Hepatic veno-occlusive disease in a case of polymyositis associated with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome

A 50-year-old woman was treated with prednisolone for polymyositis. During the therapy, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS) occurred. Neither plasma infusion nor plasma exchange could relieve the clinical manifestations of TTP/HUS. Moreover, massive ascites appeared and worsened her condition. She died approximately one year after the diagnosis of polymyositis. The autopsy revealed centri-lobular hepatic necrosis and nonthrombotic obliteration of hepatic small veins. The diagnosis of hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) was made. It was suspected that common factors other than cytoreductive therapy had damaged the endothelium and caused TTP/HUS and VOD in a case of polymyositis.     

Effects of lipase,lipoxygenase, peroxidase and free fatty acids on volatile compound found in boiled buckwheat noodles

BACKGROUND: Relationships between buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) flour lipase, lipoxygenase and peroxidase activity, along with levels of individual free fatty acids (FFAs) and levels of headspace volatile compounds of boiled buckwheat noodles, were investigated for 12 different buckwheat varieties. Enzyme activities and FFA levels in flour were correlated with their respective varietal arrays of boiled noodle headspace volatile compounds, measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The volatiles hexanal, tentative butanal, tentative 3‐methylbutanal and tentative 2‐methylbutanal showed significant positive correlation with one another, indicating that they may be generated through similar mechanisms. These important volatile components of buckwheat flavor were also positively correlated with lipase and/or peroxidase activity, indicating that enzymatic reactions are important in flavor generation in boiled buckwheat noodles. On the other hand, pentanal, which showed no significant correlation with any enzyme activity, showed a significant positive correlation to the levels of C18:2 and C18:3 FFAs, suggesting the existence of a ‘non‐enzymatic’ and/or ‘uncertain enzymatic pathway’ for flavor generation in boiled buckwheat noodles. CONCLUSION: Lipase and peroxidase in buckwheat flour are important for flavor generation of boiled buckwheat noodles. This information is important for increasing desirable flavor of buckwheat products as well as for selecting varieties with improved flavor. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Dependence of zero-shear viscosity and steady-state compliance on molecular weight between entanglements for ethylene-cycloolefin copolymers

Dynamic viscoelastic properties of a series of cyclic olefin copolymers have been investigated. The specimens differ in total molecular weight as well as molecular weight between entanglements. The angular frequency (ω) dependence curves of dynamic storage and loss moduli (G′ and G″, respectively) of the specimens have shown that G′ ∝ ω² and G″ ∝ ω in the terminal region, and a plateau region at high ω. On the basis of the experimental results, the dependence of total molecular weight as well as molecular weight between entanglements has been examined for zero-shear viscosity (η₀) and steady-state compliance (J_e). It is shown that for the melts of the copolymers in the entangled regime, M_w being the weight-average molecular weight and M_e the molecular weight between entanglements. The steady-state compliance J_e for the melts scales with M_e and M_w as .     

Synthesis of Sintered Diamond with High Electrical Resistivity and Hardness

Diamond and diamond-ultrafine Co powder mixtures were sintered at 7.7 GPa and 1800° to 2000°C. A well-sintered body with a fine-grained homogeneous microstructure, high hardness, and high electrical resistivity was produced when a diamond-5 vol% Co powder mixture was used as the starting material.     

A New Approach to Suppress the Effect of Machining Error for Waveguide Septum Circular Polarizer at 230 GHz Band in Radio Astronomy

A new stepped septum-type waveguide circular polarizer (SST-CP) was developed to operate in the 230 GHz band for radio astronomy, especially submillimeter-band VLBI observations. For previously reported SST-CP models, the 230 GHz band is too high to achieve the design characteristics in manufactured devices because of unexpected machining errors. To realize a functional SST-CP that can operate in the submillimeter band, a new method was developed, in which the division surface is shifted from the top step of the septum to the second step from the top, and we simulated the expected machining error. The SST-CP using this method can compensate for specified machining errors and suppress serious deterioration. To verify the proposed method, several test pieces were manufactured, and their characteristics were measured using a VNA. These results indicated that the insertion losses were approximately 0.75 dB, and the input return losses and the crosstalk of the left- and right-hand circular polarization were greater than 20 dB at 220–245 GHz on 300 K. Moreover, a 230 GHz SST-CP was developed by the proposed method and installed in a 1.85-m radio telescope receiver systems, and then had used for scientific observations during one observation season without any problems. These achievements demonstrate the successful development of a 230 GHz SST-CP for radio astronomical observations. Furthermore, the proposed method can be applicable for observations in higher frequency bands, such as 345 GHz.     

