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Background The management strategies regarding the strength of reactive topical corticosteroids have not been well evaluated in clinical trials. This FAEISS study is designed to confirm the superior efficacy of reactive topical corticosteroid strategies with serially ranking-DOWN from very strong levels compared with those with serially ranking-UP from weak levels for facial acneiform rash induced by EGFRI. Methods Pts with RAS wt mCRC were enrolled in the first registration. All pts received pre-emptive therapy with oral minocycline 100 or 200 mg/day and heparinoid moisturizer from the initiation of EGFRIs. Enrolled pts who developed facial acneiform rash within 8 weeks were randomized either to ranking-UP group (UP group) or ranking-DOWN group (DOWN group) (second registration) using minimization method for balancing institution, type of EGFRIs, and sex. Primary endpoint was incidence of Grade2 (moderate) or higher facial acneiform rash during 8 weeks after randomization. Results 172 RAS wt mCRC pts, of whom 22 pts and 84 pts received cetuximab and panitumumab, respectively, were enrolled and 106 pts were randomized. There was no significant difference in the incidence of Grade 2 ≧ facial acneiform rash between UP group (18 times) and DOWN group (20 times) (stratified Wilcoxon’s rank sum test, one-sided: p = 0.86221). As for secondary end points, proportion of Grade3 or higher facial acneiform rash was 13.2% for UP group and 11.3% for DOWN group, showing no significant difference between the groups (Fisher’s exact test: p = 1.0000). There was no problem of safety concern in both groups. Conclusions Topical corticosteroids ranking UP from weak levels was confirmed to be standard therapy for the management of facial acneiform rash in pts with RAS wt mCRC. It would follow that minocycline and heparinoid moisturizer have a prophylactic efficacy while topical corticosteroids have a therapeutic efficacy for facial acneiform rash. Clinical trial identification UMIN000024113. Legal entity responsible for the study FAEISS Study Group. Funding AMED. Disclosure N. Yamazaki: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Takarabio; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Ono; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Research grant / Funding (institution): Novartis. K. Kikuchi: Research grant / Funding (institution): POLA; Research grant / Funding (institution): Maruho. H. Fukuda: Honoraria (self): Taiho/chugai; Research grant / Funding (self): National Cancer Center. T. Hamaguchi: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Ono; Honoraria (self): Takeda; Honoraria (self): Bayer. N. Boku: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Taiho; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Ono; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb. T. Takenouchi: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Ono; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: MSD; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Novartis . T. Nishina: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Taiho; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Chugai; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): Merck Serono. S. Yoshikawa: Honoraria (self): Ono; Honoraria (self): Novertis; Honoraria (self): Bristol-Myers Squibb. K. Yamazaki: Honoraria (self): Chugai; Honoraria (self): Daiichi Sankyo. M. Takahashi: Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution): Ono; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Daiichi Sankyo. T. Masuishi: Honoraria (self): Taiho; Honoraria (self): Merck Serono; Honoraria (self): Yakult Honsha. Y. Kiyohara: Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): MSD; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Ono; Honoraria (self), Research grant / Funding (institution): BMS. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

This journal suppl. entitled: Special Issue: The 64th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases: The Liver Meeting 2013

A magnetic-fields dependence of heat capacity of [Mn5(hmp)4(OH)2{N(CN)2}6]2MeCN·2THF (hmp=hydroxymethylpyridinate) is investigated by the thermal relaxation calorimetry technique. This compound is a three-dimensional system consisting of Mn4 single-molecule magnet (SMM) units and Mn2+ ions, which are linked by the dicyanamide ligands to form a coordination network structure. A sharp peak of Cp being associated with the formation of three-dimensional long-range order is observed around 1.96 K. The thermodynamic discussion based on the magnetic entropy suggests that both SMMs and Mn2+ ions are involved in the formation of the anitiferromagnetic spin ordering. However, this long-range ordering is very sensitive to the external magnetic fields which work to change the magnitude of the Zeeman splitting of the SMM levels. The behavior under magnetic fields is similar to that of the two-dimensional Mn4-network system studied previously.

Functionally structured material is a tailored material to have unique geometric structures and create new functions or high performances. Design and fabrication of 3D ceramic photonic crystals and fractals using CAD/CAM stereolithography are demonstrated as well as their unique functions of reflection and localization of electromagnetic waves as typical examples of functionally structured materials. The outlook of functionally structured materials is briefly discussed.

