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Novel emitters of muonium (Mu = μ+ + e−) with high conversion efficiencies can enhance the precision of muonium spectroscopy experiments and enable next-generation searches for new physics. At the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), we investigate muonium production at room-temperature as well as in cryogenic environment using a superfluid helium converter. In this paper, we describe the development of compact detection schemes which resulted in the background-suppressed observation of atomic muonium in vacuum, and can be adapted for cryogenic measurements. Using these setups, we compared the emission characteristics of various muonium production targets at room temperature using low momentum (pμ = 11–13 MeV/c) muons, and observed muonium emission from zeolite targets into vacuum. For a specific laser-ablated aerogel target, we determined a muon-to-vacuum-muonium conversion efficiency of 7.23 ± 0.05(stat)+1.06 −0.76(sys) %, assuming thermal emission of muonium. Moreover, we investigated muonium-helium collisions and from it we determined an upper temperature limit of 0.3 K for the superfluid helium converte., Physical Review A, 106 (5), ISSN:1094-1622, ISSN:0556-2791, ISSN:1050-2947

Background Blood pressure (BP) variability has reportedly been a risk factor for various clinical events. To clarify the influence of BP visit‐to‐visit variability on adverse events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a post hoc analysis of the J‐RHYTHM Registry was performed. Methods and Results Of 7406 outpatients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation from 158 institutions, 7226 (age, 69.7±9.9 years; men, 70.7%), in whom BP was measured 4 times or more (14.6±5.0 times) during the 2‐year follow‐up period or until occurrence of an event, constituted the study group. SD and coefficient of variation of BP values were calculated as BP variability. Thromboembolism, major hemorrhage, and all‐cause death occurred in 110 (1.5%), 121 (1.7%), and 168 (2.3%) patients, respectively. When patients were divided into quartiles of systolic BP‐SD (P =0.015 for thromboembolism; HR, 2.60, 95% CI, 1.36–4.97, P =0.004 for major hemorrhage; and HR, 1.85, 95% CI, 1.11–3.07, P =0.018 for all‐cause death) after adjusting for components of the CHA 2 DS 2 ‐VASc score, warfarin and antiplatelet use, atrial fibrillation type, BP measurement times, and others. These findings were consistent when BP‐coefficient of variation was used instead of BP‐SD. Conclusions Systolic BP visit‐to‐visit variability was significantly associated with all adverse events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Further studies are needed to clarify the causality between BP variability and adverse outcomes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ ; Unique Identifier: UMIN000001569.

Objectives Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. Most of cervical cancer are squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and the standard therapy has developed in SCC. However, therapeutic strategy for minor histological types, such as glassy cell carcinoma (GCC) and mucinous adenocarcinomas intestinal type (Muc) have not yet been established. In this study, we aimed to characterize GCC and Muc compared with SCC by transcriptome analysis. Methods Cancer tissues before treatment were kept in RNA later® immediately after resections, and frozen in -80 centi-degrees until analysis. Total RNAs were extracted by TRIZOL and cDNA library was constructed by SureSelect Strand-Specific RNA library Kit (Agilent). Sequencings were performed by HiSeq2500 (Hiseq SR Rapid Cluster Kit v2, Illumina). Results We performed RNA sequencing for 10 cervical cancers including 6 SCC, 2 adenocarcinomas usual type (Adeno), 1 Muc, and 1 GCC. Both GCC and Muc were infected by HPV 18, and FIGO stage were IB2 and IIA1, respectively. GCC patient showed poor survival but Muc patient was alive without recurrence. In comparison with SCC, the number of up-and down-regulated genes (5 Fold change) was 1456 and 3326 in GCC, while 877 and 1203 in Muc, respectively. Gene ontology analysis revealed that glycoprotein hormones in GCC and HNF3A pathway in Muc were found to be activated. Conclusions Specific pathways may be activated in each histological type. Further analysis may provide specific markers for diagnosis and/or prognosis in minor histological type of cervical cancer.

