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Space Star (SS) anomaly in nd breakup cross section was first reported in 1989 at E n = 13 MeV (Strate et al. in Nucl Phys A 501:51, 1989), but its origin has not been found yet. In order to obtain suggestions for its origin, we made systematic measurements of pd breakup cross section around SS. In SS configuration, three outgoing nucleons form an equilateral triangle and the triangle is perpendicular to the beam axis. Necessity of the equilateral and perpendicular conditions of SS anomaly was investigated by systematic experiments. Also energy dependence of SS anomaly is being studied at energies from E p = 7.5 to 13 MeV.

Materials with millimeter to centimeter dimensions containing multiple cavities were fabricated based on Pickering emulsion engineering: The Pickering emulsion was solidified by continuous phase gelling. The shape and cavity size can be controlled by the choice of the solidification method and the droplet size of the emulsion.

This journal suppl. entitled: Special Issue: The 64th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases: The Liver Meeting 2013

Cross sections of pd breakup reaction at E p = 250 MeV were measured systematically in single-proton detection and in two-proton coincidence detection. Measured cross section is up to two times higher than calculated ones. The enhancement of breakup cross section is similar to reported enhancement in pd elastic scattering cross section. Origins of this enhancement are discussed.

Agricultural resource derivatives (ARDs) such as hydrolysate soy protein concentrate (HSPC), whey protein concentrate (WPC), and cashew apple juice (CAJ) were studied with focus on the production of hyaluronic acid (HA) by Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Supplementation of the media with corn steep liquor (CSL) was also evaluated. Synthetic medium containing glucose and yeast extract was used as control. CAJ was a promising medium for the production of HA. It produced the highest amount of HA (0.89 g L(-1)), similar to that of the control (0.86 g L(-1)). WPC and HSPC media were the most effective for the production of biomass. CSL did not influence the production of HA when HSPC and WPC were used. However, in the synthetic medium it doubled the yield of HA from glucose. The average molecular weight of HA ranged from 10(3) to 10(4)Da for the ARDs and 10(7)Da for the synthetic medium.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of the culture medium supplementation with mineral ions, focusing on the growth of Streptococcus zooepidemicus as well as on the production and average molecular weight (MW) of hyaluronic acid (HA). The ions were investigated in terms of individual absence from the totally supplemented medium (C+) or individual presence in the non-supplemented medium (C-), where C+ and C- were used as controls. Differences between the effects were analyzed using the Tukey's test at p 0.05. The adopted criteria considered required the ions, whose individual absence attained at 80% or less of the C+ and their individual presence was 20% or more than the C-. The supplementation was either inhibitory or acted in synergy with other ions, when the individual absence or presence was 20% higher than C+ or 20% lower than C-, respectively. Results showed that the effects of C+ or C- were equal for both the production of HA and its yield from glucose. However, C+ showed to be beneficial to cell growth while the individual absence of Na+ was beneficial to the production of HA. The highest MW of HA (7.4 x 10⁷ Da) was observed in the individual presence of Na+ in spite of the lowest HA concentration (0.65 g x L⁻¹). These results suggest that the quality of HA can be modulated through the mineral ion supplementation.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of social rank (Experiment 1) and familiarity (Experiment 2) on dust-bathing in domestic hens(Gallus gallus domesticus). We conducted choice tests between two conditions using actual birds as the stimuli and evaluated the effects in terms of quality and quantity of dustbathing performed. Twenty-four, medium-ranked hens were selected as test subjects. The stimuli presented were combinations of a high-ranked hen, a low-ranked hen, or no hen at all for Experiment 1, and a combination of a familiar hen, an unfamiliar hen, or no hen for Experiment 2. The number and duration of dustbaths, wing tosses as well as other behaviours were measured. For Experiment 1, the test hen performed dustbathing more frequently on the side of the hen, regardless of its social rank, when presented with a choice of a high- or low-ranked hen, or no hen. For Experiment 2, the test hen performed dustbathing more frequently on the side of the familiar hen when presented with a familiar hen or no hen, and more frequently on the side of no hen when presented with an unfamiliar hen and no hen. It was concluded that dustbathing was not affected by social rank, and that the quality and quantity of dustbathing was greater on the side of the familiar hen. However, dustbathing was restricted by the presence of an unfamiliar hen.

