Barkhausen Noise Measurement System Using a Three-Pole Probe

In the present study, a three-pole probe is proposed for measurement of Barkhausen noise (BN). A system was constructed for forming a magnetic field using the three-pole probe and succeeded in forming rotating magnetic fields of the same amplitude in all directions and arbitrary orientated stationary alternating magnetic fields. Furthermore, a BN measurement system was constructed and used to measure the BN of a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet. The results show that the BN exhibits a large output in the direction of the easy magnetization axis of the specimen, and it is demonstrated that the BN measurement result using the rotating magnetic field formed by the three-pole probe is reliable.     

Activation of the beta-catenin gene in primary hepatocellular carcinomas by somatic alterations involving exon 3

We screened 75 primary hepatocellular carcinomas for somatic mutations in the entire coding region of the beta-catenin gene. We detected somatic mutations in 14 tumors; 12 were considered to cause amino acid substitutions and 2 were interstitial deletions of 51 or 195 nucleotides of genomic DNA, corresponding to exon 3. Among the 12 point mutations, 6 occurred at potential serine/threonine phosphorylation residues of codons 33, 41, or 45. The remaining six tumors contained a mutation at codon 32 (aspartic acid) or 34 (glycine), flanking to the serine residue at codon 33. By Western blot analysis, we confirmed accumulation of beta-catenin in five tumors for which frozen tissues were available; the five included tumors in which amino acid alterations had occurred at codons 32, 34, or 45, and one with a 17-amino acid deletion. Our results suggested that accumulation of beta-catenin due to amino acid substitutions at potential serine/threonine phosphorylation residues or at their neighboring codons or interstitial deletions involving exon 3 could contribute to hepatocellular carcinogenesis.     

Mutants in the ADP-ribosyltransferase cleft of cholera toxin lack diarrheagenicity but retain adjuvanticity

Cholera toxin (CT), the most commonly used mucosal adjuvant in experimental animals, is unsuitable for humans because of potent diarrhea-inducing properties. We have constructed two CT-A subunit mutants, e.g., serine-->phenylalanine at position 61 (S61F), and glutamic acid-->lysine at 112 (E112K) by site-directed mutagenesis. Neither mutant CT (mCT), in contrast to native CT (nCT), induced adenosine diphosphate-ribosylation, cyclic adenosine monophosphate formation, or fluid accumulation in ligated mouse ileal loops. Both mCTs retained adjuvant properties, since mice given ovalbumin (OVA) subcutaneously with mCTs or nCT, but not OVA alone developed high-titered serum anti-OVA immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies (Abs) which were largely of IgG1 and IgG2b subclasses. Although nCT induced brisk IgE Ab responses, both mCTs elicited lower anti-OVA IgE Abs. OVA-specific CD4+ T cells were induced by nCT and by mCTs, and quantitative analysis of secreted cytokines and mRNA revealed a T helper cell 2 (Th2)-type response. These results now show that the toxic properties of CT can be separated from adjuvanticity, and the mCTs induce Ab responses via a Th2 cell pathway.     

A comparison of hepatic cytochrome P450 protein expression between infancy and postinfancy

We immunochemically measured the contents of 9 different cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes expressed in the liver and compared them between two groups: one group of 6 infant and 4 perinatal patients and one group of 10 patients after infancy (over 1 year old). CYP protein expressed in human liver can be divided into three groups on the basis of expression pattern: (a) CYP2A6, 2C9, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A were present in all samples and no difference was observed between the two groups; (b) CYP1A2, 2B6, and 2C8 were expressed more after infancy than during infancy; and (c) CYP3A7, which has been considered a major CYP enzyme in fetal liver microsomes, was expressed in all infants as well as the four perinatal patients, whereas it was detected in only 2 patients after infancy. These results implied that CYP2A6, 2C9, 2D6, 2E1, and 3A are already expressed during perinatal and infant period, while CYP1A2, 2B6, and 2C8 are expressed highly in subjects over 1 year old, and CYP3A7 disappeared after infancy.     

An algorithm for the detection of faces on the basis of Gabor features and information maximization

We propose an algorithm for the detection of facial regions within input images. The characteristics of this algorithm are (1) a vast number of Gabor-type features (196,800) in various orientations, and with various frequencies and central positions, which are used as feature candidates in representing the patterns of an image, and (2) an information maximization principle, which is used to select several hundred features that are suitable for the detection of faces from among these candidates. Using only the selected features in face detection leads to reduced computational cost and is also expected to reduce generalization error. We applied the system, after training, to 42 input images with complex backgrounds (Test Set A from the Carnegie Mellon University face data set). The result was a high detection rate of 87.0%, with only six false detections. We compared the result with other published face detection algorithms.     