Objectives Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is more prevalent in Japan than western countries, and exhibits chemo-resistant phenotype and poor survival. In this study, we characterized the patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of OCCC, and to correlate the clinical features of OCCC with KRAS mutation. Methods We transplanted 19 primary or metastatic tumors derived from ovarian cancer patients directly into NOG mice. The comprehensive gene expression and mutation profiles as well as histologic characteristics were compared between parental tumors and PDX ones. Response to cytotoxic agents was analyzed using PDX model, and correlated with clinical outcome. In 61 consecutive OCCC patients, the genomic DNAs were extracted from FFPE, and analyzed KRAS mutations. Results Total of 6/19 (31.6%) PDX models were established, and 2 were found to be OCCC in histological assessment. One of the OCCC PDXs had KRAS mutation, which exhibited resistance for platinum- and taxane-drugs and the patient had poor clinical outcome. The other PDX tumor without KRAS mutation was sensitive to cytotoxic agents and the patient showed good clinical outcome. Then we correlated KRAS mutations with their clinical features in OCCC. From 13 samples, we detected KRAS mutations (21%). Except for one patient, KRAS mutated OCCC had stage I diseases. Two patients experienced recurrences, and both of them had no response to conventional chemotherapy. They showed significantly worse overall survival than other recurrent OCCC patients without KRAS mutation. Conclusions KRAS mutation may be one of the chemo-resistant phenotypes in OCCC.

Objectives Uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS) is one of rare and aggressive gynecologic malignancies. In this study, we aimed to correlate immune cell profiling with clinical outcomes in uLMS. Methods Total of 6 pathologically diagnosed uLMS patients were enrolled in this study. RNAs were extracted from FFPEs of normal and tumor lesions, and Cell Type Profiling analysis was conducted using nCounter, PanCancer Immune Profiling Panel (NanoString). For evaluating the related pathways, the RNAs were used to conduct microarray analysis using SurePrint G3 Human GE microarray 8 × 60K ver.2.0 (Agilent). Results FIGO stage were IB in 4 patients, IIA in one patient, and IVB in one. We divided these patients into three groups by prognosis; good, no recurrence more than 2 years; intermediate, recurrent within 2 years; poor, recurrent immediately after surgery. In good prognostic group, CD8/regulatory T (Treg) ratio and Mast cell score in tumor lesions were elevated, and TP53 network, and DNA damage response signals were upregulated. In intermediate group, total TIL score in normal uterine were elevated, but CD8/Treg ratio was decreased in tumor lesion. And PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal and STAT3, IL8 signaling were upregulated. Finally, in poor prognostic group, total TIL score were decreased in normal and tumor lesions, and Neutrophil score was elevated in tumor lesions. Upregulation of DNA damage response but downregulated TP53 network. Conclusions Immune cell profiling may predict clinical outcomes in uLMS. Further analyses, such as, correlation with signaling pathways affected to immune cell profiling in larger sample size are needed.

Proper repair of double-strand breaks (DSBs) is key to ensure proper chromosome segregation. In this study, we found that the deletion of the SRS2 gene, which encodes a DNA helicase necessary for the control of homologous recombination, induces aberrant chromosome segregation during budding yeast meiosis. This abnormal chromosome segregation in srs2 cells accompanies the formation of a novel DNA damage induced during late meiotic prophase-I. The damage may contain long stretches of single-stranded DNAs (ssDNAs), which lead to aggregate formation of a ssDNA binding protein, RPA, and a RecA homolog, Rad51, as well as other recombination proteins inside of the nuclei. The Rad51 aggregate formation in the srs2 mutant depends on the initiation of meiotic recombination and occurs in the absence of chromosome segregation. Importantly, as an early recombination intermediate, we detected a thin bridge of Rad51 between two Rad51 foci or among the foci in the srs2 mutant, which is rarely seen in wild type. These might be cytological manifestation of the connection of two DSB ends and multi-invasion. The DNA damage with Rad51 aggregates in the srs2 mutant is passed through anaphase-I and -II, suggesting the absence of DNA damage-induced cell-cycle arrest after the pachytene stage. We propose that Srs2 helicase resolves early protein-DNA recombination intermediates to suppress the formation of aberrant lethal DNA damage during late prophase-I.

In this study, we investigated the pathogenesis of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in the chicken kidney. Twenty-six 32-day-old specific pathogen-free chickens were intranasally inoculated with the 9a5b NDV mutant isolate. Kidney tissue samples, collected at 6 and 12 hours postinoculation (hpi) and 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 days postinoculation (dpi), were analyzed by histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and virus titration. Histopathologically, tubulointerstitial nephritis was detected in the renal cortex and predominantly in the medulla. Nephrotropism of 9a5b NDV was confirmed by IHC, RT-PCR, and virus isolation. Massive degenerative changes and infiltration of CD3-immunopositive cells accompanied replication of the 9a5b NDV isolate in chicken kidneys. In conclusion, pathological changes that were caused by NDV in chicken kidneys were similar to those caused by avian influenza virus, infectious bronchitis virus, and avian nephritis virus, and this highlights the importance of including NDV in the differential diagnosis of kidney disease in chickens.

