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Abstract To design a wooden satellite and select the appropriate wood species, we conducted a space exposure test of wood on the International Space Station (ISS). The space exposure test used the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” on the Exposed Experiment Bracket Attached on i-SEEP (ExBAS), which is connected to the exposed facility of the ISS. Three wood species considered candidates for the structure of a wooden satellite were used in the exposure test: honoki (Magnolia obovata), yamazakura (Cerasus jamasakura), and dakekanba (Betula ermanii). In the outgassing test conducted in preparation for the space exposure test, the collected volatile condensable materials (CVCM) of the three wood species were below the critical value; however, the total mass loss (TML) exceeded the critical value. However, this was not a problem, because most of the mass loss was due to water evaporation. A space exposure test was conducted for 10 months in 2022. Consequently, no change was observed in the weight of the exposed specimen, and no erosion due to atomic oxygen (AO) was observed. The exposure test was scheduled to be carried out in the forward direction of the ISS travel; however, owing to equipment trouble, it was installed in the opposite direction. This is because an insufficient AO flux collided with the specimen. In terms of wood color, the brightness of the three species decreased owing to space exposure, and saturation increased in two wood species, except for yamazakura. A thin-film layer was observed on the surface of the aluminum cover to which the exposed specimen was fixed, which may have also formed on the surface of the wood specimen, reducing its brightness. However, because the hue angle did not change significantly, only a slight deterioration of the surface layer owing to vacuum ultraviolet was observed. The results confirmed that the wood had hardly deteriorated in space for approximately 10 months.

A rare case of food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis caused by potato snacks is reported. Specific food triggers for anaphylaxis were identified by using the skin prick test, antigen analysis, and serum IgE assays. Four potato proteins were considered candidate antigens for food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis.

Abstract Enhancing the activity of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for fuel cell development, and hydrophobic species are known to increase the ORR activity. This paper reports that caffeine enhanced the specific ORR activity of Pt(111) 11-fold compared to that without caffeine in a 0.1 M HClO4 aqueous solution. Moreover, caffeine increased the ORR activity of Pt(110) 2.5-fold; however, the activity of Pt(100) was unaffected. The infrared (IR) band of PtOH (blocking species of the ORR) decreased for all the surfaces. Caffeine was adsorbed with its molecular plane perpendicular to the Pt(111) and Pt(110) surfaces and tilted relative to the Pt(100) surface. Thus, the effects of caffeine on the ORR activity can be rationalized by a decrease in PtOH coverage and the difference in adsorption geometry of caffeine.

Abstract The stress relaxation behavior and cell wall microstructure of sugi were evaluated after thermal modification. Stress relaxation is observed and has a broad relaxation spectrum, implying various relaxation mechanisms. The relaxation was analyzed using a stretched exponential function, namely, the Kohlrausch–Williams–Watts (KWW) function, which contains two parameters. Moreover, the structure of the amorphous phase in the cell wall was examined by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis using the mass fractal dimension. The variation in the relaxation spectrum reduced, and the specific relaxation time increased by thermal modification at 220 °C. The mass fractal dimension in SAXS increased owing to modification, indicating that the structure of the cell wall includes some defects between cellulose microfibrils. The mass fractal dimension was related to the relaxation parameter of the KWW function. Considering the change in crystallinity, the amorphous phase in the cell wall decomposed and condensed by thermal decomposition, which caused a longer relaxation time. Thus, the KWW function may be used to evaluate the stress relaxation behavior of wood, and the mass fractal dimension in SAXS can indicate the amorphous structure in the cell wall.

