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Crystallinity of π-conjugated polymer donors as well as acceptors is a crucial factor for boosting the performance of organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. However, in the state-of-the-art OPVs based on nonfullerene acceptors (NFAs), π-conjugated polymers with low crystallinity are typically used and provide high efficiencies. Here, π-conjugated polymers, named PTzBT and PTzBTE based on thiazolothiazole (TzTz), having similar crystallinity but different aggregation properties are blended with a number of acceptor materials such as PC₇₁BM, IT-4F, Y6, and Y12 having different aggregation property. Interestingly, whereas PTzBTE with higher aggregation properties forms crystalline structures in the blends regardless of the acceptor material, PTzBT with lower aggregation properties exhibits crystalline structures only when blended with acceptors having higher aggregation properties. Notably, the crystalline order of the materials in the blend films is correlated closely with the OPV performance. This study proposes that the interplay between the polymer donor and acceptor will play a crucial role in determining the crystalline order in the bulk heterojunction systems and thereby high photovoltaic performance., 半導体ポリマーの結晶化促進により有機太陽電池の高効率化に成功. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-28.

An asymmetric formal synthesis of trichodermamides B and C was achieved in 15 steps based on a tyrosine ester chiral-pool approach. Key features of this synthesis include stereoselective construction of a cis-1,2-oxazadecaline core by an acid-mediated tandem deprotection–intramolecular oxy-Michael reaction, oxime ether formation via an N-bromination–elimination sequence, and diene construction by a palladium-catalyzed demonomethylcarbonation.

Reducing fermentation periods and increasing ethanol productivity are cost effective for ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass. Increasing the density of cells for fermentation typically increases ethanol productivity, but also increases the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO2) in the fermented broth. Such accumulated dCO2 sometimes reduces ethanol production. The Continuous Chemostat Fermentation (CCF) process utilizing high density of Candida intermedia 4-6-4T2 with and without air sparging was evaluated for the effect on ethanol production and rapid fermentation using 24-h cycles. Synthetic fermentation solution without nitrogen sources containing 20 g/L xylose and 30 g/L glucose plus 5 g/L acetic acid as fermentation inhibitor was supplemented into a culture vessel at 15 mL/h, and fermented broth was recovered from the same flask at 15 mL/h. Various conditions were tested to reduce the accumulated dCO2 in the fermented broth, but air sparging at 0.056 vvm was the most effective for ethanol production in the CCF process. For the 24-h startup-batch and 6-cycle CCF process (144 h), the ethanol yield was 0.4 g/g and the cell density of the used C. intermedia 4-6-4T2 for one cycle was one-third compared to that of sequential batch fermentation.

This study analyzes five political cartoons published in the Taiwan Nichinichi Shinpo (Taiwan Daily Newspaper) depicting the Musha Uprising, an indigenous rebellion against Japanese colonial rule that occurred in Taiwan in 1930. The study has produced two important findings and theoretical implications. First, two of the political cartoons deployed The Great Chain of Being multimodal metaphor, and the artist’s conceptual blending of Japanese kabuki stories with the Musha Uprising dramatically portrayed the colonizers as humans and the colonized as animals. We analyze the social and historical context to explain why these cartoons used the boar as a metaphor representing the indigenous people. Second, our results reveal paradoxical and ambivalent perspectives in the cartoons. On one hand, the metaphor of Human vs. Animal reproduced the unequal hierarchical relations between the colonizers and the colonized. On the other hand, the cartoonist also portrayed the rulers in a critical and satirical way. Finally, the research relates the content of this analysis with the post-colonial theorizing of Edward Said. In sum, the study makes a contribution to interdisciplinary research by applying metaphor theory to the analysis of political cartoons and colonial discourse, as well as revealing the hierarchical colonial thinking and racial prejudice lurking behind the metaphors.