Screening tests of hydroethanolic crude extracts of six species of Aspidosperma (Apocynaceae) against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were performed. Aspidosperma ramiflorum Muell. Arg. showed good activity against Bacillus subtilis with MIC and MBC of 15.7 and 125 µg/mL, moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus with MIC and MBC of 250 and 500 µg/ mL, and weak activity against Escherichia coli with MIC and MBC of 1000 µg/mL. Aspidosperma pyricolum Muell. Arg. (MIC/MBC 125/250 µg/mL) and Aspidosperma olivaceum Muell. Arg. (MIC/MBC 250/ > 1000 µg/ mL) displayed moderate antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis. Separation of the crude extract of Aspidosperma ramiflorum was performed according to the usual acid–base process, which produces alkaloid mixtures and closely related metabolites. The basic fraction was active against Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli, with MICs of 31.2, 62.5, and 250 µg/mL, respectively. The basic fractions were more active than the acid fractions, probably because they contained some active alkaloids and/or closely related metabolites absent from the other fractions, or they contained a higher concentration of these active compounds.

Cross section and analyzing power Ay of [Formula: see text] reaction at [Formula: see text] were measured and large disagreements with 3N calculations were found especially at forward angles. Effects of 2π3NF are too small to explain the discrepancy. To microscopically investigate the discrepancy, a 2 H (p, pp)n experiment is planned.

At Ed = 26 MeV , H (d,pp)n cross section was measured at 4 angle pairs corresponding to off-plane star and compared with recent pd calculations. A rotary foil target was developed for this experiment. The present data and previous data revealed dependence of the star anomaly on the star-inclination angle α. The angular dependence at Ep = 13 MeV differs much with that at 9.5 MeV.

Aims The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of changes in parameters of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) such as fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in patients with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. We also investigated the correlation between the severity of neurological symptoms and these parameters. Patients and Methods A total of 13 patients with unilateral radiculopathy due to herniation of a lumbar disc were investigated with DTI on a 1.5T MR scanner and underwent micro discectomy. There were nine men and four women, with a median age of 55.5 years (19 to 79). The changes in the mean FA and ADC values and the correlation between these changes and the severity of the neurological symptoms were investigated before and at six months after surgery. Results The mean FA values were significantly lower (p = 0.0005) and mean ADC values were significantly higher (p = 0.0115) in compressed nerves than in intact nerves. Although the FA values increased significantly at six months after surgical treatment (p = 0.020), the ADC values decreased but not significantly (p = 0.498). There were strong correlations between the DTI parameters such as the FA value and the severity of the neurological symptoms as assessed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ). Conclusion This preliminary study suggests that it may be possible to use DTI to diagnose, quantitatively evaluate and follow-up patients with lumbar nerve entrapment. Take home message: DTI is a potential tool for functional diagnosis of lumbar nerve damage. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:387–94.

