAA with horseshoe kidney and whether to divide the renal isthmus remains a controversial issue. We report here the successful surgical repair of an AAA with horseshoe kidney via the transperitoneal approach with division of the renal isthmus by Harmonic Focus, which allowed easy division of the isthmus without bleeding. Harmonic Focus, a hand-held type of harmonic scalpel, was thus useful in symphysiotomy of the horseshoe kidney.

A 22-year-old man complaining of persisting high fever and right hypochondralgia was admitted to our hospital for infectious mononucleosis with splenic infarction detected by computed tomography. The splenic infarction deteriorated with a marked elevation of inflammatory parameters. This necessitated the commencement of methylprednisolone pulse therapy, resulting in prompt amelioration of inflammation and a reduction in cytokine levels. Including our case, only 9 cases of mononucleosis with splenic infarction have been reported to date; however, splenic infarction should be considered because it is a significant complication of infectious mononucleosis.

Although the Angio-Seal arterial closure device is widely used for preventing bleeding and facilitating early ambulation after arterial puncture, it is also associated with unique complications, such as stenosis, occlusion, or peripheral embolism. We report the first case of a foot ulcer that developed 70 days after an Angio-Seal application. The collagen sponge component accidently positioned itself in the arterial lumen and was not absorbed. A foreign body reaction was observed microscopically. In patients with arteriosclerosis, the Angio-Seal device should be used carefully; post procedural monitoring is necessary after implantation.

The crystallization of high purity amorphous polymer-derived Si3N4 fiber, which was heat-treated with and without BN powders, was investigated. In the case without BN powder, the crystallization proceeds by vapor phase growth mechanism through SiO gas. The activation energy of 602kJ/mol was calculated. In the case with BN powder, the crystalline growth and crystallization through vapor phase was fairly suppressed. The crystallization proceeds by solid phase growth mechanism. The activation energy of 1273kJ/mol was calculated.Durability of Si3N4 fiber in a ceramic matrix composite was estimated. Si3N4 fiber may remain amorphous at 1300°C for 5×104h and at 1400°C for 6×10h, respectively.

Gas-liquid two-phase flows in a horizontal rectangular microchannel with return bends have been investigated. The width and the depth of the microchannel are 240 μm and 230 μm, respectively. T-junction type gas-liquid mixer was used to introduce gas and liquid in the channel. In order to know the effects of liquid properties, distilled water, pure ethanol, 49wt% ethanol aqueous solution and HFE7200 were used as the test liquids, while nitrogen gas as the test gas. The flow pattern, the bubble velocity, the bubble length and the liquid slug length were measured, and the void fraction was determined as the ratio of the gas superficial velocity to the bubble velocity. The bubble velocity at a downstream position from the bend is faster than that at an upstream position, and thus the void fraction is smaller at a downstream position. The bubble velocity data were well correlated with the well-known drift flux model with Kawahara et al.’s distribution parameter correlation. The bubble length data at the upstream and the downstream positions are also correlated with the scaling law proposed by Garstecki et al., irrespective of the test liquids. The liquid slug length data are correlated with an exponential function of the void fraction. The ratio of the bubble length to the bubble pitch is also well correlated with a linear function of the homogeneous void fraction.

A direct patterning technique of interlayer dielectric films was developed for multilevel interconnections. A photosensitive methylsilazane film with a dielectric constant of 2.7 was synthesized. A methylsilazane precursor consists of a photoacid generator, a sensitizer, and a base polymer. The photosensitive methylsilazane film could be patterned by use of electron-beam lithography or ultraviolet lithography. It was demonstrated that the smallest feature size of 50 nm for damascene lines and via holes could be directly patterned in these films by electron-beam lithography.

A trial of carrier doping into Ca 1− x Sr x CuO 2 has been made through partial substitution by conventional solid-state reaction under ambient pressure. The element Y or Na has been taken for the Ca-site substitution, Ga or Li for the Cu site, and F for the O site. It is hard to carry out hole doping into Ca 1− x Sr x CuO 2 . As for electron doping, electron carriers are most doped in samples within the solid-solution limit of y ≈0.05 in Ca 0.86− y Sr 0.14 Y y CuO 2 , but the carrier concentration estimated from the Hall coefficient is still too small to bring superconductivity. Almost all of the samples remain semiconductor-like and no samples show superconductivity of the bulk above 4.2 K. These results are discussed in relation to the oxygen stoichiometry and the Madelung potential. In addition, resistive and magnetic anomalies observed at about 50 K in several samples of Ca 0.82 Sr 0.16 Y 0.02 CuO 2 are described.

In this study, gas-liquid two-phase flows in a horizontal rectangular microchannel have been investigated. The rectangular microchannel has the hydraulic diameter of 0.235 mm, and the width and the depth of 0.24 mm and 0.23 mm, respectively. A T-junction type gas-liquid mixer was used to introduce gas and liquid in the channel. In order to know the effects of liquid properties, distilled water, ethanol and HFE7200 were used as the test liquids, while nitrogen gas as the test gas. The flow pattern, the bubble length, the liquid slug length and the bubble velocity in two-phase flow were measured with a high speed video camera, and the void fraction was determined from the bubble velocity data and the superficial gas velocity data. In addition, the pressure drop was also measured with a calibrated differential pressure transducer. The bubble length data were compared with the calculation by the scaling law proposed by Garstecki et al (2006). The bubble velocity data and/or the void fraction data were well correlated with the well-known drift flux model (Zuber and Findlay, 1965) with a new distribution parameter correlation developed in this study. The frictional pressure drop data were also well correlated with Lockhart-Martinelli method with a correlation of two-phase friction multiplier.