Significant associations of HLA-DP alleles with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection are evident in Asian and Arabian populations, including Japanese, Han Chinese, Korean, and Saudi Arabian populations. Here, significant associations between CHB infection and five DPB1 alleles (two susceptibility alleles, DPB1(*) 05:01 and (*) 09:01, and three protective alleles, DPB1(*) 02:01, (*) 04:01, and (*) 04:02) were confirmed in a population comprising of 2582 Japanese individuals. Furthermore, odds ratios for CHB were higher for those with both DPB1 susceptibility alleles than for those with only one susceptibility allele; therefore, effects of susceptibility alleles were additive for risk of CHB infection. Similarly, protective alleles showed an additive effect on protection from CHB infection. Moreover, heterozygotes of any protective allele showed stronger association with CHB than did homozygotes, suggesting that heterozygotes may bind a greater variety of hepatitis B-derived peptides, and thus present these peptides more efficiently to T-cell receptors than homozygotes. Notably, compound heterozygote of the protective allele (any one of DPB1*02:01, *04:01, and *04:02) and the susceptible allele DPB1*05:01 was significantly associated with protection against CHB infection, which indicates that one protective HLA-DPB1 molecule can provide dominant protection. Identification of the HLA-DPB1 genotypes associated with susceptibility to and protection from CHB infection is essential for future analysis of the mechanisms responsible for immune recognition of hepatitis B virus antigens by HLA-DPB1 molecules.

We have measured Hall resistance and magnetic torque in the field-induced spin-density-wave (FISDW) phase of deuterated (TMTSF) 2 ClO 4 for various cooling rates through the anion ordering temperature. The Hall resistance with the magnetic field parallel to c* is not sensitive to cooling rate above 16T. On the other hand, the Hall resistance between 9 and 14 T rapidly and continuously decreases with increasing cooling rate. This result means that the Hall resistance in the semimetallic SDW phase between 9 and 14 T is not quantized in the intermediate cooled states. A new phase transition from the non-quantized phase to the quantized (n = 1) Hall phase exists with hysteresis of the Hall resistance. Moreover, the new phase boundary is shifted towards a lower field when the cooling rate is increased. We have also found that the magnetic torque in the non-quantized phase rapidly decreases with increasing cooling rate. A possible ground state of non-quantized and Hall phase of the FISDW phase of (TMTSF) 2 ClO 4 is discussed from the viewpoint of the peculiar SDW nesting vector.

Friction aided deep drawing using a polyurethane ring as a pressure medium has been analyzed by the slab and the energy methods to understand the main features of the process and to find the optimum conditions to achieve successful drawing. The effect of an auxiliary metal punch on the stress distribution of the deformed blank and the increase in height of the drawn cup is also discussed. From these studies, the reason why the unusual circumferential crack occurs at the flange of the deformed blank has been clarified, based on the radial stress distribution of the deformed blank. A process parameter, which denotes the drawing characteristics of the friction aided deep drawing, has been proposed. In addition, the drawing region diagram has been presented to facilitate the drawing pressure control with the progress of the drawing process. It is shown that the successful drawing region is narrow at the early stage of drawing, although it becomes wide as the drawing proceeds. Therefore, in the early stage of drawing, special care should be paid to the drawing pressure control to avoid the flange crack.

Objectives. Fibronectin containing the EDA region (EDA + Fn), a molecule important for rheumatoid joint destruction, was measured in relation to the progression of joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Total Fn and EDA + Fn were measured by ELISA, and the concentrations of Fn in plasma and synovial fluid were compared prospectively for 2 yr with the progression of joint destruction in 41 knee joints of 37 patients with RA. The extent of joint destruction was assessed by the Larsen score and joint space narrowing in X-ray films taken before and 2 yr after measurement of EDA + Fn. Results. The concentration of synovial fluid EDA Fn showed a positive correlation with the progression of joint destruction in RA (r = 0.78). While total Fn in synovial fluid also showed a correlation with joint destruction (r = 0.54), total Fn and EDA + Fn in plasma showed no correlation with joint destruction. The concentration of synovial fluid EDA + Fn was significantly higher in patients who underwent joint replacement after the measurement of EDA Fn than in those who did not receive surgery (P < 0.029). Conclusion. Synovial fluid EDA + Fn can be a predictor of subsequent joint destruction in RA.

Ion-attachment mass spectrometry is capable of accurate and in situ analysis of multicomponent gases that may even include unknown components. We developed a compact apparatus that uses this method and examined its performance for perfluoro compounds, a class of greenhouse gases, using typical standard gases, and subsequently applied the method to the in situ analysis of exhaust gases from a dry-etching machine, where c-C4F8/O2/Ar plasma is generated. Perfluoro compounds of low concentration can be detected as quasimolecules without any fragmentation. In the exhaust gases, many components that are not considered in the current measurement protocol [J. Meyers, D. Green, P. Maroulis, and W. Reagen, Equipment Environmental Characterization Guidelines, Rev. 3.0 (INTEL, 1999)] are measured, as well as components already reported.

Carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) are not only ingested from the environment but are also formed endogenously from precursors. It has been reported that nitrate, an NOC precursor, has an enterosalivary cycle and that the cycle increases the chance of exposure to NOCs. However, there is no information on the salivary excretion of NOCs. In the present study, the toxicokinetics of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in dogs was evaluated, focusing on the salivary excretion. Following intravenous injection of 2 mg/kg NDMA, the plasma concentration showed a monoexponential decline, and the total body clearance and apparent distribution volume were greatly in excess of the hepatic plasma flow and total body water, respectively. A high concentration of NDMA was immediately detected in the plasma after oral administration of the same dose, and the oral bioavailability was almost 100%. NDMA was rapidly excreted into the saliva after both treatments, and the concentration in saliva was higher than that in the plasma. These results suggest that NDMA also has an enterosalivary cycle: NDMA is partially excreted from blood into saliva, delivered into the gastrointestinal tract by swallowing the saliva, and then completely reabsorbed into the systemic circulation. This concept was also supported by kinetic analysis based on a compartment model. The enterosalivary cycle of NDMA cannot be ignored in the risk assessment of carcinogenesis.