Significant associations of HLA-DP alleles with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection are evident in Asian and Arabian populations, including Japanese, Han Chinese, Korean, and Saudi Arabian populations. Here, significant associations between CHB infection and five DPB1 alleles (two susceptibility alleles, DPB1(*) 05:01 and (*) 09:01, and three protective alleles, DPB1(*) 02:01, (*) 04:01, and (*) 04:02) were confirmed in a population comprising of 2582 Japanese individuals. Furthermore, odds ratios for CHB were higher for those with both DPB1 susceptibility alleles than for those with only one susceptibility allele; therefore, effects of susceptibility alleles were additive for risk of CHB infection. Similarly, protective alleles showed an additive effect on protection from CHB infection. Moreover, heterozygotes of any protective allele showed stronger association with CHB than did homozygotes, suggesting that heterozygotes may bind a greater variety of hepatitis B-derived peptides, and thus present these peptides more efficiently to T-cell receptors than homozygotes. Notably, compound heterozygote of the protective allele (any one of DPB1*02:01, *04:01, and *04:02) and the susceptible allele DPB1*05:01 was significantly associated with protection against CHB infection, which indicates that one protective HLA-DPB1 molecule can provide dominant protection. Identification of the HLA-DPB1 genotypes associated with susceptibility to and protection from CHB infection is essential for future analysis of the mechanisms responsible for immune recognition of hepatitis B virus antigens by HLA-DPB1 molecules.

A cellulosic affinity membrane modified with N-acetyl-l-phenylalanine (N-Ac-l-Phe) was prepared intending to separate and purify the serum proteins. A porous cellulose membrane was first reacted with acrylonitrile to afford a cyanoethyl cellulose membrane (CEC membrane). After reduction of the cyano groups of the CEC membrane to obtain aminopropyl cellulose membrane (APC membrane), N-Ac-l-Phe was bound to the APC membrane through amide linkage (APC-Phe membrane). The pH dependence of the adsorption of serum proteins on the APC-Phe membrane was investigated in a dead-end flow mode, using bovine serum albumin (BSA) and γ-globulin (BγG) as model proteins. The adsorption behavior of BSA and BγG on the APC-Phe membrane was rather independent of pH, and the amount of BSA adsorbed on the membrane was greater than that of BγG. The BSA adsorbed on the APC-Phe membrane was recovered with hydroxycarboxylic acid solutions; whereas, it was not effectively eluted with NaCl solution.

In our previous inclusive experiment on 2H(p, p)pn at 247 MeV, the measured cross section at forward angles is about twice larger than 3N calculation with ππ 3NF. Therefore, we have made an exclusive experiment on 2H(p, p1 p2)n at the same energy. The preliminary data suggest that the cross section was enhanced at forward angle of θ1 and θ2.

Cross section of pd breakup at Star configuration (equilateral triangle) was systematically measured at E = 9.5 and 13 MeV/A with varying an angle α between the Star plane and the beam axis. At 13 MeV/A, Star anomaly appears only around Space Star (α = 90°) configuration. At 9.5 MeV/A, same feature was found in our experimental data at α = 0°−105°, but large difference of about −25% at α = 124°−180° was reported by Koln group.

A simple technique, inserting a specified resistance in the bias circuit, to compensate self-heating effect in DC and pulse characteristics of HBTs is proposed and demonstrated. Utilizing the bias scheme dependence of HBT behaviors, the compensation is achieved due to the cancellation of the positive and negative thermal-electric feedback inside HBTs. An analytical expression relating the specified resistance with the physical parameters of HBT is presented. The accurate simulation of both the self-heating effect and its compensation is, for the first time, demonstrated with a modified Gummel-Poon model.

Poly(amide acid) was prepared from 3,3′,4,4′-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (BPDA) and p-phenylenediamine (PDA) and was then reacted with NaH and various kinds of alkyl iodides to transform it into its alkyl esters. The cast films were imidized as fixed on glass substrates to give polyimide films. The tensile modulus of polyimide films prepared from the methyl ester precursor was lower than that from poly(amide acid), but it increased with increasing size of the alkyl group. The polyimide films were carbonized by heating to 900°C, and then further heated to 2800°C for graphitization. Their degrees of graphitization and orientation of graphite crystallites as a function of weight loss at imidization were studied by measurements of X-ray diffraction at room temperature and magnetoresistance at liquid nitrogen temperature. Both measurements clearly indicate that the graphitized films prepared from poly(amide ester) have high degrees of graphitization. It was also made clear that the orientation of the graphitized films prepared from poly(amide ester) with small alkyl groups is lower than that from poly(amide acid), but the orientation increased with increase in the size of the alkyl group.

