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When more than two electronic tags respond to a reader request, the request fails. This is referred to as the collision problem. To overcome this problem, a novel electronic tag readout method, termed the response probability control method (RPCM), is proposed in this paper. In the RPCM, the reader indicates the response probability of a request, ensuring rapid and simultaneous readout of multiple electronic tags. We have already reported the basic RPCM characteristics for a large number of nonmoving electronic tags. In this paper, the extended characteristics of electronic tags located on a conveyor belt are simulated and a portion of them is analyzed. The RPCM and the existing dynamic framed slotted ALOHA (DFSA) method are compared. The simulation demonstrated that, in the case of nonmoving electronic tags, the readout of the RPCM is 1.6 times faster than that of DFSA, while in the case of moving electronic tags, it is more than 2.5 times faster. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Marked diversification of genital morphology is common in internally fertilizing animals. Although sexual selection may be the primary process controlling genital evolution, factors promoting genital evolution are controversial, and the genetic background of genital morphology is poorly understood. We analyzed the genetic basis of species-specific genital morphologies in carabid beetles of the subgenus Ohomopterus (genus Carabus, Carabidae) using two parapatric species with hybrid zones. Biometric analyses on experimental F1 and backcross populations revealed that inheritance of genital morphology is polygenic. Applying Lande's modification of the Castle–Wright estimator to population means and variances to estimate the minimum number of genes involved, we found that a relatively small number of loci is responsible for species differences in genital morphology. In addition, joint-scaling tests indicated that the additive genetic effect accounts for most interspecific differences in genital traits, but dominance and epistatic genetic effects also play roles. Overall, the genetic basis of male and female genitalia is fairly simple, enabling these traits to respond quickly to selection pressures and to diverge rapidly. Our results provide insight into the diversification of genital morphology in carabid beetles, and will hopefully stimulate further studies on the genetic basis of genitalia, such as mapping of quantitative trait loci affecting species-specific genital morphology.Heredity (2007) 98, 385–391. doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6800952; published online 28 February 2007 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary:In all, 100 unrelated donor bone marrow transplantations (UD-BMT) were performed in our institute between October 1993 and January 2003. Of 93 evaluable patients, 73 patients had hematological malignancy, 13 had nonmalignancy and seven had lymphoproliferative disease. The estimated 9-year event-free survival (EFS) rate was 57.1±5.5% in all patients. In the following analyses of the patients with hematological malignancy, the standard group had significantly better EFS than the high-risk group (61.5±7.0 vs 35.6±9.7%, P=0.02), and the EFS rate of the tacrolimus (FK-506)+methotrexate (MTX)±methylprednisolone prophylactic group for graft-versus-host disease was superior to that of the FK-506 without MTX group (75.7±8.0 vs 55.8±7.6%, P=0.02). When we compared the EFS rates of the FK506+MTX±methylprednisolone (mPSL) group and the HLA-matched related donor BMT group in our institute, these were almost similar (75.7±8.1 vs 68.4±9.3%). Therefore, UD-BMT using FK-506+MTX±mPSL is a safe and useful method for children with hematological malignancy who require allogeneic BMT.Bone Marrow Transplantation (2005) 36, 307–313. doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1705056; published online 20 June 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims : The causal relationship of H. pylori gastric colonization with gastric cancer development has not as yet been fully elucidated. The prevalence of H. pylori infection increases with age in the asymptomatic population in Japan, and reaches a high plateau in those older than 40 years. The objective of this study was to assess the link between H. pylori and gastric carcinomas in patients younger than 40 years. Methods and results : Detection of H. pylori and assessment of background mucosa based on the Sydney system was performed histopathologically for 40 Japanese gastric cancer cases younger than 40 years and compared with 40 age- and sex-matched controls. H. pylori infection in gastric mucosa was detected significantly more frequently (P < 0.001) in patients with cancer (29/40; 72.5%) than in controls (11/40; 27.5%). Additionally, by histopathological comparison between intestinal (18 cases) and diffuse (70 cases) types of young gastric cancer patients, mucosal atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were found to coexist with acute and chronic inflammation in the background mucosa of both intestinal and diffuse types, being significantly more prevalent than in young controls. Conclusions : As well as the high prevalence of H. pylori in young subjects with gastric cancer, it is clear that persistent infection induces mucosal damage, resulting in atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. Thus, acute/chronic gastritis could play an essential role in the early development of neoplasia in the stomach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of gap junctions in the human gastric mucosa has been examined to see if there is any relation to gastric ulcer. Freeze fracture replicas were prepared from the endoscopic biopsy specimens of 20 patients with gastric ulcer (15 men and five women, aged 49 (13) years) and seven healthy volunteers (four men and three women, aged 41 (19) years). Large fractured areas of lateral cell membranes of surface mucous cells were observed randomly at a direct magnification of 15,000 using electron microscopy. Small gap junctions were observed between gastric surface mucous cells in all healthy volunteers. Gap junctions in the patients with gastric ulcer were significantly fewer than in the healthy volunteers. In addition, gap junctions in patients with recurrent ulcer were significantly fewer than in those with first onset ulcer. There was no obvious relationship between age and the development of gap junctions in patients with gastric ulcer or in healthy volunteers. In areas of