Alteration of T-lymphocyte subpopulations in patients with primary renal diseases and systemic lupus erythematosus

Forty-eight patients with a variety of primary renal diseases and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were examined for the proportion of circulating T lymphocytes bearing receptors for IgM (T mu cells) or IgG (T gamma cells). Although the control group showed strikingly similar mean values for both T mu and T gamma cells, the whole group of patients with primary renal diseases and SLE showed a wide scatter of values. Sixteen patients with primary renal diseases and SLE had higher proportions of T gamma cells than the control group, whereas seven patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN), membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), lipoid nephrosis (LN), and SLE showed very marked decrease in the proportions of T gamma cells in the peripheral blood. On the other hand, six out of the total group of patients had low proportions of T mu cells in the peripheral blood. However, no consistent relationship between the proportion of T mu and T gamma cells was found in our study. These findings indicate that there exists a heterogeneity of T-lymphocyte subpopulation distribution in some patients with primary renal diseases and SLE. The possible significance of these phenomena in the pathophysiology of renal diseases is discussed.     

Basic study of aerial flashover characteristics generated from pore of insulating solid

This paper reports a study on the possibility of an aerial flashover between a coil conductor and a casing in rotating machines under the application of a lower voltage than Paschen's voltage, even when enough insulation distance is secured. The time lag to aerial flashover originating from surface flashover was measured. To understand the aerial flashover influenced by the parameters of the voltage application circuit, the aerial flashover distance was measured using a cable which had a simulated pore to confirm the above issue. The surface flashover characteristic was also measured using a photomultiplier tube (PMT). It became clear that aerial flashover occurred a few milliseconds after surface flashover generation. After showing the peak, the aerial flashover distance decreased with increasing time constant. The surface flashover time estimated by the PMT output exhibited different values with change of capacitance when the time constant is larger. On the other hand, the average surface flashover current was almost the same in spite of the change of capacitance. From these results, it was concluded that the aerial flashover distance was influenced by the time constant of the circuit. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 180(3): 9–17, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library ( wileyonlinelibrary.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.21295     

Synthesis of C2H4 by partial oxidation of CH4 over LiCl/NiO

Alkali halide added transition metal oxides produced ethylene selectively in oxidative coupling of methane. The role of alkali halides has been investigated for LiCl-added NiO (LiCl/NiO). In the absence of LiCl the reaction over NiO produced only carbon oxides (CO₂ + CO). However, addition of LiCl drastically improved the yield of C₂ compounds (C₂H₆ + C₂H₄). One of the roles of LiCl is to inhibit the catalytic activity of the host NiO for deep oxidation of CH₄. The reaction catalyzed by the LiCl/NiO proceeds stepwise from CH₄ to C₂H₄ through C₂H₆ (2CH₄ → C₂H₆ → C₂H₄). The study on the oxidation of C₂H₆ over the LiCl/NiO showed that the oxidative dehydrogenation of C₂H₆ to C₂H₄ occurs very selectively, which is the main reason why partial oxidation of CH₄ over LiCl/NiO gives C₂H₄ quite selectively. The other role of LiCl is to prevent the host oxide (NiO) from being reduced by CH₄. The catalyst model under working conditions was suggested to be the NiO covered with molten LiCl. XPS studies suggested that the catalytically active species on the LiCl/NiO is a surface compound oxide which has higher valent nickel cations (Ni^(2+δ)+ or Ni³⁺). The catalyst was deactivated at the temperatures>973 K due to vaporization of LiCl and consumption of chlorine during reaction. The kinetic and CH₄---CD₄ exchange studies suggested that the rate-determining step of the reaction is the abstraction of H from the vibrationally excited methane by the molecular oxygen adsorbed on the surface compound oxide.     

Characteristic long-chain fatty acid of Pleurocybella porrigens

As part of an investigation on the chemical constituents and contaminants of the basidiomycete Pleurocybella porrigens (Japanese name: Sugihiratake), we analyzed the UV-detected constituents of this mushroom using HPLC. One of the major UV peaks detected was isolated and identified as a-eleostearic acid, a long-chain fatty acid with a conjugated triene moiety, based on the results of spectroscopic methods. alpha-Eleostearic acid was concluded to be a characteristic fatty acid of P. porrigens, because it was not detected in eight other edible mushrooms examined. Free long-chain fatty acids in P. porrigens and other edible mushrooms were analyzed by HPLC after derivatization with acidic 2-nitrophenylhydrazine hydrochloride. Oleic acid was the main fatty acid in P. porrigens, and saturated long-chain fatty acids such as linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid, together with a-eleostearic acid, were also detected.     

Tritium depth profile in matter using an imaging plate

A method to detect tritium non-destructively in regions deeper than the escape depth of beta rays is being developed using bremsstrahlung induced by beta rays with an imaging plate (IP). An IP made of europium-doped BaFBr(I), a photostimulated luminescence (PSL) material, is a two-dimensional radiation sensor. The bremsstrahlung energy spectrum is a continuum with photon energies, varying based on the atomic number and thickness of the target (or absorbing) material. When tritium migrates into matter, the bremsstrahlung energy spectrum distribution would change. The PSL intensity of the IP is affected by this energy spectrum variation. In order to quantify the amount of tritium in deeper regions with the IP technique, a tritium depth profile is required.In this study, a new method of obtaining a tritium depth profileusing the combined technique of the IP and thin absorbers is presented.     

