Accuracy improvement of small defect detection for ultrasonic inspection by using scientific visual analysis

When we diagnose the structural integrity of a steel member in service and evaluate its remaining life time, we need to improve analyzing method to get the accurate information of a internal defect of a member. And by the recent demand for high level quality control of welding of steel joint the accuracy improvement of defect detection in the image display became essential in nondestructive evaluation (NDE)[1][2][3]. So far the defect information obtained by an ultrasonic test is displayed in several ways and A-scan and B-scan displays are commonly used in a field inspection and C-scan display is used in laboratory test of the steel structural member[4][5]

Application of Microfluidics in Stem Cell Culture

In this chapter, we review the recent developments, including our studies on the microfabricated devices applicable to stem cell culture. We will focus on the application of pluripotent stem cells including embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells. In the first section, we provide a background on microfluidic devices, including their fabrication technology, characteristics, and the advantages of their application in stem cell culture. The second section outlines the use of micropatterning technology in stem cell culture. The use of microwell array technology in stem cell culture is explored in the third section. In the fourth section, we discuss the use of the microfluidic perfusion culture system for stem cell culture, and the last section is a summary of the current state of the art and perspectives of microfluidic technologies in stem cell culture

High levels of oxidatively generated DNA damage 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine accumulate in the brain tissues of xeroderma pigmentosum group A gene-knockout mice.

Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) is a genetic disorder associated with defects in nucleotide excision repair, a pathway that eliminates a wide variety of helix-distorting DNA lesions, including ultraviolet-induced pyrimidine dimers. In addition to skin diseases in sun-exposed areas, approximately 25% of XP patients develop progressive neurological disease, which has been hypothesized to be associated with the accumulation of an oxidatively generated type of DNA damage called purine 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxynucleoside (cyclopurine). However, that hypothesis has not been verified. In this study, we tested that hypothesis by using the XP group A gene-knockout (Xpa-/-) mouse model. To quantify cyclopurine lesions in this model, we previously established an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a monoclonal antibody (CdA-1) that specifically recognizes 8,5'-cyclo-2'-deoxyadenosine (cyclo-dA). By optimizing conditions, we increased the ELISA sensitivity to a detection limit of ˜one cyclo-dA lesion/106 nucleosides. The improved ELISA revealed that cyclo-dA lesions accumulate with age in the brain tissues of Xpa-/- and of wild-type (wt) mice, but there were significantly more cyclo-dA lesions in Xpa-/- mice than in wt mice at 6, 24 and 29 months of age. These findings are consistent with the long-standing hypothesis that the age-dependent accumulation of endogenous cyclopurine lesions in the brain may be critical for XP neurological abnormalities

Crystal structure of phenolphthalein

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科先端機能物質金沢大学工学

Development of a cluster of LXC containers

The consensus algorithms were designed to reach agreements in distributed systems trying to maintain a certain tolerance to failures. An application derived from these algorithms is ETCD, a type of key-value storage that provides a safe and reliable way to save data shared in a network of servers, allowing the preser- vation of the information in spite of the possible fall of the involved nodes . My thesis shows the design and operation of these algorithms, and addresses the question of how to man- age the ETCD database and which features involves, as well as recommendations of configuration settings to achieve the best performance of the system. Finally, an academic practice is presented, aimed to network students that would want to have a deeper knowledge about consensus algorithms applications in a distributed system