Mitigation Effect of Thermal Environment on the Asphalt by Sprayed Water

In this study, water was sprinkled on the asphalt surface during the hottest hours of the day using a sprinkler, and the effect was experimentally verified. An air temperature, a humidity, a ground surface temperature, and a globe temperature which is radiant heat from the ground were measured, and using these measurements, WBGT (Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature), which is an index of thermal stress on the human body, was calculated. In this way, we investigated not only the climate mitigation effect but also the mitigation effect of the thermal environment felt by the human body. As a result, the following points were clarified in this study: 1) During sprinkling, the air temperature, the black globe temperature, and the WBGT were lower in the sprinkled area than in the controlled area, and the wet-bulb temperature hardly changed. 2) Focusing on the amount of change after watering compared to before watering, the air temperature, the globe temperature, and the WBGT decreased, and the wet-bulb temperature hardly changed. 3) In the sprinkled area, when the WBGT value just before watering is higher than that of the strict caution (WBGT is 28°C or higher), it drops to a level one rank lower, and when the WBGT value just before watering is warning (WBGT value is 25°C or higher), it was almost no change

Stabilization of a honeycomb lattice of IrO6_6 octahedra in superlattices with ilmenite-type MnTiO3_3

In the quest for quantum spin liquids, thin films are expected to open the way for the control of intricate magnetic interactions in actual materials by exploiting epitaxial strain and two-dimensionality. However, materials compatible with conventional thin-film growth methods have largely remained undeveloped. As a promising candidate towards the materialization of quantum spin liquids in thin films, we here present a robust ilmenite-type oxide with a honeycomb lattice of edge-sharing IrO$_6$ octahedra artificially stabilized by superlattice formation with an ilmenite-type antiferromagnetic oxide MnTiO$_3$. The stabilized sub-unit-cell-thick Mn-Ir-O layer is isostructural to MnTiO$_3$, having the atomic arrangement corresponding to ilmenite-type MnTiO$_3$ not discovered yet. By spin Hall magnetoresistance measurements, we found that antiferromagnetic ordering in the ilmenite Mn sublattice is suppressed by modified magnetic interactions in the MnO$_6$ planes via the IrO$_6$ planes. These findings lay the foundation for the creation of two-dimensional Kitaev candidate materials, accelerating the discovery of exotic physics and applications specific to quantum spin liquids

HIV-1 Derivatives in Rhesus Macaques

A major issue for present HIV-1 research is to establish model systems that reflect or mimic viral replication and pathogenesis actually observed in infected humans. To this end, various strategies using macaques as infection targets have long been pursued. In particular, experimental infections of rhesus macaques by HIV-1 derivatives have been believed to be best suited, if practicable, for studies on interaction of HIV-1 and humans under various circumstances. Recently, through in vitro genetic manipulations and viral cell-adaptations, we have successfully generated a series of HIV-1 derivatives with CXCR4-tropism or CCR5-tropism that grow in macaque cells to various degrees. Of these viruses, those with best replicative potentials can grow comparably with a pathogenic SIVmac in macaque cells by counteracting major restriction factors TRIM5, APOBEC3, and tetherin proteins. In this study, rhesus macaques were challenged with CXCR4-tropic (MN4/LSDQgtu) or CCR5-tropic (gtu + A4CI1) virus. The two viruses were found to productively infect rhesus macaques, being rhesus macaque-tropic HIV-1 (HIV-1rmt). However, plasma viral RNA was reduced to be an undetectable level in infected macaques at 5–6 weeks post-infection and thereafter. While replicated similarly well in rhesus peripheral blood mononuclear cells, MN4/LSDQgtu grew much better than gtu + A4CI1 in the animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that HIV-1 derivatives (variants) grow in rhesus macaques. These viruses certainly constitute firm bases for generating HIV-1rmt clones pathogenic for rhesus monkeys, albeit they grow more poorly than pathogenic SIVmac and SHIV clones reported to date

Binding Specificities of Lectins to Immobilized Glycoproteins and Oligosaccharides Differ from Those of Immobilized Lectins to Oligosaccharides

