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Summary Background Preterm birth is a major global health challenge, the leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age, and a key measure of a population's general health and nutritional status. Current clinical methods of estimating fetal gestational age are often inaccurate. For example, between 20 and 30 weeks of gestation, the width of the 95% prediction interval around the actual gestational age is estimated to be 18–36 days, even when the best ultrasound estimates are used. The aims of this study are to improve estimates of fetal gestational age and provide personalised predictions of future growth. Methods Using ultrasound-derived, fetal biometric data, we developed a machine learning approach to accurately estimate gestational age. The accuracy of the method is determined by reference to exactly known facts pertaining to each fetus—specifically, intervals between ultrasound visits—rather than the date of the mother's last menstrual period. The data stem from a sample of healthy, well-nourished participants in a large, multicentre, population-based study, the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century (INTERGROWTH-21st). The generalisability of the algorithm is shown with data from a different and more heterogeneous population (INTERBIO-21st Fetal Study). Findings In the context of two large datasets, we estimated gestational age between 20 and 30 weeks of gestation with 95% confidence to within 3 days, using measurements made in a 10-week window spanning the second and third trimesters. Fetal gestational age can thus be estimated in the 20–30 weeks gestational age window with a prediction interval 3–5 times better than with any previous algorithm. This will enable improved management of individual pregnancies. 6-week forecasts of the growth trajectory for a given fetus are accurate to within 7 days. This will help identify at-risk fetuses more accurately than currently possible. At population level, the higher accuracy is expected to improve fetal growth charts and population health assessments. Interpretation Machine learning can circumvent long-standing limitations in determining fetal gestational age and future growth trajectory, without recourse to often inaccurately known information, such as the date of the mother's last menstrual period. Using this algorithm in clinical practice could facilitate the management of individual pregnancies and improve population-level health. Upon publication of this study, the algorithm for gestational age estimates will be provided for research purposes free of charge via a web portal. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Office of Science (US Department of Energy), US National Science Foundation, and National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

Protoplasts were isolated from primary calli of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and an antibiotic (G418) resistance gene was introduced into these protoplasts using a polyethylene glycol (PEG) DNA uptake method. Sixty-four G418 resistant calli were obtained in nine experiments, and two plants were regenerated from these calli. NPTII ELISA and Southern analysis indicated that the G418 resistance gene was introduced and expressed in two T0 plants. These plants set seed and the introduced gene was transmitted to T1 plants. These results suggest that our transformation system using primary callus-derived protoplasts is a useful method for the generation of transgenic barley.

Background and aims The toll-like receptors (TLRs) are critical participants in vertebrate innate immune recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Diverse ligands act as “danger signals” detected by this component of the innate immune system. TLR7 and 8 are located in the endosomes of specific immune subpopulations, and are activated by single-stranded RNA from viruses or by autologous RNA fragments bound to immune complexes, inducing the generation of cytokines such as interferons (specifically IFN-alpha) and IL-6. Strong genetic evidence supports variants in TLR7 as contributors to development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods In vitro and in vivo assays were used to guide development of potent and specific small molecule inhibitors. Results We describe novel and selective small molecule non-oligonucleotide TLR7/8 antagonists for the treatment of SLE. They exhibit potent activity in vitro in TLR-specific reporter systems (IC50 of ˜100 nM) and in primary human blood cells (IC50 of 50–500 nM across various ligands and cytokine readouts), suppressing TLR7 and TLR8 but with no activity against TLR9 or other TLRs tested. Exploration of mechanism of action shows direct interaction of the lead compound with the external domain of TLR8. The compounds are orally available and active in a mouse model of R848 challenge. When tested in long-term dosing in pristane-induced or spontaneous NZB/W disease the compounds slow the advance of autoantibody titers and efficiently suppress development of nephritis and associated proteinuria. Conclusions We have identified novel small molecule antagonists of human TLR7 and TLR8 with beneficial activity in mouse models of systemic lupus.

