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Introduction Recent international statement on chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension proposed the definition of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary disease (CTEPD) and advocated further research regarding its clinical characteristic, natural history, and therapeutic strategy. Exercise pulmonary hypertension (Ex-PH) has been considered a mild degree of pulmonary hypertension (PH) among patients with normal pulmonary hemodynamics at rest. However, the clinical significance of Ex-PH in CTEPD remains unknown. Purpose In the patients with CTEPD, we aimed to verify 1) the prevalence and clinical profiles of Ex-PH, 2) effect of BPA on pulmonary vascular response after exercise in Ex-PH, 3) long-term clinical outcomes of conservative management in non-Ex-PH. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 26 patients with CTEPD (median age 65 years, 38% male), who underwent cardiopulmonary exercise test with right heart catheterization (CPET-RHC). The definitions of CTEPD are the following 1) pulmonary artery occlusion due to organic thrombus confirmed by imaging studies after ≥3 months of anticoagulation, 2) mPAP3.0, and the patients were divided into Ex-PH and non-Ex PH groups. Clinical profiles and long-term outcomes were compared between two groups. The patients in Ex-PH groupunderwent CPET-RHC 6–12 months after balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA). In Non-Ex-PH group, serial measurements of echocardiography were performed. Results Overall, 5 and 21 patients were categorized as CTEPD with PH (mPAP 21–24mmHg) and without PH (mPAP≤20mmHg), and 14 and 12 were categorized Ex-PH and non-Ex-PH groups, respectively. Although all 5 patients with CTEPD with PH were classified as Ex-PH group (Figure 1), there was no significant difference in baseline hemodynamics at rest between Ex-PH and non-Ex-PH groups (mPAP: 19.5 [18.4–20.6] vs. 17.7 [16.6–18.9] mmHg, PVR: 2.2 [1.7–2.7] vs. 2.3 [1.9–2.8] wood units, P>0.05, respectively). PQ slope was significantly higher in Ex-PH group (4.6 [3.2–6.0] vs. 1.31 [0.2–2.8], p=0.002). There were no differences in respiratory function test, blood gas analysis, and 6-minute walk distance between two groups. There were no major adverse events such as all-cause mortality and hospitalization for PH in overall cohort. Among Ex-PH group, BPA decreased PQslope (4.8 [3.6–6.4] to 2.3 [1.9–3.0], p0.05) over the 997 [651–1451] days. Conclusion Ex-PH was common in patients with CTEPD, and there were no clinical profiles differentiating Ex-PH from non-Ex-PH, except parameters of CPET-RHC. BPA improved an abnormal pulmonary vascular response to exercise in Ex-PH. The conservative management in non-Ex-PH was feasible. Randomized clinical trials will be needed to further investigate this treatment strategy. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Although spatiotemporal changes of oxygen in a microenvironment are known to affect the cellular dynamics of various eukaryotes, the details are not fully understood. Here, we describe the aerotaxis and aerokinesis of Dictyostelium discoideum (Dd), which has long been employed as a model organism for eukaryotic cells. We developed a microfluidic device capable of time-lapse observation of cultured cells while controlling oxygen concentrations in microchannels. Migratory behaviors of Dd were observed and quantitatively evaluated under an oxygen concentration gradient from 0% to 21% O

We previously reported, based on a multicenter randomized-control study, that the efficacy of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (IA-HA) was not inferior to that of oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). However, the molecular effects on the pathophysiology of knee OA remain unclear. C-terminal telopeptides of type II collagen (CTX-II) is reported to primarily originate from the interface between articular cartilage and subchondral bone, which is a site of potential remodeling in OA. We performed a predefined sub-analysis of the previous study to compare the changes of urinary CTX-II (uCTX-II) in response to IA-HA to those in response to NSAID for knee OA.A total of 200 knee OA patients were registered from 20 hospitals and randomized to receive IA-HA (2,700 kDa HA, 5 times at 1-week intervals) or NSAID (loxoprofen sodium, 180 mg/day) for 5 weeks. The uCTX-II levels were measured before and after treatment.The uCTX-II levels were significantly increased by IA-HA treatment (337.7 ± 193.8 to 370.7 ± 234.8 ng/μmol Cr) and were significantly reduced by NSAID treatment (423.2 ± 257.6 to 370.3 ± 250.9 ng/μmol Cr). The %changes of uCTX-II induced by IA-HA (11.6 ± 29.5%) and NSAID (-9.0 ± 26.7%) was significantly different (between-group difference: 20.6, 95% confidence intervals: 10.6 to 30.6).While both IA-HA and NSAID improved symptoms of knee OA, uCTX-II levels were increased by IA-HA and reduced by NSAIDs treatment, suggesting these treatments may improve symptoms of knee OA through different modes of action.

