Deposition and Microfabrication of Gd-doped CeO2 for Micro SOFC Operating at Low Temperature

携帯機器に搭載できるSOFCの構造として極薄のGd 添加CeO2 (GDC) 膜を自己支持にし、そこに局所加熱のためにマイクロヒータを配した構造を提案した。これを実現するためにGDC膜の残留応力を成膜中の酸素分圧によって制御する方法を試み、-160MPaの低応力膜を持た。GDC膜のエッチング耐性を調査し、その結果に基づいて作製プロセスを設計し、提案したマイクロSOFCの基本構造を作製した。作製したGDC自己支持膜のイオン導電率は報告されているバルクGDCの値より低いが400℃以下の低温ではバルクYSZよりも高い値を示しており、GDC自己支持膜を用いてマイクロSOFCの低温化が期待できる。トピック

Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvester Using Polyvinylidene Difluoride Film Formed by Bar-Coating Method and Its Spray- Coating Method on a Three Dimensional Surface

A cantilever-type vibration energy harvester (VEH) made of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) was fabricated and characterized. PVDF is one of the polymer piezoelectric materials, which is more flexible than ceramic-based piezoelectric materials such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The fabrication process of VEH is as follows: a PVDF film was coated on a phosphor bronze plate by bar-coating method, followed by polarization by corona discharge method. Aluminum top electrode was deposited on the PVDF film by sputtering. One end of the plate was clamped by a fixture to form a cantilever, the length of which is 25 mm. Output power P at the resonance frequency (=55 Hz) was measured as a function of load resistance R with the acceleration set at 17 m/s2. Maximum output reached 4.3 μW at R = 2.1 MΩ. This result is not inferior compared with other reported VEHs using ceramic piezoelectric material. Spray coating was carried out to form PVDF film on a 3D surface. This method is suitable for fabricating a uniform thin film on a three-dimensional (3D) surface, even if it is complicatedly curved. In this study, PVDF film was formed on a 3D helical compressing spring, and the deposition on it was successfully achieved

Relationship between radiographic grading of osteoarthritis and the biochemical markers for arthritis in knee osteoarthritis

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the biochemical markers of arthritis and the radiographic grading of osteoarthritis (OA) in knees. Seventy-one women aged 49–85 years with knee OA were studied. Anterior–posterior knee radiographs and hand radiographs were taken in all patients. The radiographic grading of OA in the knee was performed by using the Kellgren–Lawrence criteria and the joint space width. The 71 patients with knee OA were divided into two groups: 37 patients exhibiting generalized osteoarthritis (GOA) and 34 non-GOA patients, according to the grading of their hand radiograph. C-reactive protein (CRP), urinary pyridinoline, YKL-40, plasma matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 were measured as the biochemical markers of arthritis. The radiographic grading with the Kellgren–Lawrence scale revealed a significant relationship to the joint space width (P = 0.003): the joint space width decreased with increasing Kellgren–Lawrence grade. All biochemical markers had negative correlations with the joint space width, but only urinary pyridinoline had a significant correlation (P = 0.039). Pyridinoline (P = 0.034) and TIMP-1 (P = 0.017) also exhibited a significant relationship to the Kellgren–Lawrence grade. In GOA evaluations, the joint space width did not differ between GOA and non-GOA patients. CRP, pyridinoline, YKL-40 and MMP-3 levels were significantly greater in GOA patients than in non-GOA patients. CRP, pyridinoline, YKL-40, MMP-3 and TIMP-1 levels each related to at least one of the radiographic gradings. Furthermore, pyridinoline related to every type of radiographic grading examined in the present study

体外循環開始後早期にアルカレミア環境で出現する回路内の血液凝集塊形成

Purpose : This study investigated the relationship between blood clotting in the circuit soon after initiating cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) and echinocytes that appear with alkalemia, using a recirculation circuit filled with heparinized bovine blood. Methods : Alkalemic conditions in the recirculation circuit were prepared by adding various concentrations of NaHCO3 to the priming fluid. Albumin was also added to confirm its inhibitory effect on blood clotting. Blood pH, hold-up, the pressure gradient, and red blood cell (RBC) reduction rate were monitored. Blood clots were examined microscopically. Results : Although blood pH was elevated under all experimental conditions, clotting in the circuit increased with increased concentrations of HCO3-. Albumin inhibited the clotting under the same alkalemic conditions. Microscopic findings revealed echinocytes in the blood clots. Conclusions : The shape of echinocytes was transformed by a reduction in the Donnan equilibrium ratio because of changes in pH inside and outside the RBC membrane. Blood clotting in the circuit soon after initiating CPB may be caused by echinocytes that appear under alkalemic conditions. This was inhibited by albumin, suggesting that the addition of albumin to the priming fluid may prevent such clotting in the circuit after initiating CPB.博士（医学）・甲第664号・平成29年3月15日Copyright © 2016 Japanese Journal of Extra-Corporeal Technology（日本体外循環技術医学会）This is a non-final version of an article published in final form in "http://doi.org/10.7130/jject.43.339

