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透析患者の末梢血リンパ球 (PBL) 機能について検討した. 対象は透析開始3年以内の透析導入および透析安定群, 10年以上の長期透析群, そして腎機能正常な対照群である. 検討項目は, PBLまたはLymphokine-activated killer (LAK) 細胞によるサイトカイン (IFN-γとTNF-α) 産生能と, 末梢血モノサイトのInterleukin-1 (IL-1) 産生能, そしてLAK細胞活性である. 透析開始3年以内の群では, 対照群に比して, LAK活性とIL-1産生能が有意に低下し, LAK細胞によるIFN-γ産生能も低下傾向を示した. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) 刺激PBLのIFN-γおよびTNF-αの産生量に関しては症例によりバラツキが大きく, 透析患者の両群いずれにおいても, 対照群との間に有意な差は見られなかった. 両サイトカインのともに産生量の低下した症例の割合が対照群に比べ3年以内の群で多かったが, 統計学的には有意な差は認められなかった. 一方TNFとIFNの産生量の多寡に関して相関が認められた. 従ってIL-2刺激により誘導されるLAK活性が低下している等の結果から, 透析3年以内の群において, IL-2に対するPBLの反応性の低下した症例の存在が示唆された.以上より, 我々の測定した免疫のパラメータに関するかぎり, 透析導入3年以内の患者においては免疫能の低下が認められるが, 10年以上の長期透析患者の免疫能は改善し, 健腎対象群のそれとに差異が認められなかった.

Ultra-high-speed 2-b multiplexer (MUX) and demultiplexer (DEMUX) ICs have been developed for next-generation optical fiber communication systems in the SONET (synchronous optical network), which will require data bit rates of about 10 Gb/s. The ICs were fabricated using a 0.5- mu m WN/sub x/-gate process and were operated up to 12 Gb/s by adopting a tree-type architecture with a large phase margin and a new on-chip transmission line called the ladder grounded coplanar line. These ICs are applicable to future optical fiber communication systems (STS-192) as key devices. >

The authors present a 12-channel parallel laser diode (LD) driver with 16.8 Gb/s throughput. The driver IC creates skew-free output and provides temperature compensation of the optical power of the LD. The IC also suppresses ringing oscillation and crosstalk. The die is 2.5x3.5 mm/sup 2/ using a 15 GHz f/sub /spl tau// Si bipolar process. The power supply voltage is 5 V and the power consumption is 4.2 W including the PECL level input signal consumption of 1.1 W and the output signal consumption of 2.0 W at 3l mApp + 2 mA bias.

An input circuit configuration for very high speed digital ICs which provides good line termination without using a 50-ohm resistor is described. This is realized by featuring a source-input circuit of a common-gate FET. A resistor and capacitor network, attached to an ordinary common-gate FET circuit, can make a remarkable improvement in input resistance constancy and higher frequency gain. The technique of the source-input circuit was applied to SCFL flip-flops. T-FF and D-FF ICs were fabricated with 0.5 mu m WNx-gate BP-LDD GaAs MESFET technology, and tested. They demonstrated excellent high-frequency operations above 10 GHz. >

Low diastolic blood pressure, hypoalbuminemia, and risk of death in a cohort of chronic hemodialysis patients. In a previous report, we showed that nutritional status and especially serum albumin had great predictive value for death in chronic hemodialysis patients, whereas blood pressure did not. In the present study, we analyzed the causes of death in consideration of the relationship between serum albumin and blood pressure. A total of 1,243 Okinawan patients (719 males, 524 females) undergoing hemodialysis in January 1991 were followed up through the end of 1995. Three hundred forty-two of the patients died, 45 received transplants, and 12 were transferred by the end of the follow-up period. The total duration of observation was 5,110.3 patient-years. Blood pressure as well as clinical and laboratory variables were determined immediately prior to the first dialysis session in January 1991. The crude death rate was 40.0% when the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 70mm Hg, 35.0% at 70 to 79mm Hg, 25.0% at 80 to 89mm Hg, 25.0% at 90 to 99mm Hg, and 13.0% at >100mm Hg. The death rate showed an inverse correlation with DBP. DBP showed a significant positive correlation with serum albumin (r = 0.137, P < 0.001) and age (r = -0.325, P < 0.0001). The adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of death was 0.84 (0.71 to 0.99) with 10mm Hg increments in DBP when the reference DBP was less than 69mm Hg. Low DBP may be a manifestation of malnutrition and/or cardiovascular disease in chronic hemodialysis patients. Target DBP levels may be higher levels in chronic hemodialysis patients than the general population.