The carbohydrate-binding specificities of lectins in solution to glycoproteins and neoglycolipids immobilized on a solid phase were analyzed in order to establish a simple, rapid method for structural analysis of the carbohydrate moieties of small amounts of individual glycoproteins blotted on membrane. Eight glycoproteins containing typical O-linked tetrasaccharides or a series of typical N-linked oligosaccharides of the high-man-nose type, hybrid type, and complex type and 6 neoglycoproteins containing mono- or di-saccharides were dot blotted on membranes and the membranes were then reacted with 8 kinds of horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectins before and after heat treatment. Neoglycolipids containing the glycoprotein-derived oligosaccharides immobilized on a thin layer chromatography plate were also reacted with lectins. The heat treatment of the membrane increased lectin reactivity toward the glycoproteins. The carbohydrate-binding behavior of lectins, Phaseolus vulgaris erythroagglutinin, wheat germ agglutinin, and concanavalin A in solution toward glycoproteins and neoglycolipids immobilized on a solid phase differed from that of immobilized lectins toward oligosaccharides in solution. This difference should be noted in lectin detection of specific carbohydrates of individual glycoproteins on membrane.</p

Gamma Band Neural Synchronization Deficits for Auditory Steady State Responses in Bipolar Disorder Patients

Periodic auditory click stimulation has been reported to elicit an auditory steady state response (ASSR). The ASSR has been suggested to reflect the efficiency of γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) inhibitory interneuronal activity. Although a potential role for GABAergic dysfunction has been previously proposed, the role of neural synchronization in the ASSR in people with bipolar disorder (BD) has received little attention. In the current study, we investigated ASSRs to 20 Hz, 30 Hz, 40 Hz and 80 Hz click trains in BD patients. A total of 14 (4 males) BD patients and 25 (10 males) healthy controls participated in this study. ASSRs were obtained using whole-head 306-channel magnetoencephalography to calculate, ASSR power values and phase locking factors (PLF). BD patients exhibited significantly reduced mean ASSR power and PLF values bilaterally at frequencies of 30, 40, and 80 Hz (p<0.05 for these frequencies). At 20 Hz, bipolar patients showed no significant reduction in mean ASSR power and PLF values. There was a significant negative correlation between 80 Hz-ASSR-power values obtained from the right hemisphere and scores on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (rho = −0.86, p = 0.0003). The current study showed reduced low and high gamma band ASSR power and PLF bilaterally with no significant beta band ASSR reduction in BD patients. BD patients are characterized by deficits in gamma band oscillations, which may be associated with GABA inhibitory interneuronal activity dysfunction

Thyroid Hormone Sensitizes the Imprinting-Associated Induction of Biological Motion Preference in Domestic Chicks

Filial imprinting is associated with induction of predisposed preference to animations that bear visual features of Johansson's biological motion (BM), and the induction is limited to a few days after hatching. As thyroid hormone (3,5,3′-triiodothyronine, T3) plays a critical role in determining the sensitive period of imprinting, we examined if exogenously applied T3 (or iopanoic acid, IOP; a selective inhibitor for converting enzymes) could also sensitize (or desensitize) the BM induction. Chicks were trained by using a non-BM stimulus (rotating red toy) according to a conventional imprinting procedure. Trained chicks were tested for preference to a point-light BM animation (walking chick) over a non-BM animation (linear motion), and for the preference for the familiarized stimulus (red toy) over an unfamiliar one (yellow toy). In 1-day chicks, those injected with IOP showed significantly lower scores than controls on both BM and imprinting tests. In 4-days chicks, those injected with T3 showed higher scores than control, but the difference in BM score was not significant. Imprinting and the accompanying T3 surge may be necessary for the predisposed BM preference to appear in 1-day chicks. Even after the conventional sensitive period is over, exogenous T3 can partly re-sensitize the BM preference as it does imprinting

CXCR4- and CCR5-Tropic HIV-1 Clones Are Both Tractable to Grow in Rhesus Macaques

