Search

High temperatures occurring during flowering and early grain filling substantially decrease cereal yields. Drawing on accumulated evidence showing that, compared to air temperature (Ta), crop canopy temperature (Tc) better explains observed yield reductions caused by heat stress, we evaluated the usefulness of Tc versus Ta in designing high-temperature indicators for agrometeorological services, including crop monitoring and forecasting. The hot and dry environment of Sudan provides an ideal testbed. Tc was derived from the combined simulation of a crop model and a land surface model. Based on regressions linking the high-temperature indicators with irrigated wheat yield variations in 3 regions of Sudan over the last half-century, we found that using phenological periods rather than months for the wheat season (November to February), and using Tc rather than Ta, more effectively tracks the adverse effects of high temperature on yield during the key periods. The Tc-based indicators calculated for the key phenological periods have more robust multi-region applicability than the Ta-based indicators calculated for months and season, although they do not necessarily outperform the region-specific indicators in terms of explanatory power. We determined that the key periods were the vegetative growth period for the relatively cool region, and the reproductive growth period for the relatively hot regions. These findings suggest that agrometeorological services at the national and global levels should adopt Tc-based indicators, which will ultimately help players in global food systems adapt to climate change by preparing for wheat supply disruptions due to high-temperature extremes.

To investigate the clinical characteristics of feline acute lymphoblastic leukaemia patients diagnosed according to the recent diagnostic criteria for the equivalent canine condition.The medical records of six cats diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia were retrospectively reviewed to extract data on clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes. The lymphoid origin of the tumour cells was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction for antigen receptor gene rearrangement, flow cytometry or immunohistochemistry.Non-specific clinical signs such as lethargy and anorexia were common, and anaemia and thrombocytopenia were also commonly identified. Leucocytosis was observed in four cats and leucopenia was observed in two; the number of lymphoblasts in the peripheral blood samples varied among the cases. Lymphoblasts originated from B-cell lineage in four cats and T-cell lineage in one, and those of another cat were positive for both B-cell marker CD21 and T-cell marker CD8. Five of the six cats were treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy, and a partial response was obtained in two. The median overall survival was 55 days (range: 1 to 115).Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia should be considered if lymphoblasts are observed in peripheral blood, even if their number is small. The prognosis for cats that have acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is as poor as that for dogs, and further studies are needed to develop effective treatment.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2012 and 2013, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) undertook fact‐finding visits to several Asian countries, with a view to developing advice for small companion animal practitioners in Asia related to the administration of vaccines to dogs and cats. The VGG met with numerous first opinion practitioners, small animal association leaders, academic veterinarians, government regulators and industry representatives and gathered further information from a survey of almost 700 veterinarians in India, China, Japan and Thailand. Although there were substantial differences in the nature and magnitude of the challenges faced by veterinarians in each country, and also differences in the resources available to meet those challenges, overall, the VGG identified insufficient undergraduate and postgraduate training in small companion animal microbiology, immunology and vaccinology. In most of the countries, there has been little academic research into small animal infectious diseases. This, coupled with insufficient laboratory diagnostic support, has limited the growth of knowledge concerning the prevalence and circulating strains of key infectious agents in most of the countries visited. Asian practitioners continue to recognise clinical infections that are now considered uncommon or rare in western countries. In particular, canine rabies virus infection poses a continuing threat to animal and human health in this region. Both nationally manufactured and international dog and cat vaccines are variably available in the Asian countries, but the product ranges are small and dominated by multi‐component vaccines with a licensed duration of immunity (DOI) of only 1 year, or no description of DOI. Asian practitioners are largely unaware of current global trends in small animal vaccinology or of the WSAVA vaccination guidelines. Consequently, most practitioners continue to deliver annual revaccination with both core and non‐core vaccines to adult animals, with little understanding that “herd immunity” is more important than frequent revaccination of individual animals within the population. In this paper, the VGG presents the findings of this project and makes key recommendations for the Asian countries. The VGG recommends that (1) Asian veterinary schools review and increase as needed the amount of instruction in small animal vaccinology within their undergraduate curriculum and increase the availability of pertinent postgraduate education for practitioners; (2) national small animal veterinary associations, industry veterinarians and academic experts work together to improve the scientific evidence base concerning small animal infectious diseases and vaccination in their countries; (3) national small animal veterinary associations take leadership in providing advice to practitioners based on improved local knowledge and global vaccination guidelines; (4) licensing authorities use this enhanced evidence base to inform and support the registration of improved vaccine product ranges for use in their countries, ideally with DOI for core vaccines similar or equal to those of equivalent products available in western countries (i.e. 3 or 4 years). The VGG also endorses the efforts made by Asian governments, non‐governmental organisations and veterinary practitioners in working towards the goal of global elimination of canine rabies virus infection. In this paper, the VGG offers both a current pragmatic and future aspirational approach to small animal vaccination in Asia. As part of this project, the VGG delivered continuing education to over 800 Asian practitioners at seven events in four countries. Accompanying this document is a list of 80 frequently asked questions (with answers) that arose during these discussions. The VGG believes that this information will be of particular value to Asian veterinarians as they move towards implementing global trends in small companion animal vaccinology.

