Search

ObjectiveTo describe neurological outcomes after sudden cardiac arrests (SCAs) in road and long-distance races using a rapid mobile automated external defibrillator system (RMAEDS) intervention.MethodsA total of 42 SCAs from 3 214 701 runners in 334 road and long-distance races from 1 February 2007 to 29 February 2020 were examined. Demographics, SCA interventions, EMS-related data and SCA-related outcomes were measured. Primary endpoints were favourable neurological outcomes (Cerebral Performance Categories 1–2) at 1-month and 1-year post-SCA. Secondary endpoints were factors related to the field return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and resuscitation characteristics, including the initial ECG waveform classification and resuscitation sequence times according to the initial ECG rhythm.ResultsThe SCA incidence rate was 1.31 per 100 000 runners (age: median (IQR), 51 (36.5, 58.3) years). Field ROSC and full neurological recovery at 1-month post-SCA was achieved 90.4% and 92.9% of cases, respectively. In 22 cases in which bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated within 1 min and defibrillation performed within 3 min, full neurological recovery was achieved at 1-month and 1-year post-SCA in 95.5.% and 95.5% of cases, respectively.ConclusionsThe RMAEDS successfully treated patients with SCA during road and long-distance races yielding a high survival rate and favourable neurological outcomes. These findings support rapid intervention and the proper placement of healthcare teams along the race course to initiate chest compressions within 1 min and perform defibrillation within 3 min.

A scenario-based serious game for teaching about healthcare solutions was developed and tested in multiple iterations. The serious game captures the complexity of a real-world healthcare scenario, projecting it into a “scenario system” that can be accessed by the game participants to explore and experience the playthrough of a critical healthcare situation. The aim is to teach about existing health technology, and its uses and interactions between healthcare professionals, technologies, and patients. The platform for the serious game is mobile, such that different locations can be chosen for different scenarios. Actions of the participants trigger further actions, tasks, and storyline progress in the scenario so that a self-paced experience with defined dynamics can be created for the participants. The scenario-based serious game was tested with high school students and senior citizens in multiple iterations.

1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EmimAc), an excellent solvent for cellulosic biomass, is expected to be utilized in chemical conversion, such as in biomass acetylation with acetic anhydride. The corresponding carboxylic acid, acetic acid (AcH), is quantitatively generated as a byproduct and should be separated from EmimAc for recycling. However, the strong interaction between EmimAc and AcH makes their separation difficult under moderate conditions. This study examined the efficacy of protic solvents in distillation and extraction to weaken this interaction through solvation or hydrogen-bonding interactions. The separation efficiency of AcH from EmimAc via distillation increased as the boiling point of the protic solvent increased. Water addition was more effective than the addition of alcohols with boiling points similar to those of water such as 1-propanol and 2-butanol. Furthermore, the favorable effect of water addition on the extraction of AcH was confirmed using common organic solvents, such as diisopropyl ether, diethyl ether, and ethyl acetate. The partition coefficient (α) of AcH between the aqueous and organic phases increased with an increasing dielectric constant of the organic solvent, whereas the α value of EmimAc decreased. Repeated treatments in both distillation and extraction facilitated the complete separation of AcH from EmimAc.

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells critical for protective immune responses against infection and cancer. Although NK cells differentiate in the bone marrow (BM) in an interleukin-15 (IL-15)-dependent manner, the cellular source of IL-15 remains elusive. Using NK cell reporter mice, we show that NK cells are localized in the BM in scattered and clustered manners. NK cell clusters overlap with monocyte and dendritic cell accumulations, whereas scattered NK cells require CXCR4 signaling. Using cell-specific IL-15-deficient mice, we show that hematopoietic cells, but not stromal cells, support NK cell development in the BM through IL-15. In particular, IL-15 produced by monocytes and dendritic cells appears to contribute to NK cell development. These results demonstrate that hematopoietic cells are the IL-15 niche for NK cell development in the BM and that BM NK cells are present in scattered and clustered compartments by different mechanisms, suggesting their distinct functions in the immune response.

