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The prevalence of porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) proviral DNA among various pig breeds raised in Japan was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Moreover, potential infection of PERV was investigated by PCR and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in experimentally induced diabetic dogs (n=5) implanted with the diffusion chamber type bio-artificial endocrine pancreas (Bio-AEP) containing porcine pancreatic endocrine (PE) cells. No immunosuppressant was used after the transplantation. PERV gag, pol, env-A and env-B genes were detected in any pigs examined. In two of three Landrace breeds, env-C gene was absent. PERV proviral DNAs and viral RNAs were also detected from the cultured porcine PE-cells. In the peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the spleen obtained at 6, 30, 32, 36, 79 weeks of xenotransplantation in dogs, however, no evidence of microchimerism, infection and viremia were confirmed. These results suggested that the risk of PERV infection through xenotransplantation of Bio-AEP containing porcine islet cells without immunosuppressants may be quite low.

Macroscopic and microscopic dissipative structural patterns formed in the course of drying a deionized aqueous solution of cationic polyelectrolyte, poly(allylamine hydrochloride) on a cover glass have been observed. Drying times range from 40 min at 45 °C to 450 min at 5 °C, and are insensitive to the polymer concentration. Pattern area shrinks toward the center at the low polymer concentrations, and increases as the concentration increases. A macroscopic broad ring pattern, where the polymer accumulates densely, forms in many cases. Beautiful fractal patterns are observed at the microscopic scale. The fractal dimension increases from 1.2 to 1.6 as polymer concentration increases from 10-6 monoM to 10-2 monoM. The relative rates between the water flow at the drying front and the convection flow of water accompanying the movement of polymer are important for the macroscopic and microscopic pattern formation.

Accepted: 2003-02-04, 資料番号: SA1001214000

A magneto-plasma sail produces the propulsive force due to the interaction between the artificial magnetic field around a spacecraft inflated by the plasma and the solar wind erupted from the Sun. The inflation of the magnetic field by the plasma was proposed by a group of the University of Washington and the basic research has just started. This paper summarizes the characteristics of the magneto plasma sail by comparing with the other low-thrust propulsion systems, and investigates its potential application to near future planetary missions. Finally, an engineering satellite to demonstrate the magneto-plasma sail is proposed as a first step.

Accepted: 2003-04-24, 資料番号: SA1001213000

The transition of Britain's external trade policy leading to its first application to the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1961 was accelerated by its three bilateral trade discussions with Aus...

Xenotransplantation of porcine pancreatic endocrine (PE) cells in a diffusion chamber, a bioartificial endocrine pancreas (Bio-AEP), was conducted to total pancreatectomized dogs. Six pancreatectomized dogs were divided into two groups of 3 dogs each. In three dogs of the control group, exogenous insulin was administered twice a day for 30 weeks to maintain fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels within the normal range. The remaining three dogs were implanted with Bio-AEPs (implantation group), in addition to daily insulin administration. In the implantation group, Bio-AEPs containing 1.3 to 1.8 x 10(7) cells per kg of body weight of the recipient were implanted without fixation into the abdominal cavity. In the control group, exogenous insulin requirements did not decrease during the experimental period, whereas it significantly decreased for a certain period (3, 11, 17 weeks) after implantation in all implanted dogs. In the implantation group, laparotomy was performed after FBG and the exogenous insulin requirement increased again and Bio-AEPs were removed. Two Bio-AEPs were completely destroyed, and the remaining one was encapsulated by thin fibrous tissue. In this dog, effusion was present within the capsule, but the Bio-AEP was not destroyed. Histopathologically, the necrosis, presumably caused by hypoxia, of the PE-cells was observed on transmission electron microscopy. In conclusion, Bio-AEP could function for a certain period after implantation in this study. However, more preclinical researches should be needed to apply this technique for the treatment of diabetic dogs.