Two-way time transfer through 2.4 Gb/s optical SDH system

An experiment to transfer time and frequency over 2.488 Gb/s synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH) systems using a 175-km commercial optical fiber cable has been set up by Communication Research Laboratory (CRL) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) Laboratory. We confirm that the frequency stability of the time comparison data is 10^-12/square root of tau for averaging times above 10 s. This stability equals that of the cesium frequency standard (HP5071A) used in this experiment. This means that the system can transfer the cesium frequency standard signal without deterioration. The time comparison resolution is of the order of 10^-11 s (square root of time variance). The long-term stability of this system is expected to be better than 1 ns, including the temperature dependence of time information transmitters and receivers. Time comparison results agree well with GPS common-view results. Time accuracy is held to within 32 ns (this includes the anticipated time deviation caused by network elements)     

Neutralization of Lipopolysaccharide by Heat Shock Protein in Pediococcus pentosaceus AK‐23

About 1000 species of bacteria are present in the human intestine. Some Gram‐negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella spp. among intestinal bacteria have lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which might induce inflammation of human intestines. Actually, LPS, especially its lipid A constituent, is toxic. Small amounts of LPS in bacteria cause inflammation of mucosa and other tissues in humans. Such bacteria may be regulated by beneficial lactic acid bacteria to maintain human health. Many lactic acid bacteria show cancer prevention activity and anti‐inflammatory activity in intestines. Recently, Pediococcus pentosaceus AK‐23 was isolated from fermentative vegetable pickles for neutralization of LPS. For this study, a protein for LPS neutralization was purified partly from P. pentosaceus AK‐23. For this study, a protein for LPS neutralization was purified partly from P. pentosaceus AK‐23, by ultrafiltration using a 300 kDa membrane and a 100 kDa membrane after cell wall digestion by lysozyme. Gel running blue native electrophoresis revealed the existence of a 217 kDa protein. The band of the protein having the ability to bind LPS on the gel was analyzed for amino acid homology. As the result, it is revealed as part of a subunit of heat shock protein (HSP). Furthermore, it displayed LPS binding or hydrophobic motifs. The protein neutralized LPS to release fatty acid as myristic acid and glucose from polysaccharide. These findings suggest that HSP in P. pentosaceus AK‐23 neutralizes LPS to decompose it compising fatty acid and polysaccharide.     

Long-term propagation delay characteristics of telecommunicationlines

The variations in outgoing path delay and incoming delay of a paired transmission path have been measured simultaneously and independently for over one year. The characteristics will allow the performance of delay compensation schemes for precise time synchronization of digital telecommunication networks to be evaluated. The annual delay variation is caused by temperature changes, and its magnitude is about 3 μs for the 2400-km line investigated. It is shown that the variation of annual delay can be estimated by measuring air temperature above the cable. The delay variations, which vary slowly with a period of over 10³ s, such as annual and daily variations, are clearly correlated for the outgoing and incoming paths. Asymmetry of slow delay variation is below 1 ns (indicated noise deviation). The cause of the delay variation that has a period of 10⁰<τ<102 s is the noise generated by the multiplexing and demultiplexing equipment     

Nanoporous Membranes Prepared from Homogeneous Lamellar Structure Developed via Biaxial Melt-Drawing of Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene/Normal Molecular Weight Polyethylene Blend Films

Biaxial melt-drawing of blend films composed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and normal molecular weight polyethylene produced a unique network structure consisting of 30-nm thick homogeneous folded chain crystals. Subsequent biaxial solid-drawing produced a nanoporous structure covering a large area of the membrane surface (120 mm × 120 mm). Effects of preparation parameters, including annealing and subsequent solid-drawing, on resultant nanoporous morphology are also testified to achieve the desirable membrane. The higher gas permeability coefficients of the nanoporous membranes indicate that these nanopores are interconnected along the thickness direction. Despite such excellent porosity, the tensile strength reached 30 MPa, which is similar to that for the initial non-porous film. Consistence of membrane porousness and robustness is highly desirable for various separation applications, including filtration, water purification, dialysis, and lithium-ion batteries.