Ultrahigh-speed driverless MQW intensity modulator, and 20 Gbit/s, 100 km transmission experiments

An InGaArInAlAs MQW modulator with the low voltage of 1.5 V for 10 dB extinction ratio and 16 GHz bandwidth has been developed. This ultrahigh-speed modulator enables the modulator driver to be eliminated from the transmitter. 100 km transmission experiments have been carried out using either a 1 V peak to peak output monolithic-IC-driven modulator at 15 Gbit/s or a 2 V peak to peak output multiplexer-driven modulator at 20 Gbit/s. This is the first report on multigigabit operation of MQW modulators to the authors' knowledge.<>     

Performance of the first Japanese large-scale facility for radon inhalation experiments with small animals

A radon test facility for small animals was developed in order to increase the statistical validity of differences of the biological response in various radon environments. This paper illustrates the performances of that facility, the first large-scale facility of its kind in Japan. The facility has a capability to conduct approximately 150 mouse-scale tests at the same time. The apparatus for exposing small animals to radon has six animal chamber groups with five independent cages each. Different radon concentrations in each animal chamber group are available. Because the first target of this study is to examine the in vivo behaviour of radon and its effects, the major functions to control radon and to eliminate thoron were examined experimentally. Additionally, radon progeny concentrations and their particle size distributions in the cages were also examined experimentally to be considered in future projects.     

Selective induction of interleukin-1 production and tumor killing activity of macrophages through apoptosis by the inhibition of oxidative respiration

Suppression of mitochondrial respiration and increased glycolysis are characteristic features of activated macrophages. We show here that antimycin A, a respiratory inhibitor, induced interleukin-1 synthesis and tumoricidal activity without inducing tumor necrosis factor or nitric oxide. The induction of tumoricidal activity was resistant to inhibitors of tyrosine-specific protein kinases and intracellular glycoprotein transport. The cognate interaction between macrophages and target cells was not a prerequisite for the tumoricidal activity. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide induced the production of interleukin-1, tumor necrosis factor and nitric oxide, the induction of tumoricidal activity being sensitive to genistein and brefeldin A. Antimycin A, like lipopolysaccharide, induced the release of a cytoplasmic enzyme and apoptosis of macrophages. Antimycin A showed anti-metastatic activity in vivo. These results suggest that the inhibition of oxidative respiration would induce apoptosis and the resultant release of soluble effector molecules of macrophages which inhibit tumor metastasis in vivo.     

Immunohistochemical localization of amylase in peri- and tele-insular acinar cells of the human exocrine pancreas

An immunohistochemical localization of amylase was demonstrated in human pancreatic acinar cells using a commercial anti-human pancreatic amylase antibody. The immunofluorescence was mainly localized in the cell apices, and some differences in the intensity of the fluorescence was observed among the acinar cells in respect to their location from the islets of Langerhans. The peri-insular acinar cells showed a brighter fluorescence than the cells of tele-insular acini. This inhomogeneity of pancreatic amylase distribution in the human exocrine pancreas adds a further clue to the concept of insulo-acinar interaction.     

一种新的GPS快速整周模糊度解算算法

本文实现了一种新的GPS快速整周模糊度解算算法,首先采用Kalman滤波估计初始浮点模糊值,然后采用FASF（快速模糊度搜索滤波器）和Z变换联合的方法解算整周模糊度,并给出了计算机实验结果。相对于传统的模糊度解算算法,本文采用的整周模糊度解算方法具有效率更高、更便于实时和动态应用的特点,本文的研究可作为GPS实时高动态定位和GPS实时姿态测量的工程应用的参考。     

Transparent Nano-Composites Ceramics by Annealing of Amorphous Phase in the HfO2-Al2O3-GdAlO3 System

We have succeeded in fabricating transparent nano-structured ceramics by annealing of the amorphous phase obtained by the solidification of the eutectic melt in the ternary system HfO₂− Al₂O₃− GdAlO₃. The ceramics annealed at 1273 K for 6 hr contained 5-10-nm cubic hafnia grains, and those annealed at 1273 K for 72 hr contained both cubic hafnia and gadolinium aluminum garnet grains 5-10 nm in size. They showed high transparency. Annealing at 1473 K, however, resulted in grain growths that brought about non-transparency.     

Isolation and identification of the cDNA encoding the pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide and additional neuropeptides in the oriental tobacco budworm, Helicoverpa assulta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

The present study is concerned with cloning and characterizing Has-PBAN cDNA which is 756 nucleotides long, isolated from the brain and suboesophageal ganglion complex (Br-Sg) of Helicoverpa assulta adults. The 194-amino acid sequence deduced from this cDNA possessed the proteolytic endocleavage sites to generate multiple peptides. From the processing of the prepro-hormone, it can be predicted that the cDNA has a PBAN domain with 33 amino acids and four additional peptide domains: 24 amino acid-, 7 amino acid-, 18 amino acid- and 8 amino acid-long sequences, with FXPR (or K) L (X = G, T or S) amidated at their C-termini. The amino acid sequence of all five predicted peptides, including the PBAN, are identical to that of Helicoverpa zea (Raina, A.K., Jaffe, H., Kempe, T.G., Keim, P., Blacher, R.W., Fales, H.M., Riley, C.T., Klun, J.A., Ridgway, R.L., Hayes, D.K., 1989. Identification of a neuropeptide hormone that regulates sex pheromone production in female moths. Science 244, 796-798 and Ma, P.W.K., Knipple, D.C., Roelofs, W.L., 1994. Structural organization of the Helicoverpa zea gene encoding the precursor protein for pheromone biosynthesis-activating neuropeptide and other neuropeptides. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., U.S.A. 91, 506-510). A single mRNA species corresponding to the size of Has-PBAN cDNA was detected from the Br-Sg of 1-3-day old female and male adults, and their expression was also at a similar level. Pheromone production was induced upon injection of female or male Br-Sg extracts or synthetic PBAN into the haemocoel of decapitated 1-3-day old female adults during the photophase when they are not supposed to produce pheromone. From these results, H. assulta adult females seem to use their own PBAN for regulating sex pheromone biosynthesis. Functions of the four other peptides ending with FXPR (or K) L in the Has-PBAN cDNA and of the male PBAN remain to be elucidated.     

Effect of flow direction on the morphological responses of cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells

Establishing the mean normal prothrombin time (MNPT) from fresh samples for prothrombin ratios and INR often presents difficulty in selection and collection of donors. A set of seven lyophilized normal plasmas has therefore been prepared at the ECAA Central Facility and studied at 143 laboratories in sixteen European states using coagulometers in serial field exercises. All centres tested either the high ISI ECAA rabbit or low ISI ECAA human reference thromboplastin. The MNPT of fresh plasmas and means of the lyophilized samples were closely comparable with most routine rabbit thromboplastins. Using human thromboplastins means with the lyophilized normals were marginally but significantly longer and with the bovine Thrombotest significantly shorter than the MNPT of fresh plasmas causing alterations in INR. There was no appreciable effect on INR of 2.5 and 3.5 when lyophilized normals were substituted for fresh normals with the rabbit reagents.