11歳2ヵ月齢の雌のペルシャ種猫がふらっきと異常行動のために上診した。MRI検査にて前頭葉から頭頂葉部にかけて髄膜腫と思われる境界明瞭な腫瘤を確認し, 同腫瘤と頭頂部の皮膚に認められた皮膚腫瘤を摘出した。それぞれの腫瘤は病理組織学的検査結果で髄膜腫とその皮膚転移と診断された。術後150日以上経過した現在, 自力排尿ができないことを除き, 症例には明らかな異常は認められていない。

The GINS complex associates with cell division cycle (Cdc) protein 45 and mini-chromosome maintenance (Mcm) proteins 2-7 to form the Cdc45-Mcm-GINS (CMG) complex, which is essential for DNA duplication. One member of the GINS complex is Psf3. We previously found that increased Psf3 expression was strongly associated with poor survival in lung adenocarcinoma. Here, we investigated the role of Psf3 expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We verified Psf3 expression in human NSCLC tissues (180 patients) and cell lines. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the overexpression of Psf3 was significantly associated with vessel invasion (P = 0.016), lymphatic invasion (P = 0.002), and pleural invasion (P = 0.036). The overall survival rate in patients with Psf3 overexpression was significantly lower than that in patients without Psf3 overexpression (P = 0.006). Multivariate survival analysis revealed Psf3 expression to be an independent risk factor for an unfavorable outcome (P = 0.049). A proximal ligation assay showed interactions between Psf3 and other CMG components (such as Mcm2 and Cdc45) in both NSCLC specimens and cell lines, indicating that Psf3 acted as the CMG complex, which could lead to excessive proliferation. Knockdown of Psf3 inhibited the proliferation of both cell lines by delaying the S phase, which revealed that Psf3 played an important role in cancer proliferation. Thus, Psf3 acted as the CMG complex, promoting excessive proliferation. These results suggest that Psf3 inhibition might be a therapeutic target for NSCLC with Psf3 overexpression.

This paper shows the latest results of the feasibility study of the BepiColombo MMO (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) Spacecraft, which was conducted by the ISAS (Institute of Space and Astronautical Science) Mercury Exploration Working Group.

We have succeeded in obtaining well-resolved Mossbauer spectra of 57Fe arising from short-lived 57Mn ( T 1/2 = 1.45 min) in Si and KMnO4. The Mossbauer spectra of 57Fe in Si are well fitted with a curve consisting of two singlet lines, one being assigned as the interstitial Fe atoms and the other as substitutional ones. The relative intensities of the two lines infer that 60% of 57Fe ( ←57Mn) atoms land at the interstitial sites and 40% at the substitutional sites at temperatures between 30 K and 296 K. The result for the KMnO4 sample suggests a presence of an exotic chemical species corresponding to a higher valence state than Fe6 +.

Background. To assess the contribution of IL-6 signaling to the physiopathology of Crohn’s disease, we introduced anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody to a murine colitis model. Methods. Colitis was induced in C.B-17-scid mice to which were transferred CD45RBhigh CD4+ T cells from Balb/c mice. Anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody or rat IgG was given intraperitoneally after T-cell transfer, followed by weekly injection. Vascular adhesion molecules and inducible nitric oxide synthase were visualized by immunostaining. Cytokine expression was determined by RT-PCR, and apoptotic cells were determined by the TUNEL method. Results. Mice treated with anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody showed normal growth while controls lost weight. Colitis was improved histologically with reduced infiltration of LFA-1+ monocytes/ macrophages and VLA-4+ T cells. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in the colonic vascular endothelium was markedly suppressed by the treatment, whereas no significant difference was seen in MAdCAM-1. IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-lβ mRNAs were markedly reduced, but no difference was observed in the expression of IL-4, IL-10, and TGF-β. Inducible nitric oxide synthase was upregulated in the mucosa of colitic mice and downregulated in the treated mice. Apoptotic cells were very sparse despite massive CD4+ T-cell infiltration in colitic mice, whereas increased apoptosis was seen in the treated mice with an apparently reduced number of T cells. Conclusions. Anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody abrogated murine colitis. It effectively blocked the expression of adhesion molecules, thereby blocking leukocyte recruitment, and increased T-cell apoptosis. These results strongly suggest the therapeutic potential of anti-IL-6 receptor monoclonal antibody for human Crohn’s disease.

