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In this study, the planar LIF detection of the hydroxyl (OH) radicals was performed in a nozzle-to-plane electrode system having an electrode gap of 30 mm during the steady-state positive streamer corona discharge at atmospheric pressure. For monitoring the ground-state OH radicals, OH transition at 282 nm was used. The two-dimensional OH distribution in the DC corona discharge in air/H2O/Ar mixture was measured. The time relationship between the regular streamer coronas, laser pulse, OH fluorescence and laser-induced streamer was measured. The time course of OH radicals between the successive streamers was measured for the evaluation of OH dynamics during the steady-state positive streamer corona discharge. The two-dimensional OH distribution in the DC corona discharge was observed. The obtained results showed that the ground-state OH radical were generated mainly in the filamentary part of the streamers. It was found that LIF detectable amount of ground-state OH radicals stayed in the region where streamers propagate during the steady-state DC positive streamer coronas.

Positive corona streamers are widely used in the field of air pollution control such as NOx or SOx removal and VOCs decomposition based on non-thermal plasma chemical process. In this study, the characteristics of DC positive corona streamers induced by UV laser irradiation are investigated in the tube-to-plane electrode configuration with electrode gap spacing of 3 cm. The streamer images were recorded using an ICCD camera with a nanosecond order time resolution. During the DC corona discharge, regular streamers appear with tens of ms intervals, the duration of which considerably fluctuates. This makes time resolved streamer observation by the ICCD camera extremely difficult. However, additional streamers with a predictable inception time can be induced by UV laser irradiation. As a result, the current waveform characteristics of the laser-induced streamers were obtained. In this work, three-dimensional streamer structures including the streamer propagation and branching were studied. Also the streamer propagation velocity was evaluated.

We report on the transformation behaviour of metastable defects labelled EM1 (Ec-0.29 eV), EM2 (Ec-0.41 eV) and EM3 (Ec-0.55 eV) which are induced in n-type silicon by hydrogen implantation. Hydrogen implantation was performed at 88 K with an energy of 90 keV to a dose of 2 × 1010cm−2. After fabrication of Schottky diodes on the implanted surfaces, deep level transient spectroscopy measurements were made to monitor metastable behaviour of defects. All three metastable defects are regenerated with reverse-bias cooling and removed with zero-bias cooling. 10-min isochronal annealing reveals that EM1 is regenerated around 270 K and is removed around 220 K. The EM2 (EM3) regeneration temperature is around 270 K (270 K) and its removal temperature 220 K (260 K). Isothermal annealing treatments for EM1 show that its transformation follows first order kinetics for both regeneration and removal. An activation energy is 0.94 eV and a frequency factor 6 × 1014s−1for regeneration of EM1, and 0.73 eV and 3 × 1013s−1for its removal.

We report on the transformation behaviour of metastable defects labelled EM1 (E$_c-$0.29 eV), EM2 (E$_c-$0.41 eV) and EM3 (E$_c-$0.55 eV) which are induced in n-type silicon by hydrogen implantation. Hydrogen implantation was performed at 88 K with an energy of 90 keV to a dose of $2\times10^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$. After fabrication of Schottky diodes on the implanted surfaces, deep level transient spectroscopy measurements were made to monitor metastable behaviour of defects. All three metastable defects are regenerated with reverse-bias cooling and removed with zero-bias cooling. 10-min isochronal annealing reveals that EM1 is regenerated around 270 K and is removed around 220 K. The EM2 (EM3) regeneration temperature is around 270 K (270 K) and its removal temperature 220 K (260 K). Isothermal annealing treatments for EM1 show that its transformation follows first order kinetics for both regeneration and removal. An activation energy is 0.94 eV and a frequency factor $6\times10^{14}$ s$^{-1}$ for regeneration of EM1, and 0.73 eV and $3\times10^{13}$ s$^{-1}$ for its removal.

