Search

Because a relationship has been reported between masticatory behavior, obesity, and postprandial blood glucose, it is recommended to chew well and take a longer time to eat. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of changing masticatory behavior using a small ear-hung wearable chewing counter, which can monitor masticatory behavior without disturbing daily meals. In total, 235 healthy volunteers participated in a 4-wk randomized controlled trial and were divided into 3 groups. All participants were instructed about the importance of mastication at the first visit. During the intervention, group B used the chewing counter without an algorithm during each meal (notification of the number of chews after meal), and group C used the chewing counter with a masticatory behavior change algorithm (setting a target value and displaying the number of chews in real time). Group A was set as the control group. The number of chews and the meal time when consuming 1 rice ball (100 g) were measured before and after the intervention using the chewing counter, and the rate of change in these values was evaluated. Participants also provided a subjective evaluation of their changes in masticatory behavior. The number of chews and the meal time of 1 rice ball increased significantly in groups B and C compared with before the intervention, and the rate of change was significantly higher in group C than in group A and group B. In addition, the subjective evaluation of the change in the number of chews was highest in group C. Self-monitoring of masticatory behavior by providing a target value and the degree of achievement for the number of chews using a wearable chewing counter with a behavioral change algorithm could promote effective change in masticatory behavior and lead to an increased number of chews. (Trial ID: UMIN000034476)

Objective The purpose of chemotherapy for recurrent cancer is to get survival benefit, relieve symptoms, and improve quality of life. We used oral cyclophosphamide (CPA) and bevacizumab (BEV) combination therapy in cases of recurrent ovarian and peritoneal cancer, where standard chemotherapy was difficult to conduct. We subsequently evaluated the safety and efficacy of this treatment. Methods Between August 2014 and June 2020, subjects who provided informed consent received the following regimen: oral CPA 50 mg daily and intravenous BEV15 mg/kg every 3 weeks as 1 cycle. Data from the two facilities were retrospectively studied. Result Twenty-two patients were enrolled (20 with ovarian cancer and 2 with peritoneal cancer). The median follow-up period was 18.9 months (range, 5.0–51.5), and median age was 60 years (range 37–81). Sixteen patients had platinum resistance. The median number of previous chemotherapy regimens was 2.5 (range 0–5). The median implementation cycle was 5 (range 2–14). Eighteen patients discontinued treatment: three due to side effects, and fifteen due to disease progression. Grade 2 toxicities included neutropenia (1), protein urea (1), hypertension (2), and esophagitis (1). Two patients had a complete response, and one patient had a partial response. Five patients had stable disease. The response rate was 13.6%. Median PFS was 5.3 months (range, 0.8–23.5). The median OS from the initiation of CPA/BEV was 9.2 months (range, 4.8–51.5+). Conclusions The combination therapy of oral cyclophosphamide and bevacizumab had relatively effective, and can be used safely in patients who have become difficult to treat after second-line chemotherapy.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a tomography technology that enables the depiction of anatomical structures with information about various features. Compressed sensing (CS) technology has recently been used for magnetic resonance image reconstruction from sparse information. Random sampling methods based on the various probability density function (PDF) are being developed to allow the efficient application of CS technology. Accurate numerical simulation is obviously important for the evaluation of the sampling method that are developed. In this study, the simulation method with MRI simulator and actual MRI scanner was carried out. Moreover, the difference between the result acquired from our simulation and basic one was revealed.We first examined a basic method using a 2D Shepp-Logan phantom. This method was only conducted with k-space data obtained from the 2D Fourier transform of the original image. Our method of numerical simulation was applied with the MRI simulator (Bloch Solver, MRI simulations Inc.), an actual MRI system (Vantage Titan 3T, Canon Medical Systems) and a phantom (CAGN-3.0T phantom, Kato Medience). The real and imaginary part of the k-space were acquired with the MRI simulator using a phase map that was imaged by the actual MRI scanner. Random sampling was performed with two types of PDF and image reconstruction was processed by projection onto convex sets (POCS). Hermitian symmetry is a point-symmetry respect to origin and each point located on the opposite side maintains a relation of complex conjugate. Thus, there is no need to acquire data that formed in point-symmetry with the data that had already been acquired. We used the gaussian random sampling method (GA) and a method that considered Hermitian symmetry (GH). The image quality was evaluated using the normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE).In the basic simulation, the average and standard deviation of NRMSE from GH was better than that from GA because consideration of the Hermitian symmetry enables the efficient acquisition of data. However, in our method of numerical simulation, the average and standard deviation of the NRMSE from GH was worse than that from GA. In this simulation method, the phase error was included in the real and imaginary part of the k-space; thus, the Hermitian symmetry cannot hold and the calculation error of reconstruction images from GH stood out.The method of numerical simulation with the MRI simulator using a phase map was close to the actual conditions and was considered to be useful for the validation of new sampling methods. The random sampling method using GH is expected to be useful for the highly efficient acquisition of data under ideal conditions; however, more accurate phase correction is necessary to apply the actual measurement data.