資料番号: SA1001886000

Background: Lung cancer stem cells are considered to be responsible for lung cancer progression and metastasis. However, little is known about how they actually promote aggressive behaviors of lung cancer. Methods: We transduced OCT3/4, SOX2, and KLF4 (hereafter, OSK) into a KRAS-mutated (G12S) human lung adenocarcinoma cell line (A549) using retrovirus vectors. Dome-shaped colonies appeared in the OSK transduced A549 cells from 10 to 15 days after transduction. The colonies were picked up and sub-cultured. We named them OSK-A549-Colony cells. We evaluated cancer stem cell properties in the OSK-A549-Colony cells in terms of their chemo resistance, and sphere formation ability. We also assessed organoids constructing ability by co-culture with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and human umbilical vein epithelial cells (HUVECs) on low attachment plates. To clarify the molecular mechanisms that determined the properties of the OSK-A549-Colony cells, we performed microarray analysis. We further analyzed the molecular mechanisms of organoids construction by OSK-A549-Colony cells and searched for a method to destroy them. Results: The induced OSK-A549-colony cells were significantly more resistant to cisplatin than the parental A549 cells. Sphere forming ability was enhanced in the OSK-A549-Colony cells. Co-culture with MSCs and HUVECs showed that only the OSK-A549-Colony cells were able to construct consolidated organoids in vitro that mimicked bona-fide human lung cancer tissues. We named them “lung cancer organoids”. We found that interleukin-6 (IL-6), which was the most differentially expressed gene in the OSK-A549-Colony cells by microarray analysis, facilitated the formation of lung cancer organoids via the conversion of MSCs into alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA)-positive cells. Surprisingly, the combination of anti-IL-6 antibody and cisplatin could destroy the lung cancer organoids, while cisplatin alone could not. Conclusion: By transducing defined factors, A549 cells acquired lung cancer stem cell like properties. Analysis of chemosensitivity using the lung cancer organoids showed that the combination of IL-6 blockade and cisplatin could be a novel therapy targeting lung cancer stem cells. Citation Format: Hiroyuki Ogawa, Michiyo Koyanagi-Aoi, Yoshimasa Maniwa, Takashi Aoi. Interleukin-6 blockade, a novel cancer stem cell targeted therapy, attenuates lung cancer tissue construction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3902. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3902

A meter-scale Oscillating Heat Pipe (OHP) has been developed for the General Anti-Particle Spectrometer (GAPS) project. Two types of OHP routing, U-shaped and O-shaped, have been investigated. For the operation at low temperature, R410A was used as the working fluid. As the result of the investigation, we verified for the first time that both the meter-scale U-shaped and O-shaped OHPs can transfer heat under gravity in a wide temperature range between 20°C and -60°C. Generally, the O-shaped OHP showed better performance than the U-shaped OHP. Both OHP models showed good thermal conductance and a good amount of heat transport under the particular sets of conditions which meet the design requirements. In order to clarify the drive force to operate OHP to further improve the OHP design, the performance difference between the U-shaped and the O-shaped models has been interpreted in terms of the gravity effect and the pressure loss.

The Space Infrared Telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) is a pre-project of JAXA in collaboration with ESA to be launched around 2025. The SPICA mission is to be launched into a halo orbit around the second Lagrangian point in the Sun-Earth system, which allows us to use effective radiant cooling in combination with a mechanical cooling system in order to cool a 3m large IR telescope below 6K. The use of 4K / 1K-class Joule-Thomson coolers is proposed in order to cool the telescope and provide a 4K / 1K temperature region for Focal Plane Instruments (FPIs). This paper introduces details of the thermal design study for the SPICA payload module in the Risk-Mitigation-Phase (RMP), in which the activity is focused on mitigating the mission’s highest risks. As the result of the RMP activity, most of all the goals have been fully satisfied and the thermal design of the payload module has been dramatically improved.

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions developed by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), with a planned launch in 2015. The ASTRO-H mission is equipped with a suite of sensitive instruments with the highest energy resolution ever achieved at E > 3 keV and a wide energy range spanning four decades in energy from soft X-rays to gamma-rays. The simultaneous broad band pass, coupled with the high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV of the micro-calorimeter, will enable a wide variety of important science themes to be pursued. ASTRO-H is expected to provide breakthrough results in scientific areas as diverse as the large-scale structure of the Universe and its evolution, the behavior of matter in the gravitational strong field regime, the physical conditions in sites of cosmic-ray acceleration, and the distribution of dark matter in galaxy clusters at different redshifts., 24 pages, 18 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2014: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray"