Purpose Globalization of Japanese dental hygienists is important to match the demands in the present society. The purpose of this study was to gauge opinions on international programmes of Japanese dental hygiene students and educators. Method Data were collected using a survey that was sent to all eight Japanese universities of oral hygiene in December 2014. Participants were composed of 466 university students majoring in oral hygiene (463 women; three men; mean age: 21 years) and 45 educators teaching dental hygiene education (mean age: 50 years). The response rates were 83.81% and 46.88%, respectively. Results 48.06% of 464 students would like to study abroad, and 76.04% of 330 students would like to interact with foreign students frequently. 97.54% of 455 students answered that learning English is important for dental hygienists, but 72.39% of 460 students are not comfortable interacting with foreigners in English. Those who knew more dental English terms had higher interest in studying abroad (odds ratio: 1.136). 75% of 44 educators think that dental hygiene students need to or sometimes need to study abroad. 68.89% of 45 educators think that teaching international programmes is costly. Conclusion We found that Japanese dental hygiene students and educators have positive interest in international programmes. However, they have concerns about their English skills and about the cost of studying it. Therefore, English classes need to be improved, and new approaches are required for lowering the cost of teaching international programmes, while stimulating foreign students’ and educators’ interest in studying abroad in Japan.

Japan is known for its marine biodiversity and diverse ecosystem due to its unique geological composition and water currents creating suitable habitats for a wider range of marine species. A rich deep-sea shark community with high endemism occurs on the continental shelf. Yet, the deep-sea shark taxonomy is still under development and poorly documented. Here, a DNA barcoding technique was adopted using the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and NADH2 genes of samples collected from Japan with additional samples from genetic databases to draft out a phylogenetic tree of the deep-sea shark genus Squalus (dogfishes). The morphological divergence of congeners was further examined. Bayesian and maximum-likelihood-based species-level phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial COI, ND2 and combined sequences provided strong support for distinct clades corresponding to the parental species with substantial sequence divergence between parental species. The combined dataset of the COI and ND2 gene was most suitable for barcoding of Squalus dogfishes. A multivariate analysis of morphological traits was largely consistent with the genetic data showing small but discrete differences in phenotypic characteristics allowing to separate Squalus species. Genetic samples of the taxonomically problematic Shortspine spurdog ‘Squalus mitsukurii’ from the Atlantic Ocean and Taiwan did not match with the type material of S. mitsukurii Jordan & Snyder, 1903 from mainland Japan. Squalus mitsukurii once considered a globally distributed species is a single, unique spurdog restricted to temperate Japan and Korea and may present an endemic in the Northwestern Pacific. This study further resolved two genetically and phenotypically distinct species of Squalus dogfishes in Japan, one in sympatry with S. mitsukurii in mainland Japan and one in sympatry with subtropical waters associated congeners in the Ryukyu Archipelago. The occurrence of populations of the ‘high-fin’ Taiwan spurdog, Squalus formosus, in subtropical Japan is herein confirmed.

The wear properties of δ-(Ti,Mo)N films deposited at low and high nitrogen gas flow rates ( f N 2 ) were investigated. The film at f N 2 =2.0 sccm showed better adhesive wear resistance than that at f N 2 =0.3 sccm. Such improvement in the film at f N 2 =2.0 sccm was due to the formation of Mo oxide debris by wear oxidation. It was found that Mo oxidation more easily occurred in the film at f N 2 =2.0 sccm than in the film at f N 2 =0.3 sccm. Thermodynamic consideration indicated that since the activity of Ti in δ-(Ti,Mo)N decreases with increasing N content, Mo oxidation is promoted in the film at f N 2 =2.0 sccm, which leads to better wear properties.

A female 4-month-old Holstein-Friesian calf was presented in heart failure. Microscopical examination of samples of the cardiac wall taken at necropsy examination revealed numerous aggregates of Purkinje fibres, particularly in the perivascular areas. Some Purkinje fibres were stained strongly with phosphotungstic acid haematoxylin and immunohistochemically were shown to express alpha smooth muscle actin, indicating an embryonic-like Purkinje fibre phenotype. A diagnosis of congenital multifocal increase of Purkinje fibres was made. The histological features of this case resemble multifocal cardiac Purkinje cell tumour of the heart in man.