This pre-specified analysis of DAPA-CKD assessed the impact of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition on abrupt declines in kidney function in high-risk patients based on having chronic kidney disease (CKD) and substantial albuminuria. DAPA-CKD was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that had a median follow-up of 2.4 years. Adults with CKD (urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio 200-5000 mg/g and estimated glomerular filtration rate 25-75 mL/min/1.73m2) were randomized to dapagliflozin 10 mg/day matched to placebo (2152 individuals each). An abrupt decline in kidney function was defined as a pre-specified endpoint of doubling of serum creatinine between two subsequent study visits. We also assessed a post-hoc analysis of investigator-reported acute kidney injury-related serious adverse events. Doubling of serum creatinine between two subsequent visits (median time-interval 100 days) occurred in 63 (2.9%) and 91 (4.2%) participants in the dapagliflozin and placebo groups, respectively (hazard ratio 0.68 [95% confidence interval 0.49, 0.94]). Accounting for the competing risk of mortality did not alter our findings. There was no heterogeneity in the effect of dapagliflozin on abrupt declines in kidney function based on baseline subgroups. Acute kidney injury-related serious adverse events were not significantly different and occurred in 52 (2.5%) and 69 (3.2%) participants in the dapagliflozin and placebo groups, respectively (0.77 [0.54, 1.10]). Thus, in patients with CKD and substantial albuminuria, dapagliflozin reduced the risk of abrupt declines in kidney function. HJLH and DC are co-primary authors. The DAPA-CKD Trial Committees and Investigators are listed in the Appendix.

Cities in Southeast Asia frequently face urban floods, and transportation is often disrupted due to road closures. To reduce road transport vulnerability, the road network should be properly adapted for the flooding condition. To generate suitable adaptation measures for road transportation, travel behaviors under flooding condition, and their differences under normal conditions should be clarified. We aimed to understand the changes in travel behaviors caused by urban floods to compare with normal and flooding conditions in Ubon Ratchathani City, Thailand. A questionnaire survey was applied to understand the travel behaviors under both conditions, and its comparison revealed that under flooding, people prefer early departure time, and reduce the trip frequency depending on trip purpose. Moreover, we compared the route choice behaviors under both conditions using geographic information system (GIS) from collected data. Comparison with travel behaviors under both conditions, we clarified the change in travel behaviors under flooding and that differed from the affected extent depending on trip purpose.

In this study, we investigate mullite containing ceramics prepared from alumina (α-Al 2 O 3 ) and silica xerogel converted from sago waste ash. The silica xerogel was ground and then mixed with a varying content of α-Al 2 O 3 . The measurements were performed on cylindrical samples sintered at temperatures ranging from 900 °C to 1700 °C. In order to understand the mullitization process and structure formation a series of analyses were carried out using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) and a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that the mullite phase can be formed at a temperature as low as 1100 °C. It was found that a complete mullitization takes place for the composition of 40 mol% α-Al 2 O 3 sintered at 1600 °C.

We studied the trapping of positive and negative charges in the chemical structures of polymers under a high electric field using a space charge measurement system. Positive charges accumulated in low-density polyethylene (LDPE), whereas positive and negative charges accumulated in polyimide (Kapton) and also in ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) subjected to electron beam irradiation. To determine the charge-trapping sites in the chemical structures, a quantum chemical calculation was carried out using Density Function Theory (DFT) with Gaussian 09. The relationship between the energy band and the isosurface of orbital electrons at various energy levels was obtained. A threedimensional (3D) electrostatic potential distribution map was obtained for positively and negatively charged polymers to determine the relationship between a trapping site and the charge accumulation center in the 3D potential distribution map. Positive and negative charges in Kapton and ETFE films are trapped in trapping sites in chemical structures and the positive charges in an LDPE film are trapped in physical defects.

