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This paper describes an evaluation method of shot peened surface using image processing. Shot peening is a process that applies compressive residual stress to the product surface, and its evaluation is performed visually by an expert. If visual inspection can be replaced with image processing, the inspection of the entire product will be easier. Therefore, first reference samples that experts evaluate are prepared, next these samples are evaluated by image processing. relationship between expert evaluations and image processing evaluations are compared and the estimation function is defined using gausian distribution. Unknown processed surfaces are evaluated as a classification problem. For image processing, after binarization and labeling, the number of labels and the area ratio of binarization are used.

Because silicon is abundant in the Earth's crust and its compounds are considered less toxic, using silicon compounds as catalysts has been attractive for organic chemists. However, despite its high potential silicon catalysis had been limited to conventional tetravalent silicon Lewis acids such as Me3SiOTf. Recent discoveries of highly active silylium ion and neutral silicon catalysts have now been accelerating the development of silicon catalysis. This chapter summarises the progress of conventional and new silicon-based catalysts.

The Toyota Motor Corporation has recently developed a new kanban system called ‘e-Kanban’, which is a parts ordering information system that operates within the communications network established between Toyota and its suppliers. One of the goals for developing the e-Kanban system was to introduce an efficient means for properly changing the number of kanbans once the required number has been calculated, as changing the number of kanbans in the kanban system directly affects the order quantity. Consequently, it is very important to monitor carefully and control changes in the number of kanbans. The paper investigates and proposes an effective method for changing the number of kanbans using the e-Kanban system. Applying this method to three problems, it is shown that the e-Kanban system can be implemented more efficiently and effectively than the original kanban system.

Cyclin D2 plays an important role in regulation of hematopoietic cell proliferation by cytokines and is implicated in oncogenesis of various hematopoietic malignancies. However, mechanisms regulating cyclin D2 stability and its expression level have remained to be known. Here, we demonstrate that interleukin-3 signaling stabilizes cyclin D2 by inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) through Janus kinase2-dependent activation of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway in hematopoietic 32Dcl3 cells. On the other hand, osmotic stress was shown to induce a rapid proteasomal degradation of cyclin D2, which was mediated by activation of p38. GSK3beta and p38 was demonstrated to phosphorylate cyclin D2 on Thr280 in vitro, while a cyclin D2 mutant with this residue substituted with Ala was found to be resistant to ubiquitination and proteasome-dependent degradation in 32Dcl3 cells. Inhibition of the PI3K pathway or induction of osmotic stress also caused a rapid proteasomal degradation of cyclin D2 in primary leukemic or myeloma cells. These results indicate that cyclin D2 expression in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells is regulated by ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent degradation that is triggered by Thr280 phosphorylation by GSK3beta or p38, which is induced by inhibition of the PI3K pathway or by osmotic stress, respectively.

The paper discusses a sequencing problem of a mixed-model assembly line in the Toyota Motor Corporation production system, which is well known as the Just-in-Time production system. Whenever a worker in the assembly line finds that he might fail to complete his operations within the work zone, he pushes a button to call an auxiliary worker who assists him in the operations. If he can complete the operations within his work zone with the help of the auxiliary worker, the line does not stop. Otherwise, the line stops. In the Toyota production system, it is very important to keep a constant rate of usage of every part used by the assembly line. Hence, there are two goals for the sequencing problem in the Toyota production system. The paper provides a new formulation for the sequencing problem with two goals. It considers the goal of keeping the constant rate of part usage as a constraint of the sequencing problem, and it formulates a sequencing problem of minimizing the total line stoppage time with auxiliar...

Floquet theory for ordinary differential operators with periodic coefficients is well known and fundamental to study the stability of solutions and spectral properties of the operators. Generalization of Floquet theory to differential operators with almost periodic or more random coefficients have been done by several authors, by applying C ∗ -algebra theory, dynamical theory and probability theory. The purpose of this paper is to give a general point of view of Floquet theory using the Weyl's functions systematically, which was initiated by Johnson-Moser.