The effects of support conditions to the post-buckling behaviors of rod structures made of Axially Functionally Graded Material (AFGM) are presented. The material property of the rod member is assumed to vary linearly in the axis direction of the member. The non-linear material property of the rod element is formulated in the Finite Element context. The consistent shape functions for the rod element were developed to take into account the varying material property in the finite element formulation. The geometrically non-linear behavior of the rod element is formulated in the context of the updated co-rotational formulation. The non-linear equilibrium equations are solved by using the incremental and iterative procedures in combination with the arc-length control method. The influences of the material distribution on the post-buckling behaviors of the AFGM Williams’ toggle frames under various support conditions are highlighted. As a result, the graded between two materials can increase the post-buckling behaviors of the AFGM rod element regardless of the types of support conditions. The orientation of material distributions combined with the type of support condition can increase the performance of the rod element. The fixed-fixed support condition showed the highest performance of the AFGM rod element.

This study proposes a novel method of manufacturing composite vibration-damping steel sheet with Zn-22Al superplastic alloy using friction stir forming (FSF). Trials of mechanical interlocking of steel sheet with Zn-22Al superplastic alloy using FSF were carried out on a modified milling machine. The results are discussed in terms of residual microstructures and mechanical properties. We concluded that cladding steel sheet with Zn-22Al superplastic alloy using FSF results in superplastic forming and diffusion bonding.

The microenvironments, in which B lymphocytes develop in fetal liver, are largely still unknown. Among the nonhematopoietic cells, we have identified and FACS‐separated two subpopulations, CD45−TER119−VCAM‐1+cells that are either CD105highLYVE‐1highor CD105lowALCAMhigh. Immunohistochemical analyses find three of four c‐Kit+IL‐7Rα+B220lowCD19−SLC−B progenitors in contact with vascular endothelial‐type LYVE‐1highcells on embryonic day 13.5. One day later c‐Kit+IL‐7Rα+cells develop to CD19− and +, SLC‐expressing, DHJH‐rearranged pre/pro and pro/preB‐I cells. Less than 10% are still in contact with LYVE‐1highcells, but half of them are now in contact with mesenchymally derived ALCAMhighliver cells. All of these ALCAMhighcells, but not the LYVE‐1highcells produce IL‐7 and CXCL12, while both produce CXCL10. Progenitors and pro/preB‐I cells are chemoattracted in vitro toward CXCL10 and 12, suggesting that lymphoid progenitors with Ig gene loci in germline configuration enter the developing fetal liver at E13.5 from vascular endothelium, attracted by CXCL10, and then migrate within a day to an ALCAMhighliver cell microenvironment, differentiating to DHJH‐rearranging, surrogate light chain‐expressing pre/proB and pro/preB‐I cells, attracted by CXCL10 and 12. Between E15.5 and E16.5 preB‐I cells expand 10‐fold in continued contact with ALCAMhighcells and begin VH‐ to DHJH‐rearrangements in further differentiated c‐Kit−IL‐7Rα−preBII cells. STEMCells2013;31:2800–2812

Mobile internet access has become an important technology to our life. According to this trend, search engines have been providing search services for mobile phones. Since a mobile phone has a limited interface, such as a small screen and keypad, even simple interactions are burdensome for users. Therefore, to provide comfortable web browsing experience, efforts on HCI aspect are also essential. In this paper, we describe our studies that tackle this problem by HCI-based approach. We propose systems that reduce the number of operations on inputting a query to a search engine, enable clipping and saving a web content, and assist cooperative web search conducted by multiple mobile users.

Along with the fast development of sensor hardware, traditional scalar sensor nodes are now provided with both multimedia and mobility functions. By observing this emerging combination of these two functions into traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs), we take the opportunity in this paper to highlight a subset of WSNs, which we name as ‘mobile multimedia sensor networks’ (MMSNs). Furthermore, we present a number of challenging issues that may appear in MMSNs in terms of enhancing diverse quality of services (QoS) and prolonging the network lifetime for both WSNs and multimedia communication research communities.

Due to advances in mobile phones, mobile Web browsing has become increasingly popular. In this regard, small screens and poor input capabilities of mobile phones prevent users from comfortably browsing Web pages that are designed for desktop PCs. One of the serious problems of mobile Web browsing is that users often get lost in a Web page and can only view a small portion of a Web page at a time, not able to grasp the entire page’s structure to decide which direction their information of interest is located. To solve this problem, an effective technique is to present an overview of the page. Although prior studies adopted the conventional style of overview, that is, a scaled-down image of the page, this is not sufficient because users cannot see details of the contents. Therefore, in this paper, the authors present annotations on a Web page that provides a functionality which automatically scrolls the page. Results of a user experiment show that annotations are informative for users who want to find contents from a large Web page.

