High performance liquid chromatographic separation of stereoisomeric bile acids as their UV-sensitive esters

High performance liquid chromatographic separation of a series of mono-, di- and trihydroxylated 5β-cholanic acids which differ only in position and configuration of hydroxyl groups at positions C-3, C-7 and/or C-12, is reported. The C-24 free acids were derivatized to four different classes of UV-sensitive esters, i.e.,p-bromophenacyl (BP),m-methoxyphenacyl (MP), 4-nitrophthalimidemethyl (NPM) and 9-anthrylmethyl (AM) esters, and chromatographed on two, variants of C₁₈ reversed-phase columns (Nova-Pak C₁₈ and Zorbax ODS) with methanol-water systems as mobile phase. Separation efficiency and elution order of some isomeric pairs were influenced by both the structure of the C-24 ester groups and the nature of the columns used. Excellent chromatographic properties were found for those derivatives, particularly for the NPM esters.     

Unified reliability estimation and management of NoC based chip multiprocessors

We present a new architecture level unified reliability evaluation methodology for chip multiprocessors (CMPs). The proposed reliability estimation (REST) is based on a Monte Carlo algorithm. What distinguishes REST from the previous work is that both the computational and communication components are considered in a unified manner to compute the reliability of the CMP. We utilize REST tool to develop a new dynamic reliability management (DRM) scheme to address time-dependent dielectric breakdown and negative-bias temperature instability aging mechanisms in network-on-chip (NoC) based CMPs. Designed as a control loop, the proposed DRM scheme uses an effective neural network based reliability estimation module. The neural-network predictor is trained using the REST tool. We investigate how system’s lifetime changes when the NoC as the communication unit of the CMP is considered or not during the reliability evaluation process and find that differences can be as high as 60%. Full-system based simulations using a customized GEM5 simulator show that reliability can be improved by up to 52% using the proposed DRM scheme in a best-effort scenario with 2–9% performance penalty (using a user set target lifetime of 7 years) over the case when no DRM is employed.     

On-chip Diamond MEMS Magnetic Sensing through Multifunctionalized Magnetostrictive Thin Film

Electrically integrable, high-sensitivity, and high-reliability magnetic sensors are not yet realized at high temperatures (500 °C). In this study, an integrated on-chip single-crystal diamond (SCD) micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) magnetic transducer is demonstrated by coupling SCD with a large magnetostrictive FeGa film. The FeGa film is multifunctionalized to actuate the resonator, self-sense the external magnetic field, and electrically readout the resonance signal. The on-chip SCD MEMS transducer shows a high sensitivity of 3.2 Hz mT⁻¹ from room temperature to 500 °C and a low noise level of 9.45 nT Hz^−1/2 up to 300 °C. The minimum fluctuation of the resonance frequency is 1.9 × 10⁻⁶ at room temperature and 2.3 × 10⁻⁶ at 300 °C. An SCD MEMS resonator array with parallel electric readout is subsequently achieved, thus providing a basis for the development of magnetic image sensors. The present study facilitates the development of highly integrated on-chip MEMS resonator transducers with high performance and high thermal stability.     

Peroxiredoxin 2 as a chemotherapy responsiveness biomarker candidate in osteosarcoma revealed by proteomics

Purpose : We aimed to identify novel chemotherapy responsiveness biomarkers for osteosarcoma (OS) by investigating the global protein expression profile of 12 biopsy samples from OS patients. Experimental design : Six patients were classified as good responders and six as poor responders, according to the Huvos grading system. The protein expression profiles obtained by 2‐D DIGE consisted of 2250 protein spots. Results : Among them, we identified 55 protein spots whose intensity was significantly different (Bonferroni adjusted p‐value<0.01) between the two patient groups. Mass spectrometric protein identification demonstrated that the 55 spots corresponded to 38 distinct gene products including peroxiredoxin 2 (PRDX 2). Use of a specific antibody against PRDX 2 confirmed the differential expression of PRDX 2 between good and poor responders, while PRDX 2 levels as measured by Western blotting correlated highly with their corresponding 2‐D DIGE values. The predictive value of PRDX 2 expression was further confirmed by examining an additional four OS cases using Western blotting. Conclusions and clinical relevance : These results establish PRDX 2 as a candidate for chemotherapy responsiveness marker in OS. Measuring PRDX 2 in biopsy samples before treatment may contribute to more effective management of OS.     