To clarify the longitudinal metabolic process of bone growth in children, we observed the relationship between the level of serum osteocalcin (OC), a marker of bone metabolism, and growth velocity in 10 prepubertal patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency and 9 prepubertal patients with nonendocrine short stature (NESS), but no major hormonal abnormalities influencing bone metabolism. Obserevations were made every 6 months over a 7-year period. In patients with CAH who exhibited a wide variation in growth velocity during the course of the investigation, the levels of OC fluctuated over a wide range, suggesting metabolically variable bone growth. In contrast, in patients with NESS who exhibited a relatively stable growth velocity, the OC level remained within a narrow range, suggesting metabolically stable bone growth. The meaning of such divergent metabolic processes of bone growth observed in CAH and NESS and its relationship to actual bone structure or bone intensity should be further investigated.

A new diagnostic method is proposed for direct measurements of electromagnetic field patterns of fast waves in toroidal plasmas. The fluctuations of the ponderomotive potential at the beat wave frequency between two fast waves with different frequencies produces the actual potential fluctuations via electron and ion motions. A heavy ion beam probe detected the potential fluctuation patterns at the beat wave frequency during the fast wave pulse. The amplitude of the potential fluctuations decreases with increasing electron temperature in fast wave current drive experiments in JFT-2M, owing to the improvement of wave absorption via electron Landau damping. The measured potential fluctuations do not contradict the prediction using full wave code calculations.

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The class II transactivator (CIITA) regulates not only the transcription of HLA-DR, -DQ, -DP, but also invariant chain, DMA and DMB genes. A hybrid mutant CIITA protein, which contained residues from positions 302 to 1130 in CIITA fused to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EdCIITA), inhibited the function of the wild-type protein. EdCIITA extinguished the inducible and constitutive expression of MHC II genes in epithelial cells treated with IFN-gamma and B lymphoblastoid cells respectively. Also, it blocked T cell activation by superantigen. This inhibition correlated with the localization of EdCIITA but not CIITA in the cytoplasm of cells. However, when EdCIITA was co-expressed with a dominant-negative form of the nucleoporin Nup214/CAN, it also accumulated in the nucleus. These data suggest that EdCIITA not only competes with the wild-type protein for the binding to MHC II promoters but sequesters a critical co-factor of CIITA in the cytoplasm. CIITA also recruits the histone acetyltransferase cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) binding protein and positive transcription elongation factor b (p-TEFb) for the transcription of MHC II genes. Dominant-negative p300 (DNp300) or CDK9 (DNCDK9) proteins inhibited the function of CIITA and of the DRA promoter. Thus, combinations of EdCIITA and DNp300 and/or DNCDK9 proteins extinguished the transcription of MHC II genes. They might become useful for future genetic therapeutic approaches in organ transplantation and autoimmune diseases.

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Production efficiency of vacancy-type defects induced in neutron-irradiated silicon carbide single crystals (4H and 6H SiC) is observed as a function of irradiation temperature. The crystals were irradiated at several temperatures (20, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 370 K) using the low temperature irradiation-loop facility of Kyoto University Reactor. In the irradiated crystals, a broad absorption band at 780 nm was observed. The origin of the 780 nm band was attributed to the Si vacancy defect (VSi-type center) because it has similar annealing behavior as a paramagnetic center consisting of a Si vacancy that was identified by electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement. The defect concentration of the VSi-type centers was estimated using the Smakula formula from the absorption intensity of the 780 nm band. The production efficiency of the VSi-type center in SiC crystals irradiated at several temperatures has a maximum at about 200 K. The characterization of the irradiation temperature dependence of the VSi-type center is extremely different from that of MgO or Al2O3which has a steep negative gradient from 20 to 400 K.

