Search

Contact tracing for COVID-19 relies heavily on the cooperation of individuals with authorities to provide information of contact persons. However, few studies have clarified willingness to cooperate and motivation to provide information for contact tracing. This study sought to describe willingness to cooperate and motivation to report contact persons for COVID-19 contact tracing among citizens in Japan, and to assess any associated sociodemographic factors.Cross-sectional study.This was an online-based survey using quota sampling. Participants were asked about their willingness to cooperate in reporting contacts for COVID-19 contact tracing if they tested positive. Participants also responded to questions regarding their reasons for cooperating or not cooperating and provided sociodemographic data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to clarify associations between sociodemographic factors and willingness to cooperate.This study included 2844 participants. The proportion of participants who were not willing to cooperate in reporting contacts was 27.6%, with their main reasons being concerns about causing trouble for the other person and being criticised for revealing their names. Willingness to cooperate was lower among men, young adults and those with an educational level less than a university degree.To improve the effectiveness of contact tracing, educational campaigns, such as reducing the fear and stigma associated with COVID-19, may be important. Furthermore, it is essential to understand that individuals may have contacts whom they do not wish to disclose to others and to be considerate when handling such situations.

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.

Background Ustekinumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin 12/23 p40 subunit, was approved worldwide in 2020 for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. The efficacy of ustekinumab in inducing and maintaining remission in moderate to severe ulcerative colitis was demonstrated in the phase 3 clinical study, the UNIFI trial; however, real-world data on the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab for patients with ulcerative colitis is still scarce. We aimed to investigate the real-world effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in patients with ulcerative colitis. Methods This was a single-centre retrospective study enrolling patients with ulcerative colitis who were aged 16 years or more and administered ustekinumab between March 2022 and March 2022 at Toho University Sakura Medical Center, a tertiary center. Data were extracted by chart review. Ustekinumab was administered as a single intravenous infusion (approximately 6 mg/kg) followed by 90mg subcutaneous injection at week 8 and then by 90mg subcutaneous injection every 8-12 weeks. The endpoints were 1) the proportion of patients achieving symptomatic remission, defined as a rectal bleeding score of 0 and a stool frequency score of 0 or 1 in patient-reported outcome-2 (PRO-2), at week 8, 2) time to discontinuation, and 3) safety during the observation periods. Results We enrolled 53 patients in this study, with a median age of 45 years (interquadrant range: 27-57). Thirty patients (56.6%) were male and 23 (43.4%) were female. The majority of patients (n=39; 73.6%) had extensive colitis. Notably, 21 (38.9%) patients were naïve to advanced therapies. Thiopurines had been administered to 24 (45.3%) patients. Twenty-one (39.6%) patients achieved symptomatic remission at week 8 after a single intravenous infusion. The proportion of patients with symptomatic remission was numerically higher in advanced therapy-naïve patients compared with advanced therapy-experienced patients (47.6% versus 34.4%) (Figure 1). Univariate analysis failed to identify clinical predictors for symptomatic remission at week 8. The time to discontinuation were significantly longer in advanced-therapy naïve patients compared with advanced therapy experienced patients, with a median observation period of 296 days (Figure 2). As for safety, one patient discontinued ustekinumab due to skin disorder. One death due to pneumonia was observed, which was unrelated to ustekinumab. Conclusion Ustekinumab was effective and safe in the real-world setting. Advanced-therapy naïve patients were more likely to continue ustekinumab compared with advanced therapy experienced patients.

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.

We report the development of a millimeter-wave electron-spin-resonance (ESR) measurement system at the University of Fukui using a 3He/4He dilution refrigerator to reach temperatures below 1 K. The system operates in the frequency range of 125–130 GHz, with a homodyne detection. A nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) measurement system was also developed in this system as the extension for millimeter-wave ESR/NMR double magnetic-resonance (DoMR) experiments. Several types of Fabry–Perot-type resonators (FPR) have been developed: A piezo actuator attached to an FPR enables an electric tuning of cavity frequency. A flat mirror of an FPR has been fabricated using a gold thin film aiming for DoMR. ESR signal was measured down to 0.09 K. Results of ESR measurements of an organic radical crystal and phosphorous-doped silicon are presented. The NMR signal from 1H contained in the resonator is also detected successfully as a test for DoMR.