Transport-Coefficient Dependence of Current-Induced Cooling Effect in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

The dependence of the current-induced cooling effect on the electron mobility??? _e is explored for a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field. We calculate the distributions of the electrochemical potentials and the temperatures under a magnetic field, fully taking account of thermoelectric and thermomagnetic phenomena. Whereas the electrochemical potential and the electric current remain qualitatively unchanged, the temperature distribution exhibits drastic mobility dependence. The lower-mobility system has cold and hot areas at opposite corners, which results from the heat current brought about by the Ettingshausen effect in the vicinity of the adiabatic boundaries. The cooling effect is intensified by an increase in??? _e. Intriguingly, the cold and hot areas change places with each other as the mobility??? _e is further increased. This is because the heating current on the adiabatic edges due to the Righi?CLeduc effect exceeds that due to the Ettingshausen effect in the opposite direction.     

Thermomagnetic Effect in the Quantum Hall System

We calculate the Seebeck S _xx and Nernst S _yx components of the thermopower tensor ? in the quantum Hall system, using analytical formulas of the conductivity tensor $\hat{\sigma}$ that we deduced in a previous publication. The results basically reproduce the magnetic field dependence of experimentally observed behavior of S _xx and S _yx . With the aid of the Mott relation valid at low temperatures, we can further simplify the expressions and obtain analytical formulas for S _xx and S _yx . The Mott relation predicts that both S _xx and S _yx grow linearly with temperature T. To examine the range of validity of the formula based on the Mott relation, we investigate the temperature dependence of the height of the |S _xx | peak at the first excited (N?=?1) Landau level for various values of the impurity scattering time ?? _q. The results calculated with the more general integral formulas are seen to deviate from the linear T dependence and asymptotically approach the universal value (2ln?2/3)(k _B/e) above $T \simeq \hbar / (2 \tau_{\rm q} k_{\rm B}).$      

Modulation of Aphid Alarm Pheromone Emission of Pea Aphid Prey by Predators

Recent studies on animal alarm signaling have shown that alarm calls generally are not uniform, but may vary depending on the type and intensity of threat. While alarm call variability has been studied intensively in birds and mammals, little is known about such variation in insects. We investigated variability in alarm signaling in aphids, group-living insect herbivores. Under attack, aphids release droplets containing a volatile alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene (EBF), that induces specific escape behavior in conspecifics. We used a handheld gas chromatograph (zNose?), which allows real-time volatile analysis, to measure EBF emission by pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum, under attack from different predators, lacewing or ladybird larvae. We demonstrate that aphid alarm signaling is affected by the predator species attacking. Ladybirds generally elicited smaller EBF emission peaks and consumed aphids more quickly, resulting in lower total EBF emission compared to lacewing attacks. In 52 % of the replicates with lacewings and 23 % with ladybirds, no EBF was detectable in the headspace, although aphids secreted cornicle droplets after attack. We, therefore, examined EBF amounts contained in these droplets and the aphid body. While all aphid bodies always contained EBF, many secreted droplets did not. Our experiments show that alarm signaling in insects can be variable, and both the attacker as well as the attacked may affect alarm signal variation. While underlying mechanisms of such variation in aphid-predator interactions need to be investigated in more detail, we argue that at least part of this variation may be adaptive for the predator and the aphid.     

Ion-Exchange Loading of Yttrium Acetate as a Sintering Aid on Aluminum Nitride Powder via Aqueous Processing

A novel fabrication process of AlN ceramics via aqueous colloidal processing and pressureless sintering has been presented. The chemical stability of AlN powder in water was improved by the surface chemical modification with sebacic acid, while maintaining a hydrophilic surface. The treatment of the sebacic acid-modified powder with yttrium acetate tetrahydrate resulted in strong immobilization of Y³⁺ ions, as a sintering aid, at a highly dispersive level on the AlN powder surface through ion exchange with the free carboxyl groups of the sebacic acid molecules attached to the AlN surface. By selecting slip compositions for a well-deflocculated condition and firing conditions to burn out organic components in the slip cast compacts, a thermal conductivity of about 250 W/(m·K) could be attained by the pressureless sintering at 1900°C for 5 h.     

DC dielectric characteristics and conception of insulation designfor DC GIS

In order to discuss the dielectric performance of DC GIS, the flashover characteristics of gas-insulated bus were studied under conical- and disk-type spacers. The test involves the investigation on effect of electrification for charge to be accumulated in spacers and the effect of metallic particles. As the result, it was found that the dielectric characteristics of conical-type spacer are better than disk type. Moreover, the dielectric performance of DC GIS is more affected by the characteristics of coaxial electrode system than spacer surface with regard to metallic particle. On the basis of the results of these tests, this report presents the conception of insulation design for DC GIS