Feasibility study on fixed flight-path angle descent for wide-body passenger aircraft

This study proposes the use of fixed flight-path angle (FPA) descent as a potential alternative for eco-friendly air traffic operations. Additionally, given that the proposed descent procedure follows a fixed, assigned flight-path angle, with the aircraft continuously descending toward the runway threshold with near-idle thrust, the trajectory should be more predictable for air-traffic controllers. As such, the proposed approach is expected to contribute significantly toward decreasing the air traffic fuel consumption, while simultaneously facilitating the air traffic controllers’ task of maintaining the required time spacing between concurrent traffic. Furthermore, FPA descent does not require any retrofits in the fundamental components of current ground systems and/or onboard avionics. This paper clarifies the feasibility of fixed flight-path angle descent for B777-200 and B787-8 wide-body jet passenger aircraft, envisaging its implementation in near-term operations. A total of 30 trials were carried out in a series of experiments designed to evaluate the proposed descent method, considering arrivals at two major international airports in Japan—the Tokyo and Kansai International Airports—using B777-200 and B787-800 full flight simulators of a national airline. The pilots’ procedures, cockpit operability, assigned vertical path tracking performance, and fuel efficiency associated with the proposed FPA descent are discussed and compared with those of conventional arrival operations. The analysis results indicate that the fixed flight-path angle descent is feasible for large-sized jet aircraft within the assumed operational environment, and that its combined use with speed control has the potential to result in even better energy-saving performance in future air traffic management operations. Document type: Articl

Studies on sinter deposit Misasa radioactive hot springs

Sinter deposit in a distributing pipe used for about fifteen years in Misasa radioactive hot springs was investigated. The results were as follows; 1. The metal elements in this deposit were quaIi. tatively analysed by spectraspan plasma emission spectrophotometry (SPES), by fluorescent X-ray spectrometry, and following elements were detected; B, Na, Mg, AI, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Sr, Ba and Pb. 2. The metal elements in this deposit were quantatively analysed by SPES and atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and following elements were determined; Fe : 508.7, As: 26.40, Ca: 7.85, Mn : 2.00, Al : 1.80, Na: 1.60, Zn: 1.33, K: 0.80, Cu: 0.67, Sr: 0.47, Mg: 0.35, Ba: 0.33 and B : 0.30 mg per gram. The color of this deposit was red brown, and the main component was ferric oxide. 3. Radioactive elements in this deposit were detected by autoradiography and radioluxography. Among the radioactive elements, concentration of radium was 320.5×10(-12)g/g (313.0×10(-12)Ci/g)

Role of Extracellular Pi Levels on Kidney Disease Progression in a Podocyte Injury

Background: Hyperphosphatemia is a major accelerator of complications in chronic kidney disease and dialysis, and phosphate (Pi) binders have been shown to regulate extracellular Pi levels. Research on hyperphosphatemia in mouse models is scarce, and few models display hyperphosphatemia induced by glomerular injury, despite its relevance to human glomerular disease conditions. In this study, we investigated the involvement of hyperphosphatemia in kidney disease progression using a mouse model in which hyperphosphatemia is induced by focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Methods: We established the NEP25 mouse model in which FSGS-hyperphosphatemia is induced by podocyte injury and evaluated the effect of a Pi binder, sevelamer. Results: After disease induction, we confirmed a gradual increase in serum Pi accompanied by reduced renal function and observed increases in serum FGF23 and PTH. Treatment with sevelamer significantly reduced serum Pi and urinary Pi fractional excretion and suppressed increases in serum FGF23 and PTH. A high dose improved serum creatinine and tubular injury markers, and pathological analysis confirmed amelioration of glomerular and tubular damage. Gene expression and marker analysis suggested protective effects on tubular epithelial cells in the diseased kidney. Compared to disease control, NEP25 mice treated with sevelamer retained their mRNA expression of Klotho, a known FGF23 co-receptor and renoprotective factor. Conclusions: Hyperphosphatemia caused by renal function decline was observed in a FSGS-induced NEP25 mouse model. Studies using this model showed that Pi regulation had a positive impact on kidney disease progression, and notably on tubular epithelial cell injury, which indicates the importance of Pi regulation in the treatment of kidney disease progression

