From kana to kanji: word processing in Japan

The development of word processing in Japan and the special problems involved in dealing with Japanese characters are described. These included the need to compile word lists as well as statistical surveys of newspapers, business documents, and secondary school textbooks to determine the frequency of word use, working with unlimited numbers of words and characters possible, and the large memory required by the complex software used. The prospects of voice-input processors are discussed     

Cathepsin D expression in skin metastasis of breast cancer

Cathepsin D, an aspartic proteinase, correlates with invasion and metastasis in breast cancer and with poor prognosis. In the present study, we examined the immunohistological expression of cathepsin D in both primary (5 cases) and skin-metastatic breast cancers (13 cases) and compared it to those in gastric (2 cases) and lung (4 cases), and primary eccrine cancers (3 cases). All breast and gastric cancers were adenocarcinomas. The 2 gastric cancers were poorly differentiated, while the 4 lung cancers consisted of 2 poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas, 1 poorly differentiated large cell carcinoma, and 1 moderately to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. We also surveyed the immunohistological distribution of cathepsin B, carcinoembryonic antigen, gross cystic disease fluid protein-15, c-erbB-2, and estrogen receptor. In almost all breast cancer samples, the cancer cells demonstrated strong expression of cathepsin D in the cytoplasm, but weak staining patterns with other antibodies. Gastric and lung cancer cells did not respond with cathepsin D (except one metastatic lung cancer) or the other immunohistological markers. Since cathepsin D is strongly expressed in primary and metastatic lesions of breast cancer, cathepsin D could be useful as an adjunct to a panel of immunohistochemical stains in determining the primary site of origin of metastatic cancer in the skin.     

Glutamate neurotoxicity during spinal cord ischemia--development of a delayed-onset paraplegia model

The incidence and severity of spinal cord dysfunction are related to both the depth and duration of the resulting ischemic state. Evidence is accumulating that glutamate, a major neurotransmitter, has potent neurotoxic activity during ischemia. In our laboratory, it has been confirmed that exogenous glutamate has detrimental effects on spinal cord neurons during brief ischemia in vivo. We hypothesized that glutamate neurotoxicity is associated with delayed-neuronal dysfunction. Delayed-onset paraplegia is defined as a neurologic deficit which develops after initial recovery. Infrarenal aortic segments from 12 New Zealand white rabbits, were isolated for 5 minutes and perfused at a rate of 2 ml/min. Group I (n = 6) received normothermic saline (39 degrees C). Group II (n = 6) received normothermic L-glutamate (20 mM). Neurologic function was assessed at 6, 24, and 48 hours after surgery according to the modified Tarlov scale. After 48 hours, the rabbits were euthanized and their spinal cords were harvested for histologic examination. The neurologic function of all group I was fully intact, whereas three rabbits in group II showed acute paraplegia and the other three showed delayed-onset paraplegia. Histologic examination of spinal cords from rabbits in group I revealed no evidence of cord injury, whereas spinal cords from those in group II had evidence of moderate spinal cord injury with central gray matter and adjacent white matter necrosis and axonal swelling. These results indicate that dose-dependent glutamate neurotoxicity is associated with delayed neuronal dysfunction following ischemia in vivo. The severity of the ischemic event, i.e., extracellular glutamate overload, is suspected to be the etiology of delayed-onset paraplegia which, in turn, is thought to be the result of borderline ischemia. This model may allow a pharmacologic approach to the prevention of ischemic spinal cord injury.     

