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Objective: This study retrospectively analysed post-operative endoscopic scores to determine the optimal post-operative treatment in patients with eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis undergoing functional endoscopic sinus surgery. Methods: In total, 339 adults who underwent initial bilateral functional endoscopic sinus surgery for eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis were enrolled. Patients were divided into group A, which required no additional post-operative treatment; group B, which required local/systemic steroids post-operatively; and group C, which further required dupilumab and/or revision surgery. Results: Sixty-five per cent of patients could be treated with initial functional endoscopic sinus surgery (group A). Post-operative steroids were required in 35 per cent of patients with a post-operative endoscopic score of 30 per cent (group B). Further advanced treatments with dupilumab and/or revision functional endoscopic sinus surgery were required in 10 per cent of patients with a post-operative endoscopic score of 65 per cent (group C). Conclusion: The post functional endoscopic sinus surgery endoscopic score can be used as an index to determine treatment at the time of eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrosomonas europaea , an aerobic ammonia oxidizing bacterium, is responsible for the first and rate-limiting step of the nitrification process, and their ammonia oxidation activities are critical for the biogeochemical cycling and the biological nitrogen removal of wastewater treatment. In the present study, N. europaea cells were cultivated in the inorganic or organic media (the NBRC829 and the nutrient-rich, NR, media, respectively), and the cells proliferated in the form of planktonic and biofilm in those media, respectively. The N. europaea cells in the biofilm growth mode produced larger amounts of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and the composition of the EPS was characterized by the chemical analyses including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements. The RNA-Seq analysis of N. europaea in the biofilm or planktonic growth mode revealed that the following gene transcripts involved in central nitrogen metabolisms were abundant in the biofilm growth mode; amo encoding ammonia monooxygenase, hao encoding hydroxylamine dehydrogenase, the gene encoding nitrosocyanine, nirK encoding copper-containing nitrite reductase. Additionally, the transcripts of the pepA and wza involved in the bacterial floc formation and the translocation of EPS, respectively, were also abundant in the biofilm-growth mode. Our study was first to characterize the EPS production and transcriptome of N. europaea in the biofilm and planktonic growth mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the causes of olfactory dysfunction (OD) and to discuss the benefits of understanding the characteristics of OD in elderly patients. A total of 4300 patients with OD who were treated at our hospital between January 1996 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 1833 men and 2467 women, with ages ranging from 4 to 95 years. The patients were divided into two groups: younger (less than 65 years old, n = 2947) and elderly (65 years old or more, n = 1353) groups. Causative diseases were chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), post-viral (PV), post-traumatic (PT), central nervous system dysfunction (CNS), peripheral nervous system dysfunction (PNS), congenital, psychogenic, and unknown. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and olfactory detection and recognition thresholds using the T&T olfaction test were used to evaluate olfaction. The mean detection and recognition thresholds, as well as the deviation difference (the difference between the mean detection and recognition thresholds) were compared by causative disease. The causative diseases in elderly group were CRS (32%), PV (28%), PT (3%), CNS (2%), and PNS (4%). OD of unknown cause was significantly more in elderly (30%) than in younger patients (12%). Olfactory detection and recognition thresholds in elderly group were significantly worse than in younger group (p < 0.05). The olfactory detection and recognition thresholds were not any significant differences between patients with OD of unknown cause and those with CNS. OD of unknown cause was predominantly observed in elderly group. The olfactory acuity of OD of unknown cause was similar to CNS OD. These findings suggest the importance of continuous follow-up due to the potential of neurodegenerative diseases in elderly OD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a smooth algebraic variety X, a monodromic D-module on X × ℂ is decomposed into a direct sum of some D-modules on X. We show that the Hodge filtration of a mixed Hodge module on X × ℂ whose underlying D-module is monodromic is also decomposed. Moreover, we show that there is an equivalence of categories between the category of monodromic mixed Hodge modules on X × ℂ and the category of "gluing data". As an application, we endow the Fourier–Laplace transformation of the underlying D-module of a monodromic mixed Hodge module with a mixed Hodge module structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM) is a common myocardial disease in cats, characterized by diastolic dysfunction and atrial enlargement without myocardial hypertrophy. Especially, endomyocardial form of RCM, one of the subtypes in RCM, is characterized by endocardial fibrosis, endocardial scar bridging the interventricular septum and left ventricular (LV) free wall, and deformation and distortion of the LV. However, it is unclear how the myocardial dysfunction and the endocardial scar contribute to the pathophysiology of RCM disease progression. Case presentation: A 3 years and 2 months old, intact male, Domestic shorthaired cat was presented for consultation of cardiac murmur. At the first visit (day 0), the notable abnormal finding was echocardiography-derived chordae tendineae-like structure bridging the interventricular septum and the LV free wall, resulting high-speed blood flow in the left ventricle. Electrocardiography, thoracic radiography and noninvasive blood pressure measurements were normal. No left atrial enlargement was observed, and LV inflow velocity showed an abnormal relaxation pattern. Although there was no abnormality in tissue Doppler imaging-derived myocardial velocity, two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D-STE) revealed a decrease in the LV longitudinal strain and an increase in endocardial to epicardial ratio of the LV circumferential strain on day 0. On day 468, obvious left atrium enlargement and smoke like echo in the left atrium were observed. The LV inflow velocity was fused, and the tissue Doppler imaging-derived early-diastolic myocardial velocity of the septal mitral annulus decreased. Regarding 2D-STE, LV circumferential strain was further decreased, and right ventricular strain was additionally decreased. Although the general condition was good, we made a clinical diagnosis of endomyocardial RCM based on the above findings. On day 503, the cat showed the radiographic evidence of pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure signs. Conclusions: Cats with abnormal LV structure and associated myocardial dysfunction like this case needs careful observation. Additionally, 2D-STE indices may be useful for early detection of myocardial dysfunction in feline RCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We study the Milnor monodromies of non-isolated hypersurface singularities and show that the reduced cohomology groups of the Milnor fibers are concentrated in the middle degree for some eigenvalues of the monodromies. As an application of this result, we give an explicit formula for some parts of their Jordan normal forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to verify the usefulness of our proposed nasal symptom questionnaire (NSQ) scoring system and to determine predictors linked to the improvement in nasal symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).Patients and Methods: Ninety-one CRS patients undergoing ESS and 144 volunteers with results of NSQ available were enrolled. The NSQ consists of 10 items. