Search

Introduction Tadalafil is a phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitor, and it is used globally as a highly effective and safe drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS). Tadalafil relieve ED or LUTS by relaxing vascular smooth muscle and increasing blood flow to the lower urinary tract tissue. PDE is distributed in pelvic organs, including the corpus spongiosum of the penis and the urethra and prostate, as well as in the lung, heart, and vascular smooth muscle. In other words, PDE is distributed throughout the body. Thus, we hypothesized that the administration of tadalafil might reduce not only systemic arteriosclerosis but also ischemia of the lower urinary tract. Objective To prospectively investigate whether the long-term administration of tadalafil, which is commonly used for erectile dysfunction, could reduce arteriosclerosis. Methods This study included 85 patients who presented to one of three hospitals with lower urinary tract symptoms. Tadalafil was administered daily (5 mg/d), and pulse wave velocity was measured before administration and at weeks 12, 24, 36, and 48. The International Prostate Symptom Score, Overactive Bladder Symptom Score, and Erection Hardness Score were simultaneously assessed at the same time points. Further sub analyses were performed in patients with a high risk of cardiovascular events, those aged 75 years or older, and those younger than 75 years. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used for statistical analysis. Results Compared with pretreatment values, the pulse wave velocity did not show any statistically significant decrease at any time point. However, the three aforementioned scores significantly improved compared. The group at high risk of cardiovascular events showed significant improvement at weeks 24 and 36, whereas the 75 years or older group showed significant improvement at only week 24. Conclusions The long-term administration of tadalafil (5 mg daily) reduced arteriosclerosis or inhibited its progression, and relieved dysuria and improved erectile function. In particular, the drug was revealed to be more effective in patients at a high risk of cardiovascular events and those aged 75 years or older. Hence, tadalafil may have the potential to be used as an anti-aging medicine, although further studies with longer observation periods are needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety. Disclosure Work supported by industry: no.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Angiogenesis is very important in clinical features of pituitary adenomas. We investigated the relationship between the blood flow of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas measured by arterial spin-labeled perfusion imaging and the microvessel attenuation of the tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conventional MR imaging with contrast-enhanced T1WI and arterial spin-labeled perfusion imaging were performed before surgery in 11 consecutive patients with nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas. ROIs were drawn on the tumors, and the degrees of enhancement were calculated by dividing the signal intensity on the contrast-enhanced T1WI by that on the nonenhanced TIWI. As an index of tumor perfusion, a quantitative analysis was performed by using normalized tumor blood flow values calculated by dividing the mean value of the tumor region of interest by the mean region of interest values in the 2 cerebellar hemispheres. The relative microvessel attenuation was determined as the total microvessel wall area divided by the entire tissue area on CD-31-stained specimens. The degree of enhancement and the normalized tumor blood flow values were compared with relative microvessel attenuation. Additionally, intra- and postoperative tumor hemorrhages were visually graded. RESULTS: The degree of enhancement was not correlated with relative microvessel attenuation. Statistically significant correlations were observed between normalized tumor blood flow values and relative microvessel attenuation (P < .05). At surgery, 3 cases were visually determined to be hypervascular tumors, and 1 of these cases had symptomatic postoperative hemorrhage. A statistically significant difference in normalized tumor blood flow values was observed visually between the intraoperative hypovascular and hypervascular groups (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Arterial spin-labeled perfusion imaging reflects the vascular density of nonfunctioning pituitary macroadenomas, which may be useful in the preoperative prediction of intra- and postoperative tumor hemorrhage.

We report results of a search for oscillations involving a light sterile neutrino over distances of 1.04 and 735 km in a nu(mu)-dominated beam with a peak energy of 3 GeV. The data, from an exposure of 10.56 x 10(20) protons on target, are analyzed using a phenomenological model with one sterile neutrino. We constrain the mixing parameters theta(24) and Delta m(41)(2) and set limits on parameters of the four-dimensional Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata matrix, vertical bar U-mu 4 vertical bar(2) and vertical bar U-tau 4 vertical bar(2), under the assumption that mixing between nu(e) and nu(s) is negligible (vertical bar U-e4 vertical bar(2) = 0). No evidence for nu(mu) -> nu(s) transitions is found and we set a world-leading limit on theta(24) for values of Delta m(41)(2) less than or similar to 1 eV(2).