Summary We herein clarified the time course of changes in the serum high mobility group box chromosomal protein-1 (HMGB-1) concentrations in esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy, and investigated whether the perioperative serum HMGB-1 levels correlate with the administration of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) and the postoperative clinical course, especially the occurrence of pulmonary complications, in such patients. Sixty patients who underwent right transthoracic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were enrolled in this study. The relationship between the perioperative serum HMGB-1 levels and NACRT, and the postoperative severe pulmonary complications were evaluated. Patients with severe pulmonary complications (n = 44) tended to have undergone NACRT more often than those without severe pulmonary complications (n = 16). The preoperative and postoperative day 7 serum HMGB-1 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with severe pulmonary complications than those in patients without severe pulmonary complications. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, the use of NACRT and the preoperative elevations in the serum HMGB-1 levels (>4.2 ng/mL) were found to be significantly associated with pulmonary dysfunction. Furthermore, the response to NACRT was found to be significantly associated with the preoperative serum HMGB-1 levels. The use of NACRT contributes to preoperative serum HMGB-1 elevation, and these were risk factors for the occurrence of severe postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with esophageal cancer after thoracic esophagectomy.

The Japanese islands, situated in a tectonically unstable region with a highly variable geology, are exposed to high wave energy and microtidal environments in most locations. Rocky coasts are common, most having a steep cliff with coastal recession being primarily driven by wave erosion. A fundamental relationship between recession and wave force is obtained through reanalysis of previous laboratory data. On the basis of this relation a model is constructed for the development of type B platforms, that is, horizontal or subhorizontal platforms that have a steep scarp at the seaward edge. The process of wave attenuation on this type of platform and weathering-induced strength reduction of rocks are incorporated into the model. The model is applied to the southwestern coast of the Kii Peninsula and a platform at Ebisu-jima of the Izu Peninsula. Long-term development rates of platforms in the former area are examined: the model indicates that the rate of erosion when platforms were initiated at 6000 years BP is two orders of magnitude greater than present. At the Ebisu-jima platform, wave-induced erosion processes are explored on a daily basis: the model provides a description of temporal variations in platform growth, although the result is not fully satisfactory.

Rational scaling of design earthquake ground motions for tall buildings is essential for safer, risk-based design of tall buildings. This paper provides the structural designers with an insight for more rational scaling based on drift and input energy demands. Since a resonant sinusoidal motion can be an approximate critical excitation to elastic and inelastic structures under the constraint of acceleration or velocity power, a resonant sinusoidal motion with variable period and duration is used as an input wave of the near-field and far-field ground motions. This enables one to understand clearly the relation of the intensity normalization index of ground motion (maximum acceleration, maximum velocity, acceleration power, velocity power) with the response performance (peak interstory drift, total input energy). It is proved that, when the maximum ground velocity is adopted as the normalization index, the maximum interstory drift exhibits a stable property irrespective of the number of stories. It is further shown that, when the velocity power is adopted as the normalization index, the total input energy exhibits a stable property irrespective of the number of stories. It is finally concluded that the former property on peak drift can hold for the practical design response spectrum-compatible ground motions.

A novel thin film wattmeter based the magneto resistance effect is proposed. The new magnetic thin film wattmeter has a three-layered structure (conductor film-insulation film-magnetic film). It is reported that the electric power consumption in the load could be drawn from the voltage across the magnetic film along the current. Furthermore it is reported that a circle shaped magnetic thin film wattmeter shows the highest sensitivity by the results of computer simulation and the characteristic of the prototype sample. It is reported that the magnetic thin film wattmeter using the magnetic thin film was very useful as the embedded wattmeter into various electronic devices.

To reveal the relationship between canine corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase isoenzyme activity and hepatobiliary diseases.Retrospective analysis of the relationship between serum corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase activity and diagnosis, serum cortisol concentration and alanine transferase activity in dogs with hepatobiliary diseases. Dogs with a history of glucocorticoid administration were excluded.Seventy-two dogs with hepatobiliary diseases were analysed. The serum corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase concentration was increased in dogs with hepatobiliary diseases. There was no correlation between serum cortisol concentration and serum corticosteroid-induced alkaline phosphatase percentage or activity.Dogs with hepatobiliary disease can exhibit high serum alkaline phosphatase activity even if the dogs have not been administrated glucocorticoids and the serum cortisol concentration is normal.

