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Pulmonary complications are frequent in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD), but few studies have described lung pathology in SCD. We studied the lung tissue of 30 deceased SCD patients (1994-2012). Demographics, genotype, clinical characteristics, cause of death and associated conditions are presented. We quantified the presence of pulmonary arterial changes, thrombosis and venous thickening. Alveolar capillary abnormalities were demonstrated using CD34 expression and confocal microscopy. Autopsy and echocardiography reports were reviewed to classify heart abnormalities. Tissue expression of markers of endothelial activation (vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor) was quantified in pulmonary vessels. Median age was 33 years; genotype was SS in 19, SC in 7 and Sβ in 4, and there were 18 males. Hypertensive arterial changes were present in 76% of the patients, recent thrombosis in 80% and old thrombosis in 43%. Venous thickening was present in 23% and pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis foci in 87%. Ten percent of the patients presented right ventricular hypertrophy. There was no increased expression of endothelial activation markers when compared to controls. SCD affects the whole pulmonary vascular tree and reflects the multiple burden on lung vasculature imposed by the disease upon time.

The Technical Design for the COMET Phase-I experiment is presented in this paper. COMET is an experiment at J-PARC, Japan, which will search for neutrinoless conversion of muons into electrons in the field of an aluminium nucleus ($\mu-e$ conversion, $\mu^- N \to e^- N$); a lepton flavor violating process. The experimental sensitivity goal for this process in the Phase-I experiment is $3.1\times10^{-15}$, or 90 % upper limit of branching ratio of $7\times 10^{-15}$, which is a factor of 100 improvement over the existing limit. The expected number of background events is 0.032. To achieve the target sensitivity and background level, the 3.2 kW 8 GeV proton beam from J-PARC will be used. Two types of detectors, CyDet and StrECAL, will be used for detecting the \mue conversion events, and for measuring the beam-related background events in view of the Phase-II experiment, respectively. Results from simulation on signal and background estimations are also described., Comment: A minor correction applied in Eq. 3

Background Patients with asthma present structural and inflammatory alterations that are believed to play a role in disease severity. However, airway remodeling and inflammation have not been extensively investigated in relation to both symptom control and airflow obstruction in severe asthmatics. We aimed to investigate several inflammatory and structural pathological features in bronchial biopsies of severe asthmatics that could be related to symptom control and airflow obstruction after standardized treatment. Methods Fifty severe asthmatics received prednisone 40 mg/d for 2 weeks and maintenance therapy with budesonide/formoterol 400/12 μg twice daily + budesonide/formoterol 200/6 μg as needed for 12 weeks. Endobronchial biopsies were performed at the end of 12 weeks. We performed extensive immunopathological analyses of airway tissue inflammation and remodeling features in patients stratified by asthma symptom control and by airflow obstruction. Results Airway tissue inflammation and remodeling were not associated with symptom control. Asthmatics with persistent airflow obstruction had greater airway smooth muscle (Asm) area with decreased periostin and transforming growth factor beta-positive cells within Asm bundles, in addition to lower numbers of chymase-positive mast cells in the submucosa compared to patients with nonpersistent obstruction. Conclusions Symptom control in severe asthmatics was not associated with airway tissue inflammation and remodeling, although persistent airflow obstruction in these patients was associated with bronchial inflammation and airway structural changes.

The Higashino Beach of Karatsu Coast in Japan has been prone to erosion since 2013. As a part of the coastal protection, regular monitoring of the beach’s topography plays an important role to determine the factors influencing the changing of beach topography. The elevation of 10 certain points was measured on a selected cross-shore profile. The monitoring was carried out every month in the winter was characterized by high waves and every two months in the summer was characterized by low waves. The wave height of extreme wave events and sediment budget of the Higashino Beach were taken into account for evaluating the changing of the beach topography. The monitoring results showed that the beach was eroded in the cases of the extreme wave events with wave height exceeding 3m and accreted in the other cases. The wave data analysis showed that the magnitude and frequency of the extreme wave events with the wave height over 3m in a year has been increased since 2011. The dominant wave directions in the Karatsu Coast are N and NNE that cause the longshore sediment transport from the east to the Higashino Beach. However, the annual sediment discharge from Tamashima River has been decreased since 1993. In addition, the long shore sediment transport rate was reduced due to the construction of detached breakwater on the east of Karatsu Coast. It can be concluded that the erosion in the Higashino Beach caused by increment of the magnitude and frequency of the extreme wave events and the reduction of sediment discharge from the Tamashima River. It was also found that the number of the extreme wave events with the wave height exceeding 3m should be taken into account for evaluating the long term variation of the beach topography in the Higashino Beach.