Searches for a light sterile neutrino have been performed independently by the MINOS and the Daya Bay experiments using the muon (anti) neutrino and electron antineutrino disappearance channels, respectively. In this Letter, results from both experiments are combined with those from the Bugey-3 reactor neutrino experiment to constrain oscillations into light sterile neutrinos. The three experiments are sensitive to complementary regions of parameter space, enabling the combined analysis to probe regions allowed by the Liquid Scintillator Neutrino Detector (LSND) and MiniBooNE experiments in a minimally extended four-neutrino flavor framework. Stringent limits on sin(2) 2 theta(mu e) are set over 6 orders of magnitude in the sterile mass-squared splitting Delta m(41)(2). The sterile-neutrino mixing phase space allowed by the LSND and MiniBooNE experiments is excluded for Delta m(41)(2) < 0.8 eV(2) at 95% CLs.

The charge ratio, R-mu = N mu+/N mu-, for cosmogenic multiple-muon events observed at an underground depth of 2070 mwe has been measured using the magnetized MINOS Far Detector. The multiple-muon events, recorded nearly continuously from August 2003 until April 2012, comprise two independent data sets imaged with opposite magnetic field polarities, the comparison of which allows the systematic uncertainties of the measurement to be minimized. The multiple-muon charge ratio is determined to be R mu = 1.104 +/- 0.006(stat)(-0.010)(+0.009) (syst). This measurement complements previous determinations of single-muon and multiple-muon charge ratios at underground sites and serves to constrain models of cosmic-ray interactions at TeV energies.

DNA markers that allow for identification of resistance genes in rice germplasm have a great advantage in resistance breeding because they can assess the existence of the genes without laborious inoculation tests. Functional markers (FMs), which are designed from functional polymorphisms within the sequence of genes, are unaffected by nonfunctional allelic variation and make it possible to identify an individual gene. We previously showed that the resistance function of the rice blast resistance gene Pit in a resistant cultivar, K59, was mainly acquired by up-regulated promoter activity through the insertion of a long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon upstream of Pit. Here, we developed PCR-based DNA markers derived from the LTR-retrotransposon sequence and used these markers to screen worldwide accessions of rice germplasm. We identified 5 cultivars with the LTR-retrotransposon insertion out of 68 rice accessions. The sequence and expression pattern of Pit in the five cultivars were the same as those in K59 and all showed Pit-mediated blast resistance. The results suggest that the functional Pit identified using the markers was derived from a common progenitor. Additionally, comparison of the Pit coding sequences between K59 and susceptible cultivars revealed that one nucleotide polymorphism, which caused an amino acid substitution, offered another target for a FM. These results indicate that our DNA markers should enhance prediction of Pit function and be applicable to a range of rice varieties/landraces cultivated in various regions worldwide and belonging to the temperate japonica, tropical japonica, and indica groups.

The unique structure of a set of self-assembled porous silica materials was characterized through a combined small-angle scattering (CSAS) method using small- and ultra-small angle neutron scattering as well as small-angle X-ray scattering. The porous silica specimens investigated were prepared by a sol-gel method under the presence of alkylketene dimer (AKD) template particles and through calcination, which leads to the development of porous silica having a mass-fractal structure over length scales from ~ 100 nm to ~ 10 μm. Furthermore, the specimens posses a hierarchical structure, which consist of a fractal porous structure, and also contain primary silica particles less than 10 nm in size, which form a continuous silica matrix. To characterize these complex structures, observation over a broad range of length scales is indispensable. We propose a CSAS technique that serves this purpose well.