Torenia fournieri is a good model plant to study fertilization in plants because it is easy to observe the fertilization process due to the protruding nature of the embryo sac. To study the location and movement of chromosomes and their centromeres in early embryogenesis of interspecific hybrid plants, we isolated two families of centromere-specific tandem repetitive sequences from T. fournieri and T. bailonii, and named them the “TCEN-family” and “BCEN-family”, respectively. Both sequences consisted of a repeat unit of 52 bp located in the pericentric and centric heterochromatins. All signals of both sequences were prominent, but their intensity varied among the chromosomes. DNA-blot hybridization indicated the presence of similar sequences of TCEN-family in T. concolor, N. caerulea, and “Summer Wave”, whereas the BCEN-family was found only in T. bailonii, thus indicating the wide or specific distribution of their repetitive families observed. We also applied whole-mount FISH to the interspecific hybrid embryos by using TCEN- and BCEN-family sequences as probes. Our results suggest that whole-mount FISH with the species-specific centromere sequences as probes is an ideal method to analyze the dynamics of chromosomes and centromeres in interspecific fertilization and early embryogenesis.

A new materials irradiation facility with improved control capabilities has been installed at the Kyoto University Reactor (KUR). Several deficiencies of conventional fission neutron material irradiation systems have been corrected. The specimen temperature is controlled both by an electric heater and by the helium pressure in the irradiation tube without exposure to neutrons at temperatures different from the design test conditions. The neutron spectrum is varied by the irradiation position. Irradiation dose is changed by pulling the irradiation capsule up and down during irradiation. Several characteristics of the irradiation field were measured. The typical irradiation intensity is 9.4×10 12 n/cm 2 s (>0.1 MeV) and the irradiation temperature of specimens is controllable from 363 to 773 K with a precision of ±2 K.

We herein clarified the time course of changes in the serum high mobility group box chromosomal protein-1 (HMGB-1) concentrations in esophageal cancer patients after esophagectomy, and investigated whether the perioperative serum HMGB-1 levels correlate with the administration of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy (NACRT) and the postoperative clinical course, especially the occurrence of pulmonary complications, in such patients. Sixty patients who underwent right transthoracic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were enrolled in this study. The relationship between the perioperative serum HMGB-1 levels and NACRT, and the postoperative severe pulmonary complications were evaluated. Patients with severe pulmonary complications (n = 44) tended to have undergone NACRT more often than those without severe pulmonary complications (n = 16). The preoperative and postoperative day 7 serum HMGB-1 concentrations were significantly higher in patients with severe pulmonary complications than those in patients without severe pulmonary complications. In the univariate and multivariate analyses, the use of NACRT and the preoperative elevations in the serum HMGB-1 levels (4.2 ng/mL) were found to be significantly associated with pulmonary dysfunction. Furthermore, the response to NACRT was found to be significantly associated with the preoperative serum HMGB-1 levels. The use of NACRT contributes to preoperative serum HMGB-1 elevation, and these were risk factors for the occurrence of severe postoperative pulmonary complications in patients with esophageal cancer after thoracic esophagectomy.

Objective: To investigate age-related changes in the host response to surgical stress. The clinical course, serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, monocyte production of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and monocyte expression of CD11b/CD18 were used as markers of the systemic response. Methods: Patients with gastric cancer, undergoing distal gastrectomy were divided into 2 groups: >75 years of age (elderly group) and ≤75 years of age (young group). Serum IL-6 levels, TNF-α production and CD11b/CD18 expression by monocytes, and the postoperative clinical course were compared between the 2 groups. Results: TNF-α production by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes and CD11b/CD18 expression on monocytes after surgical stress were significantly higher in the elderly than in the young group. Moreover, serum IL-6 levels on the first postoperative day in the elderly group were significantly higher than those in the young group. The incidence and duration of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) were significantly greater in the elderly than in the young group. Conclusions: The activation of monocytes and hypercytokinemia occur readily after surgical stress in the elderly and may therefore contribute to SIRS and increased susceptibility to postoperative complications.