Direct quantitative assessment of health risks following exposure to ionizing radiation is based on findings from epidemiological studies. Populations affected by nuclear bomb testing are among those that allow such assessment. The population living around the former Soviet Union’s Semipalatinsk nuclear test site is one of the largest human cohorts exposed to radiation from nuclear weapons tests. Following research that started in the 1960s, a registry that contains information on more than 300,000 individuals residing in the areas neighboring to the test site was established. Four nuclear weapons tests, conducted from 1949 to 1956, resulted in non-negligible radiation exposures to the public, corresponding up to approximately 300 mGy external dose. The registry contains relevant information about those who lived at the time of the testing as well as about their offspring, including biological material. An international group of scientists worked together within the research project SEMI-NUC funded by the European Union, and concluded that the registry provides a novel, mostly unexplored, and valuable resource for the assessment of the population risks associated with environmental radiation exposure. Suggestions for future studies and pathways on how to use the best dose assessment strategies have also been described in the project. Moreover, the registry could be used for research on other relevant public health topics.

Compact Infrared Camera (CIRC) is a technology-demonstration instrument equipped with an uncooled infrared array detector (microbolometer) for space application. CIRC is the first microbolometer sensor without a calibration function in orbit, like a shutter system or an onboard blackbody. The main objective of the CIRC is to detect wildfires, which are major and chronic disasters affecting various countries of Southeast Asia, particularly considering the effects of global warming and climate change. The CIRC achieves a small size (approximately 200 mm), light mass (approximately 3 kg), and low electrical power consumption (

The effect of Ru doping on the magnetic coupling among Co ions and on the Seebeck effect in Na

Background Graceptor is a new modified-release once-daily formulation of tacrolimus with an efficacy and safety profile similar to twice-daily tacrolimus (Prograf), as identified by clinical trials, offering a more convenient dosing regimen to improve adherence. The aim of this study was to analyze the safety of a 1:1 dose conversion from twice-daily Prograf to once-daily Graceptor in stable kidney transplant recipients. Methods We switched 33 Japanese patients who had undergone kidney transplantation ≥1 years before from twice-daily Prograf to once-daily Graceptor. The dose conversion ratio between Prograf and Graceptor was 1:1. We compared the following parameters: minimum tacrolimus concentration (C min ); concentration dose per weight (CDW); serum creatinine (sCr); blood urea nitrogen (BUN); total cholesterol (TC); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); uric acid (UA); fasting blood sugar (FBS). Time points for measurements were 1 month before study start and 1 and 2 months afterward. Results The mean age of the subjects in this study was 46.5 ± 13.1 years. Mean C min decreased from 4.55 ± 1.79 to 3.20 ± 1.22 ng/dL. The mean CDW also decreased, from 99.8 ± 69.5 to 75.0 ± 55.1 mg/dL/kg over the 2 months. There were no significant changes in sCR, BUN, UA, and FBS. Mean TC increased from 187.5 ± 51.4 to 194.3 ± 43.4 mg/dL, and mean HDL-C changed from 53.7 ± 12.0 to 56.1 ± 11 mg/dL. There were no episodes of rejection or infection. Conclusions We conclude that switching from Prograf to Graceptor is safe and has the advantage of improving adherence. It could also have a beneficial effect in controlling glycemic levels and the adverse effects of tacrolimus. In many cases (25%–30%), the minimum concentration of tacrolimus decreased after changing tablets. With Graceptor, the ratio of area under trough level to area under the curve (AUC) is low compared with Prograf, resulting in low C min values of 1–2 ng/mL, and the AUC for Graceptor is very similar to that for Prograf.