In this paper, we construct toric data of moduli space of quasimaps of degree $d$ from $\mathbb{P}^{1}$ with two marked points to weighted projective space $\mathbb{P}(1,1,1,3)$. With this result, we prove that the moduli space is a compact toric orbifold. We also determine its Chow ring. Moreover, we give a proof of the conjecture proposed by Jinzenji that a series of intersection numbers of the moduli spaces coincides with expansion coefficients of inverse function of $-\log(j(\tau))$.

Summary Adaptation to mechanical load, leading to enhanced force and power output, is a characteristic feature of skeletal muscle. Formation of new myonuclei required for efficient muscle hypertrophy relies on prior activation and proliferation of muscle stem cells (MuSCs). However, the mechanisms controlling MuSC expansion under conditions of increased load are not fully understood. Here we demonstrate that interstitial mesenchymal progenitors respond to mechanical load and stimulate MuSC proliferation in a surgical mouse model of increased muscle load. Mechanistically, transcriptional activation of Yes-associated protein 1 (Yap1)/transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (Taz) in mesenchymal progenitors results in local production of thrombospondin-1 (Thbs1), which, in turn, drives MuSC proliferation through CD47 signaling. Under homeostatic conditions, however, CD47 signaling is insufficient to promote MuSC proliferation and instead depends on prior downregulation of the Calcitonin receptor. Our results suggest that relayed signaling between mesenchymal progenitors and MuSCs through a Yap1/Taz-Thbs1-CD47 pathway is critical to establish the supply of MuSCs during muscle hypertrophy.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation of Wakame seaweed stalks on the immunity and intestinal microflora of pigs. Three separate experiments were performed: Relatively young (start at 20-30 kg; Experiments 1 and 2) and fattening period (70 kg; Experiment 3). All pigs (including the control group) were fed the same commercial feed, free from antibiotic additives, but in the feed for the treatment groups, 1% seaweed powder was added. There were no group differences observed in daily weight gain and feed intake in Experiments 1 and 2 between groups; however, daily weight gain was significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the control group in Experiment 3. The percentage of peripheral blood natural killer cells of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group in all experiments. Although addition of seaweed changed the gene expression of cytokine and toll-like receptors of the small intestinal Peyer's patches slightly, seaweed seems to alter intestinal microflora preferentially, for instance, there was an increase in Lactobacillus and a decrease of Escherichia coli observed. These results suggest that Wakame seaweed can be used as supplement for pig feed to improve the gut health and immunity of pigs.

Wire-drawn fully pearlitic steel was twisted at room temperature. As a result, a delamination crack propagated along the longitudinal direction of the wire. Backscattered electron and transmission electron microscopy images indicated that the cementite lamellae beneath the delamination crack had vanished. In addition, a fine-grained structure was observed. This indicated that the delamination fracture was not a brittle one but a shear one associated with local severe plastic deformation.

A method for the stereoselective construction of cis-1,2-oxazadecaline skeletons via a substrate-controlled intramolecular oxy-Michael addition of readily available tyrosine-derived hydroxylamines has been developed. The approach features an eight-step synthesis of the optically active cis-1,2-oxazadecaline enones from tyrosine esters. The described chiral pool synthetic strategy has great potential for the efficient enantioselective synthesis of natural products possessing cis-1,2-oxazadecaline frameworks, such as trichodermamides.

Differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) is a useful technique for measuring nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and aerosol, the most important species in urban environmental pollution. This paper reports on the results of our dual path DOAS measurements recently conducted in Chiba City, Japan, using xenon flashlights equipped on tall constructions as aviation obstruction lights. Because of the proximity of the southern DOAS path to an industrial area, it is found that the level of air pollution generally increases with the dominance of westerly winds, from the plausible source area to the observation light path. This situation is consistent with the result of wind lidar measurement covering a sector of ±28? with the observation range of approximately 2.8 km. In spite of the fact that the two DOAS paths, having path lengths of 5.5 and 3.5 km each, are located in separated regions of Chiba City, the observed temporal behavior was similar for both nitrogen dioxide and aerosol, though the southern path tends to exhibit slightly higher pollution levels than the northern counterpart. Additionally it is confirmed that size information of aerosol particles can be derived from the DOAS data through the analysis of the wavelength dependence of the aerosol optical thickness, which shows fairly good correlation with the mass ratio between PM2.5 and suspended particulate matter (SPM) obtained from the in-situ sampling station measurement. Thus, the DOAS approach can also be utilized for obtaining information on PM2.5 that is considered to be more harmful to human health than SPM.

