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1g model experimental studies were carried out in the laboratory to evaluate vertical performance with varying angles battered pile in dense sand. Relatively rigid piles with slenderness ratios 9 and 13.5 were undertaken in a sand-filled tank under strain-controlled lateral loading. The tank dimensions were designed so that boundary effects could be minimized and earth pressure measured using transducers at the front and bottom, and rear in each case. The relative density of 90% was achieved to simulate a more precise field condition in all test cases using the tamper compaction method. In order to determine the efficiency of the ultimate bearing capacity of screw pile configurations in lateral loading, the plate and pipe pile configurations were chosen for comparison. Totally 26 experimental cases were performed, which included vertical-batter combinations. The results indicated that the load-displacement characteristic was nonlinear under lateral loading. The case of 45 degree demonstrated higher ultimate lateral resistance.

Full list of authors: Kemmer, J.; Stock, S.; Kossakowski, D.; Kaminski, A.; Molaverdikhani, K.; Schlecker, M.; Caballero, J. A.; Amado, P. J.; Astudillo-Defru, N.; Bonfils, X.; Ciardi, D.; Collins, K. A.; Espinoza, N.; Fukui, A.; Hirano, T.; Jenkins, J. M.; Latham, D. W.; Matthews, E. C.; Narita, N.; Pallé, E.; Parviainen, H.; Quirrenbach, A.; Reiners, A.; Ribas, I.; Ricker, G.; Schlieder, J. E.; Seager, S.; Vanderspek, R.; Winn, J. N.; Almenara, J. M.; Béjar, V. J. S.; Bluhm, P.; Bouchy, F.; Boyd, P.; Christiansen, J. L.; Cifuentes, C.; Cloutier, R.; Collins, K. I.; Cortés-Contreras, M.; Crossfield, I. J. M.; Crouzet, N.; de Leon, J. P.; Della-Rose, D. D.; Delfosse, X.; Dreizler, S.; Esparza-Borges, E.; Essack, Z.; Forveille, Th.; Figueira, P.; Galadí-Enríquez, D.; Gan, T.; Glidden, A.; Gonzales, E. J.; Guerra, P.; Harakawa, H.; Hatzes, A. P.; Henning, Th.; Herrero, E.; Hodapp, K.; Hori, Y.; Howell, S. B.; Ikoma, M.; Isogai, K.; Jeffers, S. V.; Kürster, M.; Kawauchi, K.; Kimura, T.; Klagyivik, P.; Kotani, T.; Kurokawa, T.; Kusakabe, N.; Kuzuhara, M.; Lafarga, M.; Livingston, J. H.; Luque, R.; Matson, R.; Morales, J. C.; Mori, M.; Muirhead, P. S.; Murgas, F.; Nishikawa, J.; Nishiumi, T.; Omiya, M.; Reffert, S.; Rodríguez López, C.; Santos, N. C.; Schöfer, P.; Schwarz, R. P.; Shiao, B.; Tamura, M.; Terada, Y.; Twicken, J. D.; Ueda, A.; Vievard, S.; Watanabe, N.; Zechmeister, M., We present the confirmation and characterisation of GJ 3473 b (G 50-16, TOI-488.01), a hot Earth-sized planet orbiting an M4 dwarf star, whose transiting signal (P = 1.1980035 ± 0.0000018 d) was first detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Through a joint modelling of follow-up radial velocity observations with CARMENES, IRD, and HARPS together with extensive ground-based photometric follow-up observations with LCOGT, MuSCAT, and MuSCAT2, we determined a precise planetary mass, Mb = 1.86 ± 0.30 M·, and radius, Rb = 1.264 ± 0.050 R·. Additionally, we report the discovery of a second, temperate, non-transiting planet in the system, GJ 3473 c, which has a minimum mass, Mc sin i = 7.41 ± 0.91 M·, and orbital period, Pc = 15.509 ± 0.033 d. The inner planet of the system, GJ 3473 b, is one of the hottest transiting Earth-sized planets known thus far, accompanied by a dynamical mass measurement, which makes it a particularly attractive target for thermal emission spectroscopy. © 2020 ESO., CARMENES is an instrument at the Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman de Calar Alto (CAHA, Almeria, Spain). CARMENES was funded by the German Max-Planck-Gesellschaft (MPG), the Spanish Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), the European Union through FEDER/ERF FICTS-2011-02 funds, and the members of the CARMENES Consortium (Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie, Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, Landessternwarte Konigstuhl, Institut de Ciencies de l'Espai, Insitut fur Astrophysik Gottingen, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Thuringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Hamburger Sternwarte, Centro de Astrobiologia and Centro Astronomico Hispano-Aleman), with additional contributions by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, the German Science Foundation through the Major Research Instrumentation Programme and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Research Unit FOR2544 "Blue Planets around Red Stars", the Klaus Tschira Stiftung, the states of Baden-Wurttemberg and Niedersachsen, and by the Junta de Andalucia. Part of this work was funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion via projects PID2019-109522GB-C51/2/3/4 and AYA2016-79425C3-1/2/3-P, (MEXT/)JSPS KAKENHI via grants 15H02063, JP17H04574, 18H05442, JP18H01265, JP18H05439, 19J11805, JP19K14783, and 22000005, JST PRESTO via grant JPMJPR1775, FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC, PTDC/FIS-AST/32113/2017) via grant UID/FIS/04434/2019, FEDER - Fundo Europeu de Desenvolvimento Regional through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao (POCI-010145-FEDER-032113), the FONDECYT project 3180063, Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia through national funds and by FEDER through COMPETE2020 - Programa Operacional Competitividade e Internacionalizacao by these grants: UID/FIS/04434/2019; UIDB/04434/2020; UIDP/04434/2020; PTDC/FIS-AST/32113/2017 & POCI-01-0145-FEDER-032113; PTDC/FISAST/28953/2017 & POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028953. and the International Graduate Program for Excellence in Earth-Space Science. Part of the data analysis was carried out on the Multi-wavelength Data Analysis System operated by the Astronomy Data Center, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Funding for the TESS mission is provided by NASA's Science Mission directorate. We acknowledge the use of public TESS Alert data from pipelines at the TESS Science Office and at the TESS Science Processing Operations Center. This research has made use of the Exoplanet Follow-up Observation Program website, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under the Exoplanet Exploration Program. Resources supporting this work were provided by the NASA High-End Computing Program through the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division at Ames Research Center for the production of the SPOC data products. This paper includes data collected by the TESS mission, which are publicly available from the Mikulski Archive for Space Telescopes. This work makes use of observations from the LCOGT network. The analysis of this work has made use of a wide variety of public available software packages that are not referenced in the manuscript: Exo-Striker (Trifonov 2019), astropy (Astropy Collaboration 2018), scipy (Virtanen et al. 2020), numpy (Oliphant 2006), matplotlib (Hunter 2007), tqdm (da Costa-Luis 2019), pandas (The pandas development team 2020), seaborn (Waskom et al. 2020), lightkurve (Lightkurve Collaboration 2018) and PyFITS (Barrett et al. 2012).