The effects of discrepancies in the birth weight and hemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) at the birth on infant outcome have not been fully investigated in monochorionic (MC) and dichorionic (DC) twins.A retrospective study of 95 twin pregnancies. All 190 neonates (68 MC twins and 122 DC twins) were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, and the [Hb] was determined soon after birth. The [Hb] discordance represents the [Hb] of the smaller twin expressed as a percentage of the [Hb] of the larger twin. Infants were followed-up until 1 year of corrected age and their psychomotor development was evaluated between 12 and 18 months.One DC infant died by 1 year of age. Twelve MC infants and eight DC infants had disabilities by 1.5 year of age. In the MC group, 11 infants (28%) of 20 pairs with an intertwin [Hb] discordance100 had disabilities compared with one (3.6%) of 14 pairs with an [Hb] discordanceor = 100 (p0.05). A similar trend was observed in the DC group, but the difference was not significant. The incidence of disabled infants increased as the intertwin birth weight discordance increased in MC twins.An adverse outcome at 1 year of age in MC twins was associated with a greater birth weight discordance and an [Hb] disordance that indicated polycythemia in the smaller twin.

Departments of 1 Obstetrics and Gynaecology and 2 Pediatrics, Jichi Medical School, Minamikawachi-machi, Tochigi, 329-04 Japan 3 To whom correspondence should be addressed The outcomes of twins conceived by 136 women after medical assistance (MA) such as ovulation induction with or without assisted reproductive techniques, and twins conceived spontaneously (SP) by 72 women were compared. All 208 women were monitored from ,20 weeks gestation; they all delivered at o24 weeks gestation. The chorionicity of the placenta was diagnosed antenatally and confirmed after delivery. There were 10 perinatal deaths; the physical and neurological status of the remaining 406 infants was assessed at 1 year of corrected age. There were no differences in gestational age at birth, the birth weights of the larger and smaller twins, the birth weight discordance, or the incidence of life-threatening major malformations between groups. Adverse infant outcomes, such as death, cerebral palsy and mental retardation occurred in nine (3.3%) of 272 MA twins compared with 12 (8.3%) of 144 SP twins (P , 0.05). The placenta was monochorionic in only three (2.2%) of 136 MA twin pregnancies compared with 41 (57%) of 72 SP twin pregnancies (P , 0.001). Of the 21 infants with adverse outcomes, nine had monochorionic placentas. Thus, the risk of an adverse outcome was 2.8-fold higher (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2‐6.4) in monochorionic twins than in dichorionic twins (10 versus 3.7%; P , 0.05). There was no difference in the incidence of adverse infant outcomes between SP (4.8%) and MA (3.4%) twins with dichorionic placentas. These findings suggest that ovulation induction in itself was not associated with an adverse outcome of twin pregnancies. The lower frequency of monochorionic placentas in MA twins may have been responsible for the lower risk of an adverse outcome in MA twins.

The current status of ZnHgSSe research is reviewed with emphasis on optical properties including time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) and stimulated emission. In time-resolved PL measurements, two decay processes with different time constants (0.4–1 ns and 5–12 ns) have been found in all the quaternary alloys. The behavior is discussed in terms of localization of excited carriers (or excitons) due to alloy fluctuation potentials caused by the incorporation of Hg. By optically pumping a lattice-matched ZnHgSSe/ZnSSe double-heterostructure laser structure at 77 K, a TE-polarized stimulated emission is observed at 510.5 nm with excitation power higher than the threshold value of about 90 kW/cm 2 . The phenomenon is also discussed in connection with carrier localization.