Silver–carbon nanocomposite coatings were deposited by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition and d.c. magnetron sputtering of a silver target. Coatings with various metal concentrations were prepared by changing of acetylene and argon gas mixture ratio (C2H2/Ar), and concentrations of more than 40 at.%Ag was achieved in this study. Transmission electron microscope revealed that silver metallic grains with typically 15 nm were dispersed in amorphous carbon host matrix. Size of the grains increased with decrease of the gas mixture ratio due to secondary or triangularly formed metal grains. Tribological behavior of the coatings was investigated using reciprocating tribometer with in-situ electrical contact resistance measurement. Low and stable friction coefficient was achieved in the specimen with relatively low Ag concentration. Elemental mapping results on the ball after the friction tests reveal that tribofilm was formed on the ball when low and stable friction was achieved, and the tribofilm was mainly composed of C and Ag. It can be concluded that formation of the tribofilm is necessary for achieving low and stable friction.

A compact Raman lidar has been developed for studying phase changes of water in the atmosphere under the influence of ionization radiation. The Raman lidar is operated at the wavelength of 349 nm and backscattered Raman signals of liquid and vapor phase water are detected at 396 and 400 nm, respectively. Alpha particles emitted from 241 Am of 9 MBq ionize air molecules in a scattering chamber, and the resulting ions lead to the formation of liquid water droplets. From the analysis of Raman signal intensities, it has been found that the increase in the liquid water Raman channel is approximately 3 times as much as the decrease in the vapor phase water Raman channel, which is consistent with the theoretical prediction based on the Raman cross-sections. In addition, the radius of the water droplet is estimated to be 0.2 μm.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the relation between salsolinol (SAL)-induced prolactin (PRL) release and photoperiod in goats. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL was given to adult female goats under short (8 h light, 16 h dark) or long (16 h light, 8 h dark) photoperiod conditions at two different ambient temperatures (20°C or 5°C), and the PRL-releasing response to SAL was compared to that of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) or a dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist, sulpiride. SAL, as well as TRH or sulpiride, stimulated the release of PRL promptly after each injection in both 8- and 16-h daily photoperiods at 20°C (P

The secretion of prolactin (PRL) is under the dominant and tonic inhibitory control of dopamine (DA); however, we have recently found that salsolinol (SAL), an endogenous DA-derived compound, strongly stimulated the release of PRL in ruminants. The aim of the present study was to clarify the inhibitory effect of DA on the SAL-induced release of PRL in ruminants. The experiments were performed from late June to early July. Male goats were given a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL (5 mg/kg body weight (BW)), a DA receptor antagonist (sulpiride, 0.1 mg/kg BW), or thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH, 1 µg/kg BW) before and after treatment with a DA receptor agonist (bromocriptine), and the effect of DA on SAL-induced PRL release was compared to that on sulpiride- or TRH-induced release. Bromocriptine completely inhibited the SAL-induced release of PRL (P

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin10 (Kp10) on the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from bovine anterior pituitary (AP) cells, and evaluate the ability of sex steroid hormones to enhance the sensitivity of somatotrophic cells to Kp10. AP cells prepared from 8-11-month-old castrated calves were incubated for 12 h with estradiol (E(2), 10(-8) mol/L),progesterone (P(4), 10(-8) mol/L), testosterone (T, 10(-8) mol/L), or vehicle only (control), and then for 2 h with Kp10. The amount of GH released in the medium was measured by a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. Kp10 (10(-6) or 10(-5) mol/L) significantly stimulated the secretion of GH from the AP cells regardless of steroid treatments (P < 0.05), and E(2), P(4), and T had no effect on this response. The GH-releasing response to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, 10(-8) mol/L) was significantly greater than that to Kp10 (P < 0.05). The present results suggest that Kp10 directly stimulates the release of GH from somatotrophic cells and sex steroid hormones do not enhance the sensitivity of these cells to Kp10. Furthermore, they suggest that the GH-releasing effect of Kp10 is less potent than that of GHRH.

