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Noriyuki Ohkura,1 Rie Tanaka,2 Satoshi Watanabe,1 Johsuke Hara,1 Miki Abo,1 Yusuke Nakade,3 Junsei Horii,4 Yukihiro Matsuura,4 Dai Inoue,5 Munehisa Takata,6 Masaya Tamura,6 Isao Matsumoto,6 Shigeru Sanada,7 Kazuo Kasahara1 1Kanazawa University Hospital, Respiratory Medicine, Ishikawa, Japan; 2Kanazawa University, College of Medical, Pharmaceutical & Health Sciences, Ishikawa, Japan; 3Kanazawa University Hospital, Clinical Laboratory, Ishikawa, Japan; 4Kanazawa University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Ishikawa, Japan; 5Kanazawa University Hospital, Radiology, Ishikawa, Japan; 6Kanazawa University, Thoracic, Cardiovascular and General Surgery, Ishikawa, Japan; 7Komatsu University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ishikawa, JapanCorrespondence: Noriyuki Ohkura Email n-ohkura@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jpObjective: The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between parameters obtained from dynamic-ventilatory digital radiography (DR) and ventilatory disorders.Methods: This study comprised 273 participants with respiratory diseases who underwent spirometry and functional residual capacity measurements (104 with normal findings on spirometry as controls, 139 with an obstructive lung disorder, 30 with a restrictive lung disorder) were assessed by dynamic-ventilatory DR. Sequential chest radiography images of the patient’s slow and maximum breathing were captured at 15 frames per second by a dynamic flat-panel imaging system. The system measured the following parameters: lung area at maximum inspiration divided by height (lung area_in/height), changes in tracheal diameter due to respiratory motions, rate of tracheal narrowing, diaphragmatic motion, and rate of change in lung area due to respiratory motion. Relationships between these parameters and ventilatory disorders were analyzed.Results: Lung area_in/height in patients with restrictive disorders showed significant decreases. Tracheal diameter change and tracheal narrowing rate in patients with obstructive disorders were significantly increased compared to both the control participants and patients with restrictive disorders. Patients with obstructive disorders and patients with restrictive disorders showed decreased diaphragmatic motion and lung area change rate. With the restrictive disorders as references, the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of lung area_in/height were 0.88, 0.77, and 0.88, respectively. With the obstructive disorders as references, the AUC, sensitivity and specificity of tracheal narrowing rate were 0.67, 0.53 and 0.81, respectively.Conclusion: Dynamic-ventilatory DR shows potential as a method for the detection and evaluation of ventilatory disorders in patients with respiratory diseases.Keywords: dynamic digital radiography, pulmonary function tests, spirometry, COPD, interstitial lung disease

The hop variety Sorachi Ace was bred and first licenced in Japan by Sapporo Breweies Ltd. in 1984. Recently, this hop has been used as a 'flavour hop' to give beer a unique characteristic aroma, for example, woody, pine-like, citrus, dill-like and lemon grass-like. In previous study, we identified geranic acid as one of the unique compounds comprising Sorachi Ace. As a result of model sensory evaluations, we reported that geranic acid itself had little flavour, but that this compound could enhance the flavour intensities of other hop-derived flavour compounds in spite of its very low flavour intensity. In this study, the mechanism of Sorachi Ace varietal aroma was further investigated using sensory omission test. The selected 16 compounds were separated to five groups, 'carboxylic acids', 'alcohols', 'aldehydes', 'esters', and 'hydrocarbons'. As a result of the omission test, it was concluded that all groups could affect to the varietal aroma of Sorachi Ace, despite the concentrations of several compounds were at very low levels. In addition, an effect of blend-hopping with Sorachi Ace and other flavour hop varieties was investigated. It was surprisingly found that blend-hopping between Sorachi Ace and certain hop varieties (Kazbek, Hallertau Blanc, and Cascade) could negatively affect to the flavour impression of test-beers. On the other hand, blend-hopping between Sorachi Ace and Citra or Mosaic could positively affect to the flavour impression of test-beers. Because of high concentrations of 4-Methyl-4-sulfanylpentan-2-one (4MSP) derived from these hops, it is assumed that 4MSP containing hops could be effective choice for blending with Sorachi Ace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large area electron beams (EBs) have recently been successfully used to machine dies and tool steels. This large area EB process can greatly improve the machined surface quality as well as its corrosion resistance. However, some craters would still exist on the machined surface, which limits the further improvement of the surface quality of the machined workpieces. One possible solution is to apply external forces to workpieces by using high-frequency vibrations to smooth craters during melting and solidification in the EB process. In this study, a vibration system is designed to generate a high-frequency vibration with a certain amplitude by using sound wave's transfer inside solids. Then, the performance of the designed vibration system is evaluated. Finally, the experiments of the vibration assisted EB process are carried out to verify the performance of assisted vibration in the EB process. [DOI: 10.1115/1.3159048] Keywords: electron beams, vibration, natural frequency, dynamics