腎盂尿管移行部狭窄症に逆行性エンドピエロトミーを行った小児の1例

右腎盂尿管移行部狭窄症の6歳女児に対し, アキュサイス尿管切開バルーン装置(軟性尿管カテーテル, 7Fr)を用いた逆行性エンドピエトロトミーを行いその実用性を検討した.全身麻酔下でアキュサイスカテーテルを膀胱鏡操作下に腎盂内にまで挿入し, 狭窄部を電気的に切開し更に同部位をバルーンで24Frまで拡張した.切開終了後にエンドピエトロトミー用尿管カテーテル(6/10Fr)を留置し, これを8週間後に抜去した.手術時間は45分間で, 患者は術後3日目に退院した.特に手術に関する合併症はなく, 術後8ヵ月目の経静脈性腎盂撮影と利尿レノグラムによる評価で, 水腎症の程度は改善していたTo determine the feasibility of retrograde endopyelotomy in the management of pediatric ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction, we treated one girl aged 6 years with the Acucise cutting balloon devise for symptomatic UPJ obstruction. The Acucise catheter (7 Fr, flexible) was placed by a cystoscope over a guide wire with fluoroscopic guidance under general anesthesia. After cutting the stenotic area electronically and dilation until 24 Fr for 10 seconds, a 6/10 Fr endopyelotomy ureteral catheter was left in situ for 8 weeks after the operation. Total operating time was 45 minutes and the child was discharged 3 days after the operation. There were no acute complications and short-term, follow-up 8 months after the operative results were satisfactory as determined by intravenous pyelography and diuretic renogram. UPJ obstruction in children may be treated by retrograde endopyelotomy with the Acucise catheter as well as adults. The principal potential advantage of this procedure is reduced morbidity as compared with antegrade endopyelotomy

HLA class II association with Type I allergy to house dust mite and Japanese cedar pollen in Japanese subjects

ABSTRACTWe evaluated the incidence of the association of HLA class II phenotype and specific IgE responsiveness against house dust mite (HDM) and/or Japanese cedar pollen (Jc) in 176 patients with allergic rhinitis, with or without bronchial asthma, and 107 nonallergic subjects. Specific IgE antibody titration against the purified allergens Der f1 and Der f2 from HDM, and against Cry J1 and Cry J2 from Jc, was performed by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) in sera from all subjects. HLA class II oligotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction sequence specific oligonucleotide (PCR-SSO) method on the DRB1*, DQA1*, DQB1* and DPB1* alleles using peripheral blood cells. The high IgE responders ≥ class 4 to the purified allergens were identified by using the IgE antibody reference concentration obtained by ELISA, RIA and routine IgE CAP RAST. Compared to the controls, the patients with both rhinitis and asthma showed significantly higher frequencies of DRB1* 0901, DQB1* 0303, and DPB1* 0401 alleles. High IgE responsiveness to HDM was associated with DRB1* 1101, 0901, DQB1* 0303, and DPB1*0401 alleles. The patients with anti-Der f1 IgE antibody concentration exceeding 72.2 ng/mL showed significantly elevated frequencies for DQB1*0401 and DPB1*0401 alleles, and those with anti Der f2 IgE antibody concentration exceeding 46.2 ng/mL showed significantly elevated frequencies for DPB1*0401 and 0901 alleles. High IgE responsiveness to Jc with Cry j1 and Cryj2was associated with the DRB1* 1201 alleles

Indium (In)-Catalyzed Silicon Nanowires (Si NWs) Grown by the Vapor–Liquid–Solid (VLS) Mode for Nanoscale Device Applications