Multimedia technologies for structuring and retrieval of TV news

Because of the media digitization, a large amount of information such as speech, audio and video data is produced everyday. In order to retrieve data from these databases quickly and precisely, multimedia technologies for structuring and retrieving of speech, audio and video data are strongly required. In this paper, we overview the multimedia technologies such as structuring and retrieval of speech, audio and video data, speaker indexing, audio summarization and cross media retrieval existing today for TV news detabase. The main purpose of structuring is to produce tables of contents and indices from audio and video data automatically. In order to make these technologies feasible, first, processing units such as words on audio data and shots on video data are extracted. On a second step, they are meaningfully integrated into topics. Furthermore, the units extracted from different types of media are integrated for higher functions. Yasuo Ariki, Ph.D.: He is a Professor in the Department of Electronics and Informatics at the Ryukoku University. He received his B.E., M.E. and Ph.D. in information science from Kyoto University in 1974, 1976 and 1979, respectively. He had been an Assistant in Kyoto University from 1980 to 1990, and stayed at Edinburgh University as visiting academic from 1987 to 1990. His research interests are in speech and image recognition and in information retrieval and database. He is a member of IPSJ, IEICE, ASJ, Soc. Artif. Intel. and IEEE.     

An adaptive associative memory system based on autonomous reaction between image memories

To construct a “thinking-like” processing system, a new architecture of an adaptive associative memory system is proposed. This memory system treats “images” as basic units of information, and adapts to the environment of the external world by means of autonomous reactions between the images. The images do not have to be clear, distinct symbols or patterns; they can be ambiguous, indistinct symbols or patterns as well. This memory system is a kind of neural network made up of nodes and links called a localist spreading activation network. Each node holds one image in a localist manner. Images in high-activity nodes interact autonomously and generate new images and links. By this reaction between images, various forms of images are generated automatically under constraints of links with adjacent nodes. In this system, three simple image reaction operations are defined. Each operation generates a new image by combining pseudofigures or features and links of two images. This work was presented, in part, at the Fourth International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 19–22, 1999     

Comparison between SiO2 films deposited by atomic layer deposition with SiH2[N(CH3)2]2 and SiH[N(CH3)2]3 precursors

Thin SiO₂ layers were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using either Bis-dimethylamino-silane (BDMAS: SiH₂(N(CH₃)₂)₂) or Tris-dimethylamino-silane (TDMAS: SiH(N(CH₃)₂)₃) precursors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate these precursors for their suitability for ALD of hafnium (Hf)-silicate gate dielectrics. The advantages of these precursors are that the melting points and vapor pressures are moderate. The thickness of SiO₂ deposited using ALD process is controlled by the number of growth cycles and the growth rate was different for each precursor, that for BDMAS being 1.5 times that for TDMAS at the same reactor pressure. The carbon impurity in the SiO₂ film deposited using BDMAS was about half an order of magnitude less than that using for TDMAS. Furthermore, the carbon impurity was reduced to about the detection limit of secondary ion mass spectrometry after high temperature annealing at 1000 °C during 5 s.     

Avoiding Routing Loops on the Internet

Suppose that some particular link in the Internet is currently congested. A natural solution is to try to make packets bypass that link. This can be done by increasing the cost of that link intentionally, say from a ₁ to a ₂, since the Internet uses shortest-path routing. Unfortunately, however, this often causes temporary loops for packet traveling, called routing loops. In this paper we show that routing loops can be avoided by increasing the cost of the link not directly from a ₁ to a ₂ but through an intermediate value, a ₃, i.e., from a ₁ to a ₃ and then to a ₂. We may need several intermediate values. We show that in this case the greedy strategy, namely, raising the cost as much as possible in each step, is optimal.     