Abstract: We report a case of a rare inflammatory disease, granulomatous lobular mastitis. Two weeks prior to admission the patient, a 43 year-old woman, (gravida 1, para 1) had noticed a left breast mass associated with tenderness. Palpation, gross inspection, and clinical examination, as well as the rapid growth of the mass lesion led us to believe that it was highly suspicious of malignant neoplasm. Mammography, ultrasonography, and computed tomography did not differentiate it from a malignant neoplasm. Aspiration cytology revealed an inflammatory lesion with a few clusters of epithelial cells it was diagnosed as borderline malignancy(class III) by a prudent pathologist, and thus mastectomy was performed. However, the final histologi-cal diagnosis was granulomatous lobular mastitis with no evidence of malignancy. As the clinical manifestations of granulomatous mastitis are similar to those of mammary carcinoma and, as it is an inflammatory lesion of uncertain etiology and pathogenesis, it has often been mistaken clinically for carcinoma and treated as such. Our review of the literature indicated that granulomatous mastitis most often occurs in young patients with a history of childbirth or oral contraceptive usage. Recurrence was documented in 38% of patients, and, accordingly long-term follow-up by aspiration cytology, complete resection, and adequate drug treatment with corticosteroids are recommended.

This study aimed to investigate load distribution and forearm muscle activity from strong to weak grip strength, using a cylindrical device (Grip Sensor®®). We invited 15 students and measured the pressure distribution and forearm muscle activity during grip tasks at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% maximum voluntary force (MVF). Pressure data from the Grip Sensor® were assigned to seven anatomical regions; the sum of the data from the seven regions (Total force) and proportionate load distribution for each grip task were calculated. Electromyography recorded activity in the extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL), flexor carpi radialis (FCR), extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) and flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) muscles. Forearm muscle activity increased significantly with grip strength (p < 0.05). The load proportion corresponding to the thumb did not significantly change with increasing strength. On the other hand, the fingertip ratio significantly decreased, and the palm ratio significantly increased with increasing strength (p < 0.05). The Grip Sensor®®showed a shift in the load distribution in the hand from fingertips to palm as grip strength increased. This result indicates that more detailed evaluations of hand function may be possible.

In this paper, the NO-to-NO2conversion in various gaseous mixtures is experimentally investigated. Streamer coronas are produced with a dc-superimposed high-frequency ac power supply (10–60 kHz). According to NOxremoval experiments in N2+NOxand N2+O2+NOxgaseous mixtures, it is supposed that the reverse reaction NO2+O→NO+O2may not only limit NO2production in N2+NOxmixtures, but also increase the energy cost for NO removal. Oxygen could significantly suppress reduction reactions and enhance oxidation processes. The reduction reactions, such as N+NO→N2+O, induce negligible NO removal provided the O2concentration is larger than 3.6%. With adding H2O into the reactor, the produced NO2per unit removed NO can be significantly reduced due to NO2oxidation. NH3injection could also significantly decrease the produced NO2via NH and NH2- related reduction reactions. Almost 100% of NO2can be removed in gaseous mixtures of N2+O2+H2O+NO2with negligible NO production.

Abstract: · Background: Eosinophilic granuloma of the soft tissue, Kimura’s disease, is a benign slow-growing tumor that is manifested clinically by one or more inflammatory nodules involving mainly the face and scalp, but rarely the eye. · Case report: The patient was a 32-year-old male with swelling of the left lower eyelid, marked peripheral blood eosinophilia and increased serum immunogloblin E. MRI revealed swelling of all rectus muscles of the left eye, but no tumor mass. Corticosteroid treatment reduced the swelling of the eyelid, but it recurred after corticosteroid was discontinued. Eight years later the patient returned with a complaint of increased swelling of the left lower eyelid. An elastic, nontender, soft tumor mass was palpable subcutaneously in the left lower eyelid extending into the orbit. MRI revealed a tumor mass in the left orbital space. The parotid gland was also swollen and palpable. Both tumors were resected surgically, and histopathological study revealed prominent proliferation of lymphoid follicles with germinal centers showing interfollicular infiltration by eosinophils. The pathological findings in the parotid gland were similar. The diagnosis was Kimura’s disease. · Conclusion: This patient is unique in that he had no tumor at the first examination, only swelling of the rectus muscles, and a tumor mass appeared many years later. Unilateral swelling of the rectus muscles may be one of the first signs of Kimura’s disease. Not only tumor but also swelling of the rectus muscles limited ocular movement.

