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Background: Airway eosinophils are considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. Interleukin-5 is believed to be a key cytokine for the development, proliferation and activation of eosinophils. Benralizumab is an anti-interleukin-5 receptor α monoclonal antibody that depletes blood and airway eosinophils. We conducted a phase 2a study in South Korea and Japan to evaluate the effect of benralizumab in an East Asian population. The primary objective was to evaluate the effect of benralizumab in adults with uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma with 2-6 incidences of exacerbations in the past year using a medium/high dose of inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2-agonists. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The subjects (n = 106) were randomized into four groups: placebo (n = 27) or benralizumab 2 mg (n = 27), 20 mg (n = 26) and 100 mg (n = 26). Benralizumab or placebo were administered subcutaneously on weeks 0 (day 1), 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 and 40. The primary endpoint was the asthma exacerbation rate at week 52. Results: The asthma exacerbation rate was reduced by 33, 45 or 36% versus the placebo group when treated with 2, 20 or 100 mg of benralizumab, respectively. The percent mean change in forced expiratory volume at 1 s increased with each of the three doses in subjects treated with benralizumab. Conclusions: Benralizumab reduced asthma exacerbation and improved lung function and asthma control in adults with uncontrolled eosinophilic asthma.

The purpose of this study is to devise a bending fatigue strength evaluation method that can be widely used for any machine component under the consideration that bending fatigue breakage depends on the initiation of a surface fatigue crack, namely, the conditions for the initiation of a fatigue crack can be used as the criteria for bending fatigue strength design. The specially designed and manufactured three-point bending specimens with crowned round notches are used in bending fatigue experiments. The obtained bending fatigue strengths are expressed as the maximum actual stress at the critical point, which increases with decreasing notch radius. Considering the effects of the stress distribution on the bending fatigue strength, we present a method for estimating the tension fatigue strength of a smooth specimen, which is shape-independent fatigue strength and can be applied to bending fatigue strength design for machine components with complex geometries.

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of dietary assessment in hemodialysis patients by comparing the nutrition intake estimated from two food record forms with the actual nutrition intake. Thirty-nine outpatients receiving stable maintenance hemodialysis in Japan were analyzed. Each patient was provided meals with known nutrient contents for two days and instructed to record the food intake at each meal using a standard food record form (method A) or a semi-quantitative food record form (method B). Each patient underwent two assessments by the two methods in a crossover manner. The concordance proportions between estimated dietary food intake by method A or method B and the actual dietary intake were compared for energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, potassium, phosphorus, and salt. Estimated energy intake using method B (96.2%) was significantly closer (p

We develop a monitor system to control a parallel-type superconducting (SC) level sensor and to indicate the level of liquid hydrogen in a container. The parallel-type level sensor is composed of an MgB2 wire and non-SC wire, which are vertically located in parallel and electrically connected in series. We assemble the monitor unit using a power supply, central processing unit (CPU), analog-to-digital (AD)/digital-to-analog (DA) converter, touch panel, voltage dividers and isolators. The terminal voltages of the MgB2 wire and non-SC wire with a constant current produced by the power supply are stored in the memory of CPU through the isolators, voltage dividers and AD converter. The liquid level is calculated in the CPU according to a pre-written program code. The obtained result is displayed on the touch panel and also output externally via the DA converter and isolator. Furthermore, the normal operation of the developed monitor system is validated using dummy voltages from an oscillator.

This research investigates the stress distribution of the three types of implanted femurs using the finite element method analysis. The comparisons of the stress distribution between the implanted femursand the healthy femur were performed and the characteristics in the stress shielding of each casewere clarified. Since the load is transferred on the contact surface between the implant and the inner surface of the femur in the case of the total hip arthroplasty, the stress in the intertrochanteric zone (Gruen zone 7) become very small, and the phenomenon of the stress shielding is confirmed obviously. The stress distributions of the femurs afterthe resurfacing hiparthroplasty and the thrust plate prosthesis are about the same with that of the healthy femur, so, the possibility of the stress shielding is considered lower compared with the femur after the total hip arthroplasty. However, considering the stress concentration thatwill increase the risk of femoral fracture caused by the screws for the fixation of the implant in the thrust plate prosthesis, the resurfacing hiparthroplastymay beconcluded as the best method among these three types of implants to avoid stress shielding.