Gynandroblastoma, an extremely rare ovarian tumour that usually consists of both Sertoli stromal cell and granulosa cell tumours, often produces both androgenic and estrogenic effects. The authors herein report a case of gynandroblastoma with the longest disease-free period reported to date. A 66-year-old woman without metrorrhagia or hirsutism presented with abdominal pain and slightly elevated serum estradiol levels. Her uterus was enlarged, and endometrial curettage performed to reduce endometrial thickness prior to laparotomy led to a diagnosis of atypical endometrial hyperplasia. She was diagnosed of ovarian tumour. The pathology report revealed that the right ovarian tumour was a "gynandroblastoma". Such lesions are classified as borderline malignant. Postoperative adjuvant therapy was not administered in this case because only a few recurrent or fatal cases have been reported. The lesion was classified as pTlaN0M0 according to Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). The patient is alive and has been disease-free for 77 months post-surgery.

Today’s geodynamo is driven by a combination of secular cooling and of latent heat and light core constituents emanating from a growing inner core. The early dynamos of Earth and Mars, however, functioned without an inner core and were thus exclusively driven by secular cooling. Dynamo simulations model secular cooling by internal buoyancy sources and the inner core-related driving by bottom sources. Adopting a codensity approach, we explore how the different combination of thermo-compositional boundary conditions and source distributions affects nonmagnetic convection and dynamo simulations. The impact of the outer boundary condition, fixed codensity or fixed codensity flux (temperature or heat flux when no compositional contribution is present), is only large when the convection is mainly driven by internal sources. When bottom sources dominate, the lower boundary condition becomes more important. In both cases, a fixed flux condition promotes larger convective scales than a fixed codensity condition. A magnetic field can further increase the flow scale and is important to obtain large-scale structures at high Rayleigh numbers. The thermo-compositional outer boundary condition thus plays an important role for the early dynamos in Earth and Mars. Using the more realistic fixed flux condition promotes dipole dominated fields here. For today’s geodynamo, however, the lower boundary condition may be more influential.

We have deposited the Ti-Ni-X films having various compositions while keeping the Ti content to be ~50at% by means of triple-source dc magnetron sputtering. All of the annealed films showed thermoelastic martensitic transformation. Ms temperature of the Ti-Ni-Pd films increased with increasing Pd content, and the highest Ms temperature of ~180°C was attained for the Ti-23%Ni-27%Pd film. On the other hand, Ms temperature of Ti-Ni-Cu films slightly increases as Cu content increases. The transformation hysteresis is decreased rapidly down to 15~20°C by adding Pd or Cu more than 10at%. Both ternary alloy films showed shape memory behavior during thermal cycling tests under various constant stresses. The critical stress against plastic deformation, c, of the Ti-Ni-Cu films is higher than that of the Ti-Ni-Pd films. The recoverable strain of these ternary alloy films is found to be ~2%. Actuation response by Joule's heat induced shape memory effect of Ti-Ni shape memory alloy films was slightly improved by the addition of Pd or Cu into the alloy.

