Interleukin-8 (IL-8) and monocyte chemotactic and activating factor (MCAF/MCP-1), chemokines essentially involved in inflammatory and immune reactions

We analyzed the noise characteristics of two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) images obtained from the GE Advance positron emission tomography (PET) scanner. Three phantoms were used: a uniform 20-cm phantom, a 3-D Hoffman brain phantom, and a chest phantom with heart and lung inserts. Using gated acquisition, we acquired 20 statistically equivalent scans of each phantom in 2-D and 3-D modes at several activity levels. From these data, we calculated pixel normalized standard deviations (NSD's), scaled to phantom mean, across the replicate scans, which allowed us to characterize the radial and axial distributions of pixel noise. We also performed sequential measurements of the phantoms in 2-D and 3-D modes to measure noise (from interpixel standard deviations) as a function of activity. To compensate for the difference in axial slice width between 2-D and 3-D images (due to the septa and reconstruction effects), we developed a smoothing kernel to apply to the 2-D data. After matching the resolution, the ratio of image-derived NSD values (NSD2D/NSD3D)2 averaged throughout the uniform phantom was in good agreement with the noise equivalent count (NEC) ratio (NEC3D/NEC2D). By comparing different phantoms, we showed that the attenuation and emission distributions influence the spatial noise distribution. The estimates of pixel noise for 2-D and 3-D images produced here can be applied in the weighting of PET kinetic data and may be useful in the design of optimal dose and scanning requirements for PET studies. The accuracy of these phantom-based noise formulas should be validated for any given imaging situation, particularly in 3-D, if there is significant activity outside the scanner field of view.     

Microprocessor-Based Stabilizing Control Equipment for Survival of Isolated Mid-City Power System

This paper describes the recently developed microprocessor-based stabilizing control equipment for survival of isolated mid-city power system having heavy load and large shunt capacitance (Underground cables) of TOKYO ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY (TEPCO). The active power balance and voltage stabilizing control scheme is realized by high-speed control of the 66KV load feeders, shunt reactors, shunt capacitors and 275KV & 154KV underground transmission cables dispersed in the power system.     

Different types of optoelectronic bistabilities inresonant-tunnelling triangular-barrier optoelectronic switch (R-TOPS)

Novel optoelectronic bistabilities in a resonant-tunnelling triangular-barrier optoelectronic switch (R-TOPS) are reported. Optically controlled S-shaped and N-shaped NDRs were observed simultaneously in a single device. Different types of optoelectronic bistabilities originated from S-shaped and N-shaped NDRs were obtained by changing the input light power     

Alleviation of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension by antibodies to monocyte chemotactic and activating factor/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1

Administration of monocrotaline (MCT) causes pulmonary vascular lesions consisting of monocyte/macrophage infiltration in the early phase and medial thickening in pulmonary arteries and arterioles associated with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the later phase. However, the molecular mechanism of monocyte/macrophage infiltration and its roles remain elusive. Herein, we have evaluated the role of a potent monocyte chemotactic and activating chemokine/monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCAF/MCP-1) in MCT-induced PH in rats. A single injection of MCT induced PH at Day 21, as evidenced by increases in the ratio of right ventricular to left ventricular and septum weights (RV/LV+S) and right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP). A significant increase in macrophage number in lungs started at Day 14, reaching a maximum at Day 21. MCAF/MCP-1 levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids were elevated significantly at Day 14 and remained high until Day 28, whereas plasma MCAF/MCP-1 levels increased at Day 7, returning to normal levels by Day 21. Immunoreactive MCAF/MCP-1 proteins were mainly detected in macrophages in alveoli and in perivascular regions of pulmonary arterioles and venules. Intravenous administration of anti-MCAF/MCP-1 antibodies with MCT significantly decreased macrophage infiltration and eventually reduced the increases in RV/LV+S and RVSP, as well as medial thickening of pulmonary arterioles. Thus, MCAF/MCP-1 is essentially involved in MCT-induced PH by recruiting and activating macrophages.     

