Recent development of nucleic acid drug

The dynamics of ovarian follicular development and the pattern of pituitary and ovarian hormone concentration were investigated during the luteal phase in ewes with autotransplanted ovaries. The follicles were measured by ultrasound and samples of ovarian and jugular venous blood were collected at intervals of 12 h. Blood samples were collected before and after a GnRH challenge (250 ng GnRH, i.v.) to allow the determination of basal and LH-stimulated concentration of ovarian steroids. Throughout the luteal phase, large antral follicles developed in three waves, each of which was preceded by a rise in the concentration of FSH (P < 0.05). The concentrations of oestradiol and androstenedione in the unstimulated and LH-stimulated samples were similar (P > 0.05) during the first 3 days of the luteal phase but differed thereafter, with the LH-stimulated being significantly higher than the basal concentrations (P < 0.05). In the first wave of follicular development the changes in follicular size were accompanied by an increase in the concentration of ovarian steroids and inhibin A. During the second follicular wave, although changes in follicle diameter were similar to the first wave (P > 0.05), the basal concentration of ovarian steroids and inhibin A remained unchanged throughout the period of emergence and demise of the large follicles. These results confirm that the development of large antral follicles during the luteal phase of the sheep occurs in successive waves that are associated with fluctuations in FSH secretion. However while the results strongly suggest that fluctuations in both inhibin A and oestradiol secretion control FSH during the first follicular wave, the cause of the FSH fluctuations associated with waves two and three is unclear. Final resolution of this issue may need to await the development of a specific assay for dimeric inhibin B.     

Surface structures of synthetic diamonds

Diamond crystals of about 2 mm in size were grown by the temperature gradient method using Ni, Ni-Fe alloy and Fe as solvent metals. Several characteristic patterns were seen on the surfaces of the grown diamonds and were found to correspond to the texture of the quenched solvent metals. A vague vein-like pattern appeared when Ni was used. The surface patterns became finer with the increase of the content of Fe in Ni-Fe alloy, and when 70 wt% Fe-30 wt% Ni alloy was used, very fine dendritic patterns were seen on all of the faces of diamond in accordance with the symmetries of the lattice. The patterns are formed by the precipitation of carbon atoms in the space of the dendrites of the solvent metals during the quenching process. Lamellar patterns and etch pits were seen when Fe was used. The patterns are formed when Fe dissolves the diamond surfaces to produce Fe₃C during the quenching process.     

高灰熔点煤高温下煤焦CO2/水蒸汽气化反应特性的实验研究

我国煤炭年产量中，1400℃以上的高灰熔点煤约占50％以上。为探索固态排渣方式的高灰熔点煤气流床气化，本文选出具有代表性的三种高灰熔点煤种和一种低灰熔点煤种，在TGA-51H型高温热天平上进行了煤焦-CO2和煤焦-水蒸汽气化反应特性的实验研究，并利用SEM考察了气化条件下煤焦及灰的微观结构。实验结果表明：在煤焦-CO2、H2O反应过程中，反应速度明显表现出高温区域的扩散反应和低温区域的化学反应；无论在1273K～1573K的低温区域，还是在高于1573K的高温区域，反应速率随燃料比（FC/V）的增加而减小。     

Surgical therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma with liver cirrhosis

Approximately 80% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients in Japan have associated liver cirrhosis, which increases the difficulty of surgical treatment. Liver dysfunction associated with liver cirrhosis is one of the most important predictive prognostic factors for HCC patients. Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT) is useful for patients with small HCC or with poor hepatic functional reserve. Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) is also useful both for patients with unresectable HCC and patients with multiple intrahepatic recurrence. Liver resection, however, lead to better outcome than other treatments when liver function is maintained after surgery. To determine operative procedures, it is important to evaluate the exact function of remnant liver, based on the preoperative liver function test and the evaluation of tumor character. For advanced HCC patients with vascular invasion, non-surgical treatments such as PEIT or TACE are not indicated, and surgical intervention can be an effective modality to improve their survival. Improvements of surgical technique and perioperative management have decreased fatal complications at a major liver resection and allowed us to carry out liver resection on patients with advanced HCC.     