Ammonium nitrate (AN)-based composite gas generator have attracted a considerable amount of attention because of the clean burning nature of AN as an oxidizer. However, ammonium nitrate-based gas generator has several major problems, namely, poor ignitability, a low burning rate, low energy, and high hygroscopicity. The addition of different transitional metal oxides and MgAl mechanical alloyed proved to be effective in improving the burning characteristics of AN-based gas generator. In this research work, combustion study of different transition metal oxide based on AN/MgAl composites gas generators was studied. Gas generators were combusted at the pressure of 1 MPa, 3 MPa and 5 MPa in the combustion chamber and the burning rates were determined. It was stated that the addition of metal oxides into the composition of the gas generators improves ignition at low pressure and increases the burning rate. The use of the mechanical MgAl alloys as a fuel allowed the ignition of the gas generator at a lower temperature. The method of thermogravimetric/differential thermal analyzer (TG/DTA) was used to investigate the effect of metal oxides addition on the AN/MgAl-based gas generators thermal decomposition characteristics.

1. The study aimed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of thrombomodulin alpha (TM-alpha), human-soluble thrombomodulin in rats. 2. Intravenously administered TM-alpha was eliminated in two phases (T(1/2 alpha) = 0.2-0.3 h and T(1/2 beta) = 6-8 h), and the elimination curve was linear in a dose range of 10-250 microg kg(-1). Based on the results of tissue concentration studies after reaching the steady-state, the highest concentration of TM-alpha was seen in the plasma, suggesting the low levels of transfer to tissues (or = 22% of plasma levels). 3. In vivo metabolism of TM-alpha was also analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography. The main peak observed in the plasma was TM-alpha, and even 72 h after the last dose of repeated administrations, 80% or more was unchanged form. Approximately half of the radioactivity excreted in the urine was recovered as a peak corresponding to TM-alpha. 4. The results reveal that although plasma clearance was lower in the renally impaired rats, the decrease was not large, with a difference of only about 20%. As a result, although the cause remains unclear, it is considered unlikely that the plasma concentrations of TM-alpha will vary considerably in patients with renal impairment.

We investigate coronal transients associated with a GOES M6.7 class flare and a coronal mass ejection (CME) on 13 July 2004. During the rising phase of the flare, a filament eruption, loop expansion, a Moreton wave, and an ejecta were observed. An EIT wave was detected later on. The main features in the radio dynamic spectrum were a frequency-drifting continuum and two type II bursts. Our analysis shows that if the first type II burst was formed in the low corona, the burst heights and speed are close to the projected distances and speed of the Moreton wave (a chromospheric shock wave signature). The frequency-drifting radio continuum, starting above 1 GHz, was formed almost two minutes prior to any shock features becoming visible, and a fast-expanding piston (visible as the continuum) could have launched another shock wave. A possible scenario is that a flare blast overtook the earlier transient, and ignited the first type II burst. The second type II burst may have been formed by the same shock, but only if the shock was propagating at a constant speed. This interpretation also requires that the shock-producing regions were located at different parts of the propagating structure, or that the shock was passing through regions with highly different atmospheric densities. This complex event, with a multitude of radio features and transients at other wavelengths, presents evidence for both blast-wave-related and CME-related radio emissions., 14 pages, 6 figures; Solar Physics Topical Issue, in press

Nostoc commune Vauch. is one of the few freshwater cyanobacteria that has been used as human food. But its commercial production has been elusive. This prompted us to investigate further on the chemical composition and morpho-cytological characteristics of the discoid and spherical forms of the alga from the Philippines and Japan. Light microscopy of the two forms revealed that they consisted of irregularly coiled, unbranched, heterocystous filaments. Transmission electron microscopy showed that a trichome was enclosed by a 14 μm thick mucilaginous sheath (extracellular polysaccharide, EPS). A colonial sheath enveloped a spherical colony that was made up of a blue-green outer core that enclosed an inner, whitish, fleshy core, while the discoid form was a deflated or desiccated form of the spherical form. Cytologically, the outer core of the spherical colony (PS) had significantly (p