A 26-year-old female bone marrow transplant (BMT) recipient was hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antibody (HBeAb) positive. The donor, her human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-compatible sister, was HBsAg negative but hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) and hepatitis B core antibody (HBcAb) positive. Twelve weeks post-BMT the patient became HBsAg negative, as determined using a monoclonal antibody-based assay. At 16 weeks post-BMT, HBsAg became undetectable by monoclonal and polyclonal immunoassay with seroconversion to HBsAb; however, at 24 weeks post-BMT the patient again became HBsAg positive. Both the recipient and the donor were retrospectively tested by hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and found to be positive. The recipient displayed variants at amino acids 4 and 47 of the surface (S) gene prior to BMT. These mutations were not detected 32 weeks post-BMT when the S gene sequence was identical to that of an adr prototype. The donor was found to have four unique amino acid substitutions at positions 30, 98, 101 and 210 of the S gene. However, in vitro-expressed HBsAg from the donor was detected by commercial kits and an immunofluorescence assay, indicating that antigenic alteration did not explain HBsAg negativity. This donor highlights the value of PCR as the gold standard test for current HBV infection. It also demonstrates that discordance between two commercial HBsAg assays may not always be caused by antigenic variants. The second episode of hepatitis may theoretically have been caused by reactivation, selection of an escape mutant by HBsAb, reinfection or recombination. We suggest it was reactivation because none of the donor variants was seen in the recipient post-BMT.

We determined full-length nucleotide sequence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome in sera from 40 Japanese patients with HBsAg-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in order to obtain information on HCC-specific characteristics, if any, of the HBV genome. Direct sequencing of the long distance PCR products starting from 50 microliters of serum samples revealed that 95% of our isolates were of genotype C, and that mutations and deletions/insertions were very common. With respect to envelope protein genes, deletions and missense mutations were frequent in preS2, and the determinant a domain of HBsAg was rich in "antibody-escape" mutations. Within the precore/core region, the most remarkable mutation was the replacement of proline of wild type by other amino acids at codon 130 of the core gene, which was found in 58% of our isolates, while precore-stop mutation was found in 45%. Most interestingly, however, about 90% of our isolates had mutations at nt positions 1762 (A-to-T) and 1764 (G-to-A) within the core promoter, which had been implicated in "e-suppressive" phenotype of HBV genome. G-to-A at nt 1613 and C-to-T at nt 1653 within enhancer II and T-to-C/A at nt 1753 within core promoter were also evident: 38%, 53%, and 40%, respectively. It was interesting that some of the characteristics observed in our isolates form HCC patients had been previously implicated in fulminant hepatitis and/or acute exacerbation of chronic hepatitis.

AIMS: To assess the relevance of genetic variants of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and to demonstrate the usefulness of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in cases of HBV diagnostic difficulty. METHODS: Five serum samples from patients that presented diagnostic difficulty in routine laboratories were sent to a research laboratory for PCR, and if appropriate, S gene sequencing, in vitro expression, and antigenic analysis. RESULTS: The demonstration of HBV in serum by PCR allowed a definitive diagnosis of current infection. One serum sample with poor reactivity in a diagnostic assay had a minor hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) variant and another with very poor reactivity had multiple variants of HBsAg. Transient HBsAg reactivity was observed in a recently vaccinated patient. A hepatitis Be antigen (HBeAg) false positive reaction was noted in a patient from a well defined risk group for HBV. One patient who was strongly HBsAg/HBeAg positive, but anti-hepatitis B core antibody negative, was viraemic. CONCLUSIONS: PCR may become the gold standard for the diagnosis of current HBV infection. HBV variants are responsible for a proportion of diagnostically difficult cases. Modification of commercial assays is necessary to increase the sensitivity of detection of such variants.

Features characteristic to rheumatoid joint destruction, including synovial overgrowth and bone resorption, are experimentally produced by augmenting c-fos gene expression. We tested here if arthritic joint destruction was inhibited upon inactivation of the c-fos/AP-1 signal by administering short double-stranded AP-1 DNA oligonucleotides into mice with collagen-induced arthritis to compete for the binding of AP-1 in vivo at the promoter binding site. Arthritic joint destruction was inhibited in a sequence-specific and dose-dependent manner by oligonucleotides containing the AP-1 sequence. The oligonucleotides inhibited gene expression at the transcriptional level. Nucleotide sequences besides AP-1 also appeared to be important structurally for binding of AP-1 onto DNA and for the stability of oligonucleotides against nucleases. Immunohistochemical chase experiment administering biotinylated oligonucleotides into arthritic mice showed that AP-1 oligonucleotides reached the inflamed joint. Thus, activation of c-fos/AP-1 appears essentially important in arthritic joint destruction.

