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Liposomes have attracted interest in the cosmetic industry but there are few liposome products on the market. One of the reasons is their structural instability during long-term storage. There are many published studies on the effects of liposomes on percutaneous absorption. However, due to varying experimental conditions, no positive conclusion can be reached regarding their effects. We show important factors that affect liposomal stability, examine the percutaneous absorption of these liposomes, and demonstrate their topical effects on the skin.

Rapidly increasing solid-state mass-storage application areas are requiring low cost, high density flash memories with higher read and program throughputs. This paper describes a 3.3 V-only 64 Mb NAND flash memory fabricated using a 0.4 /spl mu/m single-metal CMOS technology. The read throughput of 40 MB/s is achieved by improving the random access time and by introducing a full-chip burst read. A typical program throughput of 5 MB/s corresponding to 180 ns/byte is achieved by using a narrow incremental step pulse programming (NISPP) technique. A staggered row decoder scheme relaxes layout limitations and improves the random access time.

The apparatus for the respiratory function test have recently made a great progress and become very easy to handle owing to the development of computer technology and medical ordering system. However, the respiratory function tests depend its result on the cooperation of patients. Thus, it is important for the medical technician to obtain the maximum efforts and cooperation of the patients in the testing. In the sense, the standardization of the testing should be done urgently regarding procedures, softwares, hardwares and maintenance of apparatus. In the future perspectives, we would like to emphasize following 3 points. First, more noninvasive and sophisticated testing methods and instruments should be developed, since the patients' age will become more and more old and vigorous active cooperation may not be possible for the assessment of respiratory function. The testing for the transplantation of lung should also be developed. Second, the development of screening test and its performance for the routine medical check for the local inhabitants have been important for the early detection, treatment, and follow up of respiratory diseases. Finally, the medical technician should be prepared so that the testing is available when it is needed.

In order to track three-dimensional behavior of liquid surface in storage tanks on orbit, a numerical scheme based on the Level Set Method was developed. For the verification of the numerical methods, experimental data were acquired through the observation on the unsteady deformations of liquid surface in cylindrical containers under low-gravity conditions in a drop tower. Main concern was placed on the relation between the value of dynamic contact angle and the behavior of the contact line on the solid wall. Based on the results, the boundary condition for surface tension was discussed and the model of wetting phenomena was adequately introduced into the computation. Compared with the experimental data, the corresponding numerical results obtained with the wetting model showed a quite good agreement. The flow fields at the draining process in the LOx tank for the LE-5B engine under low-gravity conditions were also investigated with the developed code. It was found that the buoyancy induced by a slight acceleration was efficient to prevent the dip growth, and that the serviceable propellant in the launch-vehicle tank could thereby be increased in a realistic situation. Introduction With the progress of human activities in space, the occasion to handle liquids under low gravity conditions is now growing. In weightless flights, the absence or diminution of gravity force makes it extremely difficult to position and control two-phase fluid in a desirable manner'. For the establishment of the technology for fluid * Graduate Student ** Associate Professor t Deputy Project Manager Copyright © 2001 The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc. All rights reserved. management in space, it is essential to accumulate technical knowledge to give appropriate assessment of designed fluid management systems for space application. However, in the atmosphere, there are not so many opportunities to realize the low-gravity state with airplanes or drop towers. The investigation methods with CFD (computational fluid dynamics) are therefore strongly desired. In the present paper, the algorithm of, what is called, CEP-LSM was developed to simulate threedimensional behavior of liquid surface driven by surface tension, wetting phenomena and gravity force. The free-surface flows under low gravity conditions were both experimentally and numerically investigated to verify the algorithm and to study the appropriate boundary conditions. Drop Tower Experiment In the present study, the unsteady deformations of liquid surface under low-gravity conditions were observed through a transparent vessel of cylindrical shape. The series of experiments aimed at acquiring the basic knowledge of free-surface flows driven by surface tension, and at obtaining the data suitable for the verification of the CFD code and the discussion on the boundary condition. Experimental Facilities The present experiments were conducted at the drop tower, shown in Fig.l, constructed in the University of Tokyo. As is shown in Fig.2, the drop box was composed of an inner box including the test vessel made of poly-acrylate resin, and an outer box of 920 mm wide, 610 mm deep, and 700 mm high in dimension. Liquid behaviors were observed through transparent wail of the test vessel with the CCD camera equipped on the observation section and recorded on a VCR. 1 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (c)2001 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics or Published with Permission of Author(s) and/or Author(s)' Sponsoring Organization.

