Food production and gas exchange system using blue-green alga (spirulina) for CELSS

In order to reduce the cultivation area required for the growth of higher plants in space adoption of algae, which have a higher photosynthetic ability, seems very suitable for obtaining oxygen and food as a useful source of high quality protein. The preliminary cultivation experiment for determining optimum cultivation conditions and for obtaining the critical design parameters of the cultivator itself was conducted. Spirulina was cultivated in the 6 liter medium containing a sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and a cultivation temperature controlled using a thermostat. Generated oxygen gas was separated using a polypropyrene porous hollow fiber membrane module. Through this experiment, oxygen gas (at a concentration of more than 46 percent) at a rate of 100 to approx. 150 ml per minute could be obtained

Infuluence of Clinical Factors on Blue-on -Yellow Perimetry for Diabetic Patients without Retinopathy Comparison with White-On-White Perimetry

取得学位 : 博士（医学）, 学位授与番号 : 医博乙第1628号, 学位授与年月日 : 平成18年12月6日, 学位授与大学 : 金沢大学, 主査教授 : 濱田 潤一郎, 副査教授 : 加藤 聖, 山本

Evaluation of the Electronic and Local Structure of Mn in Proton-Conducting Oxide, Ca(Zr,Mn)O3-δ, To Elucidate a Direct Hydrogen-Dissolution Reaction

The protonation mechanism in Mn-doped CaZrO3 (CZM), which involves a direct hydrogen dissolution from the surrounding H2 gas, was investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The TG results implied the formation of oxygen vacancies in a H2 atmosphere. The Mn K-edge XAS spectra indicated a reduction of the Mn ions and local structure variations around the Mn ion, but the Zr K-edge spectra were independent of the surrounding atmosphere. The amount of oxygen vacancies was smaller with respect to the reduction of the Mn ions, suggesting direct dissolution of hydrogen. Unlike many typical perovskite-type proton conductors, protonation by direct dissolution of hydrogen and not hydration was the predominant reaction in Mn-doped CaZrO3. Our experimental results demonstrated that the hydration reaction was suppressed because the oxygen vacancy was stable in the distorted ZrO6 symmetry in the CaZrO3 crystal host, whereas protonation proceeded by the direct dissolution of hydrogen stabilizing near the Mn ions in the interstitial sites at the distorted MnO6 octahedron symmetry. The experimental results showed that the structural configurations around dopants play important roles in the stabilization of protons in perovskite-type CZM materials. We demonstrated a new group of proton conductors that can overcome issues with conventional proton conductors by utilizing the direct hydrogen dissolution reaction

Laser-induced reversion of photodarkening in CdS-doped glass

The effect of laser irradiation on photodarkened CdS-doped glass has been investigated as a function of the wavelength of laser light, using electron spin resonance (ESR) and time-resolved luminescence. When the wavelength of laser light is tuned to 500 nm, the intensity of the ESR signal associated with photodarkening decreases, as does the decay rate of luminescence. This indicates laser-induced reversion of photodarkening

Differentiation by imaging of superior segmental optic hypoplasia and normal-tension glaucoma with inferior visual field defects only

Purpose: To differentiate superior segmental optic hypoplasia (SSOH) from normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) with inferior visual field defects only. Methods: Eighteen eyes with SSOH (SSOH group) and 19 eyes with NTG (NTG group) were examined by optical coherence tomography (OCT), Heidelberg retina tomography (Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph II, HRT II) and standard automated perimetry. Results: Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) based on OCT measurements was significantly reduced (thinner) in the superior to superonasal sectors and significantly greater (thicker) in the inferotemporal sector in the SSOH group than in the NTG group. The cup was significantly smaller and the rim significantly larger in the superotemporal and temporal sectors in the SSOH group than in the NTG group based on HRT II measurements. The greatest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for discrimination of SSOH from NTG by OCT and HRT II was for the RNFLT ratio of 1 + 2 o\u27clock/10 + 11 o\u27clock (0.985) and for the ratio of the superonasal to superotemporal sector of rim to disc area ratio and cup to disc area ratio (0.955), respectively. The frequent location of the inferior visual field defects corresponded to the difference in structural changes in both groups. Conclusions: Comparison of the superonasal to superotemporal sectors by OCT and HRT II were useful in differentiating SSOH from NTG with only inferior visual field defects. © 2012 Japanese Ophthalmological Society

