Energies of [001] small angle grain boundaries in aluminum

Energies of symmetric [001] tilt and twist small angle grain boundaries in aluminum have been examined as a function of misorientations. Boundary energies were evaluated relative to solid/liquid interfacial energies by a dihedral angle method on surface grooves. Energies of (100)_s tilt boundaries with the Burgers vector of a[100] were rather smaller than those of (110)_s tilt boundaries with a/2[110]. Energies of twist boundaries at θ < 4^∘ were slightly larger than those of (110)_s tilt boundaries. The energies were well explained as a function of misorientations by the Read-Shockley type equation. The equation also correctly described the difference in elastic energy factors between the (110)_s tilt and twist boundaries. However, the term b in the equation may take a constant value independent of the Burgers vectors.     

Feasibility of a 1,400 m Span Steel Cable-Stayed Bridge

This paper describes the feasibility of 1,400 m steel cable-stayed bridges from both structural and economic viewpoints. Because the weight of a steel girder strongly affects the total cost of the bridge, the writers present a procedure to obtain a minimum weight for a girder that ensures safety against static and dynamic instabilities. For static instability, elastoplastic, finite-displacement analysis under in-plane load and elastic, finite-displacement analysis under displacement-dependent wind load are conducted; for dynamic instability, multimodal flutter analysis is carried out. It is shown that static critical wind velocity of lateral torsional buckling governs the dimension of the girder. Finally, the writers briefly compare a cable-stayed bridge with suspension bridge alternatives.     

Thickness estimation of interface films formed on Li1−xCoO2 electrodes by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Solid electrolyte interface (SEI) films formed on Li_1−xCoO₂ electrodes were observed with hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HX-PES). This paper particularly focuses on film thickness estimation using HX-PES with theoretical calculation. The validity of the calculation was proven by experiments using model SEI films. The native film formed on a LiCoO₂ composite electrode was estimated to be LiF with its thickness of 5 nm. Formation of Co (II) species on top of LiCoO₂ was also indicated. Storage of the electrode at 60 °C brought about considerable film growth (30-40 nm) with carbonate compounds formation. SEI film changes during charging of the LiCoO₂ electrode were also examined. The main component in the film was deduced to be LiF or a kind of fluorite, with its thickness decreased during charging. The SEI formation mechanisms are also elucidated.     

Basic information on new regulatory criteria requiring on-site emergency preparedness for accelerator facilities in Japan

For basic information on new regulatory criteria, the dose rate around a thick target bombarded by proton, electron, or carbon beam having incident energy of 10 MeV–50 GeV (per nucleon in case of carbon) was simulated using the PHITS Monte Carlo code. Based on this simulation, the benchmark which is ‘1 Sv/h at 1 m away from the beam line’ assuming 1% beam loss was evaluated, and compared with the criteria in France and Canada. Based on this evaluation, a new regulatory criteria has been established for requiring on-site emergency preparedness for accelerator facilities in Japan, which is required for the ion accelerator beyond the ion beam of 100 MeV/nucleon and 0.5 kW beam power, and the electron accelerator beyond the electron beam of 50 MeV energy and 1 kW beam power.     

Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis of open lactic acid fermentation of kitchen refuse using rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes

Reproducible amounts of lactic acid accumulate in minced kitchen refuse under open conditions with intermittent pH neutralization [Sakai et al., Food Sci. Technol. Res., 6, 140 (2000)]. Here, we showed that such pH-controlled open fermentation of kitchen refuse reproducibly resulted a selective proliferation of a major lactic acid bacterial (LAB) species. In one experiment, the predominant microorganisms isolated during the early phase (6 h) were Gammaproteobacteria. In contrast, those that predominated during the late phase (48 h) were always Lactobacillus plantarum in three independent experiments. To further quantify the microbial community within open lactic acid fermentation, we performed fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis targeting 16S (23S) rRNA. We designed two new group-specific DNA probes: LAC722(L) was active for most LAB including the genera Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Leuconostoc and Weisella, whereas Lplan477 was specific for L. plantarum and its related species. We then optimized sample preparation using lysozyme and hybridization conditions including temperature, as well as the formamide concentration and the salt concentration in the washing buffer. We succeeded in quantification of microorganisms in semi-solid, complex biological materials such as minced kitchen refuse by taking color microphotographs in modified RGB balance on pre-coated slides. FISH analysis of the fermentation of kitchen refuse indicated that control of the pH swing leads to domination by the LAB population in minced kitchen refuse under open conditions. We also confirmed that L. plantarum, which generates lactic acid in high quantities but with low optical activity, became the dominant microorganism in kitchen refuse during the late phase of open fermentation.     

