A Nondestructive Eggshell Thickness Measurement Technique Using Terahertz Waves

Eggshells play a number of important roles in the avian and reptile kingdom: protection of internal contents and as a major source of minerals for developing embryos. However, when researching these respective roles, eggshell thickness measurement remains a bottleneck due to the lack of a non-destructive measurement techniques. As a result, many avian and reptile research protocols omit consideration of eggshell thickness bias on egg or embryo growth and development. Here, we validate a non-destructive method to estimate eggshell thickness based on terahertz (THz) reflectance spectroscopy using chicken white coloured eggs. Since terahertz waves are reflected from outer air-eggshell interface, as well as the inner eggshell-membrane boundary, the resulting interference signals depend on eggshell thickness. Thus, it is possible to estimate shell thickness from the oscillation distance in frequency-domain. A linear regression-based prediction model for non-destructive eggshell thickness measurement was developed, which had a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.93, RMSEP of 0.009, RPD of 3.45 and RER 13.67. This model can estimate eggshell thickness to a resolution of less than 10 μm. This method has the potential to expand the protocols in the field of avian and reptile research, as well as be applied to industrial grading of eggs

Effective Resistance of the HTS Floating Coil of the Mini-RT Project

A magnetically levitated superconducting coil device, Mini-RT, has been constructed using high temperature superconductors for the purpose of examining a new magnetic confinement scheme of high-beta plasmas. The floating coil is wound with Bi-2223/Ag tapes, and it is operated in the temperature range of 20-40 K. The excitation tests of the coil were carried out and persistent current was sustained for magnetic levitation. The decay time constant of the persistent current was measured and the effective resistance of the coil cables was evaluated. The obtained resistance shows a considerable increase than that predicted by the n-value model. This might be caused by some electromagnetic effects such as the loss generation with long-lived shielding currents. This consideration was examined by measuring the magnetization of an HTS sample coil

A pilot study of patch Holter electrocardiograph recordings in healthy cats

Background: A patch Holter electrocardiograph (P-Holter) is cordless, making it lightweight, unlike the conventional Holter electrocardiograph (C-Holter). A P-Holter can also take continuous measurements for up to 14 days without replacing the battery or SD card.Aim: To compare the performance of the P-Holter and the C-Holter in healthy cats. Additionally, we aimed to investigate whether multiday recordings with the P-Holter decrease sympathetic nerve activity or improve the accuracy of arrhythmia detection.Methods: Five healthy domestic short-haired cats were used for this study. Both a P-Holter and C-Holter were used on the first day, but only the P-Holter was used on days 2–6. The evaluated variables were the analyzable time of both Holter types, heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), and the number of arrhythmia occurrences.Results: For two out of the five cats, measurement of P-Holter was interrupted. Eventually, continuous recordings using the P-Holters were able to be collected from all individuals for 6 days. The 24 hours analyzable time from the P-Holter and C-Holter was almost identical (p = 0.94). The 24 hours mean HR did not differ across Holter types (p = 0.67). In addition, the timing of the occurrences of arrhythmias was almost identical to the P-Holter and C-Holter. Results of HRV suggested that sympathetic nerve activity was likely to decrease and vagal nerve activity was likely to increase after 4–5 days of measurement, compared to the second day of measurement (p < 0.05). When only the P-Holter was installed, the number of arrhythmia occurrences was similar on days 2–6.Conclusion: In this study, the P-Holter may be as useful as the C-Holter in cats with suspected intermittent arrhythmias, although the P-Holters were placed on cats without a clinical indication. However, cats may have individual differences in their adaptation to the device. P-Holter recordings taken for more than 4–5 days may allow the cat to acclimate to the device and reduce sympathetic nerve activity. The accuracy of arrhythmia detection across multiday P-Holter recordings requires further investigation using clinical cases

Phenotypic change of macrophages in the progression of diabetic nephropathy; sialoadhesin-positive activated macrophages are increased in diabetic kidney

Inflammatory process is involved in pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, although the activation and phenotypic change of macrophages in diabetic kidney has remained unclear. Sialoadhesin is a macrophage adhesion molecule containing 17 extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains, and is an I-type lectin which binds to sialic acid ligands expressed on hematopoietic cells. The aim of this study is to clarify the activation and phenotypic change of macrophages in the progression of diabetic nephropathy. We examined the expression of surface markers for pan-macrophages, resident macrophages, sialoadhesin, major histocompatibility complex class II and alpha-smooth muscle actin in the glomeruli of diabetic rats using immunohistochemistry at 0, 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks after induction of diabetes by streptozotocin. Expression of type IV collagen and the change of mesangial matrix area were also measured. The mechanism for up-regulated expression of sialoadhesin on macrophages was evaluated in vitro. The number of macrophages was increased in diabetic glomeruli at 1 month after induction of diabetes and the increased number was maintained until 6 months. On the other hand, sialoadhesin-positive macrophages were increased during the late stage of diabetes concomitantly with the increase of alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive mesangial cells, mesangial matrix area and type IV collagen. Gene expression of sialoadhesin was induced by stimulation with interleukin (IL)-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha but not with IL-4, transforming growth factor-beta and high glucose in cultured human macrophages. The present findings suggest that sialoadhesin-positive macrophages may contribute to the progression of diabetic nephropathy