The FIREX-1 project, the goal of which is to demonstrate fuel heating up to 5 keV by fast ignition scheme, has been carried out since 2003 including construction and tuning of LFEX laser and integrated experiments. Implosion and heating experiment of Fast Ignition targets have been performed since 2009 with Gekko-XII and LFEX lasers. A deuterated polystyrene shell target was imploded with the 0.53- μm Gekko-XII, and the 1.053- μm beam of the LFEX laser was injected through a gold cone attached to the shell to generate hot electrons to heat the imploded fuel plasma. Pulse contrast ratio of the LFEX beam was significantly improved. Also a variety of plasma diagnostic instruments were developed to be compatible with harsh environment of intense hard x-rays (γ rays) and electromagnetic pulses due to the intense LFEX beam on the target. Large background signals around the DD neutron signal in time-of-flight record of neutron detector were found to consist of neutrons via (γ,n) reactions and scattered gamma rays. Enhanced neutron yield was confirmed by carefully eliminating such backgrounds. Neutron enhancement up to 3.5 × 107 was observed. Heating efficiency was estimated to be 10-20% assuming a uniform temperature rise model. © Owned by the authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2013.

Despite numerous attempts to discover genetic variants associated with elite athletic performance, injury predisposition, and elite/world-class athletic status, there has been limited progress to date. Past reliance on candidate gene studies predominantly focusing on genotyping a limited number of single nucleotide polymorphisms or the insertion/deletion variants in small, often heterogeneous cohorts (i.e., made up of athletes of quite different sport specialties) have not generated the kind of results that could offer solid opportunities to bridge the gap between basic research in exercise sciences and deliverables in biomedicine. A retrospective view of genetic association studies with complex disease traits indicates that transition to hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches will be more fruitful. In studies of complex disease, it is well recognized that the magnitude of genetic association is often smaller than initially anticipated, and, as such, large sample sizes are required to identify the gene effects robustly. A symposium was held in Athens and on the Greek island of Santorini from 14 -17 May 2015 to review the main findings in exercise genetics and genomics and to explore promising trends and possibilities. The symposium also offered a forum for the development of a position stand (the Santorini Declaration). Among the participants, many were involved in ongoing collaborative studies (e.g., ELITE, GAMES, Gene SMART, GENESIS, and POWERGENE). A consensus emerged among participants that it would be advantageous to bring together all current studies and those recently launched into one new large collaborative initiative, which was subsequently named the Athlome Project Consortium. © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

We (JMAAV [Japanese patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis] Study Group) performed a prospective, open-label, multi-center trial to evaluate the usefulness of severity-based treatment in Japanese patients with myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (MPO-ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Patients with MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis received a severity-based regimen according to the appropriate protocol: low-dose corticosteroid and, if necessary, cyclophosphamide or azathioprine in patients with mild form; high-dose corticosteroid and cyclophosphamide in those with severe form; and the severe-form regimen plus plasmapheresis in those with the most severe form. We followed up the patients for 18 months. The primary end points were the induction of remission, death, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Fifty-two patients were registered, and 48 patients were enrolled in this study (mild form, n = 23; severe form, n = 23; most severe form, n = 2). Among the 47 patients who received the predefined therapies, 42 achieved remission within 6 months, 5 died, and 1 developed ESRD. Disease flared up in 8 of the 42 patients with remission during the 18-month follow-up period. The JMAAV trial is the first prospective trial for MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis to be performed in Japan. The remission and death rates were comparable to those in several previous clinical trials performed in western counties. The regimen employed in this trial was tailor-made based on patients’ disease severity and disease type, and it seems that standardization can be consistent with treatment choices made according to severity.

An inverter surge resistant enameled wire was developed with innovative organic/inorganic nanocomposite insulating material by dispersing an inorganic material at a nanometer level. It successfully achieved satisfactory levels for both partial discharge resistance and coating film flexibility and strength. This product can maintain a voltage endurance of more than 1000 times as high as those offered by general enameled wires even after mechanical stress is applied. This paper describes how the product can dramatically improve the reliability of magnet wires and open the way for performance warrant of inverter-fed motors in actual operation up to a surge voltage around 1.5 kVp.

