Universal Correlations of Tc Ion Mass Scaling with Distance

We present a short overview of the critical temperature correlations with different parameters for low and high T _c superconductors. The overview underlines the importance of crystalline structure in determining the critical temperature value. The structure of copper-based superconductors is studied in comparison with low-temperature superconductors and a new correlation of the transition temperature is found. Namely, the layered structure, more exactly a certain distribution of the mass of the ions along the c-axis is the key factor in determining the intrinsic critical temperature, parameter introduced by Kresin et al. [4].     

Cloning of a gene for D-sorbitol dehydrogenase from Gluconobacter oxydans G624 and expression of the gene in Pseudomonas putida IFO3738

We have cloned a novel gene for d-sorbitol dehydrogenase (SLDH), which efficiently converted D-sorbitol to L-sorbose, from Gluconobacter oxydans G624 (FERM BP-4415). A cosmid library of the genomic DNA was screened by assaying SLDH activity. The inserted DNA from a positive clone was downsized by subcloning into charomid and pUCP plasmid, successively. Sequencing analysis of the DNA responsible for SLDH activity revealed an open reading frame of 1455 bp coding for 485 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 53,642 Da. The amino acid sequence showed 42.2% identity with a NAD+-dependent mannitol dehydrogenase (MDH), which catalyzed conversion of d-sorbitol to d-fructose, from Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM50106. Since the intact SLDH was found to be very unstable during isolation and purification, this SLDH fused to 6 x His-tag was expressed in Pseudomonas putida IFO3738 and purified by immobilized metal affinity chromatography using cobalt-based resins. The 6 x His-tag SLDH catalyzed the oxidation of D-sorbitol to L-sorbose and exhibited 15 times higher activity in the presence of NADP+ than that of NAD+. These results indicate that the SLDH is a novel kind of dehydrogenase distinct from MDH previously reported.     

An error evaluation scheme based on rotation of magnetic field in adaptive finite element analysis

The finite-element analysis is widely used in design stage of electromagnetic apparatuses. The analysis accuracy depends on the characteristics of the finite-element mesh, e.g., number of nodes, number of elements and shape of elements. Recently, the adaptive finite-element analysis is one of the most promising numerical analysis techniques. In process of the adaptive finite-element method, the error evaluation is one of the important schemes. In this paper, a new error evaluation scheme, which is suitable for electromagnetic problems, is proposed. The proposed error evaluation method is then applied to two-dimensional and three-dimensional magnetostatic field problems for its verification.     

Enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit in p- and n-type Cu/Bi-Te/Cu composites

The resultant thermoelectric properties of welded Cu/Bi-Te/Cu composites were measured at 298 K as a function of relative thickness x of Bi-Te compound by changing the interval s between two thermocouples and compared with those calculated as a function of x by treating it as an electrical and thermal circuit. These composites were prepared by welding with eutectic solder of Pb-Sn, after one end surface of the as-grown p- and n-type Bi-Te ingots were plated with Ni. It was found that the observed ZT of composites has a local maximum at an optimum x even when s was changed, as in the case of Cu/Bi-Sb/Cu and Ni/Bi-Sb/Ni composites with various relative thicknesses. Appearance of a local maximum in ZT is owing to the barrier thermo-emf generated by a sharp temperature drop at the interface between Bi-Te compound and copper. It may be caused by the separation of non-equilibrium carriers at the interface between them. The observed maximum ZT values at 298 K of the p- and n-type composites reached surprisingly great values of 1.53 and 1.66 at x=0.98, which correspond to about twice as large as those of commercially utilized Bi-Te compounds. This enhancement of ZT is available for generators, but may be not utilizable as a Peltier module. The composite materials were thus found to be utilizable as useful means of further increase in ZT of macroscopic bulk materials.     