Background: Immediate allergy caused by natto, a popular Japanese food prepared by fermenting soybeans with Bacillus subtilis var. natto, has been reported. Polygamma glutamic acid (PGA) in the sticky substance around natto beans has been reported to be a causative allergen of natto allergy. However, some of our patients with natto allergy were negative for PGA in the skin prick test (SPT). The sticky substance of natto beans contains a subtilisin family serine protease, nattokinase, along with PGA. In this study, we aimed to examine the antigenicity of nattokinase in natto allergy. Methods: Eight patients, who developed symptoms after ingesting natto and positively reacted to natto (seven to the sticky substance in natto and one to the whole natto product) in their SPT, were enrolled in this study. To analyze IgE reactivity, we performed immunoblotting, ELISA, and SPT for natto (bean and sticky substance), and/or PGA, and/or nattokinase and/or cultured B. subtilis var. natto extract. Results: In the SPT, four cases each were PGA-positive and PGA-negative. Immunoblotting of the sera from PGA-negative patients showed a protein band at 30 kDa, which was identified as nattokinase. Three PGA-negative cases, but not three PGA-positive cases, showed a positive reaction to nattokinase in the SPT and had a history of atopic dermatitis. The ELISA for nattokinase revealed a positive reaction of PGA-negative cases and negative reaction of PGA-positive cases in the SPT. Conclusions: We identified a subtilisin family serine protease, nattokinase, as a novel allergen in natto allergy patients unsensitized to PGA.

Electrocatalytic oxygen evolution is a key reaction for water splitting, but the detailed atomic structures of single-crystal electrodes under cycling conditions are still not fully understood. Here, the authors study the oxygen evolution activity on Pt(111) during potential cycling and find that the current density reaches a maximum in the third cycle and is nine times higher than that in the initial cycle, owing to a roughened Pt(111) surface and formation of islands and atomic vacancies in the second subsurface Pt layer.

Background: Some patients with wheat allergy have been reported to show clinical cross-reactivity to barley. However, it is not clear whether the development of barley allergy in patients with wheat allergy is due to cross-antigenicity between wheat and barley. This study aimed to determine the clinical cross-reactivity and immunological cross-antigenicity of wheat and barley. Methods: The results of barley oral food challenges (OFCs) were compared before and after oral immunotherapy (OIT) for wheat in nine patients with wheat allergy to estimate the clinical cross-reactivity of wheat and barley. Moreover, we performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition and immunoblotting inhibition using serum from seven patients allergic to wheat and barley. Results: Nine patients who had positive barley-OFC results performed before OIT for wheat were all negative on barley-OFC performed after OIT. In ELISA inhibition, preincubation of serum from patients allergic to wheat and barley with a high barley extract concentration inhibited binding of IgE to wheat extract by less than 10%. On the other hand, wheat and barley extracts equally inhibited binding to barley sIgE at high concentrations. In the immunoblotting inhibition test, the spots of wheat were inhibited but weakly by barley extracts, and most of the spots of barley were inhibited even by low concentrations of the wheat and barley extract. Conclusions: We showed that barley allergy associated with wheat allergy is caused by cross-reactivity from wheat. The OIT for wheat is one of the promising options for barley allergy.

Abstract The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on Au with high chemical stability is activated by alloying it with Ni. We evaluated the HER activity of the AuNi surface alloy prepared at different alloying temperatures on single‐crystal Au electrodes in 0.05 M H2SO4. The potential cycle, including the region of Ni oxidative dissolution, further enhanced the HER activity by dealloying Ni, and the activity depended on the surface structure of the Au substrate in the following order: AuNi/Au(100)

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on the low- and high-index planes of Pt modified with a protonic ionic liquid ([7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo(4.4.0)dec-5-ene][bis(pentafluoroethylsulfonyl)imide], referred to here as [MTBD][beti]) was studied in 0.1 M perchloric acid solution. The specific activity of the ORR on Pt(111) modified with [MTBD][beti] was 3.1 times higher than that on unmodified Pt(111), while the ORR was deactivated on modified Pt(100). [MTBD][beti] slightly enhanced the ORR activity of the Pt n(111)–(111) planes (where n = 2–9). These results show that a larger (111) terrace is essential for a marked increase in the ORR activity on Pt electrodes modified with [MTBD][beti]. Although the ratio of the increase in the activity of n(111)–(111) was lower than that of Pt(111), Pt(331) = 3(111)–(111) showed the highest ORR activity after [MTBD][beti] modification. The effects of MTBD and beti were also studied separately. MTBD provided the main contribution to the increase in ORR activity, giving the highest activity at a concentration of 2.0–3.5 × 10–5 M, whereas beti affected the ORR activity only slightly.