This study investigated the effect of n-3 to n-6 fatty acid ratios in broodstock diets on reproduction and fatty acid composition of broodstock and eggs of the Japanese eel. Broodstock were fed with a commercial diet supplemented with various lipids for 3 months before induction of maturation. The supplemental lipids were prepared by a combination of corn oil and pollack oil (corn oil alone (CO); corn oil:pollack oil = 1:1 (MX); pollack oil alone (PO)). Weight gain of broodstock during the feeding trial was slightly lower in fish fed PO compared to the other two groups, but the differences were not significant. Buoyant egg rate and fertilization rate in the CO group were higher than the other two groups. However, the lowest hatching rate was found in the CO group. Fatty acid composition of diets affected the composition of broodstock and egg fatty acids, in particular arachidonic acid (AA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels. Elevated levels of the corn oil supplementation significantly increased AA level and decreased EPA level in polar lipids. In contrast to AA and EPA, there was no notable effect of dietary lipids on docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) level. The present study suggests that both n-3 and n-6 fatty acids are necessary for reproduction as well as growth of eel broodstock, and a higher ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids negatively affected embryogenesis.

Mechanically hard amorphous carbon nitride films were formed by applying a combination of radio frequency (RF) bias voltage to the substrate and the chemical vapor deposition process using the decomposition reaction of BrCN with the microwave discharge flow of Ar. Cooling water was circulated inside the substrate stage. The maximum hardness was (17 ± 1) GPa for the film prepared under the negative RF bias voltage, −VRF, of 30 V. This hardness was nearly twice that of the film prepared without cooling, suggesting that substrate cooling was effective for suppressing the relaxation of the internal stress of the film due to the temperature rise during the application of the RF bias voltage. Under the continuous operation of the RF bias voltage, films cannot be formed for −VRF > 40 V because of the sputtering by the bombardment of energetic Ar+. Then, the RF bias voltage was applied with a pulsed operation. By using this operation films were prepared in the range of −VRF = 40–100 V. The hardness, (36 ± 10) GPa, was obtained for the film obtained under the conditions of −VRF = 100 V, the pulse period of 1000 s, and the pulse-on time of 800 s. The observed hardness scattered largely for the different observation points within this film; a single observation point in that film showed the maximum hardness of 46 GPa. According to the IR spectra of the films, the three-dimensional C–N network structure was developed.

We present the first detection of an onset of a coronal mass ejection (CME) in the coronal green-line emission (Fe XIV λ5303, 2 MK) by the two-dimensional Doppler coronagraph NOGIS (Norikura Green-Line Imaging System) at the Norikura Solar Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. On 2003 June 1-2, NOGIS continuously observed the birthplace of a CME that originated in a complex of two neighboring magnetic flux systems across the solar equator: a flare-productive NOAA Active Region 10365, and a bundle of face-on coronal loops overlaying a quiescent filament. An early precursor of the event was a density enhancement of a 2 MK plasma in between the two flux systems. Following a filament eruption from NOAA AR 10365 that was observed by the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) in the 195 A passband (1.6 MK), NOGIS observed a blueshifted bubble and a redshifted wave that almost simultaneously expanded from the boundary of NOAA AR 10365 and the overlying dense region. The redshifted wave propagated toward the face-on loop system and triggered a damping oscillation in Doppler shifts among the adjacent loops within the system. The blueshifted bubble propagated both inward and upward. The inward motion triggered an M6.5 flare in AR 10365, while the upward motion evolved into a partial halo CME that had an angular extent covering the latitudinal range of the two flux systems. Differing from typical CME disturbances that evolve within a single flux system with a bipolar arcade on its center, our event proceeded via interaction, which was a presumably magnetic reconnection between separatrices of the two flux systems. These observational properties may suggest the existence of "CME corridors" in multiple complex flux systems, from which huge CMEs can be launched.