Pulse-mode operation was realized in spin-polarized transmission electron microscopy (SP-TEM) using a laser-driven electron gun with a GaAs-GaAsP strained-layer-superlattice photocathode. TEM images were acquired with a pulsed electron beam with a 5-μs pulse duration. Phase locking of wobbling TEM images was demonstrated using a pulsed beam with a 1-kHz repetition frequency, which matched the image wobbling frequency. It was found that in composite images formed by superimposing 2 × 10(4) separate single-pulse exposures, the amount of image blurring due to wobbling was a linear function of the pulse duration. These results suggest the possibility of pump-probe measurements in SP-TEM using the pulsed electron beam as a probe, allowing nanometer-scale time-resolved spin mapping.

A metal nanomesh electrode has the potential to realize a low-resistive, rare-metal-free transparent electrode. However, the electrical resistivity has not been measured as yet. We fabricated metal nanomesh electrodes and their electrical resistivity was obtained by measuring the current–voltage characteristics. Comparing with the calculated values of the microapertures, the electrical resistivity of the nanomesh electrode tended to deviate from the calculated values with reduction of the aperture interval and increase of the aperture density. This deviation was considered to be the effect of narrowing the conduction path of electrons and increasing the electron scattering probability by the nanoapertures. The order of the resistivity of the nanomesh electrodes was 10−6–10−5 Ω cm, one order of magnitude lower than that of conventional transparent oxides such as indium tin oxide.

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effects of surface roughness in normalized steel and the effects of abnormal surface layer in carburized steel on the fatigue strength that is considered as the limit of no crack initiation. Normalized and Carburized test pieces with crowned round notches were used in the fatigue tests, the normalized test pieces have different surface roughnesses and the carburized test pieces have different surface microstructures on the notch surface. The changes in fatigue strength due to the differences in the notch surface roughness and surface microstructure were investigated. As the conclusions, fatigue strength will be certainly increased by decreasing the surface maximum height, and removing the abnormal surface layer formed during carburized treatment leads to a marked increase in fatigue strength.

The strains in GaAs/GaAsP superlattices used in spin-polarized photocathodes grown on GaAs and GaP (001) substrates were determined by X-ray diffraction. The thicknesses of the GaAs wells and GaAsP barrier layers were also determined. The band structures of the superlattices were calculated on the basis of these experimentally determined strains and layer thicknesses. The thicknesses and band structures were in good agreement with those observed by transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence, respectively. The strains induced in the GaAs well layers were approximately linearly dependent upon the phosphorous fraction in the GaAsP layer, and the splitting between the heavy hole band and the light hole band of the superlattices grown on GaP substrates was larger than that of superlattices grown on GaAs substrates. In photocathodes grown on GaP substrates, low polarizations were observed, not due to a lack of band splitting, but to depolarization scattering caused by crystal defects, which were different from that induced in superlattices grown on GaAs substrates. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2010.125]

The crystalline structure of GaAsP layers grown on GaAs and GaP (001) substrates, used for spin polarized photocathodes, has been investigated by X-ray diffraction. The layers on the GaAs substrate possess a mosaic structure observable by X-ray topography and consist of many large blocks. The mosaicity anisotropic and the distribution of the mosaic is restricted within the (110) plane, and the blocks zigzag around the [110] direction. The layer grown on the GaP substrate was uniform and no mosaic was observed in the topographs. The results indicate that different mechanisms of strain release occur in GaAsP layers for tensile and compressive strains.

We successfully developed a transmission-type photocathode, and a high polarization (90%) with a super-high brightness (1.3×10 7 A cm −2 sr −1 ) of electron beam was achieved. In this research, we found that the polarization of electrons from the GaAs–GaAsP superlattice on the GaP substrate was lower than that from the same superlattice on the GaAs substrate, and that a GaAs inter-layer deposition on the GaP substrate recovered that from the GaAs–GaAsP superlattice. Mechanism of the polarization degradation was investigated from a viewpoint of strain-relaxation process in the GaAsP buffer layer that was adopted between the superlattice and the substrates. The buffer layer with in-plain tensile strain was relaxed by inducing cracks, but that with in-plain compressive strain was relaxed by inducing dislocations. The dislocations may disturb the spin-polarization of electrons more effectively than the cracks do.

