Keemia : roheline helendus / Arko Olesk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Olesk, Arko, 1981-

2008-01-01

Nobeli keemiapreemia said Columbia ülikooli bioloog Martin Chalfie, California ülikooli teadlane Roger Tsien ja Jaapani päritolu Woods Hole'i merebioloogialaboratooriumi emeriitprofessor Osamu Shimomura

Helenduvad nobelistid / Alar Karis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Karis, Alar, 1958-

2012-01-01

Nobeli keemiapreemia saanud Columbia ülikooli bioloogi Martin Chalfie, California ülikooli teadlase Roger Tsieni ja Jaapani päritolu Woods Hole'i merebioloogialaboratooriumi emeriitprofessori Osamu Shimomura meduusi-uuringutest

Helenduvad nobelistid / Alar Karis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Karis, Alar, 1958-

2008-01-01

Nobeli keemiapreemia saanud Columbia ülikooli bioloogi Martin Chalfie, California ülikooli teadlase Roger Tsieni ja Jaapani päritolu Woods Hole'i merebioloogialaboratooriumi emeriitprofessori Osamu Shimomura meduusi-uuringutest

Hydrochemical and isotopic study of groundwater impacted by the acid drainage of UrÂnio Mine - Osamu Utsumi, PoÇos de Caldas Plateau (MG), Brazil; Estudo hidroqímico e isotópico das águas subterrâneas impactadas pela drenagem ácida da Mina de Urânio - OSAMU UTSUMI, planalto de Poço de Caldas, MG

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alberti, Heber Luiz Caponi

2017-07-01

The Osamu Utsumi Mine - MOU, belonging to the Brazilian Nuclear Industries - INB, began in 1977 with pickling activities and remained in operation until 1995. During this period, 94 million tons of rocks were removed, which caused the generation of large wasted rock piles. The intense drainage and precipitation in the study region favored the oxidation and leaching of the wasted rock piles, causing the Acid Drainage of Mine - DAM and generating effluents with low pH and high concentrations of fluoride, aluminum, iron, manganese, sulfate, zinc, uranium and Radio, among others. Currently the MOU is in the process of decommissioning and environmental remediation. The understanding of the hydrogeochemical processes and the behavior of the water flow through different aquifers is extremely important so that the actions of environmental remediation and control of the DAM are really effective. In this sense, in this work, geoprocessing and hydrochemical techniques were used to propose a conceptual hydrogeochemical model in the MOU cavity system and wasted rock pile number 4 - BF4. The geoprocessing techniques allowed to characterize and size the area under study and to integrate information on geology and mineralogy with the hydrochemical data. The hydrochemical studies were based on three groundwater sampling campaigns, using the low flow method in 17 monitoring wells, as well as 3 water reservoirs in the study area. In the collected samples were determined: (1) the main cations and anions for groundwater classification using Piper and Stiff diagrams and multivariate statistical methods (cluster and Principal Component Analysis); (2) the major long half radionuclides and {sup 222}Rn to assess radioactivity and imbalance between them; (3) the stable isotopes of {sup 18}O and {sup 2}H to provide information on the underground flows and water source; (4) the Tritium values found in the samples to estimate the age of the groundwater; (V) the sulfur and oxygen isotopes

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

1988-11-10

Kitazawa Takehiko Ishiguro Junji Fujie Hidetoshi Fukuyama Shinya Hasuo Osamu Horigami Keizo Ishikawa Yuzo Katayama Ushio Kawabe Yoichi Kimura...Committee Chairman Member II II II Hisao Hayakawa Yoshio Furuto Yasuo Hashimoto Kaoru Inagaki Hiroo Kinoshita Kanji Ohya Hideaki Okino Sakae

Fulltext PDF

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Srimath

Osamu Shimomura, Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), Woods Hole, MA, USA. Boston University Medical School, Massachusetts, MA, USA. Martin Chalfie, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. Roger Y Tsien, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA; Howard Hughes. Medical Institute. Physiology or Medicine.

Analysis of Li-related defects in ZnO thin films influenced by ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

wavelength optoelectronic devices, such as ultraviolet-light emitting diodes and laser diodes, because of its wide bandgap (3·37 eV) and large exciton binding energy. (60 meV) (Osamu et al 2000; Look et al 2004). A key issue in exploring ZnO is the ...

Arachidonic Acid Metabolism in the Nervous System; Physiological and Pathological Significance. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. Volume 5

Science.gov (United States)

1989-01-01

488 Primary Structure of Rat Brain Prostaglandin D Synthetase Deduced from the cDNA Sequence. By YOSHIHIRO URADE, AKIHISA NAGATA, YASUHIKO SUZUKI...Synthetase Deduced from the cDNA Sequence YOSHIHIRO URADE,a AKIHISA NAGATA,b YASUHIKO SUZUKI,b YUTAKA FUJII,c AND OSAMU HAYAISHI a aDepartment of Enzymes

Spontaneous rupture of the middle colic artery resulting in delayed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

mission for three days after delivery due to raised blood pressure which was controlled using antihypertensives. The baby weighed 3.8 kg with good Apgar score. ... Osamu C, Hiroshi K, Makoto S, Soichiro Y, Hiroyuki. K, Yasumasa K, Hiroyasu M. Spontaneous rupture of. Dissecting Aneurysm of the Middle colic Artery. Tokai.

The Pocos de Caldas project feasibility study: 1986-7

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smellie, J.A.T.; Chapman, N.A.; Franca, E.P.

1987-01-01

This paper presents feasibility studies to investigate the uranium, thorium and rare earth deposits, in Morro do Ferro and the uranium mine in Osamu Utsumi, Brazil, as natural analogues to link rock geochemistry and hydrogeological systems to assess radionuclide mobility. Ore samples were analysed to obtain uranium concentrations and hydraulic tests were carried out. (UK)

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Japan, Powder Metallurgy Technology

Science.gov (United States)

1988-12-13

Katsuhiro Imada and Ken Sato , Materials Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Electric Corp.; and Yasuyuki Kawagoe and Kenichiro Yamanishi, Applied...Tomomi Ishigaki and Osamu Yamamoto, Faculty of Technology, Mie University; and Mikio Takano, Hiromasa Mazaki, Zenji Hiroi and Toshichika Bando...Liberal Arts, Kyoto University; and Yasunori Ikeda, Mikio Takano and Yoshichika Bando, Institute of Chemical Research, Kyoto University

Jaapan Helsingis - mangad pööritavad Tennispalatsis silmi / Ave Randviir

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Randviir, Ave, 1981-

2005-01-01

Jaapani mangakultuurist ja nüüdiskunstist. Helsingi Tennispalatsis olevast näitusest "Japan Pop : manga ja nüüdiskunst". Näitusel originaaltöödega esindatud manga-kunstnike Katsushika Hokusai ja Osamu Tezuka loomingust. Nüüdiskunstnike Yasumasa Morimura, Makiko Kudo, Yoshitomo Nara, Takashi Murakami töödest. Jaapani neopopi mõjutusi Eestis: Kiwa, Martin Pedanik

Comment: 235 [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available u University (currently National Research Institute of Brewing)) licensed under CC Attribution2.1 Japan 撮影: ...水谷治（東北大学（現 酒類総研)) Photo: Osamu Mizutani (Tohoku University (currently National Research Institute of Brewing)) bando 2010/08/04 09:28:07 2010/08/04 11:18:35 ...

Pocos de Caldas Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The first annual report of the Pocos de Caldas Project describes the results of the feasibility study established to test the objectives of the work. Boreholes have been drilled at two sites, the Osamu Utsumi uranium mine and Morro do Ferro, to assess the feasibility of using them as natural analogues of radionuclide migration processes. Detailed geochemical analysis and hydrogeological studies are described. (author)

JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Japan, 89 Sairas Symposium

Science.gov (United States)

1990-08-21

Electric) B2-5 Region Segmentation Process for Visual Data Mikio Fukase, Tsugito Maruyama, Takashi Uchiyama (Fujitsu Labs.) Osamu Okamoto, Isao Yamaguchi (N...Shigeoki Hirai, Tomomasa Sato (ETL) Tadao Hiruma (Meiji Univ.) B2-12 A Teleoperating Assembly System Hajime Morikawa, Nobuaki Takanashi, Norio Tagawa...Processing for Space Robot Teleoperation 230 Eiichi Ogawa, Shigeki Kuzuoka (Mitsubrshi Electric) B32-5 Region Segmentation Process for Visual Data 234 Mikio

Energy security strategy and nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toichi, Tsutomu; Shibata, Masaharu; Uchiyama, Yoji; Suzuki, Tatsujiro; Yamazaki, Kazuo

2006-01-01

This special edition of 'Energy security strategy and nuclear power' is abstracts of the 27 th Policy Recommendations 'The Establishment of an International Energy Security System' by the Japan Forum on International Relations, Inc on May 18 th , 2006. It consists of five papers: Energy security trend in the world and Japan strategy by Tsutomu Toichi, Establishment of energy strategy supporting Japan as the focus on energy security by Masaharu Shibata, World pays attention to Japan nuclear power policy and nuclear fuel cycle by Yoji Uchiyama, Part of nuclear power in the energy security - the basic approach and future problems by Tatsujiro Suzuki, and Drawing up the energy strategy focused on the national interests - a demand for the next government by Kazuo Yamazaki. (S.Y.)

Kiri Pariisist / Aire Allikmets

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Allikmets, Aire

1998-01-01

1997-1999 toimuvast Jaapani aastast Prantsusmaal ja Prantsuse aastast Jaapanis. Prantsuse Rahvuslikus Keraamikamuuseumis keraamikanäitus "Cordes de feu", tuhat aastat jaapani keraamikat Bisenis, Nabeshima ülikute portselan. Keraamik Suzuki Osamu isikunäitus ja 170 jaapani kalligraafi tööd "Les Ma̋tres de l'encre" Espace des Arts Mitsukoshi-Etoile'is. Prantsuse aasta avaakord - Statue de la Liberté eksponeerimine Tokios. Tokio rahvusmuuseumis Delacroix' maal "Vabadus juhib rahvast barrikaadidele". Kavasolevaid prantsuse kunsti näitusi.

Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period

OpenAIRE

Oe, Mariko; Sakai, Seigo; Yoshida, Hideto; Okado, Nao; Kaneda, Haruna; Masuda, Yasunobu; Urushibata, Osamu

2017-01-01

Mariko Oe,1 Seigo Sakai,1 Hideto Yoshida,1 Nao Okado,1 Haruna Kaneda,1 Yasunobu Masuda,1 Osamu Urushibata2 1R&D Division, Kewpie Corporation, Sengawa-cho, Chofu-shi, 2Department of Dermatology, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Ohashi, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan Background: Hyaluronan (HA) has critical moisturizing property and high water retention capacity especially for human skin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oral intake of HA. Methods: The mean molecular weight (MW...

Pocos de Caldas Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

The second annual report of the Pocos de Caldas Project describes the results of the first phase of the post-feasibility study investigations. Boreholes have been drilled at two sites, the Osamu Utsumi uranium mine and Morro do Ferro, and rock and groundwater samples analysed to provide data on natural analogues of radionuclide migration processes. These detailed geochemical analysis and hydrogeological studies are described, and related to four specific objectives concerning issues of importance in repository performance assessment. (author)

The 2009 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting: Martin Chalfie, Chemistry 2008

OpenAIRE

Chalfie, Martin

2010-01-01

American Biologist Martin Chalfie shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Roger Tsien and Osamu Shimomura for their discovery and development of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Martin Chalfie was born in Chicago in 1947 and grew up in Skokie Illinois. Although he had an interest in science from a young age-- learning the names of the planets and reading books about dinosaurs-- his journey to a career in biological science was circuitous. In high school, Chalfie enjoyed his AP Chemi...

Redox fronts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, N.; McKinley, I.; Shea, M.; Smellie, J.

1993-01-01

This article describes the investigations of redox fronts performed at the Osamu Utsumi mine. Results obtained by modelling groups on the rate of movement of the redox fronts and on the chemical reactions involved are discussed. Some of the most important rockwater interactions which occur at redox fronts can be modelled reasonably well but the complex redox chemistry of elements like sulphur is poorly simulated. The observed enrichment of many trace elements close to the redox fronts could be of significance for high-level waste repositories, but cannot be quantified by existing models. (author) 6 figs., 1 tab

Industrious peasants in east and west: markets, technology, and family structure in Japanese and Western European agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

De Vries, Jan

2011-01-01

Jan de Vries engages with Osamu Saito's discussion of Tokugawa Japan, in particular, his exploration of de Vries's concept of an industrious revolution for East Asia, which was published in this journal in 2010. The discussion bears on the ongoing debate over the timing and character of the Great Divergence, when advanced parts of Europe pulled ahead of Asia. de Vries argues that the constraint on the Japanese rural household to acquire and shed labour delayed the shift from supply-side industriousness to demand-motivated industriousness, which in turn meant that the Great Divergence was already in place before 1800.

Report on Symposium on Pacific Energy Cooperation 2001. Energy Security in Asian Region; Taiheiyo energy kyoryoku kaigi 2001 hokokusho. Asia chiiki no energy anzen hosho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-02-20

The Symposium on Pacific Energy Cooperation (SPEC), which started in 1986 to discuss energy problems and international cooperation on energy in the Pacific region, met for 2001 in Tokyo on February 20 and 21, 2001, to discuss Energy Security in Asian Region. The conference comprised two keynote addresses, four sessions, and a panel discussion. Twenty-four countries and an international organization were represented by a total of 785 participants who actively exchanged views and opinions. With Director Tsutomu Toichi, The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, acting as chairman, two keynote addresses were delivered. Minister of Oil Bijan Namdar Zanganeh of Iran reported on The Role of I. R. Iran in Meeting the Growing Oil and Gas Demand in the Asia-Pacific Region and Potential Cooperation with the Region's Consumers. Managing Director Phil Watts of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group reported on Security in Trust - Meeting Asian Energy Needs in the 21st Century. (NEDO)

O tratamento dos ideofones japoneses na tradução de "manga"

OpenAIRE

Álvarez Martínez, Gabriel

2016-01-01

Análisis comparativo sobre el tratamiento de los ideófonos japoneses en la traducción de manga, que parte de la base de la triple clasificación de los signos del cómic de Kaindl (1999) en signos lingüísticos, signos tipográficos y signos pictóricos. Se trata, por lo tanto, de un análisis que intenta conjugar el enfoque lingüístico con el enfoque semiótico. Los volúmenes objeto del análisis son cuatro en japonés pertenecientes a cuatro obras distintas (Metrópolis, de Osamu Tezuka; One Piece...

Mental and somatic symptoms related to suicidal ideation in patients visiting a psychosomatic clinic in Japan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kouichi Yoshimasu

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Kouichi Yoshimasu1, Tetsuya Kondo2,4, Shoji Tokunaga3, Yoshio Kanemitsu2, Hideyo Sugahara2, Mariko Akamine2, Kanichiro Fujisawa2, Kazuhisa Miyashita1, Chiharu Kubo21Department of Hygiene, School of Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan; 2Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate school of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan; 3Department of Medical Informatics, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan; 4Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Kansai University of Health Sciences, Osaka, JapanAbstract: Patients with suicidal ideation (SI have various mental or somatic symptoms. A questionnaire-based interview elicited details concerning mental and somatic symptoms in patients visiting a psychosomatic clinic in Japan. Univariate logistic regression analyses followed by multiple regression models using a stepwise method were selected for identifying the candidate symptoms. Overall, symptoms related to depression were associated with SI in both sexes. Although women showed more various somatic symptoms associated with SI than men, many of those associations were diminished once severity of the depression was controlled. The current results suggest that a variety of self-reported symptoms, mainly related to depression, might reveal suicidal risk in outpatients with an urban hospital clinical setting.Keywords: suicidal ideation, psychosomatic clinic, subjective symptoms

Plant maintenance and advanced reactors issue, 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agnihotri, Newal [ed.

2009-09-15

The focus of the September-October issue is on plant maintenance and advanced reactors. Major articles/reports in this issue include: Technologies of national importance, by Tsutomu Ohkubo, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Japan; Modeling and simulation advances brighten future nuclear power, by Hussein Khalil, Argonne National Laboratory, Energy and desalination projects, by Ratan Kumar Sinha, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India; A plant with simplified design, by John Higgins, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy; A forward thinking design, by Ray Ganthner, AREVA; A passively safe design, by Ed Cummins, Westinghouse Electric Company; A market-ready design, by Ken Petrunik, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Canada; Generation IV Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, by Jacques Bouchard, French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, France, and Ralph Bennett, Idaho National Laboratory; Innovative reactor designs, a report by IAEA, Vienna, Austria; Guidance for new vendors, by John Nakoski, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Road map for future energy, by John Cleveland, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria; and, Vermont's largest source of electricity, by Tyler Lamberts, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. The Industry Innovation article is titled Intelligent monitoring technology, by Chris Demars, Exelon Nuclear.

Photocatalysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bignozzi, Carlo Alberto (ed.) [Ferrara Univ. (Italy). Dipt. di Chimica

2011-07-01

This book contains the following six chapters: 1. Metal Oxide Photoanodes for Water Splitting, by J. Augustynski, B. D. Alexander and R. Solarska; 2. Hydrogen Production with Nanostructured and Sensitized Metal Oxides, by Stefano Caramori, Vito Cristino, Laura Meda, Roberto Argazzi and Carlo Alberto Bignozzi; 3. Surface Nanostructures in Photocatalysts for Visible-Light-Driven Water Splitting, by Kazuhiko Maeda and Kazunari Domen; 4. Artificial Photosynthesis Challenges: Water Oxidation at Nanostructured Interfaces, by Mauro Carraro, Andrea Sartorel, Francesca Maria Toma, Fausto Puntoriero, Franco Scandola, Sebastiano Campagna, Maurizio Prato and Marcella Bonchio; 5. Photocatalytic Reduction of CO2: From Molecules to Semiconductors, by Tatsuto Yui, Yusuke Tamaki, Keita Sekizawa and Osamu Ishitani; 6. Design of Heterogeneous Photocatalysts Based on Metal Oxides to Control the Selectivity of Chemical Reactions, by Andrea Maldotti and Alessandra Molinari.

Réflexions sur le manga éducatif

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julien Bouvard

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Educational manga account for a considerable amount of the Japanese comic book production. And yet, they are mostly ignored by academic studies. The moral virtues as they are portrayed by artists like Tezuka Osamu have played a crucial role in the legitimization of manga. Contrary to popular belief, children are not the sole readers of manga that aim to convey some form of knowledge. Through a brief history of the educational manga and the study of the evolution of its social status we aim to analyze the relation between manga and pedagogy. We believe that the “pedagogical” genre contributed to the legitimization of manga as a valid medium and cultural product. We will also explain the “dehierachization” of knowledge, which is an important aspect of manga.

Panel discussion on health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation. Scientific findings and non-threshold hypothesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-06-01

This is a record of a panel discussion in the IAEA Interregional Training Course. In current radiation work, protection measures are taken on the assumption that any amount of radiation, however small, entails a risk of deleterious effects. This so-called non-threshold assumption of radiation effects, on the one hand, creates public distrust of radiation use. However, because the health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation are difficult to verify, wide views ranging from the non-threshold hypothesis to one which sees small amounts of radiation as rather useful and necessary are presented. In this panel discussion, how the health effects of low-dose ionizing radiation should be considered from the standpoint of radiation protection was discussed. Panelists included such eminent scientists as Dr. Sugahara and Dr. Okada, who are deeply interested in this field and are playing leading parts in radiobiology research in Japan, and Dr. Stather, deputy Director of NRPB, UK, who, in UNSCEAR and ICRP, is actively participating in the international review of radiation effects and the preparation of reports on radiation protection recommendations. They agreed with each other that although it is reasonable, under the current scientific understanding, to follow the recommendation of ICRP, research in this area should be strongly promoted hereafter, for basing radiation protection on firm scientific grounds. Many participants actively asked about and discussed problems in their own field. (author)

Iris and periocular adverse reactions to bimatoprost in Japanese patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Inoue K

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Kenji Inoue1, Minako Shiokawa1, Michitaka Sugahara1, Risako Higa1, Masato Wakakura1, Goji Tomita21Inouye Eye Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 2Second Department of Ophthalmology, Toho University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JapanPurpose: To prospectively investigate adverse reactions to bimatoprost in Japanese patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. We also examined patient attitudes to adverse reactions via a questionnaire.Methods: Fifty-two Japanese patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension were enrolled. Iridial, eyelid, and eyelash photographs were taken before and at 6 months after bimatoprost treatment. Increase in eyelid pigmentation, iridial pigmentation, eyelash growth and bristle, and vellus hair of the lid was assessed from the photographs. Questionnaires completed by patients provided insight into their subjective judgment of adverse reactions.Results: Increase in eyelash bristle (53.8%, iris pigmentation (50.0%, eyelash growth (46.2%, vellus hair of the lid (40.4%, and eyelid pigmentation (7.7% was evident after bimatoprost treatment. The objective and subjective assessments were in agreement in terms of increase in eyelash bristle, eyelash growth, and increase in vellus hair of the lid.Conclusion: Most patients were conscious of these adverse reactions. Before administering bimatoprost, sufficient explanation of potential adverse reactions should be provided; after initiating treatment, careful observation is required.Keywords: bimatoprost, adverse reaction, eyelid pigmentation, changes in eyelashes, iris pigmentation 

Cloning and characterization of a novel chondroitin sulfate/dermatan sulfate 4-O-endosulfatase from a marine bacterium.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wenshuang; Han, Wenjun; Cai, Xingya; Zheng, Xiaoyu; Sugahara, Kazuyuki; Li, Fuchuan

2015-03-20

Sulfatases are potentially useful tools for structure-function studies of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). To date, various GAG exosulfatases have been identified in eukaryotes and prokaryotes. However, endosulfatases that act on GAGs have rarely been reported. Recently, a novel HA and CS lyase (HCLase) was identified for the first time from a marine bacterium (Han, W., Wang, W., Zhao, M., Sugahara, K., and Li, F. (2014) J. Biol. Chem. 289, 27886-27898). In this study, a putative sulfatase gene, closely linked to the hclase gene in the genome, was recombinantly expressed and characterized in detail. The recombinant protein showed a specific N-acetylgalactosamine-4-O-sulfatase activity that removes 4-O-sulfate from both disaccharides and polysaccharides of chondroitin sulfate (CS)/dermatan sulfate (DS), suggesting that this sulfatase represents a novel endosulfatase. The novel endosulfatase exhibited maximal reaction rate in a phosphate buffer (pH 8.0) at 30 °C and effectively removed 17-65% of 4-O-sulfates from various CS and DS and thus significantly inhibited the interactions of CS and DS with a positively supercharged fluorescent protein. Moreover, this endosulfatase significantly promoted the digestion of CS by HCLase, suggesting that it enhances the digestion of CS/DS by the bacterium. Therefore, this endosulfatase is a potential tool for use in CS/DS-related studies and applications. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Time evaluation of discharges of suspension solids in the treated acid waters from the Osamu Utsumi - INB - Brazil; Avaliacao temporal das descargas de solidos em suspensao nas aguas acidas tratadas da mina Osamu Utsumi/INB

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maculan, Gabriella Giarola [Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL), Pocos de caldas, MG (Brazil); Alberti, Heber Luiz Caponi, E-mail: heber@cnen.gov.br [Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (LAPOC/CNEN), Pocos de Caldas, MG (Brazil). Laboratorio de Pocos de Caldas

2011-07-01

The present work presents only the flow and mass variations of particles on the the treated water at the points of interface with the environment. The region presents two very well established stations (dry and rainy), and the generated flows also presented oscillations as function of the hydrological year. The full knowledge of the hydrological fluxes involved in the Mine Acid Draining generation is essential for the elaboration of solutions aiming to minimize the environmental and costs impacts associated to the environmental passive generated by uranium mining

Professor Howard Mason and oxygen activation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waterman, Michael R.

2005-01-01

Our understanding of the classification, function, mechanism, and structure of the enzymes which incorporate atoms of oxygen from atmospheric molecular oxygen during catalysis is based on the thoughtful and technically challenging experiments of two giants in the field of Biochemistry, Howard Mason and Osamu Hayaishi. This volume celebrates the 50th anniversary of the discovery and characterization of these 'oxygenase' enzymes and provides a broad view of how far this area of research has advanced. Professor Hayaishi describes herein his perspective on the background and major discoveries which led to the development of this field. Regrettably Howard Mason passed away at age 88 in 2003. I am indeed fortunate to have been a Ph.D. student with Howard and to have the opportunity to briefly review his role in the development of this field for this special commemorative issue of BBRC

ITER EDA newsletter. V. 8, no. 6

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-06-01

A ceremony was held on 1 June 1999 at the Naka Fusion Research Establishment of JAERI to celebrate the successful development and fabrication of the ITER Central Solenoid Model Coil Inner Module and Outer Module and the CS Insert Coil. At this occasion, Dr. Martha Krebs from the US-DOE regretted the withdrawal of the United States from the ITER project, the US are now looking for Japan, the European Union and the Russian Federation to continue making progress. In response to this speech, Mr. Tsutomu Imamura said, that that was to be regretted and stated that Japan actively promoted the ITER project. Then, Dr. Michel Huguet, representing the JCT, presented a message from Dr. R. Aymar, the director of the ITER program. In this message he indicated that each and every one who had been involved in that project could take great pride. The ceremony was concluded by warm and thoughtful words from Dr. Masami Fujiwara and a toast by Dr. Masaji Yoshikawa. At the end, all participants praised each other for their efforts and the three coils, the CS Model Coil Inner Module, the Outer Module and the the CS Insert Coil, seemed to be smiling at them

What is the true definition of a "Do-Not-Resuscitate" order? A Japanese perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiraoka E

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Eiji Hiraoka,1 Yosuke Homma,2 Yasuhiro Norisue,3 Takaki Naito,1 Yuko Kataoka,1 Osamu Hamada,1 Yo Den,1 Osamu Takahashi,4 Shigeki Fujitani3 1Department of Internal Medicine, 2Department of Emergency Medicine, 3Department of Critical Care Medicine, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Chiba, Japan; 4Department of Internal Medicine, St Luke’s International Hospital, Tokyo, Japan Background: Japan has no official guidelines for do-not-resuscitate (DNR orders. Therefore, we investigated the effect of DNR orders on physician decision making in relation to performing noncardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR and CPR procedures.Methods: A case-scenario-based questionnaire that included a case of advanced cancer, a case of advanced dementia, and a case of nonadvanced heart failure was administered to physicians. The questions determined whether physicians would perform different non-CPR procedures and CPR procedures in the presence or absence of DNR orders. The number of non-CPR procedures each physician would perform and the number of physicians who would perform each non-CPR and CPR procedure in the absence and presence of DNR ocrders were compared. Physicians from three Japanese municipal acute care hospitals participated.Results: We analyzed 111 of 161 (69% questionnaires. Physicians would perform significantly fewer non-CPR procedures in the presence of DNR orders than in the absence of DNR orders for all three case scenarios (median [interquartile range] percentages: Case 1: 72% [45%–90%] vs 100% [90%–100%]; Case 2: 55% [36%–72%] vs 91% [63%–100%]; Case 3: 78% [55%–88%] vs 100% [88%–100%]. Fewer physicians would perform non-CPR and CPR procedures in the presence of DNR orders than in the absence of DNR orders. However, considerable numbers of physicians would perform electric shock treatment for ventricular fibrillation in the presence of DNR orders (Case 1: 26%; Case 2: 16%; Case 3: 20%.Conclusion: DNR orders affect physician

A case of anterior ischemic optic neuropathy associated with uveitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sugahara M

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Michitaka Sugahara, Takayuki Fujimoto, Kyoko Shidara, Kenji Inoue, Masato Wakakura Inouye Eye Hospital, Tokyo, Japan Introduction: Here, we describe a patient who presented with anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (AION and subsequently developed uveitis. Case: A 69-year-old man was referred to our hospital and initially presented with best-corrected visual acuities (BCVA of 20/40 (right eye and 20/1000 (left eye and relative afferent pupillary defect. Slit-lamp examination revealed no signs of ocular inflammation in either eye. Fundus examination revealed left-eye swelling and a pale superior optic disc, and Goldmann perimetry revealed left-eye inferior hemianopia. The patient was diagnosed with nonarteritic AION in the left eye. One week later, the patient returned to the hospital because of vision loss. The BCVA of the left eye was so poor that the patient could only count fingers. Slit-lamp examination revealed 1+ cells in the anterior chamber and the anterior vitreous in both eyes. Funduscopic examination revealed vasculitis and exudates in both eyes. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral panuveitis, and treatment with topical betamethasone was started. No other physical findings resulting from other autoimmune or infectious diseases were found. No additional treatments were administered, and optic disc edema in the left eye improved, and the retinal exudates disappeared in 3 months. The patient's BCVA improved after cataract surgery was performed. Conclusion: Panuveitis most likely manifests after the development of AION. Keywords: anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, uveitis

A case of gait disturbance caused by low-dose gabapentin

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Kanao-Kanda M

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Megumi Kanao-Kanda, Hirotsugu Kanda, Osamu Takahata, Takayuki Kunisawa Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan Abstract: Gabapentin, an anticonvulsant agent, is now often used for the treatment of neuropathic pain all over the world. It is unclear whether the combined use of gabapentin, sodium valproate, and flunitrazepam results in enhancement of the side effect, a gait disturbance. A 60-year-old man was taking oral sodium valproate for symptomatic epilepsy after a brain contusion and flunitrazepam to relieve insomnia. Oral gabapentin therapy was started for suspected neuropathic pain. Although the initial dose of oral gabapentin (200 mg relieved the pain, the lower extremities became weak, resulting in a gait disturbance. The therapy was restarted with a halved dose, and this resolved the gait disturbance and relieved the pain. Keywords: gabapentin, gait disturbance, side effect, neuropathic pain

Internet-based survey on medical manga in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kishi, Yukiko; Matsumura, Tomoko; Murishige, Naoko; Kodama, Yuko; Hatanaka, Nobuyo; Takita, Morihito; Sakamoto, Kenjiro; Hamaki, Tamae; Kusumi, Eiji; Kobayashi, Kazuhiko; Yuji, Koichiro; Narimatsu, Hiroto; Kami, Masahiro

2011-10-01

The more manga (Japanese graphic novels) communicate medical information, the more people are likely to be influenced by manga. We investigated through an Internet search using Google the characteristics of medical manga published in Japan, defined as those in which the main character is a medical professional and that occur in a medical setting. As of December 2008, 173 medical manga had been published. For a period of time after the first medical manga by Osamu Tezuka in 1970, the number of publications maintained a steady level, but increased rapidly in the mid 1980s. The professions of the protagonist were 134 doctors, 19 nurses, 3 dentists, 3 medical students, and 1 nursing student. Although the main character was mostly a doctor, manga featuring paramedical professionals have increased since 1990s. Medical manga may be a powerful tool for increasing the awareness of the public regarding medicine.

PREFACE: 3rd International Workshop on Materials Analysis and Processing in Magnetic Fields (MAP3)

Science.gov (United States)

Sakka, Yoshio; Hirota, Noriyuki; Horii, Shigeru; Ando, Tsutomu

2009-07-01

the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials. All articles have been refereed by experts in the field. Both of these journals are fully accessible electronically and can be cited and referenced in the usual way. It is our hope that the reader will enjoy and profit from the MAP3 Proceedings. Hitoshi Wada (Kashiwa, Japan) Chair Eric Beaugon (Grenoble, France) Hans J Schneider-Muntau (Tallahassee, USA) Co-chair Advisory Board Shigeo Asai (Nagoya, Japan) Koichi Kitazawa (Tokyo, Japan) Mitsuhiro Motokawa (Sendai, Japan) Shoogo Ueno (Fukuoka, Japan) Robert Tournier (Grenoble, France) Justin Schwartz (Tallahassee, USA) J C Maan (Nijmegen, Netherland) Scientific Committee Yoshifumi Tanimoto (Hiroshima, Japan) Masuhiro Yamaguchi (Yokohama, Japan) Tsunehisa Kimura (Kyoto, Japan) Yoshio Sakka (Tsukuba Japan) Ryoichi Aogaki (Tokyo, Japan) Jyunji Miyakoshi (Hirosaki, Japan) Kazuo Watanabe (Sendai, Japan) James M Valles Jr. (Providence, USA) Joon Pyo Park (Pohang, Korea) Qiang Wang (Shenyang, China) Nicole Pamme (Hull, UK) Sophie Rivoirard (Grenoble, France) P C M Christianen (Nijmegen, Netherland) Local Organizing Committee Isao Yamamoto Masafumi Yamato Shigeru Horii Norihito Sogoshi Masateru Ikehata Noriyuki Hirota Tsutomu Ando Proceedings Editorial Board Yoshio Sakka Noriyuki Hirota Shigeru Horii Tsutomu Ando Conference photograph

Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais, Brazil: a natural analogue study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smellie, J.