Meter-scale Oscillating Heat Pipe (OHP) has been developed for the General Anti Particle Spectrometer (GAPS) project. Two types of the OHP routing have been investigated. One is a U-shaped routing and the other is an O-shaped routing. For the operation at low temperature, R410A was used as the working fluid. As the result of the investigation, we verified for the first time that both the meter-scale O-shaped and U-shaped OHPs can transfer heat in gravity at low temperature. Between the heat input section and the radiator section, the thermal conductance larger than 10 W/K was achieved under particular sets of conditions. In terms of thermal characteristics, the O-shaped OHP showed better performance than the U-shaped OHP. The O-shaped OHP started up more quickly than the U-shaped OHP at low temperature. The temperature uniformity of the O-shaped-OHP heating section was also better without drying-out at around the top of the heating section. The U-shaped OHP could transfer heat at temperatures above around 240 K, and the O-shaped OHP could transfer heat at temperatures above around 210 K. We consider the O-shaped OHP utilizes the gravity to assist the circulation of the working fluid resulting in better performance.

The biocompatibility of synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) in the diffusion chamber of a bioartificial endocrine pancreas (Bio-AEP) was investigated in normal beagle dogs. Two different types of ECM were used in this study, type I collagen treated with pepsin to ensure lower antigenicity (type I LA) and reconstituted basement membrane matrix (Matrigel derived from Englbreth-Holm-Swarm mouse sarcoma. Bio-AEPs with type I LA or Matrigel without pancreatic endocrine cells were implanted into the abdominal cavities of beagle dogs (n=4). At 1 month after implantation, laparoscopy revealed no abnormalities in the Bio-AEPs with type I LA, whereas it revealed encapsulation of one of the Bio-AEPs with Matrigel with fibrous tissue, and in that case the Bio-AEP was removed. At 3 months after implantation, the remaining Bio-AEP with Matrigel was completely destroyed, whereas the Bio-AEPs with type I LA showed no abnormal findings. Microscopically, an invasion of red blood cells and macrophages into the chamber was observed in the Bio-AEPs with Matrigel. A proliferation of fibroblasts around the Matrigel was observed in one case. In contrast, light microscopic findings revealed no abnormal findings in the Bio-AEP with type I LA. These results suggest that the cell growth and differentiation factors and adhesion molecules in Matrigel may play an important role in fibrous encapsulation and may be incompatible with dogs, and that type I LA is more suitable for Bio-AEP.

This paper describes outline of the piggy-back satellite “INDEX” for demonstration of advanced satellite technologies as well as for observation of fine structure of aurora. Aurora observation will be carried out by three cameras(MAC) with a monochromatic UV filter. Electron and ion spectrum analyzer (ESA/ISA) will measure the particle phenomena together with the aurora imaging. INDEX satellite will be launched in 2002 by Japanese H2-A. The satellite is mainly controlled by the high-speed, fault-tolerant on-board RICS processor (three-voting system of SH-3). The attitude control is a compact system of three-axis stabilization. Although the size of INDEX is small (50Kg class), several newly-developed technologies are applied to the satellite system, including silicon-on-insulator devices, variable emittance radiator, solar-concentrated paddles, lithium-ion battery, and GPS receiver with all-sky antenna-coverage.

7ヵ月齢のミニチュアダックスフントが後躯麻痺を主訴に来院した。MRI等の検査の結果, 胸椎に発生した骨軟骨腫による脊髄圧迫が原因と判断した。その後, 進行性の喉頭麻痺がみられ, これらの症状も同腫瘤による脊髄圧迫が原因と推測し同腫瘤の緊急摘出術を行ったところ全身状態の速やかな改善が認められた。脊椎に生じる骨軟骨腫は若齢犬にみられる神経症状の鑑別診断の一つとなること, このような症例でのMRI検査の有用性を再確認した。

Methyl α-acetylaminoacrylate (1) is easily soluble in various organic solvents and water. Radical polymerization of 1 was kinetically investigated in acetonitrile and distilled water. In both solvents, 1 obeys a conventional model of radical polymerization. The application of the linear solvation energy relationship proposed by Taft et al. to the polymerization rates of 1 in various organic solvents revealed that the major factors governing the rates are polarity and polarizability of the solvent. The copolymerization of 1 with acrylic acid in water was not influenced very much by pH, although homopolymerization of acrylic acid was greatly dependent on pH. Parameters r 1 = 3.04, R 2 = 0058, Q 1 = 6.03, and e 1 = 0.52 were obtained in the copolymerization of 1 (M 1 ) and styrene (M 2 ) at 50°C in tetrahydrofuran with AIBN as the initiator. The obtained Q and e values suggest that the α-acetyl-amino group has no polarizing action and significant resonance effect.