The MO spectra of GMR structures with capping layers, Si/SiO2/bottom electrode/TbFeCo (9 nm)/Cu (4 nm)/Co (0.1 nm)/Pt (1.1 nm)/(Pt (1.1 nm)/Co (6 nm)×4)/cap (cap = Ta, Au, Pt (3 nm)), were studied. We found that the optical constants and Kerr spectra exhibited different behaviors for all samples. The differences in the optical constants of these samples were analyzed by means of optical simulation. The MO spectrum is discussed in terms of simulation carried out by the virtual optical constant method for (PtCo)/cap (cap = Ta, Au, Pt (3 nm)).

We have developed a millimeter-wave electron-spin-resonance (ESR) system for very low temperatures (T < 1 K) that can be employed for nuclear-magnetic-resonance measurements by using dynamic nuclear polarization. The system uses a Fabry-Perot resonator that works in the frequency range of 125 – 130 GHz and covers the temperature range of 0.09 – 6.5 K. We have performed ESR measurements in the frequency around 128 GHz by using Mn x Mg1-x O (x = 1.0 × 10-4) and free-radical samples of 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), because these samples have been proposed as field and sensitivity markers. Temperature dependence of the ESR signal intensity for Mn x Mg1-x O shows anomalies originating from magnetic order are found around 3.5 – 4 K. We estimate the sensitivity of the system for ESR detections to be 6 × 1013 spins/G at 5.8 K. Because DPPH shows no observable shift in the magnetic field, we propose it as a useful standard marker for ESR measurements at very low temperatures.

Low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR), also known as "Kaatsu," causes a dramatic increase in the secretion of growth hormone. Several reports have shown that Kaatsu is effective for training in patients with stroke. However, the influence of Kaatsu training on brain function remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of Kaatsu training on blood flow in the brain. Six healthy male subjects performed a single-arm curl with and without BFR using 20% of the weight of 1 repetition maximum(RM); 1 set of 30 repetitions (reps) was followed by 3 sets of 15 reps, with a 30-s interval in between. During the procedure, cerebral blood flow was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). During arm curls with BFR, the oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration of the contralateral motor cortex increased significantly compared to that during curls without BFR. The results of this study suggest that Kaatsu training has a positive effect on the brain by increasing cerebral blood flow and that it is useful for treating diseases such as stroke and cognitive disorders caused by brain dysfunction.

This paper reports a large-scale eddy-current analysis of conductive frame of large-capacity inverter. The eddy-current loss obtained by the electromagnetic field analysis is used as a heat source for the thermal analysis. Then, the suitable configuration of the frame for the suppression of temperature increase is investigated and designed. The hybrid finite-element and boundary-element (FE-BE) method is very suitable for the analysis of a complicated-shaped frame because it does not require mesh division for a free space and can easily treat eddy current. For the reduction of large computational costs, the fast multipole method (FMM) is introduced. Furthermore, in order to improve the convergence characteristic of iterative methods for system matrix, we develop the application of the IDR(s) method to the minor iterative preconditioning technique (MIP) and evaluate the performance. Finally, some numerical results that demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed method are presented.

The properties of several different investments were investigated including phosphate bonded, magnesia bonded, and alumina cement investments. Measurements included the setting expansion, thermal expansion, and compressive strength of investments, as well as the tensile strength, elongation, Vickers hardness (VHN) and surface roughness of titanium castings. For phosphate bonded investment, the setting expansion after being mixed with its own mixing solution was 2.10%, which was larger than the other investments; the thermal expansion was -0.25% at 200 degrees C, the compressive strength 14 and 5 MPa after heating. For titanium cast in phosphate bonded investment, the hardness on its top surface was 655 Hv, the tensile strength was 379 MPa, the elongation was 19.4%, and the surface roughness was 2.29 microm. Although the thermal expansion of phosphate bonded investment is small, the setting expansion is large enough to compensate for the shrinkage of titanium castings. As its thermal expansion at T > or = 600 degrees C was constant and its heating-cooling cycle was almost reversible, these two properties can reduce the thermal shock and thus avoid cracking of the investment.