Besides the age at start of dialysis and the presence of diabetes mellitus, serum albumin has been shown to be a significant predictor of survival in prevalent dialysis patients. However, this was not evaluated in incipient dialysis patients. The initial biochemical variables were retrieved for a large dialysis population (N = 1,982) who were started on chronic dialysis in Okinawa, Japan from 1971 to 1990. Biochemical data that included blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and phosphate), total cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, serum albumin, and hematocrit obtained just before the first dialysis session were available for 1,491 (75.2%) patients. Six hundred sixty-four (43.2%) patients died by the end of 1993. Cox proportional analysis adjusted for sex, age, year of start of dialysis, presence of diabetes mellitus, and the laboratory variables was performed to examine the significance of the initial biochemical data on survival. The risk ratio was 0.577 (P = 0.0025) in serum albumin, 1.291 (P = 0.0138) in serum potassium, and 0.966 (P = 0.0202) in serum sodium. The study results support the notion that nutritional status is important for survival in chronic dialysis patients. Causes of hypoalbuminemia, hyperkalemia, and hyponatremia should be evaluated carefully at initiation of dialysis.

Recombinant human erythropoietin is widely used in chronic dialysis patients. However, the long-term effect, especially on the incidence of cardiovascular disease, has not been critically evaluated. We observed the annual incidence of stroke and acute myocardial infarction from April 1988 through March 1993 in Okinawa, Japan. Until April 1990, erythropoietin was not generally used. Therefore, we have two periods: pre-erythropoietin, April 1988 through March 1990, and post-erythropoietin, April 1990 through March 1993. Two thousand one hundred and sixteen patients (1,219 males and 897 females) were on chronic dialysis during the study period by March 31, 1993. Every case of stroke and acute myocardial infarction during the study period was registered. The odds ratio was calculated using the data of the general population in each sex and age class obtained in the same area. A total of 86 cases of stroke and 15 cases of acute myocardial infarction were registered during the study period. The annual incidence, per 1,000 patient-years, of stroke was 12.5 (1988), 10.5 (1989), 12.7 (1990), 14.0 (1991), and 17.5 (1992). The incidence of stroke was increased in the post-erythropoietin period compared to the pre-erythropoietin period, odds ratio 1.22 and 95% confidence interval (95% CI 1.06-1.41, p < 0.01). The annual incidence of acute myocardial infarction was 1.0 (1988), 1.8 (1989), 0.8 (1990), 2.9 (1991) and 4.7 (1992). The incidence of acute myocardial infarction was increased significantly in the post-erythropoietin period compared to the pre-erythropoietin period, odds ratio 1.87 (95% CI 1.66-2.10, p < 0.01). The odds ratio of stroke to the general population was 4.25 (95% CI 3.10-5.82) in the pre-erythropoietin and 4.58 (95% CI 2.14-9.80) in the post-erythropoietin period. In acute myocardial infarction, it was 2.98 (95% CI 2.84-3.12) and 3.81 (95% CI 3.18-4.56). The odds ratio of acute myocardial infarction was significantly increased (p < 0.01). The introduction of erythropoietin was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, especially acute myocardial infarction. Erythropoietin may unmask the sclerotic lesion in chronic dialysis patients.

The new polarizing interferometer was constructed, in which all the radiation entering the interferometer can be utilized. From the experimental results in the atmosphere and for the water-vapour, it is seen that this spectrometer can work satisfactorily from 5 cm−1 to 1/2d cm−1. Comparison of the spectrun by this interferometer with one by the standard Michelson interferometer shows that the gain of luminosity is almost as expected. Grid with substrate causes the interference and produces the spectral response in the higher frequency region. Another configuration of two grids and two plane mirrors is proposed for the polarizing interferometer of high luminosity and of very simple design.

A far infrared Fourier spectrometer of modified Michelson type is constructed, with which an optical path difference twelve times as the displacement of the movable mirrors can be realized. The performance of the spectrometer is examined by using water vapour and gaseous methyl alcohol as specimens. The effective spectral range of the spectrometer is 30–90 cm-1, the experimental resolution is 0.11 cm-1 and the accuracy in determining the wave-number is 0.01 cm-1. The coefficients of J and J3 in the expression giving the wave-number of rotational lines in the methyl alcohol spectrum are estimated to be 1.608 cm-1 and 0.75×10-5 cm-1 respectively.

The problem of reconstructing the spectrum from the multiple-beam interferogram given by the Fabry-Perot interferometer or from the intensity distribution by a diffraction grat ing is reduced to solving Fredholm's integral equation of the first kind. This equation being solved by the method of Hilbert and Schmidt, the following conclusions are obtained.1) In Fourier spectroscopy the resolution is one half of the reciprocal of the maximum optical path difference.2) The resolution of the Fabry-Perot interferometer is infinite because the maxmum optical path difference is infinite.3) The diffraction grating is, with respect to resolution, similar to the Fabry-Perotinterferometer giving finite number of beams. This number is equal to 2Ns-1, where Ns is the number of slits, and accordingly the resolution is finite.4) Fourier spectroscopy is equivalent to the grating spectpscopy when Ns=1.