Suga, H., Karugia, G. W., Ward, T., Gale, L. R., Tomimura, K., Nakajima, T., Miyasaka, A., Koizumi, S., Kageyama, K., and Hyakumachi, M. 2008. Molecular characterization of the Fusarium graminearum species complex in Japan. Phytopathology 98:159-166. Members of the Fusarium graminearum species complex are important cereal pathogens worldwide and belong to one of at least nine phylogenetically distinct species. We examined 298 strains of the F. graminearum species complex collected from wheat or barley in Japan to determine the species and trichothecene chemotype. Phylogenetic analyses and species-diagnostic polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLPs) revealed the presence and differential distribution of F. graminearum sensu stricto (s. str.) and F. asiaticum in Japan. F. graminearum s. str. is predominant in the north, especially in the Hokkaido area, while F. asiaticum is predominant in southern regions. In the Tohoku area, these species co-occurred. Trichothecene chemotyping of all strains by multiplex PCR revealed significantly different chemotype compositions of these species. All 50 strains of F. graminearum s. str. were of a 15- or 3-acetyl deoxynivalenol type, while 173 (70%) out of 246 strains of F. asiaticum were of a nivalenol type. The possibility of gene flow between the two species was investigated by use of 15 PCRRFLP markers developed in this study. However, no obvious hybrids were detected from 98 strains examined, including strains collected from regions where both species co-occur.

Partial resistance to rice blast in the Oryza sativa japonica group cv. Chubu 32 is controlled by Pi34, a major quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 11, and several uncharacterized QTLs. The objectives of the study were (i) high-resolution genetic and physical mapping of Pi34 and (ii) identification of new QTL imparting resistance to rice blast. Chubu 32 was crossed with a susceptible chromosomal segment substitution line (CSSL) of cv. Koshihikari. From 4,012 of segregating individuals, 213 recombinants in the Pi34 region were screened by using polymerase chain reaction-based markers and tested resistance in the field and greenhouse. The Pi34 locus is located in the 54.1-kb region on the genomic sequence of cv. Nipponbare. We constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of Chubu 32, selected the clone containing Pi34, and sequenced it. The Pi34 locus consequently was located on an interval of 65.3 kb containing 10 predicted open reading frames (ORFs). Two of these ORFs were predicted only in Chubu 32 and encoded transposable elements. The other eight ORFs were found in both Chubu 32 and Nipponbare and one of them, which encoded an unknown protein, showed significantly different amino acid sequences between two cultivars. The new QTL, Piq6(t), was detected on the short arm of chromosome 6 and the genetic distance of flanking markers was 16.9 centimorgans in Nipponbare. Pi34 and Piq6(t) acted additively on resistance to rice blast but the effect of Piq6(t) was relatively small compared with Pi34.

Summary Monocytes are composed of two distinct subpopulations in the peripheral blood as determined by their surface antigen expressions, profiles of cytokine production and functional roles played in vivo. We attempted to delineate the unique functional roles played by a minor CD16highCCR2– subpopulation of circulating monocytes. They produced significant levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, but very low levels of IL-10 upon in vitro stimulation. Characteristic profiles of cytokine production were confirmed by stimulating purified subpopulations of monocytes after cell sorting. It was noteworthy that freshly isolated CD16highCCR2– monocyte subpopulations produced significant levels of haem oxygenase (HO)-1, whereas the major CD16lowCCR2+ subpopulation produced little. These results were contrary to the generally accepted notion that the CD16highCCR2– monocyte subpopulation plays a predominantly proinflammatory role in vivo. The CD16highCCR2– subpopulation increased in Kawasaki disease and influenza virus infection. In accord with this, HO-1 mRNA expression by mononuclear cells was significantly increased in these illnesses. These results indicate that CD16highCCR2– subpopulations are of a distinct lineage from CD16lowCCR2+ monocytes. More importantly, they may represent a monocyte subpopulation with a unique functional role to regulate inflammation by producing HO-1 in steady state in vivo.