Epilepsy is a common neurological condition that is characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. There are more than 20 antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) currently available; however, 30% of patients with epilepsy using these medications continue to experience seizures, indicating the need for more efficacious AEDs. Here, we present a brief history of the development of AEDs and discuss three preclinical strategies that have been used in the development of these agents providing real-world examples for each strategy. Finally, we discuss recent advances and future directions in the management of epilepsy.

We study the effect of a pure spin current on the Kondo singlet in a diluted magnetic alloy using non-local lateral spin valve structures with highly spin polarized Co2FeSi electrodes. Temperature dependence of the non-local spin signals shows a sharp reduction with decreasing temperature, followed by a plateau corresponding to the low temperature Fermi liquid regime below the Kondo temperature (TK). The spin diffusion length of the Kondo alloy is found to increase with the evolution of spin accumulation. The results are in agreement with the intuitive description that the Kondo singlet cannot survive any more in sufficiently large spin accumulation even below TK., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

An 84-year-old male was admitted to a local clinic suffering from general fatigue with associated anemia, and therefore was referred to our hospital. His medical history included a proximal gastrectomy with the formation of a jejunal pouch as a reconstructive treatment for early upper gastric cancer at 78 years of age (6 years prior). A type 2 tumor located in the jejunal pouch almost completely surrounded by small intestinal mucosa was demonstrated by gastrointestinal endoscopy. The biopsy specimens showed a moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma. Computed tomography showed no lymphadenopathy or hepatic metastases. A resection of the residual stomach and jejunal pouch was performed. Based on the histological findings from the resected specimen, the tumor was considered to be primary adenocarcinoma in the jejunal pouch. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient has shown no evidence of any recurrence during the 6-year period after the most recent surgery.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of injection of vitamins C (VC) and E (VE) into broodstock on the vitamin levels of broodstock and eggs and subsequent egg and larval quality in the Japanese eel. Broodstock were allotted to one of three groups; control group, injected with physiological saline; early group, injected with vitamins during the early part of maturation (1st–3rd weeks after initiation of maturation induction); later group, injected with vitamins during the later part of maturation (4th–6th weeks after initiation of maturation induction). Broodstock were injected with an emulsion of VC and VE at the same time as an injection of salmon pituitary extract during the induction of maturation. The emulsion was prepared by mixing α-tocopherol, sodium ascorbate, an emulsifier, and water just before injection. The levels of both vitamins in eggs and broodstock increased following vitamin injection. However, the accumulation of vitamins in broodstock and eggs was higher for VE than for VC. Hatching rate, survival and normality of larvae increased with vitamin treatments. The results of this study showed that VC and VE injection into broodstock during artificial maturation increases the vitamin content of eggs and can improve egg quality in Japanese eel.