Sex hormonal modulation of hyperbolic discount factor in men.

Hormones in the brain have many types of visceral influences on social behavior and economic decision-making. Although hormone-associated visceral effects attract attention in neuroeconomics, little is known regarding the relationship between sex hormones and hyperbolic discounting. Furthermore, although the “discount factor” (a parameter indicating patience in intertemporal choice) is economically relevant and has neural correlates, most neuroeconomic studies on intertemporal choice have been focusing on neuromodulation of logged discount rates, which sometimes results in difficulty in interpretation. This study was aimed to examine linear correlations between chronic sex hormone levels and hyperbolic discount factors of gains and losses in healthy male students. Participants’ salivary sex hormone (testosterone) levels were also assessed. We observed a positive linear relationship between testosterone levels and hyperbolic discount factor of gains; while no linear relationship between testosterone levels and discount factor of losses was observed. The results indicate that (i) chronic elevation in testosterone may be associated with patience (indicated by a discount factor) in intertemporal choice on gains, (ii) testosterone is unrelated to discounting of delayed losses. Implications for sex hormone-related visceral effects on problematic decision-making (e.g. addiction) and possible neuroendocrinological mechanism (e.g. conversion of testosterone into female hormones in the brain) are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Studies on steady‐state stability of looped power systems and stabilization by SMES

With the increasing number of dispersed power sources interconnected to the power supply system, power systems can take a form similar to that of a longitudinal system. Also, they can become looped, with both ends of the longitudinal system connected to each other. In the present paper, the steady‐state stability of longitudinal power systems and looped power systems is analyzed by means of the mode analysis method via eigenvalue and eigenvector calculation, and power system stabilization by SMES (Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage) for looped systems is examined relative to that for longitudinal systems. © 2000 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 133(3): 48–54, 2000     

A three-dimensional,clothed human thermal model

We have developed a three-dimensional clothed human thermal model for predicting physiological responses to temperature and humidity within clothing by considering the thermal properties of fabrics, clothing ensembles, and their designs. The model is a coupled simulation system of a human thermal model and a clothing thermal model. The model performance was investigated by comparing its predictions with experimental data. The following results were obtained. (1) The model predictions of skin temperature distributions and the micro-climate within clothing basically agreed with experimental data. (2) The skin temperatures of clothed body parts were higher than the corresponding body parts in the nude condition, and the skin temperatures of the hand and foot were higher than those in the nude condition, both in the model predictions and in the experimental data. (3) The model prediction of total moisture transfer was almost the same as obtained from the experimental data. 1998 Scripta Technica, Heat Trans Jpn Res, 26(8): 554–566, 1997     

Properties and substrate specificities of proteolytic enzymes from the edible basidiomycete Grifola frondosa

Highly active proteolytic enzymes are found in the fruiting bodies of Grifola frondosa. The general properties and substrate specificities of these proteases from G. frondosa (ProGF) were studied. The optimal pH for ProGF activity was pH 3 or 7 using hemoglobin or Hammersten casein as a substrate, respectively. The ProGF exhibited over 70% of maximal activity within the pH range of 4.5–8.5. In terms of temperature, the ProGF were maximally active at 55 °C, while over 80% of maximal activity was observed within the range of 50–75 °C. These proteases were substrate-specific, mainly cleaving at Ala¹⁴-Leu¹⁵, Tyr¹⁶-Leu¹⁷, and Pro²⁸-Lys²⁹ bonds, with occasional cleavage of Phe²⁴-Phe²⁵ bonds in the oxidized insulin B-chain. The ProGF also liberated hydrophobic amino acids, such as valine, leucine, and phenylalanine, using the oxidized insulin B-chain as a substrate. When soy protein was used as a substrate, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine were selectively released from the hydrolysate. Thus, over the time course of incubation, the peptide concentration increased as the average peptide chain length decreased. These results indicate that the ProGF include both endopeptidases recognizing leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine at the P1′ position, and aminopeptidases preferentially releasing hydrophobic and aromatic amino acids such as valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and tyrosine.