Integration of modern medicine and CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) has been drawn our attention for the expectation of the development of a new medical technology. The pulse diagnosis in traditional Chinese medicine is one of the well-known CAM. The doctor diagnoses not only illness but also decline of health of the patient from the sense of the pulse wave of the radial artery. However, this technique does not have concrete scientific evidence. Therefore, in this paper, a simple mathematical model of the circulatory system of an arm and the tissue surrounding the radial artery was presented to reproduce the pulse wave measurement during the pulse diagnosis. Experiment was first performed to obtain the pressure wave form as the standard by pressing down a pressure sensor against the radial artery. Numerical simulation was performed for the same condition as experiment. By comparing the measurement and computational results, mechanical property of the tissue model and tube law of the artery can be determined from the mean pressure variation, and viscous resistance of the artery can be determined from the amplitude of the pressure oscillation.

This research presents a practicable method to investigate the characteristics of the microcrack growth in brittle materials. The crack length measurement method using an ion-sputtered film was applied to measure the length of the microcrack growing in soda-lime glass and alumina ceramics in four-point bending tests. Since the measurement system can measure the crack length at a sampling frequency of 125 kHz, the crack length was measured almost continually, and the relation-ship between the crack growth rate and the stress intensity factor was obtained in the whole regions from low crack growth rate to brittle fracture. If the relationship between crack growth rate and stress intensity factor follows the Paris law, the n values of the soda-lime glass and alumina ceramics are obtained in the region I and region II that are very important to the fatigue life estimation for these materials.

To develop case-carburized gears with high loading capacity, the surface durability of a developed Cr-Mo-Si steel (with 1 mass% Si added in the chemical composition) was studied. Initially, the fatigue tests of case-carburized Cr-Mo-Si steel and Cr-Mo steel melted in a hypoxia vacuum were carried out using a two-roller contact fatigue tester. Next, the changes in the surface failure, surface roughness and sectional hardness distribution of the test rollers were examined using a scanning electron microscope, a surface roughness measuring instrument and a penetrometer, respectively. In the case of Cr-Mo-Si steel test rollers under rolling-sliding contact, the following results are obtained in comparison with Cr-Mo steel test rollers: micro pitting area ratio is lower under a medium load, the pits do not occur under a heavy load, and the value of surface variation is lower. Therefore, it is clear that the developed Cr-Mo-Si steel can be applied to case-carburized gear materials under a heavy load.

In order to study amphi-ionophorability in peptide nanorings (PNRs), we calculated the electronic and molecular structures of X/nPNR using a cation of alkaline metal (AM) and alkali earth metal (AEM) atoms or an anion of halogen (HL) atoms as the guest ion X and by changing the number of component amino acid residues (n=5,6,8). Three characteristic clathrate forms, waffle, saturn, and volcano, were found. These forms are well classified in terms of the ratio of the radii of the guest ion X and the host nPNR. We further study the first-optical excitonic state having a spin singlet or triplet multiplicity by UHF and CIS approaches. Photoexcitation tends to expand the pore size of PNR, but the electron correlation weakens the corresponding deformation. Consequently, the optimized forms of the photoexcited X/6PNR clathrate compounds resemble those obtained in the ground state.

Future high energy accelerators require polarized electron sources that can generate high bunch charge and/or high density electron beam with low emittance. Various superlattice photocathodes and a high voltage load-lock DC gun have been developed at Nagoya University for this purpose. Using a GaAs-GaAsP strained superlattice photocathode, the bunch charge of 8nC was extracted in a 1.6ns bunch with a 20 mm diameter, and that of 3.3pC in ∼30ps bunch with 1.2mm diameter.