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of salsolinol (SAL), a dopamine (DA)-derived endogenous compound, on the secretion of prolactin (PRL) in cattle. The experiments were performed from April to June using calves and cows. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL (5 mg/kg body weight [BW]) or sulpiride (a DA receptor antagonist, 0.1 mg/kg BW) significantly stimulated the release of PRL in male and female calves (P < 0.05), though the response to SAL was smaller than that to sulpiride. The secretory pattern of PRL in response to SAL or sulpiride in female calves resembled that in male calves. A single i.v. injection of SAL or sulpiride significantly stimulated the release of PRL in cows (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the PRL-releasing response between the SAL- and sulpiride-injected groups in cows. A single intracerebroventricular injection of SAL (10 mg/head) also significantly stimulated the release of PRL in castrated calves (P < 0.05). These results show that SAL is involved in the regulatory process for the secretion of PRL, not only in male and female calves, but also in cows. The results also suggest that the potency of the PRL-releasing response to SAL differs with the physiological status of cattle.

Orientation relationships of proeutectoid ferrite formed at an austenite grain boundary with respect to adjacent austenite grains were investigated by means of electron backscatter diffraction in an isothermally transformed Fe-1.5Mn-0.2C (mass%) alloy. A grain bounadry ferrite holds nearly the Kurdjumov-Sachs (K-S) orientation relationship with some small misorientation against at least one of the adjacent austenite grains. There is strong variant selection by the austenite grain boundary for ferrite nucleation. At a higher transformation temperature, the fraction of ferrites holding a near K-S relationship with respect to the opposite austenite grain is lower. As the transformation temperature becomes lower, the misorientation from the K-S relationship becomes smaller against the near K-S related austenite grain whereas the misorientation against the irrationally oriented austenite grain becomes larger.

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) in goats, and compare the characteristics of any response with those of the response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The experiments were performed using four female goats (4-5 years old) in the luteal phase of estrous cycle. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of 1, 5 and 10 microg/kg b.w. (0.77, 3.85 and 7.69 nmol/kg b.w.) of Kp10 stimulated the release of LH. Maximum values were observed 20-30 min after the injection. On the other hand, Kp10 did not alter plasma GH and PRL concentrations significantly. Three consecutive i.v. injections of Kp10 (5 microg/kg b.w.) or GnRH (5 microg/kg b.w.: 4.23 nmol/kg b.w.) at 2-h intervals increased both plasma LH and FSH levels after each injection (P

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and growth hormone (GH) in prepubertal male and female cattle. The experiments were performed from May to June using five male (4-6 months old) and five female (5-6 months old) Japanese Black calves. A single intravenous (iv) injection of Kp10 (5 microg/kg body weight (b.w.): 3.85 nmol/ kg b.w.) significantly stimulated the release of LH and FSH in male and female calves (P

Average concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) has been measured over a path length of 5.1 km in the lower troposphere by the method of differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) using a near-infrared light source based on amplified spontaneous emission. The analysis of CO2 absorption intensity around 1575 nm observed during 10 days over the Chiba city area has revealed that the CO2 concentration varied in the range of around 360-450 ppmv, with presumable influence of air mass advection from nearby industrial facilities. In addition, a good correlation has been found in relative humidity values between the DOAS and meteorological station data. As a whole, the present result indicates the usefulness of such a DOAS approach for measuring the concentration of CO2 averaged over an optical path of a few kilometers in the lower troposphere.