In recent years, energy-generating devices such as residential use fuel cell cogeneration systems (FCCGS) have been spreading. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), which is a type of FCCGS, determines the amount of power generation and power generation time according to the demand for electricity and hot water supply in houses. Therefore, residents’ lifestyle influences a PEFC’s load following speed and efficiency. However, there are few actual surveys of household electricity and hot water supply demand, and we haven’t fully grasped factors that affect them. Therefore, we aim to acquire home electricity and hot water usage habits that affect PEFC operation by measuring detailed electricity and hot water supply demand in 10 houses in Japan. In addition, we also conducted a questionnaire survey for the households and analysed the influence of resident’s behaviour on demand for electricity and hot water supply. We can’t see instantaneous changes in the amount of PEFC generated based on hourly data, so we measured the electricity consumption of the entire house and the electricity consumption and hot water consumption of each household appliance every 2 seconds. In this report, we analysed the usage habits of home appliances.

We propose an inspection technique for cleaved optical fiber ends based on the Fabry-Perot interferometer. An inspected fiber end is determined as uneven or flat depending on whether both the measured return losses from the fiber end at two wavelengths are around 14.7 dB. We also developed a system that uses this technique for inspecting cleaved fiber ends. We discuss several requirements for the fiber stage where two optical fiber ends are set to create a Fabry-Perot interferometer. We fabricated a prototype of a fiber stage for outside usage based on these requirements. Several samples with incorrectly cleaved fiber ends were fabricated by intentionally misadjusting the bend radius during fiber cleaving. The images of the inspected flat and uneven fiber ends obtained experimentally with our proposed inspection system with the fabricated fiber stage were in good agreement with those obtained using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

AIM The sentinel lymph node biopsy has steadily replaced axillary lymph node dissection for staging clinically node-negative breast cancer. This study assesses surgical and adjuvant practice in relation to micrometastases and isolated tumor cells found on biopsy in a single surgeon cohort. METHODS Clinicopathological characteristics were collated from 700 breast cancer patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsies between 1999 and 2007. The status and details of the node biopsies, continuing treatment and adverse outcomes were reported. Patient details at the time of diagnosis were entered into Adjuvant! online to look at likely prognosis. For both isolated tumor cells and micrometastases, data input was conducted twice, once as node-negative and again as node-positive, thus providing two predicted benefit data series. RESULTS A total of 665 women were eligible for inclusion, 67 with micrometastases and 20 with isolated tumor cells. Overall 33 patients developed recurrence with nine breast-cancer related deaths. Women with isolated tumor cells or micrometastases were more likely to receive adjuvant radiotherapy to the axilla compared with women with node-negative disease. Compared to those with isolated tumor cells, a higher number of women with micrometastases received systemic chemotherapy despite similar predicted benefits. Individual comparisons showed significantly higher rates of recurrence in women with isolated tumor cells than in node-negative disease (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION The biological behavior of early breast cancer with isolated tumor cells on sentinel node biopsy is similar to both micrometastases and macrometastases, i.e. they behave in a node-positive fashion. This is an early indication that these patients should be treated with more aggressive adjuvant therapy.

ZnO whisker crystals were selectively grown in indented positions where several micron-sized Au catalyst atomies were formed on an Si substrate. In order to control the number density and the size of the whisker crystals, the effect of the distance (d ) between the Si substrate and the material supply source on the crystal shapes was examined. ZnO whiskers grew at d

We measure the relative chemical shift between Si Is and Si 2p, ΔE 1s -ΔE 2p , for 0.20-1.96-nm-thick SiO 2 films formed on Si substrates using high-resolution high-energys x-ray radiation. It is found that ΔE 1s -ΔE 2p is independent of SiO 2 film thickness for films thicker than 1.0 nm, whereas it is smaller for films thinner than 0.5 nm. The result, in conjunction with first principles molecular orbital calculations, indicates that the valence charge of the Si atom is larger for in ultrathin SiO 2 films than in the thicker SiO 2 films.

The antimicrobial activity of extracts from Couroupita guianensis Aubl. tissues were measured against 12 gram positive, 12 gram negative, and one protozoan. Methanol extracts of leaves, flowers, fruit, stem and root barks, and stem and root heartwood of the plant inhibited growth of the microorganisms, a phenomena that was enhanced by further fractionation of the methanol extracts into petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and butanol soluble fractions. Most activity was in the petrol fractions of the flowers, fruit, and stem bark; the ethyl acetate fraction of the flowers, and stem and root bark; and the dichloromethane fractions of the stem and root barks. Some fractions of the stem bark and flowers exhibited antifungal activity.