1989-01-01

The Pocos de Caldas natural analogue project is an internationally funded project hosted by Brazil; the contributary organizations are SKB (Sweden), NAGRA (Switzerland), DOE (United Kingdom) and the DOE (United States). The Project is a multidisciplinary study of two mineralized areas within an alkaline igneous caldera complex located near the town of Pocos de Caldas in the state of Minas Gerais. One area, the Osamu Utsumi mine, is characterized by redox deposits of secondary remobilized pitchblende, and the other area, Morro do Ferro, comprises a highly weathered deposit of thorium and REE with subordinate uranium. The project, scheduled for three years (1986-1989), is now entering its third and final year. The pilot and feasibility studies, which characterized the first year, helped to establish the major drilling programme and the sampling protocols for both rock and groundwater studies which constituted the major part of the second year. The latest status of the investigations are briefly reported

Le manga et son histoire vus de France : entre idées reçues et approximations

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Xavier Guilbert

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Le succès du manga en France au cours de la décennie passée a été accompagné d'un développement du discours tant critique qu'historique s'y rattachant. Cet article se propose d'examiner le traitement accordé à l'histoire de la bande dessinée japonaise dans les ouvrages de référence disponibles en français, ainsi que les idées reçues qui l'entourent. On s'y intéressera en particulier à la question de l'origine et du traitement de la figure centrale de Tezuka Osamu. On évoquera ensuite les déformations liées au prisme de l'accessibilité des œuvres à un lectorat francophone, qu'il s'agisse de l'importance accordée à un auteur comme Taniguchi Jirô, ou à la faible attention accordée à une production alternative encore peu traduite. On examinera également la vision de l'industrie du manga au Japon, et comment celle-ci s'établit principalement autour du cas emblématique de la revue Shônen Jump. Enfin, on observera la manière dont les éditeurs français retranscrivent cette vision dans leur approche et la constitution de leurs collections.The success of manga in France during the past decade has also seen the development of a critical and historical discourse on the Japanese production. This text proposes to consider the treatment of the history of manga in reference books available in French, with a focus on its preconceived ideas. We will consider in particular the question of the origin, and of the central figure of Tezuka Osamu. We will then analyze the distorsions linked to the availability of certain works in French, be it the importance of an author such as Taniguchi Jirou, or the limited attention given to the alternative production that still remains rarely translated. We will also consider the vision of the manga industry in Japan, and how this vision is mostly built on the emblematic case of the Shônen Jump weekly magazine. Finally, we will observe how French publishers translate this vision in their

Time evaluation of discharges of suspension solids in the treated acid waters from the Osamu Utsumi - INB - Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maculan, Gabriella Giarola; Alberti, Heber Luiz Caponi

2011-01-01

The present work presents only the flow and mass variations of particles on the the treated water at the points of interface with the environment. The region presents two very well established stations (dry and rainy), and the generated flows also presented oscillations as function of the hydrological year. The full knowledge of the hydrological fluxes involved in the Mine Acid Draining generation is essential for the elaboration of solutions aiming to minimize the environmental and costs impacts associated to the environmental passive generated by uranium mining

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography might be useful for diagnosis of hepatic amyloidosis

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Tawada A

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Akinobu Tawada,1 Tatsuo Kanda,1 Takashi Oide,2 Toshio Tsuyuguchi,1 Fumio Imazeki,1,3 Yukio Nakatani,2 Osamu Yokosuka11Department of Gastroenterology, 2Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Chiba University Hospital, Chuo-ku, Chiba, Japan; 3Safety and Health Organization, Chiba University, Inage-ku, Chiba, JapanAbstract: We report on a woman with hepatic involvement of primary systemic (immunoglobulin light chain, AL amyloidosis. Her diagnosis was confirmed by liver biopsy. Clinical symptoms of hepatic amyloidosis are generally mild at its first stage, with most frequent findings being hepatomegaly and alkaline phosphatase elevation. Recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of systemic amyloidosis have made several treatments available. However, its prognosis is occasionally poor. Because liver biopsy is not always safe, other modalities for the diagnosis are needed. Of interest was that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG uptake into the liver was observed, compared with that into the spleen, in this patient, indicating that FDG positron emission tomography and computed tomography might be useful for the diagnosis of hepatic amyloidosis with mild liver dysfunction.Keywords: amyloidosis, diagnosis, hepatic involvement, FDG PET

Dynamics of δ-dopant redistribution during heterostructure growth

Science.gov (United States)

Pankratov, E. L.

2007-06-01

It has recently been shown that growth of a multilayer structure with one or more delta-layers at high temperature leads to spreading and asymmetrization of the dopant distribution [see, for example, E.F.J. Schubert, Vac. Sci. Technol. A. 8, 2980 (1990), A.M. Nazmul, S. Sugahara, M. Tanaka, J. Crystal Growth 251, 303 (2003); R.C. Newman, M.J. Ashwin, M.R. Fahy, L. Hart, S.N. Holmes, C. Roberts, X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. B 54, 8769 (1996); E.F. Schubert, J.M. Kuo, R.F. Kopf, H.S. Luftman, L.C. Hopkins, N.J. Sauer, J. Appl. Phys. 67, 1969 (1990); P.M. Zagwijn, J.F. van der Veen, E. Vlieg, A.H. Reader, D.J. Gravesteijn, J. Appl. Phys. 78, 4933 (1995); W.S. Hobson, S.J. Pearton, E.F. Schubert, G. Cabaniss, Appl. Phys. Lett. 55, 1546 (1989); Delta Doping of Semiconductors, edited by E.F. Schubert (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1996); Yu.N. Drozdov, N.B. Baidus', B.N. Zvonkov, M.N. Drozdov, O.I. Khrykin, V.I. Shashkin, Semiconductors 37, 194 (2003); E. Skuras, A.R. Long, B. Vogele, M.C. Holland, C.R. Stanley, E.A. Johnson, M. van der Burgt, H. Yaguchi, J. Singleton, Phys. Rev. B 59, 10712 (1999); G. Li, C. Jagadish, Solid-State Electronics 41, 1207 (1997)]. In this work analytical and numerical analysis of dopant dynamics in a delta-doped area of a multilayer structure has been accomplished using Fick's second law. Some reasons for asymmetrization of a delta-dopant distribution are illustrated. The spreading of a delta-layer has been estimated using example materials of a multilayer structure, a delta-layer and an overlayer.

Managing refractory Crohn's disease: challenges and solutions

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Tanida S

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Satoshi Tanida, Keiji Ozeki, Tsutomu Mizoshita, Hironobu Tsukamoto, Takahito Katano, Hiromi Kataoka, Takeshi Kamiya, Takashi Joh Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Aichi Prefecture, Japan Abstract: The goals of treatment for active Crohn's disease (CD are to achieve clinical remission and improve quality of life. Conventional therapeutics for moderate-to-severe CD include 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, purine analogs, azathioprine, and 6-mercaptopurine. Patients who fail to respond to conventional therapy are treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α inhibitors such as infliximab and adalimumab, but their efficacy is limited due to primary nonresponse or loss of response. It is suggested that this requires switch to another TNF-α inhibitor, a combination therapy with TNF-α blockade plus azathioprine, or granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis, and that other therapeutic options having different mechanisms of action, such as blockade of inflammatory cytokines or adhesion molecules, are needed. Natalizumab and vedolizumab are neutralizing antibodies directed against integrin a4 and a4ß7, respectively. Ustekinumab is a neutralizing antibody directed against the receptors for interleukin-12 and interleukin-23. Here, we provide an overview of therapeutic treatments that are effective and currently available for CD patients, as well as some that likely will be available in the near future. We also discuss the advantages of managing patients with refractory CD using a combination of TNF-α inhibitors plus azathioprine or intensive monocyte adsorptive apheresis. Keywords: adalimumab, granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis, combination therapy, complete remission

The International intraval project. Phase 1, case 7. The Pocos de Caldas natural analogue: studies of redox front movement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chapman, N.

1992-01-01

The study of natural analogues is an important means of validating models of the geochemical processes affecting radionuclide behaviour. This test case, which is one aspect taken from the much broader geochemical studies carried out in the Pocos de Caldas Project, concerns the nature and behaviour of redox fronts, such as might be generated in the near-field of a spent-fuel repository. A redox front is potentially important in terms of the movements and speciation of certain radionuclides close to the waste package. The natural redox fronts in Osamu Utsumi uranium mine display many of the features which may occur in a repository, and influence the movement of natural series radionuclides, and other elements, through the rock/groundwater system. This report, describes the geological, hydrogeological and geochemical nature of the site, and of the redox fronts. Emphasis is placed on the mineralogy of the fronts, and the concentration profiles of various elements across them. The project involved a number of different modelling approaches which attempted to describe the generation and movement of the fronts through the rock. These included mass balance, reaction-diffusion models, fissure flow models, thermodynamic models, and kinetic models. 21 refs., 36 figs., 1 tab

Tipepidine in adolescent patients with depression: a 4 week, open-label, preliminary study

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Sasaki T

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Tsuyoshi Sasaki,1,2 Kenji Hashimoto,3 Masumi Tachibana,1 Tsutomu Kurata,1 Hiroshi Kimura,2 Hideki Komatsu,2 Masatomo Ishikawa,2 Tadashi Hasegawa,2 Akihiro Shiina,1 Tasuku Hashimoto,2 Nobuhisa Kanahara,4 Tetsuya Shiraishi,2 Masaomi Iyo1–41Department of Child Psychiatry, Chiba University Hospital, 2Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 3Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, 4Division of Medical Treatment and Rehabilitation, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Inohana, Chiba, JapanDepression in children and adolescents is a common, recurrent, and debilitating condition associated with increased psychosocial, and medical morbidity and mortality.1The global prevalence of depression in children and adolescents is 1%–2% and 3%–8%, respectively.2 Depressive symptoms are also associated with significant functional impairment in school and the work place (often requiring legal interventions,1–5 and an increased risk for substance abuse and suicide.6–9 Clinical guidelines suggest the use of two selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI, namely fluoxetine and escitalopram, both of which are effective with generally acceptable safety profiles in the treatment of adolescent depression.10 Additionally, combination treatment with an SSRI and psychotherapy, typically cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT, has shown benefit in this cohort.10 However, caution is warranted since antidepressants therapy in children and adolescents is associated with increased rates of suicidal ideation11–13 and adverse effects, characterized by excessive emotional arousal or behavioral activation.14 These results highlight the need for new therapies in adolescent patients with depression, particularly therapies with fewer side effects.View original paper by Brent and Maalouf.

The hydrothermal alteration in the context of geologic evolution from Pocos de Caldas Alkaline Massif, MG-SP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garda, G.M.

1990-01-01

The Pocos de Caldas Alkaline Massif covers 800 km 2 , a quarter of which is hydrothermally altered. Such proportion is uncommon, when compared to the know alkaline massifs of the world. The hydrothermal alteration is associated with Zr, U and Mo mineralizations which are predominantly located in the central-southern portion of the massif, in the central-eastern circular structure. The colour of the altered rock (and its soil) in that area is typically whitish beige to yellowish white and is regionally called potassic rock. The Osamu Utsumi Mine, also referred to as the uranium ore of Campo do Cercado, is located 25 Km to the south of Pocos de Caldas City and was explored, from 1977 to 1989, through the open pit method. A sequence of alteration minerals adapted to lowering temperatures should be expected; however, only illite and alkaline feldspar are observed in the hydrothermally altered portions of the massif, and their formation must have been controlled mainly by kinetic, other than thermal factors. The irrestrict circulation of relatively hotter hydrothermal fluids must have happened at the beginning of the process, diminishing immediately after the cooling of the brecciated areas (and the subjacent magmatic body), leading the system to kinetics levels that made subsequent hydrothermal alteration impossible. (author)

Effect evaluation of uranium mining effluents on the density and composition of the phytoplankton community

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roque, Claudio V.; Azevedo, Heliana de; Bruschi, Armando L.; Ferrari, Carla R.; Ronqui, Leilane B.; Campos, Michelle B.; Nascimento, Marcos Roberto L.; Rodgher, Suzelei

2011-01-01

Located in the region of the Pocos de Caldas Plateau, the Osamu Utsumi mine is the first uranium extraction and production mine to have its deposits explored in Brazil and it is situated on the premises of the Brazilian Nuclear Industries Ore Treatment Unit (UTM/INB). Within the UTM/INB installations, water samplings were carried out every three months (from October 2008 to July 2009) in three points (P1, P2 and P3): P1 (pit mine), P2 (Tailings Management Facility/TMF) and P3 (environment). The objective of the current study was to evaluate density and composition of the phytoplankton community, as well as chemical characteristics of water samples from UTM/INB effluents, which present different pH levels (ranging from acidic to alkaline). In the current study, values of pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, silicate, sulfate (SO 4 -2 ), fluoride, uranium, thorium and chlorophyll a were determined, as well as composition and density of the phytoplankton community. After comparing the three sampling points, it was verified that Cyanophyceae presented greater tolerance to chemical conditions of the water such as elevated concentrations of sulfate, fluoride, uranium and thorium, as well as pH variations, since this class was detected in all studied environments. (author)

An overview of a uranium acidic mining lake (Caldas, Brazil): composition of the zooplankton community and limno-chemical aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nascimento, H.; Ferrari, C.; Roque, C.V.; Nascimento, M.R. [Brazilian Nuclear Energy Commission/Pocos de Caldas Laboratory (Brazil); Wisniewski, M.J. [Alfenas Federal University/Limnology Laboratory (Brazil); Rodgher, S. [Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho/Science and Technology Laboratory (Brazil)

2014-07-01

This research represents an attempt to fill a gap in the information on the zooplankton composition and limno-chemical aspects of the uranium pit lake (Osamu Utsumi Pit, Brazil), affected by acid mine drainage. In the present study water samples were collected three-monthly, for a period of one year (2008-2009). The water samples from the uranium pit lake showed moderately acidic pH values (3.6 to 4.1), high values of the electrical conductivity, sulfate, uranium, fluoride, zinc, manganese and aluminum concentrations. The Rotifera cephalodella sp., Keratella americana, K. cochlearis, Bdelloidea order and the Cladocera Bosminopsis deitersi, Bosmina sp., were registered in the samples from the uranium pit lake with ADM. Of the species registered the Bdelloidea order was the most important in terms of density (17,500 - 77,778 ind m{sup -3}), since it occurred throughout the whole sampling period. In this study, probably the combined effect of moderately acid pH values and other potentially co-stressors factors, for example the high concentrations of stable and radioactive chemical species, could have influenced this richness and also the composition of the zooplankton species in the water samples from the uranium pit lake. Document available in abstract form only. (authors)

Martin Chalfie y la proteína verde fluorescente Martin Chalfie y la proteína verde fluorescente

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zacarías Pereira Vega

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The history of the green fluorescent protein (GFP starts with Osamu Shimomura at the beginning of the 1960s, with his discovery from the extracts of the Aequorea victoria jellyfish. However, it is not until the beginning of the 1990s, that the neurobiologist Martin Chalfie, applying genetic engineering tech- niques, achieved for the first time the heterology expression of the GFP in prokaryotes (E. coli and eukaryotes (Caernohabditis elegans, from a clone of the jellyfish’s gen that codifies the GFP prepared by Douglas Prasher. Besides fluorescing in green, the results from this work also demonstrated that it does not require any other cofactor or enzyme of the jellyfish for its expression or for the own forming of a fluorophore. At the same time, Chalfie proposed that the GFP could be used for the marking of cells on living ani- mals or the tag of proteins. Based upon these results, many scientists started working on research related to the GFP; actually this protein is used on different fields such as biotechnol- ogy, development biology, environmental chemistry and medicine. In the case of the latter, it has helped to elucidate the cellular mechanisms from which diseases are made of. Science owes Roger Tsien, amongst other contributions, the creation of differ- ent mutations of the GFP.La historia de la proteína verde fluorescente (GFP se inicia con Osamu Shimomura a principios de la década de 1960, con su descubrimiento de esta proteína a partir de extractos de la medusa Aequorea victoria. Sin embargo, es a principios de la década de 1990 que el neurobiólogo Martin Chalfie, aplicando técnicas de ingeniería genética, logra por primera vez la expresión heteróloga de la GFP en procariotas (Escherichia coli y eucariotas (Caernohabditis elegans, a partir de un clon del gen de la medusa que codifica a la GFP, preparado por Douglas Prasher. Además de fluorescer en verde, los resultados de este trabajo también demostraron que no se

The characteristics of keratomycosis by Beauveria bassiana and its successful treatment with antimycotic agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroko Sonoyama

