Cryogenic measurement of the optical absorption coefficient in sapphire crystals at 1.064(micro)m for the Large-scale Cryogenic Gravitational wave Telescope

We have applied laser calorimetry to the measurement of optical absorption in mono-crystalline sapphire at cryogenic temperatures. Sapphire is a promising candidate for the mirror substrates of the Large-scale Cryogenic Gravitational wave Telescope. The optical absorption coefficients of different sapphire samples at a wavelength of 1.064(micro)m at 5K were found to average 90ppm/cm.Comment: 8 pages, accepted to Phys. Lett.

Conduction Effect of Thermal Radiation in a Metal Shield Pipe in a Cryostat for a Cryogenic Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detector

A large heat load caused by thermal radiation through a metal shield pipe was observed in a cooling test of a cryostat for a prototype of a cryogenic interferometric gravitational wave detector. The heat load was approximately 1000 times larger than the value calculated by the Stefan-Boltzmann law. We studied this phenomenon by simulation and experiment and found that it was caused by the conduction of thermal radiation in a metal shield pipe.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, Submitted to Jpn. J. Appl. Phy

Behavioral Alterations in Response to Fear-Provoking Stimuli and Tranylcypromine Induced by Perinatal Exposure to Bisphenol A and Nonylphenol in Male Rats

The purpose of this study was to examine whether perinatal exposure to two major environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals, bisphenol A (BPA; 0.1 mg/kg/day orally) and nonylphenol [NP; 0.1 mg/kg/day (low dose) and 10 mg/kg/day (high dose) orally] daily from gestational day 3 to postnatal day 20 (transplacental and lactational exposures) would lead to behavioral alterations in the male offspring of F344 rats. Neither BPA nor NP exposure affected behavioral characteristics in an open-field test (8 weeks of age), in a measurement of spontaneous motor activity (12 weeks of age), or in an elevated plus-maze test (14 weeks of age). A passive avoidance test (13 weeks of age) showed that both BPA- and NP-treated offspring tended to delay entry into a dark compartment. An active avoidance test at 15 weeks of age revealed that BPA-treated offspring showed significantly fewer avoidance responses and low-dose NP-treated offspring exhibited slightly fewer avoidance responses. Furthermore, BPA-treated offspring significantly increased the number of failures to avoid electrical unconditioned stimuli within 5-sec electrical shock presentation compared with the control offspring. In a monoamine-disruption test using 5 mg/kg (intraperitoneal) tranylcypromine (Tcy), a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, both BPA-treated and low-dose NP-treated offspring at 22–24 weeks of age failed to show a significant increment in locomotion in response to Tcy, whereas control and high-dose NP-treated offspring significantly increased locomotion behavior after Tcy injection. In addition, when only saline was injected during a monoamine-disruption test, low-dose NP-treated offspring showed frequent rearing compared with the control offspring. The present results indicate that perinatal low-dose BPA or NP exposure irreversibly influenced the reception of fear-provoking stimuli (e.g., electrical shock), as well as monoaminergic neural pathways

Renoprotective Action of a Matrix Metalloproteinase Inhibitor in Progressive Mesangioproliferative Nephritis

Background/Aim: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play pivotal roles in extracellular matrix turnover and are involved in chronic kidney disease. The renoprotective action of a synthetic MMP inhibitor, compound A, was investigated in chronic nephritis. Methods: Nephritis was induced by a single injection of anti-Thy1.1 antibody to unilaterally nephrectomized rats. The effects of compound A on proteinuria, blood urea nitrogen, and matrix-related gene expressions were evaluated. Collagen accumulation, as assessed by periodic acid-Schiff staining and hydroxyproline content, was determined. The integrity of glomerular epithelial cells and glomerular basement membrane was evaluated with desmin immunohistochemistry and electron microscopic detection of anionic charge sites, respectively. Results: Treatment with compound A notably attenuated proteinuria, ameliorated blood urea nitrogen, and prevented glomerulosclerosis. Gene upregulation of collagen and transforming growth factor β1 in the cortex was prevented in the treated animals. Glomerular epithelial cell injury was milder, and glomerular basement membrane anionic sites were protected with the treatment. Conclusion: A novel MMP inhibitor, compound A, exerts protective effects in progressive glomerulonephritis. Compound A ameliorates various aspects of renal injuries and may have therapeutic potential toward kidney diseases