The incidence of intervertebral disc herniation in the thoracic region of the spine is much less than in the cervical or lumbar areas, and multiple thoracic disc herniations are rare. We described a 33-year-old man with two-level thoracic disc herniation, who exhibited features of spinal cord compression. Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomographic myelography demonstrated anterior compression of the spinal cord due to disc herniation at T4/5 and T7/8 levels. Through an anterolateral approach, these discs were removed and interbody fusion was performed using autogenous bone grafts. Excellent results were obtained.

Cerebellar long-term depression (LTD) at the parallel fiber-Purkinje cell synapses has been proposed to be a neural substrate for classical eyeblink conditioning. Mutant mice lacking the glutamate receptor subunit δ2 (GluRδ2), in which the cerebellar LTD is disrupted, exhibited a severe impairment in the delay eyeblink conditioning with a temporal overlap of CS and US. However, they learned normally trace and delay conditioning without CS-US overlap, suggesting a learning mechanism which does not require the cerebellar LTD.In the present study, we tested possible involvement of the hippocampus in this cerebellar LTD-independent learning. We examined effects of scopolamine and hippocampal lesion on the delay conditioning without CS-US overlap. TheGluRδ2 mutant mice that received scopolamine or aspiration of the dorsalhippocampus together with its overlying cortex exhibited a severe impairment in learning, while the control mutant mice that received saline or aspiration of the overlying cortex learned normally. In contrast, wild-type mice that received either treatment learned as normally as the control wild-type mice. These results suggest that the hippocampus is essential in the cerebellar LTD-independent learning in the GluRδ2 mutant mice, indicating a newrole of hippocampus in the paradigm with a short trace interval.

THE OCCURRENCE OF OCCASIONAL HIGH AMPLITUDE STRAIN CYCLES IN AN OTHERWISE STATIONARY RANDOM STRAIN TIME HISTORY CONSIDERABLY REDUCES THE FATIGUE LIFE OF MILD STEEL SPECIMENS. THE ACCELERATION OF DAMAGE IS SHOWN TO OCCUR THROUGHOUT THE CYCLIC DAMAGE PROCESS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EFFECT IN TERMS OF FATIGUE IN RAILWAY VEHICLES IS EMPHASIZED. THE RESULTS OF OVERLOAD STUDIES ARE OFTEN CONFUSING BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF INDUCED RESIDUAL STRESSES. IN THIS WORK, CARE WAS GIVEN TO ENSURE THAT NO SUCH EFFECTS OCCURRED. /ASTM/

The effect of adjuvants on the specificity of immune responses to the Plasmodium falciparum gp195 protein was investigated using adjuvant formulations based on synthetic muramyl dipeptide and monophosphoryl lipid A derivatives, in parallel with CFA and alum. Although these immunomodulators were as effective as CFA in inducing an antibody response to gp195, there were distinct differences in the recognition of B cell epitopes by these antibody populations. We have also demonstrated that MHC control of antibody specificity can be related to the adjuvant used for immunization. In general, the potency of adjuvants, their ability to induce antibodies of a particular specificity, or their ability to overcome MHC control of immune responsiveness varied independently. These findings suggest a critical role of adjuvants in the determination of the specificity of the immune response to protein Ag. Thus, the influence of adjuvants should be a major consideration in studies on immunologic recognition, as well as in the design of modern subunit vaccines.

The Plasmodium falciparum major merozoite surface protein (gp195) is a protective antigen against lethal malaria. However, increasing evidence indicates that the efficacy of a malaria vaccine will require a strong adjuvant that is safe for human use. We compared the efficacies of two low-toxicity synthetic immunomodulators, B30-MDP (a lipophilic muramyl dipeptide derivative) and LA-15-PH (a synthetic equivalent of monophosphoryl lipid A), with that of Freund complete adjuvant (FCA) in eliciting an antibody response to gp195. Rabbits were immunized with native gp195 and B30-MDP, LA-15-PH, or the two in combination, with liposomes as the vehicle. Aluminum hydroxide and FCA were used as reference adjuvants. Results showed that adjuvant formulations based on B30-MDP alone or in combination with LA-15-PH induced high antibody titers to gp195, as compared with FCA. LA-15-PH alone was less effective. Aluminum hydroxide induced significantly lower antibody titers. The functional activity of the rabbit anti-gp195 antibodies induced by different adjuvants was evaluated in an in vitro parasite growth inhibition assay previously shown to correlate with anti-gp195 immunity in the Aotus monkey model. All rabbits immunized with B30-MDP-LA-15-PH and two of three rabbits immunized with B30-MDP alone produced sera that strongly inhibited parasite growth. The degree of growth inhibition was similar to that with FCA. The antibody titers of the rabbits receiving B30-MDP-LA-15-PH strongly correlated with the degree of in vitro growth inhibition. Our findings provided strong evidence that adjuvant formulations based on synthetic B30-MDP and LA-15-PH can replace FCA as adjuvants in stimulating protective immunity specific for gp195.

