Radiation damage of bipolar SST due to γ rays of Co

In order to investigate radiation hardness of the bipolar SST transistors, transistor samples were exposed to gamma rays from an intense ⁶⁰Co source. The transistor samples were hard up to a total dose of the order of 10⁴ Gy.     

A Multipitch Analyzer Based on Harmonic Temporal Structured Clustering

This paper proposes a multipitch analyzer called the harmonic temporal structured clustering (HTC) method, that jointly estimates pitch, intensity, onset, duration, etc., of each underlying source in a multipitch audio signal. HTC decomposes the energy patterns diffused in time-frequency space, i.e., the power spectrum time series, into distinct clusters such that each has originated from a single source. The problem is equivalent to approximating the observed power spectrum time series by superimposed HTC source models, whose parameters are associated with the acoustic features that we wish to extract. The update equations of the HTC are explicitly derived by formulating the HTC source model with a Gaussian kernel representation. We verified through experiments the potential of the HTC method     

Induction of metallothionein synthesis by bismuth in cultured vascular endothelial cells

The accuracy and reliability of the TMJ Scale were originally determined in cross-validation studies on large, research-based patient samples. It had been assumed that the demographic characteristics and test responses of these research-based samples would be representative of the clinical population in which the TMJ Scale would ultimately find use. The present study on more than 10,000 patients that were evaluated for temporomandibular disorders in clinical practice demonstrates that the test scores, demographic variables, and the patterns of symptom severity that characterize the original TMJ Scale research sample accurately represent the general temporomandibular disorder patient population in which the TMJ Scale is now being used. The results suggest a high degree of confidence in the clinical efficacy of this assessment tool. The overall symptom severity of temporomandibular disorders was found to be normally distributed in the patient population. Women with temporomandibular disorders report a higher level of severity of all physical and psychological symptoms than men. This may explain the high female-to-male ratio in patients seeking treatment. However, a higher percentage of male temporomandibular disorder patients has clinically significant psychological and stress-related problems than do women. The severity and prevalence of symptoms associated with joint dysfunction and range of motion limitation are lower in older age groups, and the overall symptom severity of temporomandibular disorders is not higher in older age groups. However, the severity and prevalence of symptoms associated with joint dysfunction are greater in groups in which temporomandibular disorders have existed for longer durations, although pain levels do not follow this trend. There is also an association between time duration of the temporomandibular disorder and the severity of psychological problems and chronicity. Patients with chronic problems are symptomatically more impaired than those with acute problems.     

Intelligential industrial management

In this paper, we propose the intelligential industrial management which is the new concept in the industrial management. In the intelligential industrial management, the know-how and experience in the production process are divided into the fact, relation, and action in whit many criteria are used. The rule is constructed from the relation and action. And the inference process shows the sequence of the action and rule by using the inference symbol proposed.     

Nucleotide excision repair proteins may be involved in the fixation of glyoxal-induced mutagenesis in Escherichia coli

Earlier studies in our laboratories demonstrated that particles of a number of snack foods that are retained on the dentition accumulate fermentable sugars and short-chain carboxylic acids (SCCA; acetic, formic, lactic, and propionic) to different degrees. The present study was undertaken to test the hypothesis that the accumulated SCCA can induce a gingival inflammatory response. Five periodontally and medically healthy subjects were given portions of plain doughnuts (high SCCA levels) or oatmeal cookie (low SCCA), or had the SCCA applied directly to the gingival margins of designated teeth. Subjects were given wax to chew, or nothing, as controls. Inflammation was assessed by measurements of subgingival temperature, flow rates of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), and neutrophil emigration into GCF. Subgingival temperatures of the maxillary gingiva rose by 1.32 +/- 0.30 degrees C (mean +/- SE) 5 min after the subjects consumed the doughnuts and remained elevated for at least 1 hr. These values were significantly higher than those obtained from subjects after ingestion of oatmeal cookies (0.63 +/- 0.17 degree C; p < 0.01), consistent with the low levels of SCCA in the retained cookie particles. Wax chewing elicited a similar response, indicating a masticatory effect on the gingiva. Gingival temperatures in the unchallenged controls remained unchanged. Neutrophil emigration into the GCF was significantly elevated in subjects after doughnut consumption. Rinses with a solution of SCCA, or application of the SCCA to the gingiva, also brought about significant elevations in subgingival temperature and neutrophil emigration. The findings describe the inflammatory effects of food ingestion on the gingiva of healthy human subjects, and support the hypothesis that SCCA in the particles of retained food are at least partly responsible for the observed responses.     

Intentional side etching to achieve low-noise GaAs f.e.t.

A very-low-noise 0.5 ?m-gate GaAs f.e.t. is realised by using intentional side etching of an Au/Ti double layer as the Schottky-gate metal. At 12 GHz, the minimum noise figure is 2.1 dB, with 7.6 dB associated gain at a bias of VD = 4 V, ID= 10 mA. Maximum stable gain is 14 dB at VD = 4 V, ID = 30 mA.     

Generating material strength standards of aluminum alloys for research reactors I. Yield strength values Sy and tensile strength values Su

Aluminum alloys are frequently used as structural materials for research reactors. The material strength standards, however, such as the yield strength values (S_y), the tensile strength values (S_u) and the design fatigue curve—which are needed to use aluminum alloys as structural materials in “design by analysis”—for those materials have not been determined yet. Hence, a series of material tests was performed and the results were statistically analyzed with the aim of generating these material strength standards. This paper, the first in a series on material strength standards of aluminum alloys, describes the aspects of the tensile properties of the standards. The draft standards were compared with MITI no. 501 as well as with the ASME codes, and the trend of the available data also was examined. It was revealed that the draft proposal could be adopted as the material strength standards, and that the values of the draft standards at and above 150°C for A6061-T6 and A6063-T6 could be applied only to the reactor operating conditions III and IV. Also the draft standards have already been adopted in the Science and Technology Agency regulatory guide (standards for structural design of nuclear research plants).     

Collaborative work to determine the optimal administration period and parameters to detect drug effects on male rat fertility--study on estradiol benzoate effects

In order to examine the optimal administration period and parameters for male fertility assessment, male rats were subcutaneously administered 0.2, 2 or 20 micrograms/kg of estradiol benzoate (E2B), a known testicular toxicant, for 4 weeks or 9 weeks before mating. After 4 weeks administration, suppression of body weight gain and food consumption, decreases in prostate and seminal vesicle weights, atrophy of Leydig cells, and mature spermatid retention at stages IX, X and XI were observed in the 2 and 20 micrograms/kg groups. In the 20, micrograms/kg group, decreases in epididymides weight and copulation index were also found but the number of sperm and sperm motility were not affected. In the 0.2 micrograms/kg group, no changes were noted in any parameters. After 9 weeks administration, decreases in testis weight and the number and motility of sperm were observed in the 20, micrograms/kg group, in addition to the changes found after 4 weeks administration. These results suggest that detailed histopathological evaluation and determination of accessory sex organ weights are sensitive for evaluating the effects of E2B on male fertility. Results with the 4-weeks treatment were comparable to those with the 9-weeks treatment in terms of these parameters.