Charge-discharge behavior of Sn-Ni alloy film electrodes in an intermediate temperature ionic liquid for the electrolyte of a sodium secondary battery

Sn-Ni alloy films were prepared by annealing tin-coated nickel foils at 463 K for 0-25 h, and their charge-discharge characteristics as negative electrodes for sodium secondary batteries were studied in an intermediate temperature ionic liquid Na[FSA]-K[FSA] (FSA = bis(fluorosulfonyl)amide) at 363 K. As a result, a Sn-Ni film without annealing retained a reversible capacity of 343 mAh (g-Sn)-1 after 100 charge-discharge cycles. In contrast, the annealed films had lower capacities and poorer cycleability. Possible mechanisms to understand the cycling performance were identified by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy studies

Machine learning methods can more efficiently predict prostate cancer compared with prostate-specific antigen density and prostate-specific antigen velocity

BackgroundProstate-specific antigen (PSA)–based screening for prostate cancer has been widely performed, but its accuracy is unsatisfactory. To improve accuracy, building an effective statistical model using machine learning methods (MLMs) is a promising approach.MethodsData on continuous changes in the PSA level over the past 2 years were accumulated from 512 patients who underwent prostate biopsy after PSA screening. The age of the patients, PSA level, prostate volumes, and white blood cell count in urinalysis were used as input data for the MLMs. As MLMs, we evaluated the efficacy of three different techniques: artificial neural networks (ANNs), random forest, and support vector machine. Model performance was evaluated using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and compared with the PSA level and the conventional PSA–based parameters: PSA density and PSA velocity.ResultsWhen using two annual PSA testing, all receiver operating characteristic curves of the three MLMs were above the curve for the PSA level, PSA density, and PSA velocity. The AUCs of ANNs, random forest, and support vector machine were 0.69, 0.64, and 0.63, respectively. Those values were higher than the AUCs of the PSA level, PSA density, and PSA velocity, 0.53, 0.41, and 0.55, respectively. The accuracies of the MLMs (71.6% to 72.1%) were also superior to those of the PSA level (39.1%), PSA density (49.7%), and PSA velocity (54.9%). Among the MLMs, ANNs showed the most favorable AUC. The MLMs showed higher sensitivity and specificity than conventional PSA–based parameters. The model performance did not improve when using three annual PSA testing.ConclusionThe present retrospective study results indicate that machine learning techniques can predict prostate cancer with significantly better AUCs than those of PSA density and PSA velocity

Investigation of cathodic reaction in SOFCs and PCFCs by using patterned thin film model electrodes

In recent years, fuel cells operating at relatively high temperatures, such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using an oxide ion conducting electrolyte and proton ceramics fuel cells (PCFCs) using an proton conducting electrolyte, attract attentions as high-efficient energy-conversion devices. For further enhancements of the performance and the durability of SCFCs and PCFCs, it is essential to understand the electrode reactions. In particular, the knowledge on the dominant reaction path in the electrodes would help us to optimize the material and the microstructure of the electrode. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Characterization of sulfur-compound metabolism underlying wax-ester fermentation in Euglena gracilis

Euglena gracilis is a microalga, which has been used as a model organism for decades. Recent technological advances have enabled mass cultivation of this species for industrial applications such as feedstock in nutritional foods and cosmetics. E. gracilis degrades its storage polysaccharide (paramylon) under hypoxic conditions for energy acquisition by an oxygen-independent process and accumulates high amount of wax-ester as a by-product. Using this sequence of reactions referred to as wax-ester fermentation, E. gracilis is studied for its application in biofuel production. Although the wax-ester production pathway is well characterized, little is known regarding the biochemical reactions underlying the main metabolic route, especially, the existence of an unknown sulfur-compound metabolism implied by the nasty odor generation accompanying the wax-ester fermentation. In this study, we show sulfur-metabolomics of E. gracilis in aerobic and hypoxic conditions, to reveal the biochemical reactions that occur during wax-ester synthesis. Our results helped us in identifying hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as the nasty odor-producing component in wax-ester fermentation. In addition, the results indicate that glutathione and protein degrades during hypoxia, whereas cysteine, methionine, and their metabolites increase in the cells. This indicates that this shift of abundance in sulfur compounds is the cause of H2S synthesis