In this paper, we prove formulas that represent two-pointed Gromov–Witten invariant [Formula: see text] of projective hypersurfaces with [Formula: see text] in terms of Chow ring of [Formula: see text], the moduli spaces of stable maps from genus [Formula: see text] stable curves to projective space [Formula: see text]. Our formulas are based on representation of the intersection number [Formula: see text], which was introduced by Jinzenji, in terms of Chow ring of [Formula: see text], the moduli space of quasi maps from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] with two marked points. In order to prove our formulas, we use the results on Chow ring of [Formula: see text], that were derived by Mustaţǎ and Mustaţǎ. We also present explicit toric data of [Formula: see text] and prove relations of Chow ring of [Formula: see text].

Fluorescence originating from chlorophyll provides information on the photosynthetic activities of vegetation. We have developed a ground-based remote sensing observation system that enables the stand-off measurements of fluorescence spectrum as well as two-dimensional distribution of fluorescence imagery. The initial laboratory test was conducted by means of the laser induced fluorescence (LIF) method and solar radiation reflected from a cold mirror. Also we describe the field observation based on the direct solar radiation induced fluorescence (SRIF) scheme that has been applied to various vegetation canopies with stand-off distances of 20-30 m.

Background It has recently been demonstrated that the approximately 40-Hz spectral power of the midlatency auditory evoked potential (MLAEP) correlates well with wakefulness during desflurane or propofol anesthesia. The aim of this study was to characterize how other inhalational anesthetics affects the MLAEP as the patients regain responsiveness to simple verbal command during emergence from anesthesia. Methods Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive xenon, isoflurane, sevoflurane, or nitrous oxide (N2O) supplemented with epidural anesthesia. During emergence, the concentration of an anesthetic was decreased in 0.1-minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) decrements from 0.8 MAC or from 70% in the case of N2O, and each new concentration was maintained for 15 min. Every 5 min during each equilibration period, the MLAEP was recorded and the patients were asked to open their eyes and squeeze and release the investigator's hand. This process was repeated until the first response to either of these commands was observed. Results Thirteen patients were excluded because of technical reasons. The preanesthetic MLAEP showed a periodic waveform, where the Na-Pa-Nb complex was the most prominent component contributing to the high energy around 29-39 Hz in the power spectrum. Emergence from xenon, isoflurane, and sevoflurane anesthesia produced similar changes in the MLAEP. The spectral power for the frequency 29 Hz or greater was severely suppressed at 0.8 MAC but significantly recovered between the concentration only 0.1 MAC higher that permitting the first response to command and that associated with the first response. In contrast, N2O hardly affected the MLAEPs, even at the concentrations producing unresponsiveness. Two patients did not lose responsiveness even at the highest concentration tested (70%). Conclusions The MLAEP is closely associated with responsiveness to verbal command during emergence from anesthesia with xenon, isoflurane, and sevoflurane but not with N2O.

Background Although anesthesia with xenon has been supplemented with fentanyl, its requirement has not been established. This study was conducted to determine the plasma concentrations of fentanyl necessary to suppress somatic and hemodynamic responses to surgical incision in 50% patients in the presence of 0.7 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) xenon. Methods Twenty-five patients were allocated randomly to predetermined fentanyl concentration between 0.5 and 4.0 ng/ml during 0.7 MAC xenon anesthesia. Fentanyl was administered using a pharmacokinetic model-driven computer-assisted continuous infusion device. At surgical incision each patient was monitored for somatic and hemodynamic responses. A somatic response was defined as any purposeful bodily movement. A positive hemodynamic response was defined as a more than 15% increase in heart rate or mean arterial pressure more than the preincision value. The concentrations of fentanyl to prevent somatic and hemodynamic responses in 50% of patients were calculated using logistic regression. Results The concentration of fentanyl to prevent a somatic response to skin incision in 50% of patients in the presence of 0.7 MAC xenon was 0.72 +/- 0.07 ng/ml and to prevent a hemodynamic response was 0.94 +/- 0.06 ng/ml. Conclusions Comparing these results with previously published results in the presence of 70% nitrous oxide, the fentanyl requirement in xenon anesthesia is smaller than that in the equianesthetic nitrous oxide anesthesia.

