Uteluftsventilerad krypgrund, teori och praktik

Uteluftsventilerade krypgrunder är kända för att kunna drabbas av problem med hög relativ luftfuktighet inne i kryputrymmet. Förhållandena som uppstår kan då vara gynnsamma för biologisk påväxt vilket i sin tur kan ha en negativ inverkan på både konstruktionens hållfasthet och inomhusluftens kvalitet. Problem uppstår dels på grund av att krypgrunden förblir för kall sommartid och dels på grund av en hög fuktbelastning från underliggande mark. I denna rapport härleds nya teoretiska samband för att beskriva hur temperaturen vid blindbotten inne i krypgrunden beror av temperaturen inomhus, utomhus och vid grundbotten. Metoden kan användas för att uppskatta hur relativa luftfuktigheten varierar inne i kryputrymmet och hur denna påverkas av olika åtgärder. Forskningsarbetet har här riktat in sig på att undersöka effekten av ventilation kombinerat med värmetillförsel, och en framtagen regleralgoritm påvisar att värmetillförsel kan användas periodvis under kritiska perioder för att öka mängden fukt som ventilation kan föra ut ur krypgrunden.Outdoor air-ventilated crawls spaces are known to face problems caused by a high relative humidity inside the crawl space. The conditions then become favourable for different types of biological fouling. This in turn can have a negative impact on both the structural properties of building materials and the quality of the indoor air. Problems with high relative humidity are partly due to insufficient heating of the crawl space during the summer and partly due to a high moisture load from the ground below. In this report, new theoretical relations are derived that explain how the temperature beneath the floor structure is related to the temperature indoors, outdoors, and at the ground surface. The method can be used to estimate how the relative humidity varies inside the crawl space and how it can be affected by different measures. We have focused on measures based on combinations of controlled ventilation and heating, and developed a control algorithm which suggests that additional heating could be used periodically, during critical periods, to increase the amount of moisture that can be removed from the crawl space using ventilation

Cyclooxygenase 2 Modulates Killing of Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes by Colon Cancer Cells

Although anti-cancer effects of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) inhibitors have been reported, most studies focused on the direct effects of COX2 inhibiters on colon cancer cells. On the other hand, several types of cancers express Fas ligand (FasL) and/or TRAIL and mediate apoptosis of T cells in vitro. The “counter-attack” machinery may account for the mechanisms by which tumors evade host immune surveillance. In this study we determined if COX2 inhibitor could modulate effector molecules of cell death on colon cancer cells changing their effects on cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Colon adenocarcinoma cells, HCA7 and HCT116, the former COX2-positive and the latter COX2-negative, were pre-incubated with/without a COX2 inhibitor, NS398. Subsequently, the cells were co-cultured with Jurkat T cell leukemia cells and damage to Jurkat cells was determined. Treatment with NS398 resulted in reduction of expression of FasL and TRAIL in HCA7 cells, whereas NS398 did not affect the expression of FasL and TRAIL in HCT116 cells. The number of viable Jurkat cells was diminished when cells were co-cultured with naive, non-pretreated HCA7 or HCA116 cells. Preincubation of HCA7 cells with NS398 before co-culture blunted the HCA7 cell-induced cell toxicity on Jurkat cells. In contrast, pretreatment with NS398 failed to inhibit the HCT116-induced Jurkat cell killing. Our results suggest that COX2 regulates the expression of FasL and TRAIL on COX2-positive colon cancer cells thereby evoking a counter-attack against cytotoxic T cells, which may lead to compromised host immune responses

中世・近世におけるわが国の音楽教育とその教育的意義づけ(I) : 室町・安土・桃山時代(1550年から1580年)の豊後キリシタンにおける音楽教育とその音楽史的考察

It is very significant in the history of musical education in Japan that musical education with western musical instruments has been given people in Japan for promoting the missionary work since Christianity was introduced into Japan. The purpose of this study is to clarify the circumstances of musical education of Christianity in Bungo district (1550-1580) and to make clear all different kinds of musical instruments introduced into Japan in comparison with western music in the 16th century. (1) On studies of the purpose of musical education in the Christianity church. (2) On studies of the missionary work with music in Japan. (3) On studies of the missionaries who taught music in Bungo district. (4) On studies of musical education with musical instruments in the 16th century

Efficacy of 23-valent pneumococcal vaccine in preventing pneumonia and improving survival in nursing home residents: double blind, randomised and placebo controlled trial

Objective To determine the efficacy of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in people at high risk of pneumococcal pneumonia

Nationwide survey of radiation exposure during pediatric computed tomography examinations and proposal of age-based diagnostic reference levels for Japan