Antimicrobial susceptibilities of Salmonella isolates obtained from layer chicken houses on a commercial egg-producing farm in Japan, 1997 to 2002

Susceptibility to antimicrobial agents was examined for 325 isolates of Salmonella enterica serotypes Cerro, Infantis, Livingstone, and Montevideo isolated from layer houses on a commercial egg-production farm in the western region of Japan between 1997 and 2002. No antimicrobials were used for therapeutic purposes on the farm during this period. From 1.8 to 3.1% of the isolates were resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. Resistance to streptomycin and sulfisoxazole was found in 52.9 and 65.5%, respectively, of Salmonella Montevideo isolates and in 0 to 13.2% of the isolates of the other serotypes. All the streptomycin-resistant isolates of Salmonella Montevideo also exhibited resistance to sulfisoxazole. Salmonella Montevideo isolates were first isolated in 1998, and 80.0% of the isolates obtained in this year were resistant to streptomycin and sulfisoxazole. The results suggest that Salmonella Montevideo isolates that had already acquired resistance may have been introduced into the layer houses, although the route and vehicle of transmission were uncertain. The proportion of Salmonella Montevideo isolates resistant to streptomycin and sulfisoxazole significantly decreased (P < 0.01) from 79.5% for 1998 through 1999 to 37.3% for 2000 through 2002. This decrease probably was due to the fact that no antimicrobials were used on the farm. Among 10 isolates from different serotypes obtained from 1997 to 2002 that were resistant to ampicillin, two and five isolates harbored 42- and 63-kb R plasmids and identical DraI restriction enzyme digest patterns, respectively, and carried the blaTEM gene. The results suggest that the ampicillin resistance determinants were transferred among different serotypes of Salmonella in the layer houses.     

Rheological studies of nickel oxide and quartz/hematite mixture systems

This study aimed to investigate the rheology of two-mineral mixture systems as a function of pH and solid concentration. Single minerals (nickel oxide, quartz and hematite) and two-mineral systems (nickel oxide–quartz and nickel oxide–hematite) were studied. Rheology tests were conducted to investigate the effect of pH and solid concentration on shear yield stress of suspensions while zeta potential measurements of suspensions were used to explain the rheology results. Rheology results indicated that single mineral experiments showed that 5 and 10 vol.% of quartz and hematite had no shear yield stress whereas the one of nickel oxide was positive value. Shear yield stress of nickel oxide–quartz mixture and nickel oxide–hematite mixtures increased as increasing pH and solid concentration, and the value was higher than the one obtained with only nickel oxide. These results obtained with two-mineral mixture systems were explained by electrokinetic properties of the minerals, i.e. zeta potential of the minerals.     

Clinical planning support system-CliPSS

Clinical planning support system (CliPSS), which is software developed to support neurosurgical planning and to enable a surgeon to generate 3-D computed images interactively and simulate sterotactic surgery on them, is discussed. The basic functions of CliPSS, involving section display, editing, extraction, and rendering, are reviewed. A method of thinning the volume of polygonal data for a surface-rendered image, which improves CliPPS's performance and interactivity, is presented     

Autoantibodies detectable in the sera of silicosis patients. The relationship between the anti-topoisomerase I antibody response and HLA-DQB1*0402 allele in Japanese silicosis patients

Eighty-one Japanese silicosis patients and 66 healthy volunteers were analyzed for autoantibodies by ELISA, and HLA-genotyping using the PCR-RFLP method was performed. Anti-topoisomerase I (anti-topo I) autoantibodies were detected in seven patients without any clinical features of autoimmune diseases such as progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), although anti-topo I have been mostly reported in PSS patients. Antibodies directed to RNP, ssDNA, dsDNA and cent-B were not detected among the anti-topo I positive patients. The indirect immunofluorescent staining pattern of Hep-2 cells with the sera of anti-topo I positive silicosis patients demonstrated the typical mode of anti-topo I autoantibodies observed in the patients with PSS. The allelic frequency of HLA-DQB1*0402 was significantly higher in anti-topo I positive patients (28.6%) than in anti-topo I negative patients (1.5%, P < 0.001) or healthy controls (0.8%, P<0.001). HLA-DQB1*0301, DQB1*0601 and DPB1*1801 alleles were more frequently detected in anti-topo I positive patients than in the patients without anti-topo I or in healthy volunteers, but no significant difference was observed. DQB1 allele is associated with the induction of anti-topo I autoantibodies in Japanese silicosis patients, but the allele is not the same as in Caucasian PSS patients. Another allele (DQB1*0402) plays an important role in Japanese silicosis patients. The most important factor to induce anti-topo I autoantibodies seems not to be the type of alleles themselves, but the position of some specific amino acid residues in the DQ beta first domain. These findings will be useful for preventing occupational autoimmune diseases.     

Preparation of carbon microparticle assemblies from phenolic resin using an inverse opal templating method

Three-dimensionally (3D) well-ordered carbon microparticle assemblies with different particle morphologies were fabricated by infiltration of phenolic resin solution into SiO₂ inverse opal structures and subsequent carbonization. The effect of the phenolic resin solution concentration and the carbonization temperature on the morphology of the fabricated carbon microparticles was investigated. At a carbonization temperature of 1000 °C, carbon microparticles with interlocked bridges were obtained when the concentration of phenolic resin solution is 40 wt% and hollow carbon microparticles with opened window channels were obtained at a concentration of 30–35 wt%. When the carbonization temperature was decreased to 500 °C, carbon microparticles with interlocked bridges also were observed, even when the phenolic resin concentration was 30 wt%. The structures and properties of the carbon microparticles and their assemblies were characterized using SEM, XRD, and N₂ adsorption.