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Mild winters influenced by global warming have increased the incidence of erratic flowering (‘flowering disorder’) in Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai) trees in Japan. To discover how, when and what kind of disorder/damage occur in pear flower buds, we observed axillary flower buds of two cultivars, ‘Kosui’ (a mid-chill cultivar) and ‘Niitaka’ (a high-chill cultivar), grown at five locations. We focused on the phenology from autumn 2015 to spring 2016, when temperatures were higher than for average years, especially from September to January, and large fluctuations occurred due to El Niño. During the blooming season in the spring of 2016, both the percentage of blooming flower buds and the number of florets per flower bud decreased in trees located at lower latitudes (with lower chilling accumulation) with a more severe problem in ‘Niitaka’ than in ‘Kosui’. As shown by forcing excised shoots, the onset and release of endodormancy occurred earlier in ‘Kosui’ than ‘Niitaka’ and occurred earlier in trees growing at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes (warmer regions). The freezing tolerance of flower buds, measured as the lethal temperature for 50% survival (LT50), was similar for the cultivars beginning in autumn and reached maximum levels, LT50 values of less than −12 °C, between late-December and mid-January in both cultivars, except for those in Kagoshima (the lowest latitude), where the maximum LT50 was only −5 °C throughout the season. We propose that warmer autumn–winter temperatures may prevent the acquisition of freezing tolerance, disturb endodormancy progression and disrupt floral organ development, thereby causing flowering disorder in pear trees. The risk of occurrence of flowering disorder in pear may be higher in high-chill cultivars than in low- or mid-chill cultivars and at lower latitudes compared with higher latitudes.

In Recent year, the traditional Si and wide band-gap power semiconductor devices, particularly Si MOSFET, Si IGBT, SiC MOSFET and GaN E-HEMT have gained considerable attention in several industrial applications such as the hybrid electric vehicle, the internet data center and aero-space applications. Attachment of power semiconductor devices to an insulated metal carrier substrate is essential for providing electrical and structural connections as well as a heat dissipation path. The die attach materials play a vital role in ensuring the system performance and reliability. In this study, the key technologies including multi-chip Cu paste sintering and panel level packaging have been developed. With an optimized process condition, a voidless die attaching joint was gained, and the die shear strength was as high as 70 MPa as sintering. Furthermore, the reduction of thermal resistance was measured by using Cu sintering, and the electrical performance of the newly developed Synchronous Rectifier was fully reported in this study.

A prolonged increase of plasma NEFA impairs acute glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in vitro and in vivo. Our study therefore examined the combined effect of increased plasma NEFA and glucose on GSIS in humans.We examined GSIS on four occasions in eight obese men during a 10 mmol/l hyperglycaemic clamp and after a 24-h infusion of (i) normal saline, (ii) intralipid and heparin to raise plasma NEFA about two-fold above basal, (iii) 20% dextrose to raise plasma glucose to about 7.5 mmol/l and (iv) intralipid and heparin combined with 20% dextrose to raise plasma NEFA and glucose.In study (iii) insulin sensitivity was about 20% greater than in study (i) and the disposition index was about 50% higher. Insulin sensitivity tended to be lower in study (ii) whereas the disposition index was lower than in study (i), confirming previous observations. The combination of increased plasma NEFA and glucose (study iv) reduced insulin sensitivity in comparison with study (i) and completely abolished the increase in insulin sensitivity and disposition index seen in study (iii), but did not reduce the latter to a lower value than that in the saline control study (study i).We showed that a prolonged increase of plasma NEFA completely abolishes the stimulatory effect of moderate hyperglycaemia on insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in obese humans. This suggests that previous observations, showing that a prolonged increase of plasma NEFA impairs pancreatic beta-cell function, also apply to the hyperglycaemic state.

Hydroxyl radicals are potent mutagens that attack DNA to form various base and ribose derivatives. One of the major damaged thymine derivatives is 5-formyluracil (fU), which induces pyrimidine transition during replication. In order to establish the structural basis for such mutagenesis, the crystal structures of two kinds of DNA d(CGCGRATfUCGCG) with R = A/G have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The fU residues form a Watson-Crick-type pair with A and two types of pairs (wobble and reversed wobble) with G, the latter being a new type of base pair between ionized thymine base and guanine base.In silicostructural modeling suggests that the DNA polymerase can accept the reversed wobble pair with G, as well as the Watson-Crick pair with A.

It is known that formylation of thymine base induces purine transition in DNA replication. In order to establish the structural basis for such mutagenesis, crystal structures of two kinds of DNA dodecamers d(CGCGRATf5UCGCG) with f5U = 2'-deoxy-5-formyluridine and R = A or G have been determined. The f5U residues form a Watson-Crick-type pair with A and two types of pairs (wobble and reversed wobble) with G, the latter being the first example. Structural modeling suggests that the DNA polymerase can accept the reversed wobble pair with G, as well as the Watson-Crick pair with A.