It has become common to search for information on the web using cellular phones. However, since cellular phones only have numerical keys for inputting characters, users have to conduct laborious operations to input a keyword for a web search. In our previous work, we assumed information devices equipped with pointing devices and proposed a Click-Search method that enables users to perform a keyword search simply by pointing to and clicking on the desired word on a web page. This approach might be effective for web searches using cellular phones. However, since many cellular phones only have a direction pad as a pointing device, users still have to conduct laborious operations using the pad to move a pointer and point to a word. To solve this problem, we propose a Click-Search interface for cellular phone users that uses an expanding circle to select a word for a search. Using this interface, users can specify a keyword simply by pushing a few buttons.

AbstractThe firmness of buckwheat noodles plays an important role in its palatability. We investigated the effects of artificial sprouting after harvest and preharvest sprouting in the field of buckwheat grains on the firmness of cooked buckwheat noodles by measuring the force required to compress the cooked noodles. Sprouting significantly decreased the peak force and peak strain to compress cooked noodles, suggesting that sprouting lowers the palatability of cooked buckwheat noodles. Sprouting significantly decreased the force needed to compress cooked noodles largely, suggesting that the cooked noodles made from sprouting grains lead to the perception of less resistance to completely cut off by mastication.

AbstractPreharvest sprouting of buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentumMoench) is an important problem, but cultivar differences in preharvest sprouting and their causes have not been investigated. We detected cultivar differences under natural field conditions. Preharvest sprouting of three cultivars was significantly lower than that of the current main cultivar. Seeds collected before rainfall were threshed and incubated on a wet filter paper in a petri dish for 10 days at 10, 20, 30 and 40ºC in the dark, or at an alternating light and temperature condition of 8 h light at 30ºC and 16 h darkness at 20ºC. Germination was promoted by a higher temperature except for 40ºC, suggesting that the risk of preharvest sprouting in buckwheat is higher at a relatively higher temperature. The risk of preharvest sprouting in the field was highly correlated with germination at 20ºC (r= 0.98***) and 30ºC (r= 0.99***) in the dark, suggesting that germination test can be used to predict preharvest sprouting in the field. Preharvest sprouting was significantly correlated (r = −0.77**) with main stem length, suggesting that ecotype is partly responsible for this phenomenon.

AbstractRain before harvest often causes buckwheat to sprout. Preharvest sprouting reduces the processing suitability of buckwheat flour. We examined the effects of preharvest sprouting on buckwheat flour quality by rapid visco-analysis (RVA) of milled sprouting grains of six buckwheat cultivars. Both artificial and natural rainfall increased the frequency of sprouting and decreased pasting viscosity. The difference in pasting viscosity between sprouting and non-sprouting buckwheat grains was not decreased by adding wheat flour. These results suggest that the mechanical characteristics of dough and boiled noodle may be affected by flour made from sprouting grains. Differing responses of the cultivars to rainfall indicate that higher pasting viscosity could be achieved by using cultivars that are resistant to preharvest sprouting caused by rain.

Stromal cells in lymphoid tissues provide microenvironmental fields required for the triggering of efficient immune responses. Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) are one of the integral constituents of such stromal fields; they construct the reticular network and are considered to regulate immune cells' behavior. However, the factors that mediate the interaction between lymphocytes and FRCs are poorly understood. Here we show that a mouse lymph node (LN)-derived FRC cell line, BLS4, expresses a transmembrane chemokine, CXC chemokine ligand (CXCL) 16, in response to tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and IFNγ. TNFα-induced expression of CXCL16 depends on NFκB, p38 MAPK and PKA. Matrix metalloproteinase activity is required for producing soluble CXCL16 in the culture supernatant, likely via shedding at the juxtamembrane region of the extracellular domain. IL-12 enhances the expression of CXCR6 in anti-CD3/CD28-stimulated CD8+ T cells and their adhesion to the BLS4 cell surface in a TNFα-dependent fashion. The adherence is significantly inhibited in the presence of both anti-CXCL16 and anti-vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) antibodies. CXCL16 expression is also detected in the FRCs in LN sections and in gp38+VCAM-1+ FRCs isolated from LNs. Taken together, these findings suggest that CXCL16 is an important mediator of lymphocyte–stromal interaction within lymphoid tissues.