Mucin-producing tumor of the pancreas: diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted echo-planar MR imaging

It is generally accepted that hemifacial spasm (HFS) and trigeminal neuralgia are caused by compression of the facial nerve (seventh cranial nerve) or the trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve) at the nerve's root exit (or entry) zone (REZ); thus, neurosurgeons generally perform neurovascular decompression at the REZ. Neurosurgeons tend to ignore vascular compression at distal portions of the seventh cranial nerve, even when found incidentally while performing neurovascular decompression at the REZ of that nerve, because compression of distal portions of the seventh cranial nerve has not been regarded as a cause of HFS. Recently the authors treated seven cases of HFS in which compression of the distal portion of the seventh cranial nerve produced symptoms. The anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) was the offending vessel in five of these cases. Great care must be taken not to stretch the internal auditory arteries during manipulation of the AICA because these small arteries are quite vulnerable to surgical manipulation and the patient may experience hearing loss postoperatively. It must be kept in mind that compression of distal portions of the seventh cranial nerve may be responsible for HFS in cases in which neurovascular compression at the REZ is not confirmed intraoperatively and in cases in which neurovascular decompression at the nerve's REZ does not cure HFS. Surgical procedures for decompression of the distal portion of the seventh cranial nerve as well as decompression at the REZ should be performed when a deep vascular groove is noticed at the distal site of compression of the nerve.     

Effect of tylosin tartrate on humoral immune responses in chickens

This article examines the 50-year struggle of osteopathic physicians to gain entry into the US Military Medical Corps on the same basis as allopathic physicians. The author explores various arguments put forth by both physician groups, as well as those arguments presented by the respective surgeons general and relevant government officials.     

Multihormone-producing islet cell tumor of the pancreas associated with somatostatin-immunoreactive amyloid: immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopic studies

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between high but nondiabetic blood glucose levels and the risk of death from all causes, coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease, and neoplasms. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We studied the 20-year mortality of non-diabetic, working men, age 44-55 years, in three European cohorts known as the Whitehall Study (n = 10,025), the Paris Prospective Study (n = 6,629), and the Helsinki Policeman Study (n = 631). These men were identified by their 2-h glucose levels following an oral glucose tolerance test and by the absence of a prior diagnosis of diabetes. As the protocol for the oral glucose tolerance test and methods for measuring glucose differed between studies, mortality was analyzed according to the percentiles of the 2-h and fasting glucose distributions, using the Cox's proportional hazards model. RESULTS: Men in the upper 20% of the 2-h glucose distributions and those in the upper 2.5% for fasting glucose had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality in comparison with men in the lower 80% of these distributions, with age-adjusted hazard ratios of 1.6 (95% CI 1.4-1.9) and 2.0 (1.6-2.6) for the upper 2.5%. For death from cardiovascular and CHD, men in the upper 2.5% of the 2-h and fasting glucose distributions were at higher risk, with age-adjusted hazard ratios for CHD of 1.8 (1.4-2.4) and 2.7 (1.7-4.4), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: If early intervention aimed at lowering blood glucose concentrations can be shown to reduce mortality, it may be justified to lower the levels of both 2-h and fasting glucose, which define diabetes.     

Temperature dependence of the vortex nucleation field of thin-film,type II superconductors

The critical supercurrent versus applied field parallel to the surface of Pb-20 wt % In thin films was measured at various temperatures. The temperature dependence of the first vortex nucleation field (the lower critical field of a thin-film superconductor) suggests that the vortex structure is distorted due to surface effects.     

Reaction of poly(epichlorohydrin) with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate and RI-UV dual-detector GPC of the product

Summary The chlorine in poly(epichlorohydrin) was found to be substituted by diethyldithiocarbamate (ETC) group by the reaction with NaETC in tetrahydrofuran at 60°C. The reaction product was analyzed by RI-UV dual-detector GPC. The composition i.e. the percentage of the chlorine replaced by the ETC group was found to be invariant with the elution count. This result might indicate the absence of polymer effect in the carbamation of poly(epichlorohydrin).