Pulsed dielectric barrier discharges (DBDs) generated inside inert gas bubbles were studied to decompose persistent organic materials in water. Two glass tubes were coaxially mounted, and metal electrodes were attached at the inner and outer surfaces of the tubes that acted as dielectric barriers. A 10-ppm acetic acid solution filled the gap between the tubes and acted as the persistent organic material. Flow-controlled inert gases, such as argon and neon, were fed through a bubbler into the solution and formed a gas-liquid two-phase flow. Fast-rising pulsed voltages at repetitive frequencies up to 10 kHz generated pulsed DBDs inside the gas bubbles that bridged the 1-mm gap between the tubes. Bubble images were captured with a high-speed video camera, while an intensified charge-coupled device camera captured temporal discharge images at an exposure time of 5 ns. The decomposition rate and energy efficiency were measured by the decreased amount of acetic acid concentration; it was found that higher efficiency was obtained using neon gas. The hydroxyl (OH) radical emission intensity from the neon discharge was lower than that from an argon discharge. Laser-induced fluorescence measurements revealed that the number density of OH radicals in the ground state was higher in neon discharge experiments using a pin-plane-type electrode. The OH radicals in the ground state are more important for the decomposition of acetic acid.

The optimal treatment for pelvic organ prolapse has been the subject of much discussion. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of a combination of uterosacral colpopexy and anterior vaginal mesh implantation.A single-center prospective cohort study was conducted. Twenty-eight patients with stage III-IV cystocele and uterine prolapse underwent reconstructive surgery. A combination of vaginal hysterectomy, McCall culdeplasty, and trocar-guided anterior vaginal mesh implantation was performed, and the patients' postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Patient satisfaction was investigated using the modified Short Form 12 version 2 (SF-12v2) questionnaire, and interviews regarding sexual behavior were conducted at 1 postoperative year.A bladder injury occurred during the dissection in one case (3.6%). Recurrent vaginal vault prolapse beyond the hymen was observed in one patient (cure rate: 96.4%), and further mesh augmentation was required in this case. Another patient developed mild cystocele (Ba = 0), but was simply observed because she did not complain of any symptoms caused by vaginal descent. We did not experience any other mesh-related complications, such as protrusion, chronic pain, or chronic inflammation, during the follow-up period. The patients' modified SF-12 scores at 12 months were significantly better than their preoperative scores in all eight domains.The satisfactory correction of pelvic organ prolapse was achieved using a combination of vaginal hysterectomy and uterosacral ligament colpopexy augmented by anterior vaginal mesh implantation. © 2016 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

We describe exchange interactions in dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) based on ab initio calculations. The electronic structure of DMS is calculated on the basis of the density functional theory using the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker coherent potential approximation (KKR-CPA). We show that there are two classes of DMS with very different properties. In systems with localized majority d-states deep in the valence band, the ferromagnetism is induced by Zener's p–d exchange interaction. This interaction is weak, but long ranged. For systems with impurity bands in the gap, the ferromagnetism is driven by Zener's double exchange mechanism. This interaction is very strong, but short ranged. Sophisticated Monte Carlo methods show that, for small concentrations, the percolation effect should be included to estimate the Curie temperatures of DMS. In particular, the ferromagnetism is strongly suppressed in double exchange systems due to the absence of percolation for low concentrations.

An amperometric DNA sensing system is proposed based on the combination of sandwich hybridization of reporter probe, capture probe, and target DNA. InvA gene of Salmonella typhimurium was used for target DNA and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) was used for subsequent enzymatic electrochemical detection as reporter probe. DNA sensor was constructed as follows. At first, a gold electrode was modified with mercaptopropionic acid, then PEI-Fc (ferrocene immobilized polyethylenimine)/alginic acid, diaphorase/PEI, and PEI/streptavidin layers were formed on the surface of electrode by layer-by-layer adsorption. Finally, capture probe was immobilized on the electrode via streptavidin. Hybridization of target DNA and the both probe was carried at 56^oC. Hybridization product was immobilized on the DNA sensor surface by biotin-avidin bond. Electrochemical measurement was performed in the solution containing G6P as substrate and NAD^+ as cofactor for enzyme reaction. The anodic current against glucose-6-phosphate was obtained. It indicates that reporter probe was immobilized on the electrode by hybridization with target DNA and G6PDH on the probe produced NADH. The detection limit of present DNA sensor was femto mol order of target DNA.