From the root bark of Eupomatia laurina were isolated four anti-microbial alkaloids; sampangine (I), eupomatine-1 (II), liriodenine and lanuginosine. The isolated alkaloids, the fraction from which...

The methanol extracts of leaves, seeds, stem and root barks, stem and root heart-woods of Michelia champaca and the obtained fractions (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol) exhibited a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. Fractionation drastically enhanced the level of activity particularly in all fractions of the stem bark and dichloromethane fraction of the root bark. Some fractions of the leaves, stem and root barks demonstrated antifungal activity against some of the tested moulds. Liriodenine was the active constituent of the root bark, with a broader and, in some cases, better level of activity as compared to the standard.

The methanol extracts of leaves, root and stem barks of Symplocos cochinchinensis and their fractions obtained by partition (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate) were screened for antimicrobial activity. All the crude extracts and fractions showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, that was enhanced on fractionation. None of them showed activity against the tested moulds.

The methanol extracts of leaves, root and stem barks of Psychotria microlabastra showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity, that was increased on fractionation (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate), particularly in the ethyl acetate fractions. None of the extractives showed activity against the tested moulds.

The methanol extracts of Clematis papuasica leaves and stem bark and of Nauclea obversifolia leaves, stem and root barks showed awide spectrum of antibacterial activity which was increased on fractionation (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate), the ethyl acetate fractions being in all cases the most effective. None of the extractives was active against tested moulds.

An experiment to transfer time and frequency over 2.488 Gb/s synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) systems using a 175-km commercial optical fiber cable has been set up by Communication Research Laboratory (CRL) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) Laboratory. We confirm that the frequency stability of the time comparison data is 10/sup -12//square root of tau for averaging times above 10 s. This stability equals that of the cesium frequency standard (HP5071A) used in this experiment. This means that the system can transfer the cesium frequency standard signal without deterioration. The time comparison resolution is of the order of 10/sup -11/ s (square root of time variance). The long-term stability of this system is expected to be better than 1 ns, including the temperature dependence of time information transmitters and receivers. Time comparison results agree well with GPS common-view results. Time accuracy is held to within 32 ns (this includes the anticipated time deviation caused by network elements).

The methanol extracts of leaves, flowers, stem and root barks of Cassia alata showed a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. The activity was increased on fractionation (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate), the dichloromethane fraction of the flower extract being the most effective. No activity was shown against tested moulds.

A prospective study on medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction for recurrent patellar dislocation was performed. At an average follow-up of 5.9 years, 27 MPFL reconstructions using a mesh-type artificial ligament and medial retinaculum slip coverage were reviewed using the Crosby and Insall grading system. Fifteen knees (55%) were classified as excellent, 11 knees (41%) as good, 1 knee (4%) as fair/poor and none as worse. At a mid-term follow-up, medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction should be considered as a safe and effective operation.

The molecular and biochemical aspects of Tibetan β-amylase-less mutant barley were investigated. An enzyme assay showed that there were eight β-amylase-less mutant lines in the Tibetan landrace barley. Following Southern analysis and polymerase chain reaction, it is suggested that these mutants result from the same insert mutation in the latter part of the β-amylase structural gene. The α-glucosidase activity level of the mutant line was high in the initial period of germination, and the glucose ratio in the sugar conformation was remarkably high in the germinated seed of the mutant line. These results suggest that this β-amylase-less mutant line could be a new breeding material for beer production.

β-Amylase thermostability is one of the major factors affecting fermentability in the brewing process; consequently, it could be used as a selection marker for the trait. In order to clarify what controls its thermostability, the linkage analysis of β-amylase thermostability and its genotype as restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns was performed in three cross populations. Then, β-amylase cDNAs cloned from the three varieties which had a different thermostability type were expressed in Escherichia coli. According to the results of the linkage analysis and gene expression test, it was concluded that β-amylase thermostability resulted from a difference in its structural gene. Furthermore, to construct an STS marker for the gene, the gDNA sequences of β-amylase were compared among the three varieties, which had different thermostabilities. Although there were many differences in the intron sequence, few nucleotides differed in the exon region. Based on the variation in the intron region, a sequence-tagged-site marker was constructed to detect β-amylase genotypes in breeding material.