We investigated tradeoff characteristics between resistivity and reliability for scaled-down Cu-based interconnects. A unique resistivity-measurement technique is proposed to detect influences due to impurity doping. Using this technique, we investigated the impacts of the impurity doping on three types of copper interconnects - cobalt-tungsten-phosphorous (CoWP) metal-cap interconnects, plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor-deposition self-aligned barrier interconnects, and CuAl alloy interconnects - and clarified the tradeoffs between the resistivity and the reliability. We found that the metal-cap interconnect shows not only high reliability but also outstanding efficiency with regard to the suppression of resistance increase due to impurity doping.

Feedability of welding wire is controlled by sliding contacts between the contact tube and wire surface. In achieving stable arc discharge, it is very important that feeding speed of the wire does not deviate from the constant speed derived from average welding current. Temperature of the contact tube, current branching, voltage drop, and contact resistance of the sliding contact were measured during welding of Cu coated and non-Cu coated solid wires. For Cu coated solid wire, the sliding contacts can be in either the solid or liquid state, depending on welding current. Conversely, for non-Cu coated solid wire, the sliding contacts are in the liquid state regardless of welding current. Discontinuity of solidification at the sliding contacts causes feeding resistance of the welding wire. The shear strength of a 'bridge' solidified at the sliding contact is about 4·5 N, and this force is amplified in the conduit liner by a factor of about 10.

Stable sliding contact is the most important factor in the stable arc discharge of solid wire. If the contact tube wears seriously, arc discharge will become unstable and the wire position will be shifted. Ordinary non-Cu-coated solid wire causes much wear of the contact tube, about 10 times that caused by Cu-coated solid wire. The mechanism of contact tube wear is not only friction at high temperature, but also a molten bridge formed between the contact tube and wire surface. A complex of superfine particles decreases the amount of contact tube wear. For example, the mixture of graphite and magnetite reduces the amount of contact tube wear by 80%. These particles form an interface layer on the inner surface of the contact tube, and the layer prevents the transfer of molten Cu to the wire surface. The interface layer mainly consists of FeO and complex oxides.

The critical current density J c and the apparent pinning potential U 0 ∗ in a single crystal NdBa 2 Cu 3 O y superconductor which shows a broad peak effect are investigated by measuring a DC magnetization and its relaxation. The field-induced pinning mechanism does not explain the temperature dependence of peak field B p and dip field B d . The experimental results of J c and U 0 ∗ are compared with the theoretical analysis based on the flux creep-flow model, taking the distribution of the flux pinning strength into account. The number of flux lines in the flux bundle ( g 2 ), the most probable value of pinning strength ( A m ) and distribution width ( σ 2 ) are determined so that a good fit is obtained between the experimental and theoretical results. The behavior of these parameters is discussed in correspondence to the disorder transition of flux lines.

Background The human Mut-L-Homologon-1 (MLH1) and Mut-S-Homologon-2 (MSH2) are post replication mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Methods We examined the correlation of the clinical features of 122 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) with the expression of MLH1 and MSH2 by immunohistochemical analysis. Results According to our criteria, 34 and 25 cases did not express MLH1 and MSH2, respectively. Expression of both the MLH1 and MSH2 gene products was observed in 73 (59.8%) cases; loss of MLH1 or MSH2 expression was detected in 35(28.7%) cases. Fourteen (11.5%) cases demonstrated loss of both MLH1 and MSH2 expression in ESCC. Loss of MLH1 and/or MSH2 gene expression significantly correlated with increases in malignancy, as evidenced by increases in the existence of metastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.0056), extensive invasion (P = 0.0007), and poor differentiation (P = 0.0992). The MLH1-negative patients had a significantly poorer prognosis than those in the MLH1-positive group (P = 0.0043). Similar results were observed for MSH2 expression (P = 0.0002). Patients both MLH1 and MSH2 negative exhibited the most poor clinical outcome than other patients (P

Critical current density and irreversibility field were measured at various temperatures and magnetic fields for MgB 2 PIT tape specimens with different sheaths materials. The experimental results were compared with theoretical estimations using the flux creep-flow model. It is found that the hardness of sheath material indirectly affects the pinning property only through the packing density of MgB 2 . It is considered that the critical current density is mainly determined by a low value of distributed local critical current density determined by grain connectivity. On the other hand, the irreversibility field which is approximately the same among the three tapes is mainly determined by the average pinning strength.