A major issue for present HIV-1 research is to establish model systems that reflect or mimic viral replication and pathogenesis actually observed in infected humans. To this end, various strategies using macaques as infection targets have long been pursued. In particular, experimental infections of rhesus macaques by HIV-1 derivatives have been believed to be best suited, if practicable, for studies on interaction of HIV-1 and humans under various circumstances. Recently, through in vitro genetic manipulations and viral cell-adaptations, we have successfully generated a series of HIV-1 derivatives with CXCR4-tropism or CCR5-tropism that grow in macaque cells to various degrees. Of these viruses, those with best replicative potentials can grow comparably with a pathogenic SIVmac in macaque cells by counteracting major restriction factors TRIM5, APOBEC3, and tetherin proteins. In this study, rhesus macaques were challenged with CXCR4-tropic (MN4/LSDQgtu) or CCR5-tropic (gtu + A4CI1) virus. The two viruses were found to productively infect rhesus macaques, being rhesus macaque-tropic HIV-1 (HIV-1rmt). However, plasma viral RNA was reduced to be an undetectable level in infected macaques at 5–6 weeks post-infection and thereafter. While replicated similarly well in rhesus peripheral blood mononuclear cells, MN4/LSDQgtu grew much better than gtu + A4CI1 in the animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating that HIV-1 derivatives (variants) grow in rhesus macaques. These viruses certainly constitute firm bases for generating HIV-1rmt clones pathogenic for rhesus monkeys, albeit they grow more poorly than pathogenic SIVmac and SHIV clones reported to date

Analysis of the Complete Open Reading Frame of Genotype 2b Hepatitis C Virus in Association with the Response to Peginterferon and Ribavirin Therapy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients infected with genotype 2b hepatitis C virus (HCV) generally can achieve favorable responses to pegylated-interferon plus ribavirin therapy (PEG-IFN/RBV). However, a proportion of patients show poorer responses and the correlation between viral sequence variation and treatment outcome remains unclear. METHODS: The pretreatment complete open reading frame (ORF) sequences of genotype 2b HCV determined by direct sequencing were investigated for correlation with the final outcome in a total of 60 patients. RESULTS: In this study group, 87.5% (14/16) of non-sustained virological response (non-SVR) patients (n = 16) were relapsers. Compared to sustained virological response (SVR) patients (n = 44), non-SVR patients were older and could not achieve prompt viral clearance after the therapy induction. Comparing each viral protein between the two groups, viral sequences were more diverse in SVR patients and that diversity was found primarily in the E1, p7, and NS5A proteins. In searching for specific viral regions associated with the final outcome, several regions in E2, p7, NS2, NS5A, and NS5B were extracted. Among these regions, part of the interferon sensitivity determining region (ISDR) was included. In these regions, amino acid substitutions were associated with the final outcome in an incremental manner, depending upon the number of substitutions. CONCLUSIONS: Viral sequences are more diverse in SVR patients than non-SVR patients receiving PEG-IFN/RBV therapy for genotype-2b HCV infection. Through systematic comparison of viral sequences, several specific regions, including part of the ISDR, were extracted as having significant correlation with the final outcome

Multiacquisition Variable-Resonance Image Combination Selective Can Improve Image Quality and Reproducibility for Metallic Implants in the Lumbar Spine

The aim of this study is to evaluate how metallic artifacts in the lumbar spine can affect images obtained from magnetic resonance (MR) sequences. We performed a phantom experiment by scanning an agar containing an orthopedic metallic implant using 64-channel multidetector row computed tomography (CT) and a 3-tesla MR unit. We compared the reproducibility in each measurement, enlargement or reduction ratio of the CT and MR measurements, and signal deviation in each voxel from the control. The reproducibility on CT and multiacquisition variable-resonance image combination selective (MAVRIC SL) was good, but that on the other MR sequences showed either fixed bias or proportional bias. The reduction ratios of the distance between the nails were significantly smaller in MAVRIC SL than in the other MR sequences after CT measurements (p<0.001, respectively). MAVRIC SL was able to reduce the metallic artifact, permitting observation of the tissue surrounding the metal with good reproducibility