Proton beam therapy with concurrent chemotherapy is feasible in children with newly diagnosed rhabdomyosarcoma

BACKGROUND: The optimal treatment for rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) requires multidisciplinary treatment with chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. Surgery and radiotherapy are integral to the local control (LC) of RMS. However, postsurgical and radiotherapy-related complications could develop according to the local therapy and tumor location. In this study, we conducted a single-center analysis of the outcomes and toxicity of multidisciplinary treatment using proton beam therapy (PBT) for pediatric RMS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RMS patients aged younger than 20 years whose RMS was newly diagnosed and who underwent PBT at University of Tsukuba Hospital (UTH) during the period from 2009 to 2019 were enrolled in this study. The patients’ clinical information was collected by retrospective medical record review. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included. The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of all the patients were 68.8% and 94.2%, respectively. The 3-year PFS rates achieved with radical resection, conservative resection, and biopsy only were 65.3%, 83.3%, and 67.6%, respectively (p = 0.721). The 3-year LC rates achieved with radical resection, conservative resection, and biopsy only were 90.9%, 83.3%, and 72.9%, respectively (p = 0.548). Grade 3 or higher mucositis/dermatitis occurred in 14 patients. Although the days of opioid use due to mucositis/dermatitis during the chemotherapy with PBT were longer than those during the chemotherapy without PBT [6.1 and 1.6 (mean), respectively, p = 0.001], the frequencies of fever and elevation of C-reactive protein were equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary therapy containing PBT was feasible and provided a relatively fair 3-year PFS, even in children with newly diagnosed RMS without severe toxicity

The SAC51 Family Plays a Central Role in Thermospermine Responses in Arabidopsis

The acaulis5 (acl5) mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana is defective in the biosynthesis of thermospermine and shows a dwarf phenotype associated with excess xylem differentiation. SAC51 was identified from a dominant suppressor of acl5, sac51-d, and encodes a basic helix-loop-helix protein. The sac51-d mutant has a premature termination codon in an upstream open reading frame (uORF) that is conserved among all four members of the SAC51 family, SAC51 and SACL1-SACL3 This suggests that thermospermine cancels the inhibitory effect of the uORF in main ORF translation. Another suppressor, sac57-d, has a mutation in the conserved uORF of SACL3 To define further the function of the SAC51 family in the thermospermine response, we analyzed T-DNA insertion mutants of each gene. Although sacl1-1 may not be a null allele, the quadruple mutant showed a semi-dwarf phenotype but with an increased level of thermospermine and decreased sensitivity to exogenous thermospermine that normally represses xylem differentiation. The sac51-1 sacl3-1 double mutant was also insensitive to thermospermine. These results suggest that SAC51 and SACL3 play a key role in thermospermine-dependent negative control of thermospermine biosynthesis and xylem differentiation. Using 5' leader-GUS (β-glucuronidase) fusion constructs, however, we detected a significant enhancement of the GUS activity by thermospermine only in SAC51 and SACL1 constructs. Furthermore, while acl5-1 sac51-1 showed the acl5 dwarf phenotype, acl5-1 sacl3-1 exhibited an extremely tiny-plant phenotype. These results suggest a complex regulatory network for the thermospermine response in which SAC51 and SACL3 function in parallel pathways

A novel missense PTEN mutation identified in a patient with macrocephaly and developmental delay

Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) plays an important role in tumor suppression. A germline mutation in the PTEN gene induces not only PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, including Cowden syndrome, but also macrocephaly/autism syndrome. Here, we describe a boy with macrocephaly/ autism syndrome harboring a novel missense heterozygous PTEN mutation, c.959T>C (p.Leu320Ser). Interestingly, a previously reported nonsense mutation resulting in p.Leu320X was found in Cowden syndrome patients. Our case may be suggestive of a genotype-phenotype correlation