The magnetic properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs) are calculated from first-principles by mapping the ab initio results on a classical Heisenberg model. By using the Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker coherent potential approximation method within the local density approximation, the electronic structure of (Ga,Mn)N and (Ga,Mn)As is calculated. Effective exchange coupling constants J ij s are calculated by using the formula of Liechtenstein et al. (A.~I. Liechtenstein, M. I. Katsnelson, V. P. Antropov, and V. A. Gubanov, 1987, J.~Magn. Magn. Mater. Vol. 67, p. 65). It is found that the range of the exchange interaction in (Ga,Mn)N is very short due to the exponential decay of the impurity wave function in the gap. On the other hand, in (Ga,Mn)As, the interaction is weaker but long ranged because the extended valence hole states mediate the ferromagnetic interaction. Monte Carlo simulations show that the TC values of (Ga,Mn)N are very low since percolation is difficult to achieve for small concentrations and the mean field approximation strongly overestimates TC. Even in (Ga,Mn)As the percolation effect is still important.

The first sign of magma accumulating beneath Miyakejima, an island volcano in the northern Izu islands, Japan, came at around 18:00 on 26 June 2000, when a swarm of earthquakes was detected by a volcano seismic network on the island. Earthquakes occurred initially beneath the southwest flank near the summit and gradually migrated west of the island, where a submarine eruption occurred the next morning. Earthquakes then migrated further to the northwest between Miyakejima and Kozushima, another volcanic island and developed to the most intense earthquake swarm ever observed in and around Japanese archipelago. To better image how the initial magma intrusion occurred, we relocated hypocenters by using a station-correction method and a double-difference method. The relocated epicenters are generally concentrated near the upper bound of dyke intrusions inferred from geodetic studies throughout the initial stages of the 2000 eruption at Miyakejima from 26 to 27 June 2000. As for seismic activity westward off Miyakejima in the morning on 27 June, hypocenters from both a nationwide seismic network that were relocated by the double-difference method, and those from the volcano seismic network relocated by the station-correction method, formed a very shallow cluster that ascended slowly with time as it propagated northwestward from Miyakejima. This suggests that the dykes have both a radial and upward component of movement.

A new method for high-quality hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating is developed, the laser-assisted laser ablation method. In this method, two lasers are used. One is used for ablation of a HAp target. The other, the assist laser, is used to irradiate a Ti substrate surface. The effects of the assist laser irradiation are to anneal the HAp coating and to improve its adhesive strength to the Ti substrate. The quality of the HAp coating depends on the delay time of the assist-laser irradiation. HAp coatings obtained at a delay time of 10 microseconds or more are more amorphous. It was confirmed that the amorphous part of a coating dissolves in simulated body fluid, while the crystalline part does not. The value of the Ca/P ratio in a coating obtained at a delay time of a few microseconds is close to the stoichiometric value.

In traditional Japanese smelting and forging, three characteristic technologies can be identified that may provide a basis for a new process concept in the production of iron and steel. First, ironsand, the use of which is problematic in modern ironmaking, was used instead of ironstone. The titanium oxide present was effective for keeping the slag fluid and increasing the carbon content of the product, thereby decreasing the activity coefficient of FeO in the slag. Second, two types of operation were carried out with almost the same type of furnace. In one of the operations, mainly molten pig iron was produced and, in the other, steel bloom (>50 wt-% of total product) and molten pig iron. The main controlling factors were the type of raw material (titanium content of ironsand) and the oxidising potential in the furnace, which influenced the degree of carburisation and decarburisation of the iron. Third, it is thought that traditional Japanese steel is the best material for Japanese swordmaking. Th...

A fast in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry technique has been adopted to investigate the nucleation and growth of carbon on a Si substrate in a DC glow discharge of 100% methane in a temperature range from 1170 to 1270 K. Firstly, a model consisting of a carbonizing layer of Si1−xCx on a Si substrate was constructed for analyzing the initial carbonization process, and both a growth rate of 0.1 nm/s and a time-dependent average composition x of the layer was obtained within the spectral change of the optical constants at a wavelength range of 280–760 nm at 1200 K. The maximum value of x was estimated to be 0.15±0.01 under this condition. Secondly, the average rate of surface coverage of the carbon nuclei at this second stage was found to be 5%/min, where nucleation was assumed to take place on the carbonized layer. This model gave a good fit to the time-dependent spectral data. Thirdly, a growth rate of 0.1 nm/s and optical constants of the carbon film were determined. It was found to consist of graphite microcrystals in the present experimental condition by Raman scattering spectroscopy.

Laser-assisted magnetic recording is an interesting method for narrowing a track pitch; in particular, crosstalk canceling in laser-assisted magnetic readout has a unique feature that it enables us to reproduce a narrower track than an assisting laser spot size. Shorter wavelength of the assisting laser promises the higher track density, accordingly. In this paper, we have demonstrated the crosstalk evaluation by using a blue laser for the assisting beam and obtained as high track density as 85ktpi.