The current lead using the High-Tc superconductor is suitable for improving the efficiency of the superconducting devices such as SMES because of a low heat load. Especially, the YBCO rod is the best material for the current lead because it has high current density and low thermal conductivity. We established the mass production technology of the rod having a good mechanical property by the MTG(Melt Textured Growth) method. Then, the application research of the current lead using YBCO rods for a lOOkWh class SMES was conducted. A 5kA-3kV superconducting current lead was fabricated and successfully tested by feeding current up to 5 kA and loading voltage up to 10kV. Moreover, it was confirmed that the current lead had the sufficient performance for the practical use through various tests.

Orthostatic dysregulation (OD) has been reported to be complicated with childhood bronchial asthma. 42 patients (28 females and 14 males) with adult-onset bronchial asthma were selected randomly to investigate the prevalence of OD. OD was diagnosed by both questionnaire for subjective symptoms and tilting test (Schellong test and upright ECG). Our results revealed that 64.3% (both 64.3% in females and males) of the patients were complicated with OD. There was no significant difference in the duration of asthma, FEV0.1, %FEV1.0, serum IgE level, and severity of asthma between patients with OD and without OD. Furthermore, no significant difference in the results of tilting test were observed. In serum level of theophylline we couldn't detect any subjective difference between the two groups, however there was significant difference between positive patients and negative patients in tilting test. In conclusion, OD is frequently complicated with adult-onset asthma and we should be careful of the subjective symptoms concerned with OD.

We performed a questionnaire survey of Japanese cedar pollinosis among 7,946 residents of the Sakashita region (Mitsune, Ogago) and Sakaue region (Kashidate, Sueyoshi, Nakanogo) of Hachijyojima who were at least 15 years of age. The response rate was 21.3%. The percentage of respondents who reported three or more nasal symptoms concurrentry with two ocular symptoms in early spring (from the end of February to the end of March) was 1.8% in the Sakashita region and 0.3% in the Sakaue region. About 1.5% of Hachijyojima residents were suspected to have Japanese cedar pollinosis. On scratch tests of symptomatic subjects, 9.2% showed positive reactions for Japanese cedar antigen, and 12.1% had an IgE RAST score of 2 or more. The peak Japanese cedar pollen concentration between February 11 and March 31, 1992 was 74/cm2 on March 6 in the Sakashita region and 127/cm2 on the same day in the Sakaue region. This survey confirmed the presence of a low incidence of Japanese cedar pollinosis in Hachijyojima, an isolated island 290 km from Tokyo.

We surveyed by questionnaire 4,673 residents of Izu-Oshima who were 15 or more years of age with regard to Cryptomeria japonica pollinosis. The response rate was 22.3%. In the early spring, nasal symptoms were reported by 8.9% of the respondents, ocular symptoms by 5.7%, and dermal symptoms by 8.1%. On scratch tests of symptomatic subjects, 13.8% were positive for Cryptomeria japonica antigen, and 33.3% had an IgE RAST score of 2 or more. The peak Cryptomeria japonica pollen concentrations between February and April 1990 were 118/cm2 on March 7 at the Northern Clinic and 271/cm2 at the Southern Clinic. A second questionnaire survey (response rate: 53.1%), designed to estimate the number of persons with Cryptomeria japonica pollinosis among all residents, revealed that 4.7% concurrently had three or more nasal symptoms and two ocular symptoms. By combining these results with those of a telephone survey of 100 randomly selected nonrespondents, 5.64% of all inhabitants were estimated to have suspected Cryptomeria japonica pollinosis.

Based on the finding that expression of endogenous tumor necrosis factor (TNF) which is not detected in TNF-susceptible cells was observed in TNF-resistant cells, the assumption was made that endogenous TNF may be a protective protein against the cytotoxic activity of TNF. In order to confirm this possibility, we investigated the relationship between expression of endogenous TNF and TNF susceptibility by using the gene transfection method. When L-M, TNF-highly sensitive murine fibrosarcoma cells were transfected with a human TNF gene, the stable transfectants expressed endogenous TNF and acquired resistance to TNF. Conversely, when endogenous TNF synthesis was inhibited by introducing an antisense TNF gene into HeLa, TNF-less sensitive human cervical cancer cells, the sensitivity was enhanced. These findings indicate that endogenous TNF is one of the protective factors against the cytotoxic activity of TNF.

An optoelectronic adaptive neuro-device was realised based on EEPROM technology. Synaptic weights were varied during operation depending on target signals and kept in a nonvolatile manner. Artificial selforganising neural networks can be realised using the adaptive neuro-device.

