A cooling rate constraint on microtextural development of plagioclase and scapolite: an example from the Lutzow-Holm Complex, East Antarctica

Exsolution lamellae in albite-rich plagioclase and antiphase domains in scapolite from the Lutzow-Holm Complex of East Antarctica were found under a transmission electron microscope.These micro-textures were found in the first cooling period of the three period cooling model proposed from the geochronological data. Based on these micro-textures,the cooling rate of the complex was estimated to be in a range from several to thousands K/my. These rates are concordant with those estimated from the ages of the complex

Development of a novel tocopheryl ester for suppression of lipid accumulation without cytotoxicity by optimization of dicarboxylic ester moiety

Tocopheryl succinate (Tsuc) is a succinic acid ester of the well-known antioxidant α-tocopherol (T). Tsuc exhibits various biological activities, including tumor growth suppression via activation of cell signaling and prevention of lipid accumulation in mouse adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells. The latter findings suggest that Tsuc may be a drug candidate for the treatment of obesity. However, Tsuc was found to induce apoptosis of normal cells (in addition to cancer cells), demonstrating the need to reduce the cytotoxicity of Tsuc without losing the suppression effect on lipid accumulation. Based on our previous findings, we focused on the ester structure of Tsuc for controlling cytotoxicity. Herein, we examined the cytotoxicity and lipid accumulation suppression effect of various T ester derivatives. We found that the terminal carboxylic group is necessary for suppression of lipid accumulation. We synthesized tocopheryl glutarate (Tglu) and tocopheryl adipate (Tadi) by elongation of carbon atoms 1 and 2 of the dicarboxylic moiety, respectively. Tglu and Tadi did not show any cytotoxicity, and both esters suppressed lipid accumulation, although their suppression activities were weaker than that of Tsuc. Tadi showed a more potent lipid accumulation inhibitory effect than Tglu. Although Tadi inhibited lipogenesis and promoted lipolysis, lipolysis was induced at lower concentrations than inhibition of lipogenesis, suggesting that Tadi mainly affects lipolysis. Taken together, we succeeded in the reduction of cytotoxicity, without loss of the suppression effect on lipid accumulation, by elongation of the dicarboxylic moiety of Tsuc. Tadi may be a promising candidate as an anti-obesity drug

A mass-flow-calorimetry system for scaled-up experiments on anomalous heat evolution at elevated temperatures

We have been studying phenomena of anomalous heat evolution from hydrogen-isotope-loaded nanocomposite samples at elevated temperatures as well as at room temperature using a twin absorption system. Recent experiments have used Ni-based nano-composite samples; Pd1 Ni7/ZrO2 ("PNZ"), Ni/ZrO2 ("NZ"), Cu0.081 Ni0.36/ZrO2 ("CNZ") and Cu0.21Ni0.21/ZrO2 ("CNZII"). The results of measurements have been presented in the meetings of the 12th Japan CF-Research Society (JCF12), the 17th International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (ICCF17) and the 13th Japan CFResearch Society (JCF13), and have been/will be published in [3], [4] and [5], respectively. These will be summarized, and the time-dependent data will be re-analyzed in another paper by A. Takahashi in this Conference for speculating heat releasing mechanisms during the several-week-lasted phase of D(H)-loading into the nano-composite samples. As will be shown there, a lot of interesting, even astonishing, features are involved; burst-like heat release with anomalously high values of differential heat of sorption (η) reaching ca. 600 eV/atom-H, large values of integrated heat reaching ca. 800 eV/atom-Ni from the CNZ sample absorbing H, and abrupt desorption with absorbed energy of 50 - 80 eV/atom-Ni observed almost exclusively in the first 573-K run for each sample. To confirm the interesting phenomena, repeated measurements with improved signal-to-noise ratio are required. Since the easiest way for this is to increase the sample amount, we have fabricated a reaction chamber with a ten-times-larger volume than in-being one. Another important improvement is a mass flow calorimetry applied to the system using an oil coolant with a boiling point of 390 deg-C. Moreover, to make residual gas mass spectral analysis in A = 1 - 6 amu range, a QMA system is going to be installed in the line of the apparatus. In the presentation we will show the schematics of this new oil-cooling mass-flow calorimetry system for observing anomalous heat evolution in H(D)-gas charging to Ni-based nano-composite samples and for calibration runs using blank alumina sample

Evaluation of both perfusion and atrophy in multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type using brain SPECT alone