Display Omitted Effects of post-etching treatment (PET) in trench patterning and resputtering in barrier metal sputtering on low-k/Cu interconnects were investigated for the low-k of molecular pore stacking (MPS). Optimized combination of PET and resputtering reduces wiring capacitance by 5% due to well controlled profile, resulted from hardening effect of the exposed MPS at the trench bottom. The developed process sequence achieves 10 times longer EM lifetime and eliminates early failure mode in the TDDB test. Thus, the novel process, featuring PET and resputtering, contributes to high reliability for 28nm node CMOS and beyond.

We developed a highly reliable enhanced nitride Interface (ENI) process of barrier low-k using an ultra-thin SiN (UT-SiN) for 40-nm node devices and beyond. The UT-SiN (3nm) exhibits stable thickness uniformity and an excellent moisture blocking capability. By using this process, a lower effective k and high via yields were obtained. Compared to the conventional SiCN bi-layer process, 5x via electro-migration improvement, 50x time dependent dielectric breakdown improvement and no stress induced voiding failure within 1000h were observed. The ENI process was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. From these analyses, we propose the mechanism for these reliability performance improvements.

The moisture absorption impacts on electromigration (EM) and time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) were investigated in Cu/low-k interconnects that is adopting CuAl alloy seed technique. A long queue time (Q-time) has a serious impact on kinetics of both EM and TDDB characteristics. The moisture absorption causes the loss of alloy effects on EM lifetime improvements. The ultra-thin SiN (UT-SiN) remarkably suppresses the moisture absorption impacts due to Q-time. It also inhibits kinetics degradations of EM and TDDB that depend on the moisture absorption to low-k.

Summary Objective This study investigated the relationship between frequency of skipping breakfast and annual changes in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Methods The participants were 4,430 factory employees. BMI and WC were measured repeatedly at annual medical examinations over a 5‐year period. The association between frequency of skipping breakfast at the baseline examination and annual changes in anthropometric indices was evaluated using the generalized estimating equation method. Results The mean (standard deviation) BMI was 23.3 (3.0) kg m−2 for men and 21.9 (3.6) kg m−2 for women; and the mean WC was 82.6 (8.7) cm for men and 77.8 (9.8) cm for women. During the follow‐up period, mean BMI increased by 0.2 kg m−2 for men and women, and mean WC increased by 1.1 cm for men and 1.0 cm for women. The annual change in the BMI of men who skipped breakfast four to six times per week was 0.061 kg m−2 higher, and that of those who skipped breakfast seven times per week was 0.046 kg m−2 higher, compared with those who did not skip breakfast. Annual changes in the WC of male participants who skipped breakfast seven times per week was 0.248 cm higher than that of those who did not skip breakfast. Skipping breakfast was not associated with changes in BMI or WC in women. Conclusions Skipping breakfast was closely associated with annual changes in BMI and WC among men, and eating breakfast more than four times per week may prevent the excessive body weight gain associated with skipping breakfast.

Background To clarify the influence of hypertension and blood pressure ( BP ) control on thromboembolism and major hemorrhage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a post hoc analysis of the J‐ RHYTHM Registry was performed. Methods and Results A consecutive series of outpatients with atrial fibrillation was enrolled from 158 institutions. Of 7937 patients, 7406 with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (70.8% men, 69.8±10.0 years) were followed for 2 years or until an event occurred. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg, a diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, a history of hypertension, and/or antihypertensive drug use. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for major hemorrhage (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.21, P =0.027) but not for thromboembolism (hazard ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.73–1.52, P =0.787). When patients were divided into quartiles according to their systolic BP at the time closest to the event or at the end of follow‐up (Q1, CI 1.75–4.74, P CI 1.02–2.53, P =0.041) after adjustment for components of CHA 2 DS 2 ‐ VAS c score, warfarin use, and antiplatelet use. A systolic BP of ≥136 mm Hg was an independent risk factor for thromboembolism and major hemorrhage. Conclusions BP control appears to be more important than a history of hypertension and baseline BP values at preventing thromboembolism and major hemorrhage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr . Unique identifier: UMIN 000001569.

