Intra-aortic ultrasonography in advanced esophageal cancer

Bisphosphonates are a group of chemical substances which have been used in medicine for thirty years in the treatment of skeletal diseases and disorders of calcium metabolism. Bisphosphonates are derived from pyrophosphate by substitution of an O atom for a C atom. This structure makes possible a number of variants by changing the side-chains of the C atom. The basic P-C-P bond is very thermostabile and completely resistant to enzymatic hydrolysis. The basic biological property of bisphosphonates is inhibition of bone resorption but has not been completely elucidated so far. The prerequisite is the inhibitory action of bisphosphonates on osteoclast activity. The latter are inhibited only when they are in contact with bone surfaces which contain bisphosphonates. Another possible mechanism of action of bisphosphonates is their action on osteoblasts: osteoblasts produce local growth factors which inhibit osteoclasts and thus osteoresorption is inhibited. So far it is not exactly known whether the direct effect on osteoclasts, the indirect effect via osteoblasts or a combination of both are the most important effect of bisphosphonates on the resorption of bone.     

Myocardial infarction and regulatory myosin light chain

Myosin from cardiac muscle consists of two heavy chains and two pairs of light chain. Regulatory myosin light chain (RMLC) is phosphorylated by a Ca2+ and calmodulin dependent myosin light chain kinase. The impact of experimental myocardial infarction on cardiac RMLC was studied. The left anterior descending coronary artery of rabbits was ligated. Three, 7 and 14 days later the animals were euthanized, sections of the heart were frozen in liquid nitrogen and later subjected to 2-dimensional electrophoresis. Isoelectric focusing was carried out at a pH range of 4.5-5.4. Reproducible patterns of protein separation showed four spots with proteins of phosphorylatable regulatory light chains shifted to a more negative pH as compared to essential light chain. We investigated changes in phosphorylation of RMLC in infarcted heart muscle. As compared to sham operated animals, a decline in phosphorylation of RMLC was present in both infarcted and non-infarcted portions of the left ventricle; the latter was significant 7 days following the onset of ischemia. In contrast, the decline in percent phosphorylation in the infarcted area was not significant. The amount of RMLC decreased significantly in the infarcted portion. A highly significant reduction in the percent of viable cardiomyocytes accompanied the decline in phosphorylation. There was a significant correlation of RMLC following administration of isoproterenol, 7 and 14 days following onset of ischemia. Only faint traces of essential atrial myosin light chain (ALC-1) were present in the non-infarcted portion of the left ventricle. No correlation was found between percent phosphorylation and the amount of RMLC (density) following infusion of saline or isoproterenol. Isoproterenol significantly increased percent phosphorylation without altering the amount of RMLC protein. We conclude that myocardial infarction profoundly affects regulatory myosin light chain phosphorylation in the infarcted and non-infarcted areas of the myocardium and that RMLC plays a significant part in myocardial contractility.     

Radiographic analysis of hallux valgus in women on weightbearing and nonweightbearing

To investigate changes in the radiographic appearance during weightbearing in hallux valgus and to examine the importance of a weightbearing view, a comparative study was performed of accurate dorsoplantar radiographs of 108 symptomatic hallux valgus feet in 73 female patients and 100 normal feet in 69 females, which were taken weightbearing and nonweightbearing. The hallux valgus angle in the hallux valgus group increased on weightbearing, whereas that in the normal group decreased. The intermetatarsal angle between the first and second metatarsals increased on weightbearing in both groups. The degree of the changes of the angles was closely related with the degree of the hallux valgus deformity. The intermetatarsal angle between the fourth and fifth metatarsals decreased on weightbearing in the both groups. A weightbearing view is necessary to evaluate the structural configuration of hallux valgus, because muscle imbalance around the first metatarsophalangeal joint in hallux valgus causes an increase of a hallux valgus angle on weightbearing.     