消化器症状をともなわない10～20歳台の痔瘻症例の中で,痔瘻治療経過よりクローン病(以下CD)を疑い,精査にて本症と診断した4例の肛門病変初発型CDを報告する.症例の年齢は,13歳から28歳(10歳台3例,20歳台1例)であった.4症例とも初回痔瘻治療時肛門病変にCDを疑う所見を認めず,消化器症状なども認めなかった.また痔瘻はいずれもIIL型で,瘻管切除標本の病理検索で肉芽腫を認めたことや,術後の再発,遷延治癒が本症の診断の契機となった.10歳台の痔瘻では7例中3例がCDにともなう病変であり,若年者肛門疾患の治療に際しては,CDを念頭に置くことが重要である.

We have studied by low-temperature cathodoluminescence phosphorus-doped CVD diamond films grown on synthetic high-pressure (1 1 1) diamond substrates. A perfect phosphorus-bound exciton spectrum is observed at very high intensity and exorbitantly narrow line widths down to 2.0 meV showing no-phonon (NP)- and wave vector-conserving TA-, TO-, LO-, and (TO+OΓ)-phonon transitions. All lines are split into up to five components, which are well resolved in the sharp NP-transition. Temperature-controlled measurements demonstrate that the line splittings are in the upper excitonic state. At 5.38 eV, only 26 meV below the excitonic gap, we detect a novel, very shallow line spectrum with spectral features characteristic of an isoelectronically bound exciton. Our data are consistent with the isoelectronic trap being a phosphorus donor–boron acceptor pair on close lattice sites. We discuss this model in the light of previous data from GaP and Si isoelectronic centers.

X-ray photoelectron, emission, and Auger electron spectra of diamond, graphite, and fullerene have been analyzed by deMon density-functional theory (DFT) calculations using the model molecules adamantane derivative (C 1 0 H 1 2 (CH 3 ) 4 ), pyrene (C 1 6 H 1 0 ), and C 6 0 , respectively. The theoretical valence photoelectron, C Kα X-ray emission, and Auger electron spectra for the allotropes are in good accordance with the experimental ones. The combination analysis of the valence X-ray photoelectron and C Ka X emission spectra enables us to divide the valence electronic distribution in the individual contributions for pa- and pπ-bonding MOs of the carbon allotropes, respectively. The experimental Auger electron spectra of the allotropes can be classified in each range of ls-2p2p, ls-2s2p, and 1s-2s2s transitions for C KVV spectra, and in individual contributions of the chemically different carbon atoms from the theoretical analysis.

The rice cultivar Chubu 32 possesses a high level of partial resistance to leaf blast. The number and chromosomal location of genes conferring this resistance were detected by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) linkage mapping and quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. For the mapping, 149 F(3) lines derived from the cross between rice cultivar Norin 29, with a low level of partial resistance, and Chubu 32 were used, and their partial resistance to leaf blast was assessed in upland nurseries. A linkage map covering six chromosomes and consisting of 36 RFLP markers was constructed. In the map, only one significant QTL (LOD2.0) for partial resistance was detected on chromosome 11. This QTL explained 45.6% of the phenotypic variation. The segregation ratio of the F3 lines was 3:1 for partial resistance to susceptibility. These results suggest that the partial resistance in Chubu 32 is controlled by a major gene.

To evaluate the efficacy of multilines in rice blast control, panicle blast severity was evaluated for Sasanishiki near-isogenic lines after inoculation with a virulent isolate with or without pre-inoculation with an avirulent blast isolate. Disease severity generally differed among lines, high for Sasanishiki BL No.6, moderate for No.3 and low for No.4. The disease on Sasanishiki BL No.4 was suppressed when panicles were pre-inoculated with a high concentration of an avirulent spore suspension (2.5×106spores/ml). However, this suppression was not observed on Sasanishiki BL No.3 or No.6.

金沢大学ナノマテリアル研究所 / 金沢大学理工研究域数物科学系 / 金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科物質情報解析, We examined surface damage for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sample after 260 minutes at an unmonochromated Al Kα X-ray source power at 600 W, because PVC decomposes very quickly due to the X-ray irradiation. The pendant Cl groups of the PVC were estimated to cleave more rapidly than C-C bonds in the main chains from two-center bond energies calculated by AM1 method using the model pentamer. The valence XPS of the polymer at the initial time, and after 120 and 260 minutes of X-ray irradiation were analyzed by deMon density-functional theory (DFT) calculations using the model pentamer. The simulated results afforded us that the pendant Cl groups of PVC cleave mainly due to the X-ray radiation.

