An Analytical Mass Spectrometer for the Gas Analysis

The tentative construction of a mass spectrometer of π/2 (Hipple type) single magnetic focusing to be used for the gas analysis is described in this paper. The mass scanning circuit contains a new electronic device replacing the mechanically driven scanner which has ever been used. For the analytical works, due emphasis should be given to the maintenance of the overall stability of the instruments for a long period of time. However, some analytical results are reported prior to this routine analysis and also the effects of the electron emitter treatment for the stabilization of the sensitivity and the cracking patterns (mass spectra) are discussed

Studies on Production of Double Truss Fruiting Tomato in Water Culture : I. Effects of the Defoliation on the Yield and Absorption of Water and Nutrition

水耕によるトマトの密植低段栽培(1.2段どり)では生育のかなり早い時期に摘心するため,茎葉が過繁茂になりやすい. この過繁茂を避けるための一方法として摘葉について検討した. 1)強力段とびヨーズを1976年12月20日には種し,翌年2月17日に水耕ベッドに定植した. 3月23日に第2花房上2葉を残して摘心した. 摘葉処理は4月1日に葉面積が1/2になるようにした1/2摘葉区と,同様の処理をしたものを4月15日にさらに残葉を1/2にした3/4摘葉区を設けた. 2)収量は2/1摘葉区では無摘葉区とほとんど差がないが,3/4摘葉区で約30%の減収となった. 成熟時期は3/4摘葉区の第1果房が平均4日早くなったが,1/2摘葉区では変わらなかった. 3)水の吸収量は摘葉によって少くなったが,その減少程度は摘葉した割合より低かった. 4)肥料要素の吸収量は,NO3-N,Kでは摘葉によって少くなったが,P,Ca,Mgでは特に差は認められなかった. 5)養水分の果実生産効率について無摘葉区と1/2摘葉区を比較すれば,水では同じであり,N03-NとKでは1/2摘葉区が高く,P,Mgではほとんど差がなく,Caでは無摘葉区が高かった. 3/4摘葉区は水及びいずれの要素においても最も効率が低かった

Studies on two Trusses Tomato Culture in Hydroponics : II. Effects of Culture Medium of Seedbed and the Cut-root Planting on the Yield and Absorption of Water and Nutrition

水耕によるトマトの密植低段栽培において,水耕育苗と土耕育苗を行った苗のそれぞれにおいて断根定植を行い,収量および養水分吸収量に対する影響を調査した. 品種は強力段とびヨーズを用い1978年2月10日には種した. 3月20日に水耕ベッドへ10ａ当り約6,900本の密度で定植した. 断根定植は地際部で切断して水耕ベッドへさした. 摘心は第2花房開花期に第2花房の上葉2枚を残して行った. 1)収量は水耕育苗および土耕育苗とも断根したものが多かった. 果実の品質に対する断根の悪影響はなかった. 2)断根定植のNO(3)-N,K,CaおよびMgの吸収量は,定植から約1ヶ月間は普通定植よりいずれも少なかった. 各要素の吸収量は果実肥大初期に最大となった. 3)水,NO(3)-N,KおよびCaの果実生産効率は土耕育苗断根定植で最も高かった. 4)断根定植の発根および生育に対する温度は25℃が最適であった

Long-term Performance of Repairs to Reinforced Concrete Exposed to Coastal Conditions

Reinforced concrete (RC) specimens were treated using different combinations of surface coating and/or patch repair methods and materials, left in a coastal region with frost damage risk, and their properties characterized after 25 years of exposure. Specimens were prepared by chipping away concrete from one section of concrete block with embedded reinforcement bars to expose the bars, followed by patch repair and then surface coating. Four types of material were used for patch repair: cement mortar, styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) polymer cement mortar, rust-resistant SBR polymer cement mortar, and lightweight epoxy mortar. Two types of material were used for surface coating: multi-layer textured and thin textured coating. Following exposure, cracks were visible only on the surfaces of untreated specimens, apparently due to rebar corrosion; they were absent from all specimens that had undergone surface coating and/or patch repair. In addition, the corrosion resistance of these methods and materials was investigated by measuring and comparing the surface areas of corroded rebar between three segments: the repaired part, the unrepaired part, and the boundary between them. Concrete carbonation and rebar corrosion were greatly dependent on surface coating material, with the multilayer-textured coating especially effective at blocking chloride penetration. In addition, rebar corrosion was more effectively prevented by patch repair with the SBR polymer cement mortar than with the lightweight epoxy mortar