A case of subcutaneous cysticercosis

We report the fourth case of subcutaneous cysticercosis infected in Japan since 1975. The patient noticed a subcutaneous nodule on his left shoulder without symptoms for three years. No remarkable changes were found in laboratory findings and physical examination after surgical excision of the subcutaneous nodule. The adult worm of Taenia solium could not be found in the intestine. Histological findings revealed a cystic structure with a fibrous capsule and a protoscolex with suckers, hooks, and calcareous corpuscula. It was identified as a Cysticercus cellulosae hominis based on morphological characteristics. The patient has been living in the Kanto area of Japan and has never been outside Japan since he was born.     

A highly sensitive Pb(Zr,Ti)O/sub 3/ thin film ultrasonic micro-sensor with a grooved diaphragm

A highly sensitive piezoelectric ultrasonic micro-sensor with a grooved multilayer membrane was developed by a Si-based MEMS technique. The groove was located at one-quarter of the distance away from the edge of the membrane and opened into piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT) was 2.2 mum thick and was prepared by a sol-gel method. The prepared PZT film was pure perovskite and showed a highly (100) textured structure. The sensitivity of the fabricated piezoelectric ultrasonic sensor without the groove structure was 100 muV/Pa. In comparison, the sensitivity of the ultrasonic sensor with the groove structure was about 500 muV/Pa, which is 5 times that without the groove structure. The diaphragm having grooves showed a corrugate-like structure that was formed by residual stress. The high sensitivity of the membrane with the grooved diaphragm is considered to relate to the corrugate-like structure.     

A class of distortionless codes designed by Bayes decision theory

The problem of distortionless encoding when the parameters of the probabilistic model of a source are unknown is considered from a statistical decision theory point of view. A class of predictive and nonpredictive codes is proposed that are optimal within this framework. Specifically, it is shown that the codeword length of the proposed predictive code coincides with that of the proposed nonpredictive code for any source sequence. A bound for the redundancy for universal coding is given in terms of the supremum of the Bayes risk. If this supremum exists, then there exists a minimax code whose mean code length approaches it in the proposed class of codes, and the minimax code is given by the Bayes solution relative to the prior distribution of the source parameters that maximizes the Bayes risk     

Nanostructured graphite-hydrogen system prepared by mechanical milling under hydrogen and argon atmospheres

Nanostructured graphite was prepared by mechanical milling under hydrogen and argon atmospheres. The hydrogen concentration in the sample prepared by miling under hydrogen atmosphere reaches up to 7.4 mass % (CH_0.95). Judging from the radial distribution function determined by the neutron diffraction measurement, there are two types of deuterium (hydrogen) coordinations. On the other hand, the hydrogen concentration does not exceed 0.5 mass % by the gas-phase hydrogenation for the sample prepared by milling under argon atmosphere. Part of this work was published in theApplied Physics Letters (American Institute of Physics), Volume 75, Page 3093–3095,15 November 1999; by S. Orimo, G. Majer, T. Fukunaga, A. Züttel, L. Schlapbach and H. Fujii     

Effect of Thermal Drilling Condition on Burring in Ultrahigh Strengh TRIP Sheet Steels

Effect of thermal drilling condition on burring of 0.2C-(1.0-2.5)Si-(1.0-2.0)Mn (mass%) ultrahigh strength TRIP-aided sheet steels with polygonal ferrite matrix (TDP steels) was investigated for automotive applications.The combined rotational and downward force of the thermal drilling tool bit created friction heat.The height of the bushing was roughly 3 to 4 times the initial sheet thickness.The bushings are ideal for thread applications,as the strength of threads was significantly increased.We found that the burring and tapping contributed to the improvement of the tensile strength of 980 MPa class TRIP steel.     

Electrical Properties of (110)-Oriented Nondoped Mg2Si Films with p-Type Conduction Prepared by RF Magnetron Sputtering Method

Magnesium silicide (Mg₂Si) thick films with (110) orientation were fabricated on (001) sapphire substrate using radiofrequency magnetron sputtering. Stoichiometric Mg₂Si films with composition Si/(Mg + Si) = 0.33 were achieved over a range of vacuum from 10 mTorr to 140 mTorr and 300°C. On postannealing the film at 500°C, the out-of-plane lattice parameter shifted to lower values and the electrical conductivity increased by two orders of magnitude. A room-temperature Seebeck coefficient of 517 μV K^?1 was observed and found to decrease with increasing temperature; the Seebeck coefficient remained at a constant positive value of 212 μV K^?1 at 500°C. This can be related to the possibility of p-type conduction in this temperature range.