AbstractRice plants (Oryza sativaL.) were grown under normal (350 µL L-1CO2) and CO2-enriched (660 µL L-1CO2) conditions, and 13CO2was supplied to the rice plants after heading to examine the translocation and partitioning of photosynthate at the early grain-filling stage. At 2 days after supplying 13CO2, no difference in the 13C content of the whole plant was observed between the plants grown under normal and CO2-enriched conditions, but translocation of 13C from the leaf blade to other plant organs seemed to be accelerated by CO2enrichment. Up to 9 days after supplying, 13CO2fixed into sucrose was mainly used to synthesize starch in the stem rather than translocated to the ear in plants grown under normal conditions. In contrast, the supplied 13C was rapidly translocated to the ear, and 13C stored as starch in the stem was also translocated to the ear in plants grown under CO2-enriched conditions. Therefore, we concluded that CO2enrichment accelerated the translocation of carbohydrates to the ear.

The sophisticated microarchitecture of the lymph node, which is largely supported by a reticular network of fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) and extracellular matrix, is essential for immune function. How FRCs form the elaborate network and remodel it in response to lymphocyte activation is not understood. In this work, we established ERTR7+gp38+VCAM-1+ FRC lines and examined the production of the ER-TR7 antigen. Multiple chemokines produced by FRCs induced T cell and dendritic cell chemotaxis and adhesion to the FRC surface. FRCs can secrete the ER-TR7 antigen as an extracellular matrix component to make a reticular meshwork in response to contact with lymphocytes. The formation of the meshwork is induced by stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-α or lymphotoxin-α in combination with agonistic antibody to lymphotoxin-β receptor in a nuclear factor-κB (RelA)–dependent manner. These findings suggest that signals from lymphocytes induce FRCs to form the network that supports the movement and interactions of immune effectors within the lymph node.

For efficient adaptive immunity, the lymph nodes (LNs) are equipped with a strategically organized microarchitecture, which is largely supported by the reticular network (RN). The RN can be clearly visualized by fluorescence immunohistochemistry coupled with confocal imaging using a monoclonal antibody, ER-TR7, and can be subdivided into four structurally distinct regions, each of which correlates well with the location of distinct immune cell subsets. In addition, we noticed a characteristic reticular structure designated the ‘cortical ridge’ at the boundary of the T and B zone, in which dendritic cells are preferentially accumulated. In vitro adhesion assays of frozen sections demonstrated a preference of dendritic cells for the cortical ridge rather than the deeper cortex. Adoptive transfer experiments also demonstrated that antigen-bearing dendritic cells migrated to this region from peripheral tissues, especially in the vicinity of the high endothelial venules, and were anchored on the reticular fibers waiting to interact with the antigen-specific T cells. Taken together, the findings obtained in this study provide new insights into how the LN stromal reticulum works as a specialized ‘immuno-platform’ for tissue compartmentalization and the immune response.

To improve data accessibility in ad hoc networks, in our previous work we proposed three methods of replicating data items by considering the data access frequencies from mobile nodes to each data item and the network topology. In this paper, we extend our previously proposed methods to consider the correlation among data items. Under these extended methods, the data priority of each data item is de-fined based on the correlation among data items, and data items are replicated at mobile nodes with the data priority. We employ simulations to show that the extended methods are more efficient than the original ones.

In ad hoc networks, since mobile hosts move freely, network division occurs frequently, and thus data accessibility is lower than that in conventional fixed networks. In this paper, assuming an environment where each data item is periodically updated, we propose three replica allocation methods to improve data accessibility by replicating data items on mobile hosts. In these three methods, we take into account the access frequency from mobile hosts to each data item, the status of the network connection, and the time remaining until each item is updated next. We also show the results of simulation experiments regarding the performance evaluation of our proposed methods. We further extend the proposed methods to adapt to an environment where aperiodic data updates occur.