金沢大学ナノマテリアル研究所 / 金沢大学理工研究域数物科学系 / 金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科物質情報解析, We propose a new approach for analysis of Auger electron spectra (AES) of polymers by density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the Slater’s transition state concept. Simulated AES and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) of three polymers (PE, PcBD, and PS) by our DFT calculations using model dimers are in good accordance with the experimental ones. The combined analysis of AES and XPS can help us to clarify the electronic structure of polymers from the theoretical viewpoint.

We formulate a macroscopic particle modeling analysis of metallic materials (aluminum and copper, etc.) based on theoretical energy and atomic geometries derivable from their interatomic potential. In fact, particles in this framework are presenting a large mass composed of huge collection of atoms and are interacting with each other. We can start from cohesive energy of metallic atoms and basic crystalline unit (e.g. face-centered cubic). Then we can reach to interparticle (macroscopic) po- tential function which is presented by the terms of exponent of inter-particle distance, like a Lennard- Jones potential used in molecular dynamics simulation. Equation of motion for these macroscopic particles has both dissipative term and fluctuation term, as well as the conservative term above, in or- der to express finite temperature condition. First, we determine the parameters needed in macroscopic potential function and check the reproduction of mechanical behavior in elastic regime. By using the present framework, we carry out uniaxial loading simulation of aluminum rod. The method can repro- duce Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio as elastic behavior, though the result shows the dependency on division number of particles. Then, we proceed to include plasticity in this multiscale framework. As a result, a realistic curve of stress-strain relation can be obtained for tensile and compressive loading.

Phosphorus doped n-type epitaxial diamond films have been studied by electron spin resonance (ESR) and electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR). At low electric field, the dominant defects influencing the electronic transport are carbon dangling bonds, while at higher fields the anisotropic spin resonance signal of a new phosphorus-related center with g⊥=2.0026, g||=2.0042, Aiso=17.6 G, and Aaniso=1.8 G is observed. These results indicate that room temperature conductivity in this film is dominated by hopping via phosphorus-related defect centers rather than via hydrogenic donor states of phosphorus atoms on substitutional sites.

One year ago we published the first results on the electronic structure of the P-level in 1000 ppm PH3/CH4 doped {111}-oriented n-type diamond films, using the quasi-steady-state photocurrent technique (PC) and photothermal ionization spectroscopy (PTIS). In this work we have extended our measurements at various temperatures (4.2–77.4 K) to samples with various doping levels (100, 500 and 1000 ppm PH3/CH4). This allowed us to obtain more precise results for the electronic structure of the phosphorus defect in homoepitaxial n-type CVD diamond films, making use of the 155 meV LO-phonon to explain the oscillatory photoconductivity. These results are confirmed by the PTIS maxima and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) data. In addition we present first measurements on a 2000-ppm doped {100}-oriented sample.

A large-scale production system of GDP-fucose (GDP-Fuc) and fucosylated oligosaccharides was established by the combination of recombinant Escherichia coli cells overexpressing GDP-Fuc biosynthetic genes and Corynebacterium ammoniagenes cells. E. coli cells overexpressed the genes for glucokinase, phosphomannomutase, mannose-1-phosphate guanylyltransferase, GDP-mannose (GDP-Man) dehydratase, and GDP-4-keto-6-deoxy-mannose (GKDM) epimerase/reductase as well as phosphoglucomutase and phosphofructokinase. C. ammoniagenes contributed to the formation of GTP from GMP. GDP-Fuc accumulated to 29 mM (18.4 g l−1) after a 22-h reaction starting with GMP and mannose through introducing the two-step reaction to overcome the inhibition of GDP-Fuc on GDP-Man dehydratase activity. When E. coli cells overexpressing the α1,3-fucosyltransferase gene of Helicobacter pylori were put into the GDP-Fuc production system, Lewis X [Galβ1–4(Fucα1–3)GlcNAc] was produced at an amount of 40 mM (21 g l−1) for 30 h from GMP, mannose, and N-acetyl lactosamine. The production system through bacterial coupling can be applied to the industrial manufacture of fucosylated oligosaccharides. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 25, 213–217.