To investigate variation in the thermostability of β-amylase among varieties of barley, Hordeum vulgare L., crude enzyme was extracted from the seeds, and the relative remaining activity was calculated after heat treatment. Our results indicated that the varieties tested were divided into three groups (types A, B and C). All the latest Japanese malting varieties showed high thermostability (type A), while European, North American and Australian varieties showed intermediate (type B) or low thermostability (type C). Isoelectric focusing (IEF) of β-amylase was also investigated. Type B varieties divided into two subtypes (types B1 and B2) based on two different IEF patterns (types I and II), whereas those of types A and C showed only one IEF pattern (type II). We also examined their thermostability in the varieties based on the pedigrees of the Japanese malting barley. Our results indicated that the thermostability of β-amylase had a close relationship to fermentability for the production of beer. This fact suggests that the thermostability of β-amylase has a significant influence on the malting quality of barley.

Nonstorm water discharges to municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) are notable for spatial and temporal variability in volume, pollutant type, pollutant concentration, and activity of origin. The objective of this paper was to determine whether current technical knowledge and existing U.S. policy support an improved regulatory approach. The proposed policy would use type of discharge as a regulatory basis, merging the concepts of allowability of de minimis discharges and type-based statewide consistent rules. Specific research objectives were to comprehensively identify discharge types, characterize their prevalence in California, analyze relevant local and regional regulatory guidelines, and systematically evaluate opinions of experts about potential water quality impacts. Results demonstrate nonstorm water discharges were widespread in at least one sector, industrial facilities subject to a state permit; one discharge for every four facilities was reported in 1995, even though the permit explicitly prohibits such discharges. Clear consensus exists for minimal water quality concern for some discharge types when considering both municipal guidelines and experts’ opinions. In particular, condensate from a wide range of equipment and discharges from fire fighting equipment testing were found to be of low concern. Discharge types with consensus high concern were largely limited to discharges prohibited under other regulations, such as wastewater and hazardous waste management controls. Some discharge types where no consensus was identified, such as landscape irrigation, nevertheless generated concern for water quality impacts and appear to be relatively widespread. Available information supports technical feasibility of the proposed policy because at least some discharge types show strong consensus for de minimis impacts among regulatory guidelines and opinions of technical experts.

Background: Patients who have received renal allografts experience early aging of the skin, opportunistic infections, and an increased incidence of skin cancer. Objective: We compared the density of lymphocyte subsets and Langerhans cells in normal-appearing skin of renal allograft recipients without skin cancer at 5 to 6 years (group 1) and 14 years after transplant (group 2) with a matched normal control group. Methods: Biopsy specimens of sun-protected and exposed areas from 18 white, kidney allograft recipients (10 in group 1 and 8 in group 2) with normal renal function and from 10 healthy volunteers were semiquantitatively analyzed for dermal lymphocyte subsets and Langerhans cells. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in all dermal cell elements in the sun-protected skin of both groups of patients who had received grafts. The sun-exposed skin of group 2 also showed a significant decrease of dermal CD4 + and CD8 + lymphocytes, and group 1 had a significant decrease in dermal CD8 + lymphocytes. The dermal CD1a + cell population in the sun-exposed skin from both grafted groups did not differ from the control group. Conclusion: Kidney transplant recipients showed dermal depletion of cells related to immune surveillance against tumors even before skin cancer occurred, and this depletion seemed to become more marked with the duration of immunosuppression. (J Am Acad Dermatol 1998;38:38-44.)

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) E8-18 reacted with four isolates of Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae in Western blots identifying an epitope on a 24 kDa antigen (p24). MAb E8-18 did not react with 11 isolates belonging to four other Mycoplasma species or subspecies closely related to M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae. A combination of trypsin treatment of intact organisms and detergent-phase partitioning revealed p24 to be an integral M. capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae surface membrane protein.