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Hiroko Sonoyama1, Kaoru Araki-Sasaki1, Shigeyasu Kazama1, Tsutomu Kawasaki1, Hidenao Ideta1, Atsuko Sunada2, Seishi Asari2, Yoshitsugu Inoue3, Kozaburo Hayashi41Ideta Eye Hospital, Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan; 2Department of Laboratory for Clinical Investigation, Osaka University Hospital, Suita, Osaka, Japan; 3Division of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Department of Medicine of Sensory and Motor Organ, Tottori University, Yonago, Tottori, Japan; 4Immunology and Virology Section Lab, Immunology, NEI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USAAbstract: Clinical findings and treatment of keratomycosis caused by Beauveria bassiana, an entomopathogenic filamentous fungus, are described for an 80-year-old woman, who was referred to the hospital for ocular pain and redness on the 9th day after an ocular injury caused by the frame of her glasses. She had a long history of recurrent diabetic iritis and continuously used topical antibiotics and corticosteroids. At her first visit, a slit-lamp examination indicated a corneal ulcer confined within the superficial stromal layer, along with a slight infiltration and edema. Only a very few inflammatory cells were seen in the anterior chamber. Direct microscopic examination of corneal scrapings revealed septate fungal hyphae with zig-zag rachis and budding that was subsequently identified as B. bassiana by slide culture. Topical voriconazole with miconazole, pimaricin and oral itraconazole were effective and the lesion disappeared leaving only a mild scar at 2 months. The sensitivity of B. bassiana to various antimycotic agents was confirmed by broth microdilution, agar dilution with the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute standard, and a disk method using topically applied concentrations. B. bassiana, which exhibits a characteristic appearance in smears and causes superficial keratomycosis, is sensitive to voriconazole with miconazole, pimaricin, and itraconazole.Keywords: Beauveria bassiana, keratomycosis, filamentous

Beneficial effect of pramipexole for motor function and depression in Parkinson’s disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osamu Kano

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Osamu Kano1,2, Ken Ikeda2, Tetsuhito Kiyozuka2, Konosuke Iwamoto2, Hirono Ito2, Yuji Kawase2, Ryuta Sato2, Toshiki Fujioka2, Yo Araki2, Shigeji Baba2, Yasuo Iwasaki21Department of Neurology, Methodist Neurological Institute, Houston, TX, USA; 2Department of Neurology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, JapanAbstract: We examined whether pramipexole (PPX can influence depressive scale in normal and mild depressive parkinsonian patients. In an open study of PPX as an add-on to L-dopa therapy or single administration, 36 nondemented outpatients with Parkinson’s disease (PD were entered first. All were in the stage II or III of Hoehn and Yahr scale (H&Y. PPX were started at 0.125 mg/day and daily doses were increased to 1.5 mg/day. At 3 months after PPX treatment, patients were re-evaluated. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D, Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale III, H&Y stage, and freezing of gait questionnaire were compared in patients before and after PPX treatment. These scores were significantly improved after PPX administration. There were no correlations between HAM-D and those motor functions. We suggest that PPX treatment has antidepressant effects in depressive PD patients and also ameliorates HAM-D score in nondepressive PD patients in addition to motor function.Keywords: Parkinson disease, pramipexole, motor function, depression, antidepressant effect

Treatment of the acid mine drainage residue for uranium recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias, M.M.; Horta, D.G.; Fukuma, H.T.; Villegas, R.A.S.; Carvalho, C.H.T. de; Silva, A.C. da

2017-01-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a process that occurs in many mining that have sulfide ores. With water and oxygen, several metals are oxidized, one example being uranium. At the mine pit of the Osamu Utsumi Mine located at INB - Caldas and in two other boot-wastes (mining waste pile), AMD is present and currently, without a technological solution. The acidic water present in the pit is treated with hydrated lime, generating water for disposal and an alkaline residue called calcium diuranate - DUCA. The DUCA has a concentration of approximately 0.32% U 3 O 8 , which makes interesting the development of a process for extracting that metal. One of the processes that can be used is leaching. For this study, it was decided to evaluate the alkaline leaching to extract the uranium present in the residue. It is necessary to optimize operational parameters for the process: percentage of solids, concentration of leaching agent in solution, temperature and reaction time. With these parameters, it is possible to improve the leaching so that the largest amount of uranium is extracted from the sample, to help solve the environmental impact caused by the wastewater from the treatment of acid waters and, in addition, to give an economical destination for this metal that is contained in the deposited DUCA

Treatment of the acid mine drainage residue for uranium recovery; Tratamento do resíduo da drenagem ácida de mina para recuperação de urânio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dias, M.M.; Horta, D.G., E-mail: mmartinsdias@uol.com.br [Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Núcleo de Engenharia de Minas, Poços de Caldas-MG (Brazil); Fukuma, H.T.; Villegas, R.A.S.; Carvalho, C.H.T. de; Silva, A.C. da [Comissão Nacional de Energia Nuclear (LAPOC/CNEN), Pocos de Caldas, MG (Brazil). Lab. de Pocos de Caldas/Setor de Processos Químicos

2017-07-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a process that occurs in many mining that have sulfide ores. With water and oxygen, several metals are oxidized, one example being uranium. At the mine pit of the Osamu Utsumi Mine located at INB - Caldas and in two other boot-wastes (mining waste pile), AMD is present and currently, without a technological solution. The acidic water present in the pit is treated with hydrated lime, generating water for disposal and an alkaline residue called calcium diuranate - DUCA. The DUCA has a concentration of approximately 0.32% U{sub 3}O{sub 8}, which makes interesting the development of a process for extracting that metal. One of the processes that can be used is leaching. For this study, it was decided to evaluate the alkaline leaching to extract the uranium present in the residue. It is necessary to optimize operational parameters for the process: percentage of solids, concentration of leaching agent in solution, temperature and reaction time. With these parameters, it is possible to improve the leaching so that the largest amount of uranium is extracted from the sample, to help solve the environmental impact caused by the wastewater from the treatment of acid waters and, in addition, to give an economical destination for this metal that is contained in the deposited DUCA.

PREFACE: ELC International Meeting on Inference, Computation, and Spin Glasses (ICSG2013)

Science.gov (United States)

Kabashima, Yoshiyuki; Hukushima, Koji; Inoue, Jun-ichi; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Watanabe, Osamu

2013-12-01

The close relationship between probability-based inference and statistical mechanics of disordered systems has been noted for some time. This relationship has provided researchers with a theoretical foundation in various fields of information processing for analytical performance evaluation and construction of efficient algorithms based on message-passing or Monte Carlo sampling schemes. The ELC International Meeting on 'Inference, Computation, and Spin Glasses (ICSG2013)', was held in Sapporo 28-30 July 2013. The meeting was organized as a satellite meeting of STATPHYS25 in order to offer a forum where concerned researchers can assemble and exchange information on the latest results and newly established methodologies, and discuss future directions of the interdisciplinary studies between statistical mechanics and information sciences. Financial support from Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, MEXT, Japan 'Exploring the Limits of Computation (ELC)' is gratefully acknowledged. We are pleased to publish 23 papers contributed by invited speakers of ICSG2013 in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series. We hope that this volume will promote further development of this highly vigorous interdisciplinary field between statistical mechanics and information/computer science. Editors and ICSG2013 Organizing Committee: Koji Hukushima Jun-ichi Inoue (Local Chair of ICSG2013) Yoshiyuki Kabashima (Editor-in-Chief) Toshiyuki Tanaka Osamu Watanabe (General Chair of ICSG2013)

The androgen receptor as an emerging target in hepatocellular carcinoma

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Kanda T

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Tatsuo Kanda, Osamu Yokosuka Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Chiba University, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan Abstract: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC is one of the male-dominant liver diseases with poor prognosis, although treatments for HCC have been progressing in the past decades. Androgen receptor (AR is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. Previous studies reported that AR was expressed in human HCC and non-HCC tissues. AR is activated both ligand-dependently and ligand-independently. The latter is associated with a mitogen-activated protein kinase–, v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1–, or signal-transducer and activator of transcription–signaling pathway, which has been implicated in the development of HCC. It has been reported that more than 200 RNA expression levels are altered by androgen treatment. In the liver, androgen-responsive genes are cytochrome P450s, transforming growth factor , vascular endothelial growth factor, and glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa, which are also associated with human hepatocarcinogenesis. Recent studies also revealed that AR plays a role in cell migration and metastasis. It is possible that cross-talk among AR-signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and innate immune response is important for human hepatocarcinogenesis and HCC development. This review shows that AR could play a potential role in human HCC and represent one of the important target molecules for the treatment of HCC. Keywords: vascular endothelial growth factor, angiogenesis, glucose-regulated protein 78 kDa, hepatocarcinogenesis, molecular targets 

Separation of Mn(II) in presence of Al(III) in acid drainage from an Uranium mine with the use of chelating resins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Eliane Pavesi B.; Gomes, Viviane T.; Vaitsman, Delmo S.

2011-01-01

The acid drainage of Osamu Utsumi mine is the main environmental impact from mining activities in Pocos de Caldas - MG - Brazil. The water produced in this process is characterized by high acidity and heavy metal concentration. To minimize this environmental impact, new technologies directed towards treatment of acid drainage of mine (ADM) have been studied. However, due to the presence of Al 3+ (which has a high charge) in the ADM, these resins get quickly saturated, preventing stripping of divalent cations like Mn 2+ . This study proposes the synthesis of chelating resins that provide preferential retention of Mn 2+ instead of Al 3+ . It was synthesized resins functionalized with amidoxime and dithiocarbamate. The capacity of retention of Mn 2+ e Al 3+ ions at different pH values was assessed for each resin. The stripping of Mn 2+ at 2, 3 and 4 (pH ADM range) by studied resins was not preferential for Mn 2+ in relation to Al 3+ , probably due to the strong electrostatic interaction between this last type of high charge density and the active sites from extractor agents and resins. However at pH 6 (stated by environmental norms for liquid effluents discharge) the synthesized resins had a good retention capacity for Mn 2+ . So it is proposed that the extraction technique using chelating resins could be employed to strip Mn 2+ from ADM at pH 6,0, since at this condition , Al 3+ is precipitated as Al(OH) 3 . (author)

Can We Build an Open-Science Model to Fund Young, Risky, Blue-Sky Research? First Insights into Funding Geoscientists Via Thinkable.Org

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, B.

2014-12-01

Some of the biggest discoveries and advances in geoscience research have come from purely curiosity-driven, blue-sky research. Marine biologist Osamu Shimomura's discovery of Green-Fluorecent Protein (GFP) in the 1960s during his postdoc is just one example, which came about through his interest and pursuit of how certain jellyfish bioluminescence. His discovery would eventually revolutionise medicine, culminating in a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2008. Despite the known importance of "blue-sky" research that doesn't have immediate commercial or social applications, it continues to struggle for funding from both government and industry. Success rates for young scientists also continue to decline within the government competitive granting models due to the importance of track records, yet history tells us that young scientists tend to come up with science's greatest discoveries. The digital age however, gives us a new opportunity to create an alternative and sustainable funding model for young, risky, blue-sky science that tends not to be supported by governments and industry anymore. Here I will discuss how new digital platforms empower researchers and organisations to showcase their research using video, allowing wider community engagment and funding that can be used to directly support young, risky, blue-sky research that is so important to the future of science. I will then talk about recent experience with this model from some ocean researchers who used a new platform called thinkable.org to showcase and raise funding via the public.

Ocular-muscle surgery for filamentary keratitis that developed in double elevator palsy

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Hieda O

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Osamu Hieda, Norihiko Yokoi, Chie Sotozono Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan Purpose: To report a case of filamentary keratitis occurring in the cornea hidden under the eyelids by squint surgery.Methods: A 69-year-old female patient with a history of amblyopia was referred for intractable filamentary keratitis in the left eye. The strabismus angle was 35Δ hypertrophic, and ocular motility was within the normal range. Slit-lamp examination of her left eye revealed filamentary keratitis in more than one-third of the upper cornea behind the upper eyelid. Her right eye was diagnosed as supranuclear double elevator palsy. We performed strabismus surgery on her right eye, including inferior rectus muscle recession (5 mm in combination with superior rectus muscle resection (5 mm under local anesthesia. Following surgery, the left eye squint angle was improved. The filamentary keratitis of the left eye disappeared, and there was no recurrence over the following 5 years.Conclusion: The squint surgery of paralyzed right eye decreased the strabismus angle, subsequently resulting in the disappearance of the filamentary keratitis in the left eye via the resolution of the relative blepharoptosis. Although the squint operation performed was not for the purpose of improving binocular function, we want to conclude that it can treat the filamentary keratitis behind the eyelid. Keywords: filamentary keratitis, squint surgery, double elevator palsy, amblyopia

Aqueous speciation and the importance of particulate phase in hydro-geochemistry behaviour of U,Th and REE from uranium mine and Morro do Ferro, Pocos de Caldas - Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jesus, Honerio Coutinho de

1996-04-01

This work, which was realized within the Natural Analogue Project Pocos de Caldas, had as its main objective the study of the colloidal behavior of U, Th, REE and some other elements of geochemical interest, in surface and groundwaters from the Osamu Utsumi mine and the Morro do ferro in Pocos de Caldas, Minas Gerais. Ultrafiltration techniques with flat membranes of different molecular mass exclusion limits (100 K, 10 K e 1K daltons) were used for this purpose. In addition, suspended matter (>0,45 μm), retained during pre-filtering of the waters, was analysed mineralogically and chemically (U, Th, REE, isotopic composition of U and Th, etc). Studies of the chemical composition of colloidal particles (<0,45 μm) and their size distributions were performed using ESCA and SEM, respectively. In addition, speciation studies by means of the MINEQL computation program were made to obtain information about the principal complexed species of relevant elements and the formation of solid phases. All the above mentioned investigations were aimed at better understanding of the migration and sorption behavior of U, Th and REE in both environments. The data obtained in this work indicate a low importance of particulate phases (colloids or suspended particles) for the migration behavior of U, Th and REE in waters from the Osumu Utsumi uranium mine and the Morro do ferro. However, these particles, composed mainly of ferric oxyhydrates and humic compounds, play an important role in sorption and immobilization processes. (author)

Another Nobel Prize linked to synchrotron radiation work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasnain, S.

2009-01-01

The 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien 'for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP'. This year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry rewards the initial discovery of GFP and a series of important developments which have led to its use as a tagging tool in bioscience. By using DNA technology, researchers can now connect GFP to other interesting, but otherwise invisible, proteins. This glowing marker allows the movements, positions and interactions of the tagged proteins to be monitored. Osamu Shimomura was the first to isolate GFP from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, found off the west coast of North America, and discovered the protein's green glow (Shimomura et al. (1962). J. Cell. Comp. Physiol. 59, 223-240). Martin Chalfie demonstrated the value of GFP as a luminous genetic tag. In one of his first experiments he coloured six individual cells in the transparent roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans with the aid of GFP. He had obtained the GFP gene (gfp) clone from Prasher (Prasher et al. (1992). Gene, 111, 229-233) and expressed it in E. coli. The GFP protein displayed a bright green fluorescence in this heterologous organism, suggesting that it could indeed serve as a versatile genetic marker in virtually all organisms. Chalfie transformed C. elegans with gfp under the control of a promoter regulating the expression of β-tubulin, abundant in six touch receptor neurons in C. elegans. The organism subsequently expressed GFP from distinct positions in its body and at distinct times in its development (Chalfie et al. (1994). Science, 263, 802-805). Roger Tsien contributed to the general understanding of how GFP glows by determining the formation of the GFP chromophore, a chemical group that absorbs and emits light. Tsien is best known for extending the colour palette of GFP beyond green, allowing researchers to follow several different biological processes at the same time. According to background on

Status of uranium in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majdalani, S.A.; Tavares, A.M.