OBJECTIVE To determine the minimum anesthetic concentration for sevoflurane and effects of various multiples of minimum anesthetic concentration on arterial pressure and heart rate during controlled ventilation in chickens. STUDY DESIGN Prospective experimental study. ANIMALS Seven healthy chickens, 6 to 8 months old, weighing 1.6 to 3.4 kg. METHODS A rebreathing, semiclosed anesthetic circuit was used. Anesthesia was induced by mask with sevoflurane in oxygen. Each chicken was endotracheally intubated, then controlled ventilation was started and the end-tidal CO2 partial pressure was maintained at 30 to 40 mm Hg. Body temperature was maintained at 39.5 degrees to 41.0 degrees C. The inspired and end-tidal sevoflurane concentration were monitored with a multigas monitor. Minimum anesthetic concentration was determined as the minimal end-tidal sevoflurane concentration which prevented gross purposeful movement in response to clamping a toe for 1 minute. After the determination, the cardiovascular effects of sevoflurane at 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 times the minimum anesthetic concentration were determined. RESULTS The minimum anesthetic concentration for sevoflurane was 2.21% + 0.32% (mean +/- SD). Mean arterial pressure and heart rate at minimum anesthetic concentration were 84 +/- 13 mm Hg and 150 +/- 58 beats/min, respectively. There was a dose-dependent decrease in arterial pressure. The heart rate did not change significantly over the range 1 to 2 x minimum anesthetic concentration. No cardiac arrhythmias developed throughout the experiments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE The minimum anesthetic concentration for sevoflurane in chickens was within the range of minimum alveolar concentration reported in mammals. When the concentration of sevoflurane is increased during controlled ventilation in chickens, decrease in arterial pressure should be expected.

An inheritable bleeding disorder with light coat color caused by an autosomal recessive gene has been reported in a population of Japanese black cattle. The disease has been diagnosed as Chediak-Higashi Syndrome (CHS) of cattle which correspond to a human inheritable disorder caused by mutation in LYST gene. To characterize the molecular lesion causing CHS in cattle, cDNAs encoding bovine LYST were isolated from a bovine brain cDNA library. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of bovine LYST had 89.6 and 90.2% identity with those of the human LYST gene, respectively. In order to identify the mutation within the LYST gene causing CHS in cattle, cDNA fragments of the LYST gene were amplified from an affected animal by RT-PCR and their nucleotide sequences were completely determined. Notably, a nucleotide substitution of A to G transition, resulting in an amino acid substitution of histidine to arginine (H2015R) was identified in the affected animal. The presence of the substitution was completely corresponding with the occurrence of the CHS phenotype among 105 members of pedigrees of the Japanese black cattle and no cattle of other populations had this substitution. These findings strongly suggested that H2015R is the causative mutation in CHS of Japanese black cattle.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of fern rusts were carried out based on 18S rDNA sequences. We sequenced the 18S rDNAs of fern rusts (Hyalopsora polypodii andUredinopsis intermedia) and non-fern rusts (Aecidium epimedii, Coleosporium asterum, Ochropsora kraunhiae, Puccinia suzutake andPhysopella ampelopsidis) and analyzed their phylogenetic relationships with other members of the Urediniomycetes. Our bootstrapped neighbor-joining tree obtained from these analyses showed that rust fungi were apparently monophyletic at high confidence level (100% bootstrap confidence). In this molecular phylogenetic tree, the two fern rusts did not occupy the basal position within the rust fungal lineage and did not form a monophyletic lineage. Two species of the Cronartiaceae (Peridermium harknessii, Cronartium ribicola) and one species of the Coleosporiaceae (Coleosporium asterum) grouped with the fern rusts. Therefore, our results suggested that the two fern rusts were not primitive. On the other hand,Mixia osmundae, which is parasitic on the primitive fernOsmunda, was phylogenetically far from the fern rusts.

A shock-shock hot interaction problem is studied numerically. A high-order Godunov-type scheme coupled with solution-adaptive unstructured grids has been employed to compute a hypersonic thermochemically nonequilibrium viscous flow; the impinging shock generated by a wedge interacts with the bow shock around a 2-D circular cylinder. The dynamic grid adaptation to solution and the high-resolution methods contribute to a considerable improvement in both accuracy and efficiency. High-temperature real gas effects have been evaluated by a thermal and chemical non-equilibrium model. Type IV interaction of Edney near the transition between Type III and Type IV is obtained. The shock interaction structure is clearly captured with high resolution.