A new EGA-MS instrument consisted of a combination of skimmer interface with no change of evolved gaseous species and IAMS (Ion Attachment Mass Spectrometry) with no fragmentation during the ionization has been developed successfully. As its application of evolved gaseous species from PVA as firing process of alumina ceramics binder, the method has indicated detection of gaseous species which have not been detected with Py-GC-MS.

Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 are known to be the major allergens of Japanese cedar pollen. A comparative study was carried out on the immune responses to stimulation with Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 in 24 symptomatic patients and six nonallergic subjects. In T-cell proliferation assays, mean stimulation indexes (SI) were 10.6 for Cry j 1 and 11.7 for Cry j 2 stimulation, respectively, in the allergic patients. Two of the nonallergic subjects showed strong T-cell proliferation to both allergens, while the remainder did not. All the allergic subjects (17/17) showed high titers of anti-Cry j 1 IgE antibody at a mean value of 165 U/ml, whereas only 64% responded to Cry j 2 with low titers at a mean value of 26 U/ml. Nonallergic subjects did not respond with IgE production. Allergic subjects were further examined for their cytokine production profiles. All allergic subjects tested (16/16) produced high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) in response to Cry j 1 with a mean value of 918 pg/ml, while only five subjects showed significant elevation of IFN-gamma production in response to Cry j 2 with a mean value of 679 pg/ml. The remainder produced small amounts of IFN-gamma. Cry j 1 induced higher levels of interleukin (IL)-10 gene expression than did Cry j 2 stimulation, while both allergens induced IL-4 expression at a similar level. The IL-12 p35 gene was constitutively expressed, whereas the IL-12 p40 gene expression in Cry j 1-stimulated cells was elevated eightfold over that of nonstimulated cells. Increased expression of the IL-12 p40 gene was negligible in Cry j 2-stimulated cells. Thus, Cry j 1 stimulated mixed features of Th1 and Th2-like responses, while Cry j 2 played a minor role in inducing IgE production and cytokine (IFN-gamma, IL-10, and IL-12) production, except for IL-2 production and strong T-cell proliferative activity. Therefore, it was concluded that Cry j 1 is the more important allergen, and that T-cell proliferation assays do not necessarily reflect the level of allergenicity.

The immunodominant regions of the Japanese cedar pollen allergen Cry j 2 for T-cell immunity were determined with whole peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) derived from seven allergic patients and three nonallergic subjects. Cry j 2-stimulated T-cell proliferation was inhibited by anti-HLA-DR, but not by anti-HLA-DQ antibody, indicating that the responding T cells recognized the allergen peptides associated with HLA-DR molecules. It was found that seven regions of Cry j 2, i.e., regions corresponding to amino acid numbers 1-26, 70-84, 151-167, 187-203, 252-279, 283-314, and 345-362, were immunodominant for T-cell proliferation. Thus, Cry j 2 bears a limited number of immunodominant regions despite polymorphic features of HLA-DR in the immune system. This suggests the possibility of molecularly designing Cry j 2 antagonists that could downregulate allergic reactions to Japanese cedar pollen.

Two experiments were conducted to compare absorption of copper (Cu) from cupric chloride (CuCl2) and various types of chelated Cu in a low concentration range by cucumbers. In the first experiment, two varieties of cucumber were grown on rockwool for 40 days in a glasshouse with standard nutrient solution which contained six different concentrations of CuCl2 (0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.40, and 0.80 μmol/L). Copper deficiency symptoms were examined during the growing period, and the total nitrogen (N), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), and copper contents of young fully grown leaves were measured. There were no differences among treatments in the leaf contents of N and Mn. Copper contents increased and Zn decreased with increasing Cu levels. The content of Cu at the three low Cu treatments (including no Cu addition) were in the deficient range (48–65 μmol/kg dry matter). The zero Cu level had paler green leaves than other treatments. No differences were apparent between varieties. The second exper...

We generally discuss both electrodynamic and quantum mechanical gauge invariance. Many-body perturbation theory (MBPT) is widely used in various fields of physics and has been used to define mechanisms for collision dynamics for the interaction of matter with both photons and with charged particles. It is shown that individual MBPT amplitudes for photoionization do not obey gauge invariance, but that MBPT amplitudes summed to within a given order do satisfy gauge invariance. Explicit gauge transformations between length (L), velocity (V), and acceleration (A) forms of the dipole matrix element used for interactions of matter with photons are given.