Hippocalcin is a member of the neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) protein family that is highly expressed in hippocampal pyramidal cells and moderately expressed in the neurons of cerebral cortex, cerebellum and striatum. Here we examined the physiological roles of hippocalcin using targeted gene disruption. Hippocalcin-deficient (−/−) mice displayed no obvious structural abnormalities in the brain including hippocampal formation at the light microscopic level. Deletion of hippocalcin did not result in up-regulation of the hippocalcin-related proteins; neural visinin-like Ca 2+ -binding proteins (NVP) 1, 2, and 3. The synaptic excitability of hippocampal CA1 neurons appeared to be normal, as estimated by the shape of field excitatory postsynaptic potentials elicited by single- and paired-pulse stimuli, and by tetanic stimulation. However, N -methyl- d -aspartate stimulation- and depolarization-induced phosphorylation of cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) was significantly attenuated in −/− hippocampal neurons, suggesting an impairment in an activity-dependent gene expression cascade. In the Morris water maze test, the performance of −/− mice was comparable to that of wild-type littermates except in the probe test, where −/− mice crossed the previous location of the platform significantly less often than +/+ mice. Hippocalcin-deficient mice were also impaired on a discrimination learning task in which they needed to respond to a lamp illuminated on the left or right side to obtain food reinforcement. No abnormalities were observed in motor activity, anxiety behavior, or fear learning. These results suggest that hippocalcin plays a crucial role in the Ca 2+ -signaling pathway that underlies long-lasting neural plasticity and that leads to spatial and associative memory.

A novel combretastatin A-4 derivative, AC7700, which is now in Phase I clinical trials under a new code, AVE8062, has shown strong antitumour effects against solid tumours in rodents because of its powerful and continued stanching of the tumour blood flow (TBF). Despite the strong tumour-suppressing qualities of AC7700, it does not produce an immediate reduction in tumour size. To elucidate the reason for this effect, we investigated the relationship between the change in tumour size in Sato lung carcinoma (SLC) and circulatory functions after therapy with AC7700, doxorubicin (Adriamycin [ADR]), or mitomycin C (MMC). To measure time-lapse changes in TBF with the hydrogen clearance method at the same site after drug administration, we developed a new apparatus for keeping electrodes within a tumour. AC7700 led to the destruction of both cancer cells and tumour vessels by interrupting the supply of nutrients. Intravenous (i.v.) administration of fluorescent dyes after AC7700 treatment revealed no fluorescence within the tumour vessels, which confirmed that the tumour microcirculation had been completely blocked. In contrast, ADR led to the destruction of SLC tumour cells, but did not have the same effect on tumour vessels. Intravenously administered fluorescent dyes immediately reached the tumour, which indicated that the tumour vasculature remained intact, and the TBF remained at the preadministration level, even 6 days after ADR treatment. In addition, although the size of the tumour increased slightly for 2 days with ADR treatment, possibly because of swelling of the cancer cells, thereafter it continued to decrease. MMC had virtually no effect on SLC tumour cells, tumour size or tumour vessels. We conclude that changes in tumour size brought about by cancer chemotherapy depend not only on the sensitivity of the cancer cells to the drug in question, but also on the nature of changes in the microcirculatory functions of the tumour brought about by the therapy. When both tumour cells and the tumour vasculature are destroyed, the effectiveness of therapy can not be determined from changes in tumour size alone.

On the basis of 17 GHz microwave images from the Nobeyama Radioheliograph near solar maximum (1999–2000), we examined trajectories of 50 prominence eruptions in order to address how prominence motions affect or reflect the surrounding coronal structures. We marked the heliocentric latitude of the top of the moving prominences on the white-light synoptic maps, which were constructed at 2.5–4.5 solar radii from the LASCO C2 coronagraph on the SOHO spacecraft. We found that i) 92% of the prominence eruptions were associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and that the remaining 8% show weak mass motions confined to nearby streamers, and ii) coronal mass motions involving prominence eruptions and CMEs are not random but are organized by bundles of streamers. Our findings support the idea of multiple plasma sheets emanating from active regions, arcades, trans-equatorial interconnecting loops, and polar crown filaments, through which coronal mass is transported toward interplanetary space. This study suggests that microwave observations can provide useful information on the activity at the base of such “coronal mass corridors”.