This is the first report to correlate DARPP-32 immunoreactivity (dopamine and cAMP-regulated phosphoprotein, M(r) 32 000) to clinicopathological status in human cancer. DARPP-32 is recognised as a neuronal protein. A recent study demonstrated that DARPP-32, and a truncated isoform t-DARPP, are overexpressed in gastric carcinoma during the process of carcinogenesis. The biological function of DARPP-32, however, is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to clarify the roles of DARPP-32 and t-DARPP in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Initially, we investigated DARPP-32 and t-DARPP expression in OSCC cell lines by Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. DARPP-32 expression was observed in four out of seven (57.1%) cell lines, but t-DARPP expression was not observed in any cell lines. In oesophageal tissue sample, DARPP-32 expression was observed in four out of seven (57.1%) tumour tissues, while t-DARPP was not observed in any tissues. Subsequently, DARPP expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry, using a polyclonal antibody, in tissue sections from 122 patients with primary OSCC. DARPP immunoreactivity was not observed in any normal oesophageal mucous membranes. On the other hand, positive DARPP immunostaining was detected in 37 patients (30.3%) and correlated inversely with pathologic stage (P=0.0284), pT (P=0.0438), pN (P=0.0303) and tumour size (P=0.012). The overall survival rate was worse in patients with DARPP-negative tumours than in patients with DARPP-positive tumours (P=0.0453). Interestingly, DARPP expression was observed in only one out of 45 cases of dysplasia. These observations suggest that DARPP-32 (rather than t-DARPP) expression arises after a phase of dysplasia in OSCC, and that tumours expressing DARPP-32 progress less rapidly than DARPP-32-negative tumours.

Effective gene therapy depends on the efficient transfer of therapeutic genes to target cells. None of the current technologies, however, satisfy all of the requirements necessary for gene therapy, because the plasma and nuclear membranes of mammalian cells are tight barriers against gene transfer using synthetic delivery systems. The protein transduction domain (PTD) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat protein greatly facilitates protein transfer via membrane destabilisation. We synthesised polylysine peptides containing Tat PTD (TAT-pK), or other sequences, and investigated their potential as agents for gene transfer. The synthesised polypeptide TAT-pK retains DNA binding function and mediates delivery of a reporter gene to cultured cells. RGD motif binds with low affinity to alpha integrins which induce cell activation. Two control polypeptides, GGG-pK and RGD-pK, were synthesised and tested, but their gene transfer abilities were weaker than those of TAT-pK. TAT-pK-mediated gene transfer was enhanced in the presence of chloroquine or ammonium chloride, to a greater extent than that of cationic lipid-mediated gene transfer in most cancer cell lines tested. These data suggest that TAT-pK may be a potent candidate delivery vehicle that promotes gene transfer, dependent on the endocytic pathway. We conclude that the TAT-pK/DNA complex is useful as a minimal unit to package therapeutic genes and to transduce them into mammalian cells.

Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of tumor immunity for a cancer patient's prognosis. In some types of cancer, it has been shown through immunohistochemical analysis that the existence of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is a crucial factor in determining prognosis. In an experimental model, CD4+ lymphocytes together with CD8+ lymphocytes contributed significantly to tumor immunity.Specimens were taken from 80 surgically resected pancreatic adenocarcinomas between 1992 and 1999. Immunohistochemical staining of CD4, CD8, and S100 protein was performed, and the levels of these proteins were determined by microscopic analysis. The percentages of patients in the CD4(+) and CD8(+) groups were 59% (47/80) and 25% (16/80), respectively. When separated into 4 groups, CD4/8(+/+), CD4/8(+/-), CD4/8(-/+) and CD4/8(-/-), the overall survival rate was significantly higher in CD4/8(+/+) patients (13 cases) compared with those in all other groups combined (67 cases; P = 0.0098). CD4/8(+/+) status was negatively correlated with tumor depth and TNM stage. Multivariate analyses showed that CD4/8(+/+) status was an independent favorable prognostic factor. The number of tumor-infiltrating S100 protein positive cells was also significantly higher in the CD4/8(+/+) group than in others (P = 0.0084).In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, the presence of CD4+ TILs together with CD8+ TILs serves as a good indicator of the patient's outcome after surgical treatment.