A new transmission type photocathode and gun for polarized electron source (PES) has been developed to enable the real-time observation of magnetism images during thin film growth by SPLEEM. This photocathode requires for laser lights to be injected from its backside and an electron beam is extracted from its surface side. By this scheme, it is possible to make a small laser spot (

This research developed a simple and high precision method to measure the length of a fatigue crack using an extremely thin ion sputtered metal film based on that the electric resistance of the film changes with the increase of the crack. The electric resistance of a cracked film was calculated by the electrothermal FEM analysis. Based on the FEM analysis results, the relationship between the electric resistance and crack length is expressed by a practical formula. Fatigue crack length measurements for acrylic and metal test specimens were performed on the three-points fatigue test equipment. Based on the good agreements between the measurement results by the ion sputtered film and that by the optical microscope, it is clarified that the crack length measurement method with an ion sputtered metal film has a very high precision. In addition that the measurement system is very simple, this method can be said to have a high practical usability.

A pyramidal-shaped GaAs (tip-GaAs) photocathode for a polarized electron source (PES) was developed to improve beam brightness and negative electron affinity (NEA) lifetime by field emission. The emission mechanism also enables the photocathode to extract electrons from the positive electron affinity (PEA) surface into vacuum, and alleviates the NEA lifetime problem. The measured electrical characteristics of tip-GaAs and its polarization exhibited distinctive field-emission behavior. The polarization of the electron beam extracted from tip-GaAs was 20–38% under irradiation with circularly polarized light of 700–860 nm, and the peak polarization was 37.4±1.4% at a wavelength of 731 nm. These experimental results indicate that spin-polarized electrons can be extracted from the conduction band into vacuum by a field-emission mechanism. This, in turn, shows that this type of photocathode has the prospect of generating a low-emittance spin-polarized electron beam.

A new nano-fabrication technique using a self-assembled nano-particle monolayer as an etch mask is presented. We developed the embedded particle monolayer (EPM) method that forms a homogeneous particle monolayer over a large area with a high throughput. By transferring the pattern of the particle monolayer onto the substrate, nano-structures were fabricated over the entire surface on the substrate. The moth-eye antireflection surface, which has a nano-cone array, was fabricated on the fused silica substrate using this nano-fabrication technique. The reflectivity of the patterned substrate was reduced more than 40% compared to the flat substrate in the visible light wavelength region.

Crack length measurement and crack initiation detection in a fatigue process are extremely important techniques in the researches for the investigation of crack growth characteristics and the fatigue strength evaluation of machine elements. The purpose of this research is to show a simple and high precision method to measure the length of a crack as well as a micro crack using an extremely thin ion sputtered film. A grid pattern ion sputtered film was proposed to measure the crack length for a bending test specimen. Based on the comparisons between the measurement results and that by a microscope, it was clarified that the grid pattern ion sputtered film has a very high measurement precision. This method should be invaluable and practicable for the crack length measurement of insulating materials such as ceramics. Meanwhile, a rectangle ion sputtered film was used on a metal bending specimen, the possibility to apply the film in the crack length measurement of a metal machine element was confirmed by the change of the electric resistance of the film with crack growth.

Dark current measurements are performed for Mo and Ti electrodes and the results are analyzed to separate the primary field emission current from the total observed dark current. The analysis shows that Mo exhibits very low primary field emission current as a cathode, reaching 1 nA of primary field emission current at a DC field gradient of 170 MV/m. The equivalent measure for Ti is 124 MV/m, and Ti also exhibits a lower enhancement effect of dark current due to electron and ion bombardments of cathode and anode. An electrode configuration with Mo cathode and Ti anode is thus examined, and it is confirmed by experiments that a field gradient of as high as 130 MV/m for 1 nA total dark current is possible for an electrode gap of 0.5 mm and an effective cathode area of 7 mm 2 .

We here report our theoretical as well as experimental studies on the stacking manner of peptide nanorings (PNRs) in peptide nanotubes (PNTs). We focus on the molecular vibrations of N–H and C=O stretching modes and discuss this subject via their infrared (IR) spectroscopy, because PNTs are formed by the inter-ring H bonds between the adjacent PNRs via –N–H…O=C–. Symmetry analysis based on group theory reveals that parallel stacking causes two IR active modes in these molecular vibrations while three modes are active in the antiparallel stacking. This difference in the number of IR active modes is determined only by the stacking manner and not by the number of amino acid residues composing the PNRs. By using two typical PNRs of cyclo[–(L-Gln–D-Ala)3] and cyclo[–(L-Gln–D-Ala)4], we further studied the favorable stacking manners of PNRs via IR observation. Our IR experiments as well as the ab initio energetics show that the former PNRs create a PNT by stacking themselves in parallel while the latter PNRs do so by stacking themselves in an antiparallel manner.