Three-dimensional high-resolution late gadolinium enhancement (3D HR LGE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using compressed sensing can help detect small myocardial infarcts. We discuss the case of an 11-year-old child with an anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery. Since he was suspected to have coronary stenosis due to anomalous aortic origin of the left coronary artery, cardiovascular MRI, including conventional two-dimensional (2D) LGE MRI and HR 3D LGE MRI, was conducted. Myocardial scars were not clearly observed via 2D LGE MRI; however, 3D HR MRI revealed subendocardial infarction of the anteroseptal wall, which corresponded to the left coronary artery. By applying the compressed sensing technique, 3D HR LGE, MRI enables a detailed assessment of small myocardial infarcts in a clinically feasible scan time.

Abstract Background Feature tracking (FT) has become an established tool for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR)-based strain analysis. Recently, the compressed sensing (CS) technique has been applied to cine CMR, which has drastically reduced its acquisition time. However, the effects of CS imaging on FT strain analysis need to be carefully studied. This study aimed to investigate the use of CS cine CMR for FT strain analysis compared to conventional cine CMR. Methods Sixty-five patients with different left ventricular (LV) pathologies underwent both retrospective conventional cine CMR and prospective CS cine CMR using a prototype sequence with the comparable temporal and spatial resolution at 3 T. Eight short-axis cine images covering the entire LV were obtained and used for LV volume assessment and FT strain analysis. Prospective CS cine CMR data over 1.5 heartbeats were acquired to capture the complete end-diastolic data between the first and second heartbeats. LV volume assessment and FT strain analysis were performed using a dedicated software (ci42; Circle Cardiovasacular Imaging, Calgary, Canada), and the global circumferential strain (GCS) and GCS rate were calculated from both cine CMR sequences. Results There were no significant differences in the GCS (− 17.1% [− 11.7, − 19.5] vs. − 16.1% [− 11.9, − 19.3; p = 0.508) and GCS rate (− 0.8 [− 0.6, − 1.0] vs. − 0.8 [− 0.7, − 1.0]; p = 0.587) obtained using conventional and CS cine CMR. The GCS obtained using both methods showed excellent agreement (y = 0.99x − 0.24; r = 0.95; p

Abstract Over the past few decades, the sustainable forest area in China has increased remarkably, with 2400 million cubic meters of eucalyptus produced in 2018 in Guangxi which is the largest plantation area in China. In this study, the effect of alternating lamination using soft poplar veneers and hard eucalyptus veneers, on the mechanical properties of laminated veneer lumber (LVL), was examined. Eucalyptus and poplar veneers were imported from China to Japan to manufacture the LVL. For both eucalyptus and poplar veneers, the pith side (innerwood) sheets were lighter in density than the bark side (outerwood) sheets. The specific Young’s modulus of alternating LVL with hard eucalyptus veneers and soft poplar veneers was smaller than that of the mono-species LVL of eucalyptus and poplar. Strain distributions were obtained with the compression test by using the digital image correlation method. Normal strains showed that the hard eucalyptus layer behaved as a thin plate, whereas the soft poplar layer mitigated the movement of the hard eucalyptus layer. Alternating lamination decreased the variation in the elastic modulus of LVL made from fast-growing species. Therefore, the soft layers mitigated the movement of the hard layers, which had large variations in mechanical properties.

We conducted measurements of the taking-off motion of a butterfly (Pieris rapae) and numerical simulations using a computational model reflecting its motion. The computational butterfly model is composed of a thorax, an abdomen, and four wings (left and right wings with fore and hind parts), i.e. a six-link, rigid-body system. The present model is more sophisticated than any models that have ever been constructed in existing studies. In the butterfly model, the body trajectory and thoracic pitching angle can be calculated from the equations of motion, whereas the abdominal angle and wings’ joint angles are prescribed by the measured data. We calculated the flow field, aerodynamic force and torque generated by the butterfly model using the immersed boundary–lattice Boltzmann method. As a result, the butterfly generates the horizontal vortex ring and aerodynamic lift force during the downstroke, while it generates the vertical vortex ring and aerodynamic thrust force during the upstroke. The leg impulsion is essential in the upward motion of the taking-off butterfly rather than the aerodynamic lift force by the flapping wings. The inertial forces of the abdomen and wings are comparable in magnitude with the aerodynamic forces, but the net influence of the inertial forces on the position of the butterfly is not significant due to the offsetting of the body and wing inertia. The net aerodynamic and gravitational torques raise the thorax of the butterfly, and the net inertial torques suppress the rise of the thorax.