intestinal metaplasia, gap junctions were occasionally seen between absorptive cells of the villi, but not in the lateral membranes of goblet cells. These findings suggest that loss of intercellular communication via gap junctions is associated with gastric ulcer formation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The tracer diffusivities of calcium and iron in a steel-making slag of 33 pct CaO-27 pct SiO-40 pct FeO by charge composition have been measured at 1360 to 1460°C as a function of temperature and oxygen pressure in the gas phase. The results expressed in cm/s (in SI unit of m/s, the following equation should be divided by 10,000) are given by where for tracer diffusion of iron, D is 0.2, x is 8.5, and E is 26 kcal/mol (1.09 x 10 J/ mol) and for tracer diffusion of calcium, D is 0.1, x is 12.5, and E is 28 kcal/mol (1.17 × 10 J/mol). Prior to diffusion runs, the slag was equilibrated with the gas mixture of carbon monoxide and dioxide with an oxygen pressure of 101 to 10 atm. The diffusivity was measured by the instantaneous plane source method, using radioactive tracers of calcium and iron. The increase of the tracer diffusivities with the oxygen pressure was interpreted in relation to a probable increase of the divalent cation vacancies in the slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tracer diffusivities of calcium and iron in a steel-making slag of 33 pct CaO-27 pct SiO-40 pct FeO by charge composition have been measured at 1360 to 1460°C as a function of temperature and oxygen pressure in the gas phase. The results expressed in cm/s (in SI unit of m/s, the following equation should be divided by 10,000) are given by where for tracer diffusion of iron, D is 0.2, x is 8.5, and E is 26 kcal/mol (1.09 x 10 J/ mol) and for tracer diffusion of calcium, D is 0.1, x is 12.5, and E is 28 kcal/mol (1.17 x 10 J/mol). Prior to diffusion runs, the slag was equilibrated with the gas mixture of carbon monoxide and dioxide with an oxygen pressure of 10 to 10 atm. The diffusivity was measured by the instantaneous plane source method, using radioactive tracers of calcium and iron. The increase of the tracer diffusivities with the oxygen pressure was interpreted in relation to a probable increase of the divalent cation vacancies in the slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain nematode infections induce eosinophil infiltration and granulomatous responses in the lungs. To examine the role of mast cells in the development of lung lesions, normal +/+ and genetically mast cell-deficient Ws/Ws rats were infected with the nematode Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. In +/+ rats, numbers of eosinophils in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) increased significantly 3-7 days after infection, and granulomatous responses composed of histiocytes/ macrophages and multinucleate giant cells were triggered in the lungs 3 -14 days after infection. Challenge infection. which was carried out on day 28 after primary infection induced much higher levels of granulomatous response than after primary infection, suggesting that the response is mediated at least in part by an immunological mechanism. In Ws/Ws rats, both the eosinophil percentage in BALF and the size of the gruniilomas in the lungs were significantly smaller than in + /+ rats after primary as well as after challenge infection. The amount of rat mast cell protease (RMCP) II in + /+ rat BALF was increased 1 day after primary infection and more significantly after challenge infection, suggesting that lung mucosal mast cells were activated more markedly after the challenge infection. In Ws/Ws rats. RMCP II was undetectable throughout the observation period. The time course of nematode migration in the lungs did not differ in +/+ and Ws/Ws rats. These results suggest that mast cell activation might be relevant to eosinophil infiltration and granulomalous response in the lungs, although the responses do not affect lung migration of the nematode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experimental procedure for measurement of the permeability of dissolved oxygen gas in liquid slag has been developed using an oxygen concentration cell. The small amount of oxygen gas which penetrated through the liquid oxide from a pure oxygen compartment to a pure argon compartment was determined by the galvanic cell. The permeabilities of oxygen through liquid PbO-SiO and FeO-PbO-SiO were found to be in the range 3 x 10 to 3 x 1O moles/cm s. The permeabilities were little influenced by temperature but more influenced by the composition. In separate experiments, the oxygen pressure change at the bottom of a column of slag was detected by another galvanic cell. By this method, it is not necessary to quench the specimen to determine the concentration profile of dissolved oxygen and to determine its diffusivity. Liquid oxides in the PbO-SiO, CaO-SiO-AlOand FeO-PbO-SiO systems were studied. The oxygen diffusion coefficients (5 x 10 to 3 x 10 cm/s) were found to increase with temperature for a fixed composition of slag, and with an increase of network-modifier oxide content at constant temperature. The solubility of oxygen gas in PbO-SiO melts was estimated to be 2 x 10 to 2 x 10 moles/cm from the determined diffusivities and permeabilities. The solubilities decreased with increasing temperature in the composition range studied. Physical solubilities of gases and metals in slags determined by other investigators are compared with the present results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A case of carcinoma in situ of the esophagus accompanied by esophageal varices was treated by endoscopic mucosal resection using a transparent tube (EMRT) following eradication of the varices via injection sclerotherapy (EIS). Intravariceal injection sclerotherapy was performed for esophageal varices, and after eradication of the varices had been achieved, half of the circumferential esophageal mucosal resection of the cancer lesion was carried out. No serious complication such as perforation or mass bleeding was observed. Cancer-involved mucosa was completely resected and all specimens contributed well to accurate histopathological study, being diagnosed as intraepithelial squamous-cell carcinoma. The artificial ulcer recovered completely, showing no stenotic changes. Our conclusion from this experience is that EIS + EMRT is a valuable and minimally invasive treatment for patients exhibiting this disease, providing an accurate histological diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]