A fast in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry technique has been adopted to investigate the plasma-carburising process in a d.c. glow discharge of 100% methane at 1200 K. The optical constant spectra of carbon film on Si at 1200 K have been successfully used for analyzing the plasma-carburising process in a mild steel. A multi-wavelength ellipsometric analysis of the plasma-carburising process in the mild steel strongly suggests that: (1) active carbon transferred to the surface starts diffusing into the mild steel immediately after methane plasma generation and then cementite Fe 3 C precipitates in a few minutes in the present experimental condition; and (2) carbon diffusion ceases and the cementite dissolves into the bulk or transforms to graphite once graphite begins to be deposited on the surface. In situ ellipsometry is also found to be useful in the surface cleaning process with Ar ion sputtering prior to plasma-carburising in stainless steel. It can monitor the reduction of native oxide on the surface and reveal the timing of plasma-carburising.

Sulfation of the 3-hydroxy group is assumed to be a major metabolic route of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) which is used for treating various hepatobiliary diseases. We have developed a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determining the total amount of nonamidated, glycine- and taurine-amidated ursodeoxycholic acid 3-sulfates (UDCA 3-Suls) using a newly established monoclonal antibody. In this study, 12 kinds of antibody-secreting hybridoma clones were generated by a fusion experiment between P3/NS1/1-Ag4-1 myeloma cells and the spleen cells from a BALB/c or an A/J mouse which had been immunized with a conjugate of nonamidated UDCA 3-Sul and bovine serum albumin. One of the monoclonal antibodies, Ba-10 (gamma2a, kappa), had suitable binding properties for clinical application, which was group-specific to the UDCA 3-Suls, and showed negligible cross-reactivities with various related bile acids including potentially interfering compounds, namely, the unconjugated UDCA, UDCA 7-N-acetylglucosaminide, the 3-sulfates of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid and deoxycholic acid. The antibody Ba-10 allowed us to develop a sensitive competitive ELISA system whose measurable range was approximately 2-200 pg per assay. A serial dilution study indicated that the ELISA enables the direct measurement of the UDCA 3-Suls in human urine before and after the administration of exogenous UDCA. The daily urinary excretion rate of UDCA 3-Suls from healthy male volunteers (n = 5) was determined to be a mean of 131 +/- 61.2 (SD) microgram as the nonamidated UDCA 3-Sul equivalent.

Recent progress in laser-assisted magnetic recording, which combines optical and magnetic recording technologies, is described in this paper. This study confirms that laser-assisted magnetic recording is a good candidate for high areal density magnetic recording. Improved disk performance was demonstrated in the area of frequency response, media noise, and thermal decay. The improvements in media design include the change in temperature dependence of the recording layer, an increased perpendicular anisotropy, and a thermally efficient layer structure. These improved media properties result in a high linear density and good thermal stability.

Two-dimensional patterns of radiation-induced phenomena, including thermoluminescence (TL), after-glow (AG) and colour centre (CC) images, showed significantly different behaviour between the core and outer parts of a Japanese twin quartz slice. Intense smoky colouration and blue luminescence appeared in the core, giving a good inverse correlation with the distribution of aluminium impurity. In addition, there was a characteristic red AG in the outer parts of the crystal. The response to radiation of the blue TL (BTL) from the outer part of the as-received quartz slice segments revealed poor BTL sensitivity and a tendency to saturation at low doses. The outer part was especially characterized by high contents of both aluminium and OH impurity, although the annealing treatments greatly eliminated the OH concentrations as water vapour. The annealing treatment (50 hr at 1000°C) of the slice segments brought on a remarkable changes to the TL-property; the core part was converted from BTL having a broad peak around 480 nm at 230°C into a new BTL peak around 100°C, and broad spectrum ranging from BTL to red TL (RTL) at 300°C. The outer part was characterized by a change into a new single 100°C BTL peak from some weak peaks of the as-received segment. On the basis of these radiation-induced phenomena, a new formation mechanism for twin quartz is proposed. We propose that the core part was formed first and was followed by the formation of the out part from hydrothermal solution and with a higher aluminium concentration.

Photoelectrochemistry was used to study the inhibited films that formed on mild steel in aerated municipal water. Tests included three types of inorganic inhibitors that contained as activ...