A three-dimensional (3-D) integration technology has been developed for the fabrication of a new 3-D shared-memory test chip. This 3-D technology is based on the wafer bonding and thinning method. Five key technologies for 3-D integration were developed, namely, the formation of vertical buried interconnections, metal microbump formations, stacked wafer thinning, wafer alignment, and wafer bonding. Deep trenches having a diameter of 2 mum and a depth of approximately 50 mum were formed in the silicon substrate using inductively coupled plasma etching to form vertical buried interconnections. These trenches were oxidized and filled with n+ polycrystalline silicon or tungsten. The 3-D devices and 3-D shared-memory test chips with three-stacked layers were fabricated by bonding the wafers with vertical buried interconnections after thinning. No characteristic degradation was observed in the fabricated 3-D devices. It was confirmed that fundamental memory operation and broadcast operation between the three memory layers could be successfully performed in the fabricated 3-D shared-memory test chip

ESR measurements have been performed on poly crystalline sample of an S = 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic ladder-like system (C5H9NH3)2CuBr4. We estimated the g-value as g = 2.20 from analysis of a broad absorption line at high temperatures. Multiple ESR absorption lines were observed below 10 K. The ESR modes show non-linear frequency dependence of the resonance field at 4 K, and the temperature dependence of the line width with a thermal activation type formula. The ESR modes observed are well explained by the theoretical model of the breather excitation.

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB), which exists as heterodimeric complexes composed of p50 and p65, has been shown to play an important role in cell survival processes. In the present study, we found for the first time that NF-kappaB has an ability to induce the ubiquitin-dependent proteasomal degradation of proapoptotic p73alpha. The activation of NF-kappaB in tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-stimulated H1299 cells resulted in a significant reduction in the amounts of the endogenous p73alpha. Consistent with these results, TNF-alpha-mediated downregulation of p73alpha was observed in wild-type (WT) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) but not in p65-deficient MEFs. Ectopic expression of NF-kappaB decreased a half-life of p73alpha by increasing its ubiquitination levels, and thereby inhibiting the transcriptional activity as well as proapoptotic function of p73alpha, whereas NF-kappaB had undetectable effects on p53. Immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that, under our experimental conditions, NF-kappaB does not bind to p73alpha in mammalian cultured cells. In contrast to WT p65, the COOH-terminal deletion mutant of p65 (p65DeltaC) failed to reduce the expression levels of p73alpha, suggesting that NF-kappaB-mediated proteolytic degradation of p73alpha requires the transcriptional activity of NF-kappaB. Taken together, our present results imply that NF-kappaB-mediated degradation of proapoptotic p73 is a novel inhibitory mechanism of p73 that regulates cell survival and death.

For successful cancer gene therapy via intravenous (i.v.) administration, it is essential to optimize the stability of carriers in the systemic circulation and the cellular association after the accumulation of the carrier in tumor tissue. However, a dilemma exists regarding the use of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which is useful for conferring stability in the systemic circulation, but is undesirable for the cellular uptake and the following processes. We report the development of a PEG-peptide-lipid ternary conjugate (PEG-Peptide-DOPE conjugate (PPD)). In this strategy, the PEG is removed from the carriers via cleavage by a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), which is specifically expressed in tumor tissues. An in vitro study revealed that the PPD-modified gene carrier (Multifunctional Envelope-type Nano Device: MEND) exhibited pDNA expression activity that was dependent on the MMP expression level in the host cells. In vivo studies further revealed that the PPD was potent in stabilizing MEND in the systemic circulation and facilitating tumor accumulation. Moreover, the i.v. administration of PPD or PEG/PPD dually-modified MEND resulted in the stimulation of pDNA expression in tumor tissue, as compared with a conventional PEG-modified MEND. Thus, MEND modified with PPD is a promising device, which has the potential to make in vivo cancer gene therapy achievable.