In this study, the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on n(111)–(111), n(111)–(100), and n(100)–(111) series of Pt3Fe in 0.1 M HClO4 was studied. The specific activity of the ORR (jk) at 0.90 V(RHE) reached an upper limit at 4 ≤ n on the n(111)–(111) series. This tendency differed from those observed for the same series of Pt, Pt3Co, and Pt3Ni. In the n(111)–(100) series, Pt, Pt3Co, and Pt3Ni plots, as well as the values of jk plotted against step atom density (dS), exhibited a volcano-shape: Pt3Fe(544) n = 9 provided the maximum activity. In the n(100)–(111) series, the values of jk were constant regardless of dS, as occurred for the same series of Pt, Pt3Co, and Pt3Ni. The ORR activity of Pt3Fe(544) = 9(111)–(100) was 5.8 times higher than that of Pt(331) = 3(111)–(111), which has the highest activity among single-crystal Pt electrodes.

Abstract Background Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a valuable technique for detecting myocardial disorders and fibrosis. However, we sometimes observe a linear, mid-wall high intensity signal in the basal septum in the short axis view, which often presents diagnostic difficulties in the clinical setting. The purpose of this study was to compare the linear, mid-wall high intensity in the basal septum identified by LGE with the anterior septal perforator arteries identified by coronary computed tomography angiography (CorCTA). Methods We retrospectively selected 148 patients who underwent both CorCTA and CMR LGE within 1 year. In the interpretation of LGE, we defined a positive linear high intensity (LHI+) as follows: ① LHI in the basal septum and ② observable for 1.5 cm or more. All other patients were defined as a negative LHI (LHI-). In LHI+ patients, we assessed the correlation between the LHI length and the septal perforator artery length on CorCTA. We also compared the length of the septal perforator artery on CorCTA between LHI+ patients and LHI- patients. Results A population of 111 patients were used for further analysis. Among these , there were 55 LHI+ patients and 56 LHI- patients. In LHI+ patients, linear regression analysis revealed that there was a good agreement between LGE LHI and septal perforator arteries by CorCTA in terms of length measurements. The measured length of the anterior septal perforator arteries was significantly shorter in LHI- patients than in LHI+ patients (10 ± 8 mm vs. 21 ± 8 mm; P

Abstract Amantadine intoxication occurred despite moderate renal dysfunction. This may have been affected by the use of donepezil, and we require careful attention to these combinations.

Abstract Background Coronary magnetic resonance angiography (CMRA) is a promising technique for assessing the coronary arteries. However, a disadvantage of CMRA is the comparatively long acquisition time. Compressed sensing (CS) can considerably reduce the scan time. The aim of this study was to verify the feasibility of CS CMRA scanning during the waiting time between contrast injection and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) scan in a clinical protocol. Methods Fifty clinical patients underwent contrast-enhanced CS CMRA and conventional CMRA on a 3 T CMR scanner. After contrast injection, CS CMRA was scanned during the waiting time for LGE CMR. A conventional CMRA scan was performed after LGE CMR. We assessed acquisition times and coronary artery image quality for each segment on a 4-point scale. Visible vessel length, sharpness and diameter of right (RCA), left anterior descending (LAD), and left circumflex (LCX) coronary arteries were also quantitatively compared among the scans. Results All CS CMRA scans were successfully performed within the LGE waiting time. The median total scan time was 207 s (163, 259 s) for CS and 785 s (698, 975 s) for conventional CMRA (p