A new technique of endoscopic treatment for gastric varices is presented here, which was applied in 10 patients, either electively (n = 9) or as emergency therapy for bleeding (n = 9) or as emergency therapy for bleeding (n = 1). A detachable snare is placed endoscopically, tightened around the varix, and then detached using a similar principle to that of band ligation. Following one or two treatment sessions (one snare applied in seven cases, two snares applied in three cases), eradication of gastric varices was observed in all patients. No significant complications were encountered, and nine of 13 snares passed spontaneously, the remaining ones being removed when found during follow-up endoscopy. Short-term follow-up (4-12 months, mean: 7.2 months) did not show either reappearance of varices or rebleeding in any of the patients. Angiography and endoscopic ultrasonography performed in four patients before and after treatment showed regression or disappearance of intramural vessels. Further studies will show the relative value of this new technique compared to other treatment modalities such as banding or cyanoacrylate injection.

Instability of an electronic Floquet state in the semiconductor Wannier‐Stark ladder (WSL) driven by an intense monochromatic THz wave is investigated by virtue of the R‐matrix Floquet theory. It is revealed that a dynamic localization (DL) characteristic of this system is unstable against the Fano resonance‐like interminiband decay mechanism caused by the THz‐mediated interaction, termed here the dynamic Fano resonance (DFR). The result obtained here is sharply contrasted with the conventional understanding without the introduction of DFR that the degree of stability of the DL would be comparable to that of the WSL with no THz drive.

Elimination of cryoprecipitable plasma components (cryogels) by cryofiltration from the circulating blood of patients with drug-resistant rheumatoid arthritis (RA) alleviates clinical symptoms including morning stiffness and arthralgia. The cryogels thus isolated from the blood were found to consist mainly of fibrinogen (Fbg) and fibronectin (FN). Analysis by immunoblotting with an anti-cellular FN monoclonal antibody revealed that cellular FN (cFN) co-existed with plasma FN (pFN) in the cryogels derived from the patients. Using an ELISA, we assessed cFN together with the total FN (pFN + cFN) in plasmas and cryogels derived from the patients. The cFN/total FN ratio was distinctly higher in the cryogels than in the plasmas, suggesting that cFN was more readily precipitated than pFN in association with Fbg under cold conditions.

The synthesis and the spectroscopic, electrochemical and photophysical properties of the homologous series of photosensitizers, fac-(4,4{prime}-X{sub 2}-5,5{prime}-Y{sub 2}-2,2{prime}-bipyridine)Re(CO){sub 3}Etpy{sup +} (X = NEt{sub 2}, Me, OMe, H, Ph, Cl, CO{sub 2}Me, NO{sub 2} Y = H; X = Y = Me; Etpy = 4-ethylpyridine) are described. Both the quasi-reversible or irreversible oxidation of the Re(I) center and the reversible or quasi-reversible, one-electron reduction of the coordinated bipyridyl ligand are observed to vary with the electron donor/acceptor abilities of X, Y as measured by the sum of the Hammett substituent constants {sigma}{sub m} + {sigma}{sub p}. Hammett ({sigma}{sub T} = {sigma}{sub p} + {sigma}{sub m}) values for the X, Y groups are observed to correlate linearly with the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) absorption and emission energies and provide a convenient tool for the estimation of excited-state properties of the complexes. The complexes are moderately strong excited-state oxidants (E{sub 1/2}(+*/0) = 0.73-1.12 V vs SSCE) and exhibit emission maxima in the range 528 nm (X = NEt{sub 2}, Y = H) to 755 nm (X = NO{sub 2}, Y = H). MLCT excited-state decay is dominated by nonradiative decay from the {sup 3}MLCT state to the ground state and is governed by anmore » energy gap law. It is shown that excited-state properties such as absorption energy, emission energy, rate of nonradiative decay (k{sub nr}), and the rate of radiative decay (k{sub r}) correlate with {sigma}{sub T}. The correlations can be derived from more fundamental considerations. The dependence of ln k{sub nr} on emission energy is similar to values obtained in earlier studies with bipyridyl Ru(II) or Os(II) complexes which do not contain coordinated CO and somewhat less than that observed in a previous study for fac-(bpy)Re(CO){sub 3}(L{prime}){sup +} complexes (L{prime} = monodentate, neutral ligands).« less

We review briefly the historical survey of the research on the radiative electron capture (REC), introduce the theoretical predictions and give preliminary experimental results of photon angular distributions of the relativistic radiative electron capture into the K and the L shells of a projectile atomic states.

In Japan, sea sand is used frequently as fine aggregate for concrete. The mining of sea sand has been more difficult year by year for environmental reasons. This would be a serious problem in manufacturing concrete. The amount of fly ash has been increasing gradually in Japan, therefore the utilization of fly ash as the substitution of fine aggregate has a significant advantage. In this study, bending fatigue test of roller compacted concrete was carried out, in which fine aggregate was replaced with fly ash. The obtained S-N curve was compared with that of normal concrete and general roller compacted concrete. Scatter of fatigue was also determined.

To suppress a flicker that occurs in a power system with arc furnaces, the authors have developed a self-commutated static flicker compensator (SFC). To verify the SFC's compensation performance, the authors performed experiments with a mini-model and an analog simulator. As a result of these experiments, it was confirmed that the current deviation of the SFC output current was less than the desired value of 5%, and the response time of current control was about 1 ms. They also tested the flicker compensating effect with an actual SFC which was installed in a power system. The SFC achieved a flicker suppression factor of 36%, and has been operating trouble-free since April 1995.