Mumefural and related HMF derivatives from Japanese apricot fruit juice concentrate show multiple inhibitory effects on pandemic influenza A (H1N1) virus

Fruit-juice concentrate of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) has been shown to be effective against influenza A infection in MDCK cells. In this study, we isolated five components from the fruit-juice concentrate of Japanese apricot, 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-formylfuran (HMF), 1-[5-(2-formylfuryl)methyl]dihydrogen 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate (mumefural, MF), 2-[5-(2-formylfuryl)methyl]dihydrogen 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate (MF‘), 1-[5-(2-formylfuryl)methyl]hydrogen 1-hydroxyethane-1,2-dicarboxylate (MA1) and 2-[5-(2-formylfuryl)methyl]hydrogen 1-hydroxyethane-1,2-dicarboxylate (MA2), and investigated their inhibitory activities against the novel influenza A/Narita/1/2009 (H1N1) pandemic virus hemagglutinin and neuraminidase functions, which are essential for viral attachment and budding, respectively. An hemagglutination inhibition assay indicated that MF and MF‘ were effective at minimum hemagglutination concentrations of 3.1 and 6.3 mM, respectively. An inhibition study for sialidase activity of the neuraminidase spike showed that MF was the most active anti-sialidase compound with an IC₅₀ value of 0.21 ± 0.01 mM, followed by MA2 (IC₅₀, 0.71 ± 0.09 mM), MA1 (IC₅₀, 1.64 ± 0.31 mM) and MF‘(IC₅₀, 1.62 ± 0.22 mM). Furthermore, MF was shown to inhibit the growth of the pandemic virus in a dose-dependent manner (62 ± 3% inhibition at 5 mM). The results suggest that MF, a citric acid ester linked to HMF at the 1-position of the propane backbone, might be a lead compound for the development of anti-influenza A inhibitors.     

Adsorption behavior of radioactive cesium by non-mica minerals

We studied the adsorption behavior of radioactive cesium (Cs) by the non-mica minerals kaolinite, halloysite, chlorite, montmorillonite, mordenite, MnO₂, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, and FeOOH to elucidate the environmental behavior of radioactive Cs fallout from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in the Tohoku region of Japan. The adsorption and desorption experiments of Cs on the minerals were carried out at the Cs concentrations 1 × 10^?4, 1 × 10^?5, and 2 × 10^?9 mole L^?1 at pH 5.5. The desorption of Cs from the minerals was examined using 0.1 mole L^?1 LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl, and CsCl solutions. The sequential desorption was examined using a 0.1 mole L^?1 LiCl solution, a 1 mole L^?1 KCl solution, and a 1 mole L^?1 HCl solution. The distribution coefficient (K _d) for the minerals at the Cs concentration 10^?9 mole L^?1 was in the order of mordenite > illite > montmorillonite, sericite, MnO₂, kaolinite, and halloysite > chlorite, TiO₂, Al₂O₃, and FeOOH, differing from the order observed at higher Cs concentrations. After the sequential desorption by the three reagent solutions, the residual fraction of Cs was higher at the Cs concentration 10^?9 mole L^?1 than at higher concentrations. Approximately 40%, 40%, 50%, and 25% of the adsorbed Cs were residual in montmorillonite, mordenite, MnO₂, and kaolinite, respectively, after the sequential desorption. These results strongly suggest that (1) radioactive Cs at 10^?9 mole L^?1 is more strongly associated with the non-mica minerals than at higher concentrations of 1 × 10^?4 and 1 × 10^?5 mole L^?1, and (2) the non-mica minerals montmorillonite, mordenite, kaolinite, and MnO₂ contributed to the fixation of the radioactive Cs fallout on Fukushima soil.