2001-01-01

Uranium exploration in Brazil was started in 1952 by the Brazilian National Research Council. This led to the discovery of the first uranium deposits in Pocos de Caldas and Jacobina. These activities was later continued by the National Energy Commission/Comissao Nacional de Energia Nuclear (CNEN), formed in 1962. The founding of NUCLEBRAS at the end of 1974 marked the increasing effort of the country's uranium exploration programme. At this time only the Pocos de Caldas deposit was known with measurable resources. Due to the reorganization of the Brazilian nuclear programme in 1988, all uranium exploration in the country was stopped. By then, eight areas with uranium reserves has been identified. Brazil uranium resources in the RAR category at ≤ $80/kg U cost range are estimated to be 162,000 tonnes U, out of which 56,100 tonnes are in the ≤ $40/kg U cost range. Additional resources in the EAR-I category and the cost range ≤ 80/kg U are in the order of 100,200 tonnes U. The first production of uranium in Brazil, at the Osamu Utsumi mine (Pocos de Caldas deposit), started in 1982. Because of escalated costs and reduced demand, this activity was put on stand-by status between 1990 and 1992. The mine was restarted in 1993, but was stopped again in October 1995. The cumulative production of the mine to 1996 was 1241 tonnes U. The Lagoa Real deposit is currently being prepared as a new producing mine. (author)

Oral hyaluronan relieves wrinkles: a double-blinded, placebo-controlled study over a 12-week period

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Oe M

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Mariko Oe,1 Seigo Sakai,1 Hideto Yoshida,1 Nao Okado,1 Haruna Kaneda,1 Yasunobu Masuda,1 Osamu Urushibata2 1R&D Division, Kewpie Corporation, Sengawa-cho, Chofu-shi, 2Department of Dermatology, Toho University Ohashi Medical Center, Ohashi, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan Background: Hyaluronan (HA has critical moisturizing property and high water retention capacity especially for human skin. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oral intake of HA. Methods: The mean molecular weight (MW of HA is 2 k and 300 k. Sixty Japanese male and female subjects aged 22–59 years who presented with crow’s feet wrinkles were randomly assigned to the HA 2 k or HA 300 k at 120 mg/day or the placebo group. The subjects were administered HA at a rate of 120 mg/day or a placebo for 12 weeks. The skin wrinkles were evaluated by image analysis of skin wrinkle replicas, and their skin condition was evaluated using a questionnaire survey. Results: During the study period, the HA groups showed better level of the whole sulcus ­volume ratio, wrinkle area ratio, and wrinkle volume ratio than the placebo group. After 8 weeks of ingestion, the HA 300 k group showed significantly diminished wrinkles compared with the placebo group. Skin luster and suppleness significantly improved after 12 weeks in all groups compared with the baseline. Conclusion: The results suggest that oral HA (both HA 2 k and HA 300 k inhibits skin wrinkles and improves skin condition. Keywords: hyaluronic acid, dietary supplement, skin, wrinkle volume, molecular weight

Epidemiological evaluation of YAG capsulotomy incidence for posterior capsule opacification in various intraocular lenses in Japanese eyes

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Nishi Y

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Yutaro Nishi,1,2 Tomohiro Ikeda,1 Kayo Nishi,2 Osamu Mimura1 1Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, 2Nishi Eye Hospital, Osaka, Japan Background and objective: We investigated the yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG capsulotomy rates in various intraocular lenses (IOLs. Study design/patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed 23,440 eyes implanted with either MA60BM, MA60AC, VA-60BB, CeeOnEdge, Clariflex, Technis Z9002, SI-40NB, or UV26T IOLs. We calculated the YAG capsulotomy rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years post lens implantation. Results: YAG capsulotomy rates at 3 years postimplantation for the eight groups of IOLs were, respectively, 3.7%, 3.9%, 23.7%, 3.4%, 4.5%, 4.7%, 10.4%, and 21.0%. YAG capsulotomy rates at 10 years postimplantation for the MA60BM and SI-40NB IOLs were, respectively, 9.1% and 15% (P<0.05. The average YAG rates for all sharp-edged and round-edged IOLs at 5 years postimplantation were, respectively, 5.2%±0.7% and 25.6%±9.0% (P<0.05. Conclusion: In all studied IOLs, posterior capsule opacification prevention seemed to be associated with the posterior optic sharp-edge design. Round-edged silicone IOLs may also retard posterior capsule opacification formation, though not as much as sharp-edged IOLs. As the follow-up period progressed, round-edged silicone IOLs showed significantly higher YAG rates than sharp-edged IOLs. Keywords: silicone, intraocular lenses, sharp optic edge, chi-square test, implantation surgery, posterior capsule opacification

Consensus statement on transcultural issues in depression and anxiety from the International Consensus Group on Depression and Anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Ballenger, J C; Davidson, J R; Lecrubier, Y; Nutt, D J; Kirmayer, L J; Lépine, J P; Lin, K M; Tajima, O; Ono, Y

2001-01-01

To provide primary care physicians with a better understanding of transcultural issues in depression and anxiety. The 4 members of the International Consensus Group on Depression and Anxiety were James C. Ballenger (chair), Jonathan R. T. Davidson, Yves Lecrubier, and David J. Nutt. Five faculty invited by the chair also participated: Laurence J. Kirmayer, Jean-Pierre Lepine, Keh-Ming Lin, Osamu Tajima, and Yutaka Ono. The consensus statement is based on the 5 review articles that are published in this supplement and the scientific literature relevant to the issues reviewed in these articles. Group meetings were held over a 2-day period. On day 1, the group discussed the review articles, and the chair identified key issues for further debate. On day 2, the group discussed these issues to arrive at a consensus view. After the group meetings, the consensus statement was drafted by the chair and approved by all attendees. The consensus statement underlines the prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders across all cultures and nations while recognizing that cultural differences exist in symptom presentation and prevalence estimates. In all countries, the recognition of depression by clinicians in the primary care setting is low (generally less than 50%), and the consensus group recommends a 2-step process to aid the recognition and diagnosis of depression. In line with the low recognition of depression and anxiety disorders is the finding that only a small proportion of patients with depression or anxiety are receiving appropriate treatments for their condition. Biological diversity across ethnic groups may account for the differential sensitivity of some groups to psychotropic medication, but this area requires further investigation.

Long-term effect of galantamine on cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease versus a simulated disease trajectory: an observational study in the clinical setting

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Nakagawa R

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Ryoko Nakagawa,1 Takashi Ohnishi,1 Hisanori Kobayashi,1 Toshio Yamaoka,2 Tsutomu Yajima,3 Ai Tanimura,4 Toshiya Kato,4 Kazutake Yoshizawa1 1Evidence Generation Department, Medical Affairs Division, 2Clinical Data Management Department, R&D Division, 3Biostatistics Department, Quantitative Science Division, 4Drug Surveillance Department, R&D Division, Janssen Pharmaceutical K.K., Tokyo, Japan Background: Long-term maintenance of cognitive function is an important goal of treatment for Alzheimer’s disease (AD, but evidence about the long-term efficacy of cholinesterase inhibitors is sparse. To evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of galantamine for AD in routine clinical practice, we conducted a 72-week post-marketing surveillance study. The effect of galantamine on cognitive function was estimated in comparison with a simulated disease trajectory. Patients and methods: Patients with mild-to-moderate AD received flexible dosing of galantamine (16–24 mg/day during this study. Cognitive function was assessed by the mini mental state examination (MMSE and the clinical status was determined by the Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I. Changes of the MMSE score without treatment were estimated in each patient using Mendiondo’s model. Generalized linear mixed model analysis was performed to compare the simulated MMSE scores with the actual scores. Results: Of the 661 patients who were enrolled, 642 were evaluable for safety and 554 were assessed for efficacy. The discontinuation rate was 46.73%. Cognitive decline indicated by the mean change of actual MMSE scores was significantly smaller than the simulated decline. Individual analysis demonstrated that >70% of patients had better actual MMSE scores than their simulated scores. Significant improvement of CGI-I was also observed during the observation period. Adverse events occurred in 28.5% of patients and were serious in 8.41%. The reported events generally corresponded with the

Air-insufflated high-definition dacryoendoscopy yields significantly better image quality than conventional dacryoendoscopy

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Sasaki T

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Tsugihisa Sasaki,1 Tsutomu Sounou,2 Hideki Tsuji,3 Kazuhisa Sugiyama4 1Sasaki Eye Clinic, Mikuni, Sakai, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Keiju Kanazawa Hospital, 3Department of Ophthalmology, Cancer Institute Hospital, 4Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan Purpose: To facilitate the analysis of lacrimal conditions, we utilized high-definition dacryoendoscopy (HDD and undertook observations with a pressure-controlled air-insufflation system. We report the safety and performance of HDD.Methods: In this retrospective, non-randomized clinical trial, 46 patients (14 males and 32 females; age range 39–91 years; mean age ± SD 70.3±12.0 years who had lacrimal disorders were examined with HDD and conventional dacryoendoscopy (CD. The high-definition dacryoendoscope had 15,000 picture element image fibers and an advanced objective lens. Its outer diameter was 0.9–1.2 mm. Air insufflation was controlled at 0–20 kPa with a digital manometer-based pressure-controlled air-insufflation system to evaluate the quality of the image. The HDD had an air/saline irrigation channel between the outer sheath (outer diameter =1.2 mm and the metal inner sheath of the endoscope. We used it and the CD in air, saline, and diluted milk saline with and without manual irrigation to quantitatively evaluate the effect of air pressure and saline irrigation on image quality.Results: In vivo, the most significant improvement in image quality was demonstrated with air-insufflated (5–15 kPa HDD, as compared with saline-irrigated HDD and saline-irrigated CD. No emphysema or damage was noted under observation with HDD. In vitro, no significant difference was demonstrated between air-insufflated HDD and saline-irrigated HDD. In vitro, the image quality of air-insufflated HDD was significantly improved as compared with that of saline-irrigated CD.Conclusion: Pressure-controlled (5–15 kPa air

Parental bonding and attitudes toward suicide among medical college students in Japan

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Hashimoto K

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Kojiro Hashimoto,1 Norio Sugawara,2 Osamu Tanaka,2 Kazuhiko Nakamura,1 Norio Yasui-Furukori1 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan; 2Aomori Prefectural Center for Mental Health and Welfare, Aomori, Japan Background: Suicide is a grave public health issue that is responsible for a high mortality rate among individuals aged 15–44 years. Attitudes toward suicide among medical staff members have been associated with appropriate therapeutic responses to suicidal individuals. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of parental rearing on attitudes toward suicide among Japanese medical college students. Methods: We examined the association between parental bonding and attitudes toward suicide in 160 medical college students in Japan. The Parental Bonding Instrument was used to assess the attitudes and behaviors of parents. The attitudes toward suicide were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Attitudes Toward Suicide questionnaire. Results: The mean age of the subjects was 25.2±4.0 years old. The majority of the participants in our study agreed that anyone could commit suicide (88.8% and that suicide is preventable (86.3%. After adjusting for age and sex, multivariate regression analysis revealed that maternal care approached a statistically significant association with the “right to suicide” attitude. Under the same conditions, maternal care was shown to be significantly associated with the “common occurrence” attitude. No other significant relationships were observed between parental bonding and attitudes toward suicide.Conclusion: This study suggests that a higher level of maternal care ensures that children think that suicide occurs less commonly. The promotion of best practices for suicide prevention among medical students is needed. Child rearing support might be associated with suicide prevention.Keywords: attitudes toward suicide, Japanese, medical college

Optic neuritis and acute anterior uveitis associated with influenza A infection: a case report

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Nakagawa H

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Hayate Nakagawa, Hidetaka Noma, Osamu Kotake, Ryosuke Motohashi, Kanako Yasuda, Masahiko Shimura Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan Background: A few reports have described ocular complications of influenza A infection, such as impaired ocular movement, parasympathetic ocular nerve, keratitis, macular lesion, and frosted branch angiitis. We encountered a rare case of acute anterior uveitis and optic neuritis associated with influenza A infection. Case presentation: A 70-year-old man presented with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. A rapid diagnostic test showed a positive result for influenza A. At the same time, he developed ocular symptoms including blurred vision with optic disk edema and hemorrhage in the left eye, and bilateral red eyes. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction performed on aqueous humor sample detected no viral infection. Visual field testing with a Goldmann perimeter showed central and paracentral scotomas in the left eye. In addition to antiviral agent (oseltamivir phosphate 75 mg, the patient was prescribed topical prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension eye drops every 5 hours and high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone 1,000 mg daily for 3 days. Two months later, his best-corrected visual acuity improved to 20/50 with regression of visual field defects in his left eye. Conclusion: We report a case of bilateral acute anterior uveitis and unilateral optic neuritis concomitant with influenza A infection. Topical and systemic corticosteroids were effective to resolve acute anterior uveitis and neuritis. Analysis of aqueous humor sample suggested that acute anterior uveitis and optic neuritis in this case were not caused by influenza A virus infection per se but by autoimmune mechanism. Keywords: optic neuritis, anterior uveitis, influenza virus, multiplex polymerase chain reaction

Physical inactivity is associated with decreased growth differentiation factor 11 in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

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Tanaka R

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Rie Tanaka,1 Hisatoshi Sugiura,1 Mitsuhiro Yamada,1 Tomohiro Ichikawa,1 Akira Koarai,1 Naoya Fujino,1 Satoru Yanagisawa,1 Katsuhiro Onodera,1 Tadahisa Numakura,1 Kei Sato,1 Yorihiko Kyogoku,1 Hirohito Sano,1 Shun Yamanaka,1 Tatsuma Okazaki,1 Tsutomu Tamada,1 Motohiko Miura,2 Tsuneyuki Takahashi,3 Masakazu Ichinose1 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan; 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tohoku Rosai Hospital, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Japan; 3Department of Internal Medicine, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University Wakabayashi Hospital, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai, Japan Background: Growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11 is reported to possess anti-aging and rejuvenating effects, including muscle regeneration and to be highly expressed in skeletal muscle. Recently, we demonstrated that the levels of plasma GDF11 were decreased in COPD. However, the effect of decreased circulating GDF11 in the pathophysiology of COPD remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the plasma GDF11 levels and various clinical parameters in patients with COPD. Patients and methods: Eighteen ex-smokers as control subjects and 70 COPD patients participated in the current study. We measured the levels of plasma GDF11 using immunoblotting, lung function, physical activity using a triaxial accelerometer, quadriceps strength, exercise capacity, and systemic inflammatory markers. We investigated the association between the levels of plasma GDF11 and these clinical parameters. Results: The levels of plasma GDF11 in the COPD patients had significant positive correlations with the data of lung function. Furthermore, the levels of plasma GDF11 were significantly correlated with the physical activity, quadriceps strength, and exercise capacity. Moreover, the levels of plasma GDF11 were significantly correlated with the data of inflammatory markers. Although various factors were

Tipepidine in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a 4-week, open-label, preliminary study

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Sasaki T

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Tsuyoshi Sasaki,1,2 Kenji Hashimoto,3 Masumi Tachibana,1 Tsutomu Kurata,1 Keiko Okawada,1 Maki Ishikawa,1 Hiroshi Kimura,2 Hideki Komatsu,2 Masatomo Ishikawa,2 Tadashi Hasegawa,2 Akihiro Shiina,1 Tasuku Hashimoto,2 Nobuhisa Kanahara,3 Tetsuya Shiraishi,2 Masaomi Iyo1–31Department of Child Psychiatry, Chiba University Hospital, 2Department of Psychiatry, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, 3Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, JapanBackground: Tipepidine (3-[di-2-thienylmethylene]-1-methylpiperidine has been used solely as a nonnarcotic antitussive in Japan since 1959. The safety of tipepidine in children and adults has already been established. It is reported that tipepidine inhibits G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK-channel currents. The inhibition of GIRK channels by tipepidine is expected to modulate the level of monoamines in the brain. We put forward the hypothesis that tipepidine can improve attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD symptoms by modulating monoaminergic neurotransmission through the inhibition of GIRK channels. The purpose of this open-label trial was to confirm whether treatment with tipepidine can improve symptoms in pediatric patients with ADHD.Subjects and methods: This was a 4-week, open-label, proof-of-efficacy pilot study for pediatric subjects with ADHD. Ten pediatric ADHD subjects (70% male; mean age, 9.9 years; combined [inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive] subtype, n=7; inattentive subtype, n=3; hyperimpulsive subtype, n=0 received tipepidine hibenzate taken orally at 30 mg/day for 4 weeks. All subjects were assessed using the ADHD Rating Scale IV (ADHD-RS, Japanese version, and the Das–Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (DN-CAS, Japanese version.Results: A comparison of baseline scores and 4-week end-point scores showed that all the ADHD-RS scores (total scores, hyperimpulsive subscores, and inattentive subscores

Acid leaching of uranium present in a residue from mining industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braulio, Walace S.; Ladeira, Ana C.Q. [Center for Development of Nuclear Technology (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Dept. of Mineral Technology