Variation in Attitudes and Values Among Japanese Americans and Japanese Brazilians Across Generations

This paper discusses the acculturation of Japanese descents through the approach of exploratory data analysis. When considering acculturation, it may be common sense to consider that Sansei are more assimilated with the culture of the immigrated country than are Nisei. While observing the survey results, the question “Is this really true?” occurred to me. The point of the study is to examine, by extensive sample surveys, the hypothesis that acculturation among generations of immigrants is of two types, namely: ‘natural acculturation’ and ‘a tendency of turning toward the Japanese way of thinking.’ This is considered to be an important point when the acculturation of a race is considered.

The author deals with the degree of acculturation among generations of Japanese Americans and Japanese Brazilians, based on international comparative survey results among the host society, ethnic society and different immigrant groups consisting of several generations.

The results supported the hypothesis that acculturation among generations of immigrants is of two types. Possible factors related to socio-education may also exert effects on their attitudes and values.

     

Hydrogels with the ordered structures

A water-swollen hydrogel with a molecularly-ordered structure was prepared by copolymerizing acrylic acid and acrylic monomer containing hydrophobic long alkyl or mesogenic moiety. The gels with a long alkyl side chain formed the crystalline structure and undergo the reversible order–disorder transition with change in temperature or solvent composition which accompanied a dramatic change in Young's modulus. These gels exhibited such chemomechanical behaviors as the shape memory and the rotational motility on the water surface. On the other hand, the gels with the mesogenic side chain formed the liquid crystalline structure with polymorphism in water, and mesophase diagram was established by changing copolymer composition and water content. Mechanism of these structural and chemomechanical behaviors has been explained in terms of order–disorder transition.     

Effect of Al concentration on pseudoelasticity in Fe3Al single crystals

Pseudoelasticity in Fe₃Al single crystals with different Al contents was investigated focusing on the dislocation configuration and the ordered domain structure. Giant pseudoelasticity only appeared in the D0₃-ordered Fe₃Al single crystals, while the B2-ordered crystals and those with the disordered phase exhibited small strain recovery. The amount of shape recovery in the D0₃-ordered crystals showed a maximum near 23.0at.%Al and decreased with increasing deviation from this Al concentration. In the D0₃ phase at 22.0–25.0at.%Al, 1/4[1 1 1] superpartial dislocations moved individually dragging the nearest-neighbour antiphase boundaries (NNAPB), while couplets of the superpartials were observed to bow out, dragging the next-nearest-neighbour antiphase boundaries (NNNAPB) in Fe–28.0at.%Al. In Fe–22.0–25.0at.%Al single crystals, the NNAPB pulled back the superpartials to decrease its energy during unloading, resulting in the giant pseudoelasticity. In contrast, the surface tension of the NNNAPB was lower than that of the NNAPB, leading to the small strain recovery in Fe–28.0at.%Al.     

Inhibition in a microgravity environment of the recovery of Escherichia coli cells damaged by heavy ion beams during the NASDA ISS phase I program of NASA Shuttle/Mir mission no. 6