Effective Monotherapy with Amrubicin for a Refractory Extrapulmonary Small-Cell Carcinoma of the Liver

Small-cell carcinoma of the liver is a rare neoplasm, and no standard treatment for it has yet been established. A 72-year-old man with an extensive disease stage of small-cell carcinoma of the liver was treated with systemic chemotherapy consisting of cisplatin and etoposide (PE) followed by irinotecan. Although the masses were markedly decreased once after the sixth course of PE, amrubicin monotherapy as third-line chemotherapy was started because the hepatic masses had increased again. The administration of amrubicin was repeated in 8 courses with regression of the disease, resulting in a 26-month survival since the first-line chemotherapy was started. This is the first case report of a refractory EPSCC successfully treated with amrubicin

Changes in sagittal spino-pelvic alignment after total hip arthroplasty using the Roussouly classification

Pelvic inclination changes after total hip arthroplasty; we determined how sagittal spino-pelvic alignment changed after total hip arthroplasty. We investigated the change in Roussouly classification type and sagittal spino-pelvic alignment after total hip arthroplasty. Sagittal spino-pelvic alignment was investigated in 135 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. Prior to surgery, there were 50 cases (37%) of Type 1 and 2, 53 cases (39.3%) of Type 3, and 32 cases (23.7%) of Type 4. Since none of the Type 1 and 2 cases showed postoperative changes, we divided the Type 3 and Type 4 cases into 3 groups. Cases with pelvic retroversion and reduced lumbar lordosis before total hip arthroplasty showed no change. Half of the cases with satisfactory preoperative sagittal spino-pelvic alignment (SSPA) remained Type 3 with lumbar lordosis even after surgery. However, even in satisfactory Type 3 cases, if there was pelvic retroversion after total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery, they were reclassified as Type 1 or 2 due to reduced lumbar lordosis and changes in SSPA. Cases of Type 4 with preoperative pelvic anteversion were reclassified as Type 3 after surgery due to a major reduction in the sacral slope angle and changes in SSPA

トウイン ニオケル ダイタイ ヘルニア シュジュツ 26ショウレイ ノ リンショウテキ ケントウ

We performed this study to investigate the differences in clinical features between incarcerated femoral hernias and non-incarcerated cases. We operated on 26 patients with a femoral hernia from April 1989 to December 1998. Twenty-four patients were female and two were male. Thir mean age at the time of operation was 68.2±15.4 years, and those older than 60 years were remarkably high. All females had a history of abortion more than twice. Eighteen of 26 (69.2%) hemoral hernias occurred on the right side, 7 on the left, and 1 on both sides. Those with an incarcerated hernia were 46.2% (12/26). Almost all patients without incarceration had only femoral tumors or swelling. On the contrary, a large number of the patients with an incarcerated hernia complained of abdominal or femoral pain, suggesting a hernial strangulation. Significant increases in white blood cell counts were recognized in the incarcerated cases compared to those without incarceration (9158.3± 2155.3 vs 6602.9±1049.5/mm3, respectively;P=0.0001). Additionally, the postoperative hospitalization periods of the patients with incarcerations were remarkably prolonged compared to those without an incarceration. According to the contents of the hernia in the 12 patients with incarcerations, we detected the small bowel in 9 and the grater omentum in 3. Six of 9 patients with an incarcerated small bowel had necrotic complications of strangulated small bowel. However, there was no clinical difference compared to the other 6 patients without a necrotic small bowel. In conculusion, we should recognize the possibility of femoral hernias in the treatment of patients complaining of a tumor or pain in the femoral triangle

Measurement of the mechanical loss of a cooled reflective coating for gravitational wave detection

We have measured the mechanical loss of a dielectric multilayer reflective coating (ion-beam sputtered SiO$_2$ and Ta$_2$O$_5$) in cooled mirrors. The loss was nearly independent of the temperature (4 K $\sim$ 300 K), frequency, optical loss, and stress caused by the coating, and the details of the manufacturing processes. The loss angle was $(4 \sim 6) \times 10^{-4}$. The temperature independence of this loss implies that the amplitude of the coating thermal noise, which is a severe limit in any precise measurement, is proportional to the square root of the temperature. Sapphire mirrors at 20 K satisfy the requirement concerning the thermal noise of even future interferometric gravitational wave detector projects on the ground, for example, LCGT.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables : accepted version (by Physical Review D