To study changes in L-proline uptake at different stages of gestation in mares, L-proline uptake into the maternal-facing microvillous plasma membrane was examined. The placental microvillous membrane vesicles (PMV) were isolated at three stages of gestation (6th, 8th and 10th month), characterized for their purity, and measured L-proline uptake. The uptake of L-proline into the PMV was demonstrated in a sodium-dependent manner. From apparent Km and Vmax values, it was considered that the degree of L-proline uptake by the active transport mechanism in the equine placenta tended to be higher at the 8th month than at the 6th and 10th month of gestation. These results suggest that the changes in L-proline uptake at different stages of gestation might be related to fetal growth in mares.

Malignant gastric outlet obstruction( GOO) compromises the ability to eat and drink. Surgical gastrojejunostomy has long been the standard palliative procedure for patients with GOO. However, it might not be applicable for patients with a poor general condition. In Japan, duodenal stenting for malignant GOO has been covered by health insurance since April 2010. In our hospital, 5 patients with malignant GOO underwent duodenal stenting using a WallFlexTM stent( Boston Scientific Corporation). Subsequently, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of duodenal stenting for malignant GOO. Most of the patients in this study were elderly, had systemic inflammation, and were malnourished. We achieved 100% technical and clinical success rates. Four patients were discharged from the hospital. No major complications such as perforation were noted. The median survival time after stenting was 86 days. In conclusion, endoscopic duodenal stenting for malignant GOO is safe and effective, and it could be an option for palliative therapy.

Passivity of corrosion-resistant alloys (CRA) in chloride (Cl−) + hydrogen sulfide (H2S) environments was investigated electrochemically to clarify the role of alloying elements. Pitting potential (V′c) was correlated with alloying elements of Ni, Cr, and Mo. Ni was shown ineffective in improving pitting resistance in Cl− environments. Passivity in Cl− + H2S environments was discussed based upon Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) analysis, and the roles of each alloying element were clarified.

The anamorphic genus Geosmithia, with the type species G. lavendula, includes species strictly lacking a teleomorph as well as species associated with the teleomorphs Talaromyces and Chromocleista. Our 18S rDNA sequence-based tree, inferred from 1586 alignable sites from 57 selected taxa within the Ascomycota and using two basidiomycetes as out- groups, clearly demonstrates that Geosmithia is a poly- phyletic taxon with evolutionary affinities to at least three groups of the euascomycete lineage within the

A series of mononuclear Ru trisbypiridine complexes connected to an anthraquinone unit by a flexible alkyl chain of varying lengths and a bolaamphiphilic dinuclear ruthenium complex bearing an anthraquinone unit in the middle of alkyl chain spacers were synthesized. Their conformational preference in CH3CN and in dihexadecyl phosphate vesicles was probed by utilizing the intramolecular electron-transfer quenching of the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited state of the Ru center by the appended quinone moiety. The length of the alkyl chain spacer had little effect on the quenching efficiency in either medium. A marked difference in the quenching behavior was observed only in the case of the dinuclear Ru complex in vesicles. These results indicate that the bolaamphiphilic structure is necessary and effective for the set of immobilized molecules to take a stretched conformation spanning a bilayer membrane.

A 7-year-old intact female golden Retriever was referred for evaluation of an intraorbital mass of the left eye. Based on ophthalmoscopy, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the tentative diagnosis was made as an intraocular neoplasia, especially choroidal melanoma. The orbital exenteration of the affected eye was performed. The mass was histologically diagnosed as malignant choroidal melanoma. No signs of recurrence and metastasis were detected by thoracic radiographs, blood examinations and MR images, and the dog was clinically healthy for 23 months after operation.

The Inverter surge is a high-voltage phenomenon that is generated by the overlap returning wave by impedance mismatching to an inverter and load like cables and motors. The inverter has been available by advancement of control system of electrical instrument, such as the industrial motor. The increase of current changing rate with the advance of power semiconductor causes the surge voltage to rise, increasing the number of failure events. The evaluation technology by partial discharge (PD) measurement is important because the mechanism leading to breakdown by the inverter surge is a cause of PD. In this study, a repetitive impulse voltage generator has been developed which is used in detecting PD in the inverter surge. We report the result that repetitive impulse voltage was applied to confirm the insulation dignity of inverter-fed motor insulation using the repetitive impulse voltage generator.

