Admittance of Au/1,4-benzenedithiol/Au single-molecule junctions

Employing the admittance formula for double-barrier junctions [Fu and Dudley, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 65 (1993)], we have estimated an ac susceptance (imaginary part of admittance) of Au/1, 4-benzenedithiol/Au single-molecule junctions from their current-voltage characteristics. In the MHz regime, we find that the junction susceptance shows a very small ( ∼ 0.1 aF) capacitive component that can be entirely masked by a larger electrode capacitance. Direct ac signal transmission measurements up to 1 GHz reveal no molecular signals and confirm the smallness of the molecular capacitance in the MHz regime

Evaporation of Cr2O3 in Atmospheres Containing H2O

Stainless steels in atmospheres containing H2O form a Cr2O3 scale in the early stage of oxidation. However, the Cr2O3 scale gradually degrades with time. In order to determine the effect of H2O on the deterioration of a Cr2O3 scale, evaporation behavior of Cr2O3 in N2-O2-H2O atmospheres was investigated. The rate of mass loss in a N2-O2-H2O atmosphere was found to be one order of magnitude higher than the rates in N2-O2 and N2-H2O atmospheres, indicating that deterioration of the Cr2O3 scale is likely to occur in mixed atmospheres of oxygen and water vapor. Volatilization of Cr2O3 is probably based on the following reactions: 1/2 Cr2O3(s)+ 3/4 O2(g)+ H2O(g)= CrO2(OH)2(g). However, it was also speculated that the reaction, Cr2O3(s)+ 3/2 O2(g)= 2 CrO3(g), affects the evaporation of Cr2O3 at temperatures higher than 1323 K. The evaporation rate of Cr2O3 is roughly comparable to the growth rate of the Cr2O3 scale. Therefore, a Cr2O3 scale can be degraded by the evaporation of Cr2O3

Amplitude modulated flow analysis for speciation : Proof of concept by quantification of Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions

We propose a novel concept of flow-based analysis for spectrophotometric speciation based on flow rate modulation and fast Fourier transform (FFT). A redox reagent solution's and a sample solution's flow rates are varied by sinusoidal control signals with periods of T and 0.5T, respectively. Both solutions are merged with a color reagent, while the total flow rate is held constant. Downstream, the absorbance of the mixed solution is measured and acquired as the detector output voltage (Vd). The Vd is analyzed by FFT with the window's time length of T. One species that directly reacts with the color reagent contributes only to the amplitude (A2) of the second harmonic wave component in Vd. The other species that needs the redox conversion before the coloration contributes to the amplitude (A1) of the fundamental wave component, in addition to A2. The former species+' concentration can be estimated from A2 by taking the latter's contribution to A2 into account. The latter species’ concentration can be determined only from A1. The proposed concept was demonstrated by applying it to the speciation of Fe2+ and Fe3+ by an o-phenanthroline spectrophotometry, where Fe3+ was reduced to Fe2+ by L-ascorbic acid before the coloration