The potential of the semiconducting compound /spl alpha/-Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/ for thermoelectric application was investigated. /spl alpha/-Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/ has a tetragonal crystal structure with a relatively complex unit cell, which results in a low lattice thermal conductivity. Several samples of /spl alpha/-Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/ were prepared using the solid-state reacted powders by the spark plasma sintering method. The electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient measurements were performed over the temperature range 300-1000 K. The electrical conductivity of undoped /spl alpha/-Zn/sub 3/P/sub 2/ was found to be considerably lower than that of state-of-the-art thermoelectric materials. The electrical conductivity was increased by the substitution of Cu for Zn. Large Seebeck coefficients up to about 900 /spl mu/VK/sup -1/ were obtained on the p-type undoped sample. The thermal conductivity was measured by the laser flash method over the temperature range 300-800 K. The obtained samples had relatively low thermal conductivity values and the room-temperature lattice thermal conductivity was estimated to be 13 mW cm/sup -1/K/sup -1/. The optimization of the electronic properties will be required to achieve the high thermoelectric figure of merit.

We have tried to dope /spl beta/-Zn/sub 4/Sb/sub 3/ with Sn for the purpose of the p-type doping and the enhancement of phonon scattering, which further improve the thermoelectric properties of /spl beta/Zn/sub 4/Sb/sub 3/. Polycrystalline samples doped with Sn were prepared by the spark plasma sintering method. Although no other phase was observed except for /spl beta/-Zn/sub 4/Sb/sub 3/ in Sn-doped samples up to 3%, their lattice constants were not at all changed from that of bulk /spl beta/-Zn/sub 4/Sb/sub 3/, indicating that Sn was not unfortunately substituted for Sb. These results suggest that microcrystals of Sn is dispersed in grain boundary regions of /spl beta/-Zn/sub 4/Bb/sub 3/. The Seebeck coefficient was almost unchanged, and the electrical conductivity was slightly decreased by doping /spl beta/-Zn/sub 4/Sb/sub 3/ with Sn, indicating that Sn does not act as a dopant. On the other hand the thermal conductivity was lowered from 8.66mW/cmK of the non-doped sample to 6.88mW/cmK of the 3% Sn-doped sample at room temperature. This lowering of the thermal conductivity was considered to be due to the point defect phonon scattering induced by inclusions of Sn.

Proactive services based on an active-packet technique can dynamically control their quality based on network conditions, customer requirements and service situations in a packet-by-packet manner. We have designed a proactive service architecture consisting of a service database installed in each active node and a service program in each active packet. The service database stores up-to-date information on network conditions and customer requirements. The service program describes how the information should be used and how to handle an active packet based on the information and the importance of individual packets (i.e., special treatment to forward and discard active packets). By referring to the information stored in every service database on the way to a customer, an active packet can decide the most suitable behavior for each active node. Moreover, an active node only needs to contain an execution environment of the service programs and the information database, which are independent of each proactive service. Therefore, without any modifications to a node's architecture, new proactive services can be provided merely by using a method to store the new information in the service database. Our architecture will be especially promising to build QoS-aware online services which are required to prevent the serious quality degradation caused by loss of packets delivering important data for the services.

The effect of a crude ethyl acetate (AcOEt)-extract and tryptanthrin extracted from the Indigo plant (Polygonum tinctorium Lour.) on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced intestinal tumors was examined in F344 rats. The rats were given subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of either AOM (15 mg/kg body weight (b.w.)) once a week for 3 weeks to induce atypical crypt foci (ACF) as a known cancer precursor, or AOM (7.5 mg/kg b.w.) once a week for 10 weeks to induce intestinal tumors. The rats were also administered the AcOEt-extract (500 mg/kg b.w.) or tryptanthrin (50 mg/kg b.w.) orally, 5 days a week, for 7 or 30 weeks, starting two days before the first administration of AOM. All rats were killed 4 or 20 weeks after the last treatment. In the short-term experiment, the incidence of ACE and atypical crypts (AC) in the groups receiving the AcOEt-extract and tryptanthrin was significantly lower than in the control group. In the tumor-inducing experiment, intestinal tumor incidence in the tryptanthrin group was lower than in the AOM-control group (5% versus 26%), and small intestine tumor incidence in the AcOEt-extract and tryptanthrin groups were lower than in the AOM-control group (0% and 0% versus 23%). These results show that the AcOEt-extract of Indigo and tryptanthrin have cancer chemopreventive activity.