An artificial synaptic connection circuit was constructed using an optical interconnection and a nonvolatile memory device. Nonvolatile analog synaptic weights were realized, which were varied electrically and operated at a low current level. The possibility of a remarkable reduction of the number of electric wires was verified, which could lead to a realization of a large scale one-chip OEIC using a conventional wiring technique in Si LSIs.

A basic optoelectronic circuit of an artificial synaptic connection was fabricated in which analogue weights were varied electrically. Circuit simplicity and low current level operation, necessary for a large scale OEIC, were realised.

The penicillinase antirepressor gene, penJ, of Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 9945a was cloned in Escherichia coli by using pMB9 as a vector plasmid. The penicillinase gene, penP, its repressor gene, penI, and penJ were encoded on the cloned 5.2-kilobase HindIII fragment of the recombinant plasmid pTTE71. The penJ open reading frame was composed of 1,803 bases and 601 amino acid residues (molecular weight, 68,388). A Shine-Dalgarno sequence was found 7 bases upstream from the translation start site. Since this sequence was located in the 3'-terminal region of the penI gene, penJ might be transcribed together with penI as a polycistronic mRNA from the penI promoter. Frameshift mutations of penJ were constructed in vitro from pTTE71, and the penJ mutant gene was introduced into B. licheniformis by chromosomal recombination. The transformant B. licheniformis U173 (penP+ penI+ penJ) turned out to be uninducible for penicillinase production, whereas the wild-type strain (penP+ penI+ penJ+) was inducible. Only when these three genes (penP, penI, and PenJ) were simultaneously subcloned in Bacillus subtilis did the plasmid carrier exhibit inducible penicillinase production, as did wild-type B. licheniformis. It was concluded that penJ is involved in the penicillinase induction. The regulation of penP expression by penI and penJ is discussed.

Bacillus licheniformis penicillinase genes, penP and penI, are coded on a 4.2-kilobase EcoRI fragment of pTTE21 (T. Imanaka, T. Tanaka, H. Tsunekawa, and S. Aiba, J. Bacteriol. 147:776-186, 1981). The EcoRI fragment was subcloned in a low-copy-number plasmid pTB522 in Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis carrying the recombinant plasmid pPTB60 (Tcr penP+ penI+) was chemically mutagenized. Of about 150,000 colonies, two penI(Ts) mutant plasmids, pPTB60D13 and pPTB60E24, were screened by the plate assay at 30 and 48 degrees C for penicillinase. By constructing recombinant plasmids between wild-type and mutant plasmids, the mutation points were shown to be located in a 1.7-kilobase EcoRI-PstI fragment. The EcoRI-PstI fragments of the wild-type plasmid and two mutant plasmids were sequenced. A large open reading frame, composed of 384 bases and 128 amino acid residues (molecular weight, 14,983), was found. Since the mutation points were located at different positions in the protein coding region (Ala to Val for pPTB60D13 and Pro to Leu for pPTB60E24), the coding region was concluded to be the penI gene. A Shine-Dalgarno sequence was found 7 bases upstream from the translation start site (ATG). A probable promoter sequence which is very similar to the consensus sequence was also found upstream of the penP promoter, but in the opposite direction. A consensus twofold symmetric sequence (AAAGTATTA CATATGTAAGNTTT) which might have been used as a repressor binding region was found downstream and in the midst of the penP promoter and also downstream of the penI promoter. The regulation of penP and penI by the repressor is discussed.

1. Radiological examinations were described in two cases of chondrodysplasia punctata.2. Case 1. A girl, aged 8 months, showed only a slight shortening of the right lower extremity.3. Case 2. A girl, aged 2 years and 9 months, had unilateral shortening of the left extremities. The left elbow joint showed a slightly limited range of movement.

The material consisted of 298 cases (428 hips). In this series 140 hips had no changes and other hips had presented various changes.These changes were classified in atrophy, partial defect, irregular margin, cloudy figure, condensation, and overlapping of the head on the metaphysis, and each of them were examined according to the reduced age, grade of dislocation and the method of treatment.The earliest change is the atrophy and this change becomes to normal figure or varies to other changes. In these various changes, condensation, fragmentation and overlapping figure are presented relatively in late stadium and their late results are worse than the other changes.