Right thoracic curvature in the normal spine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Trunk asymmetry and vertebral rotation, at times observed in the normal spine, resemble the characteristics of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Right thoracic curvature has also been reported in the normal spine. If it is determined that the features of right thoracic side curvature in the normal spine are the same as those observed in AIS, these findings might provide a basis for elucidating the etiology of this condition. For this reason, we investigated right thoracic curvature in the normal spine.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>For normal spinal measurements, 1,200 patients who underwent a posteroanterior chest radiographs were evaluated. These consisted of 400 children (ages 4-9), 400 adolescents (ages 10-19) and 400 adults (ages 20-29), with each group comprised of both genders. The exclusion criteria were obvious chest and spinal diseases. As side curvature is minimal in normal spines and the range at which curvature is measured is difficult to ascertain, first the typical curvature range in scoliosis patients was determined and then the Cobb angle in normal spines was measured using the same range as the scoliosis curve, from T5 to T12. Right thoracic curvature was given a positive value. The curve pattern was organized in each collective three groups: neutral (from -1 degree to 1 degree), right (> +1 degree), and left (< -1 degree).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In child group, Cobb angle in left was 120, in neutral was 125 and in right was 155. In adolescent group, Cobb angle in left was 70, in neutral was 114 and in right was 216. In adult group, Cobb angle in left was 46, in neutral was 102 and in right was 252. The curvature pattern shifts to the right side in the adolescent group (p < 0.01) and in adult group (p < 0.001) compared to the child group. There was no significant difference in curvature pattern between adolescent and adult group.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Based on standing chest radiographic measurements, a right thoracic curvature was observed in normal spines after adolescence.</p

NETosis markers: Quest for specific, objective, and quantitative markers

AbstractMore than 10years have passed since the discovery of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in 2004. NETs are extracellular web-like DNA decorated with antimicrobial proteins, which are released from activated neutrophils. The state of neutrophils with NET formation is called NETosis. It has been realized that NETosis includes suicidal NETosis and vital NETosis. The former state means cell death of neutrophils, whereas the latter state preserves living neutrophilic functions. Although both suicidal and vital NETosis play essential roles in elimination of microorganisms, excessive formation of NETs, especially the ones derived from suicidal NETosis, can harm the hosts. Therefore, the discovery of NETosis markers and development of evaluation methods are important. In this review, we compare the methods for evaluating NETosis, including immunocytological and immunohistological detection of co-localized neutrophil-derived proteins and extracellular DNA, and citrullinated histones, detection of NET remnants in fluid samples, and flow cytometric detection of cell-appendant NET components, with focus on the specificity, objectivity, and quantitativity. Since the gold standard marker of NETosis or method of NET detection has not been established yet, researchers should choose the most appropriate marker or method in each situation based on the knowledge of the respective virtues and faults

Network of two-Chinese-character compound words in Japanese language

Some statistical properties of a network of two-Chinese-character compound words in Japanese language are reported. In this network, a node represents a Chinese character and an edge represents a two-Chinese-character compound word. It is found that this network has properties of "small-world" and "scale-free." A network formed by only Chinese characters for common use ({\it joyo-kanji} in Japanese), which is regarded as a subclass of the original network, also has small-world property. However, a degree distribution of the network exhibits no clear power law. In order to reproduce disappearance of the power-law property, a model for a selecting process of the Chinese characters for common use is proposed

Embedded Ubiquitous Services on Hospital Information Systems.

A Hospital Information Systems (HIS) have turned a hospital into a gigantic computer with huge computational power, huge storage and wired/wireless local area network. On the other hand, a modern medical device, such as echograph, is a computer system with several functional units connected by an internal network named a bus. Therefore, we can embed such a medical device into the HIS by simply replacing the bus with the local area network. This paper designed and developed two embedded systems, a ubiquitous echograph system and a networked digital camera. Evaluations of the developed systems clearly show that the proposed approach, embedding existing clinical systems into HIS, drastically changes productivity in the clinical field. Once a clinical system becomes a pluggable unit for a gigantic computer system, HIS, the combination of multiple embedded systems with application software designed under deep consideration about clinical processes may lead to the emergence of disruptive innovation in the clinical field

Macrophage centripetal migration drives spontaneous healing process after spinal cord injury.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) brings numerous inflammatory cells, including macrophages, from the circulating blood to lesions, but pathophysiological impact resulting from spatiotemporal dynamics of macrophages is unknown. Here, we show that macrophages centripetally migrate toward the lesion epicenter after infiltrating into the wide range of spinal cord, depending on the gradient of chemoattractant C5a. However, macrophages lacking interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) cannot migrate toward the epicenter and remain widely scattered in the injured cord with profound axonal loss and little remyelination, resulting in a poor functional outcome after SCI. Time-lapse imaging and P2X/YRs blockade revealed that macrophage migration via IRF8 was caused by purinergic receptors involved in the C5a-directed migration. Conversely, pharmacological promotion of IRF8 activation facilitated macrophage centripetal movement, thereby improving the SCI recovery. Our findings reveal the importance of macrophage centripetal migration via IRF8, providing a novel therapeutic target for central nervous system injury