2011-07-01

The acid mine drainage is one of the most important environmental problems associated with mining of ores containing sulfides. The treatment of these acid effluents, which contains high concentrations of dissolved metals and anions, is generally by liming. The wastes generated in the liming process may present significant toxicity and their storage in inappropriate places waiting for treatment is a common issue that requires solution. Osamu Utsumi Mine located in the city of Caldas, Minas Gerais, has been facing this problem. The residue of this mine consists of an alkaline sludge generated from the neutralization of the pH of acid mine drainage and is rich in various metals, including uranium. The main concern is the long term stability of this residue, which is in permanent contact with the acid water in the open pit. The recovery of uranium by hydrometallurgical techniques, such as acid leaching, can be a viable alternative on the reuse of this material. This study aimed at establishing a specific leaching process for the recovery of uranium present in the sludge from Caldas uranium mine. Some parameters such as solid/liquid ratio (0.09 to 0.17), time of leaching (1 to 24 hours) and concentration of sulfuric acid (pH from 0 to 3.0) were assessed. The results showed that it is possible to extract 100% of uranium present in the sludge. The concentration of U{sub 3}O{sub 8} in the residue was 0.25%, similar to the content of the vein ores which is around 0.20% to 1.0%. The best experimental leaching condition is solid/liquid ratio of 0.17, pH 1.0 and 2 hours of reaction at room temperature (25 deg C). The content of uranium in the liquor is around 440 mgL{sup -1}. The recovery of the uranium from the liquor is under investigation by ionic exchange. (author)

Frontal suspension for congenital ptosis using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (Gore-Tex® sheet: one-year follow-up

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nakauchi K

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Kazuaki Nakauchi,1 Hidenori Mito,2 Osamu Mimura11Hospital of Hyogo College of Medicine, Hyogo, 2Ide Eye Hospital, Yamagata, JapanBackground: The frontalis suspension technique is the surgical method of choice in patients with ptosis and a levator function of 4 mm or less. Several types of materials have been used, including Gore-Tex®, which has been used successfully as a frontalis sling material since 1986. Recently, a Gore-Tex sheet (wider than a sling or strip suspension was reported. This paper reports the results of 27 eyes from 20 patients with congenital ptosis treated using the frontalis suspension technique with the newly developed Gore-Tex Most Versatile Patch (MVP sheet.Methods: All patients underwent surgery between April 2007 and September 2011 and were followed up for at least one year. The average follow-up duration was 18 months, with a range of 12–36 months. The average patient age was 45 (5–85 years, and the group included 11 males and nine females. Thirteen cases demonstrated ptosis in one eye, and seven cases involved both eyes. The patients were divided by age into a younger group and an older group. All ptosis procedures were performed using the Gore-Tex MVP sheet. The implant was normally 7 mm wide for adults and 5 mm wide for children. The implantation method was the same as that used for the sheet shape fascia.Results: In all patients, satisfactory functional results were observed at the 6-month follow-up examination. Eyelid opening heights were also obtained. The average marginal reflex distance (MRD was -0.5 mm preoperatively, which improved to +1.9 mm after surgery. After one year, average MRD was +1.6 mm. MRD attenuation was more frequent in the younger group. There were no cases requiring redo surgery and only one case of exposure.Keywords: polytetrafluoroethylene, Gore-Tex®, frontalis suspension, congenital ptosis, recurrence

Studies of transport pathways of Th, U, rare earths, Ra-228, and Ra-226 from soil to plants and farm animals: Final progress report, 1983-1988

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linsalata, P

1988-07-01

This report consists of three parts. Part 1 discusses a field study conducted in an area of enhanced, natural radioactivity to assess the soil to edible vegetable concentration ratios (CR = concentration in dry vegetable/concentration in dry soil) of Th-232, Th-230, Ra-226, Ra-228, and the light rare earth elements (REE's), La, Ce, and Nd. Twenty-eight soil, and approximately 42 vegetable samples consisting of relatively equal numbers of seven varieties, were obtained from 11 farms on the Pocos de Caldas Plateau in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This region is the site of a major natural analogue study to assess the mobilization and retardation processes affecting thorium and the REE's at the Morro do Ferro ore body, and uranium series radionuclides at the Osamu Utsumi open pit uranium mine. Thorium (IV) serves as a chemical analogue for quadrivalent plutonium, the light REE's (III) as chemical analogues for trivalent americium and curium, and uranium (VI) as an analogue for transuranics with stable oxidation states above IV, e.g., Pu(VI). Part 2 includes our final measurement results for naturally occurring light rare earth elements (REE's include La, Ce, Nd, and SM), U-series and Th-series radionuclides in adult farm animal tissues, feeds and soils. Our findings on soil-to-tissue concentration ratios (CR's) and the comparative behavior of these elements in farm animals raised under natural conditions by local farmers are presented. Part 3 summarizes our findings to date on the distribution and mobilization of Th-232, light rare earth elements (LREE), U-238 and Ra-228 in the MF basin. Estimates of first order, present day, mobilization rate constants resulting from ground water solubilization and seepage/stream transport are calculated using revised inventory estimates for the occurrence of these elements in the ore body and annual flux estimates for the transport of these elements away from the ore body. 151 refs., 20 figs., 40 tabs.

Acid leaching of uranium present in a residue from mining industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braulio, Walace S.; Ladeira, Ana C.Q.

2011-01-01

The acid mine drainage is one of the most important environmental problems associated with mining of ores containing sulfides. The treatment of these acid effluents, which contains high concentrations of dissolved metals and anions, is generally by liming. The wastes generated in the liming process may present significant toxicity and their storage in inappropriate places waiting for treatment is a common issue that requires solution. Osamu Utsumi Mine located in the city of Caldas, Minas Gerais, has been facing this problem. The residue of this mine consists of an alkaline sludge generated from the neutralization of the pH of acid mine drainage and is rich in various metals, including uranium. The main concern is the long term stability of this residue, which is in permanent contact with the acid water in the open pit. The recovery of uranium by hydrometallurgical techniques, such as acid leaching, can be a viable alternative on the reuse of this material. This study aimed at establishing a specific leaching process for the recovery of uranium present in the sludge from Caldas uranium mine. Some parameters such as solid/liquid ratio (0.09 to 0.17), time of leaching (1 to 24 hours) and concentration of sulfuric acid (pH from 0 to 3.0) were assessed. The results showed that it is possible to extract 100% of uranium present in the sludge. The concentration of U 3 O 8 in the residue was 0.25%, similar to the content of the vein ores which is around 0.20% to 1.0%. The best experimental leaching condition is solid/liquid ratio of 0.17, pH 1.0 and 2 hours of reaction at room temperature (25 deg C). The content of uranium in the liquor is around 440 mgL -1 . The recovery of the uranium from the liquor is under investigation by ionic exchange. (author)

Dynamic weakening of smectite-rich faults at intermediate to high velocities

Science.gov (United States)

Oohashi, K.; Hirose, T.; Takahashi, M.

2013-12-01

Smectite, one of the hydrous clay mineral, is ubiquitous in incoming sediments to subduction zones and is thought to weaken and stabilize subduction thrust faults. However, frictional properties of smectite alone cannot explain the nucleation and propagation of earthquake slip at the shallow plate boundary thrust which potentially causes the devastating tsunamis. Here, we investigate for the first time the effect of smectite fraction in smectite-quartz mixtures on friction at 30 μm/s to 1.3 m/s, to shed a light on the frictional response for the intermediate to high slip rates where the conventional friction experiments have not been explored. In the low slip rate of 30 μm/s, the steady-state coefficient of friction decreases non-linearly increasing smectite fraction: it drops rapidly at moderate fraction of 30-50 vol%. On the other hand, at the faster slip rates of ≥ 150 μm/s the friction lowers from 10-20 vol% fraction since drastic slip weakening appears for the mixtures of ~20 vol % smectite. Hence the fault suddenly loses the strength by adding only 20 % of smectite. The weakening seems to be associated with an excess pore pressure invoked by shear compaction and thermal pressurization during the experiments. This property weakens the fault strength and accelerates the fault slip, even if clay content is small (c.a. 15-35 %), leading to the large stress drop. In contrast, the faults rich in smectite (≥ 50 %) may cause small stress drop during the faulting owing to low friction coefficient of smectite at any slip rates. The results highlight that smectite content significantly affects frictional properties of faults and may generates the diversity in the subduction zone earthquakes. ACKNOLEDGEMENTS We thank Kyuichi Kanagawa, Masaya Suzuki, Osamu Tadai, and Hiroko Kitajima for constructive discussions and technical help. This work was supported by a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for JSPS fellows (25-04960) to KO, a JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) (20740264

Graphene oxide scaffold accelerates cellular proliferative response and alveolar bone healing of tooth extraction socket

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Nishida E

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Erika Nishida,1 Hirofumi Miyaji,1 Akihito Kato,1 Hiroko Takita,2 Toshihiko Iwanaga,3 Takehito Momose,1 Kosuke Ogawa,1 Shusuke Murakami,1 Tsutomu Sugaya,1 Masamitsu Kawanami11Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Sapporo, Japan; 2Support Section for Education and Research, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Sapporo, Japan; 3Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, JapanAbstract: Graphene oxide (GO consisting of a carbon monolayer has been widely investigated for tissue engineering platforms because of its unique properties. For this study, we fabricated a GO-applied scaffold and assessed the cellular and tissue behaviors in the scaffold. A preclinical test was conducted to ascertain whether the GO scaffold promoted bone induction in dog tooth extraction sockets. For this study, GO scaffolds were prepared by coating the surface of a collagen sponge scaffold with 0.1 and 1 µg/mL GO dispersion. Scaffolds were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM, physical testing, cell seeding, and rat subcutaneous implant testing. Then a GO scaffold was implanted into a dog tooth extraction socket. Histological observations were made at 2 weeks postsurgery. SEM observations show that GO attached to the surface of collagen scaffold struts. The GO scaffold exhibited an interconnected structure resembling that of control subjects. GO application improved the physical strength, enzyme resistance, and adsorption of calcium and proteins. Cytocompatibility tests showed that GO application significantly increased osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell proliferation. In addition, an assessment of rat subcutaneous tissue response revealed that implantation of 1 µg/mL GO scaffold stimulated cellular ingrowth behavior, suggesting that the GO scaffold exhibited good biocompatibility. The tissue ingrowth area and DNA contents of 1

Reversible brain atrophy and cognitive impairment in an adolescent Japanese patient with primary adrenal Cushing’s syndrome

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Ohara N

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Nobumasa Ohara,1 Hiroshi Suzuki,1 Akiko Suzuki,1 Masanori Kaneko,1 Masahiro Ishizawa,1 Kazuo Furukawa,1 Takahiro Abe,1 Yasuhiro Matsubayashi,1 Takaho Yamada,1 Osamu Hanyu,1 Takayoshi Shimohata,2 Hirohito Sone1 1Department of Hematology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan; 2Department of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan Abstract: Endogenous Cushing’s syndrome is an endocrine disease resulting from chronic exposure to excessive glucocorticoids produced in the adrenal cortex. Although the ultimate outcome remains uncertain, functional and morphological brain changes are not uncommon in patients with this syndrome, and generally persist even after resolution of hypercortisolemia. We present an adolescent patient with Cushing’s syndrome who exhibited cognitive impairment with brain atrophy. A 19-year-old Japanese male visited a local hospital following 5 days of behavioral abnormalities, such as money wasting or nighttime wandering. He had hypertension and a 1-year history of a rounded face. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI revealed apparently diffuse brain atrophy. Because of high random plasma cortisol levels (28.7 µg/dL at 10 AM, he was referred to our hospital in August 2011. Endocrinological testing showed adrenocorticotropic hormone-independent hypercortisolemia, and abdominal computed tomography demonstrated a 2.7 cm tumor in the left adrenal gland. The patient underwent left adrenalectomy in September 2011, and the diagnosis of cortisol-secreting adenoma was confirmed histologically. His hypertension and Cushingoid features regressed. Behavioral abnormalities were no longer observed, and he was classified as cured of his cognitive disturbance caused by Cushing’s syndrome in February 2012. MRI performed 8 months after surgery revealed reversal of brain atrophy, and his subsequent course has been uneventful. In summary, the young age at onset and the

COMT Val158Met, but not BDNF Val66Met, is associated with white matter abnormalities of the temporal lobe in patients with first-episode, treatment-naïve major depressive disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study

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Hayashi K

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Kenji Hayashi,1 Reiji Yoshimura,1 Shingo Kakeda,2 Taro Kishi,3 Osamu Abe,4 Wakako Umene-Nakano,1 Asuka Katsuki,1 Hikaru Hori,1 Atsuko Ikenouchi-Sugita,1 Keita Watanabe,2 Satoru Ide,2 Issei Ueda,2 Junji Moriya,2 Nakao Iwata,3 Yukunori Korogi,2 Marek Kubicki,5 Jun Nakamura1 1Department of Psychiatry, 2Department of Radiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan; 3Department of Psychiatry, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan; 4Department of Radiology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 5Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Abstract: We investigated the association between the Val158Met polymorphism of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT gene, the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF gene, and white matter changes in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD and healthy subjects using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI. We studied 30 patients with MDD (17 males and 13 females, with mean age ± standard deviation [SD] =44±12 years and 30 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (17 males and 13 females, aged 44±13 years. Using DTI analysis with a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS approach, we investigated the differences in fractional anisotropy, radial diffusivity, and axial diffusivity distribution among the three groups (patients with the COMT gene Val158Met, those with the BDNF gene Val66Met, and the healthy subjects. In a voxel-wise-based group comparison, we found significant decreases in fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity within the temporal lobe white matter in the Met-carriers with MDD compared with the controls (P<0.05. No correlations in fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, or radial diffusivity were observed between the MDD patients and the controls, either among those with the BDNF Val/Val genotype or among the BDNF Met-carriers. These results suggest an association

Complex comprised of dextran magnetite and conjugated cisplatin exhibiting selective hyperthermic and controlled-release potential

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Akinaga Sonoda

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Akinaga Sonoda1, Norihisa Nitta1, Ayumi Nitta-Seko1, Shinich Ohta1, Shigeyuki Takamatsu2, Yoshio Ikehata3, Isamu Nagano3, Jun-ichiro Jo4, Yasuhiko Tabata4, Masashi Takahashi1, Osamu Matsui3, Kiyoshi Murata11Department of Radiology, Shiga University of Medical Science, Setatsukinowa-cho, Otsu, Shiga, 520-2192, Japan; 2Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Takara-machi 13-1, Kanazawa Ishikawa, 920-8641, Japan; 3Department of Natural Science and Technology, Graduate School of Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan; 4Department of Biomaterials, Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Shogoin kawara-machi 53, Sakyo-ku 606-8507, Kyoto, JapanAbstract: We developed a dextran-magnetite conjugated cisplatin (DM-Cis complex for use in thermal ablation and as a chemotherapeutic drug. To produce DM-Cis we reacted Cis with 1 mL DM (56 mg/mL iron. The temperature rise of DM-Cis was measured in vitro and in vivo under a portable induction-heating (IH device. Platinum desorption from DM-Cis over 24 hours was measured in bovine serum. In in vivo accumulation and magnet and exothermic experiments we used four rat groups. In group 1 we delivered DM-Cis intraperitoneally (ip and placed magnets subcutaneously (sc. In group 2 we injected saline (ip and placed magnets (sc. In group 3 we injected DM-Cis (ip and placed a sc incision (sham. The control (group 4 received an ip injection of saline. Rectus abdominis muscle tissue was stained with hematoxylin-eosin and iron-stained tissue areas (µm2 were calculated. The maximum platinum concentration in DM-Cis was approximately 105.6 µg/mL. Over 24 hours, 33.48% of platinum from DM-Cis was released. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05 in the iron-stained area between group 1 and the other groups. The temperature in muscle tissue registered a maximum of 56°C after about 4 min. DM-Cis may represent a

Antimicrobial photodynamic activity and cytocompatibility of Au25(Capt18 clusters photoexcited by blue LED light irradiation

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Miyata S

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Saori Miyata,1 Hirofumi Miyaji,1 Hideya Kawasaki,2 Masaki Yamamoto,2 Erika Nishida,1 Hiroko Takita,3 Tsukasa Akasaka,4 Natsumi Ushijima,3 Toshihiko Iwanaga,5 Tsutomu Sugaya1 1Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 2Department of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Chemistry, Materials and Bioengineering, Kansai University, Suita-shi, Osaka, 3Support Section for Education and Research, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Dental Medicine, 4Department of Biomedical, Dental Materials and Engineering, Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Hokkaido University, 5Department of Anatomy, Laboratory of Histology and Cytology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan Abstract: Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT has beneficial effects in dental treatment. We applied captopril-protected gold (Au25(Capt18 clusters as a novel photosensitizer for aPDT. Photoexcited Au clusters under light irradiation generated singlet oxygen (1O2. Accordingly, the antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of Au25(Capt18 clusters under dental blue light-emitting diode (LED irradiation were evaluated. 1O2 generation of Au25(Capt18 clusters under blue LED irradiation (420–460 nm was detected by a methotrexate (MTX probe. The antimicrobial effects of photoexcited Au clusters (0, 5, 50, and 500 µg/mL on oral bacterial cells, such as Streptococcus mutans, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Porphyromonas gingivalis, were assessed by morphological observations and bacterial growth experiments. Cytotoxicity testing of Au clusters and blue LED irradiation was then performed against NIH3T3 and MC3T3-E1 cells. In addition, the biological performance of Au clusters (500 µg/mL was compared to an organic dye photosensitizer, methylene blue (MB; 10 and 100 µg/mL. We confirmed the 1O2 generation ability of Au25(Capt18 clusters through the fluorescence