Summary from only given. This paper demonstrates the first monolithically fabricated laser beam steering device based on GaAs-based MEMS. Since the laser and actuator are monolithically integrated, this device can be potentially cost effective and scalable. Other GaAs-based devices integrated with MEMS have been reported. This paper represents the first integration with an edge-emitting laser.

A recurrent bilayer neural associative memory using mid-step type and ordinary sigmoid type neurons has less destroyed and spurious memories compared with a single layer memory using correlation learning. However, its stability has not been clarified. This paper shows that such a network is stable for some relaxation.

To review and determine the long term outcome of surgery for intermittent exotropia in children.A total of 666 cases were reviewed. They were 15 years old or younger and underwent surgery for intermittent exotropia during the preceding 22 years. Bilateral recession of the lateral rectus muscles was performed in 349 cases. Unilateral recession of the lateral rectus and resection of the medial rectus muscles was performed in 298 cases. One and four muscle procedures were performed in 19 cases. The outcome was evaluated at 1 month and 4 years after surgery.Orthotropia or mini-microtropia was achieved in 401 patients (60.2%) one month after surgery. Bilateral recession of the lateral rectus muscles was more effective than unilateral recession- resection. Out of these 401 patients, half, 199 patients (49.6%) showed orthotropia or mini-microtropia 4 years after surgery while the other half, 202 (50.4%), became exotropic. Bilateral recession of the lateral rectus muscles was also more effective in producing orthotropia or mini-microtropia on a long term basis than unilateral recession-resection. The rate of orthotropia or mini- microtropia was higher when the patients were operated before 3 years and after 11 years of age.There was a strong tendency for intermittent exotropia to recurr and drift into permanent exotropia during 4 or more years following surgery. It is advocated to aim at orthotropia during the immediate post- surgical period and to avoid overcorrection. Early surgery is not necessary when the patient is over 4 years of age. Bilateral lateral rectus recession is the preferred surgical procedure.

To report clinical findings and surgical outcome in a large series of patients with fibrosis of the inferior rectus muscle.Subject Cases: A total of 17 cases were diagnosed with unilateral fibrosis of the inferior rectus muscle during the past 27 years at our institution. They were aged from 5 months to 17 years, with 15 cases under 10 years of age. No differences were present regarding the laterality or gender.All the cases showed hypotropia with restricted eye elevation. Forced duction test showed resistance to upward eye movement. A horizontal deviation in primary eye position was also present in 10 cases (59%). The affected eye was amblyopic in the majority of cases. Binocular vision was absent in 15 of the 17 cases.Surgical Outcome: All the cases received either recession or free tenotomy of the inferior rectus muscle. Resection of the ipsilateral superior rectus muscle was additionally performed to correct residual hypotropia. Fibrosis of the inferior rectus was present as intraoperative finding in all the 17 cases. Hypotropia disappeared in 10 cases and decreased in 7 cases. Restoration of satisfactory binocular alignment was obtained in all the 17 cases.Recession of the inferior rectus muscle was effective treatment for fibrosis of the inferior rectus. Additional resection of the ipsilateral superior rectus muscle was useful to correct residual hypotropia. Free tenotomy is not recommended.

To determine the outcome and effectiveness of simple horizontal muscle recession surgery in Duane's Retraction Syndrome (DRS).A total of 194 cases of DRS were operated on by us during the past 25 years. Surgery was aimed at improving the binocular alignment and eye position at the primary position as well as any abnormal head posture. Sufficient data were available in 124 cases. Recession of the medial rectus muscle was performed on 76 cases with esotropia and of the lateral rectus on 48 cases with exotropia. Recession dosage was determined during surgery based on three factors: size of the preoperative strabismus in primary position; forced ductions/resistance to traction, and the appearance of the rectus muscle at surgery.Both the primary eye position and the abnormal head posture were satisfactorily improved in 119 cases (89%) after surgery with a result rated "excellent" or "good" by a residual deviation of 7 degrees or less and a definitely improved abnormal head posture, for all types of DRS deviations.Recession of the appropriate horizontal rectus muscle is a safe and effective primary procedure for both the primary deviation and abnormal head posture in all types of DRS.