A series of pyrazole derivatives with two and three alkylating sites were prepared and their cytotoxicity against cancer cells as well as antitumor activity against L1210 was investigated. The best result of cytotoxicity was obtained with the trichloride 5 and the best antitumor activity (ILS 33%) with the dibromide 3. These results can provide valuable information for further study of the more effective antitumor agent. Keywords: pyrazole, synthesis, cytotoxicity, antitumor activity, polyalkylator.

Quartz Z-cut slices, which were prepared from a Madagascar crystal rock, were observed with colour centre images (CCI) and thermoluminescence colour imaging (TLCI) after X-(or γ)-ray irradiation. It was found that these striped radiation-induced patterns offered an apparently inverse correlation with Al-impurity distribution from an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). On the basis of these striped patterns, some segments obtained from the slice were subjected to more quantitative measurements of TL and CCI spectrometry, together with the analysis of the concentrations of two kinds of impurity: Al and OH. These were analyzed by means of neutron activation analysis and infra-red spectroscopy, respectively. A reverse-correlation was found between the radiation-induced phenomena and the Al and OH (probably due to dangling bonds) impurity concentrations, whereas Al-centres from ESR-spectra give a positive correlation with radiation-induced phenomena, as is well known. From these experimental results, a model has been proposed in which the H0-atoms, formed as a radiolysis product from OH impurities, will be able to operate as killers of radiation-induced phenomena. This model was supported by the following results; the existence of H0 radicals and intense Al-centres were detected in ESR spectra after the irradiation and subsequent measurements at liquid N2, whereas the elimination of the Al-centre signal, associated with the complete disappearance of the H0 centres, was confirmed from ESR-measurements on re-cooled samples, after warming once to room temperature. The parts possessing less radiation-induced phenomena were interestingly changed into intense red-TL sites from original blue-TL ones after the annealing treatment, presumably owing to the exclusion of OH impurities as water vapour.

A 65-year-old man was admitted to our department due to severe dysphagia, dysarthria, and aspiration pneumonia. Dysphagia and dysarthria were caused by lateral medullary infarction (Wallenberg' s syndrome). After the patient recovered from pneumonia, the abnormality of swallowing was assessed by a swallowing provocation test and videofluorography. Two months after the start of swallowing training, a swallowing provocation test showed that the swallowing reflex had improved and videofluorography showed that the magnitude of aspiration to the trachea had decreased. The patient began taking food by mouth. These tests are useful for quantitative assessment of dysphagia and for deciding when to start oral intake in elderly patients.

AC impedance method has been applied to evaluate the performance of Zn, Zn-5%Al and Zn-55%Al coated steels under wet-dry cycles. The wet-dry cycles were carried out by exposure to the alternate conditions of I h-immersion in a 0.5 or a 0.05 kmol/m 3 NaCl solution and drying for various times at 298 K and 60%RH. The impedances at two frequency points, a high frequency (10 kHz) and a low frequency (10 mHz), were monitored during the cyclic wet-dry exposure. The reciprocals of the high frequency and low frequency impedances were taken as the solution conductance of water layer on the coating surface and the corrosion rate of the coated steels, respectively. The impedance monitoring results showed that the Zn-55%Al coating exhibited the most excellent corrosion resistance under the given conditions. This is attributed to the formation of aluminum oxide on the specimen surface. On the other hand, the corrosion resistances of Zn coated and Zn-5%Al coated steels were almost the same under relatively wet and highly chloride-concentrated conditions. An increase in the chloride concentration of the test solution employed during the wet-dry cyclic test decreased the average corrosion rate in all cases. The average corrosion rate of the Zn-55%Al coating under a wet-dry cyclic condition in 0.5 kmol/m 3 NaCI solution was lower than that in 0.05 kmol/m 3 NaCI by one order of magnitude. The combined wet-dry cyclic exposure test and AC impedance corrosion monitoring is very useful for the mechanistic study of the corrosion of coated steels, as well as the evaluation of their corrosion performance, in marine atmospheric environments.

This paper focuses on metal nanoparticles “dimer” with a molecular bridge for highly sensitive trace detection by Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). We clarified Raman intensity was determined from a concentration of particle dimers in mixing of a nanoparticle and a molecule solutions by characterization of SERS with the experimental and the analytical studies. This is because the particle dimer gives us higher enhancement factor of SERS intensity than the conventionally-used larger cluster of nanoparticles. Furthermore we proposed a multilayered mixing of nanoparticles and molecule solutions to achieve a higher concentration of the particle dimer in an entire laser spot of a portable Raman spectroscope.