Hepatitis C viral load, genotype and/or staging of liver fibrosis are known to be factors for predicting response to interferon(IFN) therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The aim of this study is to investigate if human leukocyte antigen(HLA) typing is related to the response to IFN therapy. The seventy six Japanese patients were studied and categorized into two groups: 46 patients with chronic hepatitis C (Group A) and 30 with liver disease unrelated to HCV infection(Group B). In addition, 39 patients who were treated with IFN were classified into complete responders(CR) and non-complete responders (NR). There was not any differences in HLA typing between group A and B, but the frequency of HLA class I B51(5) was higher in CR than in NR patients(p = 0.045). When restricted to those who had low viral load(under 10(55) copies/ml) and genotype 2a or 2b, HLA class I CW1 was found in 7 responders(70%) and in 1 non-responder(14%) (p = 0.023). HLA class II DR9 was not found in responders but in 3 non-responders(p = 0.022). These preliminary results suggest that HLA types may be related response to IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Interferon(IFN) alpha and IFN beta apparently share the same receptor structure, the type I IFN receptor, which consist of at least two subunits. The subunits are referred to as IFN AR1(IFN alpha receptor) and IFNAR2(IFN alpha/beta receptor). As IFN elicits antiviral activity by binding to receptors on the cell surface, the expression of the type I IFN receptor in liver may be directly involved in the pathogenesis of viral hepatitis and response to IFN therapy. Here we discuss if the IFN receptor expression in liver and peripheral blood mononuclear cells can be a predictive factor for the response to IFN therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

To evaluate the relationship between mutations and clinical courses, we investigated precore (preC) and core promoter (CP) mutations and serum HBV DNA levels in HBe-antibody-positive HBV carriers. Fifty-six asymptomatic carriers (ASC), 29 patients with chronic hepatitis who showed normal ALT levels for more than two years (CH-ASC), 31 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), and 32 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were studied. Almost all patients (99.2%) had mutations in either CP or preC. Mutation only in preC (A1896) was present in 52.2% with ASC, 25.0% with CH-ASC, 16.1% with CH, and 8.0% with HCC, and was significantly higher in ASC (P0.01). The patients with only preC mutation showed low HBV DNA levels in each clinical stage. The mutation of preC (A1896) prior to the mutation of CP might control the replication of HBV, which leads to the remission of hepatitis.

The clinical utility of the TMA-HPA method for the detection of HBV DNA was evaluated by comparing results with the branched DNA probe(b-DNA) assay. Sera from 135 biopsy-confirmed HBV carriers were included in the study. Dilution tests with two representative sera revealed the sensitivity of the TMA-HPA method to be 100-fold higher than that of the b-DNA assay. Among the 135 test sera, HBV DNA measurements obtained by the two assays showed a high degree of correlation(r = 0.861, p0.0001). Of the 72 sera which tested positive for HBe antigen, 71 and 67 were positive for HBV DNA when tested by TMA-HPA and b-DNA assay, respectively. In contrast, of the 63 which tested negative for HBe antigen, 42 were positive for HBV DNA when tested by TMA-HPA, and only 19 were positive when tested by b-DNA assay(p0.05). Among HBe antigen-positive HBV carriers, HBV DNA levels as determined both TMA-HPA and b-DNA assay showed an inverse relationship with pathological stage, but among HBe antigen-negative HBV carriers, no such tendency was observed. Based on these results, it is felt that the detection of HBV DNA by TMA-HPA is useful for the evaluating anti-viral therapeutic effect in HBV carriers, and in estimating a prognosis.

The fixation of fractured bone with screws is important for orthopedic surgery, however, rigid fixation often cannot be attained in elderly patients with osteoporosis. Recently, we developed a new injectable, nonresorbable bone cement (CAP) that possesses mechanical and biological properties superior to those of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement. CAP can directly bond with bone without intervening fibrous tissue, and the peak curing temperature is 46 degrees C. In this study, we assessed the effects of CAP and PMMA cement on the augmentation of screw fixation in vivo. A cancellous screw was placed in the proximal metaphysis of rabbit tibiae. One side of each tibia was randomly selected to be augmented with CAP or PMMA. The contralateral side received a screw without cement (control). Of the 36 rabbits included in this study, 9 rabbits from each group were sacrificed and the tibial constructs retrieved 1 or 3 months after the initial operation. The screws were then pulled out to failure. The values of the pullout force of the screws augmented with CAP and PMMA were higher than those of the control specimens at both 1 month (319 +/- 58 N for CAP vs. 105 +/- 41 N for control; p0.05, 284 +/- 100 N for PMMA vs. 132 +/- 71 N for control; p0.05) and 3 months (387 +/- 109 N for CAP vs. 196 +/- 107 N for control; p0.05, 372 +/- 145 N for PMMA vs. 242 +/- 100 N for control; p0.05) after the operation. However, the average increase in the pullout force between CAP and PMMA augmentation was not statistically significant at either time. The values of energy absorption augmented with CAP and PMMA were also higher than those of the control specimens at both 1 month (129 +/- 54 N*mm for CAP vs. 19 +/- 10 N*mm for control; p0.05, 145 +/- 95 N*mm for PMMA vs. 28 +/- 21 N*mm for control; p0.05) and 3 months (172 +/- 58 N*mm for CAP vs. 44 +/- 41N*mm for control; p0.05, 185 +/- 198 N*mm for PMMA vs. 67 +/- 49N*mm for control; p0.05) after the operation. However, there were also no significant differences in energy absorption between the two types of cement augmentation. On the other hand, a significant increase was not observed in stiffness among the CAP, PMMA, and respective control groups at either 1 month (626 +/- 133 N/mm for CAP vs. 441 +/- 180 N/mm for control; p0.05, 577 +/- 87 N/mm for PMMA vs. 450 +/- 121 N/mm for control; p0.05) or 3 months (622 +/- 144 N/mm for CAP vs. 600 +/- 204 N/mm for control; p0.05, 633 +/- 175 N/mm for PMMA vs. 630 +/- 168 N/mm for control; p0.05) after the operation, except in the average increase between CAP augmentation and its control 1 month after the operation. These results suggested that a cancellous screw fixation augmented with CAP, as well as PMMA, was effective compared with the unaugmented control in vivo. Because of its biocompatibility and low curing temperature, CAP can be used clinically to augment cancellous screw fixation.