Recent studies have considered sigmoidal features in the Solar corona to possess a high probability of eruption. Unlike these studies which have focussed only on active region sigmoids, the present work centres on a large area which developed S-like morphology unconfined by a single active region. The S-like feature formed near the central meridian on 8th May 2000 and was observed to erupt, with an associated CME, twice over a period of 3 days. We observe considerable CME and flaring activity in two previous rotations, consistent with the observation of active regions and emerging flux. We illustrate sigmoid formation through the appearance of highly sheared soft X-ray loops overlying an extended filament channel. This arises from the gradual diffusion of flux associated with a large, dispersing active region over the period of three solar rotations. This scenario is indicative of shear build-up within the region over several rotations. The observed CMEs act to remove helicity from the highly sheared sigmoidal feature, finally producing an approximately potential filament channel on 10th May 2000.

Ollier’s disease is characterized by the hamartomatous proliferation of cartilage cells, producing masses termed chondromas. A patient presented with Ollier’s disease which was found to be associated with diffuse gliomas. Investigating this disease is crucial as there is a high risk of sarcomatous transformation of the skeletal lesions as well as an increased risk of developing extra-osseous malignancies.

We present microwave (17 GHz) observations of eruptive activity in four solar coronal events with the Nobeyama Radioheliograph. These are weak events occurring at or near the solar limb associated with several types of activity: polar crown activity, prominence eruptions, and arcade flares. The morphological evolutions of the microwave sources in these events show the following characteristic features in common. The activity starts as a mound-shaped source (1.0-4.5 × 104 km in height), above which a compact blob (≤1.0 × 104 km in size) appears later and expands horizontally toward the top of another low-lying mound. Finally a faint arch with a filamentary structure is formed, bridging the two mounds (0.2-2.0 × 105 km in horizontal scale size). Thus, the activity seems to propagate through the arch corridor from the initially activated mound to the secondary. During this process, the activity level increases, as indicated by an increase of the brightness temperature of the mound and the blob as well as by the formation of the arch and the eruption of the blob. These common features suggest that basically the same energy buildup and release process takes place in all four events, in spite of the large difference in the total released energy. Here we propose magnetic reconnection progressing in between the blob and the mound as the basic process, as indicated by high-temperature plasma there, seen in soft X-rays. Our findings support a theoretically predicted analogy between filament (or prominence) activity and flare onset.

A morphological study of coronal weak activity visible in 17 GHz microwave emission is presented from the Nobeyama Radioheliograph observations. Including four preflare events we analyze six events located at or near the solar limb, all of which clearly show “microwave blobs” above arcade-like structures of coronal magnetic loops. The brightness temperatures of the blobs range from 1 × 10 4 K to 3 × 10 4 K, while that of quiet regions on the solar disk is about 1 × 10 4 K. From comparisons between the radio images and the Yohkoh SXT images, we find that the origins of the microwave blobs can be divided into two groups; i) remnants of flares and ii) evaporated plasma from the lower atmosphere (presumably the chromosphere). On the basis of the morphological evolution of the microwave-emitting structures, a possible energy release process in arcade-like coronal loops is briefly discussed.