High-contrast imaging of thin oil layer on the water has been proposed as subtraction of two images taken through different band-pass filters. There is brightness difference in the part of the oil between two pictures taken using two band-pass filters with different center wavelengths because of the interference effects. On the other hand, there is not large brightness difference in the part of the water without the oil. Subtraction of one picture from the other can make the part of the oil brighter than that of the surface of the water. Calculation of the brightness and primitive experiments of the imaging have shown that enhancement in the contrast is obtained and is useful for the oil layer detection on the water.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical and histopathologic significance of hypoxia-inducible-factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) expression in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma. One hundred and thirty surgically resected specimens of OSCC were immunohistochemically assessed for HIF-1alpha expression with monoclonal antibody. High HIF-1alpha immunostaining was detected in 40 specimens. The percentage of high HIF-1alpha expression cases increased with tumour stage according to pTNM system. High HIF-1alpha expression correlated with pTNM stage, depth of tumour invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion and positive surgical margin. The overall survival rate was worse in patients with high HIF-1alpha pattern than in patients with low-expression pattern. Univariate analyses identified high HIF-1alpha positivity, depth of tumour invasion, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, lymphatic invasion, and a positive surgical margin as risk factors. Multivariate analyses indicated that depth of tumour invasion, lymph node metastasis and positive surgical margin, but not HIF-1alpha, were independent prognostic factors. Survival in patients with a high HIF-1alpha expression was significantly worse than in those with low expression in patient treated with adjuvant therapy.

Summary Background Recognition of foreign substances by innate immunity through pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) regulates acquired immunity such as allergic reaction. Because PRRs recognize heterogeneous ligands, daily food intake can potentially regulate immune allergic reaction. Objective Elucidation of the effect of λ-carrageenan on allergic reactions was aimed. Method IFN-γ and IL-4 was measured in in vitro T cell-stimulated culture. Cytokine production from macrophages in response to λ-carrageenan was measured as indicator for innate immunity activation. Mice were immunized with OVA in alum to induce specific IgE, and then histamine release was induced by systemic injection of OVA. Results Activation of innate immunity by λ-carrageenan is dependent on Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and MyD88, in which induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 was largely impaired in macrophages from TLR4- and MyD88-deficient mice. Footpad oedema, a model for in vivo inflammatory reactions, was significantly reduced in these mice. Similar to recent evidence showing a preference for the stimulation of Th1 via TLR/MyD88 signalling, λ-carrageenan showed enhanced IFN-γ and decreased IL-4 in stimulated T cell cultures. Interestingly, increased IFN-γ production was still seen in TLR4- and MyD88-deficient splenocytes. Oral administration of λ-carrageenan to immunized mice successfully decreased OVA-specific IgE, and λ-carrageenan was also effective in previously immunized mice. Further, serum histamine release upon systemic challenge of OVA was significantly inhibited. Neither OVA-specific IgG1/IgG2a nor cytokine secretion from in vitro cultures were altered, suggesting the involvement of multiple PRRs as demonstrated by TLR4/MyD88-independent IFN-γ up-regulation. The simultaneous feeding of OVA with lipopolysaccharide abrogated oral tolerance, but λ-carrageenan was not only devoid of such an effect but was also found to promote oral tolerance in the absence of TLR4. Conclusion λ-Carrageenan was suggested to be a useful dietary supplement to ameliorate allergic reactions while maintaining oral tolerance-dependent intestinal homeostasis.

This work describes the experimental method to obtain the dynamic load-deformation curve of the golf ball and some experimental results conducted in impact velocity of 20-70m/s. The ball is made to collide directly with the end of the pressure bar, through the strain gage on which the load history is obtained and the deformation history is also obtained integrating the equation of motions of the ball using load history. The dynamic load-deformation curves are compared with quasi static curves. The dynamic relation shows similar non-linearity and strong strain hysteresis as quasi static relation. Energy loss due to hysteresis during loading and unloading process increases with the amount of the maximum deformation (at the same time with impact velocity) and reaches up to 40% at impact velocity of 70m/s.

A bipolar 1×16 amplifier array is described for hybrid integration with an 8×8 p-i-n photodiode array receiver and application for parallel data interconnects through optical fibre arrays or free-space imaging. Limiting amplifiers of the transimpedance–transadmittance type were designed for low power consumption in BiCMOS technology, and measured results for operation at 622 Mbits/s of the packaged amplifier–photodetector arrays are given. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 28: 11–15, 2001.