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 many countries, compacted bentonite is a candidate engineering barrier material for safe disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) set up anin situexperiment (the ABM project) to compare the stability of different bentonites under the conditions of exposure to an iron source and to elevated temperature (up to 130°C) at the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, Sweden. Results for the Japanese bentonite (Kunigel V1) are summarized in the present study.Mineralogical investigation using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) suggested no transformation of smectite or neoformed clay phases. However, a distinct change in exchangeable cations of smectite was indicated (i.e.from Na type to Fe type and/or Ca type) in the bentonite in the vicinity of the steel heater.Measurements of hydraulic conductivity and swelling properties suggest that no significant changes occurred in the bentonite even in the vicinity of the steel heater. This is attributed to the limited portion of the bentonite affected by the iron–bentonite interactions and the incomplete ion-exchange reactions. The methylene blue cation exchange capacity and the determination of the exchangeable cations showed that the lateral distribution for these parameters was constant. However, the total exchangeable cation population has changed significantly compared to the initial sample.

We have developed a millimeter-wave electron spin resonance (ESR) measurement system using a 3He- 4He dilution refrigerator for the ultralow-temperature range below 1 K. The currently available frequency range is 125–130 GHz. The frequency can be changed by adjusting the distance between the mirrors using a piezoelectric actuator. Using this apparatus, we performed ESR measurements on a Heisenberg quantum-spin chain - copper pyrazine dinitrate (CuPzN for short), Cu(C 4 H 4 N 2 )(NO3)2 - over the temperature range from 6.6 down to 0.25 K. The ESR lines shift continuously with decreasing temperature. The results suggest that the ESR spectrum of CuPzN is possibly useful as a temperature sensor below 1 K.

We have developed millimeter-wave Fabry-Perot type resonator (FPR) aiming for simultaneous electron-spin and nuclear-spin resonance (ESR/NMR) measurements at very low temperatures below 1 K. The flat mirror of FPR is fabricated using a gold thin layer in order to minimize disturbance to radio frequency wave for NMR. An optimum thickness of the gold layer by measuring $Q$ value is found. We have actually succeeded to detect both ESR and NMR at very low temperatures.

Malignant gliomas are highly resistant to chemotherapy and radiation and more effective options for treatment are urgently needed. We reported previously that the aromatic amide brefelamide, which is isolated from methanolic extracts of the cellular slime molds Dictyostelium giganteum and D. brefeldianum, hinders cellular proliferation in a glioma model utilizing 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells. Herein, we examined the mechanisms underlying the inhibition of 1321N1 cell proliferation by brefelamide. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was found to enhance the rate of proliferation of serum-free cultured 1321N1 cells, but did not affect proliferation in PC12 cells. Brefelamide pretreatment inhibited GDNF-induced cell proliferation and expression of rearranged during transfection (RET). GDNF enhanced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), AKT, and c-jun-N-terminal kinase (JNK); however, brefelamide pretreatment inhibited these effects. Brefelamide also reduced the expression of GDNF mRNA and GDNF secretion. Together, the findings from this study indicate that brefelamide inhibits the proliferation of 1321N1 cell via several mechanisms including reduced GDNF receptor expression and GDNF secretion, and reduced phosphorylation of ERK, AKT, and JNK.

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.

A magneto-optical (MO) spatial light modulator (SLM) with submicron pixel sizes that is driven by spin transfer switching (spin-SLM) has been proposed and developed for displaying 3D holographic movies with wide viewing zone [1].

Background New-onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) is a serious metabolic complication that can follow kidney transplantation. Several risk factors, including obesity, have been related to NODAT development. Obesity is defined as an excessive accumulation of body fat, and body fat percentage (BF%) has been commonly measured by different techniques, including bioelectrical impedance analysis. However, the correlation between an increase in BF% and the development of NODAT during outpatient follow-up has not yet been explored. We aimed to elucidate the association between BF% changes and the development of NODAT. Methods We performed a retrospective study involving 45 patients without diabetes who underwent kidney transplantation in our hospital between March 2008 and December 2010. We compared the BF% and demographic variables of patients who did and did not develop NODAT during follow-up. Results Four patients (8.9%) developed NODAT during a mean follow-up period of 30.3 months. The post-transplantation increase in BF% was much higher in NODAT+ patients than the NODAT− patients. Univariate analysis indicated that the rate of increase in BF% was a risk factor for NODAT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.08 [1.02–1.18]; P Conclusions A large increase in BF% may be a risk factor for NODAT. These findings underline the importance of routine BF% measurements in medical practice.

