Transcutaneous Measurement and SpectrumAnalysis of Heart Wall Vibrations

科研費報告書収録論文(課題番号:08555096・基盤研究(B)(2)・H8～H9/研究代表者:金井, 浩/心筋の早期診断を可能とする心臓壁微小振動の超音波計測及び解析装置の開発

Non-Abelian Topological Order in S-Wave Superfluids of Ultracold Fermionic Atoms

We show that in s-wave superfluids of cold fermionic atoms with laser-field-generated effective spin-orbit interactions, a topological phase with gapless edge states and Majorana fermion quasiparticles obeying the non-Abelian statistics is realized in the case with a large Zeeman magnetic field. Our scenario provides a promising approach for quantum computation manipulating non-Abelian anyons via an s-wave Feshbach resonance.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. Some minor improvements were mad

Absorption and Accumulation of Carotenoid and Retinoid Production in Rat

植物性食品に広く含まれるカロテノイドのうち,β-caroteneなどはプロビタミンA効果以外に抗ガン,抗酸化防止効果などが注目されているが,カロテノイドの消化・吸収機構及び体内分布に関する基礎的知見は少ない,カロテノイド非蓄積動物と呼ばれるラットについてβ-carotene単独投与及びホウレンソウカロテノイドとを投与し,それぞれにおける各カロテノイドの吸収挙動と吸収カロテノイド及び生成retinolの体内存在状態を調べた.β-caroteneは単独に投与すると約50%の吸収率となるが,xanthophyll共存下では数%にまで低下する.これはβ-caroteneの吸収をxanthophyllが妨害していることを示す.β-caroteneは肝臓にもっとも多く蓄積されneoxanthinがこれを次いでいる.もっとも多く吸収されたluteinは肝臓にはほとんど検出されず,血液中に少量存在していた.このような両カロテノイドの挙動はカロテノイド非蓄積動物に特徴的なものと考えられる.カロテノイドを含まない飼料を投与すると一時的にretinolの血中濃度は上昇し,肝濃度は低下するが,カロテノイドを投与すると恒常的血中retinol濃度に速やかに戻る.β-carotene及びホウレンソウカロテノイドを25日間投与したときのretinolの正味増加量はそれぞれ474μgと522μgであるが血中のretinolレベルはほとんど変化していない.このことは肝に充分量のretinol存在しておれば血中retinolレベルはほぼ一定に保たれる制御作用のあることを示している

Suppression of Plasmodium falciparum by serum collected from a case of Plasmodium vivax infection.

BACKGROUND: It has frequently been reported that Plasmodium vivax suppressed Plasmodium falciparum and ameliorated disease severity in patients infected with these two species simultaneously. The authors investigate the hypothesis that immunological responses stimulated by P. vivax may play a role in suppressing co-infecting P. falciparum. METHODS: Sera, taken sequentially from one of the authors (YN) during experimental infection with P. vivax, were added to in vitro cultures of P. falciparum. Cross-reactive antibodies against P. falciparum antigens, and cytokines were measured in the sera. RESULTS: Significant growth inhibitory effects upon P. falciparum cultures (maximally 68% inhibition as compared to pre-illness average) were observed in the sera collected during an acute episode. Such inhibitory effects showed a strong positive temporal correlation with cross-reactive antibodies, especially IgM against P. falciparum schizont extract and, to a lesser degree, IgM against Merozoite Surface Protein (MSP)-119. Interleukin (IL)-12 showed the highest temporal correlation with P. vivax parasitaemia and with body temperatures in the volunteer. CONCLUSION: These results suggest the involvement by cross-reactive antibodies, especially IgM, in the interplay between plasmodial species. IL-12 may be one of direct mediators of fever induction by rupturing P. vivax schizonts, at least in some subjects. Future studies, preferably of epidemiological design, to reveal the association between cross-reactive IgM and cross-plasmodial interaction, are warranted

Raman Scattering of Inorganic Fibers

We have examined evolution of Raman spectra of carbon fibers and SiC fibers through structural transformations caused by heat treatment. Raman spectra of the SiC fibers indicate that the fibers consist of amorphous or microcrystalline SiC and graphitic microcrystals. We discuss the correlation between the tensile strength of the fibers and their microscopic structure deduced from the Raman data

Menaquinone (vitamin K2) therapy for bronchial asthma. I. Mechanism of action menaquinone on allergic reactions.

The mechanism of action of the drug was investigated from various points of view. The findings may be summarized as follows: 1. In the experiments of the degranulation of mesenteric mast cells of rats, menaquinone proved to significantly inhibit the degranulation either in active or passive sensitization with the reagin-like antibody. 2. Menaquinone did not inhibit the formation of the reagin-like antibody. 3. In the experiements of the degranulation of basophilic granulocytes from patients of bronchial asthma, the rate of appearance of A form basophilic cells upon addition of the antihuman IgE goat serum was not markedly but significantly inhibited in the patients treated with menaquinone for long periods, as compared with that in the control, whereas the in vitro addition of menaquinone did not exert a significant inhibitory action.</p

Geological Research on the Bottom Sediments Sampled by the Fifth Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

Results of soundings carried out during five Japanese Antarctic Research Expeditions are summarized. The bottom sediments collected by the 5th Expedition were analyzed concerning the grain size distribution, chemical composition, gravel composition, heavy mineral association, clay mineral composition and organic matters. The area studied is divisible into at least four sedimentary petrographic subprovinces on the basis of gravel composition, heavy mineral association and clay mineral composition. It is probable that these sediments were transported to the present sites from different sources without much sorting effects. The occurrence of trioctahedral illite in clay fraction may be the result of weak chemical weathering in the Antarctic region