On the relationship between textures and cooling rates of quenched angrites

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Special session: [OA] Antarctic meteorites, Thur. 5 Dec. / 3F Multipurpose conference room, National Institute of Polar Researc

A Robotic Voice Simulator and the Interactive Training for Hearing-Impaired People

A talking and singing robot which adaptively learns the vocalization skill by means of an auditory feedback learning algorithm is being developed. The robot consists of motor-controlled vocal organs such as vocal cords, a vocal tract and a nasal cavity to generate a natural voice imitating a human vocalization. In this study, the robot is applied to the training system of speech articulation for the hearing-impaired, because the robot is able to reproduce their vocalization and to teach them how it is to be improved to generate clear speech. The paper briefly introduces the mechanical construction of the robot and how it autonomously acquires the vocalization skill in the auditory feedback learning by listening to human speech. Then the training system is described, together with the evaluation of the speech training by auditory impaired people

Gravitational Redshift Detection from the Magnetic White Dwarf Harbored in RX J1712.6-2414

Gravitational redshift is a fundamental parameter that allows us to determine the mass-to-radius ratio of compact stellar objects, such as black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs (WDs). In the X-ray spectra of the close binary system, RX J1712.6$-$2414, obtained from the Chandra High-Energy Transmission Grating observation, we detected significant redshifts for characteristic X-rays emitted from hydrogen-like magnesium, silicon ($\Delta E/E_{\rm rest} \sim 7 \times 10^{-4}$), and sulfur ($\Delta E/E_{\rm rest} \sim 15 \times 10^{-4}$) ions, which are over the instrumental absolute energy accuracy (${\Delta E/E_{\rm rest} \sim 3.3} \times 10^{-4}$). Considering some possible factors, such as Doppler shifts associated with the plasma flow, systemic velocity, and optical depth, we concluded that the major contributor to the observed redshift is the gravitational redshift of the WD harbored in the binary system, which is the first gravitational redshift detection from a magnetic WD. Moreover, the gravitational redshift provides us with a new method of the WD mass measurement by invoking the plasma-flow theory with strong magnetic fields in close binaries. Regardless of large uncertainty, our new method estimated the WD mass to be $M_{\rm WD}> 0.9\,M_{\odot}$.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Attitudes of Japanese Medical Students towards Disclosure of a Diagnosis of Life-threatening Illness

In this study we investigated the attitudes of Japanese medical students toward being informed of a diagnosis of life-threatening illness. Fourth-year medical students from 20 randomly sampled universities were administered questionnaires that examined their opinion about whether they would welcome disclosure of medical information if they were diagnosed as having an ultimately fatal disease. Data from 1,619 students (male 1,074, female 545, effective collection rate 90.6%) were analyzed. With regard to attitudes about disclosure of a diagnosis of life-threatening illness, 87.7% of the students stated that they would wish to be informed even if there was little chance of recovery, and 11.6% expressed a wish to be informed of their condition only if there was a chance of recovery. Students who did not wish to be informed even if there was a chance of recovery accounted for 0.7% of those surveyed. Our study reveals that medical students are more positive than are members of the general population with regard to being informed of the truth. The proportion of those who wished to be informed even if there was little chance of recovery was higher among students from national and public universities than among those from private universities, and the inter-group difference was statistically significant. Among male students, answers to the survey were significantly correlated with 12-item General Health Questionnaire scores and mental health status, suggesting that mental health status may have affected how this study population viewed being informed of their diagnosis.</p

Study of Normal Fissures Seen on Posteroanterior and Left Lateral Chest Radiographs