A cholecystokinin (CCK) precursor cDNA was identified from the brain of Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). The full open reading frame was obtained by a combination of 3′ and 5′ RACE amplifications and encodes the 136 amino acid precursor. The Japanese flounder CCK-8 amino acid sequence was shown to be Asp-Tyr-Leu-Gly-Trp-Met-Asp-Phe, in which the methionine in the third position of mammalian and amphibian CCK-8 was replaced with leucine, similar to what has been shown in the goldfish. By RT-PCR, expression of CCK precursor mRNA was detected from the brain, stomach and proximal intestine. Whole mount in situ hybridization detected CCK mRNA in scattered cells in the proximal intestine epithelium as well as cerebrum of brain, suggesting the central nervous system and digestive system express the same CCK precursor mRNA.

We demonstrate the polarization stability of 850-nm-wavelength vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) grown on [311]B substrates under continuous-wave (CW) and dynamic operation. To clearly verify the polarization stability of VCSELs on [311]B substrates due to the anisotropic optical gain, the characteristics of both VCSELs on [311]B and [100] substrates were compared experimentally. Under CW operation, very small difference in both orthogonal polarization suppression ratio and the distribution of polarization direction was observed between VCSELs on [311]B and [100] polyimide-buried structures. On the other hand, significantly larger orthogonal polarization suppression ratio was obtained for VCSELs on [311]B substrates than those on [100] substrates under zero-bias modulation. Time-dependent orthogonal polarization suppression ratio measurements also showed that the orthogonal polarization suppression ratios of the VCSEL on [311]B substrates were more stable than those on [100] substrates. The data transmission characteristics also indicate large differences in the dependence of the bit error rate on bias current and the power penalty between polarization resolved and unresolved systems between VCSELs on [311]B and [100] substrates. The beneficial effect of the polarization stability of VCSELs on [311]B substrates due to their anisotropic optical gain is clearly demonstrated.

We measured the electric fields induced by figure-of-eight coils in homogeneous and inhomogeneous volume conductor models. Each model consisted of two troughs separated by a sheet of cellophane. In the inhomogeneous model, one of the two troughs was filled with 0.9% saline solution, and the other with 0.1% saline solution. In the homogeneous model, both troughs were filled with 0.9% saline solution. The figure-of-eight coil was held beneath the troughs with its wings parallel to a boundary between the two troughs. In the inhomogeneous model, the electric field along the boundary and especially its first spatial derivative were markedly elevated in comparison with the corresponding values recorded in the homogeneous model. The response of a nerve fiber to magnetic stimulation in an inhomogeneous medium is different from that in a homogeneous medium.

We have developed a smart pixel that monolithically integrates a metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector, metal-semiconductor field effect transistors (MESFET's), and a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL). This device can perform both NOR- and OR-types of operation with a thresholding function. Optimal device parameters are obtained by using a SPICE simulation. Calculations show that the switching time is mainly limited by the CR time constant of the input stage, which consists of the MSM photodetector, the load-resistor, and the MESFET connected to the MSM photodetector. The fabricated device attained a contrast ratio of more than 30 dB with optical gain. The 3-dB bandwidth was 220 MHz and the switching energy was 700 fJ at an operation frequency of 100 MHz. We also discuss the power consumption and the packing density of the smart pixel including the VCSEL as a function of operation frequency. A MESFET that has high f/sub T/ with low bias voltage and a VCSEL that has a low threshold current while maintaining the wall-plug efficiency are necessary to obtain a higher performance device.

This is the first study on the factors that affect cell growth and the production of secondary metabolites of a lichen mycobiont in liquid culture. An ascospore-derived strain of Cladonia cristatella mycobiont accumulated and excreted red pigments into a liquid medium. Growth of the mycobiont was increased by using liquid Lilly–Barnett medium containing 16% (w/v) sucrose as a carbon source, 0.2% (w/v) L-glutamine as a nitrogen source, and 0.2% (w/v) polypeptone, adjusting pH to 5.0 before autoclaving, and incubating cultures at 20 °C. Pigment production by the mycobiont was increased by using liquid Lilly–Barnett medium containing 4% (w/v) sucrose as a carbon source, 0.2% (w/v) L-asparagine as a nitrogen source, and 0.2% (w/v) malt extract, adjusting pH to 5.0 before autoclaving and incubating cultures at 20 °C. All acetone extracts under any cultural conditions yielded similar HPLC chromatograms. We proved no relationship between cell growth and secondary metabolism based on the nutritional factors in the cultured C. cristatella mycobiont. Key words: lichen, suspension culture, Cladonia cristatella mycobiont, red pigment, production, and growth factor.