A numerical simulation model of Merapi-type pyroclastic flow for predicting a potential hazardous area is given, and its applicability is examined by numerically reproducing actual phenomena that occurred in 1991 at Unzen Volcano, Kyushu Japan. Merapi-type pyroclastic flow arises from collapse of the lava dome whereby large lava blocks are crushed into smaller particles during movement down the steep slope. The early stage of flow (it may be called the debris avalanche stage), in which the dominant particles are coarser than about 1 mm in diameter, is considered as a grain (granular) flow. In an inertial grain flow particle collision stress plays an important role in the mechanism of flow, and the effect of gas emitted from the lava blocks is minimal. Most of the particles composing the inertial grain flow deposit over a comparatively short range on steep slope due to marked resistance within the flow. The remainder which is composed of mainly fine particles smaller than 1 mm continues to run down by a support of the upward flow of gas ejected from the material itself, thereby the resistance to flow becomes small. Thus, the pyroclastic flow stage in a narrow sense appears. The main body of the pyroclastic flow is composed of lower insufficiently fluidized layer (bottom layer) and upper fluidized layer in which the entire weight of the particles is supported by the upward gas flow. Sometimes, the fluidized layer cannot exist if gas emission is insufficient. As the slope down which the pyroclastic flow moves becomes milder downstream, the bottom layer deposits some solids because the driving force due to gravity within this layer becomes smaller than the resistance due to inter-particle contact. Then, a part of the fluidized layer, if exists, changes to a part of the bottom layer because of the shortage of the upward gas flow that is caused by deposition of the gas-emitting particles upstream. Thus, the entire main body stops when it arrives at a gently sloping area. Smaller particles and gas escape from the main body, generating a hot ash cloud layer above the main body. The hot ash cloud layer can travel independent of the main body, but its development or attenuation depend on the conditions of the supply of particles and gas from the main body. When the hot ash cloud lacks the supply of particles and gas due to the stopping of the main body upstream, or by its swerving from the course of the main body, it becomes soon weakened and stops. The entrainment of ambient air, the escape of air and ash from the upper boundary as a buoyant plume, and the particle settling also affect the behaviors of the hot ash cloud. Fundamental mechanics of the grain (granular) flow stage, the pyroclastic flow stage and the transition from the former to the latter stages are discussed theoretically and experimentally, and mathematical formulae describing the phenomena are obtained. These one-dimensional equations are extended to fit the planar two-dimensional system. Behaviors of the main body as well as the hot ash cloud are simulated using the obtained system of equations. The results of simulation are very satisfactory in comparison to the actual phenomena.

To study the background of oncogene amplification in gastric cancers, we examined the correlation between occurrence of oncogene amplification and DNA ploidy pattern. In 57 primary gastric cancers, amplifications of c-erbB, c-erbB-2, c-met and K-sam genes were investigated by Southern blot analysis, and the DNA ploidy pattern was determined by static cytofluorometry and by flow cytometry. Oncogene amplification was detected in 11 cancers, 10 of which were advanced gastric cancers and 1 was an early differentiated type. The amplification of c-erbB-2 and K-sam genes was found exclusively in differentiated- and undifferentiated-type cancers, respectively. Of the 11 cancers, 5 were DNA-diploid and 6 were DNA-aneuploid. All the 11 tumours with oncogene amplification contained polyploid cell populations (polyploidy), whereas none of the tumours without polyploidy showed oncogene amplification. In differentiated-type cancers the incidence of polyploidy was high in both early and advanced stages, while in undifferentiated-type cancers it was low in early stages but significantly higher in advanced stages. It was thus shown that amplification of growth factor receptor genes is closely related to the presence of polyploidy, irrespective of any different stemline DNA-ploidy mode. The time-course of oncogene amplification and kinds of genes amplified may differ between differentiated- and undifferentiated-type gastric cancers.

In the progeny of the monosomic addition line of common wheat, Triticum aestivum , carrying the gametocidal chromosome of Aegilops cylindrica , deletion chromosomes carrying the break point within the nucleolar organizing region of chromosome 1B appeared. Attempts were made to amplify the break points by PCR using primers of telomere and rDNA (rRNA gene). In one deletion line, specific amplification of DNA fragments including the 18S rRNA gene, telomere repeats, and their junction occurred. At the junction of telomere and rRNA gene there was a 31-bp inverted duplication of the rRNA gene. Telomere sequences were initiated from the sequence TAG in the duplication. Between the duplications a small sequence was also inserted. This novel DNA sequence at the break point indicates that the breakage–fusion–bridge cycle(s) took place after the first chromatin breakage by the gametocidal gene.

The effects of jump training on bone hypertrophy were investigated in 3, 6, 12, 20 and 27 month-old female Fischer 344 rats. The rats of all age groups were divided into jump training (height: 40 cm, 100 times/day, 5 days/wk for 8 wk), run training (speed: 30 ml/min, 1 h/day, 5 days/wk for 8 wk) or sedentary group. Fat-free dry weights (FFW) of the femur and the tibia were significantly greater in the jump-trained rats than in the run-trained rats, and were significantly greater in the run-trained rats than in the sedentary rats. Jump training significantly increased FFW of the femur and the tibia not only in young rats but also in old rats, while run training did not increase FFW significantly in old rats. In young rats, both jump training and run training significantly increased the length of the femur and the tibia and the diameter of the femur. The diameter of the tibia was greater in the jump-trained rats than in the sedentary and the run-trained rats in all age groups. The results of the present study indicate that jump training was a more effective training mode than run training for bone hypertrophy and that the effects were not limited by age.