AbstractTo investigate whether increased sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS) activity alters photosynthetic activity and/or the export of carbon from leaves under elevated C02partial pressure ([C02]), we raised two lines of transgenic rice (H54-9 and H69-7), each overexpressing a maize SPS gene, and wild-type rice under ambient [C02] (35 Pa) and elevated [0O2] (100 Pa). Under ambient [C02], no significant difference was observed between the transgenic and wild-type plants in the levels of sucrose or starch in leaves or the photosynthetic activity; but the carbon export rate was higher in H69-7 than in the wild-type. Under elevated [C02], photosynthetic activity increased in all plants, but the accumulation of starch was significantly repressed in H54-9, whose SPS activity was about 12.5 times higher than that of the wild-type. The carbon export rate was higher in both transgenic lines than the wild-type. We considered that increased SPS activity in rice plants would promote the export of carbon from leaves and, as a result, starch accumulation in the leaves would be suppressed and/or photosynthetic activity would be promoted under elevated [CO2].

We analyzed differences in the transendothelial migration (TEM) ability of T-helper (Th)-1 and Th2 cells across a murine endothelial cell line (F-2) under static conditions. The TEM abilities of Th1 cells from mice bearing autoimmune diseases and antigen-specific Th1 cell lines were severalfold higher than those of Th2 cells and lines of the same origin. These preferences were observed without exogenous chemoattractant and were insensitive to pertussis toxin, which completely blocks TEM induced by exogenous chemoattractants. Antibodies against LFA-1 and ICAM-1 as well as CD44 markedly blocked the TEM of Th1 cells. TEM ability was also blocked by pharmacological inhibitors of Src family protein-tyrosine kinases (PP2 and herbimycin A), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (wortmannin), and phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (U73122). Cross-linking of CD44 strongly induced highly elongated morphology in Th1 lines, but weakly in Th2 lines. The pharmacological inhibitors that blocked TEM also inhibited this morphological change, whereas pertussis toxin did not. These data indicate that there are signaling pathways for TEM independent of chemokine attraction, but through adhesion molecules including CD44, and that the preferential TEM ability of Th1 over Th2 cells is formed, at least in part, by intrinsic differences in these pathways.

Recently, there has been increasing interest in information systems that deliver data using broadcast in both wired and wireless environments. The strategy in which a server repeatedly broadcasts data to clients can result in a larger throughput, and various methods have been studied to reduce the average response time to data requests in such systems. In this paper, we propose a strategy for scheduling the broadcast program which takes into account the correlation among data items. This strategy puts data items with strong correlation side by side in the broadcast program in order to reduce the average response time. We also propose a caching strategy which extends a conventional caching strategy so that it can take advantage of correlation among broadcast data items for greater efficiency. Finally: we use simulation studies to evaluate the performance of our proposed strategies.

AbstractWe examined the feasibility of near-infrared (NIR) reflectance spectroscopy to estimate the contents of moisture, fat, and protein in the flours of common and tartary buckwheat harvested in 1996 and 1997. Multiple linear -regression analysis for NIR spectral and chemical data was carried out. The standard error of the prediction (SEP) for the samples harvested in 1996 was 0.22% for moisture, 0.06% for fat, and 0.21% for protein, when the calibration equations obtained from the analysis of common and tartary buckwheat were used. When the same calibration equations for the buckwheat flour harvested in 1997 were used, the correlation graphs between the reference values and the calculated values were skewed and biased. However, the relative values were sufficient for the selection based on the contents of the constituents, and the bias-corrected SEPs were 0.15% for moisture, 0.10% for fat, and 0.44% for protein. We also examined the feasibility of NIR spectroscopy to estimate the total polyphenol content and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity in the flours of common buckwheat harvested in 1998. The estimation error was acceptable for use in the selection of varieties with a higher activity. Using the NIR method, the contents of moisture, fat and protein, and physiological activity (total polyphenol content and DPPH radical-scavenging activity) in the buckwheat flours could be successfully estimated for a simple and rapid-breeding selection.

1,4-Dioxane, a persistent organic pollutant, was easily decomposed to methane and CO2under supercritical water gasification (SCWG) conditions (400 °C, 26 MPa) in the presence of a Ni or Ru catalyst. Charcoal-supported Ru catalyst achieved 100% decomposition of 0.01 M dioxane at 450 °C within 90 min. This catalyst was able to clear the current wastewater discharge limit of 0.5 mg L−1set by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment within 60 min reaction time at 400 °C for the same dioxane concentration and maintained its activity up to nine times of repeated usage. It is emphasized that the present process employs no chemical oxidants such as ozone or hydrogen peroxide.