Space Charge Distribution of Surface Discharge in SF₆ Gas

Surface space-charge distributions produced by streamers in SF₆ are investigated using the probe method with a high speed temporal resolution. Probes which also act the role of a plane electrode, are used for measuring the space-charge field. The fields are measured oscilloscopically and converted into space-charge densities by a numerical calculation. This inverstigation has revealed the charge distribution before the disturbance caused by the well known “back-discharge”. This method is also applied for surface discharges in air, and its results are compared with that obtained in SF₆

99m-Technetium galactosyl human serum albumin scanning to evaluate liver function after stereotactic body radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report

The primary choice among treatment options for liver malignancies is surgery. However, if surgery cannot be performed, Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) may be effective. 99m-technetium galactosyl human serum albumin (GSA) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging is useful for the assessment of liver function before surgery. We report the case of a 77-year-old man who had undergone SBRT for hepatocellular carcinoma of the left lobe of the liver 2 years previously. Follow-up revealed a 15-mm hepatocellular carcinoma at the edge of the right lobe of the liver. 99m-technetium GSA SPECT was performed before SBRT to confirm that there was no accumulation in the left lobe and to ensure that there was good function of the right lobe. Three months after SBRT, the tumor had responded, and decreases in GSA accumulation were observed in line with the radiation beam. Because hepatocellular carcinoma often relapses, it is important to assess the anatomic site of liver dysfunction before and after radiation. This case demonstrates that 99m-technetium GSA SPECT is useful for this purpose

Effects of preservation period of fertilized eggs and high concentrations of nitrogen in nutrient sources on germling growth of Sargassum horneri

The effects of high concentrations of nitrogen sources on the germling growth of Sargassum horneri were investigated for the restoration of coastal barren ground using fertilization materials containing high concentrations of nitrogen. Moreover, the safekeeping period of fertilized eggs of S. horneri was studied to elucidate performance stability as an appropriate method using fertilized eggs. The fertilized eggs of S. horneri that had been preserved in a refrigerator for approximately 170 days were able to grow and demonstrate the same growth curve as those that had been preserved for shorter periods. This demonstrates that our culture method can be applied to examine the effects of nitrogen sources on the germling growth of S. horneri. The addition of over 2 mg N L−1 of ammonium (NH4–N) or nitrite (NO2–N) clearly inhibited growth, and the addition of 50 mg N L−1 of NH4–N or NO2–N had lethal effects on the germling growth of S. horneri. The addition of 1 mg N L−1 of NH4–N or NO2–N did not clearly promote or inhibit growth. The addition of 50 mg N L−1of nitrate (NO3–N) did not inhibit growth. It is expected that the effects of NH4–N or NO2–N on seaweed growth depends on the concentration level, growth stage of the seaweed, and seaweed species. On the basis of our results, nitrogen fertilizers that contain high concentrations of some nitrogen sources should be carefully considered before they are applied to restore barren ground in nutrient-deficient coastal areas. © 2016 Springer Science+Business Media DordrechtEmbargo Period 12 month

Patient affect and caregiver burden in dementia

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies focusing on the burden of caregivers of dementia patients have been published. However, there have been few studies focusing on positive affect as an important factor affecting the caregiver burden, and only a few studies comparing the caregiver burden between different dementia diseases have been reported. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty-seven consecutive caregivers of people with dementia participated in this study. The caregiver burden was evaluated by the short version of the Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview. RESULTS: Positive affect scores had a significant relationship with the scores of the short version of the Zarit Burden Interview. Caregivers for patients with dementia with Lewy bodies or frontotemporal dementia suffered from a greater burden than those for patients with Alzheimer's disease dementia. CONCLUSIONS: The caregiver burden differed between people caring for patients with different dementia diseases. Positive affect of dementia patients has a significant relationship with caregiver burden, independently from neuropsychiatric symptoms of patients

Kheper, a Novel ZFH/δEF1 Family Member, Regulates the Development of the Neuroectoderm of Zebrafish (Danio rerio)