Limburgs Univ Ctr, Mat Res Inst, Div Mat Phys, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium. Natl Inst Res Inorgan Mat, Ctr Adv Mat Res, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305, Japan.Haenen, K, Limburgs Univ Ctr, Mat Res Inst, Div Mat Phys, Wetenschapspk 1, B-3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium.

In this work we used the quasi-steady-state photocurrent method and photothermal ionisation spectroscopy (PTIS) to study the electronic structure of the P-related level in n-type phosphorus doped CVD diamond. Previously, we reported the existence of two optically active defect levels, labelled XP1 and XP2, in the bandgap of these P-doped layers. XP2 appeared to be only present in films showing high resistivity. Here we present a detailed PTIS and photocurrent study of the photoionisation cross-section, from liquid helium up to room temperature. At low temperatures, samples containing only the XP1 defect show a phonon-induced oscillatory photoconductivity, giving information about the electronic structure of this defect. Additionally, with PTIS a sharp maximum was detected around 565 meV, originating from a thermal promotion of charge carriers from an excited state of the phosphorus-related level into the conduction band. We also discuss different models for the optical ionisation cross-section of the P-related level (e.g. shallow level, deep level).

A large-scale production system of cytidine 5'monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NeuAc) and sialyloligosaccharides was established by a whole-cell reaction through the combination of recombinant Escherichia coli strains and Corynebacterium ammonia-genes. For the production of CMP-NeuAc, two recombinant E. coli strains were generated that overexpressed the genes of CMP-NeuAc synthetase and CTP synthetase, respectively. C. ammoniagenes contributed to the formation of UTP from orotic acid. CMP-NeuAc was accumulated at 27 mM (17 g/l) after a 27-h reaction starting with orotic acid and N-acetylneuraminic acid. When E. coli cells that overexpressed the alpha-(2--3)-sialyltransferase gene of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were put into the CMP-NeuAc production system, 3'-sialyllactose was accumulated at 52 mM (33 g/l) after an 11-h reaction starting with orotic acid, N-acetylneuraminic acid, and lactose. Almost no oligosaccharide byproducts other than 3'-sialyllactose were observed after the reaction. The production of 3'-sialyllactose at a 5-l jar fermenter scale was almost the same as that at a beaker scale, which indicated the high potential of the 3'-sialyllactose production on an industrial scale.

Photocurrent measurements and the Constant Photocurrent Method (CPM) were used to carry out a spectroscopic study of epitaxial phosphorus-doped n-type CVD diamond films. Two optically active defect levels, XP1 and XP2, with photoionisation energy of 0.56 and 0.81 eV, respectively, found in previous work [1] are discussed in detail here. Comparison of CPM data with the activation energy of the carriers from Hall effect measurements suggest that the XP1 defect can be attributed to the P-related donor level. XP2 remains unidentified. Measurements carried out on a set of samples show that the XP2 defect is only present in some samples showing high resistivity. To study the electronic structure of the XP1 level, photocurrent measurements at low temperatures (liquid N2 and liquid He) were done, revealing a phonon-induced oscillatory photoconductivity. Two sets of minima are observed which allow an estimation of the position of the first two excited states of phosphorus. Also a comparison is made with results from FTIR measurements.

This paper analyzes the performance of neural networks for the identification and optimal control of active pneumatic suspensions of high-speed railway vehicles. It is shown that neural networks can be efficiently trained to identify the dynamics of nonlinear pneumatic suspensions, as well as being trained to work as (sub)optimal nonlinear controllers. The performance of the nonlinear suspension with the neuro-controller is compared with the performance of the suspension with an LQ controller designed after linearizing the suspension components around the equilibrium point.