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve, area under the ROC curve (AUC), internal consistency, and test-retest reproducibility of the NSQ were analyzed. The relationship of the NSQ score with the visual analogue scale (VAS) was examined. After classifying into two groups, i.e., (i) "improvement group" and (ii) "no-improvement group," factors linked to the improvement in NSQ after ESS were investigated.Results: ROC-AUC (0.9318), the Cronbach α coefficient (0.8696), and the test-retest coefficient (0.8131) showed high reliability. NSQ score significantly correlated with VAS in both pre- (p < 0.0001, rs = 0.6007) and postoperative stages (p < 0.0001, rs = 0.5975). The postoperative NSQ scores significantly decreased compared with baseline levels (p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, the computed tomography (CT) score by the Lund-Mackay scoring system revealed to be significant (p = 0.0481).Conclusion: Our proposed NSQ scoring system was well verified. The CT score can be helpful for predicting the improvement in nasal symptoms after ESS in CRS patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Genetic variations within cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6) contribute to inter-individual variation in the metabolism of clinically important drugs, including cyclophosphamide, bupropion, methadone and efavirenz (EFZ). In this study, we performed an in vitro analysis of 40 CYP2B6 allelic variant proteins including seven novel variants identified in 1070 Japanese individuals. Wild-type and 39 variant proteins were heterologously expressed in 293FT cells to estimate the kinetic parameters (K m , V max , and CL int) of EFZ 8-hydroxylation and 7-ethoxy-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin (7-ETC) O -deethylation activities. The concentrations of CYP2B6 variant holo-enzymes were measured by using carbon monoxide (CO)-reduced difference spectroscopy, and the wild-type and 28 variants showed a peak at 450 nm. The kinetic parameters were measured for the wild-type and 24 variant proteins. The values for the remaining 15 variants could not be determined because the enzymatic activity was not detected at the highest substrate concentration used. Compared to wild-type, six variants showed significantly decreased EFZ 8-hydroxylation CL int values, while these values were significantly increased in another six variants, including CYP2B6.6. Although 7-ETC O -deethylation CL int values of CYP2B6 variants did not differ significantly from that of CYP2B6.1, the CL int ratios obtained for 7-ETC O -deethylation were highly correlated with EFZ 8-hydroxylation. Furthermore, three-dimensional structural modeling analysis was performed to elucidate the mechanism of changes in the kinetics of CYP2B6 variants. Our findings could provide evidence of the specific metabolic activities of the CYP2B6 proteins encoded by these variant alleles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaria is caused by five species of Plasmodium in humans. Microscopy is currently used for pathogen detection, requiring considerable training and technical expertise as the parasites are often difficult to differentiate morphologically. Rapid diagnostic tests are as reliable as microscopy and offer faster diagnoses but possess lower detection limits and are incapable of distinguishing among the parasitic species. To improve global health efforts towards malaria control, a rapid, sensitive, species-specific, and economically viable diagnostic method is needed. In this study, we designed a malaria diagnostic method involving a multiplex single-tube nested PCR targeting Plasmodium mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase III and single-stranded tag hybridization chromatographic printed-array strip. The detection sensitivity was found to be at least 40 times higher than that of agarose gel electrophoresis with ethidium bromide. This system also enables the identification of both single- and mixed-species malaria infections. The assay was validated with 152 Kenyan samples; using nested PCR as the standard, the assay's sensitivity and specificity were 88.7% and 100.0%, respectively. The turnaround time required, from PCR preparation to signal detection, is 90 min. Our method should improve the diagnostic speed, treatment efficacy, and control of malaria, in addition to facilitating surveillance within global malaria eradication programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to respiratory disease is caused by pulmonary vascular remodeling and hypoxia. Severe PH can induce various clinical signs, including syncope and right‐sided heart failure. Hypothesis/Objectives: To investigate the echocardiographic characteristics in dogs with PH secondary to respiratory diseases. Animals: Thirty‐one dogs with respiratory diseases with or without PH and 15 healthy dogs. Methods: Prospective cross‐sectional study. Dogs were classified according to respiratory disease (obstructive airway/lung disease [OALD] or restrictive lung disease [RLD]) and PH‐relevant signs. The association between echocardiographic variables and PH (classified by respiratory disease and PH‐relevant signs) was investigated. Results: Twenty‐one dogs were diagnosed with PH; of these, 11 showed PH‐related signs (OALD, n = 2; RLD, n = 9), 14 had right ventricular hypertrophy, and 19 had pulmonary arterial enlargement. Right ventricular dysfunction and dilatation were observed only in dogs with PH‐related signs (n = 10). Left and right ventricular stroke volumes were significantly lower in dogs with PH (median [interquartile range]: 17.2 [12.4‐20.8] and 16.8 [15.3‐29.5] mL/m2, respectively). Dogs with RLD had higher echocardiography‐estimated pulmonary vascular resistance than those with OALD (median [interquartile range]: 3.1 [1.9‐3.3] and 1.6 [1.3‐2.2], respectively). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Pulmonary arterial enlargement was the most common echocardiographic finding in dogs with PH secondary to respiratory diseases. Right ventricular dysfunction, dilatation, and decreased left and right ventricular stroke volume were significantly associated with the PH‐related signs, indicating that comprehensive echocardiography is recommended in dogs with respiratory disease. Restricted lung disease might induce more severe PH than OALD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the correlation between olfactory disorder severity and radiological findings in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in the preoperative stage. Methods: From 2007 to 2014, 272 adult patients (163 men, 109 women; age range 22-80 years) with olfactory disorder due to bilateral CRS who were scheduled to undergo primary endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) were enrolled. Two groups were studied: eosinophilic CRS (ECRS, n=193); and non-ECRS (n=79). T&T olfactometer recognition and intravenous olfaction tests were used. Computed tomography (CT) scores for sinuses and olfactory clefts (OC) were applied. Correlations between olfactory acuity and CT score were statistically analysed. Results: In both groups, recognition threshold correlated significantly with CT score. Recognition threshold and CT score were significantly more severe in ECRS than in non-ECRS. CT score at OC showed the strongest correlation with recognition threshold. CT scores for total sinuses and OC in patients showing a positive response to the intravenous olfaction test (239 patients) were significantly milder than those in the negative group (29 patients), but ethmoid CT score was not. Conclusion: Olfactory disorder severity correlated significantly with CT opacification. Olfactory disorder and CT findings were more severe in patients with ECRS than in those with non-ECRS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ELO-AlN was performed by varying off-cut angle of sapphire using MOVPE. • Dislocations were reduced by increasing off-cut angle of sapphire substrate. • Increasing off-cut angle, low dislocation region of ELO became smaller. • ELO-AlN layer exhibited low dislocation density of 2.1 × 106cm−2. Using a metal–organic vapor phase epitaxy, the epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) of AlN was performed by varying a vicinal off-cut angle from 0.15 to 2.0° of sapphire substrates oriented to the m -axis, i.e., the a -axis of AlN. During overgrowth, step bunching resulted in the efficient conversion of dislocations to elongated voids. The dislocations were terminated at the voids formed over the groove regions and the low and high etch pit density (EPD) regions were observed. The dislocation was reduced by increasing the off-cut angle of the sapphire substrates up to 0.8°; however, low-EPD region became small in the ELO. Thus, we have attempted to achieve a longer growth of the ELO-AlN layer on the sapphire substrate with the off-cut angle of 0.15°. As a result, the EPD decreased with the increasing thickness. The ELO-AlN layer with the thickness of 15.9 µm exhibited