Polyamide acid was prepared from pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and oxydianiline (ODA), and was then reacted with NaH and various kinds of alkyl halides for transformation into alkyl ester. The cast films were imidized as fixed on glass substrate to give Kapton-type polyimide films, and were then carbonized by heating to 900 °C. It was shown that the electrical conductivity of the carbonized films decreased with the increase of the size of the leaving group at the imidization. The carbonized films were further heated to 2800 °C for graphitization. Their degrees of graphitization and orientation of the graphite crystallites as a function of weight loss at imidization were studied by X-ray diffraction measurements at room temperature and magnetoresistance measurements at liquid nitrogen temperature. Both measurements clearly indicate that the graphitized films prepared from polyamide acid alkyl ester starting from PMDA and ODA have high degrees of graphitization. It was also made clear that, in the case of polyimide having flexible ether linkage, the orientation of the graphitized films did not depend on the size of the leaving group at imidization.

Transients of self-heating semiconductor devices are theoretically investigated based on a feedback circuit model, which is composed of three sub-circuits describing the isothermal electrical characteristics, thermal impedance, and temperature dependence of the electrical characteristics of the devices, respectively. Analytical expressions of the frequency and transient responses have been derived for both the electrical and thermal characteristics of self-heating devices, yielding accurate methods to extract the thermal time constant in both the time and frequency domains. The model is verified by the transient electrical-response measurement of a GaInP/GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor.

Dispersion behavior of aqueous solutions containing oleic acid (RH), sodium oleate (R-Na +), and NaCl was investigated by turbidity and dynamic light-scattering measurements. Changes of the size of scattering particles in solution composed of 1 mM oleic acid and 100 mM NaCl were traced as a function of the degree of ionization α, in terms of radius of the equivalent hydrodynamic sphere. Large associated micelles with a radius of 30 nm appeared by a slight decline of α and existed at a higher than 0.75. They were responsible for the three-phase equilibrium (solution, micelle and aggregated micelle, and acid-soap, (R-Na+)3RH) characterized by a constant pH of 9.75. The appearance of a new phase, (R-Na+)3RH, contributed to increase both the turbidity and averaged scattering particle size. As the breakdown of the three-phase equilibrium, radius of scattering particles increased significantly. Finally, oleic acid oil droplets were separated from aqueous phase at low α. When the system was buffered by tris (hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris), scattering particles with a weight-averaged hydrodynamic radius of 75 nm existed in a wide range of α from 0.85 to 0.65. In Tris buffered solution, turbidity formation was induced by the increase in the number of aggregated particles.

The goal of this Technical Specification is to provide a guideline for manufacturers of photovoltaic (PV) modules to produce modules that, once the design is proven to meet the quality and reliability requirements, replicate the design on an industrial scale without compromising its consistency with the requirements.

Wide bandgap ternary Zn 1-x Hg x Se (x = 0-0.14) and quaternary Zn 1-x Hg x S y Se 1-y (x = 0-0.03, y = 0-0.4) alloy layers have been grown on GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and characterized by optical reflectance, absorption and photoluminescence. The layers show strong photoluminescence composed of a single emission band whose peak energy decreases rapidly with increasing Hg content x. For the Zn 1-x Hg x S y Se 1-y layers with small x and y, the origin of the emission band can be explained in terms of excitonic transitions. As to the layers with large x and y, however, a large discrepancy is found between the fundamental absorption edge and the emission band. This behavior is discussed in terms of localized tail states induced by the microscopic compositional fluctuation of the alloy layers.