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been studied on low-index planes of Pd in 0.05 M XOH (X = Li, Na, K, and Cs) solutions to determine the effects of cations on ORR activity. The order of ORR activity is Pd(110) ＜ Pd(100) ＜ Pd(111) in all solutions. This order differs from that in HClO4: Pd(110) ＜ Pd(111) ≪ Pd(100). Cationic species do not affect the ORR activity on Pd(110) and Pd(100). In contrast, the ORR activity of Pd(111) increases in the order of Li+ ＜ Na+ ＜ K+ ＜ Cs+. The lower the cation hydration energy, the higher the ORR activity on Pd(111), as is also the case on Pt(111). The ORR activity of Pd(111) in CsOH is 1.8 times higher than that of Pd(100) in HClO4.

Structural effects on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) have been studied on the low index planes of rutile TiO2 doped with Nb (0.05–1 wt%) in 0.1 mol L−1 HClO4. The order of the ORR activity at 0.20 V (vs. RHE) is TiO2(100) < TiO2(111) < TiO2(110), and the activity increases with increasing Nb concentration. The activity of TiO2(110) is 5.6 times as high as that of TiO2(100) at Nb concentration 1 wt%. The order of the ORR activity does not correlate with the amount of oxygen vacancy defects that are known as the active sites of the ORR of TiO2 nanoparticles. The ORR activity of 1 wt%Nb-doped TiO2(100) modified with melamine is 2.1 times higher than that of the unmodified one. The activity of 1 wt%Nb-doped TiO2(110) modified with melamine is the highest in the low index planes of TiO2. Modification by tetra–n–hexylammonium cation (THA+) affects the ORR activity slightly.

Previous study shows that tetra-n-hexylammonium cation (THA+), which is composed of one nitrogen atom and four alkyl chains, increases the activity of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on Pt(111) eight times as high as that of bare Pt(111). We have studied the ORR on Pt single crystal electrodes modified with alkane to elucidate which part of THA+ contributes to the enhancement of the activity for the ORR. The ORR activity is increased only twice by the modification of Pt(111) with dodecane and hexadecane. Combination of a nitrogen atom and alkyl chains of THA+ plays an important role in enhancing the ORR on Pt electrodes. Dodecane and hexadecane increases the ORR activity on Pt(111) and Pt(110), but they deactivate the ORR on Pt(100) and the high index planes.

Abstract Wood is a raw material that is used not only in the production of structural members for various buildings, but also in the interior finishes that are directly seen and touched by the occupants. Wood has also been recognized as a human-friendly material, but few studies have experimentally confirmed the physiological benefits it brings to humans. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the physiological effects of visual stimulation with wood. Two types of full-scale square, wooden-wall images composed of vertically or horizontally arranged lumber, were prepared using computer graphics and projected onto a large display to create the visual stimuli, and a gray image was also prepared as a control. Twenty-eight female Japanese university students participated in the study. The participants initially spent 60 s viewing the gray background (rest period) and then observed each of the wooden-wall images and the gray image separately in a random order for 90 s each. During the visual stimulation, the oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration as an indicator of prefrontal brain activity and heart rate variability as an indicator of autonomic nervous activity were continuously measured in each participant. Subjective evaluation of each visual stimulus was then performed using a modified semantic differential method and the Profile of Mood States 2nd Edition test. It was found that visual stimulation with either of the wooden interior wall images induced a significant decrease in oxy-Hb concentration in the left and right prefrontal cortex compared with the gray image. Furthermore, the subjective evaluation showed that the wooden-wall images provided a significantly more “comfortable,” “relaxed,” and “natural” impression than the gray image and decreased the negative mood states, with the vertically arranged wooden-wall image having a more positive effect than the horizontally arranged image.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been studied on single crystals of the ternary alloys Pt45Pd45Co10 and Pt77Pd8Co15 in O2-saturated 0.1 M HClO4 using a hanging meniscus rotating disk electrode. Specific activity for the ORR depends markedly on the composition and surface structure of the single crystal electrodes. The activity on Pt45Pd45Co10(hkl) increases in the order Pt45Pd45Co10(100) ≈ Pt45Pd45Co10(111)