the EPD of 2.1 × 106 cm−2 in the low dislocation region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common heart disease in cats with a suspected genetic origin. Previous studies have identified five HCM-associated variants in three genes (Myosin binding protein C3: MYBPC3 p.A31P, p.A74T, p.R820W; Myosin heavy chain 7: MYH7 p.E1883K; Alstrom syndrome protein 1: ALMS1 p.G3376R). These variants are considered breed-specific, with the exception of MYBPC3 p.A74T, and have rarely been found in other breeds. However, genetic studies on HCM-associated variants across breeds are still insufficient because of population and breed bias caused by differences in genetic background. This study investigates the ubiquitous occurrence of HCM-associated genetic variants among cat breeds, using 57 HCM-affected, 19 HCM-unaffected, and 227 non-examined cats from the Japanese population. Genotyping of the five variants revealed the presence of MYBPC3 p.A31P and ALMS1 p.G3376R in two (Munchkin and Scottish Fold) and five non-specific breeds (American Shorthair, Exotic Shorthair, Minuet, Munchkin and Scottish Fold), respectively, in which the variants had not been identified previously. In addition, our results indicate that the ALMS1 variants identified in the Sphynx breed might not be Sphynx-specific. Overall, our results suggest that these two specific variants may still be found in other cat breeds and should be examined in detail in a population-driven manner. Furthermore, applying genetic testing to Munchkin and Scottish Fold, the breeds with both MYBPC3 and ALMS1 variants, will help prevent the development of new HCM-affected cat colonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sols with dispersions of Zn–Al layered double hydroxide particles and ZnO particles were prepared by heating aqueous solutions of Zn(NO3)2 and Al(NO3)3 with ethylenediamine and hexamethylenediamine at 348K for 24h. The shapes of the obtained particles depend on the diamines used. Thin films were obtained by drying the sols on an alkali-free glass substrate. Firing the obtained films at temperatures higher than 573K produced oriented ZnO films. Spark plasma sintering of the films lowered their surface resistance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Zn–Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) particles were prepared by heating aqueous solutions of Zn(NO3)2 and Al(NO3)3 with ethylenediamine at 348K for 24h. The obtained particles, which had sheet morphology, were well dispersed in water. The sol of LDH nanoparticles was dried on an alkali-free glass substrate and LDH thin films were obtained easily. Firing the LDH films at temperatures higher than 573K produces a highly oriented zinc oxide film. The obtained films had orientation of zinc oxide (002) on the glass substrate. This orientation reflected that of the LDH films. The zinc oxide films showed more than 80% of the optical transmittance when the wavelength was 400nm. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The coupling reactions of alkyl chlorides with silyl enolates catalyzed by InBr3, and the coupling reactions of alkyl ethers with silyl enolates catalyzed by the combined Lewis acid of InBr3/Me3SiBr are described. In both reaction systems, various types of silyl enolates were used to give corresponding α-alkylated esters, ketones, carboxylic acids, amides, thioesters, and aldehydes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A microchip including two micro-channels for electrophoretic flow and one micro-flow line for pumping flow was designed for the analysis of antioxidants by microchip capillary electrophoresis with a chemiluminescence detection system. The chemiluminescence reaction of luminol with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of Cu(II) catalyst was adopted in the present system, where active oxygen species, such as superoxide radical anions, generates. Nitroblue tetrazolium, superoxide dismutase, and catechin (catechin mixture from green tea) were analyzed as model analytes of antioxidants using the system. Negative peaks from baseline formed by the chemiluminescence reaction were observed based on reaction between active oxygen (superoxide radical anion) and antioxidants (analytes). The components of analytes mixture, nitroblue tetrazolium and superoxide dismutase, were well separated and detected within ca. 2min. Catechin was also detected around 2min, resulting in a response curve over the range of 0.1–1mM. The amounts of catechin in the real samples of commercial green tea beverages were successfully determined. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The combination of InCl3 and Me3SiBr provided an enhanced Lewis acid system that can be used to promote a wide range of direct coupling reactions between alcohols and silyl nucleophiles in non-halogenated solvents, such as hexane or MeCN. The enhanced Lewis acidity of this system was measured by the 13C NMR in terms of the coordination to an alcohol. Moreover, the interaction between Me3SiBr and the In(III) species was revealed by 29Si NMR spectral analysis. Highly chemoselective allylations toward a hydroxyl moiety over ketone and acetoxy ones have been demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe a technique for selectively sharpening only edges that were blurred due to various causes without making interference factors such as random noise more conspicuous. The selective sharpening technique described in this paper is implemented as an iterative updating nonlinear algorithm obtained by discretizing a type of nonlinear reaction-diffusion time-evolution equations. The update terms of this algorithm consist of a quadratic nonlinear smoothing term, reaction term, and overshooting term. By performing quantitative evaluation experiments, the authors showed that the proposed technique has significantly better selective sharpness enhancement capabilities than existing sharpness enhancement techniques such as the peaking method. In addition, the authors introduced a processing parameter adaptive control method in the proposed technique and applied it to the suppression of breathing distortions in video sequences. Breathing distortions, which are video sequence distortions that often appear in old films, are time-varying blurring distortions that occur due to temporal variations of the focus. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 87(5): 33–47, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.10086 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sheet-like turbidite packets and channel-overbank systems are interpreted to be major components of submarine fans. Spatial and temporal relationships between the two major components, however, are not yet clearly understood, in particular for sand-dominated submarine fans in active-margin basins. Three-dimensional outcrop analysis of an ancient sandy submarine fan succession in a Late Miocene–Early Pliocene forearc basin on the Boso Peninsula, Japan, together with mapping of chronostratigraphic markers defined by volcanic ash beds, indicates that deposition of sheet-like turbidite packets was intimately associated with the lateral migration of depocenters of channel-overbank systems and distinct entrenchment of fan channels in response to upfan avulsion. Deposition of a sheet-like turbidite packet is not restricted in a single interchannel low, but rather is spread out over most of the channel-overbank area, possibly reflecting the high width to depth ratio of channel-overbank systems on sandy submarine fans. Largely contemporaneous deposition of sheet-like turbidite packets and channel-overbank systems further indicates that the “basin-floor fan” and “slope fan” of the sequence-stratigraphic model do not necessarily characterize different parts of a relative sea-level lowstand or temporally different types of depositional systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Simple Summary: Pulmonary hypertension is a potentially life-threatening disease among dogs that is characterized by increased pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance. In veterinary medicine, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor such as sildenafil is the most common drug used to treat pulmonary hypertension. However, the availability of sildenafil is limited because of its high cost, difficulty in obtaining the drug in some areas, and potential inter-individual variability in the response to sildenafil therapy. Beraprost sodium is one of the most common drugs used to treat pulmonary hypertension in humans. However, little is known about its efficacy in dogs with pulmonary hypertension. In this study, beraprost sodium showed significant pulmonary and systemic vasodilation without any adverse effects in sixteen dogs with pulmonary hypertension. Additionally, echocardiographic improvements in cardiac function and pulmonary and systemic circulation were observed. These results emphasize the potential efficacy of beraprost sodium in treating canine pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a fatal condition that affects many dogs. In humans, PH is often treated with beraprost sodium (BPS). However, the effectiveness of BPS for canine PH has not been established. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and cardiovascular response of BPS in canine patients with PH of various causes. Sixteen dogs with PH (post-capillary PH, n = 8; pre-capillary PH, n = 8) were included. BPS was continuously administered twice daily at 15 µg/kg. All dogs underwent echocardiography, including speckle-tracking analysis and blood pressure measurement, before and after BPS administration. Continuous BPS administration (range: 13.2–22.0 µg/kg) significantly decreased the pulmonary and systemic vascular impedance and increased left and right ventricular myocardial strain. In dogs with post-capillary PH, BPS administration caused no significant worsening of the left atrial pressure indicators. No side effects of BPS were observed in any dog. BPS also improved cardiac function and pulmonary circulation through pulmonary vasodilation, suggesting that BPS may be an additional treatment option for canine PH of various causes. Particularly, BPS increased left ventricular function and systemic circulation without worsening the left heart loading condition in dogs with post-capillary PH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pulmonary hypertension is a fatal comorbidity in dogs with left-sided heart disease. Various oral pulmonary vasodilators have been effective in treating canine pulmonary hypertension; however, no studies have compared their hemodynamic effects. This study compared the hemodynamic effects of selected pulmonary vasodilators (15 µg/kg beraprost, 1.0 mg/kg sildenafil, and their combination) in canine models of mitral regurgitation (the most common cardiac disease in dogs). Significant improvements in pulmonary hypertension were observed with all study drugs. Pulmonary vasodilating effects differed among the study's drugs. Sildenafil showed a more potent pulmonary vasodilating effect than beraprost; however, sildenafil significantly worsened the left-heart loading condition. Although beraprost showed a weaker pulmonary vasodilating effect than sildenafil, no significant worsening in the left-heart loading condition was observed. Combination therapy resulted in the strongest pulmonary and systemic vasodilating effects without worsening the left-heart loading condition. This study demonstrated the differences between beraprost and sildenafil in pulmonary and systemic vasodilating effects. Sildenafil involved the risk of worsening the left-heart load, although it was effective in treating pulmonary hypertension. Combination therapy with beraprost and sildenafil synergistically dilated the pulmonary and systemic vessels, indicating a more potent treatment option. Previous reports have shown that various oral pulmonary vasodilators are effective against canine pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, no studies have compared their hemodynamic effects. We aimed to compare the hemodynamic effects of 15 µg/kg beraprost sodium, 1.0 mg/kg sildenafil, and their combination, in dogs with experimentally induced mitral regurgitation. This experimental crossover study evaluated the hemodynamic and functional effects of oral pulmonary vasodilators by application of right-sided heart catheterization and echocardiography. Beraprost significantly decreased pulmonary and systemic vascular resistance. Additionally, beraprost increased right-ventricular stroke volume and left-ventricular cardiac output without worsening left-heart size and left-atrial pressure. The pulmonary vasodilatory effects of sildenafil were stronger, and its systemic vasodilatory effects were weaker than those of beraprost. However, sildenafil significantly increased the left-ventricular volume, left-atrial pressure indicator, and right-ventricular cardiac output. Combination therapy resulted in the strongest pulmonary and systemic vasodilating effects without worsening the left-heart size and left-atrial pressure indicators. Both beraprost and sildenafil were effective against canine PH; however, sildenafil was associated with the risk of worsening left-heart loading. Combination therapy with beraprost and sildenafil synergistically dilated pulmonary and systemic vessels, indicating a more potent treatment option for severe PH cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For high-efficiency image compression, previously, an SVD (singular value decomposition)-based coder was developed using vector quantization, called SVD-VQ. This paper proposes an improved quantization SVD-VQ scheme. For every input subblock, the SVD- VQ coder scalar-quantizes a singular value and vector-quantizes two singular vectors, separately. The SVD-VQ decoder reproduces a subblock as the product of these quantization outputs, but does not necessarily produce a reconstruction with the minimum distortion in an image space. This paper develops a quantization scheme where the minimum-distortion reconstruction is always provided in the original image space and presents its design algorithm. The improved SVD-VQ shows A/N performance improvement of 0.5 - 1.0 dB over the conventional SVD-VQ, and is similar in performance to the adaptive DCT (discrete cosine transform) coder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors have previously proposed a quantization scheme in which the ac discrete cosine transform coefficients after normalization are quantized by the gain/shape vector quantizer (called DCT-G/SVQ). It is shown from the relation between the quantization complexity and the S/N ratio that DCT-G/SVQ exhibits a better performance than the discrete cosine transform coding with vector quantization (called DCT-VQ) discussed in the literature [6]. This paper proposes the adaptive DCT-G/SVQ, in which the adaptive control is introduced £or the coding parameters of DCT-G/SVQ. Two methods of adaptive control are considered--the mode- selection and the recursive adaptation. The adaptive DCT-G/SVQ has a better performance than the traditional adaptive discrete cosine transform coding using the scalar quantizer. In other words, the S/N ratio is improved by 1.0 to 1.5 dB in the mode-selection adaptive control coding at the same coding rate. The S/N ratio in the recursive adaptive control coding is improved by 0.5 to 1.0 dB. The adaptive DCT-G/SVQ based on the mode-selection control exhibits nearly the same coding performance as the adaptive DCT-VQ of [9] with the same adaptive control scheme, but is superior since it requires less complexity in quantization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A gain/shape vector quantizer for orthogonal transform domain has been designed based on a previous paper [11] on a gain/shape vector quantizer for a spherically symmetric random source. Such a design method is used in the design of a discrete cosine transform encoder with gain/shape vector quantizer. This encoder is similar to that described in [7] except in the following: (i) it has a gain/shape codebook; and (ii) its normalized coefficients of discrete cosine transform are modeled as having spherically symmetric distribution. The S/N rendition of this encoder is 1.0 - 2.5 dB better than that of the DCT coding scheme with Max-type scalar quantizer at the same bit rate. Furthermore, in spite of its similarity to the conventional discrete cosine transform coding scheme with vector quantizer [7], the encoder introduced in this paper delivers higher S/N using the same number of multiplications for the quantization of normalized coefficients, and/or the same amount of memory for the codebook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiscale wavelet transform (MWT) is the method of multiple resolution analysis using the wavelet transform. In MWT with the property of the second-order derivative, the position of the zero-crossing point of the transform signal corresponds to the position of the edge of the original signal. The edge has an important role in image information. If the correspondence of the zero-crossing points related to the edges can be established between scanning lines or between frames by some means, the correspondence can be utilized in the sophistication of