Four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from hybridoma obtained by in vitro stimulation of regional lymph node lymphocytes from lung cancer patients and electrofusion of the stimulated cells with murine or human-mouse myeloma cells were reactive to lung cancer cells in enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay, and to lung cancer tissue in immunohistochemical analysis using acetone-methyl benzoate-xylene (AMeX) fixed tissue and in immunofluorescence analysis. Three of the MAbs (designated ZLG40, 27D57 and 28K29) recognised cell-surface antigens of the lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549 and the remaining one (designated 29D38) recognised nuclear membrane antigens of the same cell line. The three surface-binding MAbs showed a significant complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) to the A549 cells, but the membrane-binding 29D38 showed no CDC to the A549 cells. Western blotting of the extracts of the A549 or PC6 (small-cell lung cancer) cell lines by the four MAbs showed a 28K29 antigen band at M(r) of approximately 600,000 (+/- 2-ME), a ZLG40 antigen band at M(r) 50,000 (+/- 2-ME), and one 29D38 antigen band at M(r) of more than 1,000,000 (-2-ME) and M(r) between 20,000 and 80,000 (+2-ME), but no detectable band for 27D57 antigen. Images Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 5

GSTM1 gene deficiency has been shown to occur in approximately half of the populations of various ethnic origins and has been implicated as a factor for elevated risk for lung cancers. However the results have been variable or even conflicting between the studies. In an attempt to explore the reason for such a diversity, we studied the distribution of GSTM1 genotypes in relation to gender, age and smoking status in 447 Japanese lung cancer patients and 469 community controls. We found: (1) that in squamous and small cell carcinomas GSTM1 null genotype distributed markedly more in females than males especially among the patients aged70 years (male 57.4%, female 100.0%); (2) that GSTM1 null genotype distributed generally more in patients aged70 years (58.3%) than those agedor = 70 years (50.0%) irrespective of histologies except for small cell carcinoma; and (3) that proportion of GSTM1 null genotype increased dependent on the extent of tobacco smoke exposure in male patients having squamous and small cell carcinomas aged70 years, and remained high but independent of the smoking index in adenocarcinoma and unchanged in never- or exsmokers from the control level (48.6%). The present study thus suggests that composition of GSTM1 genotypes in patients is significantly affected by gender, age and smoking status, which should be taken into consideration in any attempt to determine the association of GSTM1 genotypes for risk assessment. With the diverse of GSTM1 null genotype variability between patients of different histologies, our results were also suggestive of different carcinogenic involvement of GSTM1 deficiency among different histological cell types.

Nerve blood flow (NBF) is reduced in experimental diabetic neuropathy (EDN), but the mechanism of its reduction is uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that reduced NBF might be due to alterations of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and endothelin of microvascular endothelial cells of sciatic nerve. We evaluated epineurial arteriolar vasoreactivity in response to superfused test agents. NBF was measured using microelectrode H2 polarography. Vasoconstrictor responses to endothelin-1 (ET-1; 10(-6), 10(-7), 10(-8), 10(-9), 10(-10) M) showed dose-response curves with similar EC50 values, indicating no change in potency. We applied the NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-L-arginine and observed reduced inhibition of NBF in EDN, correctable with insulin treatment and also with infused L-arginine. We conclude that vasoreactivity is disturbed in EDN, and is due to a combination of an impairment of NOS activity with reduced NO and increased endothelin effect (normal receptor sensitivity and increased plasma values) in EDN. Hyperglycemia is likely to be the mechanism of NOS inhibition since insulin treatment reversed this abnormality.

Monoclonal antibody (MAb) WM-25 differentiates by in vitro growth inhibition Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mycoplasma strain F38), which causes contagious carpine pleuropneumonia, from other Mycoplasma spp. (F. R. Rurangirwa, T. C. McGuire, A. J. Musoke, and A. Kibor, Infect. Immun. 55:3219-3220, 1987). The antigen identified by MAb WM-25 was isolated from solubilized Mycoplasma strain F38 organisms by MAb WM-25 affinity chromatography and was stained with Schiff's reagent, but not with Coomassie blue, after separation by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Treatment of purified F38 polysaccharide with periodate abolished binding with MAb WM-25, and MAb WM-25 binding was blocked with laminarin, a complex oligosaccharide with beta(1-->3) sugar linkages. Purified F38 polysaccharide blocked both growth inhibition and agglutination of live F38 organisms caused by MAb WM-25 and rabbit antiserum to F38 organisms. The results in this paper demonstrate that MAb WM-25 binds a periodate-sensitive epitope on the F38 polysaccharide which is also exposed on the surface of Mycoplasma strain F38. Because MAb WM-25 also causes in vitro growth inhibition of F38, the reactive polysaccharide epitope may induce protective immune responses.