Stacking fault free and planar defects (twin plane) free catalyzed Si nanowires (Si NWs) is essential for the carrier transport in the nanoscale devices applications. In this chapter, In-catalyzed, vertically aligned and cone-shaped Si NWs arrays were grown by using vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mode on Si (111) substrates. We have successfully controlled the verticality and (111)-orientation of Si NWs as well as scaled down the diameter to 18 nm. The density of Si NWs was also enhanced from 2.5 μm−2 to 70 μm−2. Such vertically aligned, (111)-oriented p-type Si NWs are very important for the nanoscale device applications including Si NWs/c-Si tandem solar cells and p-Si NWs/n-InGaZnO Heterojunction LEDs. Next, the influence of substrate growth temperature (TS), cooling rate (∆TS/∆????) on the formation of planar defects, twining along [112] direction and stacking fault in Si NWs perpendicular to (111)-orientation were deeply investigated. Finally, one simple model was proposed to explain the formation of stacking fault, twining of planar defects in perpendicular direction to the axial growth direction of Si NWs. When the TS was decreased from 600°C with the cooling rate of 100°C/240 sec to room temperature (RT) after Si NWs growth then the twin planar defects perpendicular to the substrate and along different segments of (111)-oriented Si NWs were observed

Oxide thin film transistors for flexible devices

Much attention has been gathered to flexible devices which will surely change our life style drastically. There are many kinds of flexible devices such as flexible display or medical chart. In order to realize the flexible devices, oxide thin film is one of the promising material. Because oxide film has several features which are not observed in conventional silicon materials. They are low fabrication temperature, high electrical performance or unique optical properties. To realize flexible devices with oxide thin film, several key issues should be discussed. In this talk, we will introduce several new techniques which are now being developed in our laboratory. We study the fabrication method of high performance oxide thin film transistors by using solution processed InZnO. High mobility and highly reliable TFT was demonstrated using spin coating method. In this technique, there was a problem of larger fluctuation of the performance. To solve this problem, we introduced wet annealing after the TFT fabrication and achieved very low fluctuation of the electrical performance such as mobility of threshold voltage. We apply this solution processed InZnO to logic circuit such as invertor or ring oscillators. We could demonstrate clear invertor operation or high frequency circuit operations. We demonstrate ELA on a-IGZO TFTs passivated with a hybrid passivation layer (Fig.1). The hybrid passivation layer, based on polysilsesquioxane (PSQ), is transparent and fabricated by solution process. The PSQ passivated a-IGZO TFTs has a bottom gate top contact structure. The channel used is a 70 nm thick a-IGZO (2217) deposited at room temperature by RF magnetron sputtering. Highly doped n-type Si with 100 nm thermally oxidized SiO2 layer were used as the gate and gate insulator, respectively. A stack of 80 nm Mo and 20 nm Pt deposited by RF magnetron sputtering were used as source/drain electrodes. PSQ passivated TFTs were subjected to either 248 nm KrF ELA or 308 nm XeCl ELA at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. KrF ELA was performed under ambient atmosphere while XeCl ELA was performed under N2 environment. Note that ELA was performed after the passivation coating process. Since the PSQ passivation is transparent, we expect that the incident beam will be absorbed throughout the channel. Irradiating Me 100 samples with 90-110 mJ/cm2 XeCl ELA and Me 60/Ph 40 samples with 80 mJ/cm2 KrF ELA greatly improved the transfer characteristics and mobility (~13-18 cm2/Vs) (Fig.2). Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Design, Construction and Test of a Double Bitter Magnet

A Bitter magnet with concentric double coils is more efficient than a single-coil magnet especially at a high level of power consumption. The newly constructed double Bitter magnet has been tested up to the power of 3 MW. Some results of mechanical tests for conductor and insulator materials are also described

Effects of teaching motor skills to others on the persistence of motor learning

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of teaching motor skills to others on the survivability of motor learning effects. 20 healthy adults were randomly assigned to two conditions a teaching conditions and reading a magazine condition (control conditions). The number of times of turning was measured before and after each condition. In both conditions, the number of ball rotations and the number of improvements increased 30 minutes after the task was completed compared to before the task. Additionally, the number of improvements in ball rotation was significantly higher in the teaching condition than in the control condition. In the teaching condition, the number of ball turnings significantly increased 30 minutes after the end of the condition compared to before the condition. These results suggested that task for teaching motor skill to others might be useful for improving motor learning

Design, Construction and Test of a Small Bitter Magnet usable for a Hybrid Magnet

A hybrid magnet is a combined system of an outer superconducting magnet and an inner high-power water-cooled magnet, generating continuous high magnetic fields. A small Bitter coil to be used for the latter magnet has been designed, constructed and tested up to the DC electric power of 3 MW and the deionized-water flow rate of 130 m^3/h. According to expectations, the field produced in a clear bore of 32 mm diameter has reached 12.4 T without an excessive temperature rise of the coil