Giant liposomes, or giant vesicles, are cell-size (approximately 5-100 microm) compartments enclosed with phospholipid bilayers, and have often been used in biological research. They are usually generated using hydration methods, "electroformation" and "gentle hydration (or natural swelling)", in which dry lamellar films of phospholipids are hydrated with aqueous solutions. In gentle hydration, however, giant liposomes are difficult to prepare from an electrostatically neutral phospholipid because lipid lamellae cannot repel each other. In this study, we demonstrate the efficient formation of giant liposomes using the gentle hydration of neutral phospholipid (dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine, DOPC) dry films doped with nonelectrolytic monosaccharides (glucose, mannose, and fructose). A mixture of DOPC and such a sugar in an organic solvent (chloroform/methanol) was evaporated to form the films, which were then hydrated with distilled water or Tris buffers containing sodium chloride. Under these conditions, giant liposomes spontaneously formed rapidly and assumed a swollen cell-sized spherical shape with low lamellarity, whereas giant liposomes from pure DOPC films had multilamellar lipid layers, miscellaneous shapes and smaller sizes. This observation indicates that giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) of DOPC can be obtained efficiently through the gentle hydration of sugar-containing lipid dry films because repulsion between lipid lamellae is enhanced by the osmosis induced by dissolved sugar.

The patient was a 72-year-old woman who had been diagnosed with cholecystolithiasis and had undergone laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Since the postoperative pathologic diagnosis was a gallbladder cancer with a depth of wall penetration of subserosa, she was admitted to Kurume University Hospital for a second-look operation. After admission, abdominal angiography was performed with a right femoral arterial puncture. After the release of inguinal compression with a belt, chest pain and difficulty in breathing appeared. Despite her normal blood pressure, arterial blood gas analysis showed a PO2 of 74.7mmHg and a PCO2 of 41.5mmHg, representing a slight decrease in PO2. Chest X-rays showed an increased cardiothoracic ratio and decreased lucency in the left upper lung field. The electrocardiogram revealed atrial premature contraction. Cardiac ultrasound did not show expansion of the right heart and blood vessels or abnormal structures in the main pulmonary artery. Since lung perfusion scintigraphy revealed perfusion defects in the left upper to middle and right upper lung fields, acute pulmonary embolism was diagnosed, and oxygen inhalation, thrombolytic, and anticoagulant therapy were instituted immediately. The symptoms improved the following day, but 240, 000 u/day of urokinase was administered for 5 days, and 1, 500 u/day of heparin for 10 days. On lung perfusion scintigrams 6 days later, the defects had disappeared. Moreover, no definite abnormal shadows were noted on chest X-rays. Radical surgery for gallbladder cancer was performed 3 weeks later. Considering the possible development of pulmonary embolism, we felt the need for careful management if the patient is released from bed rest after abdominal angiography.

Although there is growing evidence to suggest that magnesium supplementation to patients undergoing cardiac surgery is beneficial, the way to administer magnesium is not established. Moreover in Japan St Thomas' cardioplegic solution, containing a high level of magnesium is widely used and the effect of such magnesium-rich cardioplegic solutions on blood magnesium concentration has not been well defined.We measured ionized magnesium concentrations (iMg) during cardiac surgery employing St Thomas' solution. Patients were divided into four groups. Group 1 patients were adults and group 2 were children, both of whom received St. Thomas' solution. Group 3 patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass but did not receive any cardioplegic solution. Group 4 patients underwent off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting.In cardioplegia group (group 1 and 2) iMg was higher than the normal reference range at periods of rewarming, immediately postbypass, and at the end of the operation. iMg at immediately postbypass was related to the total amount of cardioplegic solution. In non-cardioplegia group (group 3 and 4) progressive decrease of iMg was observed throughout the operation.Because magnesium in cardioplegic solutions has substantial effect on perioperative iMg, it is crucial to measure iMg to avoid overdose of magnesium when magnesium-rich cardioplegic solutions are employed.

We describe a case of coronary spasm in a 59-year-old man undergoing an emergent abdominal aortic replacement for ruptured aortic aneurysm. The patient was brought to the operating room in a state of hypovolemic shock, and was successfully resuscitated through intensive volume expansion by rapid infusion devices. Twenty minutes after cross-clamping of the abdominal aorta, ST-segment elevation on the lead III of electrocardiogram (ECG) and dyskinesis in the inferior wall shown by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were noted. Coronary spasm was suspected, and isosorbide dinitrate was administered intravenously without delay, leading to prompt reversal of ischemic changes. A number of reports have suggested that care should be taken against coronary spasm in non-cardiac surgery as well as cardiac surgery, especially in patients with coronary risk factors. Monitoring by multi-lead ECG and TEE is a powerful method by which to detect and evaluate intraoperative myocardial ischemia.

The standard Gibbs free energy of formation of NiW2B2 was determined in the temperature range from 1273 K to 1423 K by measuring electromotive forces of a galvanic cell having a solid oxide electrolyte. Also, the standard Gibbs free energies of formation of WO2 and WO49/18 and the Gibbs free energy of mixing of the Ni-W binary system, which were necessary to determine the standard Gibbs free energy of formation of NiW2B2, were determined. The results obtained are as follows:(1) ΔG°f(NiW2B2)=-199000+3.08T±1000J/mol (1273-1423 K).(2) ΔG°f(WO2)=-573100+167.0T±100J/mol (1223-1473 K).(3) ΔG°f(WO49/18)=-755400+213.2 T+200J/mol (1223-1423 K).(4) The Gibbs free energy of mixing of the Ni-W solid solution (Ni-16.4 mol%W), which is in equilibrium with NiW2B2, is:ΔGm(Ni-16.4 mol%W)=-4040+0.280T±3J/mol (1273-1423 K).