We demonstrate generation and detection of pure spin currents by combining a two-terminal spin-injection technique and Co2FeSi (CFS) spin injectors in lateral spin valves (LSVs). We find that the two-terminal spin injection with CFS has the robust dependence of the nonlocal spin signals on the applied bias currents, markedly superior to the four-terminal spin injection with permalloy reported previously. In our LSVs, since the spin transfer torque from one CFS injector to another CFS one is large, the nonlocal magnetoresistance with respect to applied magnetic fields shows large asymmetry in high bias-current conditions. For utilizing multi-terminal spin injection with CFS as a method for magnetization reversals, the terminal arrangement of CFS spin injectors should be taken into account.

The relationships between perceived exertion and the physiological variables oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR) and blood lactate concentration (HLa) were studied in tethered swimming. Seven male and ten female subjects swam at five submaximal intensities. The degree of perceived exertion was measured both on the category scale (RPE) and on the category-ratio scale (CR-10). All five dependent variables (VO2, HR, HLa, RPE and CR-10) were described by the equation R = a+c (S-b)n with the drag (D) in tethered swimming as an independent variable. The relationships between D and VO2, HR and RPE were linear with a level of fitness correlation (r = 0.989-0.999) for both males and females. The HLa exponents were 3.2 for males (r = 1.000) and 3.6 for females (r = 0.991), and CR-10 were 1.5 for males (r = 0.998) and 1.9 for females (r = 1.000), respectively. The growth functions for males and females were very similar. The conclusion is that RPE is effective as a measure of exercise intensity and can be used for exercise prescription in practical swimming.

Most fish have a diffuse exocrine pancreas located around the internal organs, but its exact structure is not well understood. In this study, we developed a method for analysing zymogen granules using anti-fish trypsinogen, and the structure of the flounder pancreas was examined by localizing pancreatic exocrine cells. Anionic trypsinogen was purified from eel pancreas by chromatography using DE-52-cellulose and Superose 12 columns. Rabbit antiserum (anti-eel trypsinogen antibody: anti-eTrg) was raised against purified trypsinogen. Immunoblotting analysis demonstrated that anti-eTrg recognized two isoforms of eel trypsinogens and trypsins. This antibody also reacted with flounder trypsin. Zymogen granules containing trypsinogen were visualized within pancreatic glandular cells of the flounder Paralichthys olivaceus by immunohistochemistry using anti-eTrg. The flounder exocrine pancreas was reconstructed from observations of serial sections of digestive tract. The exocrine pancreas cells were localized along the hepatic portal vein and the veins running to the portal vein from the intestine, stomach, pyloric appendage and spleen, forming a highly branched tissue. Interlobular ducts from pancreatic acini formed a pancreatic duct covered with smooth muscle at the point where it met (but did not join) the bile duct. The pancreatic duct opened into the intestinal lumen at the basal portion of the third pyloric appendage in parallel with the bile duct.

Summary The thrombolytic and pharmacokinetic properties of scu-PA/MA-FU1-74 F(ab′)2 complex, an immunoconjugate of single-chain urokinase-type plasminogen activator (scu-PA) and the F(ab′)2 of a bispecific monoclonal antibody (MA-FU1-74) directed against human fibrin and against u-PA, were evaluated in humsters with pulmonary embolus. Bolus injection of scu-PA/MA-FU1-74 complex and scu-PA/MA-FU1-74 F(ab′)2 complex (each in a 1:2 molar ratio) showed 18- and 23-fold enhanced thrombolytic potency relative to that of scu-PA alone, respectively. Enhanced clot lysis by the scu-PA/MA-FU1-74 complex was accompanied by an increase in consumptions of fibrinogen and α2-antiplasmin by 3.7-and 6.5-fold, respectively, when compared to consumptions by scu-PA alone. Consumptions of fibrinogen and α2-antiplasmin by the scu-PA/MA-FU1-74 F(ab′)2 complex, however, was only marginally increased (1.2- and 1.8-fold, respectively) relative to that of scu-PA alone. Both complexes, scu-PA-FU1-74 and scu-PA/MA-FU1-74 F(ab′)2, showed a 10-fold decrease in plasma clearance when compared to unconjugated scu-PA. In monkeys, immune responses to MA-FU1-74 F(ab′)2 appeared to be lower than those to the whole MA-FU1-74 molecule. We conclude that the scu-PA/MA-FU1-74F(ab′)2 complex is more fibrin-specific and less immunogenic than the scu-PA-FU1-74 complex.