Background: Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) have not been established in Japan. Objective: To propose DRLs for CT of the head, chest and abdomen for three pediatric age groups. Materials and methods: We sent a nationwide questionnaire by post to 339 facilities. Questions focused on pediatric CT technology, exposure parameters, CT protocols, and radiation doses for age groups <1 year, 1-5 years, and 6-10 years. Results: For the three age groups in the 196 facilities that responded, the 75th percentile values of volume CT dose index based on a 16-cm phantom (CTDIvol 16 [mGy]) for head, chest and abdominal CT were for infants 39.1, 11.1 and 12.0, respectively; for 1-to 5-year-olds 46.9, 14.3 and 16.7, respectively; and for 6-to 10-year-olds 67.7, 15.0 and 17.0, respectively. The corresponding dose–length products (DLP 16 [mGy・cm]) for head, chest and abdominal CT were for infants 526.1, 209.1 and 261.5, respectively; for 1-to 5-year-olds 665.5, 296.0 and 430.8, respectively; and for 6-to 10-year-olds 847.9, 413.0 and 532.2, respectively. Conclusion: The majority of CTDIvol 16 and DLP 16 values for the head were higher than DRLs reported from other countries. For risk reduction, it is necessary to establish DRLs for pediatric CT in Japan. © 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin HeidelbergEmbargo Period 12 month

Ethylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether–Induced Toxicity Is Mediated through the Inhibition of Flavoprotein Dehydrogenase Enzyme Family

Ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (EGME) is a widely used industrial solvent known to cause adverse effects to human and other mammals. Organs with high metabolism and rapid cell division, such as testes, are especially sensitive to its actions. In order to gain mechanistic understanding of EGME-induced toxicity, an untargeted metabolomic analysis was performed in rats. Male rats were administrated with EGME at 30 and 100 mg/kg/day. At days 1, 4, and 14, serum, urine, liver, and testes were collected for analysis. Testicular injury was observed at day 14 of the 100 mg/kg/day group only. Nearly 1900 metabolites across the four matrices were profiled using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Statistical analysis indicated that the most significant metabolic perturbations initiated from the early time points by EGME were the inhibition of choline oxidation, branched-chain amino acid catabolism, and fatty acid β-oxidation pathways, leading to the accumulation of sarcosine, dimethylglycine, and various carnitine- and glycine-conjugated metabolites. Pathway mapping of these altered metabolites revealed that all the disrupted steps were catalyzed by enzymes in the primary flavoprotein dehydrogenase family, suggesting that inhibition of flavoprotein dehydrogenase–catalyzed reactions may represent the mode of action for EGME-induced toxicity. Similar urinary and serum metabolite signatures are known to be the hallmarks of multiple acyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency in humans, a genetic disorder because of defects in primary flavoprotein dehydrogenase reactions. We postulate that disruption of key biochemical pathways utilizing flavoprotein dehydrogenases in conjugation with downstream metabolic perturbations collectively result in the EGME-induced tissue damage

Establishment of a reborn MMV-microarray technology: realization of microbiome analysis and other hitherto inaccessible technologies

BACKGROUND: With the accelerating development of bioscience, the problem of research cost has become important. We previously devised and developed a novel concept microarray with manageable volumes (MMV) using a soft gel. It demonstrated the great potential of the MMV technology with the examples of 1024-parallel-cell culture and PCR experiments. However, its full potential failed to be expressed, owing to the nature of the material used for the MMV chip. RESULTS: In the present study, by developing plastic-based MMVs and associated technologies, we introduced novel technologies such as C2D2P (in which the cells in each well are converted from DNA to protein in 1024-parallel), NGS-non-dependent microbiome analysis, and other powerful applications. CONCLUSIONS: The reborn MMV-microarray technology has proven to be highly efficient and cost-effective (with approximately 100-fold cost reduction) and enables us to realize hitherto unattainable technologies

Phase II Study of Pleurodesis using Sterile Graded Talc in Patients with Secondary Intractable Pneumothorax: Protocol for a Multicentre, Open-label Single-arm Trial

A pneumothorax can be primary or secondary. A high proportion of patients with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax are the elderly who are in poor general condition due to their impaired cardiac and pulmonary functions as well as due to other complications. Therefore, it may be difficult for these patients to undergo surgical procedures; in addition, the elderly may be at high risk for postoperative pulmonary fistula due to severe adhesions and emphysema complications. These non-operative and high-risk cases may be treated with pleurodesis (a procedure that involves instillation of a chemical or irritant into the thoracic cavity through an injection), bronchoscopic bronchial embolisation, or other procedures. In Japan, no device is currently approved for performing pleurodesis, but an approval of one device is expected soon. This will be an open-label, single-arm multicentre study conducted among 30 patients with secondary intractable pneumothorax who are not indicated to undergo surgery. The primary endpoint will be presence or absence of chest tube removal. The secondary endpoints will be the disappearance/decrease of air leakage, grade of dyspnoea, and duration of drainage. This study will assess the safety and efficacy of sterile graded talc pleurodesis in patients with secondary intractable pneumothorax.This research is (partially) supported by the Project Promoting Clinical Trials for Development of New Drugs and Medical Devices (Japan Medical Association) and Early/Exploratory Clinical Trial Center Development Projects from the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). This study is registered in the Center for Clinical Trials, Japan Medical Association (JMA-IIA00272)