FAK, focal adhesion kinase, is expressed in a variety of cell types and has been suggested to transduce signals brought about by integrin-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. Integrin stimulation increases tyrosine phosphorylation and activity of FAK in all the cells examined to date. In contrast, in thymocytes stimulation of VLA-4 (α₄β₁) and LFA-1 (α_Lβ₂) resulted in a marked decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation and activity of FAK.Copyright 1995, 1999 Academic Press, Inc.

Sixty-seven patients had hilar cholangiocarcinomas which were divided into 3 types based on tumor morphology as observed on cholangiography and CT. The pathology, vascularity, and pattern of tumor spread of these types were compared. Most of the infiltrative tumors (n = 44) were scirrhous adenocarcinomas, which on CT showed poor or no contrast enhancement with frequent lymph node metastases and liver atrophy. At angiography, there was vascular encasement in 52%, in rare cases neovascularity, and tumor stain. The exophytic type (n = 19) was divided into 2 subgroups depending on the main location of the tumor. The nodular subtype (n = 16) was mainly inside the liver and somewhat hypervascular similar to peripheral cholangiocarcinoma, often with intrahepatic metastases. The periductal subtype (n = 3) was hypovascular, similar to the infiltrative cholangiocarcinoma, and had a tendency to spread along the portal vein. The intraductal type (n = 4) was observed as a filling defect on cholangiography. CT revealed an intraluminal low density mass. Histologically, they were papillary adenocarcinomas. The radiologic types of hilar cholangiocarcinoma showed different characteristics with regard to pathologic findings, vascularity, and pattern of spread.

Low alloy steel plates with heavy sections for pressure vessels of direct desulfurization unit and nuclear reactor were produced by basic oxygen process instead of the conventional electric furnace process. There was a decrease of impurity and residual elements which increase susceptibility to neutron irradiation embrittlement and temper embrittlement. Productivity also increased by this process. Various properties of the plates thus manufactured were evaluated in comparison with those of electric furnace plates. It was found as a result that the basic oxygen process produces an improved notch toughness for use in nuclear reactor pressure vessels, and approximately the same levels of properties for application to desulfurization-purpose pressure vessels, compared with the electric furnace process in which BOP return scrap was also used especially.

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a novel non-receptor protein tyrosine kinase implicated in transducing signals from cell surface receptors. Its association with Fyn, a member of the Src family of tyrosine kinases, has been observed in cell lines. To examine in vivo the interaction between these two proteins, Fyn-deficient mice were bred with fak heterozygous mutants (Fak deficiency is embryonic lethal). A majority of animals with the double mutation (fyn-/- fak+/-) displayed a transient impairment in thymocyte development at four weeks of age. However, all of them developed skin abnormalities at the age of 8-12 months. The most prominent among abnormalities was a greatly increased number and size of sebaceous glands. Also, the epidermis was thickened and hyperkeratotic. These observations would suggest involvement of Fyn and FAK in keratinocyte differentiation.

Fruit bats are an animal model for the neurologic damage which occurs in vitamin B12-deficient humans. Cobalamin (vitamin B12) analogs were not detected in the plasma of fruit bats treated with nitrous oxide (N2O), which inactivates cobalamin. This observation does not lend support to the suggestion that the neurological changes associated with cobalamin inactivation by N2O and/or cobalamin deficiency per se may be related to the accumulation of cobalamin analogs. However, although the plasma of control fruit bats lacked analogs, we did find analogs in their livers, at levels about 10% of total liver corrinoids, similar to human liver analog levels.

p59fyn is an Src family nonreceptor tyrosine kinase that has been suggested to play an important role in T-cell development and function. p125FAK is a unique nonreceptor tyrosine kinase and has been known to respond to integrin-extracellular matrix interactions. To examine their roles in thymocytes, heterozygous fak mutation was introduced into homozygous Fyn deficiency. The double mutation, but neither Fyn deficiency nor FAK heterozygosity alone, displayed impaired development of CD4+CD8+ thymocytes with atrophy of the thymic cortex, suggesting a unique cooperation between p59fyn and p125FAK in CD4+CD8+ T-cell development.