It is well-known that cooperative properties such as magnetic ordering can depend on the samples’ dimensions (Ds) in a qualitative way. However, there have been no samples with well-defined non-integer Ds. The dimension of a given sample has been always discussed on the anisotropy of the electronic/crystal/magnetic structures, which has no definition suitable for quantitative discussion on dimensions vs. properties. On the other hand a particular type of porous samples, i.e. fractal bodies, can have well-defined non-integer Ds dependent exclusively on the geometrical feature of structures, and physical properties of such materials remains unexplored. This paper reports on magnetic ordering in samples covering 2.5 ≤ D ≤ 3, in addition to a way of precise control of the fractal dimensions of given samples simply by wax (alkylketene dimer). The results show that the magnetic ordering temperatures, i.e. Neel temperatures (T N s), of CoO depend on D, and rapidly enhance immediately below D = 3. This means that one can control or enhance the critical temperature simply by tuning D with keeping the remaining magnetic properties unchanged.

We report measurements of oscillation parameters from v(mu) and (v) over bar (mu) disappearance using beam and atmospheric data from MINOS. The data comprise exposures of 10.71 X 10(20) protons on target in the v(mu)-dominated beam, 3.36 X 10(20) protons on target in the (v) over bar (mu)-enhanced beam, and 37.88 kton yr of atmospheric neutrinos. Assuming identical v and (v) over bar oscillation parameters, we measure vertical bar Delta m(2)vertical bar = (2.41(-0.10)(+0.09)) X 10(-3) eV(2) and sin(2)(2 theta) = 0.950(-0.036)(+0.035). Allowing independent v and (v) over bar oscillations, we measure antineutrino parameters of vertical bar(m) over bar (2)vertical bar = (2.50(-0.250)(+0.23)) X 10(-3) eV(2) and sin(2)(2 (theta) over bar) = 0.97(-0.08)(+0.03), with minimal change to the neutrino parameters.

The CoGeNT Collaboration has recently published results from a fifteen month data set which indicate an annual modulation in the event rate similar to what is expected from weakly interacting massive particle interactions. It has been suggested that the CoGeNT modulation may actually be caused by other annually modulating phenomena, specifically the flux of atmospheric muons underground or the radon level in the laboratory. We have compared the phase of the CoGeNT data modulation to that of the concurrent atmospheric muon and radon data collected by the MINOS experiment which occupies an adjacent experimental hall in the Soudan Underground Laboratory. The results presented are obtained by performing a shape-free chi(2) data-to-data comparison and from a simultaneous fit of the MINOS and CoGeNT data to phase-shifted sinusoidal functions. Both tests indicate that the phase of the CoGeNT modulation is inconsistent with the phases of the MINOS muon and radon modulations at the 3.0 sigma level. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.87.032005

Although case-oriented evidence for an association of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) with gastric carcinoma has been accumulating recently, the interaction(s) between EBV and gastric epithelial cells is/are largely unknown. In this study, we examined seven EBV-positive gastric carcinoma tissues for viral gene expression at the mRNA level, from which studies on the EBV oncogenicity in human epithelial cells will benefit. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed that all seven EBV-positive tumour tissues constitutively expressed EBV nuclear antigen (EBNA) 1 mRNA, but not EBNA2 mRNA. The EBNA transcription was initiated from one of three EBNA promoters, Qp: by contrast, both Cp and Wp were silent, thus resulting in the lack of EBNA2 mRNA. Latent membrane protein (LMP) 2A mRNA was detected in three of seven cases; however, neither LMP1 nor LMP2B mRNA was detected in any of the tumours tested. Transcripts from the BamHI-A region of the viral genome were detectable in all cases. BZLF1 mRNA and the product, an immediate-early gene for EBV replication, was not expressed in any of them, thereby suggesting that the tumour cells carried EBV genomes in a tightly latent form. These findings further extended our previous data regarding EBV latency in gastric carcinoma cells at the protein level, and have affirmed that the programme of viral gene expression in the tumour more closely resembles 'latency I' represented by Burkitt's lymphoma than 'latency II' represented by the majority of nasopharyngeal carcinomas. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

