Flight Performance of the AKARI Cryogenic System

We describe the flight performance of the cryogenic system of the infrared astronomical satellite AKARI, which was successfully launched on 2006 February 21 (UT). AKARI carries a 68.5 cm telescope together with two focal plane instruments, Infrared Cameras (IRC) and Far Infrared Surveyor (FIS), all of which are cooled down to cryogenic temperature to achieve superior sensitivity. The AKARI cryogenic system is a unique hybrid system, which consists of cryogen (liquid helium) and mechanical coolers (2-stage Stirling coolers). With the help of the mechanical coolers, 179 L (26.0 kg) of super-fluid liquid helium can keep the instruments cryogenically cooled for more than 500 days. The on-orbit performance of the AKARI cryogenics is consistent with the design and pre-flight test, and the boil-off gas flow rate is as small as 0.32 mg/s. We observed the increase of the major axis of the AKARI orbit, which can be explained by the thrust due to thermal pressure of vented helium gas.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, and 6 tables. Accepted for publication in the AKARI special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japa

Densification of layered firn of the ice sheet at Dome Fuji, Antarctica

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OM] 極域気水圏11月16日（月）　国立極地研究所１階交流アトリウ

Immunoglobulin Production by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in IgA Nephropathy Patients and their Relatives

Immunoglobulin production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 27 patients of IgA nephropathy and 11 relatives was determined. In comparison with 15 healthy controls, no significant difference could be observed in both IgA nephropathy patients and relatives of the group not stimulated with PWM, but in the group stimulated with PWM a significant elevation in the production of IgA, IgG and IgM was seen in IgA nephropathy patients, while in the relatives a significant elevation in production of IgA and IgG was observed. It is speculated that immune complexes mainly IgA are the chief cause of development and progression of IgA nephropathy and that IgG and IgM are also involved. In also relatives, the presence of immunological abnormalities similar to those of IgA nephropathy patients is suggested

Experimental IgA Nephropathy Induced by Oral Administration of Dextran

Attempts were made to produce experimental IgA nephropathy by oral administration for 18 weeks of dextran having a molecular weight of 10,000, 70,000, and 500,000 to 6-week old female BALB/c mice. It was observed that in three out of eight cases belonging to the group given dextran having a molecular weight of 70,000 and in three out of seven cases belonging to the group given dextran having a molecular weight of 500,000, deposition of IgA on the mesangium was demonstrated by immunofluorescence direct method. Furthermore, deposition of IgG and IgM was observed in not only the groups given dextran but also in the control group, but no significant difference in deposition pattern could be demonstrated between the groups. C3 was observed only in one case belonging to the group given dextran having a molecular weight of 10,000. The serum IgA value showed a higher value in the cases with IgA deposition than in the control group. Serum C3 value was higher in the IgA deposition cases in the group given dextran having a molecular weight of 500,000 than in the control group. These results suggest that it is possible to produce experimental IgA nephropathy by continual oral administration of carbohydrate antigen of bacterial origin and that bacterial infection is involved in the development of IgA nephropathy

Photoinduced hydrogen release from hydrogen boride sheets

Hydrogen boride nanosheets (HB sheets) are facilely synthesized via ion-exchange treatment on magnesium diboride (MgB2) in an acetonitrile solution. Optical absorption and fluorescence spectra of HB sheets indicate that their bandgap energy is 2.8 eV. According to first-principles calculations, optical absorption seen at 2.8 eV is assigned to the electron transition between the sigma-bonding states of B and H orbitals. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest the other allowed transition from the s-bonding state of B and H orbitals to the antibonding state with the gap of 3.8 eV. Significant gaseous H-2 release is found to occur only under photoirradiation, which causes the electron transition from the s-bonding state to the antibonding state even under mild ambient conditions. The amount of H-2 released from the irradiated HB sheets is estimated to be 8 wt%, indicating that the sheets have a high H-2-storage capacity compared with previously reported metal H-2-storage materials