Molybdenum, in many cases, is chosen as a substrate of cesium telluride thin film photocathode for a radio frequency electron gun (RF-Gun), which shows high performance. Therefore, in this study, we chose molybdenum as a substrate for cesium telluride thin film. The dependence of quantum efficiency on the kinds of metals for substrate has not been measured entirely and not been well understood. In this report, showing the result of measurements, we report on the dependence of the quantum efficiency on substrate for the cesium telluride thin film photocathode. In addition to molybdenum, we use tungsten and copper for substrate. We also report on the dependence of the quantum efficiency on the average surface roughness of substrate for cesium telluride thin film when using tungsten and copper as well as molybdenum for the substrate. The rate in the measurement of the dependence of quantum efficiency on the kinds of metals for substrate to incident light wavelength 250 nm was 20% on molybdenum, on tungsten 8.6% and on copper 4.8%, when the tellurium thickness is 10 nm. In the measurement of the dependence of quantum efficiency on the average surface roughness Ra of the substrates, the rate a sample on a substrate of which Ra is less than 0.1 μm shows was 20%, on a substrate of which Ra is 50 μm was 15%. Thus, the quantum efficiency of cesium telluride thin film photocathode depends on the kind of metals for the substrate, and also on the roughness of the surface of substrates.

The investigation of the MeOH extract of the leaves of Chisocheton weinlandii Harms (Meliaceae) revealed two new open-chain spermidine alkaloids, chisitine 1 (1) and chisitine 2 (2). Their structures were elucidated by NMR spectroscopy, tandem-mass spectrometry, and independant syntheses (Scheme 3). Detailed MS/MS fragmentation pathways are discussed for both compounds based on H/D exchange and 18O-labeling experiments (Schemes 1 and 2).

The surface photovoltage (SPV) effect and its temporal profiles in a GaAs–GaAsP superlattice (SL) were measured by core-level photoelectron spectroscopy with the combination of synchrotron radiation and laser. It was found that the SPV effect in the SL is remarkably suppressed as compared with that in a bulk GaAs. The difference in the temporal profile of the SPV between SL and bulk samples was observed in microsecond range. The suppression of the SPV effect in the negative electron affinity surfaces of the SL was also observed. It is concluded that the SL with a high-doping surface layer is suitable for the spin-polarized electron source without the SPV effect.

We theoretically investigated the polymorphy of the stereostructures of a periodic polymer. Using the polymer's internal conformation parameters of bond lengths, bond angles, and internal rotation angles, we extended the mathematical treatment for designing polymer backbones. We considered those periodic polymers whose unit cell consists of one (m = 1), two (m = 2), or three (m = 3) kinds of atoms. Moreover, for these three types of polymers, we supposed two catenation types for the skeleton atoms; one is a “homorotatory” sequence and the other is a “heterorotatory” one. To specify the backbone's stereostructure, we introduced several conformation parameters such as the helical pitch number n, the translation distance d, and the inclination angle of the skeleton plane Θ. By combining these parameters, we can systematically understand the variety and the possible polymorphy in the stereostructure of a periodic polymer backbone. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2829–2849, 2003

Dispersion of metal particles into polymer materials by the plasticizing effect of supercritical fluids was investigated. Using supercritical carbon dioxide, a metal precursor of Ag (AgFOD) was infused into polymer materials such as poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) and poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The heat treatment reduced the infused precursor into Ag metal, leading to the formation of a fine particle dispersion layer near the surface of the polymer sample. To investigate the relationship between the infused amount of Ag and sorption of carbon dioxide into these samples, AgFOD was infused in each sample in the temperature range of 35 to 70°C, pressure range of 10 to 30MPa, and infusion time of 0.5 to 4h. It was found that the amount of metal particles infused into polymers via supercritical carbon dioxide had a strong relationship with the sorption of carbon dioxide. Moreover, addition of small amount of acetone as an entrainer to supercritical carbon dioxide could increase the infusion of Ag particles into the inner layer of the samples. It should be noted that metal particle infusion into polymers using supercritical CO2 might be controlled by manipulating temperature, pressure, infusion time, and amount of entrainer.