A new methodology, based on birefringent light scattering, has been developed. It allows to determine qualitatively the dependence of the mean size of polar regions as function of temperature. Dielectric and light-scattering measurements are performed in PLZT (6–8)/65/35 ceramics in order to refine the phase diagram. A spontaneous relaxor-ferroelectric phase transition takes place in PLZT (6–7)/65/35 at temperature lower than the temperature of the dispersive dielectric constant maximum. At this temperature the mean size of polar regions ‘‘a'’ essentially increases to a > λ = 0.63 μm.

The effects of haloperidol, a typical antipsychotic drug, on adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP)-induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca]i) and inward currents were investigated using rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Haloperidol (10-100 microM) significantly attenuated the rise in [Ca]i evoked by 30 microM ATP. This inhibition was not mimicked by (-)-sulpiride, an antagonist to dopamine D2-receptor. Dopamine or other dopaminergic agents did not affect the [Ca]i rise evoked by ATP. Under whole-cell voltage-clamp, haloperidol inhibited the ATP-activated current in the cells. These results suggest that haloperidol inhibits the ATP-receptor/channel, leading to the attenuation of the ATP-evoked increase in [Ca]i. Mechanisms involving dopamine receptors may not contribute to the inhibition by haloperidol.

We studied the effects of high frequency tetanic stimulation of the striatum on the KCl (20 mM)-evoked dopamine release in rat striatal slices. The KCl-evoked dopamine release was potentiated by high frequency tetanic stimulation (10-20 Hz) of the striatum including the corticostriatal fibers, and this potentiation was observed until 3 h after high frequency tetanic stimulation. Potentiation of dopamine release after high frequency tetanic stimulation was induced not only by KCl but also by glutamate in Mg(2+)-free medium, N-methyl-D-aspartate in Mg(2+)-free medium, and by DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid. 2-amino-5-phosphovalerate, 3-[(+/-)-2-carboxypiperazine-4-yl]-propyl-1-phosphonate or dibenzocycloheptaneimine, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor inhibitors, abolished enhancement by tetanus, whereas, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione, an antagonist of DL-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid ionotropic receptors, or L-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyrate, an antagonist of glutamate metabotropic receptors, showed no effect. Moreover, pretreatment with glutamate or N-methyl-D-aspartate in the absence of Mg2+ also facilitated dopamine release evoked by KCl concentrations. When extracellular Ca2+ was removed from the medium during pretreatment, potentiation by glutamate disappeared. We conclude that activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors on dopaminergic nerve terminals in the striatum produces the long-term changes in efficacy of the response to KCl or glutamatergic agents. That is, plastical phenomena could exist at presynaptic levels between glutamatergic neurons and dopaminergic neurons in striatum.

We present a new experimental method of a combined small-angle scattering (CSAS), which enables an in situ systematic characterization of hierarchically self-assembled structures developed for each of the various polymer systems over a wide range of length scale ranging from nanometers to tens of micrometers. The method utilizes in concert the various small angle scattering (SAS) methods such as small-angle light scattering, ultra-small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering, and small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering.

We report an improved measurement of (nu) over bar (mu) disappearance over a distance of 735 km using the MINOS detectors and the Fermilab Main Injector neutrino beam in a (nu) over bar (mu)-enhanced configuration. From a total exposure of 2.95 x 10(20) protons on target, of which 42% have not been previously analyzed, we make the most precise measurement of Delta(m) over bar (2) = [2.62(-0.28)(+0.31)(stat) +/- 0.09(syst)] x 10(-3) eV(2) and constrain the (nu) over bar (mu) mixing angle sin(2)(2 (theta) over bar) > 0.75 (90% C.L.). These values are in agreement with Delta m(2) and sin(2)(2 theta) measured for nu(mu), removing the tension reported in [P. Adamson et al. (MINOS), Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 021801 (2011).].