This paper proposes real time detection methods for moving vehicles and pedestrians affecting the navigation of a mobile robot. The method is based on a locomotion strategy known as sign pattern-based stereotyped motion.

A heat-stable microtubule-associated protein (MAP) with relative molecular mass 250 000, termed 250-kDa MAP, was purified from bovine adrenal cortex. It is classified as a MAP subspecies distinct from MAP1, MAP2, tau, and MAP4, as judged from its electrophoretic mobility, heat stability and immunoreactivity. Purified 250-kDa MAP was able to bind to taxol-stabilized microtubules, although it lacked the ability to polymerize purified tubulin into microtubules. Western-blot analysis showed that this MAP was expressed ubiquitously in mammalian tissues. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that polyclonal antibodies raised against 250-kDa MAP stained many punctate structures in the cytoplasm of cultured cells. Blurry cytosolic staining was also observed. Judging from the result of nocodazole treatment, the punctate structures were associated with the microtubule network throughout the cytoplasm, while cytosolic 250-kDa MAP colocalized with free tubulin. Under electron microscopy, 250-kDa MAP has the appearance of a hollow sphere of about 12 nm diameter.

Previously, we showed that quantitatively minor several glycolipids totaling only less than 5% of the lipoteichoic acid (LTA) fraction from Enterococcus hirae ATCC 9790 possessed cytokine-inducing activity, whereas the major component (over 90%) did not [Suda et al. (1995) FEMS Immun Med Microbiol 12:97-112]. The major inactive component was shown to have the chemical structure as was proposed for the LTA by Fischer [Hashimoto et al. (1997) J Biochem 121:779-86], suggesting that so-called LTA is not a cytokine-inducing component in the Gram-positive bacteria. In the present paper, the structure of the hydrophilic part of one of the cytokine-inducing glycolipid tentatively named GL4 is elucidated. GL4 was first subjected to hydrolysis with aqueous HF to give a polysaccharide and a mixture of low molecular weight products. The polysaccharide was composed mainly of highly branching mannan as concluded from NMR and MS analyses of its acetolysis products. The low molecular weight products consisted of phosphate and glycerol, suggesting the presence of a poly(glycerophosphate) structure in the original GL4. From these observations, the hydrophilic part of GL4 was shown to consist of mannose-rich polysaccharide and poly(glycerophosphate), the latter being bound to the former by a phosphodiester linkage.

The microtubule-binding domains of microtubule-associated protein (MAP) 2, tau, and MAP4 are divided into three distinctive regions: the Pro-rich region, the AP sequence region and the tail region (Aizawa, H., Emori, Y., Murofushi, H., Kawasaki, H., Sakai., H., and Suzuki, K. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 13849-13855). Electron microscopic observation showed that the taxol-stabilized microtubules alone and those mixed with the A4T fragment (containing the AP sequence region and the tail region) had a long, wavy appearance, while those mixed with the PA4T fragment (containing the Pro-rich region, the AP sequence region, and the tail region) or the PA4 fragment (containing the Pro-rich region and the AP sequence region) were shorter and straighter. Stoichiometries of the binding between the fragments and the tubulin dimers were approximately between 1 and 2, suggesting that not all of the AP sequences in the AP sequence region bound to tubulin. Binding affinity of the PA4T fragment is only four times higher than that of the A4T fragment, while the microtubule nucleating activity of the PA4T fragment is far greater. Based on these results, we propose that the nucleation of microtubule assembly is promoted by the bridging activity of the Pro-rich region in the MAPs.