We investigate the effects of a new 3-α reaction rate (OKK rate) on a He flash of a He accreting neutron star in a binary system. Since ignition points determine the properties of a thermonuclear flash of type I X-ray bursts, we examine the cases of different accretion rates, dM/dt (Ṁ). We find that, at low accretion rates, nuclear burning occurs at the He layers of rather low densities. As a consequence, He ignition would occur at accretion rate lower than M&dot ≃3×10−8M⊙yr−1 Furthermore we find that the OKK rate is consistent with the available observations of X-ray bursts on a He accreting neutron star. We advocate that the OKK rate is better than the previous rate for the astrophysical phenomena of X-ray burst due to He accretion.

Neoadjuvant therapy-induced immunological deterioration may be a key factor in postoperative morbidity in patients with esophageal cancer. This study aimed to determine the effects of perioperative feeding with an immuno-enhanced diet on immune competence in patients treated with neoadjuvant therapy followed by surgery. Because an immuno-enhanced diet that contained several antioxidants was used, perioperative oxidative stress and the effects of the immuno-enhanced diet on this stress were also investigated. Of 39 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent similar surgical procedures, 26 patients who received chemotherapy or chemoradiation therapy before surgery were randomly divided into two groups: group 1 (n= 14) was given an immuno-enhanced diet for 5 days before surgery, and group 2 (n= 12) received no enteral feeding products before surgery. Group 3 (n= 13) consisted of patients that did not receive neoadjuvant therapy and received no enteral feeding products before surgery. Several markers for coagulation and fibrinolysis were determined and immunological assessments were performed for each patient. To measure reactive oxygen metabolites and the total antioxidant capacity, diacron-reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs) and OXY-adsorbent tests were performed using a free radical elective evaluator. Significant depression in lymphocyte numbers was observed in groups 1 and 2 before and early after surgery as compared to group 3. Numbers of B cells, CD4/CD8 ratio, and phytohemagglutinin-induced lymphocyte transformation tests were also significantly decreased in groups 1 and 2 on postoperative day 1. Fibrin and fibrinogen degradation products were significantly elevated in group 2 compared to group 1. d-ROMs and OXY-adsorbent test values were elevated before surgery and were decreased transiently early after surgery. Compared to groups 2 and 3, d-ROMs values were significantly lower in group 1 patients throughout the postoperative period, while OXY-adsorbent test values were significantly higher in group 2 patients. Oxidative index was significantly suppressed in group 1 compared to group 3. No significant intergroup differences were observed with regard to morbidity after surgery. Although the baseline levels of immunological function might have been different because of less-advanced cancer stages in group 3, neoadjuvant therapy significantly affected several immunological parameters. Preoperative administration of an immuno-enhanced diet did not significantly prevent neoadjuvant therapy-induced immunological deterioration prior to esophageal cancer surgery. Patients with esophageal cancer had elevated levels of oxidant and antioxidant activities before surgery, which were transiently decreased early after surgery. Although the underlying mechanisms for these perioperative changes are unclear, this study showed that an immuno-enhanced diet containing several antioxidants may reduce oxidative stress following esophageal cancer surgery. After these mechanisms are studied further, oxidative stress control may become another tool for perioperative management to reduce morbidity after esophageal cancer surgery.

Background Few reports describe technical problems encountered in resections of the Spieghel lobe of the liver. Methods The relationship of the caudate lobe with the inferior vena cava (IVC) was analyzed using computed tomography in 51 patients without hepatobiliary diseases. Using reconstructed 1 mm axial images, the angles of the most dorsal part of the Spieghel lobe (angle A) and the right hepatic lobe (angle B) around the IVC were measured clockwise from the ventral midpoint of the IVC. Results In 11 (22%) patients, angle A was 180 ° or more, thus the retrocaval part of the Spieghel lobe projected rightward beyond the dorsal midline, but in 1 patient (2%) the right dorsal part of the liver extended leftward beyond the dorsal midline. In 20 (39%) patients, angle A was less than 135 degrees. The Spieghel lobe surrounded the IVC most dorsally at 22% of the distance from the top of the retrohepatic IVC. In 9 patients (18%), the retrocaval process of the Spieghel lobe appeared to be connected to the dorsal part of the right lobe. Conclusion The Spieghel lobe sometimes extends to the right, dorsal aspect of the IVC, such that a right-sided approach facilitates securing the retrohepatic IVC through the lesser sac and allows a safe dissection of the protruding portion of this lobe.