An experimental study was performed on the flow-induced vibration (FIV) of a flexible weir due to fluid discharge from an upper plenum to a lower plenum. The purposes of this experiment were (i) to clarify the vibration phenomena and (ii) to confirm the effectiveness of several countermeasures for preventing instability of the weir. In the experiment a 1/5-scale weir-coolant model for the thermal shield of the Japanese demonstration fast breeder reactor (DFBR) was employed as a test apparatus. Three cylindrical weirs were tested to study the effect of weir stiffness. Those were 3 mm and 6 mm-thick polyvinyl chloride (PVC) models and 2·5 mm-thick aluminum (Al) model. Unstable vibration conditions were obtained by altering the fall height and the flow rate. The predominant frequencies and the amplitudes of the weir displacment and the sloshing were measured under instability conditions. The phase difference between weir displacement and sloshing was also obtained. Furthermore, several kinds of vibrational mitigation methods were investigated. The effects on the threshold of instability of the stiffness and the natural frequency of the weirs and of the frequency ratio between weir vibration and sloshing are discussed. In particular, from this study, the effect of weir stiffness on the unstable vibration of the flexible weir due to fluid discharge was clarified and the effectiveness of some of the vibrational mitigation methods were confirmed.

Mutation of the cytochrome P450c17 (CYP17) gene causes 17 alpha-hydroxylase deficiency (17OHD). Recently, several researchers have elucidated the molecular basis of 17OHD by gene analysis. We experienced a case of 17OHD and intended to reveal the abnormality of the CYP17 gene in this Japanese female with 17OHD. Leukocytes were obtained from the patient, her mother and sister, and normal control subjects. We amplified the CYP17 gene using polymerase chain reaction and performed the sequence analysis using the dideoxy terminator method and restriction enzyme analysis. We found that the patient had one base-pair deletion at the position of amino acid 438. An identical result was obtained with restriction enzyme analysis. This G deletion altered the reading frame and resulted in a premature stop codon at position 443; the ligand of heme iron (Cys: cystine 442) was absent. This small mutation may account for the patient's clinical manifestations of 17OHD. This is the first case of 17OHD with only one base pair deletion of the CYP17 gene.

For a system with multiple vessels which have a free liquid surface and are connected with inverted U-shaped piping, it is important to establish a highly accurate technique of evaluating the sloshing behavior that occurs in the multiple liquid surface system when an earthquake strikes. In the present study, a series of vibration tests were conducted to clarify the basic characteristics of sloshing using parameters such as the in-vessel structure, multi-surface connection, in-vessel flow, and so forth. For testing, a 1 8 scale model of the top entry loop type FBR primary loop was used. Further, the applicability of the analytical code was evaluated, and the code was found to estimate the mode shape and natural frequency of sloshing with high accuracy.

In multiple twisted superconducting cables exposed to an external AC transverse magnetic field, a component of magnetic field parallel to the strand axis due to the twisting structure of the cables causes an additional AC loss (longitudinal AC loss) in the strands. The authors experimentally evaluate the longitudinal AC loss by an equivalent measurement with short samples of the strands exposed to an oblique magnetic field to the strand axis. The total loss obtained at 60 Hz was equivalent to a direct sum of the hysteresis loss, the coupling-current loss for the transverse component and the additional loss for the longitudinal one. In triple twisted superconducting cables composed of insulated strands, measured AC losses could be also quantitatively explained in the same manner as for the short samples. These results suggest that the longitudinal loss may be dominant in an AC magnetic field with relatively large amplitude along with the coupling-current losses inside and among strands. The authors also discuss an optimum condition for the twist pitch of the strand to reduce the total AC loss of the strands in the cable. >

In multiply-twisted superconducting cables exposed to an external a.c. transverse magnetic field, a component of the magnetic field parallel to the strand axis brings about an additional a.c. loss (longitudinal field loss) in the strands. We have experimentally evaluated the longitudinal field loss in two types of triply-twisted superconducting cables composed of insulated strands with different diameters, by eliminating the hysteresis loss and the transverse coupling-current loss from the total loss in the strands. The evaluated longitudinal field losses were quantitatively explained by a theoretical expression obtained, to date, from consideration of the effects of the longitudinal component of the applied field on the strand. The present results suggest that the longitudinal field loss can be dominant in an a.c. magnetic field with relatively large amplitude. To minimize the total loss of the strand in the multiply-twisted cables, an optimum condition for the twist pitch of the strand was discussed.