人工距骨併用の人工足関節置換術

AIMS: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) has become the most reliable surgical solution for patients with end-stage arthritis of the ankle. Aseptic loosening of the talar component is the most common complication. A custom-made artificial talus can be used as the talar component in a combined TAA for patients with poor bone stock of the talus. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional and clinical outcomes of combined TAA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ten patients (two men, eight women; ten ankles) treated using a combined TAA between 2009 and 2013 were matched for age, gender, and length of follow-up with 12 patients (one man, 11 women; 12 ankles) who underwent a standard TAA. All had end-stage arthritis of the ankle. The combined TAA features a tibial component of the TNK ankle (Kyocera, Kyoto, Japan) and an alumina ceramic artificial talus (Kyocera), designed using individualized CT data. The mean age at the time of surgery in the combined TAA and standard TAA groups was 71 years (61 to 82) and 75 years (62 to 82), respectively. The mean follow-up was 58 months (43 to 81) and 64 months (48 to 88), respectively. The outcome was assessed using the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) ankle-hindfoot scale, the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale (AOS), and the Self-Administered Foot Evaluation Questionnaire (SAFE-Q). RESULTS: The mean preoperative JSSF score of the combined TAA and standard TAA groups was 44 (sd 11) and 49 (sd 10), respectively. The mean postoperative JSSF scores were 89 (sd 6.1) and 72 (sd 15), respectively. The mean postoperative JSSF score of the combined TAA group was significantly higher (p = 0.0034). The mean preoperative AOS scores for pain and function in the combined TAA and standard TAA groups were 5.8 (sd 3.3) and 5.5 (sd 3.1), and 8.6 (sd 1.3), and 7.1 (sd 2.9), respectively. The mean postoperative AOS scores of pain and function were 2.5 (sd 2.5) and 2.2 (sd 1.9), and 2.5 (sd 3.3) and 3.4 (sd 2.9), respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of postoperative AOS scores. The mean postoperative SAFE-Q scores were: for pain, 76 (sd 23) and 70 (sd 23); for physical function, 66 (sd 25) and 55 (sd 27); for social function, 73 (sd 35) and 62 (sd 34); for shoe-related, 73 (sd 19) and 65 (sd 26); and for general health, 78 (sd 28) and 67 (sd 29), respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of postoperative SAFE-Q scores. CONCLUSION: Combined TAA resulted in better clinical results than standard TAA. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:443-446.博士（医学）・甲第717号・令和元年6月26日This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in "http://dx.doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.101B4.BJJ-2018-0812.R2

A Case of Multiple Pilosebaceous Cysts

Multiple pilosebaceous cysts include the entities of steatocystoma multiplex and eruptive vellus hair cysts (EVHCs). Multiple pilosebaceous cysts are proposed to be one entity originating in the pilosebaceous duct, since steatocystoma multiplex and EVHCs are frequently present concomitantly and are caused by a cystic change in the same pilosebaceous duct. Here, we describe a patient with yellowish papules, 3–8 mm in diameter, on the neck and skin-colored or light-brown papules, 1–3 mm in diameter, on the neck, chest and upper abdomen. The smaller cysts were histopathologically diagnosed as EVHCs. The larger cysts had both features of EVHCs and steatocystoma multiplex. Therefore, a diagnosis of these lesions was made as multiple pilosebaceous cysts. Our case supports the proposition that multiple pilosebaceous cysts are a more appropriate diagnosis than the terms of EVHCs and steatocystoma multiplex

距骨壊死に対するアルミナセラミック性人工距骨置換術のSAFE-Qを用いた臨床成績

Background: The purpose of this retrospective review was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients who underwent total talar replacement for talar necrosis using the SAFE-Q score, which was hypothesized to improve postoperatively. Methods: The study included 24 ankles of 22 patients who underwent total talar replacement from 2012 to 2018 and were evaluated using SAFE-Q preoperatively and postoperatively. Statistical analysis was performed using the mean values of the SAFE-Q and JSSF scale scores, and the range of ankle motion was compared before and 3 years after the surgery using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: The SAFE-Q scores improved postoperatively in the all the subcategories. “Pain and Pain-Related” changed from a mean value of 42.2±23.9 points preoperatively to a mean value of 84.6±12.6 points postoperatively (p<.01); “Physical Functioning and Daily Living” changed from 36.3±25.2 points to 73.4±20.5 points (p<.01); “Social Functioning” changed from 34.1±34.8 points to 81.0±25.3 points (p<.01); “Shoe-Related” changed from 41.3±28.9 points to 75.4±22.3 points (p<.01); “General Health and Well-Being” changed from 36.7±32.1 to 76.9±29.3 points (p<.01). Conclusion: Twenty-four osteonecrotic tali of 22 patients treated with alumina ceramic total talar replacement achieved good clinical results, as evaluated using the JSSF ankle/hindfoot score and SAFE-Q. Alumina ceramic total talar replacement is the mainstream treatment for talar osteonecrosis.博士（医学）・甲第856号・令和4年12月22