RUNX1/AML1 is among the most commonly mutated genes in human leukemia. Haploinsufficiency of RUNX1 causes familial platelet disorder with predisposition to myeloid malignancies (FPD/MM). However, the molecular mechanism of FPD/MM remains unknown. Here we show that murine Runx1+/− hematopoietic cells are hypersensitive to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), leading to enhanced expansion and mobilization of stem/progenitor cells and myeloid differentiation block. Upon G-CSF stimulation, Runx1+/− cells exhibited a more pronounced phosphorylation of STAT3 as compared with Runx1+/+ cells, which may be due to reduced expression of Pias3, a key negative regulator of STAT3 signaling, and reduced physical sequestration of STAT3 by RUNX1. Most importantly, blood cells from a FPD patient with RUNX1 mutation exhibited similar G-CSF hypersensitivity. Taken together, Runx1 haploinsufficiency appears to predispose FPD patients to MM by expanding the pool of stem/progenitor cells and blocking myeloid differentiation in response to G-CSF.

Summary Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) induce fatal neurodegenerative diseases in man and animals. The present study demonstrates immunohistochemically the presence of disease-associated prion protein (PrP Sc ) in the epithelial cell rests of Malassez (ERM) of mice experimentally infected with ME7 scrapie by the intracerebral route. Mouse bioassay of scrapie-infected dental tissue revealed prolonged incubation periods, suggesting that there are relatively low amounts of infectious agent in dental tissue compared with the brain. These findings indicate that PrP Sc may spread from the brain to the ERM along the cranial nerves via the trigeminal ganglion that innervates the dental tissues. Dental tissue might therefore be a potential source of PrP Sc for horizontal transmission of TSEs.

A high performance distillation system to remove krypton from xenon was constructed, and a purity level of Kr/Xe = $\sim 3 \times 10^{-12}$ was achieved. This development is crucial in facilitating high sensitivity low background experiments such as the search for dark matter in the universe., Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures

The intensity of scintillation light emission from liquid xenon at room temperature was measured. The scintillation light yield at 1 deg. was measured to be 0.64 +/- 0.02 (stat.) +/- 0.06 (sys.) of that at -100 deg. Using the reported light yield at -100 deg. (46 photons/keV), the measured light yield at 1 deg. corresponds to 29 photons/keV. This result shows that liquid xenon scintillator gives high light yield even at room temperature., Comment: 16pages,12figures

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) on the chicken pancreas. A virulent 9a5b mutant NDV isolate was inoculated intranasally into 32-day-old specific pathogen-free white Leghorn chickens. The pancreas was examined grossly and fixed for histopathological, immunohistochemical and electron microscopical investigations. Inflammatory changes were observed in the peripancreatic tissue at the early stage of infection (12 h post infection) and became more prevalent towards the end of the experiment. Multifocal areas of necrotizing inflammation were detected in the exocrine portion of the pancreas by 5 days post infection (dpi) and became more severe at 10 dpi. The endocrine islets were generally preserved, but slight degenerative changes were observed at 10 dpi. Immunohistochemically, NDV-nucleoprotein (NDV-NP) signals were detected in the peripancreatic tissues (associated with macrophages and other lymphoid cells) by 1 dpi. In the exocrine portion of the pancreas, NDV-NP signals were detected at 5 dpi and increased in intensity and distribution by 10 dpi. NDV particles were confirmed in the cytoplasm of exocrine acinar cells by transmission electron microscopy. CD3-positive cells were observed in the peripancreatic tissues earlier than in the pancreatic tissue. Moreover, in comparison with control chickens, insulin immunoexpression was unchanged, except on the last day of the experiment, when it was slightly reduced. The 9a5b NDV infection induced an inflammatory reaction and viral replication in the peripancreatic tissues earlier than in the pancreatic tissue. Furthermore, necrosis affected mainly the exocrine portion of the pancreas, while the endocrine portion was generally unaffected.

Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Genes involved in OXPHOS have been reported to be down-regulated in skeletal muscle from patients with type 2 diabetes; however, hepatic regulation is unknown.We analysed expression of genes involved in OXPHOS from the livers of 14 patients with type 2 diabetes and 14 subjects with NGT using serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) and DNA chip analysis. We evaluated the correlation between expression levels of genes involved in OXPHOS and the clinical parameters of individuals with type 2 diabetes and NGT.Both gene analyses showed that genes involved in OXPHOS were significantly upregulated in the type 2 diabetic liver. In the SAGE analysis, tag count comparisons of mitochondrial transcripts showed that ribosomal RNAs (rRNA) were 3.5-fold over-expressed, and mRNAs were 1.2-fold over-expressed in the type 2 diabetes library. DNA chip analysis revealed that expression of genes involved in OXPHOS, which correlated with several nuclear factors, including estrogen-related receptor-alpha or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, was a predictor of fasting plasma glucose levels, independently of age, BMI, insulin resistance and fasting insulin levels (p = 0.04). Surprisingly, genes involved in OXPHOS did not correlate with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha or nuclear respiratory factor 1.Our results indicate that upregulation of genes involved in OXPHOS in the liver, which are regulated by different mechanisms from genes in the skeletal muscle, is associated with fasting hyperglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