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a rate-limiting enzyme in de novo DNA biosynthesis and also a primary target for 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy. To estimate the con-elation between the expression of TS in the tumor, clinical response and prognosis in cancer patients treated with 5-FU, we have prepared recombinant human TS (rhTS) protein by culturing of E. coli transfected with the plasmid (pGEX-2TH) encoding the nucleotide sequence of hTScDNA and then obtained a highly purified polyclonal antibody against rhTS protein. Using this anti-TS antibody, it was revealed that the content of TS protein, as determined by Western blot analysis, correlated with the enzyme activity (gamma=0.973) and cytotoxicity of 5-FU, expressed as IC50 value (gamma=0.954) against human colon tumor cells, sensitive to and with acquired-resistance to 5-fluoropyrimidines and other cancer cells. On immunochemical evaluation, it was also confirmed that the tumor cells overexpressing TS proteins were strongly stained by the polyclonal antibody when compared to the cell lines expressing TS to lower extent both in vitro and in vivo conditions. These results indicate that this purified polyclonal antibody to rhTS is applicable to prospective and retrospective clinical studies on immunochemical TS expression in various tumors as a prognostic factor and 5-FU response-predicting parameter.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can be important in the treatment of canine mast cell tumor (cMCT). Meanwhile, some TKIs have been identified as substrates for ABCB1. The inhibitory effect of four TKIs (axitinib, imatinib, masitinib, and vatalanib) for proliferation and phosphorylation of c-Kit receptor as well as the expression and function of ABCB1 were investigated in three cMCT cell lines (HRMC, VIMC1, and CMMC1). The IC(50) values of the TKIs in HRMC, the only cell line with wild-type KIT, were clearly higher than those in CMMC1 and VIMC1. In HRMC and CMMC1, both the growth and phosphorylation of c-Kit receptor were suppressed proportionally by the TKIs. VIMC1 required higher concentrations for the inhibition of c-Kit receptor phosphorylation than those in cell growth. The treatment with cyclosporine increased the effects of the TKIs on VIMC1 since ABCB1 was expressed in VIMC1. The results indicated that cMCT cell lines harboring wild-type KIT had lower sensitivity to TKIs. The growth of VIMC1 was seemingly reduced by TKIs through the inhibition of other tyrosine kinases than c-Kit receptor. There was little influence of ABCB1 on TKI effects to the proliferation of VIMC1. These results will be helpful to understand the different sensitivity to TKIs in cMCT patients.

The cytoreductive efficacy of the individual components of multidrug chemotherapy for canine lymphoma is difficult to evaluate after complete remission.To compare the cytoreductive efficacy of vincristine (VCR), cyclophosphamide (CPA), and doxorubicin (DXR) in dogs that received a 6-month modified version of the University of Wisconsin-Madison chemotherapy protocol (UW-25).Twenty-nine dogs with high-grade B-cell multicentric lymphoma.Rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain gene fragments from lymphoma cells were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced to prepare clone-specific primers and probes for real-time PCR. The number of lymphoma cells in peripheral blood was measured from diagnosis to week 11 of UW-25.The number of lymphoma cells after the 1st administration of VCR, CPA, and DXR in weeks 1-4 was decreased in 29/29 (100%), 15/29 (51.7%), and 26/27 (96.3%) dogs, respectively. The cytoreductive efficacy of CPA was less than that of VCR and DXR. VCR, CPA, and DXR administered in weeks 6-9 were effective in 5/26 (19.2%), 5/20 (25.0%), and 14/19 (73.7%) dogs, respectively, indicating the sustained cytoreductive efficacy of DXR. CPA nonresponders were heavier and exhibited a shorter 1st remission than CPA responders.When using UW-25 for treatment of canine lymphoma, CPA was found to have less cytoreductive efficacy than VCR and DXR. Real-time PCR-based quantification of tumor cells is an objective marker of the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents.

We developed previously a minimal residual disease (MRD) monitoring system in dogs with lymphoma by exploring a highly sensitive real-time PCR system.To identify the change in MRD before clinical relapse in dogs with lymphoma that achieved complete remission after chemotherapy.Twenty dogs with multicentric high-grade B-cell lymphoma.MRD levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured by real-time PCR amplifying the rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain gene. MRD measurement and clinical assessment were performed every 2-4 weeks for 28-601 days after completion of chemotherapy. An increase in MRD was defined as an increase by more than 0.5, calculated by log₁₀ [copy number of MRD per 10⁵ PBMCs], based on the uncertainty level observed in a canine lymphoma cell line.During the follow-up period, 15 dogs relapsed in 28-320 days (median, 120 days) after completion of chemotherapy. An increase in MRD was detected 2 weeks or more before relapse in 14 of the 15 dogs, but an increase in MRD before relapse could not be detected in the remaining 1 dog. The time from increased MRD to clinical relapse was 0-63 days (median, 42 days). In contrast, no increase in MRD was detected in 5 dogs that did not experience clinical relapse.An increase in MRD can be detected before clinical relapse in dogs with lymphoma. Application of early reinduction therapy based on an increase in MRD before clinical relapse may improve treatment outcome in canine lymphoma.