AimCombination therapy with gemcitabine and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel (nab-paclitaxel), known as GnP therapy, significantly prolongs the survival of pancreatic cancer patients compared with gemcitabine monotherapy. However, it may cause severe neutropenia, requiring discontinuation of treatment. This study aimed to clarify the risk factors for Grade 3/4 neutropenia during GnP therapy.MethodsClinical data of pancreatic cancer patients who underwent GnP therapy at the Cancer Institute Hospital of the Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research from December 2014 to December 2016 were retrospectively collected. The relationship of Grade 3/4 neutropenia onset to laboratory values and patient background factors was investigated by multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsClinical data of 222 patients were analyzed. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 118 patients (53.2%) in the first cycle of GnP therapy. Multivariate analysis identified low absolute neutrophil count (ANC), high total bilirubin (T-Bil), and low C-reactive protein (CRP) as risk factors for Grade 3/4 neutropenia. Age was not a risk factor. The incidence of neutropenia was 85.7% in patients with all three risk factors, but only 27.7% in patients with none of them.ConclusionLow ANC, high T-Bil, and low CRP may be risk factors for Grade 3/4 neutropenia in patients receiving GnP therapy, even if these laboratory values are within normal reference ranges. Patients with these risk factors should be carefully monitored for adverse events.

Objective: To clarify the clinical and radiological features of adult onset anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated bilateral medial frontal cerebral cortical encephalitis (BFCCE).Methods: We systematically reviewed the literature for patients with anti-MOG antibody-associated BFCCE. Patients who were also positive for other encephalitis-related autoantibodies were excluded from the study. The frequency of several characteristic neurological symptoms and lesion distributions were analyzed.Results: We identified six patients with anti-MOG antibody-associated BFCCE. Among them, 6/6 had headache, 4/6 had fever, 3/6 had seizure, 2/6 had paraparesis, 2/6 had lethargy, and 2/6 had memory disturbance. CSF pleocytosis was observed in 5/6 patients, while CSF myelin basic protein was not elevated in any of the six patients. On brain MRI, 6/6 had bilateral medial frontal cortical lesions, 3/6 had corpus callosum lesions, and 3/6 had leptomeningeal enhancements. Most of the lesions were distributed in the territory of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA).Conclusion: Our results indicate that anti-MOG antibody-associated BFCCE presents with characteristic clinical symptoms and MRI findings, which might reflect lesion formation in the ACA territory.

Highly active catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction are valuable for fuel cells. Here the authors evaluate catalytic activity of single-crystal platinum electrodes in acidic solutions that contain hydrophobic cations, which prevent the adsorption of poisoning species and form an efficient interface.

Background: Cochineal dye is used worldwide as a red coloring in foods, drinks, cosmetics, quasi-drugs, and drugs. The main component of the red color is carminic acid (CA). Carmine is an aluminum- or calcium-chelated product of CA. CA and carmine usually contain contaminating proteins, including a 38-kDa protein thought to be the primary allergen. Severe allergic reactions manifest as anaphylaxis. The aim of this study was to review all Japanese reported cases and propose useful diagnostic chart. Methods: All reported Japanese cases of cochineal dye-induced immediate allergy were reviewed, and newly registered cases were examined by skin prick test (SPT) with cochineal extract (CE) and measurement of CE and carmine-specific serum IgE test. Two-dimensional (2D) western blotting using patient serum was conducted to identify the antigen. Results: Twenty-two Japanese cases have been reported. SPT and the level of specific IgE test indicated that six cases should be newly registered as cochineal dye allergy. All cases were adult females, and all cases except three involved anaphylaxis; 13 cases involved past history of local symptoms associated with cosmetics use. Japanese strawberry juice and fish-meat sausage, and European processed foods (especially macarons made in France) and drinks were recent major sources of allergen. 2D western blotting showed that patient IgE reacted to the 38-kDa protein and other proteins. Serum from healthy controls also weakly reacted with these proteins. Conclusions: SPT with CE and determination of the level of CE and carmine-specific IgE test are useful methods for the diagnosis of cochineal dye allergy. Keywords: Carminic acid, Cochineal dye, Immediate allergy, Skin prick test, Two dimensional western blotting