AbstractKheper is a novel member of the ZFH (zinc-finger and homeodomain protein)/δEF1 family in zebrafish. kheper transcripts are first detected in the epiblast of the dorsal blastoderm margin at the early gastrula stage and kheper is expressed in nearly all the neuroectoderm at later stages. kheper expression was expanded in noggin RNA-injected embryos and also in swirl mutant embryos and was reduced in bmp4 RNA-injected embryos and chordino mutant embryos, suggesting that kheper acts downstream of the neural inducers Noggin and Chordino. Overexpression of Kheper elicited ectopic expansion of the neuroectoderm-specific genes fkd3, hoxa-1, and eng3, and the ectopic expression of hoxa-1 was not inhibited by BMP4 overexpression. Kheper interacted with the transcriptional corepressors CtBP1 and CtBP2. Overexpression of a Kheper mutant lacking the homeodomain or of a VP16–Kheper fusion protein disturbed the development of the neuroectoderm and head structures. These data underscore the role of Kheper in the development of the neuroectoderm and indicate that Kheper acts as a transcriptional repressor

地域特性とエコタウン特性の分析によるエコタウン事業の類型化

金沢大学理工研究域機械工学系多種多様なエコタウン事業を理解するためには、エコタウン事業をその特徴からいくつかのタイプに分類して理解することが有効である。そこでエコタウン事業の分類を行うため、エコタウン事業の立地する地域の特性としての人口、面積、人口密度、一般廃棄物量、製造品出荷額等、産業廃棄物量を取り上げ、立地地域の特徴を明らかにした。次に、エコタウン事業自身の特徴を明らかにするために、総事業数、補助金額、PET、家電、自動車、動脈静脈連携事業の主要事業について分析し、地域特性との関係を求めた。その結果、エコタウン事業をコミュニティ廃棄物処理・リサイクル型（小都市）（Ⅰ）、都市廃棄物処理・リサイクル型（大都市）（Ⅱ）、工業団地静脈ビジネス形成型（中都市）（Ⅲ）、動脈静脈連携型（重工業都市）（Ⅳ）の４つに分類した。これらの分類は、エコタウン事業の経験、知見を活用した海外への静脈技術移転に適用できると考える。In order to understand all 26 Eco-towns in Japan, we analyzed local characteristics and Eco-town characteristics of 26 Eco-towns. By there analysis Eco-town projects are categorized into four groups. This categorization is helpful to understand all 26 Eco-towns and to utilize there knowledge in developing counties.The 24th Annual Conference of Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste ManagementSession ID : A3-3Host: Japan Society of Material Cycles and Waste Managemen

Factors associated with development and distribution of granular/fuzzy astrocytes in neurodegenerative diseases

Granular/fuzzy astrocytes (GFAs), a subtype of “aging‐related tau astrogliopathy,” are noted in cases bearing various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the pathogenic significance of GFAs remains unclear. We immunohistochemically examined the frontal cortex, caudate nucleus, putamen and amygdala in 105 cases composed of argyrophilic grain disease cases (AGD, N = 26), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP, N = 10), Alzheimer’s disease (AD, N = 20) and primary age‐related tauopathy cases (PART, N = 18) lacking AGD, as well as 31 cases bearing other various neurodegenerative diseases to clarify (i) the distribution patterns of GFAs in AGD, and PSP, AD and PART lacking AGD, (ii) the impacts of major pathological factors and age on GFA formation and (iii) immunohistochemical features useful to understand the formation process of GFAs. In AGD cases, GFAs consistently occurred in the amygdala (100%), followed by the putamen (69.2%) and caudate nucleus and frontal cortex (57.7%, respectively). In PSP cases without AGD, GFAs were almost consistently noted in all regions examined (90–100%). In AD cases without AGD, GFAs were less frequent, developing preferably in the putamen (35.0%) and caudate nucleus (30.0%). PART cases without AGD had GFAs most frequently in the amygdala (35.3%), being more similar to AGD than to AD cases. Ordered logistic regression analyses using all cases demonstrated that the strongest independent factor of GFA formation in the frontal cortex and striatum was the diagnosis of PSP, while that in the amygdala was AGD. The age was not significantly associated with GFA formation in any region. In GFAs in AGD cases, phosphorylation and conformational change of tau, Gallyas‐positive glial threads indistinguishable from those in tufted astrocytes, and the activation of autophagy occurred sequentially. Given these findings, AGD, PSP, AD and PART cases may show distinct distributions of GFAs, which may provide clues to predict the underlying processes of primary tauopathies