An unusual penta-peptide nanotube was synthesized by a solid-phase method using Fmoc chemistry. This nanotube consists of the natural homo-L-amino acid sequence (cyclo[-(L-Gln)5]), which is different from the already-known dl-peptide nanotubes having an even number of residues. We also observed the morphology by atomic force microscope (AFM) and found meandering tubular structures on the substrate. This result is consistent with our ab initio energy calculations, which show that the penta-peptide nanorings stabilize by breaking the C5 symmetry and stack themselves to form a meandering nanotube through the inter-ring hydrogen bonds.

Possible molecular conformations in peptide nanorings and nanotubes were theoretically investigated by a mathematical conformation analysis as well as ab initio Hartree-Fock calculations. The mathematical analysis predicts not only the conventional nanorings having an extended-type (E-type) backbone (trans zigzag) but also the novel ones having bound-type (B-type) backbones with a smaller internal diameter. Ab initio calculations for the amino acid substitution reveal that all 20 encoded residues can form both types of the above nanorings as a local minimum. However, the energetically stable type is determined in accordance with the kind of the replaced side chains. Moreover, the present work theoretically reveals that both types of nanorings stack to form nanotubes through inter-ring hydrogen bonds, i.e., larger E-type nanotubes and smaller B-type nanotubes. Electronically, the HOMO and LUMO states of the nanoring and nanotube backbones are formed by the in-plane pi state. The replacement by the appropriate residues is furthermore predicted to intrude additional levels in the energy gap and to form the frontier states localized at the side chains.

Since the manufacturing methods of gears were improved, the failure of case-carburized gears has changed to the surface fatigue of the tooth flank from the fatigue breakage at the tooth fillet. The objective of this work is to develop the case-carburized gears for the high load-carrying capacity. Then, the factors of influence on the surface durability of the hypoxia vacuum melting case-carburized alloy steel were investigated by using a backup-roller-type two-roller fatigue test rig. As a result of examining the rolling-sliding contact surface of the test roller under the high load condition. the following were clarified :(1)The surface failure with various features occurs. (2) The surface temperature rises above tempering temperature of heat treatment process. (3) The surface asperities become very smooth. (4) The surface profiles are greatly deformed. (5) The surface hardness decreases. In addition, (6) The outside diameter of the test roller increases.

This research is to develop a new method to enhance the bending load capacity of gear tooth using asymmetric tooth profiles. For many power transmission devices operate in one direction, only one side of the tooth surfaces (the front of tooth) is in mesh. So the tooth is not necessary to be a symmetric form. The dimensions of the front and back profiles of the tooth could be designed individually. The back profile of the tooth that does not contact in running could be decided to decrease the maximum tensile stress at the root of tooth. Different standard pressure angles are used in the front and back profiles of an asymmetric tooth. Tooth root stress and bending stiffness of the asymmetrical tooth for several combinations of standard pressure angles were calculated by the use of finite element method. Based on the results of calculations, it is clarified that a larger standard pressure angle in the back profile of tooth makes the tooth root stress decrease remarkably and bending stiffness of tooth increase, but dose not change the load sharing ratio.

In recent years, power transmission gears for vehicles run at higher speeds and loads and are accompanied by very high surface temperatures. Under such a high surface temperature condition, the surface strength cannot be evaluated correctly only by the use of Hertzian stress. This research attempts to introduce a new surface strength evaluation method considering the surface temperature rise. First, the surface temperatures of rollers under different rolling and sliding conditions are measured using a thermocouple. The effects of load P, mean tangential velocity Vm and sliding velocity Vs on surface temperature are investigated and analyzed. Then, an experimental equation is presented which shows the linear relationship between surface temperature and GRP0.86Vs1.31Vm−0.83 value. Based on the comparisons between calculated and measured tooth surface temperatures, this equation is confirmed applicable to gear tooth surface temperature evaluation as well. A surface temperature index is proposed for surface strength evaluation. The relationship between the surface temperature index and the number of load cycles of the rollers is investigated. The results indicate the possibility to evaluate the surface strength based on the surface temperature.