Objectives: Aspergillus sensitization is important for patients with asthma. In Japan, the methods applied to measure allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in blood are the single antigen test, ImmunoCAP (IC), and multiple antigen simultaneous tests, View Allergy® (VA) or MAST IV® (MA). Here, we report the concordance rates (CR) for Aspergillus-specific IgE levels between IC and VA or MA. Methods: Aspergillus-specific IgE levels in serum samples from 34 male and 23 female patients with bronchial asthma were measured by ImmunoCAP, View Allergy® (both Thermo Fisher Scientific, Uppsala, Sweden) and MAST IV® (Hitachi Chemical Diagnostics, Inc. Mountain View, CA, USA). Results of Class 1 or greater were regarded as positive, and the CRs between the methods were assessed. Results: Of the 57 patients, 24 were found to be positive for Aspergillus-specific IgE by IC, and 5 had allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). Significant intraclass correlations were observed between IC and VA (r=0.964, p

Abstract Background Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is already fully established worldwide. Needle tract implantation and peritoneal seeding occasionally occur by RFA, and the prognosis of these cases is thought to be poor. In this study, intraoperative real-time near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) system by indocyanine green (ICG) incidentally detected both needle tract implantation and peritoneal seeding. As the utility of this system for identification of implanted and disseminated lesions after RFA for HCC has not been widely reported, we report a case of successful detection by real-time ICG-NIRF imaging and subsequent resection. Case presentation A 76-year-old man originally underwent medial sectionectomy for HCC in 2009. When repeated intrahepatic recurrence occurred, he underwent RFA and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for recurrent HCC twice at segment III and once at segment IV. In 2013, the second hepatectomy for recurrent HCC at segment VIII was performed. In 2016, he had recurrent HCC at segment III around a previous RFA and TACE scar; therefore, left lateral sectionectomy was planned. ICG-NIRF system was used to observe a main intrahepatic metastasis at segment III and to search for other tumors in the remnant liver. Although there was no signal on the surface of the remnant liver, tiny signals were observed in the abdominal wall and greater omentum. These tumors were on the needle tract of the previous RFA; both lesions, therefore, were resected. These tumors were pathologically proven to be HCC metastases. The patient has had no recurrence 14 months after the last hepatectomy. Conclusions ICG-NIRF system might be helpful in the detection of not only intrahepatic lesions but also needle tract implantations or peritoneal seeding. RFA should be avoided in patients with high risk of needle tract implantation and peritoneal seeding.

Abstract Chameleons have a diagnostic thermal protection that enables them to live under various conditions. Our developed special radiative control therefore is inspired by the chameleon thermal protection ability by imitating its two superposed layers as two pigment particles in one coating layer. One particle imitates a chameleon superficial surface for color control (visible light), and another particle imitates a deep surface to reflect solar irradiation, especially in the near-infrared region. Optical modeling allows us to optimally design the particle size and volume fraction. Experimental evaluation shows that the desired spectral reflectance, i.e., low in the VIS region and high in NIR region, can be achieved. Comparison between the measured and calculated reflectances shows that control of the particle size and dispersion/aggregation of particle cloud is important in improving the thermal-protection performance of the coating. Using our developed coating, the interior temperature decreases and the cooling load is reduced while keeping the dark tone of the object.

Abstract Understanding the electrocrystallization mechanisms of metal cations is of importance for many industrial and scientific fields. We have determined the transitional structures during underpotential deposition (upd) of various metal cations on Au(111) electrode using time–resolved surface X–ray diffraction and step–scan IR spectroscopy. At the initial stage of upd, a characteristic intensity transient appears in the time–resolved crystal truncation rod depending on metal cations. Metal cations with relatively high coordination energies of hydration water are deposited in two steps: first, the hydrated metal cations approached the surface and are metastably located at the outer Helmholtz plane, then they are deposited via the destruction of the hydration shell. However, Tl+ and Ag+, which have low hydration energy, are rapidly adsorbed on Au(111) electrode without any metastable states of dehydration. Therefore, the deposition rate is strongly related to the coordination energy of the hydration water. Metal cations strongly interacting with the counter coadsorbed anions such as Cu2+ in sulfuric acid causes the deposition rate to be slower because of the formation of complexes.