BACKGROUND: Partial volume effects in atrophied areas should be taken into account when interpreting brain perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images of neurodegenerative diseases. To evaluate both perfusion and atrophy using brain SPECT alone, we developed a new technique applying tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to SPECT. METHODS: After linear spatial normalization of brain perfusion SPECT using (99m)Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer ((99m)Tc-ECD) to a Talairach space, high-dimension-warping was done using an original (99m)Tc-ECD template. Contraction map images calculated from Jacobian determinants and spatially normalized SPECT images using this high-dimension-warping were compared using statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) between two groups of 16 multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type (MSA-C) patients and 73 age-matched normal controls. This comparison was also performed in conventionally warped SPECT images. RESULTS: SPM2 demonstrated statistically significant contraction indicating local atrophy and decreased perfusion in the whole cerebellum and pons of MSA-C patients as compared to normal controls. Higher significance for decreased perfusion in these areas was obtained in high-dimension-warping than in conventional warping, possibly due to sufficient spatial normalization to a (99m)Tc-ECD template in high-dimensional warping of severely atrophied cerebellum and pons. In the present high-dimension-warping, modification of tracer activity remained within 3% of the original tracer distribution. CONCLUSIONS: The present new technique applying TBM to brain SPECT provides information on both perfusion and atrophy at the same time thereby enhancing the role of brain perfusion SPEC

Perceived body distortion rather than actual body distortion is associated with chronic low back pain in adults with cerebral palsy: A preliminary investigation

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate whether distorted body perception is a feature of the low back pain experience in people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) and whether any distortions noted are confounded by the presence of motor and postural impairments commonly seen in CP. Methods: Forty‐five individuals participated in this study: fifteen adults with CP with LBP (CP_Pain group), fifteen adults with CP without LBP (CP_noPain group), and fifteen age‐matched adults with LBP but no CP (Pain group). Body perception was evaluated using the Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ) and by assessing two‐point discrimination (TPD) thresholds over the low back. A comprehensive assessment of motor function was also undertaken in the CP population and postural function was assessed in all three groups. Results: Significant differences between the three groups were found for FreBAQ scores (p \u3c 0.0001). The TPD threshold in the low back of the CP_Pain group was significantly larger than that of the CP_noPain group (p = 0.01), though we found no difference between the CP_noPain group and the Pain group (p = 0.21). We found no difference in motor or postural function between the two CP groups. Discussion: The present results suggest that body image is disrupted in people with CP who experience low back pain. The disruptions in perception were similar to those seen in people with LBP and no CP suggesting the distortions maybe more related to the presence of pain than the presence of CP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Anomalous exothermic and endothermic data observed by Nano-Ni-composite samples

This is an experimental paper summarizing the observations of anomalous data on excess heat, D(H)-loading and abrupt desorption with endothermic heat sink in Ni-nano-composite samples under D(H)-gas charging at both room and elevated temperatures, done by Kobe-Technova group in 2012-2013. Referring to our JCF12 paper (Y. Miyoshi et al., JCF-12-1) on Pd1Ni7/ZrO2 samples, experimental procedure and results reported for Ni/ZrO2, Cu0.21Ni0.21/ZrO2 and Cu0.08Ni0.36/ZrO2 samples (partially reported in our JCF13-15 paper by Sakoh et al.) will be summarized. We have reanalyzed time-dependent data for speculating heat releasing mechanisms during the long (several weeks) lasted phase of D(H)-loading-into-nano-metal. It seems that competing process of D(H)-gas sorption and desorption at the surface of nano-powders would be attributed to the mechanism. Burst-like heat peaks of η-values (in unit of eV per D(H)-take-in/out) were observed with anomalously high values reaching 600 eV/H-sorption, and with smaller [eta]-values for isotopic Dsorption than H-sorption, at 573K. Integrated heat values for several-week runs were reached at the levels of ca. 800eV/atom-Ni for Cu0.08Ni0.36/ZrO2 samples, which were about 10 times larger than those of Ni/ZrO2 samples and about 4 times larger than those of Cu0.21Ni0.21/ZrO2 samples, at temperatures of 523 to 573K

Magnetic properties of surficial sediments in Lake Ogawara on the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan: spatial variability and correlation with brackish water stratification

To examine limnological conditions in Lake Ogawara on the Pacific coast of northwestern Japan, we investigated the magnetic properties of dredged bottom sediment originally collected from the lake in the summer of 2011. We used non-destructive methods to measure the low-field magnetic susceptibility shortl after sampling, and anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) was assessed in 2012 and 2015. The ARM acquisition and demagnetization curves from littoral sites showed several patterns that reflect the provenance of the sediments. At water depths below 10 m, the magnetic susceptibility and ARM of greenish black mud with high organic content decreased considerably with the increase in water depth, but ARM increased slightly at water depths greater than 16 m. We also found that the magnetic concentrations of mud samples were reduced markedly during a period of storage for about 3 years. We attributed these reductions to diagenetic loss of magnetic minerals, which had been enhanced at deeper sites. It is possible that the ARM carriers in deeper areas were derived from authigenic formation of iron sulfide or from deposition of suspended matter in the hypolimnion water. We propose that the magnetic properties of surficial sediments are controlled by limnological stratification of the brackish lake water, thus possibly providing an analog for down-core variations of magnetic parameters associated with the modification of magnetic minerals during reductive diagenesis