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.

Interest in High Dynamic Range (HDR) for live broadcasting continues to increase. Well publicised trials completed within the past year have proven that Ultra High Definition (UHD) images with HDR can be captured, delivered and displayed to viewers on HDR-capable TV screens (1)(2). A number of broadcast organisations are now moving to the next phase of development, drawing up plans to implement permanent on-air UHD services including HDR. In most cases, the new services will be delivered alongside existing High Definition programming and in many cases a simultaneous Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) feed at 3840 × 2160 resolution will be required. This paper will examine the technical and operational challenges presented. An example of a production infrastructure designed from first principles to overcome these challenges is provided.

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.

Implosion and heating experiments at the Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University on Fast Ignition (FI) targets for the FIREX-1 project have been performed with Gekko-XII laser for implosions and LFEX laser for heating. We tried to reduce the prepulse level in the LFEX laser system and have improved the plasma diagnostics to observe the plasma in the harsh hard X-ray environment. A plastic (CD) shell target, 7-μm thick and 500 μm in diameter with a hollow gold cone was used in this experiment to guide the short-pulse laser at the time of the maximum compression. The shell target was imploded with 9 or 12 beams of Gekko-XII laser (527 nm) with energy of 300 J/beam in a 1.5 ns pulse. Two of the four LFEX laser (1053 nm) beams were injected into the inside bottom of the cone with an energy up to 0.7 kJ/beam in a 1.5 ps pulse at the time around the maximum implosion. We have observed neutron enhancement up to 3.5 × 107 with total heating energy of 300 J, which is higher than the yield obtained in the previous experiment in 2002 [R. Kodama et al. Nature 418, 933 (2002)]. We found the estimated heating efficiency is at a level of 10–20%. Fuel heating to 5 keV is expected when the full output of LFEX is used.

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)).

Species of the genus Streptomyces, which constitute the vast majority of taxa within the family Streptomycetaceae, are a predominant component of the microbial population in soils throughout the world and have been the subject of extensive isolation and screening efforts over the years because they are a major source of commercially and medically important secondary metabolites. Taxonomic characterization of Streptomyces strains has been a challenge due to the large number of described species, greater than any other microbial genus, resulting from academic and industrial activities. The methods used for characterization have evolved through several phases over the years from those based largely on morphological observations, to subsequent classifications based on numerical taxonomic analyses of standardized sets of phenotypic characters and, most recently, to the use of molecular phylogenetic analyses of gene sequences. The present phylogenetic study examines almost all described species (615 taxa) within the family Streptomycetaceae based on 16S rRNA gene sequences and illustrates the species diversity within this family, which is observed to contain 130 statistically supported clades, as well as many unsupported and single member clusters. Many of the observed clades are consistent with earlier morphological and numerical taxonomic studies, but it is apparent that insufficient variation is present in the 16S rRNA gene sequence within the species of this family to permit bootstrap-supported resolution of relationships between many of the individual clusters.

Background: In patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis (HD), silent cerebral infarctions (SCI) are associated with high mortality. Levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) increase with renal dysfunction and may be a novel predictor for cerebrovascular events. We tested the hypothesis that increased IL-6 levels correlate with the occurrence of SCI in HD patients. Methods: Using cranial magnetic resonance imaging findings, we divided 50 Japanese patients undergoing HD into two groups: with SCI (60 ± 7 years, mean ± SD, n = 27) and without SCI (60 ± 6 years, n = 23). We compared the gender, body mass index, metabolic profiles, IL-6 levels, and smoking habits between the two groups. Results: We made the following observations: (i) The prevalence of diabetes or hypertension did not differ between the two groups, (ii) the level of IL-6 was higher in the with-SCI group than in the without-SCI group (P

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.