Plant regeneration was achieved through anther culture of three wild species of Hordeum (H. murinum, H. marinum and H, bulbosum). Calli or embryoids were formed from microspores in anthers cultured on a medium containing 6-benzylammopurine (BAP) and ficoll. These calli or embryoids regenerated green or albino shoots and roots after transfer to regeneration media. Green plantlets which developed on regeneration media were transferred to soil where they showed further growth.

The methanol extracts of leaves, root and stem barks of Calophyllum soulattri were partitioned with petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate. The extracts demonstrated a range of antibacterial activity, improved on fractionation. None were found to be active against the moulds.

The ethanol extracts of Omalanthus nervosus leaves, stem and root barks, were partitioned (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate). In respect to crude extracts, all fractions demonstrated broader spectrum and higher levels of antibacterial activity, ethyl acetate fractions being in all cases the more active. No fraction was active against tested moulds.

The fractionated extracts of leaves, stem bark and root bark of Eupomatia laurina were screened against 13 Gram + and 12 Gram - bacteria, a protozoan and four fungi. All extracts were found to be active against most of the bacteria and some fungi. The petrol extract of the leaf, the dichloromethane and ethyl acetate extracts of the stem bark, and the dichloromethane extract of the root bark exhibited superior levels of antibacterial activity. The stem bark (ethyl acetate extract) and the root bark (dichloromethane extract) were active against the molds tested.

The sentinel lymph node biopsy has steadily replaced axillary lymph node dissection for staging clinically node-negative breast cancer. This study assesses surgical and adjuvant practice in relation to micrometastases and isolated tumor cells found on biopsy in a single surgeon cohort.Clinicopathological characteristics were collated from 700 breast cancer patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsies between 1999 and 2007. The status and details of the node biopsies, continuing treatment and adverse outcomes were reported. Patient details at the time of diagnosis were entered into Adjuvant! online to look at likely prognosis. For both isolated tumor cells and micrometastases, data input was conducted twice, once as node-negative and again as node-positive, thus providing two predicted benefit data series.A total of 665 women were eligible for inclusion, 67 with micrometastases and 20 with isolated tumor cells. Overall 33 patients developed recurrence with nine breast-cancer related deaths. Women with isolated tumor cells or micrometastases were more likely to receive adjuvant radiotherapy to the axilla compared with women with node-negative disease. Compared to those with isolated tumor cells, a higher number of women with micrometastases received systemic chemotherapy despite similar predicted benefits. Individual comparisons showed significantly higher rates of recurrence in women with isolated tumor cells than in node-negative disease (P0.0001).The biological behavior of early breast cancer with isolated tumor cells on sentinel node biopsy is similar to both micrometastases and macrometastases, i.e. they behave in a node-positive fashion. This is an early indication that these patients should be treated with more aggressive adjuvant therapy.

An SCR switch for a long pulse, high duty, line type modulator, which had been fabricated as a prototype for the development of an rf source for the JHP 1 GeV proton linac, has been constructed and tested. The switch was designed to be used for discharging a pulse-forming network charged at 40 kV and producing pulses with MW of peak power (20 kV × 750 A) and 450 kW of average power (15 MW × 600 μs × 50 pps). This switch comprises of 30 general use type SCRs, arranged in series so as to withstand high voltage. After installing this switch in the modulator as a replacement of the thyratron switch, a test was carried out up to 12.5 MW peak and 250 kW average output power, which was limited by the maximum capabilities of the present modulator (400 μs) and a klystron, used as a load through a pulse transformer (18.6 kV at primary, 130 kV at secondary). The design considerations and the test results of the SCR switch are described, along with an outline of the prototype modulator.