Boron nitride has polymorphs such as zinc-blende (c-BN), wurtzite (w-BN), rhombohedral (r-BN), and graphite-like (h-BN) forms. We simulate the direct conversion of r-BN to c-BN through electronic excitation. In our calculation, the conversion is made possible by increasing the hole concentration to over 0.06/atom. This conversion should be experimentally possible by hole-doping via an electric double layer transistor (EDLT) or capacitor.

To investigate the functions of GTP-binding protein(s) in the melanosome-aggregating response in fish melanophores, the effects of activators of G-proteins, namely, mastoparan and compound 48/80, were examined in cultured melanophores of the balck-moor goldfish,Carassius auratus. Both mastoparan and compound 48/80 induced an approximately 40% increase in the GTP-hydrolyzing activity in the melanophore membranes compared to the basal level. In intact melanophores, these compounds inhibited the effect of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, which induced the accumulation of intracellular cAMP. Pretreatment of melanophores with pertussis toxin at 1 μg·ml-1 for 15 h attenuated the inhibitory effect of mastoparan on the accumulation of cAMP. However, pretreatment with the toxin only slightly attenuated the inhibitory effect of compound 48/80 on the accumulation of cAMP. In addition, compound 48/80 at 1 mg·ml-1 induced full aggregation of the melanosomes in melanophores, though mastoparan at 5 μmol·l-1 induced only 10–20% aggregation of melanophores. These results suggest that mastoparan and compound 48/80 can each activate the inhibitory G-protein in goldfish melanophores, which results in inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity. This signal-transduction pathway is involved in the aggregation of melanosomes in these cells.

Various side effects have been associated with the clinical use of contrast media. Immunological mechanisms have been proposed but there have been very few experimental studies with animal models. We have attempted to develop murine models to determine whether or not anaphylactic antibodies such as IgE and IgG1 against hapten (DNP) were enhanced with contrast medium (iopamidol) as an adjuvant or if the contrast medium itself produced antibodies of the IgE class. The results showed that anti-hapten IgE and IgG1 production was greatly enhanced with immunogen plus contrast medium. Anti-contrast medium antibodies of the IgE class could not be detected by PCA reactions. The enhancement of IgE and IgG1 production for hapten was associated with IL-4 release by the neutralization test used by monoclonal anti-IL-4 antibodies. This is the first observation to show that contrast media may have a strong adjuvant effect for the production of IgE and IgG1. This murine model demonstrates a possible immunological function of contrast media in vivo.

The ac impedance method has been applied to evaluate the degradation of an organic-coated stainless steel with a macroscopic line defect. The delamination propagated in the direction normal to the macroscopic line defect during the corrosion test, and a thin electrolyte layer was formed under the delaminated coating. The EIS data are interpreted in terms of a model in which the equivalent circuit of stainless steel/coatings/solution interfaces is composed of a parallel combination of the circuits for a macroscopic defective part and for a delaminated part. The former can be expressed by a parallel circuit of a polarization resistance and a double layer capacitance, while the latter can be explained by a onedimensional distributed constant circuit. The impedance parameters in the proposed equivalent circuit were determined by curve fitting of the EIS data. The interfacial capacitance correlated well with the actual delaminated area. The EIS technique is very promising for the evaluation of organic coating with a macroscopic defect.

We have used a double-resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI) technique to determine the quenching rates for collision-induced electronic transitions (CIETs) from the N2 a1Πg(v = 1) level as a function of the collision partners He, Ar, and nitrogen. The branching ratio from this level to the a‘1Σu-(v = 2 and 1) levels is determined experimentally and found to be in excellent agreement with an empirical model developed previously. This ratio is used to determine state-specific CIET rates from pressure-dependent radiative decay curves using a double-exponential model for collisional deactivation. The rates are determined for each of the collision partners, and the most efficient quenchant is determined to be nitrogen followed by Ar and He. In addition, the propensities for CIET have been observed from the a1Πg(v = 2) level to the a‘1Σu-(v = 3) level as a function of the rare-gas partners. There is a dependence of the propensities on the collision partner, and helium has a smaller ΔJ propensity tha...