The improvement of the permeability of wood by underwater shock wave

Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D.Don) wood generally has the so-called black heartwood, which contains the extremely high moisture content. Although subjected to the drying process, it is difficult to be dried up completely so that Sugi wood does not have the sufficient strength for use. The reason is that during drying process, the bordered pit membrane on traicheids closes faster near the heartwood in Sugi wood so that the internal moisture is not easily come out to the outside. At the mean time, it also makes very difficult to saturate the rotten-proof chemicals into the dried Sugi wood to have it become an additionally valuable wood. In this paper, we will develop an underwater shock wave technique to treat the pre-dried wood for the improvement of the drying property as well as the permeability and strength of Sugi wood by selectively fracturing the bordered pit membrane. The result indicates a very remarkable improvement on the drying time. The mechanism of the fracture of the bordered pit by underwater shock wave will be further studied in the future.     

Physicochemical Properties of Starches from Lotus Rhizomes Harvested in Different Months

We investigated the physicochemical properties of starches extracted from 8 lotus (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) rhizomes harvested in different months (September 2012 to May 2013). The physicochemical properties of the lotus starches depended on the harvest date. The peak viscosity (PV) in the Rapid Visco-Analyser analysis, and the viscosity at 65 °C (V₆₅) in the rotational viscometer analysis were significantly lower in SEP starch (extracted from the September-harvested sample) than in the other lotus starches. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients of potassium ion (K) content vs. V₆₅ and of K content vs. PV were 0.905 and 0.714, respectively, indicating that potassium ions are important for expressing the pasting properties of lotus starch. Principal component analysis suggested that the potassium, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus contents are important for displaying both the pasting and gelatinization properties of the lotus starches. Meanwhile, the cluster analysis revealed that physicochemical properties of the SEP starch were different from those of the starches harvested in other months.     

Expression of Rhodococcus opacus alkB genes in anhydrous organic solvents

Rhodococcus opacus B-4 is a benzene-tolerant bacterium which was isolated from a gasoline-contaminated soil sample. We previously demonstrated that this organism was able to survive and exhibit biocatalytic activity in anhydrous organic solvents for at least 5 d. In the present study, we cloned the alkB1 and alkB2 genes encoding alkane hydroxylases from R. opacus B-4. Heterologous expression of the alkB1 and alkB2 genes in Escherichia coli JM109 showed that they encode functional alkane hydroxylases with a substrate range of C(5)-C(16). Promoters of the alkB1 and alkB2 genes, designated P(alkB1) and P(alkB2), respectively, were examined for activity in anhydrous bis (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (BEHP) containing C(5)-C(16)n-alkanes. Two recombinant plasmids, pP(alkB1)EGFP and pP(alkB2)EGFP, were constructed by inserting the egfp gene downstream of P(alkB1) and P(alkB2), respectively and transformed into R. opacus B-4. Resting cells of R. opacus B-4 (pP(alkB1)EGFP) showed greater levels of EGFP fluorescence in anhydrous BEHP than in 0.85% NaCl, when C(8)-C(16)n-alkanes were supplied as an inducer. Furthermore, n-alkane inducibility of P(alkB1) activity in anhydrous BEHP was noticeably different from that in 0.85% NaCl. This paper presents the first evidence that bacteria can express their genes in essentially anhydrous organic solvents.     

Composition control for evaporated CoCr thin films

Composition control was achieved in fabrication of CoCr thin films by evaporation onto tape-shaped polymer substrates. The vapor composition during deposition was determined by an atomic absorption type of detectors and a composition calculator. The gradual change of composition during deposition due to the difference in vapor pressure between Co and Cr was compensated by supplying Cr into the evaporator. As a result, the desirable composition was obtained to within an accuracy of 0.4 wt.%. This composition control system was shown to be suitable for the preparation of CoCr perpendicular magnetic recording media     

An analytical system for determining delta17O in CO2 using continuous flow-isotope ratio MS

We developed a simple measurement system for delta17O in nanomole quantities of CO2 using continuous flow isotope ratio mass spectrometry (CF-IRMS). The analytical system consisted of a sample injection system, a helium-purged CO2 purification line, a capillary GC, a combustion unit, and CF-IRMS. A unique feature of the system is that we use molecular CO2 to determine the isotopic compositions including delta17O. The delta17O of CO2 in a sample is calculated from the mass ratios of both 45/44 and 46/44 of two different kinds of CO2, which have been purified quantitatively from different aliquots of a sample. While one aliquot (rCO2) flows into IRMS directly, the other (eCO2) flows through a CuO unit (900 degrees C) prior to injection into IRMS, to exchange oxygen atoms in the sample CO2 molecules with those in CuO for which we can assume Delta17O = 0. In our system, we introduce both rCO2 and eCO2 alternately to IRMS repeatedly by using an automatic multianalytical system to improve analytical precision statistically. The standard deviation of 0.35 per thousand for Delta17O can be realized using as little as 8.7 nmol CO2 in a approximately 3-h analysis. Based on this system, we have quantified delta17O in the stratospheric CO2 over Japan.     