The effects of a new triple-$\alpha$ reaction rate (OKK rate) on the helium flash of a helium accreting neutron star in a binary system have been investigated. Since the ignition points determine the properties of a thermonuclear flash of type I X-ray bursts, we examine the cases of different accretion rates, $dM/dt (\dot{M})$, of helium from $3\times10^{-10} M_{\odot} \rm yr^{-1}$ to $3\times10^{-8} M_{\odot} \rm yr^{-1}$, which could cover the observed accretion rates. We find that for the cases of low accretion rates, nuclear burnings are ignited at the helium layers of rather low densities. As a consequence, helium deflagration would be triggered for all cases of lower accretion rate than $\dot{M}\simeq 3\times10^{-8} M_{\odot} \rm yr^{-1}$. We find that OKK rate could be barely consistent with the available observations of the X-ray bursts on the helium accreting neutron star. However this coincidence is found to depend on the properties of crustal heating and the neutron star model.We suggest that OKK rate would be reduced by a factor of $10^{2-3}$ for $10^8$ K in the range of the observational errors., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures

The effects of removal of the submandibular gland (sialoadenectomy) and administration of human urinary epidermal growth factor on the 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene-induced tumor formation were investigated with the use of a hamster cheek pouch model. Syrian hamsters were treated with 0.5% 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene for 6 weeks. Thereafter hamsters in group 1 underwent a sham operation and those in groups 2 and 3 underwent a sialoadenectomy. Subsequently, hamsters in groups 1 and 2 were given 0.9% sodium chloride and group 3 received the human urinary epidermal growth factor at a dose of 0.25 mg/kg body weight subcutaneously three times a week for 8 weeks. Sixteen weeks after the start of the experiment, the mean number of tumors that were less than 3-mm in diameter in groups 1 and 3 was significantly greater than that in group 2 (p < 0.05). The overall incidence and mean number of all carcinomas irrespective of size showed no differences among the experimental groups. These results indicate that epidermal growth factor synthesized in the submandibular gland may enhance the induction of cheek pouch tumor.

Tumor cell burden in dogs with lymphoma cannot be assessed accurately by diagnostic evaluation during clinical complete remission (CR). Recent advances in polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods enabled us to quantify minimal residual disease (MRD) in canine lymphoma.To quantify MRD in dogs with lymphoma treated with multidrug chemotherapy and to correlate it with remission duration after chemotherapy.Seventeen dogs with lymphoma that achieved CR by multidrug chemotherapy.Rearranged immunoglobulin heavy chain or T-cell receptor gamma chain gene fragments from lymphoma cells were PCR amplified and sequenced to prepare clone-specific primers and probes for real-time PCR to quantify MRD. MRD in the peripheral blood was monitored during and at the end of a 25-week multidrug chemotherapy protocol. Correlation between MRD at the end of chemotherapy and remission duration after chemotherapy was analyzed.MRD gradually decreased after initiation of multidrug chemotherapy, reached a nadir as low as0.019-1.0 cells/microL at weeks 4-17, and remained low or slightly increased until week 25. MRD at the end of chemotherapy was negatively correlated with remission duration from the end of chemotherapy to relapse.MRD could be an objective marker to indicate tumor cell burden in dogs with lymphoma even in clinical CR. MRD at the end of chemotherapy could be a prognostic factor to predict remission duration after chemotherapy.

An artificial neural network circuit using a magnetic device has been developed. The network consists of magnetic neurons and magnetic synapses. A magnetic neuron starts oscillating when the sum if its input currents exceed the threshold level, and its frequency varies according to the input level. Magnetic synapses can be easily controlled through a bias current. The network fabricated in this work has a three-layer structure, with two input gates and a single output. By adjusting the synapses, 16 kinds of logic functions can be realized. It is, however, very difficult to set correctly all the weights of the synapses in a large-scale network, so we adopted a learning technique. Only the input sets and the ideal output are given; the weights are corrected according to a learning algorithm that eventually attains ideal operation. That is, the network learns.

In Japan, various types of geomembrane, such as HDPE, LLDPE, TPO(PE) and TPO(PP), are used as barrier sheet in waste landfill. The barrier sheet placed on the side slope is fixed on the berm and shoulder on the slope using concrete anchorage. In this study, small field tests to measure the anchor ability of concrete anchorage buried into trench for barrier sheet were conducted. Two types of gemembranes such as HDPE are LLDPE were used. The sectional size of concrete anchorage was changed as 1,600 cm2 and 2,500 cm2. The strength of wall and base of the trench was also changed by changing addition ratio of cement into loam. From the tests, it was found that (1) the maximum pull-out force was almost depend on the mass of concrete anchorage and (2) LLDPE sheet with low rigidity gave greater anchor ability than HDPE sheet with high rigidity.

