Chronic herpes simplex encephalitis initially presenting with persistent myoclonus

A 59-year-old female patient with atypical chronic herpes simplex encephalitis was reported. Initial symptom was persistent myoclonus involving the trunk and limb muscles, and later lateral gaze palsy to the left side, cerebellar ataxia, consciousness disturbance and other brainstem symptoms including absence of corneal and gag reflex and vocal cord palsy developed. The patient was successfully treated with high dose of acyclovir. Electroencephalogram was normal in the initial stage but later showed diffuse slow waves. Although CT scan and MRI showed no abnormal finding in the cerebral cortex, brainstem lesion was observed on PD weighted image of MRI. Lumbar puncture yielded a clear cerebrospinal fluid, with slightly elevated protein, increased lymphocytes, and elevated titer of herpes simplex virus type I. The serological data, albumin ratio (10.3), antibody index (12.3) and antibody ratio (7.1) were consistent with herpes simplex encephalitis. Ten days' administration of acyclovir, 1,200 mg a day and repeated three times, was prominently effective for the myoclonus and consciousness disturbance. A diagnosis of chronic herpes simplex encephalitis initially presenting with brainstem encephalitis was made. Judging from the clinical and EEG findings, the brainstem lesion was initially thought to be a cause of myoclonus in this case. However, somatosensory evoked potential (SPE) of both upper and lower extremities revealed enlarged amplitude (giant SEP), and long loop reflex was enhanced (C-reflex) on the left. Giant SEP and C-reflex imply cerebral cortex as the origin of the myoclonus. Brainstem inflammatory lesion might have involved the ascending inhibitory system, thus disinhibiting the cortical sensorimotor area and causing cortical myoclonus.     

Kinetic analysis for effect of initial substrate concentration on growth and secondary metabolite production in cultures of Nicotiana tabacum

Suspension cultures of tobacco cells were studied using airlift and rotary-drum bioreactors. The effect of initial concentrations of a major substrate, sucrose, on the growth and production of a secondary metabolite, phenolic compounds, was investigated. The dry weights and total concentrations of the phenolic compounds increased with the initial sucrose concentration in both bioreactors. Both bioreactors were found to have the same tendency for the effect of initial sucrose concentration. The structured model, presented previously was modified by considering that sucrose was hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose by an enzymatic reaction. The previous and the new models were applied to the above two sets of experimental data obtained with two bioreactors, independently. The hydrolysis of sucrose was elucidated to contribute slightly to the overall kinetics of growth and secondary metabolite production in these cultures. Furthermore, the levels of shear damage in each bioreactor were quantitatively compared based on the death rate constant, k_i, which is one of the model constants.     

An important factor affecting synergism on coprocessing of Taiheiyo coal with Athabasca oil sand bitumen

A series of mixtures of Japanese subbituminous Taiheiyo coal and Athabasca oil sand bitumen (AOB) with various coal concentrations (0–100 wt%) was coprocessed in a 70 ml autoclave at 420°C for 1 h in the presence of H₂ (50 kg/cm² at room temperature) and sulfided Ni---Mo/Al₂O₂ catalyst. The mixture containing 2 wt% coal produced the largest amount of hexane soluble fraction (HS) and the smallest amount of benzene insoluble fraction (BI). Thus, a synergistic liquid production occurred for this mixture with 2 wt% coal by suppressing the retrogressive reactions which proceeded for pure AOB. The HS obtained from mixtures with 2–30 wt% showed higher H/C ratios and lower heteroatom contents than those obtained from pure AOB and the mixtures with more than 30 wt% coal. The amounts of transferable hydrogen contained in the mixtures were estimated using anthracene as a hydrogen acceptor. The mixtures with 2–10 wt% coal contained higher amounts of donor hydrogen than pure AOB. The HS yield from the various mixtures was correlated with the amount of donor hydrogens contained in the mixtures, except for the mixture with 10 wt% coal. Thus, the important factor which results in synergism is suggested to be the amount of donor hydrogens contained in the feed mixtures.     

An image processing system using Image Signal Multiprocessors (ISMPs)

This paper describes an image processing system using Image Signal Multiprocessors (ISMPs) adapted to gray-level image preprocessing for image analysis and image enhancement. It is composed of four ISMPs, five 1H-delay-lines, two 512×512×8-bit frame memories, a video timing controller (VTC), two 256-word ×8-bit ×8-table Look Up Tables (LUTs) and 80 nsec/sampling A/D and D/A converters. This multiprocessor system performs convolution operations such as spatial filters, contrast enhancement, and binarization for gray-level images, thinning, thickening, pattern matching etc. for binary images, and image quality improvement for moving images such as T.V. images. Otherwise, it performs feature extraction operations such as area calculations, fillet coordination, and moment calculations for objective image data. Moreover, this system is capable of applying color image processing by using a multiboard system.     