Sixty-seven patients had hilar cholangiocarcinomas which were divided into 3 types based on tumor morphology as observed on cholangiography and CT. The pathology, vascularity, and pattern of tumor spread of these types were compared. Most of the infiltrative tumors (n 44) were scirrhous adenocarcinomas, which on CT showed poor or no contrast enhancement with frequent lymph node metastases and liver atrophy. At angiography, there was vascular encasement in 52, in rare cases neovascularity, and tumor stain. The exophytic type (n 19) was divided into 2 subgroups depending on the main location of the tumor. The nodular subtype (n 16) was mainly inside the liver and somewhat hypervascular similar to peripheral cholangiocarcinoma, often with intrahepatic metastases. The periductal subtype (n 3) was hypovascular, similar to the infiltrative cholangiocarcinoma, and had a tendency to spread along the portal vein. The intraductal type (n 4) was observed as a filling defect on cholangiography. CT revealed an intraluminal low density mass. Histologically, they were papillary adenocarcinomas. The radiologic types of hilar cholangiocarcinoma showed different characteristics with regard to pathologic findings, vascularity, and pattern of spread.

Enzyme assays for β-glucosidase, β-acetylglucosaminidase, phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, and proteinase were made in soil samples incubated for two months after contamination with trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and dichloromethane. These volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons were added at doses of 10, 100, and 1000 μg per 100 g dry soil, respectively. Almost no effect was observed in soil sample contaminated with 10 μg of the chemicals when compared with control soil. When 100 μg of the volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons was added, the activity of β-glucosidase, β-acetylglucosaminidase and, in part, also of proteinase, was reduced during the first 28 days of incubation but returned to the same or slightly higher level than in the control soil after 2 months. Trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, and dichloromethane at a concentration of 1000 μg per 100 g soil primarily inhibited activity of all enzymes under test. However, after two months, the enzymatic activities especially in soil samples contaminated with tetrachloroethylene and dichloromethane were found to be at the same or higher level than in the control soil.

Abstract: Background: Percutaneous gastrostomy in patients with a partial gastrectomy is rarely performed because the gastric remnants are generally small, positioned high subcostally, and overlaid by the transverse colon and the left lobe of the liver.Methods: We performed percutaneous transhepatic feeding gastrostomy in four patients with a partial gastrectomy whose conditions precluded oral feeding. The gastric remnant was punctured with a 22-gauge percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography needle through the left lobe of the liver with computed tomography guidance and following tract dilation over the guidewire 8 or 9F. Cope loop catheters were fluoroscopically placed.Results: No obvious complications were encountered during the procedures. The catheter feedings were continued for 2 to 7 months without any serious problems.Conclusions: We conclude this technique can be performed easily and may be safe because of the presence of the adhesion between the remnant and the liver, which prevents a massive hemorrhage or the displacement of the catheters.

The microbial activity at the soil-root interface (rhizosphere) of barley was examined using a rhizobox system. In this system, the soil was placed in several compartments separated from each other by a 500-mesh nylon cloth. Plants were grown in the central compartment and after a 2-month growing period the roots were still confined to this compartment. The soil from each compartment was then analyzed for ATP, NO3/-, total N, total C and CO2 production. The increase in ATP concentration was found in a range of 4 mm around the roots. The ATP content and CO2 production across the rhizosphere were correlated in all the soils used, but changes in NO3- were not correlated with ATP changes. The range of NO3- change was wider than that of the ATP change, indicating that NO3- production is not influenced by the biological activity in the rhizosphere.