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether there are different disease patterns of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in women and men. METHODS: We studied 55 male case patients and 110 female control patients who developed RA between 1970 and 1985 and who resided and received medical care in Olmsted County, Minnesota, for at least 10 years after the diagnosis of RA. Case and control patients were matched for the date of first diagnosis. The pattern and extent of joint involvement, the frequency of joint surgeries, and the presence and type of extraarticular manifestations were determined by retrospective chart review. RESULTS: Incidence rates in women were variable and age dependent, whereas the risk in men older than 36 years was constant over their lifetime. Erosive disease was more frequent in men than in women (72% versus 55%, respectively; P < 0.05) and tended to occur earlier (47% versus 31% for erosive disease within the first 4 years of RA). Although male sex was correlated with a higher risk of bony erosions and an accelerated course of RA, structural consequences of joint destruction were more pronounced in women. Joint surgery was performed more frequently in women (50%) than in men (27%) (P = 0.01). In particular, the frequencies of arthroplasties and arthrodeses of hand and foot joints were different (34 procedures in women versus 1 procedure in men; P < 0.001). Sex influenced the risk as well as the pattern of organ involvement in RA. Nodules and rheumatoid lung disease were typical manifestations in men (P = 0.001 and P < 0.001, respectively), whereas women typically developed sicca syndrome (P = 0.05). Despite differences in disease aggressiveness and disease pattern, there was little difference in the medical therapy in the men compared with the women. CONCLUSION: RA is a heterogeneous disease with variations in phenotype. Sex-associated factors influence disease severity as well as disease pattern. Because sex-related effects influence treatment goals, treatment responses, and side effects, they should be considered in clinical study design and analysis as well as in the treatment decisions for individual patients with RA.     

Performance of the first Japanese large-scale facility for radon inhalation experiments with small animals

A radon test facility for small animals was developed in order to increase the statistical validity of differences of the biological response in various radon environments. This paper illustrates the performances of that facility, the first large-scale facility of its kind in Japan. The facility has a capability to conduct approximately 150 mouse-scale tests at the same time. The apparatus for exposing small animals to radon has six animal chamber groups with five independent cages each. Different radon concentrations in each animal chamber group are available. Because the first target of this study is to examine the in vivo behaviour of radon and its effects, the major functions to control radon and to eliminate thoron were examined experimentally. Additionally, radon progeny concentrations and their particle size distributions in the cages were also examined experimentally to be considered in future projects.     

Photocatalytic Inactivation of Legionella Pneumophila and an Aerobic Bacteria Consortium in Water over TiO2/SiO2 Fibres in a Continuous Reactor

A continuous photoreactor, working in a total recycle mode and irradiated by a low-pressure Hg lamp, has been used to study the bactericidal effect of a photocatalyst, formed by TiO₂ embedded in SiO₂ fibres, on Legionella pneumophila and a consortium of common gram-negative aerobic bacteria: (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Pseudomona sp. and Proteus sp.) in water. The kinetic modeling of the inactivation process, carried out with the measured values of viable bacteria concentration at the outlet of photoreactor, evidenced that for each pass inside the photoreactor the ratio between the outlet and inlet cell concentrations was of order of 0.01 for the inactivation of L. pneumophila. For the other aerobic bacteria, which are usually taken as reference in photocatalytic bacteria inactivation studies, this ratio was of order of 0.3 for the first hour of illumination, while upon prolonged irradiation (up to 9 h) this ratio increased to 0.7. Several factors inducing this latter decrease of efficiency are possible, as e.g. competition for photocatalytic attack between microorganisms and organic compounds released by damaged bacteria or photoinduced alteration of a small fraction of still viable bacteria making them less interactive with the photocatalyst. The inactivation mechanism normally proposed for common bacteria involves an initial attack of the photogenerated radicals to the outer membrane; the consequent membrane dispersion allows the radicals to damage the cytoplasmic membrane. The higher lethality of the photocatalytic method observed towards Legionella: (in comparison to the other aerobic bacteria) is explained considering that the radicals attack the Legionella secretion system, which is adapted for high virulence and would become activated for and through adhesion to the TiO₂ surface. This attack would then be able to inactivate L. pneumophila without dispersing the outer membrane. Apart from this, the water flow through the catalyst fibres can facilitate the bacteria transport towards the anatase surface, and additionally the generated shear stress may help adhesion, at least for some bacteria as E. coli, contributing further to improve the photokilling efficiency; both factors may contribute to the efficiency of this photoreactor configuration.