This report describes a case of secondary pneumothorax caused by a radiographically occult lung metastasis from parapharyngeal synovial sarcoma, a relatively rare tumor known to be highly metastatic to the lung. Although chest X-ray and thoracic computed tomography scan failed to detect the metastatic nodule in the right lung, the surgically resected specimen proved to be a 3-mm lung metastasis. To our knowledge, only eight cases of lung metastases from synovial sarcoma causing pneumothorax have ever been reported. In most of these cases, the lung metastases were detected by radiographical examinations. However, in this patient, the metastatic lesion was not detected during examination. It is speculated that secondary pneumothorax caused by synovial sarcoma may occur during the early stages of lung metastasis. Therefore, if pneumothorax occurs in a patient with a synovial sarcoma, the possibility of lung metastasis should be carefully considered, even if it is undetectable on radiological examinations.

A 63-year-old female was admitted to our hospital for investigation of serum elevation of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). She underwent high anterior resection for a rectal cancer 5-years ago. Chest computed tomography (CT) obtained 5-years ago showed a nodule in the right S10, measuring 1.3 x 0.8 cm in size. The nodule was assessed as benign. Chest CT on admission showed the enlarged nodule with a pleural indentation, measuring 2.2 x 1.6 cm in size. Definitive diagnosis could not be established. Since it was difficult to exclude the possibility of malignancy, video-assisted partial resection was performed. Histological examination of the nodule revealed primary adenocarcinoma in frozen sections. Lobectomy with lymph node dissection was performed. The ultimate diagnosis was adenocarcinoma with mixed subtypes. The tumor was classified as stage IA with T1bN0M0. We reported this case because it was a rare slow-growing adenocarcinoma that had a 5-years clinical history before operation.

The solid state reactions between Cr and undoped aSi:H and aSi have been investigated to reveal the kinetics of silicide formation. For the Cr/PECVD aSi:H system, an amorphous Cr silicide (alloy) forms at the interface even at room temperature (RT). The compositional ratio of Cr to Si in the a-silicide layer formed at RT was found to be about 5%. On the other hand, in a Cr/sputtered aSi system at RT an interfacial amorphous layer also exists, but its thickness is negligible. The kinetics of the low temperature interaction are discussed.

Plasma fibronectin (FN) of flounder Paralichthys olivacem was purified and characterized. Flounder FN was purified by a combination of affinity chromatography using Sepharose coupled with flounder gelatin and gel filtration on Superose 6. Flounder FN was found to be a disulphide-linked heterodimer of 220 and 230 kDa polypeptides. It had cell-spreading activity for baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells, which was inhibited by the synthetic peptide, Gly-Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser-Pro. In flounder explants, anti-flounder FN antiserum distinguished fibroblast-like cells from epithelial cells; indirect immunofluorescence showed that the fibroblast-like cells exhibited a fibrous staining to the antiserum, but that epithelial cells did not. These results suggest that flounder FN is a homologue of mammalian FN. The localization of FN during re-epithelialization at the site of a severed fin was investigated. When the top of the fin was cut, epidermal cells covered the surface of the wound within 1 h. FN is detected at the wound site during epidermal cell migration, suggesting that it serves as a cell-adhesion factor for prompt re-epithelialization at wound sites.

A class of optical parallel interconnections is proposed in which a two-dimensional data pattern is directly transmitted through a multimode fiber. It is demonstrated using an optically addressed spatial light modulator that functions as a data input port and a phase conjugation mirror. The interconnection technology is shown to be effective for two-dimensional data transmission between optical processors and memories. >

A 53-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea. Chest radiograph showed a massive right-sided hydrothorax. He was suffering from chronic renal failure and had undergone continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for 8 months. The diagnosis of pleuroperitoneal communication (PPC) was made using injection of indigocarmine into the peritoneal cavity with subsequent pleural detection by thoracocentesis. Injection of contrast media into the peritoneal cavity showed a dome shaped radio-opaque shadow which is located on the diaphragmatic dome followed by the movement of contrast media into the thoracic cavity. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) was performed under general anesthesia. To identify the point of communication, the method of detecting air leakage was employed. A bleb like lesion on which the hole existed was observed at the center of the diaphragm, and air leakage was identified by filling the thoracic cavity with saline. The pressure in the peritoneal cavity was maintained at 10 mmHg by continuous CO2 inflation. Direct closure was performed to repair the PPC, which succesfully stopped the air leakage. CAPD could be restarted immediately after surgery. No recurrence of hydrothorax has been detected for more than 14 months after surgery.

Basic structures and functions of optically addressed spatial light modulators (SLMs) are discussed in the context of system applications. The most important functions imposed on spatial light modulators are those of image acceptance and transducers. SLMs using ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) satisfy essential requirements for high levels of resolution, sensitivity and response speed. We specifically surveyed the current performance of bipolar-operational spatial light modulators (BSLMs) that sufficiently exploit the bistability of FLC to output reversibly positive and negative images and to store them. The high performance of BSLMs makes them useful for many optical applications including image processing and real-time holography.