The relationship between plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) is known, but the other characteristics of LDL, particularly particle size and density, are unclear. The relationship between small dense LDL phenotype and non-diabetic, normocholesterolemic CAD was investigated in 70 patients with angiographically documented CAD, and 38 age-matched control subjects.Peak LDL particle diameter was determined by using 2-16% polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis. Small dense LDL phenotype was defined as particle diameter equal to or less than 255 A.LDL particle diameters in patients with CAD were significantly smaller than those in controls (252.4 +/- 6.9 vs 259.3 +/- 8.8 A, mean +/- SD, p0.0001). Prevalence of small dense LDL was markedly higher in patients with CAD (72%) than in subjects without CAD (24%). CAD patients had significantly lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I levels (39.3 +/- 8.8 vs 49.8 +/- 12.0, 108.1 +/- 20.6 vs 122.9 +/- 20.1 mg/dl), and higher lipoprotein (a) and apolipoprotein B levels (28.8 +/- 30.4 vs 16.8 +/- 18.8, 96.5 +/- 21.8 vs 80.2 +/- 14.9 mg/dl) than non-CAD subjects, whereas total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, remnant-like particle cholesterol and insulin levels were not increased in CAD patients compared with non-CAD subjects. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that LDL particle size was the most powerful independent determinant of CAD (F value = 20.04, p0.0001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that small dense LDL phenotype [relative risk (RR) of 7.0, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.4-20.1], low HDL-cholesterol (RR of 5.6, 95% CI 2.1-15.2), and increased apolipoprotein B (RR of 5.8, 95% CI 1.8-18.5) were independently associated with incidence of CAD.High prevalence of small dense LDL is a leading cause of CAD with even normal cholesterol levels.

To study the correlation between the outcome at 1 month (when the postoperative eye position is at the earliest stabilized), and 4 years after surgery.Retrospective review of medical records.The authors reviewed 956 patients under 15 years of age who underwent unilateral or bilateral recession of the medial rectus muscle during a 22 year period representing the entire practice period of the senior author since the department was founded in 1977. The series comprised 521 cases of congenital/infantile esotropia (manifest before 6 months of age with no accommodative component) and 435 cases of acquired esotropia (manifest after 6 months of age with no accommodative component or with an accommodative component but excluding those with a high AC/A ratio). A consistent surgical plan was employed throughout this period for each condition.Both types of esotropia showed a slight tendency to become exotropic during the 4 years after surgery. There was no difference in general success with regard to the reconstructive restoration of normal appearance or improvement of appearance between 1 month and 4 years after surgery. Patients with normal retinal correspondence or simultaneous perception achieved better binocular alignments at the 4 year followup than those who did not have such sensory binocular cooperation.In infantile and acquired esotropia, it is essential that orthotropia or minimal esotropia be present at 1 month of surgery in order to obtain a binocular alignment within +/- 4 PD of orthotropia 4 years after surgery. It is strongly recommended to avoid overcorrection (consecutive exotropia) at 1 month after surgery for both congenital/infantile and acquired esotropia.

To confirm the structure of the fiber connection between Whitnall's ligament and the superior wall of the orbit, we observed ten orbits of five Japanese cadavers by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and dissection. Our findings were as follows: MRI showed a well-circumscribed low-intensity signal at the fiber connection. Preaponeurotic fat was prominent, and the fibers originating from Whitnall's ligament were fused at the lower face of the capsule of the preaponeurotic fat in four cadavers. The fibers originating from the upper face of the fat were attached to the superior periorbit (minimum width, 15 mm). The fifth cadaver had little preaponeurotic fat and few fibers. These anatomic differences may be within the normal range of variation. We believe that the fibers support Whitnall's ligament and help to retract preaponeurotic fat during levator muscle contraction as the eye opens.

The results one month after surgery in 159 cases of superior oblique palsy were compared according to the method of surgery with the results 4 years or longer after surgery. There were 141 cases of congenital palsy and 18 cases of acquired palsy, for a total of 159 cases. Our study showed that surgery on the oblique muscle provided long-lasting effects, while recession of the superior rectus muscle or recession of the contralateral inferior rectus muscle could cause late overcorrection. When performing surgery on the rectus muscle, careful attention must be paid to suturing the muscle.

We studied the effects of bromfenac sodium (BF) on several types of acute ocular inflammation. BF inhibited the production of prostaglandins from rabbit iris-ciliary body by 50% at a concentration of 1.1 microM and was 3.8 and 10.9 times more potent than indomethacin (IM) and pranoprofen (PPF), respectively. BF inhibited both arachidonic acid- and carrageenan-induced conjunctival edema in rats in a dose-dependent manner. The ranking order of antiinflammatory drugs for inhibition in arachidonic acid- and carrageenan-induced conjunctival edema was BF = PPFdexamethasone (DM) and BFor = DMPPF, respectively. BF inhibited an increase of aqueous protein after paracentesis in pigmented rabbits by 50% at a concentration of 0.0054% and was 8.1 and 4.1 times more potent than PPF and IM, respectively, BF inhibited an increase of aqueous protein after laser irradiation of pigmented rabbit iris by 50% at a concentration of 0.009% and was approximately 10 times more potent than PPF. These results suggest that BF may be a useful drug in therapy for conjunctivitis and post-operative inflammation.