Comparison of coal hydroliquefaction catalysed by ZnCl2-MCln (CuCl,CrCl3 and MoCl5) and ZnCl2 melts

Hydrogenation of four bituminous coals impregnated with 5 wt% of either mixtures of ZnCl₂-MCl_n (CuCl, CrCl₃ and MoCl₅) systems or ZnCl₂ was carried out using a batch autoclave system at 400° for 3 h at 9.8 MPa of initial hydrogen pressure. The ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ system showed the highest yield of the hexane-soluble (HS) fraction compared with the other systems irrespective of the coal used. The difference between the yields of HS fractions using the ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ and other systems was most marked for coals of fairly low volatile matter content, though the conversion was relatively low (47–66%), whilst for coals of high volatile matter content HS yields with the binary melt systems were high (86–91% conversion). Elemental analyses of the HS fractions indicated that the ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ system is most favourable in decreasing the average molecular weight and the heteroatom content of HS, this characteristic trend being confirmed also with five HS fractions separated by Chromatographic techniques. Both elemental analyses and molecular weights of asphaltene (benzene-soluble materials, BS) indicated that the ZnCl₂-MoCl₅ system is also most effective in cracking coal structure.     

Structural study of hexane-soluble products from hydroliquefaction of three Yallourn brown coal lithotypes over molten salt catalysts

The hexane-soluble fractions of hydroliquefied products from three Yallourn brown coal lithotypes have been separated into five fractions by combined silica-alumina packed column chromatography. Analyses of various fractions by g.c.-m.s. permitted the identification of ≈50 components in the saturate fraction and 40 components in the diaromatic fraction, together with 30 components in the monoaromatics. The components identified were quite similar among hexane-soluble portions of all three lithotypes. A marked predominance of even carbon number alkane (C₂₃-C₂₉) was observed in the hydrocarbon fractions from pale lithotype over $\text{ZnCl}{}_2\text{KCl}$, and medium light lithotype over both pure ZnCl₂ and $\text{ZnCl}{}_2\text{KCl}$. However, medium dark lithotype over both melt catalysts produced a saturate fraction with an odd carbon number(C₂₂-C₂₈) preference. Based on spectral methods, Soxhlet extracts obtained from untreated lithotypes (hexane and benzene solubles) were characterized as complex mixtures of higher molecular weight(300–1000) aliphatic hydrocarbons, which were supposed to be a precursor of the saturates produced from the corresponding lithotype in the catalytic hydroliquefaction.     

Studies on ion-exchange membranes. XXXII. Heterogeneity in ion-exchange membranes

Twelve kinds of cation-exchange membranes were treated with hydrogen peroxide. Some of them (Selemion CMV, Nepton CR-61, Scrion C-100, SAM-1) were completely destroyed. Heterogeneity is believed to be present in that part of their chemical structures that is decomposable by the treatment. The other membranes were converted into porous membranes by the decomposition of the resinous part. Water permeabilities and electric resistances of the porous membranes were examined to evaluate the pore radius. It was concluded that the “paste method” membranes have a heterogeneity or localized distribution of the resinous part under 50 mμ. The “paste method” membranes seemed to resemble the “graft method” membranes in chemical structure and to be much different from the mosaic-type membranes such as Permaplex and MC-3142. These results were also supported by extraction of the membranes with appropriate solvents and observation by electron microscopy.     

Development of a high‐resolution RGBW flexible display using a white organic light‐emitting diode with microcavity structure and that of a side‐roll touch panel

In this study, white organic electroluminescent devices with microcavity structures were developed. A flexible high‐resolution active‐matrix organic light‐emitting diode display with low power consumption using red, green, blue, and white sub‐pixels formed by a color‐filter method was fabricated. In addition, a side‐roll touch display was developed in combination with a capacitive flexible touch screen.     

Automatic detection of the topographical distribution of EEG rhythms based on an iterative adjustment of the averaged reference potential

Electroencephalogram (EEG) interpretation is important for the investigation of brain diseases. In this study, an automatic technique was developed to detect the topographical distribution of EEG rhythms. In order to obtain the topographical distribution, the amplitude of the EEG rhythm was analyzed based on the referential derivation where the reference potential was adjusted iteratively. The result of the automatic detection of the topographical distribution was helpful in highlighting the EEG rhythms of interest for automatic EEG interpretation. The technique developed has application significance for real clinics.     

Two-terminal ultrahigh frequency carrier type thin-film magnetic sensor using impedance matching lines

This article reports on output and band characteristics of the two-terminal ultrahigh frequency (UHF) carrier type magnetic field sensor, which is based on impedance change due to magnetic field dependent permeability, and a magnetic field is detected as an amplitude modulation of a UHF carrier voltage. Two types of transmission line configurations (type-A and type-B) are proposed to make a two-terminal sensor rather than the four terminals of the conventional sensor operating on this principle, because the two-terminal sensor is more advantageous in terms of designing and fabricating of the sensor element and the transmission lines than the four-terminal sensor. In the type-A, a half-wave impedance matching line is added between the element and the carrier power supplying points. Also, in the type-B, a carrier power is supplied on the quarter-wave matching line located between the element and the load. The type-A sensor exhibits a lower output and a much narrower 3 dB-bandwidth of a few tens of MHz than the four-terminal sensor. In contrast, a higher output than that in the four-terminal sensor and a 3 dB-bandwidth of ～100 MHz are confirmed in the type-B sensor by experiments and calculations.