TiO(2) thin films prepared by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RF-MS) deposition method were found to show an enhanced photoelectrochemical response in the visible light region. By controlling the temperature and the gaseous medium during the deposition step, it was possible to control the properties of these films. The photoelectrochemical behavior of the sputtered TiO(2) thin films was compared with that of a commercial TiO(2) sample, and the sputtered films showed higher incident photon to the charge carrier generation efficiency (IPCE of 12.6% at 350 nm) as well as power conversion efficiency (0.33% at 1.84 mW/cm(2)) than the commercial TiO(2) sample. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy experiments have revealed that a major fraction of photogenerated electrons and holes recombine within a few picoseconds, thus limiting photocurrent generation efficiency. The mechanistic insights obtained in the present study should aid in designing semiconductor nanostructures that will maximize the charge separation efficiency and extend the response of the large band gap semiconductor TiO(2) into visible light regions.

Japanese cedar was preheated at 500 degrees C and subsequently mixed with 40 mu m Al2O3 particles. A pulse current heating method was used for a 5-min carbonization step under a pressure of 50MPa in order to promote the graphitization at temperatures between 2000 and 2200 degrees C. The samples were analyzed in an analytical transmission electron microscope equipped with a GATAN Imaging Filter, in a high resolution transmission electron microscope and in a scanning electron microscope. Transformation into well-ordered graphite could be enforced by the intermediate reaction of Al2O3 and carbon to plate-like Al4C3. This latter compound dissociates under the proper CO pressure and temperature into Al vapor and solid graphite. The addition of Al2O3 and the pressurized heating device improve the graphitization in comparison with the effect of temperature alone. The electron microscopic observations are supported by XPS and XRD spectra.

To achieve ultimate super chip integration, we have developed a three-dimensional integration technology called super-smart-stack technology using a self-assembly technique. The chip alignment accuracy of within 1mum is obtained by the self-assembly technique. We demonstrated for the first time that 3D SRAM test chip with ten memory layers was successfully fabricated using the super-smart-stack (SSS) technology

Sporobolomyces singularis菌体およびKluyvermyces lactis由来のβ-galactosidaseを用い生成したガラクトオリゴ糖(GOS)を含む液糖の消化性を調べるために,健常人16名を用い,呼気水素ガス濃度測定試験を行った.GOS摂取群の呼気水素ガス濃度は対照群に比べ有意な増加が認められた.このことより,本混合液糖中に含まれるGOSは難消化性であることが示唆された.さらに,GOSの難消化性成分を明らかにするため,GOSの鎖長により2糖,3糖,4糖画分をそれぞれHPLCにて分取し,画分ごとに消化酵素に対する耐性試験を行った.ヒト唾液またはブタ膵臓α-アミラーゼならびに人工胃液による消化試験では,各画分とも分解はみられなかったが,ラット小腸アセトン粉末により,2糖画分のわずかな分解が認められた.以上のことから,今回GOS含有液糖摂取により認められた呼気中水素ガス濃度の増加は,含有されるGOSの3糖,4糖画分および一部の2糖画分が小腸の消化酵素による分解を受けることなく大腸に到達し,腸内細菌により資化された結果と考えられた.

We addressed in this study whether quantifying the extent of disease on bone scans can predict the disease death of patients with advanced prostate cancer using computer-assisted image analysis. Pretreatment radionuclide bone scans were reviewed in 56 patients with bone metastases from prostate cancer, and the percentage of the positive area on a bone scan (%PABS) was quantified automatically using a personal computer with the NIH Image program for estimation of the accurate extent of metastatic bone lesions on a bone scan. The significance of the %PABS as well as the other known prognostic factors was evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. In univariate regression analysis, the %PABS (P=0.0155), serum alkaline phosphatase (P=0.0272), the tumour grade based on biopsy (P=0.044) and the number of bone lesions on bone scans (P=0.0388) were well associated with disease-specific survival. In multivariate analysis, the %PABS (P=0.0155, relative risk ratio 2.603), but not the other factors, was the independent predictor of the disease death. These results suggest that the %PABS is a novel parameter for predicting the prognosis of patients with advanced prostatic cancer.