Migration, early axonogenesis, and Reelin-dependent layer-forming behavior of early/posterior-born Purkinje cells in the developing mouse lateral cerebellum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cerebellar corticogenesis begins with the assembly of Purkinje cells into the Purkinje plate (PP) by embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5) in mice. Although the dependence of PP formation on the secreted protein Reelin is well known and a prevailing model suggests that Purkinje cells migrate along the 'radial glial' fibers connecting the ventricular and pial surfaces, it is not clear how Purkinje cells behave in response to Reelin to initiate the PP. Furthermore, it is not known what nascent Purkinje cells look like <it>in vivo</it>. When and how Purkinje cells start axonogenesis must also be elucidated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We show that Purkinje cells generated on E10.5 in the posterior periventricular region of the lateral cerebellum migrate tangentially, after only transiently migrating radially, towards the anterior, exhibiting an elongated morphology consistent with axonogenesis at E12.5. After their somata reach the outer/dorsal region by E13.5, they change 'posture' by E14.5 through remodeling of non-axon (dendrite-like) processes and a switchback-like mode of somal movement towards a superficial Reelin-rich zone, while their axon-like fibers remain relatively deep, which demarcates the somata-packed portion as a plate. In <it>reeler </it>cerebella, the early born posterior lateral Purkinje cells are initially normal during migration with anteriorly extended axon-like fibers until E13.5, but then fail to form the PP due to lack of the posture-change step.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Previously unknown behaviors are revealed for a subset of Purkinje cells born early in the posteior lateral cerebellum: tangential migration; early axonogenesis; and Reelin-dependent reorientation initiating PP formation. This study provides a solid basis for further elucidation of Reelin's function and the mechanisms underlying the cerebellar corticogenesis, and will contribute to the understanding of how polarization of individual cells drives overall brain morphogenesis.</p

Broadband dielectric spectroscopy of glucose aqueous solution: Analysis of the hydration state and the hydrogen bond network.

Recent studies of saccharides' peculiar anti-freezing and anti-dehydration properties point to a close association with their strong hydration capability and destructuring effect on the hydrogen bond (HB) network of bulk water. The underlying mechanisms are, however, not well understood. In this respect, examination of the complex dielectric constants of saccharide aqueous solutions, especially over a broadband frequency region, should provide interesting insights into these properties, since the dielectric responses reflect corresponding dynamics over the time scales measured. In order to do this, the complex dielectric constants of glucose solutions between 0.5 GHz and 12 THz (from the microwave to the far-infrared region) were measured. We then performed analysis procedures on this broadband spectrum by decomposing it into four Debye and two Lorentz functions, with particular attention being paid to the β relaxation (glucose tumbling), δ relaxation (rotational polarization of the hydrated water), slow relaxation (reorientation of the HB network water), fast relaxation (rotation of the non-HB water), and intermolecular stretching vibration (hindered translation of water). On the basis of this analysis, we revealed that the hydrated water surrounding the glucose molecules exhibits a mono-modal relaxational dispersion with 2-3 times slower relaxation times than unperturbed bulk water and with a hydration number of around 20. Furthermore, other species of water with distorted tetrahedral HB water structures, as well as increases in the relative proportion of non-HB water molecules which have a faster relaxation time and are not a part of the surrounding bulk water HB network, was found in the vicinity of the glucose molecules. These clearly point to the HB destructuring effect of saccharide solutes in aqueous solution. The results, as a whole, provide a detailed picture of glucose-water and water-water interactions in the vicinity of the glucose molecules at various time scales from sub-picosecond to hundreds of picoseconds

Kinetics of solid phase interaction between Al and a‐Si:H

金沢大学工学部The kinetics of solid phase interaction between Al and a‐Si:H have been investigated. The experiment led to the observation of low‐temperature crystallization as has been reported. The crystallization temperature was found to be 300–350 °C from diffraction studies. From the x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy study, electron transfer from Al to Si was observed in the intermixing layer in samples annealed at RT and 200 °C whereas there is no evidence of the electron transfer for 300 and 350 °C annealed samples. To explain these results, a comparison is made with the interaction in the Cr/a‐Si:H system previously reported and the interdiffusion model is proposed