Detection of alpha-interferon in nasopharyngeal secretions and sera in children infected with respiratory syncytial virus

We investigated the relationship between respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen and interferon (IFN) in nasopharyngeal secretions (NPS) and sera obtained from 252 patients infected with RSV. A total of 146 (57.9%) of 252 patients had IFN in NPS with a mean titer of 28 units/ml and IFN was detected in 164 (71.6%) of 229 patients in the acute stage sera with a mean titer of 28 units/ml. IFN activities were neutralized with antiserum to IFN-alpha. RSV antigen in NPS decreased on Day 5 and later in parallel with the change of mean titer of IFN in NPS. IFN in NPS was detected in 40 to 60% of the samples with some fluctuation in the acute stage. Within 4 days IFN was detected in more than 70% of the sera whereas on Day 5 and later the IFN positivity rate decreased in sera. RSV antigen in NPS decreased in the older patient groups. No significant change of positive rate of IFN in NPS was observed in different age groups and the mean titer of IFN in NPS and sera did not vary with age, except in those younger than 3 months and older than 3 years of age.     

Improvement of critical current density in Y---Ba---Cu---F---O compounds by addition of platinum

Platinum added Y---Ba---Cu---F---O compounds with nominal composition YBa₂Cu₃F_0.4O_xPt_y {y=0, 0.3, 0.5} were prepared by a partial melt process performed at lower temperature than the conventional melt process. Optical micrograph observations showed that Y₂BaCuO₅ (211) particles increase in density and are dispersed finely when increasing the doping of Pt up to 0.3 wt%. For the 0.5 wt% Pt sample, however, the size of the 211 particles became larger than in the samples containing less than 0.3 wt% Pt. The magnetization was measured using a SQUID magnetometer in the temperature range 20–77 K under magnetic fields B_e up to 1 T. The magnetization M also increased with increasing quantity of platinum up to 0.3 wt%. The J_c values estimated from the width of the magnetization curves were 9.8×10⁷ A/m² for the 0.3 wt% Pt sample and 5.4×107 A/m² for the undoped sample at 77 K and B_e=0.8 T. In addition, the whereabouts of the platinum in the quenched samples was investigated by using electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA).     

Vibrations of probe used for the defect detection of helical heating tubes in a fast breeder reactor: Part 2. Vibration analysis and numerical simulations

A detection of a defect of a helical heating tube installed in the fast breeder reactor “Monju” in Japan is done by a feeding of an eddy current testing (ECT) probe with magnetic sensor into the tube. An undesirable vibration of the ECT probe always happens under a certain condition and makes the inspection difficult. Several characteristics of the vibration have been made clear by some experiments using a mock-up, but the essential factor of the vibration is still unclear. In this paper, a numerical simulation of the vibration is implemented on the assumption that the vibration is caused by Coulomb friction. An analytical model, which is obtained as a lumped mass model, is a large-scale non-linear vibration system and many computational costs are ordinarily required to carry out the simulations. The Transfer Influence Coefficient Method is applied so that the simulation is efficiently carried out. The results of simulation qualitatively agree well with the experimental results. It confirms the validity of the assumption that the vibration is caused by Coulomb friction.     

Oxygen Steelmaking—Key to Japan’s Increasing Capacity

Japan’s rapidly rising steelmaking capacity has been due in part to the adoption of the basic oxygen steel-making process in that country. This paper describes the LD operation at the Yawata Iron & Steel Co., with particular emphasis on improving the refractory life of the vessels.     

Effect of Environment on Crystallinity and Chemical Stability in Solid-State of Ground Cephalotin Sodium During Storage

Effects of environmental conditions on the crystallinity and the decomposition point (Dp) of ground cephalotin sodium during storage were investigated by X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis (DTA). The X-ray diffraction peaks of ground products increased after storage at 0% and 75% relative humidity (R.H.), at 35° C. The crystallinity of ground product increased at 75% R.H. and 0% R.H., 35°C, but that of ground product at 0% R.H., -30°C was not changed. The Dp measured by DTA of the ground product increased from 189.5°C to 197°C after 4 days at 75% R.H., but the Dp of the ground product at 0% R.H., -30°C for 4 days was 190.1°C. Relation between the Dp and the crystal Unity of ground cefalotin sodium was a straight suggesting that the thermal stability of cefaiotin sodium in the solid-state depends on the degree of crystallinity.     

Electrical Recording and Reproduction of Ultrasono-Tomograms Using a VTR

Ultrasonic diagnostic equipment has seen rapid development and utilization in various fields of diagnostic medicine.     

Detoxification of bisphenol A and nonylphenol by purified extracellular laccase from a fungus isolated from soil

Purified laccase from a fungus (family Chaetomiaceae) was used for the enzymatic oxidation of bisphenol A and nonylphenol, endocrine-disrupting chemicals. It rapidly oxidized both chemicals in the absence of mediators and within 24 h their estrogenic activities were completely removed.     

Stress corrosion cracking of stainless-steel canister for concrete cask storage of spent fuel

Resistance to external stress corrosion cracking (ESCC) and crevice corrosion were examined for various candidate canister materials in the spent fuel dry storage condition using concrete casks. A constant load ESCC test was conducted on the candidate materials in air after deposition of simulated sea salt particles on the specimen gage section. Highly corrosion resistant stainless steels (SS), S31260 and S31254, did not fail for more than 46 000 h at 353 K with relative humidity of 35%, although the normal stainless steel, S30403 SS failed within 500 h by ESCC. Crevice corrosion potentials of S31260 and S31254 SS became larger than 0.9 V (SCE) in synthetic sea water at temperatures below 298 K, while those of S30403 and S31603 SS were less than 0 V (SCE) at the same temperature range. No rust was found on S31260 and S31254 SS specimens at temperatures below 298 K in the atmospheric corrosion test, which is consistent with the temperature dependency of crevice corrosion potential. From the test result, the critical temperature of atmospheric corrosion was estimated to be 293 K for both S31260 and S31254 SS. Utilizing the ESCC test result and the critical temperature, together with the weather station data and the estimated canister wall temperature, the integrity of canister was assessed from the view point of ESCC.     

Analytical Expression of Maximum Throughput for Long-Frame Communications in One-way String Wireless Multihop Networks

It is important to obtain analytical expressions of the maximum throughput in IEEE 802.11 Distributed Coordination Function multi-hop networks. In the previous works, the analytical expressions of the maximum throughput for one-way string multi-hop networks taking into account the signal capture effect were obtained. In other researches, the analytical expressions of the maximum throughput for one-way string multi-hop networks were also obtained, which are, however, valid only for short-frame communications. There is no analytical expression for maximum throughput, which is valid for long-frame communications. This paper presents an analytical expression of the maximum throughput for long-frame communications. For the long-frame-communication analysis, we make different assumptions from those in the previous-analyses. In the short-frame-communication analyses, it is assumed that all nodes always have frames. In the long-frame-communication analysis, however, it should be assumed that every equal to or more than three nodes in a string-topology network have frames. The comprehension of this behavior is the most important progression in this paper. The assumptions and the analytical expression are validated by the simulation results.