Our previous study shows that the activity of the cathodic reaction (oxygen reduction reaction: ORR) of fuel cells is increased markedly by the adsorption of alkyl amines on a well-defined Pt(111) electrode. On Pt(100) and Pt(110) electrodes, however, the adsorption of alkyl amines deactivates the ORR significantly. We have studied the possible factors of the activation and deactivation by infrared (IR) reflection absorption spectroscopy. An IR band of icelike water is found on all the electrodes after the modification with alkyl amines. The band of the icelike water on Pt(111) is located at a higher wavenumber than those on Pt(100) and Pt(110). These findings indicate that the cluster size of icelike water on Pt(111) is smaller than those on Pt(100) and Pt(110). The cluster size of the ice correlates with the ORR activity on Pt electrodes. Keywords: Oxygen reduction reaction, Single crystal electrodes of Pt, Icelike water, Cluster size, Octylamine, Alkyl amine with pyrene ring

In our previous study, it was found that the wear life of the DLC/AlN multilayer hybrid coating could be improved by approximately 80 times of that of a DLC film deposited directly onto an aluminum (Al)-alloy. This was done by controlling the hardness gradient of the AlN intermediate layer film. In this study, the frictional wear characteristics of DLC/AlCrN/AlN multilayer hybrid coating, in which the intermediate layer film was further hardened using the hardness graded AlCrN film, were investigated. This was done to improve the wear life of Al-alloy further and to require for application to machine parts. The frictional wear characteristics of the aluminum alloy-coated DLC/AlCrN/AlN multilayer hybrid film showed a longer life and lower friction coefficient when compared to a DLC/AlN hybrid film. In addition, the DLC/AlCrN/AlN wear life increased when a thicker DLC film was applied. In the wear tracks after the wear test, no cracking or peeling was observed in the DLC/AlCrN/AlN multilayer hybrid film. This was due to the improvement of fracture toughness value of the multilayer hybrid film by increasing the hardness gradient of the intermediate layer. Finite element simulations demonstrated that the DLC/AlCrN/AlN multilayer hybrid coating reduced the stress and strain in the film. Differences in stress and strain at the interface of the DLC film and the intermediate layer film were small. This simulation also demonstrated that a thicker DLC film further reduced the stress and strain in it. As a result, DLC/AlCrN/AlN multilayer hybrid coating is considered to represent a simple and effective means of improving the wear resistance of Al-alloy components.

Dolphins are well known as excellent swimmers for being capable of efficient cruising and sharp acceleration. While studies of the thrust production and power consumption of dolphin swimming have been the main subject for decades, time-varying acceleration process during successive fluke beats still remains poorly understood. In this study, we quantified the time-varying kinematics of a dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) by directly recording its burst-accelerating swimming before vertical jump in an aquarium with two synchronized high-speed video cameras. We tracked the three-dimensional trajectories of its beak, body sides, and fluke. We found that dolphin could quickly accelerate from 5.0 m s-1 to 8.7 m s-1 merely by 5 strokes (i.e. 2.5 fluke beats) in 0.7 seconds. During the strokes, it was further found that the dolphin demonstrated a great acceleration in downstroke but less acceleration or even a slight deceleration in upstroke. Hydrodynamic forces and thrust power for each stroke were further estimated based on the equation of body motion and a static hydrodynamic model. The drag coefficient of the dolphin was estimated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling of the steady flows around a realistic geometric model based on 3-D scan data. The thrust and thrust power were then calculated by combining the body kinematics and the drag coefficient, resulting in a maximum stroke-averaged thrust and power-to-mass ratio of 1.3 × 103 N and 90 W kg-1 at downstroke, and 3.3 × 102 N and 19 W kg-1 at upstroke, respectively. Our results point out the importance of asymmetric kinematics in burst acceleration of dolphin, which may be a useful mechanism for biomimetic design of high-performance underwater robots.