image processing (such as motion analysis, stereo matching, interpolation, and noise reduction). From such a viewpoint, this paper discusses the correspondence between the zero-crossing points in MWT, i.e., the correspondence of scales and the correspondence between two similar signals, and presents a method that provides visually plausible correspondence as a result. Especially for the correspondence between signals, the accuracy of the correspondence of zero-crossing points is improved by introducing the cost function. Computational complexity is kept within a practical range, by applying the dynamic programming and utilizing the branch structure of the zero-crossing points among various scales. The idea of cross-validation is applied to the correspondence of signals between the scanning lines of the image, and a method is composed that evaluates visually the quality of the signal correspondence method by the naked-eye observation of this image. With this evaluation method, the usefulness of the proposed algorithm for the signal correspondence and its problems are indicated. It is shown that a visually reasonable result is obtained by adjusting the weight coefficient of the multiplication factor of the cost function in the signal correspondence process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The University of the Air of Japan (UAJ) was founded with the idea of creating a university that is open to everybody in the country. In order to realize this objective, the university will expand its operation so it can provide education nationwide. However, the nationwide expansion will require many resources to be created and maintained. It is necessary to assess the effects of the education of UAJ to justify the expansion of its operation. This study aims at quantitative evaluation of the monetary and nonmonetary effects of the education offered by UAJ. In order to find the educational effects, questionnaires were sent to the UAJ graduates, and the responses were analyzed. Monetary effects were expressed by human capital value calculated with the data on the annual earnings of the graduates. When the UAJ graduates were compared with general workers that have the same educational background as that of the UAJ graduates before the enrollment, the graduates of UAJ have more human capital value than the general workers. However, the human capital value of the UAJ graduates who had not received a college degree before the enrollment is smaller than that of the graduates of conventional universities. In respect of nonmonetary effects, the UAJ is most likely to have impacts that are different from those of conventional universities because of the varied characteristics of the UAJ students. Therefore, we set the categories of the students‘ expectations from the gathered data, and attempt to determine if the university is meeting the needs of the students. As a result, it was made clear that UAJ education does meet students‘ expectations of cultivation and convenient study conditions, but does not satisfy their expectations of occupational advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the cost effectiveness of the University of the Air of Japan (UAJ) and its nationwide expansion from several different perspectives. Background history of UAJ; Itemization and comparison of costs; Analysis of the party to bear the cost; Comparison of UAJ and conventional universities' costs.

To improve the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of Raman spectra, we developed a sample flow system in a vertical flow apparatus (VFA). The VFA consists of a brass plate with a drilled pinhole, cover slip on the brass plate, circulation pump, and reservoir. The sample solution flows through a gap between the brass plate and cover slip, spouts from the pinhole, and forms a laminar flow column. The sample column and surrounding air, respectively, serve as the core and cladding of an optical fiber that confines both excitation beam and scattered light owing to the total reflection at the core-cladding interface. The VFA enabled the enhancement and efficient collection of the Raman signal. The VFA with a 0.2-mm pinhole produced a 12.0-fold enhancement of the non-resonant Raman signal of H2O compared to that measured using a capillary, and the S/N ratio exhibited a 4.1-fold enhancement. The signal count was inversely proportional to the square of the pinhole diameter ( φ), possibly owing to the dependence on the density of the electromagnetic energy of the excitation beam in the sample column. The S/N ratio was inversely proportional to φ because the signal enhancement was accompanied by an increase in the photon shot noise. The VFA also produced a 4.9-fold enhancement of the resonance Raman signal of Congo red, although the enhancement factor was smaller than that in the non-resonant Raman measurement. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 25-year-old woman who was diagnosed with regular episodes of catatonia as a result of Graves' disease with hyperthyroidism. She was provided a combination of antithyroid and anxiolytic therapies in the first episode of her treatment. It informs that in the second episode of her treatment, the combination therapy did not improve her psychiatric symptoms and therefore electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) was provided and her psychiatric symptoms were improved.

Idiopathic basal ganglia calcification (IBGC) is a neuropathological condition known to manifest as motor disturbance, cognitive impairment, and psychiatric symptoms. The pathophysiology of the psychiatric symptoms of IBGC, however, remains controversial. A previous biochemical study suggested that dopaminergic impairment is involved in IBGC. We thus hypothesized that dopaminergic dysfunction might be related with the psychiatric manifestations of IBGC. We used positron emission tomography to measure glucose metabolism and dopaminergic function in the basal ganglia of an IBGC patient with psychiatric symptoms. The results showed that widespread hypometabolism was evident in the frontal, temporal, and parietal cortices while the decline in dopaminergic function was severe in the bilateral striatum. The functional decline of the dopamine system in the calcified area of the bilateral striatum and the disruption of cortico-subcortical circuits may contribute to clinical manifestations of IBGC in our patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct Csp3-Csp3 coupling of various aliphatic trimethylsilyl ethers and allylsilanes is effectively catalyzed by InCl3 and I2. The transformation is thought to involve an in situ-derived combined Lewis acid of InCl3 and Me3SiI. The reaction can be used for the construction of quaternary-quaternary and quaternary-tertiary carbon-carbon bonds. This system enabled a highly chemoselective coupling to be conducted with a trimethylsilyl ether including an aryl halide moiety. Furthermore, couplings were possible using an alkynyitrimethylsilane and a trimethylsilyl ketene acetal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An 8‐year‐old Leonberger receiving immunosuppressive treatment with clinical signs of acute dyspnea, cyanosis, and difficulty standing was referred to our institution (Day 1). Treatment including oxygen, clopidogrel, and low‐molecular‐weight heparin was initiated for suspected pulmonary thrombosis. However, exertional dyspnea persisted until Day 10, and increased tricuspid regurgitation velocity, pulmonary vascular resistance, and McConnell's signs also were observed. Thus, beraprost sodium was administered PO on Day 11 to treat suspected pulmonary hypertension. On Day 13, contrast‐enhanced computed tomography identified extensive contrast defects in the pulmonary arteries, and IV monteplase was administered on Days 14 and 18, with marked improvement in respiratory status and exertional dyspnea on Day 20. Right ventricular function and McConnell signs also improved, and tricuspid regurgitation velocity and pulmonary vascular resistance decreased. On Day 250, echocardiography indicated further improvement in pulmonary hypertension pathophysiology. The patient was still progressing well with antithrombotic and pulmonary vasodilator treatment 400 days later. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the chloride-rich environment, reinforced concrete (RC) structures may suffer from different types of non-uniform rebar corrosion (NURC). The effect of different types of non-uniform rebar corrosion on the cyclic behavior of RC beams under axial load has been studied here by experimental and numerical study. The structural behavior of three RC beams with the same dimensions and reinforcement configuration was examined under reversed cyclic loading. Two RC beams were subjected to different types of non-uniform rebar corrosion, and another beam was used as a sound specimen. The specimens were subjected to an axial load equivalent to 5% of the axial capacity. The obtained results revealed that cross-sectional non-uniformity leads to a notable difference in the yield strength, maximum strength, and stiffness in the positive and negative loading cycles. Nevertheless, interestingly the presence of corrosion pit did not affect the ductility of the RC beams. To predict the structural response of RC beams with different kinds of non-uniform corrosion and axial load, a numerical model was developed by extending the author's previous numerical model for RC beams. Thereafter, the numerical model was verified with the results obtained from the experiment. The obtained results revealed that the axial loading improves the displacement capacity and load-carrying capacity of the non-uniformly corroded RC beams significantly. Finally, a parametric study was carried out to examine the effect of different crucial factors on the cyclic behavior of RC beams subjected to various non-uniform corrosion and axial load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Texture of rolled barley was influenced by water ratio and soaking time. • β-glucan content of rolled barley was not changed by boiling. • Thick cell walls were observed in the cooked and digested rolled barley. • Samples with thicker cell walls had a lower starch digestibility. Abstract This study aimed to describe the effects of the cooking condition, including water ratio (WR) and soaking time (ST), on the texture of rolled barley, and to evaluate its β-glucan content, total phenol content and in vitro starch digestibility. Rolled barley (75 g) was soaked in 1.5×, 2.0× and 2.5× weight of aliquots of Milli-Q water at room temperature, for 30 and 90 min, respectively, and then cooked using a rice cooker. Barley and rice were also pearled (polished), cooked and examined. The WR and ST did not affect the adhesiveness of rolled barley but were negatively related to its firmness. Rolled barley and barley had higher β-glucan and polyphenol contents and less starch hydrolysis during in vitro digestion than rice. The starch granules in rolled barley are enclosed by thick cell walls, which may be responsible for its firmness and low starch digestibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Progression to combined post‐ and pre‐capillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) provides prognostic information in human patients with post‐capillary PH. Pulmonary vascular resistance estimated by echocardiography (PVRecho) is useful for the stratification of dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) and detectable tricuspid regurgitation. Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic value of PVRecho in dogs with MMVD. Animals: Fifty‐four dogs with MMVD and detectable tricuspid regurgitation. Methods: Prospective cohort study. All dogs underwent echocardiography. The PVRecho was calculated based on tricuspid regurgitation and the velocity‐time integral of the pulmonary artery flow. To evaluate the influence of echocardiographic variables on cardiac‐related deaths, Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed. Additionally, Kaplan‐Meier curves classified by PVRecho tertiles were made and compared using log‐rank tests to evaluate the influence of PVRecho on all‐cause mortality and cardiac‐related death. Results: The median follow‐up time was 579 days. Forty‐one dogs with MMVD (PH severity [number]: no or mild, 21/33; moderate, 11/11; severe, 9/10) died during the study. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazard analysis adjusted for age, sildenafil administration, and American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine stage of MMVD, left atrial to aortic diameter ratio and PVRecho remained significant (adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.2 [1.1‐1.3] and 2.1 [1.6‐3.0], respectively). Higher PVRecho showed a significant association with lower survival rates. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Left atrial enlargement and high PVRecho were independent prognostic factors in dogs with MMVD and detectable tricuspid regurgitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appropriate surgical approach for a large mediastinal tumor is controversial. Median sternotomy is the standard approach for thymomas. We herein report the case of a giant thymoma, 13 cm in diameter, surgically resected via anterolateral incision. Subsequent thymectomy was performed via thoracoscopy. The resected specimen was a WHO type AB thymoma, Masaoka stage I, without capsular invasion. The anterolateral incision was less invasive and more versatile in the present case, as the incision could be extended to a hemiclamshell or posterolateral incision depending on exposure and relationship to adjacent organs and vascular structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are currently being investigated for their therapeutic applications in a wide range of diseases. Although many studies examined peripheral venous administration of MSC, few have investigated the detailed intravenous administration procedures of MSC from their preparation until they enter the body. The current study therefore aimed to explore the most efficient infusion procedure for MSC delivery by preparing and infusing them under various conditions. Canine adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (cADSC) were infused using different infusion apparatuses, suspension solutions, allogenic serum supplementation, infusion time and rates, and cell densities, respectively. Live and dead cell counts were then assessed by manual measurements and flow cytometry. Efficiency of live- and dead-cell infusion and cell viability were calculated from the measured cell counts and compared under each condition. Efficiency of live-cell infusion differed significantly according to the infusion apparatus, infusion rate, and combination of cell density and serum supplementation. Cell viability after infusion differed significantly between the infusion apparatuses. The optimal infusion procedure resulting in the highest cell delivery and viability involved suspending cADSC in normal saline supplemented with 5% allogenic serum at a density of 5 × 105 cells/mL, and infusing them using an automatic infusion device for 15 min. This procedure is therefore recommended as the standard procedure for the intravenous administration of ADSC in terms of cell-delivery efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tooth enamel wear occurs because of daily mastication and occlusion. This study investigated the wear behavior of bovine teeth against aesthetic restorative materials in vitro. Abrader specimens were fabricated using four tooth-colored restorative materials (zirconia, lithium disilicate glass ceramic, dental porcelain, and resin composite), with bovine tooth enamel as a control. Flattened bovine tooth enamel was used as the substrate specimen. These materials were characterized by Vickers hardness tests and surface roughness measurements. Two-body wear tests between the abrader and substrate specimens were performed, and the worn topographies were evaluated using a contour-measuring instrument and 3D laser microscope. The restorative materials and bovine tooth enamel had similar surface roughness but different hardness and wear behaviors. Bovine teeth showed the largest wear in tooth–tooth contact as the abrader and substrate specimens. Compared to bovine teeth, zirconia, lithium disilicate glass ceramic, and dental porcelain showed greater hardness and less wear on their surfaces, and less substrate wear of the opposite tooth enamel. The lowest hardness resin composite showed intermediate wear on its surface, resulting in the lowest substrate wear. Accordingly, dentists should pay attention to the selection of restorative materials to reconstruct their morphologies owing to different wear behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monolithic Wolter mirror is an ideal optical device for focusing soft x rays to a submicron-sized spot, with the advantages of high efficiency, large acceptance, achromaticity, and robustness to alignment error. The fabrication process for this type of mirror has not been established because of the difficulty in highly accurate figure measurement of free-form surfaces with small radii of curvature and steep profiles. In this study, we employed tactile scanning measurement for surface characterization