A steady-state and high-flux ion beam irradiation test device (HiFIT) equipped with an ECR ion source and spherical electrodes was developed. Hydrogen irradiation fluxes were 3.6×1021 Hm−2 s−1 for an acceleration voltage Vacc of 3 kV and about 4×1020 Hm−2 s−1 for Vacc from 0.15 to 0.5 kV (dominant ion species is H3+). Mixed ion beams with hydrogen and carbon with the carbon concentration from 0.1% to ∼10% were obtained. Carbon impurity concentration was controlled by puffing methane gas or putting graphite plates in the ion source chamber. Carbon impurity concentration was calculated by using measured effective cross-sections (including dissociation and neutralization) of molecular ions in a beam transport chamber. New mixed material effect on blister formation of tungsten bombarded with hydrogen and carbon mixed ion beam was observed. It was found that carbon impurity of less than 1% in hydrogen beams significantly affected blister formation.

0.1-/spl mu/m-gate-length GaAs MESFET distributed baseband integrated circuits (ICs) that utilize an artificial-line-division technique and three-dimensional transmission lines are described. The technique reduces return loss of the distributed circuits at high frequencies, and four-layer transmission-line structure reduces parasitic impedance caused by the IC pattern shape and is suitable for the flip-chip bonding module format. A gate-line-division distributed baseband amplifier IC achieved input return loss of less than -13 dB and gain of 11.7 dB in the 0-56 GHz band. A source-line-division distributed level-shift IC achieved output return loss of less than -9.6 dB at high frequencies and insertion loss of 2.7 dB in the 0-79 GHz band. Both results better the performance of all reported GaAs MESFET distributed ICs.

A high-frequency carrier type thin-film magnetic field sensor was combined with a high-frequency carrier suppressing circuit to increase detection sensitivity. The carrier-suppressing circuit was designed and tuned to suppress the carrier, thus reducing the phase noise level of thermal noise (-174 dBm) at room temperature. The carrier was suppressed by about 60 dB, enabling detection of a very low signal from the sensor. As a result, high sensitivity of 7.2 × 10-6A/m (9 × 10-8 Oe) was demonstrated at 501 kHz.

The magnetic properties of a three-dimensional topological frustrated system ZnCr2xGa2-2xO4, which is an anti-ferromagnet with a spinel structure, have been investigated by our millimetre-wave ESR (electron-spin resonance) measurements using the pulsed magnetic field up to 16 T in the temperature region from 1.8 to 265 K. In the high-temperature region, typical Cr3+ EPR (electron-paramagnetic resonance) with the g-value of 1.95 was observed. For the x = 1 sample, AFMR (anti-ferromagnetic resonance) with the easy-plane-type magnetic anisotropy was observed below TN. It turned out that the anti-ferromagnetic gap opens up just below TN suggesting that the transition is of the first order. The x dependences of ESR were also observed and their temperature dependences of the g-value and the linewidth will be discussed in connection with those of other frustrated systems such as Kagome lattice substance. PACS Nos.: 75.50, 76.30-v, 75.40-s

We have measured magnetic susceptibility and 51V NMR of CaV2O4, a model substance for a frustrated S = 1 spin chain with competing first- and second-neighbor anti-ferromagnetic interactions. Both the low-temperature magnetic susceptibility and the NMR Knight shift did not go down to zero as the temperature was lowered, suggesting that a spin gap is not present in CaV2O4. The absence of a spin gap gives us a clear contrast to the case of the nonfrustrated spin chains, which should have the Haldane gap. Recently published theoretical results for S = 1 XY or XXZ spin chain indicate that the gapless chiral phase could appear in a relatively broad region. Experimental results are discussed in terms of these theoretical predictions. A spin-freezing anomaly was observed at 20 K, reflecting the spin-frustrating nature of the system. PACS Nos.: 75.30, 75.50

This paper discusses a microfabrication process for high-frequency carrier-type thin-film magnetic field sensors. We fabricated sensor elements by using the lift-off process and the ion milling process, and compared the shape of the sensor edge, the domain structure, and the characteristics of the impedance change in the sensor elements fabricated by the two processes. In the elements fabricated by the lift-off process, the sensor edge is more even than in those fabricated by the ion milling process. Moreover, when the width of the sensor element was 5 μm, its easy axis was induced in a transverse direction, and an impedance change of 14 Ω was achieved. We therefore chose the lift-off process for microfabrication of high-frequency carrier-type thin-film magnetic field sensors.