Skeletal oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of Acropora coral primary polyps experimentally cultured at different temperatures

We investigated temperature and growth‐rate dependency of skeletal oxygen and carbon isotopes in primary polyps of Acropora digitifera (Scleractinia: Acroporidae) by culturing them at 20, 23, 27, or 31°C. Calcification was most rapid at 27 and 31°C. We obtained a δ18O‐temperature relationship (−0.18‰ °C−1) consistent with reported ranges for Porites, indicating that juvenile Acropora polyps can be used for temperature reconstruction. A growth‐rate dependency of skeletal isotopes was detected in the experimental polyps cultured at lower water temperatures, when the skeletal growth rate of these polyps was also low. The estimated upper calcification flux limit for a kinetic isotope effect to be observed in the δ18O‐growth rate relationship (∼0.4–0.7 g CaCO3 cm−2 yr−1) was similar to the calcification flux in Porites corresponding to a linear extension rate of 5 mm yr−1, the maximum rate at which the kinetic isotope effect is evident. This result suggests that the calcification flux can be used as a measure of growth rate‐related isotope fractionation, that is, the kinetic isotope effect, in corals of different genera and at different growth stages

Cytometrical analysis of the adverse effects of indican, indoxyl, indigo, and indirubin on rat thymic lymphocytes

Many businesses thrive by producing health supplements from agricultural products, as exemplified by the production of functional (or health) food using plants traditionally cultivated in the rural areas. Dyes, such as indican, indigo, indoxyl, and indirubin, present in dye plants, possess antibacterial, antifungal, and antiproliferative activities. However, these effects may also lead to cytotoxicity. Thus, studies in normal mammalian cells are necessary to identify cytotoxicity and prevent adverse effects of functional foods that contain these dyes. In this study, the effects of indican, indigo, indoxyl, and indirubin were evaluated by flow cytometry using appropriate fluorescent probes in rat thymic lymphocytes. Among the dyes analyzed, indirubin exerted distinct cellular activities. Treatment with indirubin (10–30 μM) increased the population of shrunken dead cells. The side scatter, but not forward scatter, increased in indirubin-treated living cells. It increased the population of annexin V-bound living and dead cells and that of dead cells without annexin V. Indirubin elevated intracellular Ca2+, but not Zn2+ levels. The cellular content of superoxide anions and increased glutathione decreased. Indirubin depolarized the cellular plasma and mitochondrial membranes. It did not potentiate or attenuate the cytotoxicity of A23187 (Ca2+ overload) and H2O2 (oxidative stress). The results suggested that indirubin induces both apoptotic and non-apoptotic cell death. It may be difficult to predict and prevent adverse effects of indirubin due to its diverse activities on normal mammalian cells. Therefore, indirubin should be removed from products that contain dye plant extracts

String Theory on AdS_3 as Discrete Light-Cone Liouville Theory

We investigate (super) string theory on $AdS_3$ background based on an approach of free field realization. We demonstrate that this string theory can be reformulated as a string theory defined on a linear dilaton background along the transverse direction (``Liouville mode'') and compactified onto $S^1$ along a {\em light-like} direction. Under this reformulation we analyze the physical spectrum as that of a free field system, and discuss the consequences when we turn on the Liouville potential. The discrete light-cone momentum in our framework is naturally interpreted as the ``winding number'' of the long string configuration and is identified with the spectral flow parameter that is introduced in the recent work by Maldacena and Ooguri \cite{MO}. Moreover we show that there exist infinite number of the on-shell chiral primary states possessing the different light-cone momenta and the spectral flow consistently acts on the space of chiral primaries. We observe that they are also chiral primaries in the sense of space-time (or the conformal theory of long string) and the spectrum of space-time $U(1)_R$ charge is consistent with the expectation from the $AdS_3/CFT_2$-duality. We also clarify the correspondence between our framework and the symmetric orbifold theory of multiple long string system \cite{HS2}.Comment: 41 pages, no figure, the version to appear in Nucl. Phys. B. Section 3 and 4 are improved, and a discussion about the multiple long string system is adde