A set of four repetitive DNA clones, pEt1, pEt2, pCb1, and pCb3, were isolated from SH-genome polyploid Elymus trachycaulus and H-genome diploid Critesion bogdanii. The clone Et1 represents a tandemly arranged telomeric sequence. Et2 represents tandem repeats interspersed along the entire length of individual chromosomes. The Cb1 sequence was more evenly dispersed. The Et1 clone shared homology with a 350 base pair family of rye sequences. The Cb3 sequence was evenly distributed in S- and H-genome species. All the repetitive DNA sequences were excellent markers for the specific detection and genomic affinity of Elymus chromatin added to wheat. All clones showed intragenomic variation in copy number and chromosomal location. Based on the analysis of this variation, we conclude that E. trachycaulus most probably originated from putative diploid H- and S-genome species resembling Critesion californicum and Pseudoroegneria spicata, respectively.Key words: wheatgrass, wheat–Elymus hybrid, addition lines, polyploidy, restriction fragment length polymorphism.

This paper reports on inductance calculations for a planar inductor and the characteristics of a magnetic coupling control device. First, the high frequency characteristics of a planar inductor, consisting of a meander coil and two magnetic films, was calculated using Neumann's formula and the reluctance method. The calculated value, taking the skin effect, proximity effect, eddy currents and stray capacitance into account, was in good agreement with the measured value. Second, a magnetic coupling control device was proposed as an application of a planar inductor. It consists of two meander coils and a magnetic film, which is inserted between the two coils. Experimental results show that the magnetic coupling between the two coils is changed by the magnetic film, and that it can be controlled by an external magnetic field.

We investigated the effect of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) supplementation on tissue damage during distance running.Eight male distance runners (mean +/- standard deviation; age: 20.4+/-1.2 years, body weight: 58.4+/-4.2 kg) participated in a double blinded cross over designed study conducted during training camp. During each intervention period, the subjects were asked to participate in a 25-km run, and the blood BCAA and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level, an index of tissue damage, were measured pre- and post-run. Either a drink containing BCAA (0.4% BCAA in a 4% carbohydrate solution) or an iso-calorie placebo drink was provided to the subjects 5 times during the run without any restriction in the volume.The total volume of the drink consumed by the subjects did not differ substantially between the trials: 591+/-188 (2.36 g BCAA) vs 516+/-169 mL in BCAA and placebo trial, respectively. During the run, the blood BCAA concentration was maintained in the BCAA trial. However, the blood BCAA concentration level tended to decrease in the placebo trial (P0.1). The extent of the blood LDH increase in the BCAA trial was significantly less than that of the placebo trail (48% vs 58%, P0.05).Maintaining the blood BCAA level throughout a long distance run contributes to a reduction in the LDH release and, therefore, the effect of BCAA supplementation is suggested to reduce the degree of muscle damage.

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) has been reported to be an immunoinhibitory receptor expressed by chronically stimulated T cells after T-cell activation. The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between perioperative PD-1 expression on CD4+ T cells and the incidence of postoperative infectious complications in patients undergoing gastroenterological surgery.

Meander planar thin-film transformers were fabricated using a microlithography on a flexible polyamide film surface. The transformer had coils which were placed on either side of the polyamide surface and this type is called a double sided transformer. The output characteristics of the double sided transformer were measured from 0.01 GHz to 2.6 GHz and compared to the output characteristics obtained by simulating the transformer based on a distributed parameter circuit theory. The simulated results for the double sided transformer agreed well with the measured results. A frequency characteristic of the miniature transformer with a simple structure was simulated. These simulation results showed that this type of the miniature thin-film transformer will be able to operate in higher frequency under the condition of the optimal size of thin-film transformer and the magnetic properties of magnetic film.

The theoretical predictions are given for the forward limit of the unpolarized spin-flip isovector generalized parton distribution function $(E^u - E^d)(x, \xi, t)$ within the framework of the chiral quark soliton model, with full inclusion of the polarization of Dirac sea quarks. We observe that $[(H^u - H^d) + (E^u - E^d)](x,0,0)$ has a sharp peak around $x=0$, which we interpret as a signal of the importance of the pionic $q \bar{q}$ excitation with large spatial extension in the transverse direction. Another interesting indication given by the predicted distribution in combination with Ji's angular momentum sum rule is that the $\bar{d}$-quark carries more angular momentum than the $\bar{u}$-quark in the proton, which may have some relation with the physics of the violation of the Gottfried sum rule., Comment: 23 pages, 2 figures, revised final version to appear in Phys. Rev. D

Two meander planar thin film transformers were fabricated using microlithography on a flexible polyamide film surface. One transformer was fabricated on the same polyamide surface (single sided transformer). The other transformer had coils which were placed on either side of the polyamide surface (double sided transformer). The output characteristics of these thin film transformers were measured using a spectrum analyzer in the frequency range from 0.01 GHz to 2.6 GHz and compared to the output characteristics obtained by simulating the transformer using a distributed parameter circuit theory. The simulated results for a single sided transformer agreed well with the measured results. On the other hand, the simulated results obtained using a double sided transformer did not fit the measured results for frequency above 1 GHz.