to fabricate a high-precision Wolter mirror. First, it was demonstrated that the touch probe measurement did not leave scratches on the raw surface of the mirror substrate. Next, the measurement capability of the surface profiler was assessed, and the data analysis conditions were determined. Finally, the Wolter mirror was fabricated through repeated figure correction based on the tactile measurement, and the figure error of the final surface was evaluated. Wave-optical simulations that used this error as reference suggested that the size of the beam focused by the mirror was equivalent to the theoretical value at 1000 eV. The reflected image with uniform intensity distribution obtained at SPring-8 also revealed the effectiveness of the present fabrication approach based on tactile measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Right ventricular (RV) functional assessment has received considerable attention in veterinary medicine since various diseases, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and neoplastic disease, may affect RV function. Heart rate (HR) is an important factor that can influence RV function through changes in loading condition and contractility. However, no study has yet evaluated the association between HR and RV function in the same individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of elevated HR on RV function using right heart catheterization and echocardiography, and investigate the association between right heart catheterization and echocardiographic indices. Results: Right atrial pacing was performed in eight dogs at 120, 140, 160, and 180 bpm. With an increase in HR, the RV systolic volume, RV diastolic volume, and stroke volume significantly decreased; however, the cardiac output, end-systolic elastance (Ees), and effective arterial elastance (Ea) significantly increased. Significant changes were not observed in RV pressure and Ees/Ea. The RV area normalized by body weight, RV fractional area change normalized by body weight (RV FACn), and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion normalized by body weight (TAPSEn) significantly decreased with increased HR. Peak systolic myocardial velocity of the lateral tricuspid annulus (RV s'), RV strain, and RV strain rate of only the RV free wall analysis (RV-SrL3seg) showed no significant changes with the increase in HR; however, there was an increase in the RV strain rate of the RV global analysis (RV-SrL6seg). Multiple regression analysis revealed that HR, RV FACn, and RV- SrL6seg had significant associations with the Ees, and the TAPSEn and RV-SrL3seg with Ees/Ea. Conclusions: Decreased venous return and shortened relaxation time decreased the RV FAC, TAPSE, RV s', and RV strain, and might underestimate the RV function. Ees increased with the increase in HR, reflecting the myocardial force-frequency relation; as a result, RV-SrL6seg could be a useful tool for Ees estimation. Additionally, the RV-SrL3seg could detect RV performance, reflecting the balance between RV contractility and RV afterload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) enables a noninvasive assessment of right ventricular (RV) morphology. However, no study has evaluated the relationship between RV function obtained by RT3DE and RV pressure-volume loops. This hypothesis-driven, experimental study aimed to assess the utility of RT3DE in the evaluation of RV morphology and function. Ten anesthetized beagle dogs sequentially underwent dobutamine infusion, acute infusion of lactated Ringer's solution, and furosemide administration to alter RV contractility and loading conditions. RV pressure-volume loop-derived hemodynamic measurements and echocardiography, including two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography and RT3DE, were performed in each study protocol. Bland–Altman analysis showed strong agreement in RV volume, ejection fraction, and stroke volume obtained by right heart catheterization and RT3DE. Multiple regression analyses revealed that the peak myocardial velocity of the lateral tricuspid annulus (RV s') and global RV longitudinal strain rate were significantly associated with end-systolic elastance (adjusted r2 = 0.66, p < 0.001). RV s', RV free wall longitudinal strain, and RT3DE-derived stroke volume/end-systolic RV volume ratio were associated with RV pressure-volume loops-derived end-systolic/arterial elastance ratio (adjusted r2 = 0.34, p < 0.001). RT3DE could detect the changes in catheterization-derived RV volume with a strong agreement and might be useful in estimating RV-pulmonary arterial coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The laparoscopic approach for elective femoral herniorrhaphy is well established. However, femoral hernias often present as incarcerations and require emergency repair surgery, mainly using the open approach. This study aimed to retrospectively analyze the efficacy of the laparoscopic approach for incarcerated femoral hernias. Methods: Data of patients who underwent emergency surgery for incarcerated femoral hernia between April 2016 and August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Laparoscopy was performed whenever possible; however, conversion to an open approach remained a fallback option for when laparoscopic repair was not possible. In laparoscopic repair, incarcerated femoral hernias reduced using traction, water pressure, and preperitoneal methods. Data of patients who underwent open repair and laparoscopy were then compared. Results: During the observation period, 20 patients underwent emergency surgery for incarcerated femoral hernia. Eleven patients subsequently underwent repair using a laparoscopic approach, and eight underwent repair using an open approach. Only one patient underwent intestinal resection without hernia repair due to perforated bowel. Operative time for laparoscopic repair was longer. Mesh repair was performed in 18 patients. Four patients each in the laparoscopic repair and open group required intestinal resection. Conclusion: Incarcerated femoral hernias can be safely repaired using the laparoscopic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between starch digestibility and physicochemical properties of aged rice grains. Fresh rice (FR), aged rice (AR), and accelerated aged rice (AAR) grains were prepared and used as samples. Freshness evaluations of pH and L* based on lipid deterioration showed that polished AR and AAR were degraded samples. Crude protein and apparent amylose contents and molecular weight profiles of proteins did not differ between polished rice. Although there was no significant difference in surface firmness between cooked grains, cooked AAR grains had significantly lower surface adhesiveness and adhesion than cooked FR and AR grains. Microscopic observations showed that intracellular disruption of the aleurone layer tended to increase in the order of polished AR > AAR > FR grains. No significant differences were found in the equilibrium concentration of starch hydrolysis (111.69–112.82%), kinetic constant (k) (7.57 × 10−3–8.61 × 10−3 min−1), and estimated glycemic index (eGI) (88.78–93.27) of the cooked grains. However, k and eGI showed significant linear correlations with pH and L*, respectively. These results revealed that changes in the tissue structure of polished grains due to aging affected lipid deterioration, correlating with the starch digestibility of cooked grains. • Apparent amylose and crude protein contents of rice didn't change during storage. • Freshness evaluations of polished rice indicated deterioration during storage. • Starch digestibility was not affected by rice aging. • Kinetic constant and estimated glycemic index correlated freshness evaluations. • Intracellular disruption on the aleurone layer was observed in aged rice grain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six Cu(l) complexes with Cl2s,Cl2s-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane derivatives (R3CY, A = Et, iBu, and Bn), [Cu(MeCN)-(Et3CY)]SbF6 (1), [Cu(MeCN)(iBu3CY)]SbF6 (2), [Cu(MeCN)(Bn3CY)]SbF6 (3), [Cu(CO)(Et3CY)]SbF6 (4), [Cu(CO)-(iBu3CY)]SbF6 (5), and [Cu(CO)(Bn3CY)]SbF6 (6), were prepared to probe the ability of copper complexes to effectively catalyze oxygenation reactions. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, electrochemical and X-ray structure analyses, electronic absorption spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry. The crystal structures of 1-3 and 6 and the CO stretching vibrations (νCO) of 4-6 demonstrate that the ability of R3CY to donate electron density to the Cu(l) atom is stronger than that of the previously reported ligands, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (R3TACN) and 1,4,7-triazacyclodecane (R3TACD). Reactions of complexes 1-3 with dioxygen in THF or CH2Cl22 at -105 to -80 °C yield bis(μ-oxo)dicopper(III) complexes 7-9 as intermediates as confirmed by electronic absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The Cu-O stretching vibrations, v(Cu-O) for 7 (16O2: 553, 581 cm-1 and 18O2: 547 cm-1) and 8 (16O2: 571 cm-1 and 18O2: 544 cm-1), are observed in a lower energy region than previously reported for bis(μ-oxo) complexes. The decomposition rates of complexes 7-9 in THF at -90 °C are 2.78 × 10-4 for 7, 8.04 × 10-4 for 8, and 380 × 10-4 s-1 for 9. The decomposition rates of 7 and 8 in CH2Cl22 were 5.62 × 10-4 and 1.62 × 10-3 s-1, respectively, and the thermal stabilities of 7-9 in CH2Cl22 are lower than the values measured for the complexes in THF. The decomposition reactions obeyed first-order kinetics, and the H/D isotope experiments for 8 and 9 indicate that the N-dealkylation reaction is the rate-determining step in the decomposition processes. On the other hand, the decomposition reaction of 7 in THF results in the oxidation of THF (acting as an exogenous substrate) to give 2-hydroxy tetrahydrofuran and γ-butyrolactone as oxidation products. Detailed investigation of the N-dealkylation reaction for 8 by kinetic experiments using N-H/D at -90 °C showed a kinetic isotope effect of 1.25, indicating that a weak electrostatic interaction between the N-H hydrogen and μ-oxo oxygen contributes to the major effect on the rate-determining step of N-dealkylation. X-ray crystal structures of the bis(μ-hydroxo)dicopper(ll) complexes, [Cu2(OH)2(Et3CY)2]-(CF3SO3)2 (10), [Cu2(OH)2(iBu3CY)2](CF3503)2 (11), and [Cu2(OH)2(Bn3CY)2](ClO4)2 (12), which have independently been prepared as the final products of bis(μ-oxo)dicopper(III) intermediates, suggest that an effective interaction between N-H and μ-oxo in the Cu(III)2(μ-O)2 core may enhance the oxidation ability of the metal-oxo species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The thermoelastic displacement boundary value problem for a rigid inclusion interacting with a line crack in an infinite plane subjected to a uniform heat flux is studied, in which the rigid body rotation of the inclusion is considered. To solve the prescribed problem, we use the principle of superposition to decompose it into two groups of problems, which are further reduced to several basic subproblems including Green’s functions of edge dislocation and heat source couple, as well as the problem of a plane containing the inclusion under uniform heat flux and the problem of the inclusion subjected to a small rotation. The problems are solved using the complex variable method along with the rational mapping function technique. The variations of the stress intensity factors at the crack tips and the rigid body rotation angles with various crack lengths and heat flux angles are shown. The effects of the inclusion shape and size are also investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Superconducting cables have been developed around the world and demonstrated its operation in the grid. One of the important subjects is to study what happens in case of fault events, such as a ground fault, short circuit fault and so on, occurred in the superconducting cable. Therefore, we have conducted experimental and numerical simulations at the fault events. For the short circuit accidents, we conducted experimental simulation with a 66 kV 3-core cable in 40 m length to measure LN2 temperatures and pressures in the cable during and after simulated fault current as 16 kA- 8 sec, which has the same heat generation as the worst fault condition in the Japanese 66 kV network as 31.5 kA for 2 sec. The measured values of temperature and pressure are almost good agreement with calculated values. Using the same calculation code, temperatures and pressures at the fault event are estimated in the superconducting cable with 3 km length for practical use. As the results, in case of 31.5 kA in 2 sec, maximum temperature at superconducting conductor is calculated as 112 K and maximum pressure is as 3 MPa under the base pressure of 1 MPa. In that case, no gasification of LN2 is occurred. So, blowout of cryostat would not be occurred. However, it expects that several hours are necessary to turn back original state. For the ground fault, we conducted experimental simulations using samples with protection sheets and short cable samples. The fault current condition is assumed as 1.5 kA for 2 sec, which is the worst case in the Japanese 66 kV network. In such condition, the cable cryostat can be penetrated by the arc energy of the insulation break down and then LN2 would be blown out to make some damage for surrounding apparatus. So, we conducted LN2 leakage test in the manhole to measure LN2 accommodation level and concrete temperatures. Using experimental results and diffusion equation with thermal conductivity of concrete, inner pressure of manhole was simulated. The calculation results show the pressure rising is not so fast that the manhole lid can be blown off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wavelet transform is a practical method for multiresolution analysis. Previously, methods for describing the transformed signal using zero-crossing information and additional complementing information (zero-crossing representation) have been studied. The zero-crossing representation, however, presents problems in that the physical interpretation of the applied additional information is not clear, and reconstruction of the original signal from the zero-crossing representation involves iterations of nonlinear operations. Other problems include the fact that extension to the multidimensional case is difficult and that the computational complexity is considerable. In this paper, the authors propose a new zero-crossing representation that uses the additional information with clear physical interpretation and has a form that is easy to handle in signal processing. A method is proposed to reconstruct the original signal from the zero-crossing representation. The method uses iterative linear operations with a theoretical guarantee of convergence and has lower computional complexity than the conventional method. The proposed zero-crossing representation is extended to the two-dimensional case and is applied to an actual image. It is experimentally verified that the reconstructed image is a good approximation to the original signal. Furthermore, the amount of additional information in the zero-crossing representation is reduced. The quality degradation of the reconstructed image is examined. © 1998 Scripta Technica, Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 82(1): 68–78, 1999 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously analyzed gene expression in the cerebellum of mice treated with methylmercury using microarrays, identifying 21 different genes that increased expression following the administration of methylmercury. It has already been shown that 5 of these genes encode chemokine molecular species. Among these genes, the expression of CCL4 chemokine was found to be specifically induced in the brain following methylmercury exposure. In this study, we examined the remaining 16 genes showing increased brain-specific induction of expression following methylmercury exposure. As a result, it was shown that the gene expression of Scgb3a1, encoding secretoglobin 3A1, was increased specifically by methylmercury administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focusing of x rays is essential in various types of x-ray microscopy because the size and flux of the illuminating beam determine the spatial resolution and signal intensity, respectively. A system with grazing incidence mirrors allows highly efficient x ray focusing with beam dimensions on the nanometer scale. Tube-shaped mirrors with a large numerical aperture and high demagnification, including ellipsoidal mirrors and Wolter mirrors, have recently been developed for soft x-ray nanofocusing. However, these mirrors have low efficiency because they cannot focus the central part of the illumination beam. Here, we propose a two-stage focusing system, in which a ring-shaped beam formed by a ring-focusing mirror illuminates a quasi-Wolter mirror. A prototype of the system is experimentally constructed at beamline BL25SU-A of SPring-8. Observation of the wavefront error based on ptychography enables efficient alignment of the two mirrors. Using this alignment procedure, we achieve a spot size of less than 200 nm at 300 eV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]