A grading system was designed by the first author (B.S.) specifically to predict the difficulty of endovascular obliteration of an intracranial arteriovenous malformation based on the feeding arterial characteristics, and the venous drainage system. We have retrospectively reviewed our cases of intracranial arteriovenous malformation, with special interest in those underwent endovascular embolization. The grading of the AVM was by either our new proposed system or by a surgically oriented grading system. Both systems were compared from the endovascular point of view. Using the present proposed grading system intracranial arteriovenous malformation may range from grade I to grade V. The difficulty of the endovascular embolization correlated well with the new grading system, while in most cases it did not reflect the degree of difficulty of the procedure when a pure surgical grading system was used. This newly designed grading system has a better prediction value to the difficulty of performing endovascular embolization than does other grading systems.

In birds, differentiation of embryonic gonads is not as strictly determined by the genetic sex as it is in mammals, and can be influenced by early manipulation with a sex steroid hormone. Thus administration of an aromatase inhibitor induces testis development in the genetic female, and administration of estrogen induces a left ovotestis in the genetic male embryo. Another feature of avian gonadogenesis is that only the left ovary develops in most species. Molecular mechanisms underlying these features at the level of gene expression have not been elucidated. In this paper, we present evidence that a gene for aromatase cytochrome P-450, an enzyme required for the last step in the synthesis of estradiol-17beta, is expressed in medullae of the left and right gonads of a female chicken embryo, but not in those of a male chicken embryo, and that an estrogen receptor gene is expressed only in epithelium (and cortex later, in the female) of the left, not the right, gonad of both sexes, but the expression in the male left gonad is temporary and restricted to an early stage of development. Differential expression of these two genes serves well to explain the above features of gonadal development in birds. Furthermore, in ovo administration of estradiol-17beta from the 5th to the 14th day of incubation does not cause expression of the estrogen receptor gene in the right gonad of chicken embryos of either sex, suggesting that the absence of expression of the estrogen receptor gene in the right gonad is not the result of down-regulation, but may be regarded as an important cause of the unilateral ovarian development.

This paper focuses on incompletely specified multiple-valued Kleenean functions (1991). It is easy to verify that they do not have functional completeness in the class of all functions on the unit interval. Therefore, not all incompletely specified functions on the unit interval are incompletely specified multiple-valued Kleenean functions. In this paper, we will clarify a necessary and sufficient condition for an incompletely specified function to be an incompletely specified multiple-valued Kleenean function. Further, we show an algorithm which derives one of the logic formulas representing the incompletely specified multiple-valued Kleenean function. In considering the application of multiple-valued Kleenean functions, we will show an example which suggests the possibility that input-output data can be described abstractly in terms of multiple-valued Kleenean functions.

Polyurea thin films were prepared by ionization-assisted codeposition of 1,3-di(4-piperidyl)propane, and 4,4′-diphenylmethane-diisocyanate, and their optical nonlinearity was investigated in connection with the bias voltage applied on the substrate in the course of deposition. The formation of polyurea was confirmed by IR absorption spectra. At the optimum evaporation temperature for each monomer, the birefringence of the film was the largest. The film had high optical transparency in the visible range, and the absorption in the UV range was influenced by the substrate bias voltage. The film showed optical nonlinearity even without the poling process after the deposition. The Maker fringe measurement indicated that the deposited films have a peculiar dipole orientation, unlike the normal poled polymer films. The second harmonic generation characteristic was influenced by the substrate bias and also by the material of the substrate holder. These results revealed the importance of the electric field on the substrate during the deposition in determining the dipole orientation.

We developed a thin-film current sensor using a flux-saturable ring core. The sensor consists of a transformer unit composed of a saturable core, primary and secondary coils, and a load coil surrounding the transformer unit. The sensor is suitable for use in a fail-safe system. The chip size is 4mm × 4mm. A transmission efficiency of 60% was obtained when the carrier signal was a 3 Vpp-1 MHz sine wave. The secondary voltage of the sensor dropped by 90% when a 100-mA load current was applied to a 20-turn load coil.