This study included consecutive 318 pairs of posteroanterior (PA) and left lateral (LL) chest radiographs taken under routinely used conditions with the patients in erect position. Major, minor and accessory fissures visualized on these radiographs were described according to their visibility, position, length and shape. On PA chest radiographs, superolateral major fissures in 54 (17%), superomedial major fissures in 20 (6%), minor fissures in 234 (74%), inferior accessory fissures in 19 (6%), superior accessory fissures in 12 (4%), left minor fissures in 16 (5%) and azygos fissure in 2 (0.6%) patients were seen. On LL chest radiographs, 266 (84%) right major fissures, 242 (76%) left major fissures, 210 (66%) minor fissures and 6 (2%) superior accessory fissures were seen. We have described the frequencies of various orientations, shapes and lengths of these fissures. This study not only supports the common knowledge of the appearances of pulmonary fissures but also explains numerically the various frequencies of these common patterns and variations seen in practice

Both the anaerobic pathway and aerobic desaturation are involved in the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1

AbstractVibrio sp. strain ABE-1 is a unique marine bacterium in terms of its ability to synthesize Δ9-trans-hexadecenoic acid and Δ7-cis-tetradecenoic acid (14:1(7c); Okuyama, H., Sasaki, S., Higashi, S. and Murata, N. (1990) J. Bacteriol. 172, 3515-3518). The present study, involving labeling with [1-14C]acetate, demonstrated that 14:1 is synthesized by the anaerobic pathway. When cells of this bacterium were grown in the presence of [1-14C]myristic acid (14:0), this compound was converted to palmitic (16:0) and hexadecenoic (16:1) acids but not to 14:1, under aerobic conditions. These results suggest that the incorporated 14:0 was elongated to 16:0 and then converted to 16:1 by the aerobic desaturation of 16:0. It appears that the anaerobic pathway and aerobic desaturation are both involved in the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids during aerobic growth of Vibrio sp. strain ABE-1

Neuropathic Bladder Caused by Caudal Regression Syndrome without Any Other Neurogenic Symptoms

Caudal regression syndrome (CRS) is a rare congenital vertebral anomaly, which occurs most often in combination with spinal cord malformations and morphologic dysfunctions of the lower extremities; these signs are useful for both patients and clinicians in the diagnosis of this syndrome. However, in certain cases, clinicians have failed to identify the syndrome due to the lack of apparent anomalies, resulting in the progression of renal dysfunction caused by neuropathic bladder when CRS is eventually identified. Here, we report a case of a 2-year-old girl who was referred to our hospital for vesicoureteral reflux. At examination, she presented no neurological symptoms; however, on cystourethrography and CT scanning we found that the sacral bone was absent, through which CRS was diagnosed. A urodynamic study indicated detrusor-sphincter dyssynergia, and clean intermittent catheterization was initiated. In the present report, we describe a case of CRS with no neurologic symptoms other than a neuropathic bladder. The lack of outward signs can result in delayed diagnosis. Thus, urological examinations, including a urodynamic study, might be the only clue for identifying an underlying neurologic injury involving the lower spinal cord

Activation of protein phosphatase 2A by cAMP-dependent protein kinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of the 74-kDa B″ (δ) regulatory subunit in vitro and identification of the phosphorylation sites

AbstractHuman erythrocyte protein phosphatase 2A, which comprises a 34-kDa catalytic C subunit, a 63-kDa regulatory A subunit and a 74-kDa regulatory B″ (δ) subunit, was phosphorylated at serine residues of B″ in vitro by cAMP-dependent protein kinase (A-kinase). In the presence and absence of 0.5 μM okadaic acid (OA), A-kinase gave maximal incorporation of 1.7 and 1.0 mol of phosphate per mol of B″, respectively. The Km value of A-kinase for CAB″ was 0.17±0.01 μM in the presence of OA. The major in vitro phosphorylation sites of B″ were identified as Ser-60, -75 and -573 in the presence of OA, and Ser-75 and -573 in the absence of OA. Phosphorylation of B″ did not dissociate B″ from CA, and stimulated the molecular activity of CAB″ toward phosphorylated H1 and H2B histones, 3.8- and 1.4-fold, respectively, but not toward phosphorylase a