This paper proposes a lunar long duration method which utilizes a characteristic of avery low thermal conductivity of lunar regolith. The principle of this method is to put heater in desired depth of the regolith and heat up the regolith layer during lunar daytime. Because of the very low thermal conductivity of regolith, stored heat in regolith propagates gradually and raises the surface temperature at cold lunar night. By this method,a lunar lander will be kept warm passively during cold lunar night. A temporospatially small-scale experimental apparatus which simulate lunar surface environment was fabricated and the feasibility of a passive thermal control method with no electrical power during lunar night time was evaluated. The effectiveness of the proposed method was analytically evaluated by considering the relation between experimental result and actual lunar environment.

Emcore has been performing High Intensity High Temperature (HIHT) tests on covered, interconnected cell (CIC) assemblies. End-of-life performance of spacecraft solar panels depends to a great extent on changes in the optical properties of the CICs' coverglass adhesive during the mission. An important change in silicone coverglass adhesives is observed as degradation of short wavelength transmission, often called “darkening” or “yellowing”. This is understood to be driven by exposure to high intensity UV and by exposure to elevated temperature. Solar panels on the Solar Probe Plus (SPP) spacecraft will be exposed to both high UV irradiance and elevated temperature over the course of a long mission. This paper reports on the thermal-mechanical design work performed and planned by Emcore in order to test CICs designed for SPP under these extreme conditions. Three types of thermal test designs are presented: conduction/convection with a single fixed temperature, thermal radiation with multiple fixed temperatures, and thermal radiation with a variable single temperature. We present some detail from predictive thermal models used in the test designs along with temperature data measured during the test runs.

A new-born (8-day-old) male marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) was found dead in a zoo. The littermate and parents had no clinical abnormalities. By gross observations at necropsy, there were moderate to severe multiple necrotic foci in the liver and heart. Histopathological examinations also revealed mild focal necrosis with neutrophilic infiltration in the cerebral cortex. By Giemsa stained sections, intracytoplasmic bundles of large bacilli were observed in the hepatocytes, intestinal epithelial cells, cardiac myocytes and neuronal cells around the necrotic lesions. Immunohistochemically, these bacilli were intensely positive for rabbit sera against Clostridium piliforme, RT and MSK strains. Although Tyzzer's disease has been rarely reported in primates, the central nervous system (CNS) lesions by Clostridium piliforme infections are very unusual.

The paper deals with the confluence of three shock waves at a point, in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluid. Based on the three‐shock theory, the equations governing the flow field in the vicinity of the intersection point are obtained. The three shock confluences in field‐aligned cases are studied here using shock polars, revealing that only seven combinations of three shock types are possible. The relations among (a) the combinations of incident and reflected shock types, (b) the angle between incident and reflected shocks, and (c) the streamline deflection angle across the reflected shock are shown. As an example of application, the flow field induced by a supersonic MHD flow over a concave double wedge is studied both analytically and numerically.

The critical stress for initiation of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of a duplex stainless steel (DSS) in a sour environment was investigated using three stress application techniques: co...

The influence of microstructure and inclusion on the susceptibility to stress oriented hydrogen induced cracking, SOHIC, or type I sulfide stress cracking, SSC, was investigated for two kinds of line pipe steels which have the different susceptibility to SOHIC. The steel plates, produced by accelerated cooling after controlled rolling, were heated to three temperatures of 1100, 900 and 750°C to vary their microstructures. For the four microstructures including the as cooled one, the susceptibility to SOHIC was evaluated by the SSC test specified in NACE TM0177-90 method A in addition to an SSC test using a large scale plate. The cracking susceptibility depends on the minimum microhardness rather than maximum hardness in the specimens with yield strength of API X65 or less. The local region with minimum microhardness, having lower yield strength, is deduced to become a preferential site for the hydrogen induced blister cracking, HIBC, and also to provide plastic zones through which the existing blisters are prone to link to each other, leading to the cracking through thickness. As a consequence, the decrease in the local hardness is concluded to enhance cracking susceptibility. Non-metallic inclusions were identified as the crack initiation site. The critical dispersion distance of inclusions, within which a second blister can be induced in the plastic zone formed around the first blister, is estimated based upon calculation of the stress around the blister. The observed results of crack propagation and arrest were both well interpreted in terms of the estimated critical distance.