To confirm the changes in the upper eyelid structure during normal movements such as opening and closing we observed the changes with magnetic resonance imaging and obtained the following results. (1) In the anterior lobe of the upper eyelid, the lower part moves more than the upper part. (2) The tarsus slides toward posterior and upper direction when the eye opens. (3) The orbital septum and the orbital fat move posteriorly and thicken when the eye opens. (4) When the eye opens Whitnall's ligament moves posteriorly with a little change of the acting vector direction of the levator muscle. (5) Aponeurosis of the levator muscle clearly separates from Müller's muscle when the eye opens. (6) We suspected that there is some suspending tissue of Whitnall's ligament that consists of a membranous or mesh-like structure in the orbital fat above the levator muscle.

S-(1,2-Dicarboxyethyl)glutathione (DCE-GS, CAS 1115-52-2) found in rat liver, heart and lens in considerable amounts, showed an anti-inflammatory effect, which was evaluated by testing the inhibition of the experimental conjunctival edema of rats. An intravenous injection (3 mg/kg) prior to the carrageenan injection prevented the conjunctive edema formation by up to 30%. This peptide also inhibited the histamine release from rat mast cells induced by the compound 48/80. The peptide was added to the mast cells before addition of the compound 48/80 and an inhibition of the histamine release up to 96% at a 1 mmol/l concentration occurred. Furthermore, it displayed an antianaphylactic effect in rats using antibody against chicken egg albumin. An injection of the peptide (30 mg/kg) prior to the antigen administration inhibited color deposition up to 43%. Analogues or derivatives of DCE-GS were synthesized and tested for those inhibitory activities. However, there was no other peptide having stronger effects than DCE-GS and little structure-activity relationship among them.

The effects of L-ascorbic acid 2-[3,4-dihydro-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2- (4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl)-2H-1-benzopyran-6yl-hydrogen phosphate] potassium salt (EPC-K1, CAS 127061-56-7), a new compound for ischemia-reperfusion injuries, on lipid peroxidation and phospholipase A2 activity were studied in vitro using rat brain homogenates and human plasma. EPC-K1 inhibited phospholipase A2 activity in human plasma in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 7.3 x 10(-4) mol/l), whereas a mixture of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid did not exhibit this effect. In rat brain homogenates, EPC-K1 also inhibited lipid peroxidation in a concentration-dependent manner (IC50 = 2.3 x 10(-6) mol/l). alpha-Tocopherol was less active than EPC-K1. These properties of EPC-K1 suggest that EPC-K1 may prove useful in the treatment of ischemia-reperfusion injuries.

Changes in the level of S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)glutathione (DCE-GS) with time were determined during regeneration of rat liver after partial hepatectomy. The DCE-GS level increased in regenerating rat liver, reaching a maximum level (4.7-fold) on day 2 and reverted to the normal level in 1 week. During the liver regeneration process, the activity of DCE-GS-synthesizing enzyme in the liver retained its control level, while the level of glutathione--a substrate of the enzyme in the liver--fluctuated in parallel with that of DCE-GS.

A novel method for constructing charge-coupled device (CCD) transversal filters is presented. In the filter, transversal filtering action is implemented by introducing weighted input signals into each CCD register stage. The aim of such an input weighted CCD transversal filter was to eliminate some of the disadvantages in conventional CCD filters, i.e., the split-electrode filters or tapped delay line filters. The split electrode filter is non-programmable and requires a complex sensing circuit. The tapped delay line filter has a low transfer efficiency and requires an external summing circuit. A 64-stage programmable filter device has been developed. The device contains dual gate FET's for input-weighting and a 4-phase surface channel CCD register for time delay and summing. The filter output is obtained from usual floating diffusion amplifier connected to the final register stage. Fundamental delay line characteristics were measured at 10.7 MHz clock frequency. A 3 dB bandwidth of more than 3 MHz and a differential gain of less than 5 percent were achieved. Using the devices, a programmable filter function has been confirmed by operating the devices as Gaussian weight filter and band pass filter.

A 3.5μm bulk CMOS Si-gate process applied to the design of a 20MS/s flash A/D converter powered by a single 5V supply, will be reported. By employing non-sampling amplifiers in a comparator array, 7b accuracy has been achieved with a power dissipation of 150mW.

A 3.9mm × 3.6mm video porcessor chip having a 53dB signal-to-noise ratio, which requires a 12V supply and a 3.58MHz low-level clock will be reported. Its functions include a CCD 1-H comb filter to separate luminance (Y) and chrominance (C) signal components and has a 35dB depth, and horizontal and vertical aperture control and envelope delay correction.