Caffeine enhances modulation of parasympathetic nerve activity in humans: quantification using power spectral analysis

We investigated changes in autonomic nerve activity following caffeine intake by power spectral analysis of R-R intervals of heartbeats in humans. A beverage containing 240 mg of caffeine or a control beverage was given to 10 healthy volunteers, and R-R intervals were measured while subjects were sitting and controlling their respiration at a constant rate. After consumption of the caffeine-containing beverage, a transient and significant increase (P < 0.001) in spectral integrated values (areas under the curve) of high frequency power (high component, HC) was observed, and at 30 min the value was significantly greater than in controls (P < 0.02), suggesting an increase in vagal autonomic nerve activity. The effect of caffeine was also examined using decaffeinated coffee supplemented with exogenous caffeine (2 mg/kg body wt). A transient and significant increase (P < 0.0001) in HC was observed, and the value was significantly greater (P < 0.02) than when subjects consumed decaffeinated coffee without supplemental caffeine. The ratio of HC to total integrated value (which is also used as a selective indicator of vagal activity) was also significantly higher (P < 0.04) after caffeine consumption. Physiological variables accompanying the change in autonomic nerve activity (i.e., blood pressure, surface body temperature and heart rate) were not significantly affected by caffeine intake. These results suggest that power spectral analysis of heartbeat R-R intervals is an effective and noninvasive method for detecting subtle changes in autonomic nerve activity in response to food intake.     

Decay data measurements of 111In by 4πβ-γ coincidence spectrometry with a combination of a 4πβ counter and a Ge detector

The total internal conversion coefficients and the γ-intensities per decay of ¹¹¹In were determined directly from the slope-to-intercept ratio of the 4πβ-γ efficiency functions, which were measured by the 4πβ-γ coincidence spectrometry technique with a combination of a 4πβ gas flow counter and a Ge γ-ray spectrometer. The present results are in excellent agreement with Sparrmann's data, while there are considerable discrepancies as compared to the NDS evaluations.     

Silicon-gap Fabry-Perot filter for far-infrared wavelengths

We developed a far-infrared Fabry-Perot filter constructed from a single silicon substrate. The limiting resolving power caused by beam divergence of a silicon-gap Fabry-Perot filter is approximately 10 times higher than that of a vacuum-gap Fabry-Perot filter because of the large index of refraction of silicon. The filter thus permits compact, high-throughput optical systems. Metal mesh patterns microlithographed on each face provide enhanced, wavelength-dependent face reflectivity. We tested the performance of filters with metal mesh patterns consisting of inductive crosses and capacitive squares. A Fabry-Perot filter developed for a rocketborne astrophysics experiment with a capacitive square metal mesh pattern achieves a resolving power of λ/Δλ(FWHM) =160 at λ= 158 μm, with a peak transmittance of 37% over an active aperture of 6.9 mm for an ?/3.8 optical beam at 15° incidence. The absorptivity of a 240-μm thick silicon substrate patterned with capacitive metal mesh is A ? 1% per pass, including loss in both the silicon and the metal mesh.     

Surface activities,biodegradability and antimicrobial properties of glucosamine derivatives containing alkyl chains

Three series of D-glucosamine derivatives containing an alkyl chain with 8 to 14 atoms, methyl 2-acylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosides,n-alkyl 2-acetylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosides andn-alkyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside hydrochlorides, were synthesized, and their surface properties (such as surface tension, critical micelle concentration (CMC), dynamic surface tension and foaming properties), biodegradability and antimicrobial activities were evaluated.n-Alkyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside hydrochlorides containing C8 to C12 carbon chains showed surface activities, a CMC and excellent foaming properties. The α-anomers showed a slightly lower CMC than the β-anomers, indicating less hydrophilicity of the α-anomers. On the other hand, glucosamine derivatives containing amide groups showed poor surface activities in water due to their lower solubilities in water. All glucosamine derivatives containing alkyl chains were biodegraded as well as conventional ethoxylated nonionics by activated sludge from the municipal sewage treatment plant. Methyl 2-acylamino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosides andn-alkyl 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranoside hydrochlorides showed a broader spectrum of antimicrobial activity than the correspondingn-alkyl glucopyranosides. Among them the C12 derivatives showed the best results.     

Multi-objective Optimization Design of Magnesium Alloy Wheel Based on Topology Optimization

Lightweight of automatic vehicle is a significant application trend,using topology optimization and magnesium alloy materials is a valuable way.This article des...