UNLABELLED We sought to determine the anesthetic duration of sevoflurane required to achieve good conditions for placement of a cuffed oropharyngeal airway (COPA) or a laryngeal mask airway (LMA). Forty adult ASA physical status I or II patients presenting for elective surgery received single-breath vital capacity inhaled induction with 5% sevoflurane via face mask; thereafter, ventilation was manually assisted. The patients were randomized to receive either a COPA or LMA placement. The time of anesthetic exposure was varied for consecutive patients using the staircase method. The mean (95% confidence interval) anesthetic time required for acceptable COPA placement (100 [55-145] s) was significantly shorter than that for LMA (160 [101-219] s). The 50% and 95% effective doses (from logistic analyses) for acceptable conditions associated with COPA or LMA placement were 90 s and 145 s or 164 s and 261 s, respectively. These findings suggest that COPA insertion is less stimulating than the LMA. IMPLICATIONS The cuffed oropharyngeal airway is a new airway device that is similar to a laryngeal mask airway in many ways. However, it requires shorter anesthetic duration for successful placement, which suggests that it can be placed with less stimulation. It may be an alternative to a laryngeal mask airway.

Background Xenon, an inert gas with anesthetic properties (minimum alveolar concentration [MAC] = 71%), has an extremely low blood:gas partition coefficient (0.14). Therefore, we predicted that xenon would provide more rapid emergence from anesthesia than does N2O+isoflurane or N2O+sevoflurane of equivalent MAC. Methods Thirty American Society of Anesthsiologists class I or II patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy were randomly assigned to receive 60% xenon, 60% N2O + 0.5% isoflurane, or 60% N2O + 0.70% sevoflurane (all concentrations are end-tidal: n = 10 per group). After placement of an epidural catheter, anesthesia was induced with standardized doses of midazolam, thiopental, and fentanyl. Thirty minutes later, xenon, N2O+isoflurane, or N2O+sevoflurane was started as previously assigned. These regimens were supplemented with epidural anesthesia with mepivacaine so that the mean arterial pressure and heart rate were controlled within 20% of the preoperative values. At the end of operation lasting approximately 2 h, all inhalational anesthetics were discontinued, and the patients were allowed to awaken while breathing spontaneously on an 8 l/min inflow of oxygen. A blinded investigator recorded the time until the patient opened her eyes on command (T1), was judged ready for extubation (T2), could correctly state her name, her date of birth, and the name of the hospital (T3), and could count backward from 10 to 1 in less than 15 s (T4). Results Emergence times from xenon anesthesia were: T1, 3.4 +/- 0.9 min; T2, 3.6 +/- 1 min; T3, 5.2 +/- 1.4 min; and T4, 6.0 +/- 1.6 min (mean +/- SD). These were one half to one third of those from N2O+sevoflurane (T1, 6.0 +/- 1.7 min; T4, 10.5 +/- 2.5 min) or N2O+isoflurane (T1, 7.0 +/- 1.9 min; T4, 14.3 +/- 2.8 min) anesthesia. The three groups did not differ in terms of patient demographics, the duration of anesthesia, the amount of epidural mepivacaine administered, or the postoperative pain rating. No patient could recalls intraoperative events. Conclusions Emergence from xenon anesthesia is two or three times faster than that from equal-MAC N2O+isoflurane or N2O+sevoflurane anesthesia.

The application of a hyperspectral camera to the analysis of aerosol optical property is described. As compared with conventional instruments such as a skyradiometer, imaging measurement is advantageous because of its capability of obtaining spatial distribution of scattered solar radiation with exact identification of the solar disk position in an image. In particular, it has been demonstrated that the aureole information is useful for constraining aerosol properties.