In-plane ultrahigh-density InAs QDs with 5×1011cm−2 were successfully grown on the GaAsSb/GaAs(001). The QD sheets with type-1 and type-2 band structures were inserted into the pn-GaAs solar cells. In spite of only one QD sheet, the additional quantum efficiency was clearly observed at a long wavelength region of 900∼1200 nm. The additional quantum efficiency for the type-2 QD cell was obtained at a wide wavelength region (1400 nm) and was higher than that for the type-1 QD cell. However, the open circuit voltage for the type-2 QD cell decreased as compared with that for type-1 QD cell. In addition, a separation distance from the p-layer to the type-1 QD sheet influenced on the cell performance.

The effects of scale and fluid properties on gas entrainment onset were experimentally studied for the free surface flow in an IHX vessel of a proposed Japanese demonstration FBR. Water experiments were performed using the 1 10 - th , 1 6 - th , 1 3 - rd and 1 1.6 - th scaled models of the IHX. The experimental results indicate that the scale has a strong effect on gas entrainment onset and that the critical Fr number decreases in proportion to the −0.5-th power of the scale. Applicability of a computational method to the gas entrainment is also discussed by comparing computational and experimental results.

Semiconductor quantum-dot superlattices (QD-SLs) have attracted considerable interests for intermediate band solar-cell (IB-SC) applications. In this study, in order to develop the IB-SCs using in-plane QD-SLs, ultra-high density InAs QDs with 4.0×1011 cm−2 were grown on the GaAsSb/GaAs(001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The average lateral size and height of the InAs QDs were 17 nm and 2.8 nm, respectively. In spite of the closely-packed QD structure, the coalescence of neighbouring QDs was effectively suppressed by the Sb surfactant effect. The in-plane QD-SL characteristics based on the minibands were confirmed by photoluminescence (PL) properties. The InAs QD-SLs were capped by the GaAsSb layers to construct a type-2 band alignment. From time-resolved PL measurements, long carrier lifetime of 6.9 ns was obtained for the in-plane InAs QDs with the GaAsSb capping layer. Internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of the IB-SCs using the in-plane InAs/GaAsSb QD-SLs was evaluated, and the extended IQE was observed from 900 nm to 1300 nm. It was attributed to the optical absorption at the GaAsSb layers and the InAs QDs. The IB-SCs including three stacked in-plane QD-SLs enhanced the extended IQE.

The addition of α-alumina to the aqueous solution of sodium alginate for imobilization of viable cells allows the production of denser particles than the ones obtained with sodium alginate alone. This biocatalyst was used in the continuous oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid, by a strain ofAcetobacter isolated from an ethanol plant. The continuous fermentation was carried out in a circulating three-phase fluidized bed bioreactor.

In our previous inclusive experiment on pd breakup at Ep = 247 MeV, we found experimental cross section is about twice larger than 3N calculation with ππ 3NF at forward angle. Therefore we made exclusive measurement of 2 H(p, p1 p2)n cross section at the same 247 MeV. Preliminary data indicate that the cross section enhancement appears at forward angles of θ 1 and θ 2. We made also inclusive experiment again and confirmed the previous data.

Six groups of adrenal glands from 17-day fetal rats were explanted to organ culture for 2 days. In one group, adrenal gland was cultured alone, and in the remaining five groups adrenal gland was cultured with pituitaries from fetuses ranging in age from 14 to 18 days. In each of the groups, half of the cultures had corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) added to the medium. A histometric parameter utilized the size of adrenocortical cells as an indicator of sensitivity of the pituitary-adrenal system. When 17-day adrenal gland was cultured alone, addition of CRF did not cause any enlargement of cortical cells. When the adrenal gland was cultured with two 14-day pituitaries, cortical cells were enlarged. Addition of CRF to this culture induced no further change. With two 15-day pituitaries in the presence of CRF, cortical cells were slightly larger than those in the absence of CRF. With 16- to 18-day pituitaries, a marked hypertrophy of cortical cells was induced, and the addition of CRF caused further acceleration in their enlargement. These results suggest that, in organ culture, 14-day pituitary can release some adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) with or without additional CRF. Older pituitaries (16- to 18-day) can apparently release an amount of ACTH in the presence of CRF that is greater than their own spontaneous ACTH secretion.