The variations in outgoing path delay and incoming delay of a paired transmission path have been measured simultaneously and independently for over one year. The characteristics will allow the performance of delay compensation schemes for precise time synchronization of digital telecommunication networks to be evaluated. The annual delay variation is caused by temperature changes, and its magnitude is about 3 mu s for the 2400-km line investigated. It is shown that the variation of annual delay can be estimated by measuring air temperature above the cable. The delay variations, which vary slowly with a period of over 10/sup 3/ s, such as annual and daily variations, are clearly correlated for the outgoing and incoming paths. Asymmetry of slow delay variation is below 1 ns (indicated noise deviation). The cause of the delay variation that has a period of 10/sup 0/ >

Shirley's analysis (1985) is generalized to calculate the fluorescence light shifts in various optically pumped Cs beam standards, especially in the two-beam type frequency standard that enables a real-time correction of an end-to-end cavity phase shift. Using tables of light shift coefficients and mean fluorescence photon numbers per atom, fluorescence light shifts in one- and two-beam type optically pumped Cs beam frequency standards using noncycling detection and cycling detection, are evaluated. Results obtained are useful to correct the fluorescence light shifts in optically pumped Cs beam frequency standards. >

Investigations onto the thermostability of β-amylase in 274 varieties of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) indicated that all varieties except one were distributed into three types of high (type A), intermediate (type B), and low (type C) thermostability, respectively. One variety (TB29) from China showed no β-amylase activity. Geographical variation was observed in the thermostability of β-amylase. Type C varieties were not observed in East Asia (Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China and Nepal), although 36 out of 37 varieties in Ethiopia were type C. Most of the varieties were Type A in Japan, the Korean Peninsula and China, whereas the frequency of type A and type B were nearly equal in Nepal. Varieties in the other five areas (North America, North Africa, Southwest Asia, Turkey and Europe) consisted of types A, B and C. These results support the fact that East Asian cultivars are genetically different from those of the western regions, as previously reported.

We reported a 25-year-old woman with chorea-acanthocytosis (ChAc), with typical features of lip- and tongue-biting, choreiform movements and increased levels of serum creatine phosphokinase. She presented with orthostatic hypotension, and on evaluation had a moderately decreased heart rate response to deep breathing and mildly abnormal QSART in the lower extremities. These results indicated that autonomic dysfunction in our patient was mainly due to a postganglionic lesion. Although a few previous reports have described autonomic dysfunction associated with ChAc and have indicated that impairments are primarily sympathetic, our case study suggests that there is also parasympathetic dysfunction. We hypothesize that

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), neurotensin, arginine vasopressin (AVP), angiotensin II (ANG II), atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) have been suggested as putative neurotransmitters in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) where baro- and chemoreceptor afferents terminate. To investigate modulation of the aortic baroreceptor reflex by neuropeptides, we microinjected these neuropeptides into the medial area of the rat NTS and examined their effects on the depressor and bradycardic responses to electrical stimulation of the aortic nerve which contains mainly baroreceptor afferent fibers in rats. Male Wistar rats were anesthetized with urethane, paralyzed and artificially ventilated. NPY (3 ng) and neurotensin (0.3 ng) injected into the NTS caused a decrease in blood pressure and/or heart rate, and facilitated the depressor and bradycardic responses to aortic nerve stimulation. AVP (3 ng) produced an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, and inhibited the responses to aortic nerve stimulation, whereas d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP(100 ng), a V1 vasopressin receptor antagonist, did not affect the basal cardiovascular parameters and the baroreflex responses. ANG II (0.3 and 3 ng) caused a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate whereas at 0.3 ng it did not affect the baroreflex responses. ANP (3 ng) and CGRP (3 ng) did not affect the basal blood pressure and heart rate, and the responses to aortic nerve stimulation. These findings indicate that NPY, neurotensin and AVP microinjected into the rats NTS can modify the aortic baroreceptor reflex. Some of these neuropeptides may play a role in modulation of the aortic baroreceptor reflex within the NTS.

We propose and design a novel mode converter using a tapered fiber. The fabricated device can convert the LP11 mode to the LP01 mode in a dual mode transmission.