This paper presents the digital high-definition television (HDTV) receiver for the ISDB system. It receives 8 phase shift keying (8-PSK) satellite broadcast and orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) terrestrial broadcast. It decodes the MPEG2 audio/video stream and converts the original HDTV picture to the various display formats. It also decodes the interactive data broadcast content written in the Broadcast Markup Language (BML) and display the graphical picture on the TV screen. The Conditional Access System (CAS) is used not only for the pay TV but also for copy protection of the broadcast contents. The receiver has an Ethernet terminal that enables Internet connection for various applications. The receiver system design, software architecture, and LSI configuration are described in this paper.

MR head and double-layered medium used for perpendicular magnetic recording interact strongly each other. In order to investigate the influences of the interaction on MR head read characteristics, we perform micromagnetic simulations considering the interaction between head and medium. The output of shielded MR head are larger than those of non-shielded MR head due to reducing the demagnetization field in the free layer. However, the interaction between shield and soft under layer causes decrease in the signal output and the widening of reproduced wave form, which might result in degradation of resolution.

The dynamic characteristics of FRP are important for robotic arms and other applications. In this work, we applied a damping capacity concept to the torsional damped oscillation of a laminated composite cylinder. The forecasting method was suggested for the torsional damping characteristic. An experiment was conducted to verify the theory and this calculation method. Good agreement was obtained between the theoretical and the experimental values of seven types of laminated composite cylinder (unidirectional (0°, 90°) plies and cross-plies (±15°, ±30°, ±45°, ±60°, ±75°)). This demonstrates that the mathematical technique developed here is satisfactory for predicting the damping of laminated composite cylinders. Torsional damping characteristics of laminated composite cylinders vary with fiber orientation angle.

Medical devices must be sterilized before shipping. During sterilization the quality of the medical device must be maintained. Polysulfone (PS) and polycarbonate (PC) are often used as materials for medical devices. It has been observed that compounds inhibiting bacterial growth are produced when PS or PC are sterilized by autoclaving or by use of ozone gas, especially when ozone gas is used to sterilize PS. This study was conducted to identify the compounds inhibiting bacterial growth. An ethanol extract of the sterilized PS or PC was analyzed by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry–UV photodiode array (210–350nm) for identification and determination of the inhibitors. Bisphenol A, 4,4′-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone (bisphenol S), and 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone were identified in PS sterilized with ozone gas. Bisphenol A was also identified in PC sterilized with ozone gas. Bisphenol A was not a major inhibitor of bacterial growth because the extent of inhibition did not correlate with the amount of bisphenol A produced. Inhibition by 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone was greater than by bisphenol S and correlated with the amount produced; the major inhibitor might therefore be 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone. The combined effect of bisphenol S and 4-chloro-4′-hydroxydiphenyl sulfone might be a more realistic measure of the exact amount of inhibition.

The spin of a tennis ball during play is an important factor. There are two kinds of racket strings, one that causes the ball to spin, and the other makes spinning difficult. The relationship between the spin behavior of a tennis ball and the mechanical properties of the strings is discussed. Rotations of the ball after impact are observed by high-speed photography. The rotational speed of the ball increases with the impact speed, and the speed depends greatly on string type. The frictional characteristics of the strings and ball are measured by an apparatus that reveals a good correlation between the static coefficient of friction of the strings and the spin of the ball when the impact speed is low. Spinning behavior is predicted by measuring the coefficient of friction for the strings. The tenden cies of the measured frictional characteristics agree with sensitivity evaluations by users.