Removal of NO by absorption and the subsequent reduction method using YBa2Cu3Oy and Ce-ZSM-5

The effectiveness of the ab(ad)sorption and the subsequent reduction (abbreviated as ASR hereafter) system for the removal of highly dilute NO has been examined using a flow-type reaction system. The ASR system comprises two serial processes: first, NO is absorbed into (and/or adsorbed on) the system in the presence of O₂ until saturation, and then the absorbed NO is decomposed, for example, by reduction at a higher temperature in the presence of propene and oxygen. YBa₂Cu₃O_y (YBC) and Ce-ZSM-5 were chosen in this study as materials for absorption and reduction, respectively. Efficient removal of NO was attained when the first layer consisting of a mixture of YBC and Ce-ZSM-5 was combined with the second layer of Ce-ZSM-5, and propene was additionally introduced between the two layers during the reductive decomposition. By this ASR system, the amount of NO absorption reached 1.5 mol per mole of YBC at 573 K and 60% of the NO absorbed was selectively decomposed to N₂ at 623 K in 9 h (N balance, 75%; N₂ selectivity, 79%).     

Direct current to 34.1-Gb/s, 19-Gb/s/cm/sup 3/ low-jitter parallel optical interconnecting module for high-speed memory test systems

A protocol-free parallel optical interconnecting module is introduced as a solution to solve memory test system transmission bottlenecks. The optical transmission system flexibly suited for a memory test system is reviewed and discussed. A parallel optical module capable of transmitting from dc to 34.1Gb/s (4.267 Gb/s /spl times/8 ch) has been developed. A data transmission throughput density per unit volume of 19 Gb/s/cm/sup 3/ is achieved. A random jitter of less than 3-ps root-mean-square is also achieved. Furthermore, high-density optical connector, high-density optical fiber cable, fiber guides, and cable management/reinforcement members suited for mechanical requirements of the memory test system have been developed.     

Development of a 3-D simulation analysis system for PWR control rod drive mechanism

A 3-D virtual analysis system to analyze the motion of control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) was developed. The analysis system consists of a 3-D model established as per the actual dimensions and interfaces of CRDM parts and a routine to calculate the forces acting on the mechanism, and was verified by mock-up test using the same equipment as the actual product. The analysis system is useful for functional evaluation in maintenance or to factor out root causes in the case of malfunction of CRDM.     

Evaluation of temperature characteristics of high-efficiency InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cells under concentration

Temperature characteristics of the open-circuit voltage (V_oc) were investigated in the temperature range from 30°C to 240°C for the InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction cells. Also, single-junction cells that had the similar structure to the subcells in the triple-junction cells were studied. In the high-temperature range (from 170°C to 240°C), the temperature coefficients of V_oc of the InGaP/InGaAs/Ge triple-junction solar cell (dV_oc/dT) were different from those in the low-temperature range (from 30°C to 100°C). This is because photo-voltage from the Ge subcell becomes almost 0 V in the high-temperature range. It was found that the open-circuit voltage of a Ge single-junction cell reduced to almost 0 V temperatures over 120°C under 1 sun condition.     

Radical-induced degradation mechanism of perfluorinated polymer electrolyte membrane

The degradation mechanism induced by radicals was investigated for Nafion^®-117 by solution analysis. Nafion^® was exposed independently to three kinds of radicals, OH, H and O₂⁻ which were produced separately by γ-irradiation. Based on the eluted elements, the scission site in the membrane was analyzed. The results showed that the scission site was classified into two and these locations were closely relating to oxidative and reductive reactions. The decreasing rate of proton conductivity was more significant under the influence of reductive radicals. The progression of the unzipping reaction of main chain was suggested to be initiated by the production of tertiary carbon radical by reductive radicals such as H and O₂⁻ with the aid of OH. The structural degradation such as collapse of cluster and the cluster decomposition as well as the performance degradation was found to be initiated by such reductive radicals.     

Ironmaking with ammonia at low temperature

This paper describes the reduction of hematite with ammonia for ironmaking, in which the effect of temperature on the products was examined. The results showed that the reduction process began at 430 °C during heating, and with an increase in temperature, the reduction mechanism changed apparently from a direct reduction of ammonia (Fe(2)O(3) + 2NH(3) → 2Fe + N(2) + 3H(2)O) to an indirect reduction via the thermal decomposition of ammonia (2NH(3) → N(2) + 3H(2), Fe(2)O(3) + 3H(2) → 2Fe + 3H(2)O) at temperatures over 530 °C. The final product obtained at 600 and 700 °C was pure metallic iron, in contrast with that formed at 450 °C, that is, a mixture of metallic iron and iron nitride. The results suggest the possibility of using ammonia as a reducing agent for carbonless ironmaking, which is operated at a much lower temperature than 900 °C in conventional coal-based ironmaking.