Erythropoietin (Epo) is a glycoprotein factor that specifically regulates the proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells. Here we describe the isolation of Epo-responsive mouse erythroleukemia cell line SKT6, the characterization of the specific binding of biologically active 125I-labeled human Epo (125I-Epo) to its membrane receptor, and, finally, report information concerning the molecular structure of the receptor. About 75% of erythroid colony-forming precursor cell-like colonies derived from SKT6 cells were hemoglobin-positive after 3- to 4-day exposure to Epo in methylcellulose culture. Radioiodinated Epo bound specifically to SKT6 cells, and Scatchard analysis of the data showed a high affinity for 125I-Epo (Kd = 0.15 nM) but displayed only a small number of specific receptors (approximately equal to 470 per cell). Membrane components that specifically interact with 125I-Epo were identified by covalent crosslinking with disuccinimidyl suberate, and three receptor species with apparent Mr 63,000, 94,000, and 119,000 were found in membrane from SKT6 cells, suggesting the complex structure of the receptor molecules. Specific bindings were also detected in all of the Epo-unresponsive Friend erythroleukemia cells examined, and cross-linking study revealed the presence of only the 63,000 species as a binding site.

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (aminotriazole) competitively inhibits the activity of imidazoleglycerolphosphate dehydratase, the product of the HIS3 gene. Wild-type strains are able to grow in the presence of 10 mM aminotriazole because they induce the level of imidazoleglycerolphosphate dehydratase. However, strains containing gcn4 mutations are unable to grow in medium containing aminotriazole because they lack the GCN4 transcriptional activator protein necessary for the coordinate induction of HIS3 and other amino acid biosynthetic genes. Here, we isolated a new gene, designated ATR1, which when present in multiple copies per cell allowed gcn4 mutant strains to grow in the presence of aminotriazole. In wild-type strains, multiple copies of ATR1 permitted growth at extremely high concentrations of aminotriazole (80 mM), whereas a chromosomal deletion of ATR1 caused growth inhibition at very low concentrations (5 mM). When radioactive aminotriazole was added exogenously, cells with multiple copies of ATR1 accumulated less aminotriazole than wild-type cells, whereas cells with the atr1 deletion mutation retained more aminotriazole. Unlike the mammalian mdr or yeast PDR genes that confer resistance to many drugs, ATR1 appears to confer resistance only to aminotriazole. Genetic analysis, mRNA mapping, and DNA sequencing revealed that (i) the primary translation product of ATR1 contains 547 amino acids, (ii) ATR1 transcription is induced by aminotriazole, and (iii) the ATR1 promoter region contains a binding site for the GCN4 activator protein. The deduced amino acid sequence suggests that ATR1 protein is very hydrophobic with many membrane-spanning regions, has several potential glycosylation sites, and may contain an ATP-binding site. We suggest that ATR1 encodes a membrane-associated component of the machinery responsible for pumping aminotriazole (and possibly other toxic compounds) out of the cell.

A soil sample from the Ap horizon of an arable brown soil was fractionated by wet sieving, and seven size fractions of organic and mineral soil particles were separated. The organic fractions formed only 2.2% of the soil dry mass, but contained 41.5 and 29.12% of the total soil content of carbon and nitrogen, respectively, and thus represented an important reservoir of readily utilizable nutrients. Organic particles also accumulated most of the soil enzyme activities, determined asβ-glucosidase,β-acetylglucosaminidase, and proteinase activity. The highest counts of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi per gram of the soil fractions were obtained with the organic particles, but for the most part microorganisms accumulated in the silt-clay fraction. All soil fractions except the coarsest organic particles contained higher counts of oligotrophic bacteria than copiotrophic ones. Microbial counts, ATP contents, and enzyme activities decreased significantly with decrease in size of the organic soil particles, and increased with decrease in size of the mineral soil particles. Thus, the coarse organic particles >5 mm and the silt-clay fraction <0.05 mm represent the sites with the highest concentrations of microorganisms, ATP contents, and enzyme activities in the arable brown soil under test.