A study of static, kinetic, and dynamic visual acuity in 102 Japanese professional baseball players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoshina K

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Kohji Hoshina,1 Yuichi Tagami,2 Osamu Mimura,3 Hiroshi Edagawa,4 Masao Matsubara,5 Teiichi Nakayama6 1Hoshina Eye Clinic, Nishinomiya, Japan; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe Century Memorial Hospital, Kobe, Japan; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan; 4Edagawa Eye Clinic, Tokyo, Japan; 5Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women's Medical University Medical Center East, Tokyo, Japan; 6Ritsumeikan University, Kyoto, Japan Background: It seemed that visual functions might have some effects on the performance of baseball players. We measured static, kinetic, and dynamic visual acuity (SVA, KVA, and DVA, respectively of Japanese professional baseball players to ascertain whether there would be any difference in SVA, KVA, and DVA among player groups stratified according to their performance level. Methods: The subjects were 102 male professional baseball players with a mean age of 26 years who were members of a Japanese professional baseball club from 2000 to 2009. They were stratified into three groups according to their performance level: A (players who were on the roster of the top-level team all the time throughout the study period, B (players who were on the roster of the top-level team sometimes but not all the time, and C (players who were never on the roster of the top-level team. They were interviewed for the use of corrective visual aids, and examined for SVA, KVA, and DVA. The measurements of these parameters were compared among groups A, B, and C. We also investigated and analyzed the association of KVA or DVA with player position (pitchers or fielders and with hand dominance for batting. KVA was compared between the pitchers and the fielders because they each require different playing skills. DVA was compared between the right-handed and the left-handed batters. Results: There was no statistically significant difference among groups A, B, and C. There was a statistically significant difference in

The COPD assessment test and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire: are they equivalent in subjects with COPD?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morishita-Katsu M

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Mariko Morishita-Katsu,1,2 Koichi Nishimura,3 Hiroyuki Taniguchi,1 Tomoki Kimura,1 Yasuhiro Kondoh,1 Kensuke Kataoka,1 Tomoya Ogawa,4 Fumiko Watanabe,4 Shinichi Arizono,5 Osamu Nishiyama,6 Kazuhito Nakayasu,7 Kazuyoshi Imaizumi,8 Yoshinori Hasegawa2 1Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergy, Tosei General Hospital, Seto, Japan; 2Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan; 3Department of Pulmonary Medicine, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan; 4Department of Rehabilitation, Tosei General Hospital, Seto, Japan; 5School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Seirei Christopher University, Hamamatsu, Japan; 6Department of Respiratory Medicine and Allergology, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osakasayama, Japan; 7Data Research Section, Kondo P.P. Inc., Osaka, Japan; 8Department of Respiratory Medicine, Fujita Health University, Nagoya, Japan Background: The chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD assessment test (CAT is a short questionnaire that has facilitated health status measurements in subjects with COPD. However, it remains controversial as to whether the CAT can be used as a suitable substitute for the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ. This study investigated the reliability and score distributions of the CAT and SGRQ and evaluated which factors contributed to health status for each questionnaire.Methods: A total of 109 consecutive subjects with stable COPD from a single center were enrolled in this study. Each subject completed pulmonary function tests, exercise tests, and the following self-administered questionnaires: the Baseline Dyspnea Index, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the CAT, and SGRQ.Results: Internal consistencies of CAT and SGRQ total scores were both excellent (Cronbach’s α coefficients =0.890 and 0.933. Statistically significant correlations were observed between CAT and SGRQ total scores (R=0

Association of code status discussion with invasive procedures among advanced-stage cancer and noncancer patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sasaki A

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Akinori Sasaki,1 Eiji Hiraoka,1 Yosuke Homma,2 Osamu Takahashi,3 Yasuhiro Norisue,4 Koji Kawai,5 Shigeki Fujitani4 1Department of Internal Medicine, 2Department of Emergency Medicine, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Urayasu City, Chiba, 3Department of Internal Medicine, St. Luke’s International Hospital, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 4Department of Critical Care Medicine, Tokyo Bay Urayasu Ichikawa Medical Center, Urayasu City, Chiba, 5Department of Gastroenterology, Ito Municipal Hospital, Ito City, Shizuoka, Japan Background: Code status discussion is associated with a decrease in invasive procedures among terminally ill cancer patients. We investigated the association between code status discussion on admission and incidence of invasive procedures, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR, and opioid use among inpatients with advanced stages of cancer and noncancer diseases. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study in a single center, Ito Municipal Hospital, Japan. Participants were patients who were admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine between October 1, 2013 and August 30, 2015, with advanced-stage cancer and noncancer. We collected demographic data and inquired the presence or absence of code status discussion within 24 hours of admission and whether invasive procedures, including central venous catheter placement, intubation with mechanical ventilation, and CPR for cardiac arrest, and opioid treatment were performed. We investigated the factors associated with CPR events by using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Among the total 232 patients, code status was discussed with 115 patients on admission, of which 114 (99.1% patients had do-not-resuscitate (DNR orders. The code status was not discussed with the remaining 117 patients on admission, of which 69 (59% patients had subsequent code status discussion with resultant DNR orders. Code status discussion on admission decreased the incidence of central venous

Avaliação em laboratório do uso de sistemas de coberturas alcalinas para prevenção da drenagem ácida de mina

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Adriana Trópia de Abreu

2012-06-01

Full Text Available A drenagem ácida de mina (DAM é um problema ambiental em escala mundial. Ela é proveniente do processo de oxidação química de materiais da mineração que contenham minerais sulfetados expostos a condições atmosféricas com a mediação de bactérias. As águas ácidas geradas nesses ambientes podem comprometer a qualidade dos recursos hídricos. Para tentar conter essa DAM, métodos de prevenção e remediação têm sido aplicados. As coberturas secas têm sido estudadas como alternativa de prevenção, visto que a remediação tem mostrado-se de custo elevado. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o uso de coberturas alcalinas para controlar a geração de ácido proveniente do estéril da mineração de urânio, U, por meio de sistemas colunas de lixiviação. Para isso, foram estudados sistemas de coberturas que têm como agentes de neutralização a lama vermelha, o calcário e a cal. Amostras de estéril e de água foram coletadas na mina Osamu Utsumi, em Caldas, MG. Foram realizadas análises químicas e mineralógicas do estéril, da cal, do calcário e da lama vermelha. Para os testes cinéticos, foram montadas sete colunas de lixiviação: C1(estéril; C2 (estéril + cobertura de lama vermelha; C3 (estéril + cobertura de calcário; C4 (estéril + cobertura de cal; COB2 (cobertura de lama vermelha; COB3 (cobertura de calcário; e COB4 (cobertura de cal. As amostras lixiviadas foram monitoradas por 100 dias. Os resultados mostraram que a cal e a lama vermelha têm maior potencial neutralizador. No entanto, esses agentes neutralizantes oferecem o inconveniente de introduzir material solúvel no lixiviado. Dessa forma, considerando os parâmetros avaliados, foi demonstrado que o uso de mistura de lama vermelha com estéril do Bota-fora 4 (BF4 pode ser uma alternativa viável para o controle de geração de DAM associada à reciclagem de resíduos industriais alcalinos.

PREFACE: 14th International Conference on Micro and Nanotechnology for Power Generation and Energy Conversion Applications (PowerMEMS 2014)

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

create strong networks between researchers. We also provide nice opportunities to experience Japanese nature and culture. The special cruise to see the magnificent whirlpool up close will definitely be one of the highlights. Additionally, we will serve Awaji's traditional performing art, Awaji Ningyo Joruri, which has a history of over 500 years and has been inherited through the generations. There are many individuals we would like to thank for their support in organizing PowerMEMS2014. The TPC, chaired by Takayuki Fujita, have given us their valuable time and best effort in reviewing abstracts. The PowerMEMS School chair Yuji Suzuki and the expert speakers made the School possible. The local organizing committee, led by Kensuke Kanda has provided us with invaluable assistance in preparing the PowerMEMS2014 venue. The financial support from both the Tsutomu Nakauchi Foundation, the Hyogo International Association and the conference sponsors have also been gratefully appreciated. Finally, we would like to thank each of you for attending the conference and bringing your expertise. We wish you all a successful conference and an exciting and relaxing stay in Awaji Island.

PREFACE: 7th International Conference on Applications of Physics in Financial Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Takayasu, M.; Watanabe, T.; Ikeda, Y.; Takayasu, H.

2010-04-01

become interested in such datasets, conducting empirical investigations about various aspects of economic activities. Specifically, they have searched for regularities and 'laws' akin to the ones in natural science, successfully producing fascinating results, as shown in the papers contained in this volume. Each paper submitted for publication in this volume has gone through the refereeing process, and has been revised on the basis of comments and discussion at the conference as well as comments from the anonymous referees. Finally, 19 papers were accepted for publication. The editors are very grateful to the colleagues involved in the refereeing process for their rapid and careful reviewing of the papers. We thank Takayuki Mizuno, Koji Sakai, Hiwon Yoon and Hiroki Matsui for their support for the conference. We appreciate the administrative assistance provided by Yayoi Hatano of Hitotsubashi University, and Masahiko Ozaki, Masato Yamada and Tomoko Kase of RIETI. We are most grateful to the authors for their contributions, as well as to the participants, all of whom made this conference stimulating and enjoyable. Misako Takayasu Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan Tsutomu Watanabe Hitotsubashi University, Japan RIETI, Japan Yuichi Ikeda Hitachi Research Laboratory, Hitachi Ltd, Japan Hideki Takayasu Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc, Japan

Plasma levels of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol are associated with microstructural changes within the cerebellum in the early stage of first-episode schizophrenia: a longitudinal VBM study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nishimura J

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Joji Nishimura,1 Shingo Kakeda,1 Osamu Abe,2 Reiji Yoshimura,3 Keita Watanabe,1 Naoki Goto,3 Hikaru Hori,3 Toru Sato,1 Hidemasa Takao,4 Hiroyuki Kabasawa,5 Jun Nakamura,3 Yukunori Korogi1 1Department of Radiology, University of Occupational and Environmental Health School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan; 2Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan; 3Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health School of Medicine, Fukuoka, Japan; 4Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan; 5MR Applied Science Laboratory Japan, GE Yokogawa Medical Systems, Hino-shi, Tokyo, Japan Abstract: The aims of this study are to determine how the interval changes of the brain structures in the early stage of first-episode schizophrenia relate to the interval changes in the clinical data, including the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia and catecholaminergic measures (plasma homovanillic acid [HVA] and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol [MHPG]. Regional brain volumes and fractional anisotropy (FA/mean diffusivity (MD with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI were measured at baseline and 6-month follow-up in a 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI system in a cohort of 16 schizophrenic patients, who were in their first episode at the time of baseline MRI. At the time of baseline and follow-up MRI, all 16 patients underwent evaluations that included a psychopathological assessment (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale [PANSS] and peripheral catecholaminergic measures (plasma MHPG or HVA. For interval changes between baseline and follow-up MRI data (morphological change, MD, and FA, the correlation/regression analysis was performed as a series of single regression correlations in Statistical Parametric Mapping 5, with the interval changes in PANSS or plasma HVA and MHPG as the covariates of interest. Positive and inverse correlations contrasts were created, and in this

Iterative reconstruction for quantitative computed tomography analysis of emphysema: consistent results using different tube currents

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Yamashiro T

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Tsuneo Yamashiro,1 Tetsuhiro Miyara,1 Osamu Honda,2 Noriyuki Tomiyama,2 Yoshiharu Ohno,3 Satoshi Noma,4 Sadayuki Murayama1 On behalf of the ACTIve Study Group 1Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, Japan; 2Department of Radiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan; 3Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo, Japan; 4Department of Radiology, Tenri Hospital, Tenri, Nara, Japan Purpose: To assess the advantages of iterative reconstruction for quantitative computed tomography (CT analysis of pulmonary emphysema. Materials and methods: Twenty-two patients with pulmonary emphysema underwent chest CT imaging using identical scanners with three different tube currents: 240, 120, and 60 mA. Scan data were converted to CT images using Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction using Three Dimensional Processing (AIDR3D and a conventional filtered-back projection mode. Thus, six scans with and without AIDR3D were generated per patient. All other scanning and reconstruction settings were fixed. The percent low attenuation area (LAA%; < -950 Hounsfield units and the lung density 15th percentile were automatically measured using a commercial workstation. Comparisons of LAA% and 15th percentile results between scans with and without using AIDR3D were made by Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Associations between body weight and measurement errors among these scans were evaluated by Spearman rank correlation analysis. Results: Overall, scan series without AIDR3D had higher LAA% and lower 15th percentile values than those with AIDR3D at each tube current (P<0.0001. For scan series without AIDR3D, lower tube currents resulted in higher LAA% values and lower 15th percentiles. The extent of emphysema was significantly different between each pair among scans when not using AIDR3D (LAA%, P<0.0001; 15th percentile, P<0.01, but was not

Effects of climate change on the length of growth stages and water requirement of wheat and barley (Case Study: Birjand Plain

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Mitra Rahmani

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction The global climate is changing and, despite efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, weather variation is inevitable. Meanwhile, agriculture as a major water consumer will require adaptation to these variations, along with other challenges, to guarantee its persistence and sustainability. Given the arid and semi-arid climate of Iran, water, as a main limiting factor for agricultural production, plays an important role in determining the type of farming activities (Osamu et al., 2005. Crop water requirements and evapotranspiration are the main cause of water consumption in agricultural sector, the both accepted to face a dramatic increase in future under influence of increasing temperatures resulting from climate change (Koocheki et al., 2001. In this regard, the foreknowledge about future changes in climate and its effects on agricultural water use can be helpful for farmers and decision-makers. This study aimed to evaluate the climatic conditions of Birjand plain in the next two decades, and to investigate the effects of climate change on water consumption of wheat and barley as two main crops in this region. Materials and methods In the present survey, the effects of estimated climate change in Birjand plain on water requirement of wheat and barley and wheat yield in the 2010-2039 period were studied. Based on average weather data for the last thirty years from Birjand synoptic stations, climatic parameters of temperature and precipitation for the time period of 2010-2039 were simulated with LARS-WG5 using A1 scenario confirmed by the IPCC. Wind speed and relative humidity also were estimated for the future period. Common planting and harvesting dates were obtained from local farmers and Birjand Agriculture Organization and duration and crop coefficients (Kc for early, developmental, middle and final crop growth stages in the current period were extracted from FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56. For the future period

EDITORIAL: Invited review and topical lectures from the 13th International Congress on Plasma Physics

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Zagorodny, A.; Kocherga, O.