従来,閉鎖循環式麻酔法の吸入麻酔薬投与は,麻酔回路内の呼気側に直接液体を注入する方法で行なわれてきた.この際,吸入麻酔薬はプラスチックを腐蝕するため金属性の注入口が必要となることや,液体をbolusで投与することによる麻酔薬濃度の急激な変化が問題であった.今回,このような点を改善すべくアコマ医科工業株式会社の協力を得て,注入型気化器IVM-200を試作した.臨床試用の結果,本機により閉鎖循環式麻酔法がより簡便に行なえるものと評価された.

Recent advances in image sensor and information technologies have enabled the development of small hyperspectral imaging systems. EBA JAPAN (Tokyo, Japan) has developed a novel grating-based, portable hyperspectral imaging camera NH-1 and NH-7 that can acquire a 2D spatial image (640 x 480 and 1280 x 1024 pixels, respectively) with a single exposure using an internal self-scanning system. The imagers cover a wavelength range of 350 - 1100 nm, with a spectral resolution of 5 nm. Because of their small weight of 750 g, the NH camera systems can easily be installed on a small UAV platform. We show the results from the analysis of data obtained by remote sensing applications including land vegetation and atmospheric monitoring from both ground- and airborne/UAV-based observations.

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) in pre-pubertal and post-pubertal male ruminants. Four male goats (Shiba goats) were given an intravenous (i.v.) injection of Kp10 (5 µg/kg body weight (b.w.)), gonadotoropin-releasing hormone (GnRH, 1 µg/kg b.w.), or 2 mL of saline as a control at the ages of 3 (pre-pubertal) and 6 (post-pubertal) months. A single i.v. injection of Kp10 significantly stimulated the release of LH and T in both groups. The area under the response curve (AUC) of LH for a 60-min period after the i.v. injection of Kp10 was significantly greater in the pre-pubertal goats (P0.05). The AUC of T for a 120 min period post-injection did not differ between the two age groups. A single i.v. injection of GnRH also significantly stimulated the release of LH and T in both groups (P0.05). The secretory pattern of LH and T in response to GnRH resembled that in response to Kp10. These results show that the LH-releasing response to Kp10 is greater in pre-pubertal than post-pubertal male goats. They also show that Kp10, as well as GnRH, is able to stimulate the release of T in male goats.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the relation between salsolinol (SAL)-induced prolactin (PRL) release and photoperiod in goats. A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL was given to adult female goats under short (8 h light, 16 h dark) or long (16 h light, 8 h dark) photoperiod conditions at two different ambient temperatures (20°C or 5°C), and the PRL-releasing response to SAL was compared to that of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) or a dopamine (DA) receptor antagonist, sulpiride. SAL, as well as TRH or sulpiride, stimulated the release of PRL promptly after each injection in both 8- and 16-h daily photoperiods at 20°C (P0.05). The area under the response curve (AUC) of PRL for the 60-min period after injections of saline (controls), SAL, TRH and sulpiride in the 16-h daily photoperiod group was greater than each corresponding value in the 8-h daily photoperiod group (P0.05). There were no significant differences in the AUC of PRL among the values produced after the injection of SAL, TRH and sulpiride in 16-h daily photoperiod group; however, the values produced after the injection of TRH were smallest among the three in the 8-h daily photoperiod group (P0.05). The PRL-releasing responses to SAL, TRH and sulpiride under a short and long photoperiod condition at 5°C resembled those at 20°C. These results show that a long photoperiod highly enhances the PRL-releasing response to SAL as well as TRH or sulpiride in either medium or low ambient temperature in goats.

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of kisspeptin10 (Kp10) on the secretion of growth hormone (GH) from bovine anterior pituitary (AP) cells, and evaluate the ability of sex steroid hormones to enhance the sensitivity of somatotrophic cells to Kp10. AP cells prepared from 8-11-month-old castrated calves were incubated for 12 h with estradiol (E(2), 10(-8) mol/L),progesterone (P(4), 10(-8) mol/L), testosterone (T, 10(-8) mol/L), or vehicle only (control), and then for 2 h with Kp10. The amount of GH released in the medium was measured by a time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay. Kp10 (10(-6) or 10(-5) mol/L) significantly stimulated the secretion of GH from the AP cells regardless of steroid treatments (P0.05), and E(2), P(4), and T had no effect on this response. The GH-releasing response to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH, 10(-8) mol/L) was significantly greater than that to Kp10 (P0.05). The present results suggest that Kp10 directly stimulates the release of GH from somatotrophic cells and sex steroid hormones do not enhance the sensitivity of these cells to Kp10. Furthermore, they suggest that the GH-releasing effect of Kp10 is less potent than that of GHRH.