Diagnostic value of atypical lymphocytes in cerebrospinal fluid from adults with enteroviral meningitis

We have noted two morphologically distinct types of atypical lymphocytes (AL) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of adult patients with meningitis: one, which we designate type-I AL, with multilobulated nuclei resembling those of the abnormal cells in adult T-cell leukaemia (ATL); and another, type-II AL, characterized by large lymphocytes with basophilic cytoplasm and nuclei containing coarse chromatin. Type-I AL were detected in 25 of 39 patients (64%) with enteroviral and in 11 of 109 (11%) with aseptic meningitis presumed to be caused by other viruses, but not in meningitis resulting from Cryptococcus neofirmans (n = 14), Mycobacterium tuberculosis (n = 19) or acute bacterial infection (n = 49). Type-I AL were not seen in herpes zoster (n = 15) aseptic meningeal reactions (n = 15), or in leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (n = 14). Type-II AL were often present in meningitis of various aetiologies and in aseptic meningeal reactions, but not in leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. The presence of type-I AL in the CSF was found to be indicative of enteroviral meningitis with the highest predictive value (69%), while type-II AL had a lower diagnostic positive predictive value in meningitis of the five aetiologies above. Type-I AL immunostained for CD4, while type-II AL were stained for CD8. The presence of type-I AL in CSF strongly suggests enteroviral meningitis, which warrants careful follow-up without antifungal, antituberculous or antibacterial agents. However, type-I AL, which are likely to be virally transformed lymphocytes, must be distinguished from ATL cells, which frequently involve the meninges.     

A two-amino acid insertion in the Cys146- Cys167 loop of the alphaIIb subunit is associated with a variant of Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Critical role of Asp163 in ligand binding

The ligand binding site(s) of the alpha subunit of integrin alphaIIb beta3 (GPIIb-IIIa), a prototypic non-I domain integrin, remains elusive. In this study, we have characterized a Japanese variant of Glanzmann thrombasthenia, KO, whose platelets express normal amounts of alphaIIb beta3. KO platelets failed to bind the activation-independent ligand-mimetic mAb OP-G2 and did not bind fibrinogen or the activation-dependent ligand-mimetic mAb PAC-1 following activation of alphaIIb beta3 under any condition examined. Sequence analysis of PCR fragments derived from KO platelet mRNA revealed a 6-bp insertion leading to a 2-amino-acid insertion (Arg-Thr) between residues 160 and 161 of the alphaIIb subunit. Introduction of the insertion into wild-type recombinant alphaIIb beta3 expressed in 293 cells led to the normal expression of alphaIIb beta3 having the defect in ligand binding function. The insertion is located within the small loop (Cys146-Cys167) in the third NH2-terminal repeat of the alphaIIb subunit. Alanine substitution of each of the oxygenated residues within the loop (Thr150, Ser152, Glu157, Asp159, Ser161, and Asp163) did not significantly affect expression of alphaIIbbeta3, and only Asp163AlaalphaIIb beta3 abolished the ligand binding function. In addition, Asp163AlaalphaIIb beta3 as well as KO mutant alphaIIb beta3 constitutively expressed the PMI-1 epitope. Our present data suggest that Asp163 of the alphaIIb subunit is one of the critical residues for ligand binding.     

Pathogenesis of hyponatremia following subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured cerebral aneurysm

BACKGROUND: Hyponatremia following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) occurs due to the inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH). However, this condition is also sometimes associated with certain dehydration states. METHODS: To clarify the pathogenesis, daily values of urine volume, water balance, and sodium balance (Na Bal) were correlated with plasma levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and plasma renin activity (PRA) in 31 cases of SAH. RESULTS: Na Bal was markedly negative on days 2 and 3. Cumulative Na Bal showed continuous negative values until day 10 following SAH. ANP values showed a consistent elevation, while ADH showed only an initial surge. PRA, as the gross indicator of circulatory volume, showed a lack of suppression, indicating no increase in the circulatory volume. CONCLUSION: Hyponatremia following SAH therefore appears to be the result of increased natriuresis, due to the inappropriate elevation of ANP rather than SIADH. In this situation, water restriction should not be recommended, since the circulatory volume is decreased.     

Wide-stripe AlGaInP laser diodes with current-blocking region near facets grown on misoriented substrates

Wide-stripe high-power AlGaInP laser diodes ( lambda /sub L/=659 nm) with a current-blocking region (CBR) near the facets have been successfully fabricated for the first time by MOCVD using     

DSD (double soft decision) concatenated FEC scheme in mobilesatellite communication systems

In order to realize a higher-code-gain forward error correction scheme in mobile satellite communication systems, a novel concatenated coding scheme employing soft decision decoding for not only inner codes but also outer codes (double soft decision, or DSD, concatenated forward error correction scheme) is proposed. Soft-decision outer decoding can improve the bit error probability of inner decoded data. In this scheme, likelihood information from an inner Viterbi decoder is used in the decoding of outer codes. A technique using the path memory circuit status 1.0 ratio for likelihood information is proposed, and is shown to be the most reliable even though it requires the simplest hardware among the alternative methods. A computer simulation clarifies that the DSD scheme improves Pe performance to one-third of that of the conventional hard-decision outer decoding. Moreover, to reduce the interleaving delay time in fading channels or inner decoded data of concatenated codes, a parallel forward error correction scheme is proposed