A Hilbert warping method for camera-based finger-writing recognition, in:

Abstract We propose a time-warping algorithm for recognizing finger actions by a camera. In the proposed method, an input image sequence is aligned to the reference sequences by phase-synchronization of the analytic signals, and then classified by comparing the cumulative distances. A major benefit of this method is that overfitting to sequences of incorrect categories is restricted. The proposed method exhibited high recognition accuracy in finger-writing character recognition

The CCR4–NOT Deadenylase Complex Maintains Adipocyte Identity

Shortening of poly(A) tails triggers mRNA degradation; hence, mRNA deadenylation regulates many biological events. In the present study, we generated mice lacking the Cnot1 gene, which encodes an essential scaffold subunit of the CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex in adipose tissues (Cnot1-AKO mice) and we examined the role of CCR4–NOT in adipocyte function. Cnot1-AKO mice showed reduced masses of white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT), indicating abnormal organization and function of those tissues. Indeed, Cnot1-AKO mice showed hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance and they could not maintain a normal body temperature during cold exposure. Muscle-like fibrous material appeared in both WAT and BAT of Cnot1-AKO mice, suggesting the acquisition of non-adipose tissue characteristics. Gene expression analysis using RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) showed that the levels of adipose tissue-related mRNAs, including those of metabolic genes, decreased, whereas the levels of inflammatory response-related mRNAs increased. These data suggest that the CCR4–NOT complex ensures proper adipose tissue function by maintaining adipocyte-specific mRNAs at appropriate levels and by simultaneously suppressing mRNAs that would impair adipocyte function if overexpressed

オオウバユリの鱗茎とシュートの構造

[短報

Mizoribine provides effective treatment of sequential histological change of arteritis and reduction of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in an animal model of Kawasaki disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment results in an effective response from patients with acute-phase Kawasaki disease (KD), but 16.5% of them remain nonresponsive to IVIg. To address this therapeutic challenge, we tried a new therapeutic drug, mizoribine (MZR), in a mouse model of KD, which we have established using injections of <it>Candida albicans </it>water-soluble fractions (CAWS).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CAWS (4 mg/mouse) were injected intraperitoneally into C57BL/6N mice for 5 consecutive days. MZR or IgG was administered for 5 days. After 4 weeks, the mice were sacrificed and autopsied, the hearts were fixed in 10% neutral formalin, and plasma was taken to measure cytokines and chemokines using the Bio-Plex system.</p> <p>The incidence of panvasculitis in the coronary arteries and aortic root was 100% in the control group. The incidence of panvasculitis in the MZR group decreased to 50%. Moreover, the scope and severity of the inflammation of those sites were significantly reduced in the MZR group as well as the IgG group. On the other hand, increased cytokines and chemokines, such as IL-1α, TNF-α, KC, MIP-1α, GM-CSF, and IL-13, in the nontreatment group were significantly suppressed by treatment with MZR, but the MCP-1 level increased. In addition, IL-1α, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-13, and MIP-1α were suppressed by treatment in the IgG group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The incidence of panvasculitis in the coronary arteries and aortic root was 100% in the control group. The incidence of panvasculitis in the MZR group decreased to 50%. Moreover, the scope and severity of the inflammation of those sites were significantly reduced in the MZR group as well as the IgG group. On the other hand, increased cytokines and chemokines, such as IL-1α TNF-α, KC, MIP-1α, GM-CSF, and IL-13, in the nontreatment group were significantly suppressed by treatment with MZR, but the MCP-1 level increased. In addition, IL-1α, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-13, and MIP-1α were suppressed by treatment in the IgG group.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>MZR treatment suppressed not only the incidence, range, and degree of vasculitis, but also inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the plasma of the KD vasculitis model mice, suggesting that MZR may be useful for treatment of KD.</p