We report on a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) which resembled chronic myeloproliferative disorder (CMPD). A 67-year-old male was admitted to our hospital in June 1990. A diagnosis of refractory anemia with excess of blasts in transformation (RAEB-T) was based on the peripheral blood and bone marrow findings on admission. However, since thrombocytosis and bone marrow fibrosis was noted, the patient was diagnosed as MDS with myelofibrosis. Low-dose cytosine arabinoside therapy was performed. Although complete remission could not be achieved, a high quality of life could be maintained by appropriate transfusion. In January 1993, the patient was readmitted because of a marked increase in mature neutrophils, showing a moderate increase of blasts, chromosomal aberration (46,XY,12p-) and hepatosplenomegaly; but no fibrosis of bone marrow was observed. These findings suggested that neoplastic proliferation at the level more differentiated to granulocytic lineage occurred at the terminal stage and that his clinical feature was located between MDS and CMPD. This case may be important in considering various aspects of MDS.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2) controls the transition from the G1 to the S phase in the mammalian cell cycle. We found by immunoblotting that anti-Cdk2 antibodies recognize three Cdk2 proteins (of 33, 34 and 39 kDa) in FRTL-5 and FRTL-Tc cells (malignantly transformed FRTL cells). Although 33 kDa protein is a phosphorylated form of 34 kDa protein previously reported, the nature of 39 kDa protein is unknown. In order to determine the nature of this protein, we screened a FRTL-5 cDNA library. Two cDNA clones of the rat homologue (rat Cdk2-alpha and -beta) of human Cdk2 were isolated. The open reading frame of rat Cdk2-alpha cDNA encoded a protein with 428 amino acids and has a high degree of conservation with human Cdk2. The calculated molecular weight of Cdk2-alpha protein is 33892 Da. The rat Cdk2-beta cDNA was identical to Cdk2-alpha cDNA except that it had extra 144 bp; this coincided with insertion of 48 amino acids into Cdk2-alpha protein between Met 196 and Val 197. The calculated molecular weight of Cdk2-beta protein is 39087 Da. Northern blot analysis indicated that the sizes of rat Cdk2-alpha and -beta mRNAs are approximately 2.5 kb and 3.0 kb, respectively. Partial proteolytic mapping showed that Cdk2-beta gene product is 39 kDa Cdk2 in the immunoblotting. We also found that Cdk2-beta protein binds to cyclin A and suc1 proteins. During G1-S phase in FRTL-Tc cells, Cdk2-alpha protein level is constant, but is gradually phosphorylated. In contrast, the level of Cdk2-beta protein increases through the S phase and decreases at the early G2 phase. These results suggest that a variant form of Cdk2 protein might be required for entry into the S phase of the cell cycle in FRTL-Tc cells.

Thyrotropin receptor (TSR-H), the main target for the autoantibody in Graves′ disease, has been thought to be a thyroid-specific protein. However, we successfully obtained the cDNA fragments of TSR-H from rat retro-orbital tissues and adipose tissues by using polymerase chain reaction methods. Sequencing has revealed that the nucleotide sequence of the cDNA5 from these non-thyroid tissues was identical to that from the thyroid. TSH-R peptide antibody, which recognizes rat TSH-R, stained a 104 kDa protein from the retro-orbital tissues and the adipose tissues. The band was not detected with the antibody preabsorbed with the peptide. These results suggest that the message is translated to make a TSR-H protein even in these non-thyroid tissues.

A 77 year-old female admitted with costal and right clavicular tumors and multiple osteolytic lesions. In January 1983, a diagnosis of mature type plasmacytoma was made based on the histopathological examination of the right clavicular tumor. The amounts of serum protein and IgA (kappa) M-protein were 7.5 g/dl and 2.1 g/dl, respectively. A myelogram revealed 21% of mature plasma cells with 31.3 x 10(4) nucleated cells/microliter. Four months later following a chemotherapy started in March 1983, the tumor size became smaller with undetected M-protein by an immunofixation method. Besides, a serum protein analysis showed 24.6% of gamma-globulin and 1,980 mg/dl of IgG. However, in December 1983, the right clavicular and costal tumors regrew. The second biopsy specimen showed diffuse proliferated plasmablastoid cells which reacted only to anti-kappa antibody. By August 1984, the patient had systemic subcutaneous tumors as well as polyclonal IgG up to 3,356 mg/dl suggesting rapid progression of the disease. A myelogram showed 7.4% of mature plasma cells. In December 1984, the patient died of complicated obstructive ileus due to multiple mesenteric tumor. In this study we discussed on the role of M-protein loss and increased of normal globulin level in a tumor-forming type multiple myeloma.