In this article, we review the recent literature on the use of personal digital assistant (PDA)-based diaries for self-monitoring of food intake. PDA-based food diaries may overcome some of the disadvantages of traditional paper-and-pencil diaries. For example, the date and time of recording can be stamped in the PDA at each entry, while paper-and-pencil diaries make it virtually impossible for clinicians or researchers to determine when data were entered; therefore, the date-and-time-stamp may improve the validity of the diary data. In addition, PDA-based food diaries do not require the subjects to look up nutrient values and calculate subtotal and total nutrient values for each meal. However, the accuracy of use of a PDA-based food diary has been validated only for a few applications, and several issues remain to be addressed. Many studies on adherence to the use of PDA-based food diaries have found that an ideal level of adherence was not achieved. Furthermore, the advantage of PDA-based food diaries over paper-and-pencil diaries has not been confirmed, although several pilot studies have shown the value of PDA-based diaries for weight loss and improvement of diabetes control. Therefore, future studies are needed to develop strategies to improve adherence and to establish the efficacy of PDA-based food diaries.

This work studies the conditions of controllable sample magnetization for local hysteresis and Barkhausen noise measurements. These non-destructive techniques usually utilize the sensor, based on a U-shaped single yoke magnet. Its magnetization potential, however, is too dependent on the measurement conditions. To investigate this problem, we performed the measurements on magnetically different samples with varied dimensions. The magnetization was controlled by a vertical array of two Hall elements measuring the tangential surface fields. The sample field was evaluated by a linear extrapolation of the surface field profile to the sample face. It was showed that the big-sized samples are magnetized in a strongly heterogeneous way. Therefore, it was recommended to use the single yoke, equipped with the local field and sensing elements. The magnetization conditions were suggested to stabilize by means of a feedback loop controlling the local magnetic field/flux waveform, measured by these integrated sensors.

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.

Flexible displays using plastic film substrates are key devices for ubiquitous and universal services of digital broadcasting because of their mobile characteristics, low-cost productivity, and flexibility of viewing style. Polymer organic light-emitting devices (POLEDs) and ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) films composed of FLCs and polymer networks are promising display devices and materials for the reproduction of TV images in which gray-scale and high-speed response characteristics are required. Both prototype flexible displays of POLED and A4-sized FLC have been fabricated using phosphorescence materials. Performances of these displays showed substantial potential for ubiquitous and universal digital broadcasting services.

Two types of strong magnetic field generator have been newly constructed by using superconducting bulk magnets that mainly consist of rare earth 123 single domain compounds (REBa2Cu3Oy) in conjunction with different kinds of compact cryocoolers. The magnetic flux densities in the open space outside the vacuum chambers that contain bulk magnets have reached 3.37?T and 2.78?T when a Gifford?McMahon (GM) cryocooler and a Stirling-cycle (ST) pulse tube cryocooler cooled them to 30.8?K and 62.0?K, respectively. In this study, the activation of a bulk magnet was accomplished by field cooling magnetization using the static field of a 5?T superconducting solenoid magnet. It was clarified that the trapped field distributions strongly reflect the temperature dependence of superconducting properties of the bulk magnet. The conditions for supplying intense fields in the open space are discussed to utilize them in practical applications. The most characteristic feature of superconducting bulk magnets is defined as a compact and strong magnetic field generator, which is discussed on the map from the industrial point of view.

Microspherical solar cells and modules have been fabricated. The spherical nature of these semi-transparent devices allows the microspherical cells to harvest both directly incident and diffuse components of sunlight thereby improving the solar energy conversion efficiency. Indoor and outdoor characterizations of these three dimensional semi-transparent cells and modules are carried out using a Lambertian reflector in order to assess the maximum efficiency of the devices. In the absence of the reflector the cell efficiency is 13.5% under standard illumination (100 mW cm −2 , A.M. 1.5, 25 °C). However, this is significantly enhanced in the presence of the reflector. Microspherical modules with the reflector are directly compared to similar semi-transparent modules comprised of traditional planar devices, in outdoor tests at low light intensity (2.5–25 mW cm −2 ) to further demonstrate the benefits of the design particularly at low angle of incident radiation.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate expression and localisation of a 28-kDa calcium-binding protein (CaBP-D28k) related to active calcium (Ca) absorption, in the entire intestine of egg-laying hens. 2. Western blotting analysis showed that the entire intestine expressed CaBP-D28k to the following degree: duodenum > jejunum > caecum > ileum > colon. Immunohistochemistry showed strong CaBP-D28k localisation in enterocytes along the villus tip–crypt axis in the duodenum and in villus tips in the caecum and colon. The jejunum and ileum had moderate localisation with respect to the number of immunoreactive cells and staining intensity. 3. These results suggest that laying hens actively absorb Ca in both the large and small intestines.