Nuclear magnetic resonance on oriented nuclei (NMR-ON) measurements were performed on the successive decay of 197mHg–197mAu in Ni. The NMR-ON resonance spectra of 197mHgNi were obtained by detecting the 134 keV γ-ray from the decay of 197mHg and the 279 keV γ-ray from the decay of 197mAu. The magnetic hyperfine splitting frequency of 197mHgNi in an external magnetic field of 0.2 T has been determined as 16.55(6) MHz. With the known g-factor of 197mHg the hyperfine field of B82(197mHgNi)= -13.53(6) T was deduced. The anisotropy of the 279 keV γ-ray (197mAu to 197Au) increased at the resonance. This phenomenon was explained using the spin inversion process including the lifetime of the isomer and the spin–lattice relaxation time. The sign of the g-factor of 197mAu was determined to be positive.

We have measured the polarization of unstable nuclei produced by the technique of ion beam surface interaction at grazing incidence (IBSIGI). A 60 keV 124Cs beam from the on-line mass separator was used. The NMR technique was employed for the observation of the nuclear polarization. A small polarization of 0.22(13)% was observed. The small value was interpreted in terms of the velocity dependence of nuclear polarization, comparing with the results observed with stable nuclei.

The development of an ultra-fast X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner system has been achieved. This system can operate under the scanning time of 0.5 milliseconds/slice and give 2,000 slices/second. The original object of interest is in a transient or unsettled state of multiphase flow to measure the instantaneous phase distribution. An improvement of scanning speed was required to reduce the effects of motion artifact. The mechanical motion mechanism of a conventional CT scanner is a major obstacle to improve the scanning speed. Therefore, the concept of electrically switching the electron beam is adopted to reduce the scanning time. The present developed system has 60 stationary X-ray tubes and stationary 584 cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor detectors. The excellent performance for the measurement and visualization of dynamic events of multiphase flow is confirmed by measuring moving acrylic resin phantoms and the air-water two phase flow in a tube or a 3/spl times/3 rod bundle. In addition, the system's feasibility for application to the medical field is demonstrated by trial application to the movement of a dog's heart, though the requirement remains to improve the image quality. It was confirmed by a simulation that this improvement will be achieved by increasing the number of projections.

We have applied atomic force microscopy (AFM) to the measurement of BAL 31 nuclease activities. BAL 31 nuclease, a species of exonuclease, is used to remove unwanted sequences from the termini of DNA before cloning. For cutting out only the appropriate sequences, it is important to know the nuclease properties, such as digestion speed and the distribution of the lengths of the digested DNA. AFM was used to obtain accurate measurements on the lengths of DNA fragments before and after BAL 31 nuclease digestion. We analyzed 4 DNAs with known number of base pairs (288, 778, 1818, and 3162 base pairs) for correlating the contour length measured by AFM with the number of base pairs under the deposition conditions used. We used this calibration for analyzing DNA degradation by BAL 31 nuclease from the AFM measurement of contour lengths of digested DNAs. In addition, the distribution of digested DNA could be analyzed in more detail by AFM than by electrophoresis, because digested DNA were measured as a population by electrophoresis, but were measured individually by AFM. These results show that AFM will be a useful new technique for measuring nuclease activities.

The single screw compressor is widely used in air and water cooled central air conditioning systems for various unique characteristics compared to other compressors. It is possible to control the cooling or heating capacity by adjusting the mechanical slides built inside this type of compressor. However, the efficiency of the compressor is drastically reduced at part load conditions if the capacity is controlled by mechanical slides. We have studied the effect of volume index on performance when the capacity is controlled by varying the speed of the compressor. The volume index is varied by changing the position of the mechanical slides and the optimum volume index is obtained for rated and part load conditions. This paper will present the results of this study and propose the optimum volume index for obtaining best annual performance of the compressor.

The experimental values of the gas-phase proton affinities for a variety of 4-substituted benzonitriles, 4-substitutedN, N-dimethylanilines, and 4-substituted benzaldehydes have been examined by means of correlation analysis techniques and by ab initio quantum mechanical methods (MP2/ 6-31G(d) level). From this study it is concluded that in the gas phase, 4-(dimethylamino)-benzonitrile essentially protonates on the dimethylamino group, while protonated 4-cyanobenzaldehyde is very nearly a 2∶1 mixture of the carbonyl- and cyano-protonated forms.