AP-3: an adaptor-like protein complex with ubiquitous expression

Equine herpesvirus type 2 (EHV-2) is a slow-growing, cytopathogenic gammaherpesvirus, which is suggested to be ubiquitous in the equine population. However, its precise role as a pathogen and its tissue tropism remains uncertain. To estimate the prevalence of EHV-2 in Germany and to investigate the possible pathogenicity of the virus, peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) from 172 horses were examined for EHV-2 DNA by a sensitive and specific nested PCR based on the EcoRI-N genomic fragment and by classical cocultivation. PBL samples from 51% of the horses were positive by PCR and virus was isolated from 31% of the horses by cocultivation. However, almost all animals were seropositive for EHV-2. This may indicate that PBL do not harbour EHV-2 indefinitely after infection. Furthermore, a correlation between clinical signs and EHV-2 as a causative agent could not be determined. Nevertheless, the prevalence of virus was high among horses with upper respiratory tract disease, abortion and severe ataxia. The products of the second round of the PCR reactions showed size polymorphism. Sequencing of the products revealed that these size differences were due to repetition of the motif (AGACAGGGGCCATGCTGGC) between 9-16 times depending on the isolate, suggesting that the nested PCR might be a useful tool for the differentiation of EHV-2 isolates.     

New hot-carrier-degradation mode in thin-film SOI nMOSFET's

A new hot-carrier degradation mode peculiar to MOSFET's fabricated on thin-film SOI is described. This degradation mode, which occurs in nMOSFET's more easily than in pMOSFET's, is due to suppression of parasitic bipolar action caused by recombination of excess carriers through hot-carrier-induced front interface-traps. Threshold voltage is significantly shifted by this phenomenon. The reliability lifetime defined by threshold voltage shift and drain current degradation is also discussed, considering the new degradation mode     

An analog core memory for pulse-width modulated signal

This paper describes the results of studies on an analog core memory with the aim of applying them to the process controllers. The analog information is stored as the flux level of the square-loop magnetic core. The "write-in" and "read-out" of flux level are achieved by the pulse-width modulation techniques. The storage errors are introduced by the deviations from the ideal square-loop characteristics. However, improvements of stability and linearity are obtained by the following methods: 1) negative dc bias ampere-turn is applied to the square-loop magnetic core, 2) two magnetic cores are connected in the push-pull circuit configuration, 3) the pulse-width modulated (PWM) signal is employed as the "write-in" and "read-out" signal. The experimental results of this device show that the accuracy of analog information storage is better than 0.5 percent at the cycle-time of 1 ms. The PWM signal has both analog and digital characteristics and is suitable for the sequential analog arithmetic computation. An analog-digital hybrid computing control system is outlined to show how these devices can be utilized.     

Automatic Variable Field Chopper Control System for Electric Railcars

1) The principle of the automatic variable field (AVF) chopper control system, 2) analysis of field characteristics, the field intensity to the chopper-conduction ratio, 3) applying the AVF system to high voltage, large capacity, high frequency chopper equipment, and 4) test results on the Chiyoda Line of Teito Rapid Transit Authority are discussed.     

Purification and subunit structure of extracellular superoxide dismutase from mouse lung tissue

The first purification of mouse extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) and the analysis of the native enzyme are described. Mouse EC-SOD was purified from lung tissues with a high recovery (41%) and a specific polyclonal antibody against the purified enzyme was obtained. The purified enzyme had a strong affinity for, heparin and a molecular mass of 150 kDa (estimated by a gel filtration chromatography). The native mouse EC-SOD was composed of two different sizes of subunits, a M(r) of 33 and 35 kDa (determined by SDS-PAGE). The 35-kDa subunit had an interchain disulfide bond at the C-terminus and existed as a covalent dimer in the molecule, whereas the 33-kDa subunit resulted from the 35-kDa subunit by truncating its C-terminus as a posttranslational modification, with resultant loss of the interchain disulfide bond. These results suggest that the native mouse EC-SOD is a heterotetramer composed of two different dimers, with or without a covalent bond.     

Association between MICA gene A4 allele and acute anterior uveitis in white patients with and without HLA-B27

Because all known influenza A subtypes exist in the aquatic bird reservoir, influenza is not an eradicable disease; prevention and control are the only realistic goals. If people, pigs, and aquatic birds are the principal variables associated with interspecies transfer of influenza virus and the emergence of new human pandemic strains, influenza surveillance in these species is indicated. Live-bird markets housing a wide variety of avian species together (chickens, ducks, geese, pigeon, turkeys, pheasants, guinea fowl), occasionally with pigs, for sale directly to the public provide outstanding conditions for genetic mixing and spreading of influenza viruses; therefore, these birds should be monitored for influenza viruses. Moreover, if pigs are the mixing vessel for influenza viruses, surveillance in this population may also provide an early warning system for humans.