To study the effects of prolonged (6 hrs) hypercapnia on cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolism in newborn lambs and to evaluate the effects on cerebral blood flow and cerebral metabolism on return to normocapnia after prolonged hypercapnia.Animal studies, using the newborn lamb, with comparison to control group.Newborn lambs of mixed breed, 1-7 days of age, were used for the study. Two groups of animals were studied: a hypercapnic group (n = 10) and a normocapnic control group (n = 5).Work was conducted in the research laboratories at Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC.Animals were anesthetized with pentobarbital, intubated, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated. After baseline measurements were made, CO2 was blended into the ventilator gas until a PaCO2 of 75-80 torr (10-10.6 kPa) was obtained. Measurements were made 1 hr after the desired PaCO2 was achieved and after 6 hrs of hypercapnia. After 6 hrs of hypercapnia, the ventilator gas was returned to the baseline value, that is, normocapnia. Measurements were made 30, 60, and 90 mins after PaCO2 returned to baseline.Six measurements were made during the study. For each measurement, blood samples were drawn from the sagittal sinus and brachiocephalic artery catheters and were analyzed for pH, hemoglobin concentration, oxygen saturation, and blood gas values. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by using the radiolabeled microsphere technique. Cerebral oxygen consumption, fractional oxygen extraction, and oxygen transport values were calculated at each study period.Increasing PaCO2 from 37 +/- 3 torr to 78 +/- 6 torr (4.9 +/- 0.4 kPa to 10.3 +/- 0.8 kPa) for 1 hr increased CBF by 355%. After 6 hrs of PaCO2 at 78 +/- 3 torr (10.3 +/- 0.4 kPa), CBF remained 195% above baseline. At 30 mins of normocapnia, CBF had returned to baseline and remained at baseline until the conclusion of the study, a total of 90 mins of normocapnia. Cerebral oxygen consumption did not change during hypercapnia or with return to normocapnia. Oxygen transport increased 331% above baseline after 1 hr of hypercapnia and stayed 180% above baseline after 6 hrs of hypercapnia. Fractional oxygen extraction decreased by 55% at 1 hr of hypercapnia and stayed 39% below baseline at 6 hrs of hypercapnia.Healthy lambs seem to tolerate undergoing hypercapnia for 6 hrs with a return to normocapnia. The return to baseline of CBF and cerebral metabolism at normocapnia seen in our study with lambs may explain why prolonged hypercapnia appears to be well tolerated in mechanically ventilated patients. If these results can be extrapolated to human subjects, our study in lambs supports evidence that patients who have undergone permissive hypercapnia seem to be neurologically unaffected.

A new bio-active bone cement, known as CAP, has been developed as an alternative to acrylic bone cement. CAP has improved mechanical properties, with a high modulus that is over five times that of PMMA. The effects of this high modulus are examined by finite element analysis, when the CAP is used in place of PMMA to fix the femoral component in total hip prostheses. The results show a higher tensile stress of 8.76 MPa in the CAP cement, compared with 1.99 MPa in the PMMA cement. However, it is also shown that CAP has a superior fatigue strength of approximately 40 MPa, obtained from a cyclic loading test.

A 54-year-old female, who had been treated for 4 years in the chronic phase of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) was admitted for management of a CML blastic crisis. Blast cells showed strong positive expression of CD7 and HLA-DR, and weakly expressed CD2, CD5 and CD10, as well. The cells were peroxidase negative in peripheral blood and bone marrow. An undifferentiated blastic crisis was diagnosed and she was treated with Interferon-alpha and VP(vincristine 2 mg/week; prednisolone 30 mg/day). A 5-7 mm in diameter tumor in the skin of the anterior right chest appeared one week after VP therapy. The tumor consisted of blasts which were CD13, CD33 and peroxidase positive, unlike the peripheral undifferentiated blasts. This is a rare case of mixed blast crisis with an increase in undifferentiated blasts in peripheral blood and bone marrow, and myeloblastic tumor formation in the skin.