A new interference spectrometer for the far-infrared using the method of `selective modulation' is described. This spectrometer consists of two plane mirrors and two identical Ronchi gratings instead of entrance and exit slits. Radiations from the source are transmitted by one grating, reflected back by two mirrors successively and give rise to Young's interference fringes on the other grating. The latter grating vibrates in its own plane and selectively modulates the radiation which produces fringes with the same spacing as that of the slits of this grating. Scanning of the spectrum is carried out by rotating one of the mirrors. Measurements of the atmospheric absorption show that this spectrometer gives the spectrum in the region of 50-250 µm with a constant resolving power of 50 by a single scanning.

A method of recovering the far-infra-red spectrum from the interferogram obtained by a Fabry-Perot interferometer is described. This method consists of solving an integral equation by numerical calculation. Calculations by an electronic computer show that a complicated spectrum such as atmospheric absorption can be reconstructed correctly by this method.

From the results shown above, it may be said that this new spectroscopic method using the Fraunhofer diffraction pattern has the possibility of practical use. This method has the advantages that the multiplex gain is retained and the experimental apparatus is very simple as compared with the conventional grating spectroscopy. The resolution is about 1.25A/2KX and becomes higher with the increase of the number of slits and the maximum value of variable in the diffraction pattern. The other way, the simultaneous equations become more difficult to solve with the increase of resolution and at present the maximum value of NS is 21. In such a case the adjustment factor A and the figure of condition of matrix are important. Further, large memory of the electronic computer is required, for example, 2.56MB for N=800. The experimental setup is now under construction in order to verify the usefulness of this method in the far infrared region.

Two methods of reconstructing spectrum of any radiation are described which are based on the intensity distribution measurement of Fraunhofer diffraction patterns by a single slit and an array of slits. Mathematically they consist of solving integral equations. The apparatus for the measurement is simple compared with the Fourier spectrometer for the Fabry-Perot interferometer. While these methods retain the Fellgett advantage, they lose the Jacquinot advantage. The procedure of calculation and the results by the computer experiment are presented for the far infrared spectrum.

Using the theory of Hilbert and Schmidt, spectrum can be reconstructed from the multiplebeam interferogram obtained with the Fabry-Perot interferometer . The resolution of this spectroscopic method is studied by the computer simulation. The effect of noise involved in the interferogram can be reduced by discarding the high frequency terms in eigenf unction expansion. The resolving power of this method turned out to be several millions and is about ten times larger than that obtained with conventional method . Results obtained by the method of Hilbert and Schmidt are compared with those obtained with the direct method. In the direct method, reconstructed spectrum using the interferogram involving noise is usually distorted. But it can be improved to some extent by applying the Fourier analysis.

No Abstract

In this article we first construct the input cost and input productivity price index for the Japanese construction industry and note the significant difference between the two. Next, we obtain, together with the two indexes, the output price index for government apartments and find that the input productivity index gives a much better approximation. Our output price index is the hedonistic price index. In the last section we compute capital stock for several industries and briefly discuss the bias in the growth rate of capital in using the input cost index.

In order to perform holographic Fourier-transform spectroscopy in the infrared, the electrical signal from the detector connected to the two-beam interferometer is converted by a special converter into a light signal which is recorded on a moving photographic plate coupled to the movable mirror of the interferometer. Application of chirping in recording the interferogram suppresses the intense central maximum and is preferable in view of the limited dynamical range of the recording system. Absorption spectra of infrared filter, thin films, organic liquid and gas are taken and compared with those obtained with the usual infrared spectrophotometer. The holographic method is useful when the absorption is so strong that the spectrophotometric measurement is very difficult.

In this paper, economic relations between Japan and the countries of Southeast Asia are discussed from three aspects: trade, economic aid, and private investment. This paper is intended both to present an overall view of this relationship and to help understand it analytically. Since detailed discussion of specific aspects of the economic relation is not our purpose, facts are presented but not in burdensome detail.

The spectrum of radiation is reconstructed from the multiple-beam interferogram of the Fabry-Perot interferometer by the general method of Hilbert and Schmidt even when the reflectivity of the reflecting surfaces varies with wavenumber, and consequently the kernel of the integral equation is not symmetric. The instrumental function has infinitely narrow width, as before. The effect of noise on the reconstructed spectra is greater than in Fourier spectroscopy, but the reconstruction is not seriously disturbed in practice.