2007-05-01

The 13th International Congress on Plasma Physics (ICPP 2006) was organized, on behalf of the International Advisory Committee of the ICPP series, by the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics (BITP) and held in Kiev, Ukraine, 22 26 May 2006. The Congress Program included the topics: fundamental problems of plasma physics; fusion plasmas; plasmas in astrophysics and space physics; plasmas in applications and technologies; complex plasmas. A total of 305 delegates from 30 countries took part in the Congress. The program included 9 invited review lectures, 32 invited topical and 313 contributed papers (60 of which were selected for oral presentation). The Congress Program was the responsibility of the International Program Committee: Anatoly Zagorodny (Chairman) Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Ukraine Olha Kocherga (Scientific Secretary) Bogolyubov Institute for Theoretical Physics, Ukraine Boris Breizman The University of Texas at Austin, USA Iver Cairns School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia Tatiana Davydova Institute for Nuclear Research, Ukraine Tony Donne FOM-Institute for Plasma Physics, Rijnhuizen, The Netherlands Nikolai S Erokhin Space Research Institute of RAS, Russia Xavier Garbet CEA, France Valery Godyak OSRAM SYLVANIA, USA Katsumi Ida National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan Alexander Kingsep Russian Research Centre `Kurchatov Institute', Russia E P Kruglyakov Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Russia Gregor Morfill Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Germany Osamu Motojima National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan Jef Ongena ERM-KMS, Brussels and EFDA-JET, UK Konstantyn Shamrai Institute for Nuclear Research, Ukraine Raghvendra Singh Institute for Plasma Research, India Konstantyn Stepanov Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, Ukraine Masayoshi Tanaka National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan Nodar Tsintsadze Physics Institute, Georgia The

PREFACE: 11th Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma Science and Technology (APCPST-11) and 25th Symposium on Plasma Science for Materials (SPSM-25)

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Watanabe, Takayuki; Kaneko, Toshio; Sekine, Makoto; Tanaka, Yasunori

2013-06-01

advances in thermal and non-equilibrium plasmas as well as on more new and innovative developments in the field of life innovation, green innovation and a technical report session. The editors hope that this volume will be useful and helpful for deepening our understanding of science and technology of plasma materials processing and also for stimulating further development of the plasma technology. Finally, we would like to thank the conference chairmen, the members of the organizing committee, the advisory committee, the executive committee, the program committee, the publication committee, organizing secretariat and financial support from The 153rd Committee on Plasma Materials Science, JSPS. Sponsors and Supporting Organization: The 153rd Committee on Plasma Materials Science, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Organizing Committee Chairperson: Osamu Tsuji, SAMCO Corporation, Japan Advisory Committee Chairperson: Akihisa Matsuda, Osaka University, Japan Executive Committee Chairperson: Masaru Hori, Nagoya University, Japan Program Committee Chairperson: Takamasa Ishigaki, Hosei University, Japan Publication Committee Chairperson: Takayuki Watanabe, Kyushu University Editors of APCPST-11 and SPMS-25 Professor Takayuki Watanabe, Kyushu University, Japan Professor Toshio Kaneko, Tohoku University, Japan Professor Makoto Sekine, Nagoya University, Japan Professor Yasunori Tanaka, Kanazawa University, Japan

PREFACE: 15th International Conference on Thin Films (ICTF-15)

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Takai, Osamu; Saito, Nagahiro; Zettsu, Nobuyuki; Cho, Sung-Pyo; Terashima, Chiaki; Ueno, Tomonaga; Sakai, Osamu; Miyazaki, Seiichi; Yoshimura, Kazuki; Akamatsu, Kensuke; Ito, Takahiro; Yogo, Toshinobu; Inoue, Yasushi; Ohtake, Naoto; Yoshida, Tsukasa; Tosa, Masahiro; Takai, Madoka; Fujiwara, Yasufumi; Matsuda, Naoki; Teshima, Katsuya; Seki, Takahiro; Matsunaga, Katsuyuki; Fujita, Daisuke

2013-03-01

in the ancient temples and shrines, as well as private houses, which are built in styles unique to Kyoto. Furthermore, many festivals, ceremonies and traditional activities reveal the will of this city to convey and develop its 1200-year-old culture. Participants of the conference will also be able to see many world heritage sites in the city. Moreover, November is the best time of year to visit Kyoto. We hope you will enjoy Kyoto very much. We would like to offer our thanks for all the contributions from the members of the International Advisory Committee and Organizing Committee, Symposium Chairs, the Secretary General, the Thin Film Division of IUVSTA (chair: Professor Dr Alberto Tagliaferro), IUVSTA, VSJ and other cooperating societies, and to all of the supporting organizations and enterprises. We would also like to express our thanks to all of the participants, secretariat members and members of the supporting staff. I am very pleased to welcome you to ICTF-15 and Kyoto! Director Professor Dr Osamu Takai Chairperson of ICTF-15 EcoTopia Science Institute, and Department of Materials, Physics and Energy Engineering Graduate School of Engineering Nagoya University Japan

EDITORIAL: Editorial from the new Editor-in-Chief for 2014 Editorial from the new Editor-in-Chief for 2014

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Graham, W. G.

2014-02-01

from receipt-to-first decision of a paper is only 50 days. In 2014 we will continue to support the low-temperature plasma physics community through the publication of special topical issues. Those already scheduled for next year are: Transport in B-fields in low temperature plasmas, Guest Editors: Rod Boswell and Igor D Kaganovich Spots and patterns on electrodes of gas discharges, Guest Editors: Mikhail S Benilov and Ulrich Kogelschatz Interaction of electromagnetic waves with low temperature plasmas, Guest Editors: Osamu Sakai and Shahid Rauf We will also launch a new feature: LabTalks, a way in which our authors can showcase their group's work and communicate their research published in PSST to a wider audience. Full details are on the PSST website. Along with the leadership team, made up of Associate Editors, Anne, Nick and Richard and the great PSST staff at Institute of Physics Publishing, led by Alice Malhador, I will strive to grow, improve and deliver a journal which reflects the excellent science from the low-temperature plasma community. We hope we can continue to count on your vital support as authors and referees.

Science Underlying 2008 Nobel Prizes

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Caldwell, Bernadette A.

2009-01-01

JCE offers a wealth of materials for teaching and learning chemistry that you can explore online. In the list below, Bernadette Caldwell of the Editorial Staff suggests additional resources that are available through JCE for teaching the science behind some of the 2008 Nobel Prizes . Discovering and Applying the Chemistry of GFP The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein, GFP to three scientists: Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie, and Roger Y. Tsien. These scientists led the field in discovering and introducing a fluorescing protein from jellyfish into cells and genes under study, which allows researchers to witness biochemistry in action. Now tags are available that emit light in different colors, revealing myriad biological processes and their interactions simultaneously. Identifying HPV and HIV, HIV's Replication Cycle, and HIV Virus-Host Interactions The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to two scientists: Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier; and for his discovery of human papilloma viruses [HPV] causing cervical cancer to one scientist, Harald zur Hausen. Diseases caused by these infectious agents significantly affect global health. While isolating and studying the virus, researchers discovered HIV is an uncommon retrovirus that infects humans and relies on the host to make its viral DNA, infecting and killing the host's white blood cells, ultimately destroying the immune systems of infected humans. Related Resources at JCE Online The Journal has published articles relating to GFP specifically, and more generally to fluorescing compounds applied to biochemistry. The Journal has also published an article and a video on protease inhibition—a strategy to suppress HIV's biological processes. With the video clips, an accompanying guide

The 2009 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting: Roger Y. Tsien, Chemistry 2008.

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Tsien, Roger Y

2010-01-13

American biochemist Roger Tsien shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Martin Chalfie and Osamu Shimomura for their discovery and development of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Tsien, who was born in New York in 1952 and grew up in Livingston New Jersey, began to experiment in the basement of the family home at a young age. From growing silica gardens of colorful crystallized metal salts to attempting to synthesize aspirin, these early experiments fueled what would become Tsien's lifelong interest in chemistry and colors. Tsien's first official laboratory experience was an NSF-supported summer research program in which he used infrared spectroscopy to examine how metals bind to thiocyanate, for which he was awarded a $10,000 scholarship in the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. Following graduation from Harvard in 1972, Tsien attended Cambridge University in England under a Marshall Scholarship. There he learned organic chemistry --a subject he'd hated as an undergraduate-- and looked for a way to synthesize dyes for imaging neuronal activity, generating BAPTA based optical calcium indicator dyes. Following the completion of his postdoctoral training at Cambridge in 1982, Tsien accepted a faculty position at the University of California, Berkeley. There he and colleagues developed and improved numerous small molecule indicators, including indicators fura-2 and indo-1. In 1989, Tsien moved his laboratory to the University of California at San Diego, where he and his colleagues developed the enhanced mutant of GFP as a way to devise a cyclic AMP (cAMP) sensor for use in live cells. They initially engineered molecules to take advantage of the conformational change that occurs when cAMP binds to protein kinase A (PKA). By labeling one part of PKA with fluoroscein and another with a rhodamine, they hoped to detect Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET), which would occur when the two molecules were in close proximity. The initial experiments

List of Participants

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2011-08-01

GonzalezBUAP, FCFM Lorenzo Díaz CruzBUAP Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas Luis Rey Díaz BarrónDivisión de Ciencias e Ingenierías Luis UrenaUniversidad de Guanajuato Magda LolaDept. of Physics, University of Patras, Greece Mahmoud WahbaEgyptian Center for Theoretical Physics, MTI Marcus S CohenNew Mexico State University Mario A Acero OrtegaICN - UNAM Mario E GomezUniversidad de Huelva Mark PipeUniversity of Sheffield Mauro NapsucialeDCI-UG Mirco CannoniUniversidad de Huelva Mónica Felipa Ramírez PalaciosUniversidad de Guadalajara Murli Manohar VermaLucknow university, India Nassim BozorgniaUCLA Octavio Obregón Octavio ValenzuelaIA-UNAM Oleg KamaevUniversity of Minnesota Osamu SetoHokkai-Gakuen University Pedro F González DíazIFF, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain Qaisar ShafiBartol Research Inst. and Delaware U. Raul Hennings-YeomansLos Alamos National Laboratory René Ángeles MartínezDepartamento de Fisica, del DCI de la Universidad de Guanajuato Reyna XoxocotziBUAP, FCFM Rishi Kumar TiwariGovt. Model Science College, Rewa (MP) INDIA Roberto A SussmanICN-UNAM Selim Gómez ÁvilaDCI-UG Sugai KenichiSaitama University Susana Valdez AlvaradoDCI-UG TVladimir - 2K CollaborationColorado State University Tonatiuh MatosCINVESTAV Valeriy DvoeglazovUniversidad de Zacatecas Vannia Gonzalez MaciasDCI-UG Vladimir Avila-ReeseInstituto de Astronomia, UNAM Wolfgang BietenholzINC, UNAM (Mexico) Yamanaka MasatoKyoto Sangyo University Yann MambriniLPT Orsay Yu-Feng ZhouInstitute of Theotretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PR China Aaron HigueraDCI-UG Azarael Yebra PérezDCI-UG César Hernández AguayoDCI-UG Jaime Chagoya AlvarezDCI-UG Jonathan Rashid Rosique CampuzanoDCI-UG José Alfredo Soto ÁlvarezDCI-UG Juan Carlos De Haro SantosDCI-UG Luis Eduardo Medina MedranoDCI-UG Maria Fatima Rubio EspinozaDCI-UG Paulo Alberto Rodriguez HerreraDCI-UG Roberto Oziel Gutierrez CotaDCI-UG Rocha Moran Maria PaulinaDCI-UG Xareni Sanchez MonroyDCI-UG

The 2009 Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting: Martin Chalfie, Chemistry 2008.

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Chalfie, Martin

2010-02-10

American Biologist Martin Chalfie shared the 2008 Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Roger Tsien and Osamu Shimomura for their discovery and development of the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP). Martin Chalfie was born in Chicago in 1947 and grew up in Skokie Illinois. Although he had an interest in science from a young age--learning the names of the planets and reading books about dinosaurs--his journey to a career in biological science was circuitous. In high school, Chalfie enjoyed his AP Chemistry course, but his other science courses did not make much of an impression on him, and he began his undergraduate studies at Harvard uncertain of what he wanted to study. Eventually he did choose to major in Biochemistry, and during the summer between his sophomore and junior years, he joined Klaus Weber's lab and began his first real research project, studying the active site of the enzyme aspartate transcarbamylase. Unfortunately, none of the experiments he performed in Weber's lab worked, and Chalfie came to the conclusion that research was not for him. Following graduation in 1969, he was hired as a teacher Hamden Hall Country Day School in Connecticut where he taught high school chemistry, algebra, and social sciences for 2 years. After his first year of teaching, he decided to give research another try. He took a summer job in Jose Zadunaisky's lab at Yale, studying chloride transport in the frog retina. Chalfie enjoyed this experience a great deal, and having gained confidence in his own scientific abilities, he applied to graduate school at Harvard, where he joined the Physiology department in 1972 and studied norepinephrine synthesis and secretion under Bob Pearlman. His interest in working on C. elegans led him to post doc with Sydney Brenner, at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England. In 1982 he was offered position at Columbia University. When Chalfie first heard about GFP at a research seminar given by Paul Brehm in 1989

[The clinical application of quantiferon TB-2G: its usefulness and limitations].

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Sato, Shigeki; Nagai, Hideaki

2011-02-01

compromised hosts is essential for TB control, but T cell assay might be influenced by the degree of cell-mediated immunosuppression. The relationship between immunocompetence and specific interferon (IFN)-gamma response in whole blood QuantiFERON-TB Gold (QFT) is uncertain. Immune-related clinical indicators associated with the degree of antigen-specific IFN-gamma production were analysed using a large immunologically-unselected population with obvious TB infection. The absolute number of blood lymphocyte in TB patients was significantly associated with specific IFN-gamma production in a linear regression model. Sensitivity of 2 IFN-gamma Release Assays, QFT and ELISPOT, partly depends on peripheral lymphocyte counts. At low lymphocyte count conditions, ELISPOT assay is superior to whole blood QFT for detecting tuberculosis infection. (4) QuantiFERON TB-2G among staffs in the hospitals of Nationao Hospital Organization: Susumu OGURI, Chihiro NISHIO, Kensuke SUMI, Masayoshi MINAGUCHI, Tomomasa TSUBOI, Atuo SATOU, Osamu TOKUNAGA, Takeshi MIYAMOMAE, Takuya KURASAWA (National Hospital Organization Minami-Kyoto National Hospital) To investigate the infection rate of tuberculosis among staffs working in the hospitals of NHO. Questionnaires were sent to the hospitals and the responses were analyzed. Among the staffs working in the hospitals with tuberculosis wards, positive rate of QuantiFERON TB-2G was 6.9%, probable positive rate was 5.6%. On the other hand, among the staffs working in the hospitals without tuberculosis wards, positive rate was 4.4%, probable positive rate was 3.9%. It is necessary to monitor the infection rate among hospital staffs.

EDITORIAL: Nanotechnology in vivo Nanotechnology in vivo

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Demming, Anna

2010-04-01

Since the development of x-rays the ability to image inside our bodies has provided medicine with a potent diagnostic tool, as well as fascinating us with the eerie evidence of our mechanistic mortality. In December 2008 Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y Tsien received a Nobel Prize for the discovery and development of the green fluorescent protein. The award recognised a new discovery that further facilitated our abilities to follow cellular activities and delve deeper into the workings of living organisms. Since the first observation of green fluorescent protein in jelly fish over thirty years ago, quantum dots have emerged as a potential alternative tool for imaging [1]. The advantages of quantum dots over organic dyes and fluorescent proteins include intense luminescence, high molar extinction coefficient, resistance to photobleaching, and broad excitation with narrow emission bands. However, one drawback for biological applications has been the layer of hydrophobic organic ligands often present at the surface as a result of the synthesis procedures. One solution to improve the solubility of quantum dots has been to conjugate them with a hydrophilic substance, as reported by Nie et al [2]. Chitosan is a hydrophilic, non-toxic, biocompatible and biodegradable substance and has been conjugated with quantum dots such as CdSe-ZnS [2] for bioassays and intracellular labelling. As well as luminescence, different nanoparticles present a variety of exceptional properties that render them useful in a range of bio applications, including MRI, drug delivery and cancer hyperthermia therapy. The ability to harness these various attributes in one system was reported by researchers in China, who incorporated magnetic nanoparticles, fluorescent quantum dots and pharmaceutical drugs into chitosan nanoparticles for multifunctional smart drug delivery systems [3]. More recently silicon quantum dots have emerged as a less cytotoxic alternative to CdSe for bio

EDITORIAL: Message from the Editor Message from the Editor

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Thomas, Paul

2011-01-01

Index. The journal depends entirely on its authors and referees and so I would like to thank them all for their work in 2010 and look forward to a continuing, successful collaboration in 2011. Refereeing The Nuclear Fusion editorial office understands how much effort is required of our referees. The Editorial Board decided that an expression of thanks to our most loyal referees is appropriate and so, since January 2005, we have been offering the top ten most active referees over the past year a personal subscription to Nuclear Fusion with electronic access for one year, free of charge. This year, two of the top referees have reviewed four or more manuscripts in the period November 2009 to November 2010 and provided particularly detailed advice to the authors. We have excluded our Board Members, Guest Editors of special editions and those referees who were already listed in the last four years. Guest Editors' work on papers submitted to their special issues is also excluded from consideration. The following people have been selected: Osamu Naito, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka, Japan Masahiro Kobayashi, National Institute for Fusion Science, Toki, Japan Duccio Testa, Lausanne Federal Polytechnic University, Switzerland Vladimir Pustovitov, Russian Research Centre, Kurchatov Insitute, Russia Christopher Holland, University of California at San Diego, USA Yuri Gribov, ITER International Organisation, Cadarache, France Eriko Jotaki, Kyushu University, Japan Sven Wiesen, Jülich Research Centre, Germany Viktor S. Marchenko, Ukraine National Academy of Sciences, Ukraine Richard Stephens, General Atomics, USA In addition, there is a group of several hundred referees who have helped us in the past year to maintain the high scientific standard of Nuclear Fusion. At the end of this issue we give the full list of all referees for 2010. Our thanks to them! Authors The winner of the 2010 Nuclear Fusion Award was J.E. Rice et al for the paper entitled 'Inter-machine comparison of