Thermal behavior was examined using DSC and TG for the samples prepared by dissolving LiClO4 in several polyoxyethylene/polyethylenimine (PEO/PEI) blends (7/3–9.5/0.5 by repeat units) along with their lithium ion conductivity. Concerning the matrix polymers, while the pristine PEO and PEI began to thermally decompose at 185 and 230 °C, respectively, the (8/2) PEO/PEI blend had lost only 6.5% of its weight before 300 °C was reached. Dissolution of LiClO4 made the systems thermally even more robust: [(8/2) PEO/PEI]10–LiClO4 suffered practically no weight loss below 300 °C. So far [(8/2) PEO/PEI]10–LiClO4 has been our best-behaving SPE (σ=2.2×10−4 S cm−1 at 77 °C and 2.5×10−6 S cm−1 at 30 °C): it is less conductive than a previously reported PEO12–LiClO4 by a factor of 2.2 at 77 °C, but its conductivity drop due to the matrix crystallization below 65 °C is considerably milder and the conductivity at 30 °C was ca. 100 times higher than the plain PEO–LiClO4 systems. A significant effect of the residual methanol on the ionic conductivity of our [(8/2) PEO/PEI]10–LiClO4 samples was recognized, which necessitated our previously reported log σ vs. 1000/T curve to be corrected downward by ca. half an order of magnitude.

A rectangular aperture of A/sub x//spl times/A/sub y/, cut in the top conducting plate of a triplate transmission line and backed by a cavity, radiates a tilted beam off the direction normal to the aperture. The mechanism of the radiation is explained using the Poynting vector distribution above the aperture and the phase distribution of the electric field over the aperture. The tilt angle is calculated as a function of side length A/sub x/ for a representative value of A/sub y/=18 mm=0.747/spl lambda//sub 12.45/, where /spl lambda//sub 12.45/ is the wavelength at a test frequency of 12.45 GHz. A tilted beam of approximately 27/spl deg/ is realized at A/sub x//A/sub y/=8/9 with a gain of approximately 8 dB. Using this value of A/sub x//A/sub y/, an array antenna composed of rectangular cavity-backed aperture elements is investigated. The array forms a tilted fan beam without phase shifters. The frequency responses of the gain and input impedance are discussed.

A simple binary-solvent model is theoretically employed to study the size-effect on selective solvation. We consider multi-component hard-sphere molecules with solute–solvent attraction. We employ the PY approximation to calculate coordination numbers. The calculated coordination number shows that the solute attracts more large solvent molecules than small solvent molecules at a weak attraction. The solute, however, attracts small solvent molecules at strong attraction. To study the selectivity, we divide the size-effect into the exclude effect and the steric hindrance. Attractive strength increases the steric hindrance of large solvent molecules more than that of the small solvent molecules.

The restitution characteristics of a fiber racket string in the axial direction are analyzed by considering the viscoelasticity of yams. An impact test apparatus is developed so that one side of the string is fixed on a load cell and the other side is fixed on a hammer. The hammer moves along the slide rail. When it strikes, the impact speed of the hammer is measured with a laser sensor, and the coefficient of restitution is obtained. In the experimental range for all samples, the coefficient of restitution decreases as the impact speed increases. A dynamic restitution model considering the tensile nonlinear viscoelasticity of materials is proposed. Good agree ment is obtained between the experimental and theoretical values. Also, the repulsion of tennis racket strings can be evaluated with the parameters of this model.

Barium titanate powder was cold isostatic pressed (CIPed) up to 1.0 GPa in order to investigate effects of pressure on ferroelectric transformations. Crystallite size and lattice strain of CIPed powders were evaluated. Heat capacities ranging from 13 to 420 K were measured. Further, mosaic structures of CIPed powders were revealed by TEM. Transformation temperatures were almost independent of crystallite size from 84 nm (non CIPed) down to 61 nm (1.0 GPa). However, the enthalpy of ferroelectric transformation of the CIPed was only 6.7 % of that of the starting material.

In search of more viable solid polymer matrices for lithium ion conductors, solid solutions of LiClO4 in polyoxyethylene/polyethylenimine (PEO/PEI) (8:2, 5:5, and 2:8 by repeat units) blends were examined. In the 8:2 blends, conductivities increased with the decrease in the salt content. Conductivities in the 8:2- and the pure PEO systems were comparable at temperatures higher than 350 K. The drastic conductivity drop due to crystallization known for the PEO systems did not occur in the 8:2 systems; the 8:2 systems became ca. three orders of magnitude more conductive at room temperature. In contrast, the 5:5 systems suffered a severe conductivity drop near 330 K. The abrupt conductivity drop disappeared again in the 2:8 systems. They were more conductive than the pure PEI systems. Weak temperature dependence of conductivity made their room temperature condutivities even higher than those for the pure PEO systems.

The computational system outlined here is based on a model of the human auditory– brain system including the autocorrelation and interaural crosscorrelation mechanisms, and the specialization of the cerebral hemispheres [1]. It consists of a binaural receiver, a laptop computer, and software designed to measure the physical factors of noise fields and to identify environmental noise. The temporal factors τ e , τ 1 , and φ 1 as well as Φ (0), are extracted from the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the noise source, and the spatial factors LL, IACC, τ IACC , and W IACC are extracted from the interaural crosscorrelation function (IACF). These factors may be utilized for subjective evaluations of a source of noise and a noise field.