The time of onset of the constrictive effect of indomethacin on the ductus arteriosus (DA) in fetal rats was assessed by measurement of the caliber of the DA after maternal treatment with indomethacin on days 19–21 of gestation. The day following overnight mating was regarded as day 0 of gestation. Observation was performed by direct exposure of the DA by hand shaving of intact frozen fetuses. On days 20 and 21 the DA was significantly constricted 3 h after maternal treatment with 1 mg/kg of indomethacin. When the DA was examined at 19½ and 19¾ days of gestation (3 h after indomethacin exposure), it was significantly constricted at 19¾ days but not at 19½ days. Higher doses of indomethacin (10 and 100 mg/kg) induced a significant constriction of the DA at day 19½, but not at the beginning of the same day (1.00 a.m.). These results suggest that the onset of the susceptibility of the DA to the constrictive effect of indomethacin occurs in the first half of day 19 of gestation.

Porous ceramics of calcium hydroxyapatite with non-stoichiometric composition were prepared hydrothermally. The hydroxyapatite ceramics prepared at 105°C under the saturated vapor pressure for 20h were composed of rod-shaped crystals with about 10μm in length with the mean aspect ratio of 40. The porous ceramics of calcium deficient hydroxyapatite had about 50% porosity with the inter-connecting pore structure. This porous ceramics had compressive strength of about 10MPa. According to the in vitro test, this calcium deficient hydroxyapatite must be the bio-active material.

Probenazole (3-allyloxy-1,2-benzisothiazole-1,1-dioxide, PBZ) is a chemical inducer of resistance against plant pathogens and has long been practically used for protecting rice plants against a blast fungus, Magnaporthe grisea. We have been investigating the expression profiles of rice genes in response to PBZ using cDNA microarray technique. An array composed of 1265 rice expressed sequenced tag (EST) clones from various source including shoots, calli etc. was targeted by Cy5 labeled mRNAs from PBZ treated and untreated rice plants, respectively. As a result, ten cDNA clones exhibited greater than three-fold over-expression in the PBZ treated plants compared to untreated controls. Some of these clones have identities with disease resistance, pathogenesis-related and cell maintenance/development-related genes. The enhanced gene expression was confirmed for nine out of ten clones by using Northern blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses. Several clones were further tested for Northern blot analysis using total RNA from blast fungus infected rice. Under the conditions used, three out of seven clones showed enhanced level of mRNA accumulation in infected plants. This may suggest that the enhanced expression of some genes by PBZ may contribute to the disease resistance in host plants. Furthermore cDNA library was constructed using mRNAs from leaves of PBZ treated rice plants and a microarray of the randomly selected 2880 clones from the library was used for choosing clones whose expression was changed in response to PBZ. Thirty nine clones were found to change their expression levels by a factor of 3 folds after PBZ treatment. Characterization including sequencing is now underway for these clones.

The neutron reflectivity of a 6 Li Ti multilayer mirror with a Ni reflector at the base has been measured using a time-of-flight spectrometer and a reflectometer. The results show that the reflectivities rise to 0.5 at 560 A, which corresponds to the Ni critical wavelength, decrease to 0.2 with increasing neutron wavelength, and then rise towards unity at about 800 A. This implies that neutrons in wavelength region between 560 A and 800 A penetrate through the 6 Li Ti multilayer and are absorbed by 6 Li. The application of the 6 Li Ti multilayer to a neutron converter for an ultracold neutron detector is discussed.