内反型変形性足関節症でのX線像による病期分類を検証するための荷重をシミュレーションしたコンピュータ断層撮影について : 横断研究

Background: Varus ankle osteoarthritis is classified using only weightbearing anteroposterior ankle radiographs; however, sagittal ankle alignment may also affect the position and extent of joint space obliteration. We hypothesized that the sagittal alignment of the ankle may also affect the position and extent of joint space obliteration visible on the coronal section; therefore, we identified the sites of joint space obliteration in patients with stage 3 varus ankle osteoarthritis for comparison with the sites observed on simulated weightbearing computed tomography and investigated the effects of anterior and posterior ankle subluxation. Methods: Simulated weightbearing computed tomography scans of 83 ft with varus ankle osteoarthritis (26 stage 3a, 57 stage 3b) were performed to check for joint space obliteration in the ankle. Further classification as exhibiting either anterior, posterior, or no subluxation on weightbearing lateral radiographs was performed. Results: Anterior, posterior, and no subluxation was seen in 5, 9, and 12 ankles among the 26 classified as stage 3a, respectively, and in 22, 12, and 23 ankles among the 57 classified as stage 3b, respectively. The mean tibial lateral surface angle on weightbearing lateral radiographs in stage 3a ankles was 75.6, 83.3, and 80.3 degrees in the anterior, posterior, and no subluxation groups, respectively; and 75.5, 86.6, and 82.7 degrees in stage 3b ankles (p < .05). In stage 3b ankles, widespread joint space obliteration was observed at the anterior distal articular surface of the tibia in all 22 ankles with anterior subluxation and at the posterior distal articular surface of the tibia in all 12 ankles with posterior subluxation. Conclusions: Simulated weightbearing computed tomography revealed joint space obliteration at the anterior distal articular surface of the tibia in stage 3b ankles with anterior subluxation and at the posterior side in stage 3a and 3b ankles with posterior subluxation. In some patients with stage 3 varus ankle osteoarthritis, the obliteration of the joint space is difficult to evaluate accurately using only weightbearing anteroposterior radiographs; weightbearing lateral radiographs should also be performed.博士（医学）・乙第1514号・令和3年12月21日© The Author(s). 2021, corrected publication 2021. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1. 0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data

C. elegans PlexinA PLX-1 mediates a cell contact-dependent stop signal in vulval precursor cells

AbstractPLX-1 is a PlexinA transmembrane protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, and the transmembrane-type semaphorin, SMP-1, is a ligand for PLX-1. The SMP-1/PLX-1 system has been shown to be necessary for proper epidermal morphogenesis in the male tail and seam cells. Here, we show that the SMP-1/PLX-1 system also regulates vulval morphogenesis. In plx-1 and smp-1 mutants, hermaphrodites sometimes exhibit a protruding vulva or multiple vulva-like protrusions. Throughout the vulval development of plx-1 and smp-1 mutants, the arrangement of vulval cells is often disrupted. In the initial step of vulval morphogenesis, vulval precursor cells (VPCs) are generated normally but are subsequently arranged abnormally in mutants. Continuous observation revealed that plx-1 VPC fails to terminate longitudinal extension after making contact with neighbor VPCs. The arrangement defects of VPCs in plx-1 and smp-1 mutants are rescued by expressing the respective cDNA in VPCs. plx-1::egfp and smp-1::egfp transgenes are both expressed in all vulval cells, including VPCs, throughout vulval development. We propose that the SMP-1/PLX-1 system is responsible for a cell contact-mediated stop signal for VPC extension. Analyses using cell fate-specific markers showed that the arrangement defects of VPCs also affect cell fate specification and cell lineages, but in a relatively small fraction of plx-1 mutants