An Autopsy Case of Multiple Jejunal Diverticula Showing Severe Malabsorption

A rare autopsy case of multiple jejunal diverticula showing severe malabsorption is reported. A 56-year-old man was admitted due to vomiting and leg edema. On admission, his height was 160cm, his body weight was 39kg, and laboratory data revealed severe hypoproteinemia (TP: 4.0g/dl, ALB: 2.1g/dl). On the 14th day of admission, agonal breathing and disturbance of consciousness occurred after massive vomiting of gastric juice, and the patient died of respiratory failure. At autopsy, on abdominal sectioning, multiple diverticula situated on the mesenterium side of the enteron extending 70cm in length from the proximal jejunum were identified. However there were no findings suggesting perforation or diverticulitis. Histologically, the diverticula were lined by ordinal jejunum mucosa associated with muscularis mucosa, but the muscularis propria was not involved in the diverticular walls. The diverticula were identified as false diverticula. In both lower lungs, aspiration pneumonia was widely seen. The cause of death was considered to be aspiration pneumonia due to the vomiting caused by multiple jejunal diverticula.Only 16 case reports of multiple jejunal diverticulosis in Japan could be found in the literature however most of the reported complications were perforation and diverticulitis, and there were no reports of malabsorption. Therefore, the present case is significant concerning the cause of malabsorption in routine explorations

A Case of Unusual Polypoid Mixed Hemangioma of the Sigmoid Colon: Possibly an Angioadenomatous Polyp

Herein, we report on an unusual case of polypoid mixed hemangioma of the sigmoid colon. An 85-year-old woman who underwent colonoscopic examination was found to have a smooth, red polypoid tumor, 6mm in diameter, in the sigmoid colon. The polyp was resected endoscopically. Microscopically, the polyp contained two pathologic components: (i) adenomatous proliferative glands as the epithelial component; and (ii) mixed hemangioma as the mesenchymal component. On the basis of these findings, a pathological diagnosis of angioadenomatous polyp was made. Although seven previous cases of polypoid hemangioma located in the submucosa have been reported in the literature, the present case is the first in which the hemangioma is localized only in the mucosa. The mixed hemangioma may be the pathogen stimulating the adenomatous proliferation of the glands

Metamorphism of layered firn at Dome Fuji, Antarctica: Evolution of relations between Near-infrared reflectivity and the other textural/chemical properties

The Tenth Symposium on Polar Science/Ordinary sessions: [OM] Polar Meteorology and Glaciology, Wed. 4 Dec. / 2F Auditorium, National Institute of Polar Researc

Cutoff Values of Serum IgG4 and Histopathological IgG4+ Plasma Cells for Diagnosis of Patients with IgG4-Related Disease

IgG4-related disease is a new disease classification established in Japan in the 21st century. Patients with IgG4-related disease display hyper-IgG4-gammaglobulinemia, massive infiltration of IgG4+ plasma cells into tissue, and good response to glucocorticoids. Since IgG4 overexpression is also observed in other disorders, it is necessary to diagnose IgG4-related disease carefully and correctly. We therefore sought to determine cutoff values for serum IgG4 and IgG4/IgG and for IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cells in tissue diagnostic of IgG4-related disease. Patients and Methods. We retrospectively analyzed serum IgG4 concentrations and IgG4/IgG ratio and IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cell ratio in tissues of 132 patients with IgG4-related disease and 48 patients with other disorders. Result. Serum IgG4 >135  mg/dl demonstrated a sensitivity of 97.0% and a specificity of 79.6% in diagnosing IgG4-related disease, and serum IgG4/IgG ratios >8% had a sensitivity and specificity of 95.5% and 87.5%, respectively. IgG4+cell/IgG+ cell ratio in tissues >40% had a sensitivity and specificity of 94.4% and 85.7%, respectively. However, the number of IgG4+ cells was reduced in severely fibrotic parts of tissues. Conclusion. Although a recent unanimous consensus of all relevant researchers in Japan recently established the diagnostic criteria for IgG4-related disease, findings such as ours indicate that further discussion is needed