We followed up 36 cases, 49 hip joints that were left femoral heads lateralized after conservative treatment in congenital dislocation of the hip joint. And next results were obtained.1. Frequency of lateralization of the femoral head reduced by Pavlik's method was more that by other method.Pavlik's method 16.2%other methods 10.9%2. Prognosis of the lateralization of the femoral head not combined the change of the epiphyseal center of the head was as follows.Only 5 cases of these 36 joints were poor results. Acetabular angle of 4 joints of these 5 was over 30 degrees.11 joints treated by Pavlik's method showed all good results.3. In 13 joints the lateralization of the femoral head combined the aseptic changes of the epiphyseal center of the head.10 joints of these 13 showed poor results.4. The evidence was not obtaind that the grade of dislocation and excessive antetorsion caused lateralization of the head and influenced prognosis.5. Arthrography was done in 9 cases, these cases showed lateralization of the femoral head.6 joints of these 9 had some obstacles in the joints.

The results of seventeen dislocated hips, which have been followed up from eight to sixteen years after open reduction are as follows;7 of them (41%) seemed normal condition in the joint, except very mild deformity of the femoral head, neck or acetabulum, roentgenographically, and they had no complaints symptomatically, and had normal R. O. M.Another 10 of them showed unsatisfactory results both roentgenographically and functionally.From these results, it is found that the important factors for satisfactory development of the hip is to make every effort to get concentric complete reduction of the femoral head in the operation and to maintain this condition by the use of additional proper procedures after the course of the operation.

Scince the development of the replacement of the femoral head by the intramedural type of the prosthesis many articles have been reported, and some long-term reviews have showed that the operation is still reliable and has definite indications. Acording to some of those, the statistical results with the Austin Moore prosthesis were better. So in our applications of the prosthesis, postoperative exercises were started as early as possible.Conclusively, of our 17 operated cases the earliest walking exercise with walking-aid was carried out on the 6-th day after surgery, and the average duration of bed exercise was 11 days. The obstructions to the post-operative programs were operative or early complications of the surgery, getting worse of hypertension, muscle weakness, postoperative hematoma. In our review, the replacement of the femoral head by the Austin Moore prosthesis without any postoperative complication, seems to be the best way for the earlier rehabilitation.

A basic optoelectronic circuit of an artificial neuron was realised in which synaptic weights were varied electrically. A primitive content addressable memory was constructed using an optical interconnection. The experimental results showed the feasibility of large-scale networks and a one-chip OEIC.

We have experienced five cases of children's meniscopathy. These are all congenital lateral discoid meniscus. It's most characteristic feature is decrease of movement; the more movement, the more pain and resistence.It is most important for diagnosis that existence of meniscopathy in children is known.

Four mutants specifically deficient in the activity of isocitrate lyase were independently isolated in the alkane yeast Saccharomycopsis lipolytica. Genetic analysis by means of protoplast fusion and mitotic haploidization revealed that the mutations were recessive and non-complementary at a single genetic locus, icl. icl is a structural gene for isocitrate lyase, because some revertants from icl-1 and icl-3 mutants produced thermolabile isocitrate lyase in comparison with the wild-type enzyme, and also because the gene dosage effect was observed on the specific activity of isocitrate lyase in icl+/icl-1 and icl+/icl-3 heterozygotes. The icl-3 mutation also gave rise to temperature-sensitive revertants that could grow on acetate at 23 degrees C but not at 33 degrees C, exhibiting temperature-sensitive synthesis as well as thermostable activity of isocitrate lyase. Studies on purified isocitrate lyase showed that this enzyme is tetrameric and that the enzyme synthesized at 23 degrees C by a temperature-sensitive synthesis mutant was indistinguishable from the wild-type enzyme with respect to the subunit molecular weight (59,000), the isoelectric pH (5.3), the thermostability, and the Km value for threo-Ds-isocitrate (0.2 mM). When induced by acetate at 33 degrees C, the temperature-sensitive synthesis mutant did not express isocitrate lyase activity but did synthesize polypeptides whose electrophoretic mobilities were equal to that of the purified mutant enzyme. Hence, the temperature-sensitive mutation assumed in the structural gene for isocitrate lyase might have prevented the maturation of the polypeptide chains synthesized at the restrictive temperature.

In two years, the knee operations numbered twenty-four, most of which comprised the success of the procedure. High tibial osteotomy was indicated in fifteen joints and relief of pain, an adequate functional range of motion and no recurrence of effusion were obtained. A new arthrosis in the proximal tibio-fibular joint was hazardous provided that the joint was left. Lateral instability, however, sustained invariably after the procedure.Little loss of motions postoperatively in synovectomized joint usually was observed and was not associated either with pain or local recurrence.Implants of various designs to replace the tibial and/or femoral surfaces have recently enjoyed considerably popularity. Hemi-arthroplasty by prosthesis of MacIntosh was done twice, Shiers once, and a new type of Geomedic once. We have not been able to formulate any general rule as to arthroplasty.