The magic oxide clusters M9O6 (M5Fe, Co, Ni) are found by using reactive laser vaporized cluster source. From the first-principles calculations, the possible equilibrium geometries for these three oxide clusters are determined to be a C2v symmetry, where the skeleton composed of 9 metal atoms also has C2v symmetry, different from the equilibrium structures of pure transition metal cluster M9 . The O atoms are energetically more favorable to cap the triangle surfaces. In Fe9O6 and Co9O6 clusters, oxygen atoms are antiferromagnetically polarized while ferromagnetically polarized in the Ni9O6 cluster, similar to the case of O atoms adsorbed on the reconstructed Ni(110) surface. The magnetic behaviors are explained from electronic structures.

Based on the model of auditory–brain system which consists of the autocorrelation mechanism, the interaural cross-correlation mechanism between both the auditory pathways, and the specialization of human cerebral hemispheres (Y. Ando 1998 Architectural Acoustics, Blending Sound Sources, Sound Fields, and Listeners New York: AIP Press/Springer-Verlag), a new diagnostic system was developed. After obtaining the binaural impulse response, four orthogonal factors including the SPL, the initial time-delay gap between the direct sound and the first reflection, the subsequent reverberation time and the IACC can be analyzed for the calculation of the scale values of both global and individual subjective preferences. In addition, two more factors extracted from the interaural cross-correlation functionτIACC and WIACC, can be figured out. Also, the sound energy,Φ (0), the effective duration, τe, and fine structures of autocorrelation function of sound signals including the magnitude of first maximum, φ1, and its delay time,τ1 , can be analyzed. As an example of the measurement, effects of reflectors' array above the stage in a 1/10 scale model of auditorium at each seat are discussed here.

In this paper we outline and apply a procedure to evaluate sound fields in a concert hall which involve scattered reflections. We adopted an experimental method and used a 1/10 scale model of the concert hall. Arrays of circular columns were placed in front of its walls to act as the scattering obstacles. The acoustic properties of the hall were measured both with and without the arrays of circular columns. Here, the quality of the scattered sound field was evaluated in terms of four orthogonal physical factors: sound pressure level (SPL), initial time-delay gap between the direct sound and the first reflection (Δt1), subsequent reverberation time (Tsub), and magnitude of the interaural cross-correlation function (IACC). The IACC at central seats near the stage and seating area near the columns were improved by the arrays of circular columns.

Linear polyethylenimine (PEI) was treated with calculated amounts of H 3 PO 4 to prepare PEI– x H 3 PO 4 composites. Their proton conductivity at a fixed temperature depended strongly on x . When the range of x was extended to as high as 2.5–3.0, conductivity at 50°C reached ca. 10 −4 S cm −1 . But the systems became very hygroscopic, deliquescent, and difficult to handle. To obviate this problem, composites were made from crosslinked PEI ( c -PEI) and H 3 PO 4 . They were dry to touch and much less hygroscopic. The patterns of dependence of conductivity on x were quite similar regardless of whether the matrix was PEI or c -PEI, although the magnitude of conductivity was somewhat smaller in the crosslinked systems.

Predictors of survival are helpful when deciding on aggressiveness of care of neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia and respiratory failure. We evaluated findings on chest radiography as potential predictors of survival in these patients.Findings on chest radiographs of neonates less than 24 hr old with congenital diaphragmatic hernia were evaluated. Radiographic findings analyzed included percentage of aerated ipsilateral lung, percentage of aerated contralateral lung, mediastinal shift, and hernia contents. Each finding was compared with survival (equated with hospital discharge) using a Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test. Survival was also determined using the total number of poor prognostic findings present in any one patient.In the 73 neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia in our study, the overall survival rate was 55%. There were statistically significant relationships between survival rate and percentage of ipsilateral aeration (p = 0.001), percentage of contralateral aeration (p = 0.016), and mediastinal shift (p = 0.026). The survival rate for multiple poor prognostic factors was 0% with four of four factors and 20% with three of four factors (p = 0.001). Survival rate was not influenced by prematurity (p = 0.102), sex (p = 0.104), or side of hernia (p = 0.895).Findings on initial chest radiography are helpful in predicting survival in neonates with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.