This paper proposes a tamper detecting method for images using mathematical morphology. The proposed method utilizes the idempotent property of morphological operations rather than fragile watermarking methods. While fragile watermarking methods that must extract the embedded watermark and compare it with the possible watermark to detect tampers, the proposed method detects and localizes tampers by only morphological operations and image subtraction in the spatial domain. Moreover, a visual signature system is proposed based on the proposed tamper detecting method. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Background The introduction of tocilizumab (TCZ) has provided an expanded choice of both first and subsequent biologic therapies for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Understanding when in the treatment pathway TCZ is being used as well as describing its real world effectiveness will provide further evidence on which to frame healthcare decisions. The aims of this analysis are to describe and compare the baseline characteristics and 6 months treatment effectiveness between patients (1) starting TCZ or anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF) therapy as their first biologic and (2) starting TCZ as a first or as a subsequent biologic. Methods The British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA (BSRBR-RA) is an observational prospective cohort study collecting detailed information on RA patients starting biologic therapies in the UK. This analysis included all patients with RA starting either TCZ or an anti-TNF as their first biologic and patients starting TCZ following prior biologic therapy between 1/1/2010 and 31/12/2013. Baseline characteristics were compared between cohorts. Treatment effectiveness was described using the absolute change in DAS28-ESR and EULAR response at 6 months. Ordinal logistic regression models, adjusted by estimated propensity score using inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW), were used to compare 6 months EULAR response between cohorts. Missing data were estimated using multiple imputation. Results 1457 patients starting their first biologic (92 intravenous TCZ, 442 etanercept, 26 infliximab, 301 adalimumab, 596 certolizumab) and 531 patients starting intravenous TCZ as a subsequent biologic therapy were included. There were no significant differences between patients starting TCZ or anti-TNF as their first biologic, with the exception of a shorter disease duration and higher prevalence of pulmonary fibrosis and cancer history among patients starting TCZ (Table). Compared to first line users, patients starting TCZ as a subsequent biologic had longer disease duration, higher HAQ scores, higher corticosteroid use but lower DAS28-ESR. There was no difference in 6 months EULAR response between patients starting TCZ or anti-TNF as their first line therapy (adjusted OR 1.08 (95% CI: 0.67, 1.73). Similar response rates were also seen when TCZ was used as first or subsequent biologic after allowing for differences in baseline characteristics (adjusted OR 0.98 (95% CI: 0.54-1.76). Conclusions Since 2010, it appears that TCZ is primarily used in the UK as a second-line or later biologic. When TCZ was used as first line, treatment response at 6 months is comparable to anti-TNF. Non-response rates were slightly higher among subsequent versus first line users of TCZ, however, these differences could be accounted for by differences in baseline disease severity. Disclosure of Interest M. Kihara: None declared, L. Kearsley-Fleet: None declared, R. Davies: None declared, K. Watson: None declared, M. Lunt: None declared, D. Symmons: None declared, K. Hyrich Grant/research support from: Abbvie and Pfizer

著者人数：12名, 資料番号: SA1000559000

Vibration and load characteristics of ultrasonic motors (a) using a torsional vibration cylinder with three bolt-clamped Langevin type longitudinal vibration PZT transducers (BLT) installed in tangential direction and (b) using a longitudinal vibration disk with three BLT transducers installed around a circular disk are studied.

Stochastic models of evolution of phase boundaries are proposed by using Stratonovich type stochastic partial differential equations. Two types of motion of phase boundaries, growth with constant speed and mean curvature flow, are considered in this paper. The influence of disturbances on the behavior of such phase boundaries is studied through simulations.

The crude methanolic extracts of the leaves, stem and root barks of Alstonia scholaris and Leea tetramera on partitioning (petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, butanol) gave fractions exhibiting improved and broader spectrum of antibacterial activity. Especially the butanol fractions of A. scholaris and the root bark of L. tetramera. None of the fractions were active against the fungi tested.

The crude methanolic extracts of the leaves, stem bark, stem heart wood, root bark and root heart wood of Euroschinus papuanus and the fractions obtained on partitioning with petrol, dichloromethane (D), ethyl acetate (E) and butanol (B), exhibited a broad spectrum antibacterial activity. Fractionation drastically enhanced the activity. Excellent activity was demonstrated by the E fractions of stem heart wood, D of root bark, and E of root heart wood. Antifungal activity was exhibited by the B fractions of leaves, stem heartwood and root bark.

The crude methanolic extracts of the stem and root barks, stem and root heart-wood, leaves, fruits and seeds of Artocarpus heterophyllus and their subsequent partitioning with petrol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and butanol gave fractions that exhibited a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity. The butanol fractions of the root bark and fruits were found to be the most active. None of the fractions were active against the fungi tested.