The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of Kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin (PRL) from bovine anterior pituitary (AP) cells and evaluate the ability of sex steroids to enhance the sensitivity of gonadotropic and lactotropic cells to Kp10. AP cells prepared from 7-week-old male calves were incubated for 12h with estradiol (E(2); 10(-8)M), progesterone (P(4); 10(-8)M), testosterone (T; 10(-8)M), or vehicle only (control), and then for 2h with Kp10 (10(-6)M). The amounts of LH, FSH and PRL released into the culture medium after the 2-h incubation period were examined. Kp10 significantly stimulated the secretion of LH from the AP cells treated with E(2) and T (P0.05), but not from the P(4)-treated cells. In contrast, Kp10 had no effect on the secretion of FSH regardless of the steroid treatment. Kp10 significantly stimulated the secretion of PRL (P0.05), the sexual steroid hormones having no effect. The LH- or FSH-releasing response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 10(-8)M) and PRL-releasing response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 10(-8)M) were significantly greater than those to Kp10 (P0.05). The present results suggest that E(2) and T, but not P(4), enhance the sensitivity of gonadotropic cells to the secretion of LH in response to Kp10. However, Kp10 had no stimulatory effect on the secretion of FSH regardless of the effect of sex steroids. Kp10 directly stimulates the secretion of PRL from the pituitary cells, and sex steroids do not enhance the sensitivity of lactotropic cells to Kp10. Furthermore, the LH- and FSH-releasing effect and the PRL-releasing effect of Kp10 are less potent than that of GnRH and TRH, respectively.

Study Design:To investigate the effect of xenon on the endotracheal tube cuff in comparison to that of nitrous oxide. Design:Prospective, randomized study. Setting:Laboratory in vitro testing of endotracheal tubes. Interventions:Exposure of air-filled endotracheal tube cuffs to xenon or nitrous oxide (79 vol%) mixed with a balance of oxygen (21 vol%) for 3 hours. Measurements:The intra-cuff pressure and gas volume in the cuff were measured for 3 hours. Main Results and Conclusion:Increase in pressure and gas volume was significantly less and slower with xenon than with nitrous oxide. More nitrous oxide passes into the cuff than xenon.

Background The anesthetic gas xenon has distinctly different physical properties compared with air, nitrous oxide, or oxygen. This led us to predict that xenon would affect the performance of commercially available flowmeters. Methods Flow was generated by an anesthesia ventilator connected to a lung simulator via a semiclosed breathing circuit. With the system filled with air or with various concentrations of xenon or nitrous oxide in a balance of oxygen, the tidal volume was measured with two rotating vanes, a Pitot tube, a variable-orifice flowmeter, and two constant-temperature hot-wire flowmeters. Results Although xenon minimally affected both rotating vane flowmeters, it caused the Pitot tube and the variable-orifice flowmeters to overread in proportion to the square root of the density of the gas mixture used (xenon is 4.6 times more dense than air). In contrast, the hot-wire anemometers underread with xenon; for example, their readings in the presence of 45% and 70% xenon were less than 10% of those displayed when air was used. Nitrous oxide minimally affected all the flowmeters except the variable-orifice device. The Pitot flowmeter was also affected, but only when its gas analyzer port was open to the ambient air so that it no longer corrected its readings for changes in gas composition. In these cases, nitrous oxide produced overreadings in the same manner as did xenon. Conclusion Among the four types of flowmeters studied, only the rotating-vane type is sufficiently accurate for use during anesthesia with xenon.