The coccal form as well as the L form of Staphylococcus aureus could produce the metabolic and growth inhibiting antibodies of the L form in the rabbit sera.

Metabolic and growth inhibiting activities in immunoglobulin (of anti-S. aureus L-form serum and anti-S. aureus coccal form serum) could be absorbed by cell membranes of S. aureus L-form and its coccal form, respectively. These activities could not be absorbed by cell membrane of Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus pyogenes or Actinomyces viscosus. These findings suggested the existence of species-specific antigens of cell membrane. The membrane antigens of L-form related to the metabolic and growth inhibiting activities were stable to trypsin, heating and periodate, and were not solubilized by trypsin. A large part of the antigen in a typsin-insoluble membrane precipitate of L-form could be extracted by acetone and the subsequent use of chloroform-methanol (2: 1). A fractionation study of chloroform-methanol extract by using silicic acid calum indicated that more than two components were involved in metabolic and growth inhibiting activities.

The structure of microtubule assembly inhibitor protein (MIP) was studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and limited proteolysis. Spin-diffusion experiments revealed that MIP has a tightly folded structure, a "rigid globule." This globule was irreversibly denatured by heat treatment at 80 degrees C, and the denatured MIP showed little ability to inhibit microtubule assembly. This indicates that the native globular structure is essential for the activity. By spin-diffusion and spin-echo experiments, the other part of the molecule was found to be highly mobile. We termed the region "highly mobile coils." Most of the acidic residues appeared to be clustered in the highly mobile coils. By limited proteolysis using subtilisin, the mobile region was digested into shorter pieces, and a single 17-kDa fragment remained. Proton NMR spectrum of this fragment was much the same as the spin-diffusion subspectra of the rigid globule in the intact MIP molecule. Furthermore, the 17-kDa fragment was found to retain the activity to inhibit the microtubule assembly. These results indicate that MIP consists of two moieties; one domain forms a rigid globule which is essential for its activity to inhibit microtubule assembly, and the other acidic one is highly mobile and tails from the globule. The tertiary structures of these two domains appear to be independent from each other. These domains may be responsible for two different functions of MIP, the interaction with the cytoskeleton and the interaction with, for example, nuclear components.

The design and technology for a high-speed Josephson macrocell array are described. A macrocell array including 7.6 k gates was fabricated using a 1.5-mm Nb Josephson process. The chip dimensions are 5t5 mm, and its power consumption is 23 mW. An average gate delay in full adder of 5.3 ps has been achieved using the macrocell

In the previous study (Ikeda-Fujita et al., 1987b, 1987c) we demonstrated that a lipopolysaccharide fraction prepared from ’delipidated’ cells of Mycobacterium bovis BCG by extraction with 95% phenol/water (Westphal method) and by fractionation of the water-phase extract with Sepharose 6B and 4B columns exhibits a variety of endotoxin-like bioactivities. The fraction contained no detectable amounts of chemical markers of hitherto described immunomodulators of bacterial origin such as endotoxic lipopolysaccharides (lipid A), cord factor (trehalose mycolates), peptidoglycans (muramylpeptides), lipoteichoic acids, and others (Kotani et al., 1986).

We examined the tear volume of the inferior conjunctival sac in relation to patient age and complications of contact lens wear using a special phenol red thread test. Records of patients who had undergone this test between 1984 and 1987 were reviewed. Based on the wet length of the thread, three groups were defined: 9 mm or less, 10-14 mm, and 15 mm or more. Those patients who showed consistent results over three or more separate testings were selected for this study. A total of 11,336 eyes met this criterion. A confidence interval of 95% was established as a basis for comparison of the groups. We found that the percentage of eyes with 9 mm or less of wet length increased with the age of the subject group. Likewise, the percentage of each age group with 15 mm or more of wet length steadily decreased among progressively older groups. Eyes wearing PMMA lenses with 9 mm or less of wet length showed the highest incidence of superficial punctate keratitis (SPK) and erosion. The group of eyes wearing high-DK lenses with 15 mm or more of wet length showed the lowest incidence of SPK and erosion.