A microprocessor with an architectural redundancy to achieve high dependability is designed and manufactured to explore the effectiveness of tolerating soft errors without circuit hardening. The ...processor architecture is based on a modularized pipeline which contains several functionalities to facilitate a real-time error detection and a fast roll-back recovery. As a further extension for a possible increase of hard errors in the future technology, an energy-effective coverage of hard errors by dynamically adapting the redundancy between a dual and a triple module is also included in the processor. A radiation stress test result indicates that the designed redundant but unhardened processor can successfully achieve the same dependability as a hardened processor. Our synthesis and layout results show that radiation hardened circuits increase processor hardware area by 71% and power by 28%, respectively. It is thus possible to use the architectural redundancy instead of circuit hardening to achieve a cost-effective reliability, as suggested by these factors.
This research evaluated the effect of flooding on the microphytobenthos community structure in a microbial mat from a tropical salt flat. Field samples were collected during four consecutive days: on ...the first three days the salt flat was dry, on the fourth day it was flooded by rain. In order to evaluate the community maintained in flood conditions, samples from this area were collected and kept in the laboratory for 10 days with sea water. The results of total abundance of microphytobenthos varied from 4.2 × 108 to 2.9 × 109 organisms L-1, total density increased one order of magnitude under the effect of water for both situations of precipitation in the salt flat and in experimental conditions, an increase due to the high abundance of Microcoleus spp. Shannon index (H') was higher during the desiccation period. Our data suggest that changes in the abundance of organisms were due to the effect of water. The dominance of the most abundant taxa remained the same under conditions of desiccation and influence of water, and there is probably a consortium of microorganisms in the microbial mat that helps to maintain these dominances.
Light perception by the plant photoreceptor phytochrome requires the tetrapyrrole chromophore phytochromobilin (PΦB), which is covalently attached to a large apoprotein. Arabidopsis mutants hy1 and ...hy2, which are defective in PΦB biosynthesis, display altered responses to light due to a deficiency in photoactive phytochrome. Here, we describe the isolation of the HY2 gene by map-based cloning. hy2 mutant alleles possess alterations within this locus, some of which affect the expression of the HY2 transcript. HY2 encodes a soluble protein precursor of 38 kD with a putative N-terminal plastid transit peptide. The HY2 transit peptide is sufficient to localize the reporter green fluorescent protein to plastids. Purified mature recombinant HY2 protein exhibits PΦB synthase activity (i.e., ferredoxin-dependent reduction of biliverdin IXα to PΦB), as confirmed by HPLC and by the ability of the bilin reaction products to combine with apophytochrome to yield photoactive holophytochrome. Database searches and hybridization studies suggest that HY2 is a unique gene in the Arabidopsis genome that is related to a family of proteins found in oxygenic photosynthetic bacteria.
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BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
High-grade neuroendocrine tumours (HGNTs) of the lung manifest a wide spectrum of clinical behaviour, but no method for predicting their outcome has been established.
We newly established a ...monoclonal antibody specifically recognizing the product of the alternatively spliced ACTN4 transcript (namely, variant actinin-4), and used it to examine the expression of variant actinin-4 immunohistochemically in a total of 609 surgical specimens of various histological subtypes of lung cancer.
Variant actinin-4 was expressed in 55% (96/176) of HGNTs, but in only 0.8% (3/378) of non-neuroendocrine (NE) lung cancers. The expression of variant actinin-4 was significantly associated with poorer overall survival in HGNT patients (P=0.00021, log-rank test). Multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model showed that the expression of variant actinin-4 was the most significant independent negative predictor of survival in HGNT patients (hazard ratio (HR), 2.15; P=0.00113) after the presence of lymph node metastasis (HR, 2.25; P=0.00023).
The expression of variant actinin-4 is an independent prognostic factor for patients with HGNTs. This protein has a high affinity for filamentous actin polymers and likely promotes aggressive behaviour of cancer cells. The present clinical findings clearly support this notion.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) is a distinct peripheral T-cell neoplasm that is highly resistant to chemotherapy. Several groups, including ours, have reported encouraging results of ...allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) for patients with ATLL. To confirm our previous report and to establish the basis for a phase II clinical study, we analyzed 40 allo-HSCT for acute and lymphoma types of ATLL in seven institutions in Japan between 1997 and 2002. All evaluable cases entered complete remission (CR) after allo-HSCT and the median survival time was 9.6 months for all patients. The estimated 3-year overall and relapse-free survival, and disease relapse were 45.3, 33.8 and 39.3%, respectively. Among 10 cases with ATLL relapse, five cases achieved CR again: three by the reduction or cessation of immunosuppressive agents, which suggested a graft-versus-ATLL (GvATLL) effect. However, univariate or multivariate analysis did not show any benefit of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) on the prevention of relapse. These results suggested that allo-HSCT was effective for some patients with aggressive ATLL, and that the GvATLL effect could be achieved even without GVHD. A new phase II trial to test the efficacy of allo-HSCT for ATLL is warranted.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
A new technology for rapid prototyping of lab-on-chip devices is described. Direct write of a near-infrared femtosecond laser forms three-dimensional (3D) latent images inside photostructurable ...glass. Modified regions are developed by a post-annealing and then preferentially etched away in dilute hydrofluoric acid solution with an etching selectivity of 40--50 times, resulting in the formation of true 3D hollow microstructures inside the glass. Microfluidic structures with microcells and microchannels embedded in the glass are fabricated by this technique.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The complementary 1,ω-thymine, 1,ω-adenine, and 1,ω-(thymine, adenine) bolaamphiphiles, N,N‘-bis3-(2,4-dihydroxy-5-methylpyrimidine-1-yl)propionyl1,n-diaminoalkane T - n -T (n = 10, 11, 12), N, ...N‘-bis3-(6-aminopurine-9-yl)propionyl1,n-diaminoalkane A - n -A (n = 10, 11, 12), and N-3-(2,4-dihydroxy-5-methylpyrimidine-1-yl)propionyl, N‘-3-(6-aminopurine-9-yl)propionyl1,n-diaminoalkane T- n -A (n = 10, 11, 12), respectively have been synthesized. The spontaneous homo- and heteroassembly of these nucleobase-based bolaamphiphiles has been studied by light microscopy, energy-filtering transmission electron microscopy, FT-IR, and powder X-ray diffraction analyses. The achiral T-10-T bolaamphiphile produced in 10% ethanolic/aqueous solutions unprecedented double-helical ropes of 1−2 μm in widths and several hundred micrometers in length, whereas the complementary homologue A-10-A gave only microcrystalline solids of 1−10 μm in size. In contrast, an equimolar mixture of T-10-T and A-10-A yielded supramolecular fibers of 15−30 nm in width. 1H NMR, CD, and UV studies of solution photoreactions of T-10-T suggested that under natural light the chiral rope formation is triggered by photodimerization of trace amounts of the thymine moieties in the T-10-T assemblies. Complementary hydrogen bond formation between the thymine−adenine heterobase pairs was found to prevent such a photoreaction and resulted in no chiral rope formation. The heteroditopic T-12-A bolaamphiphile self-assembled to form supramolecular fibers. Multilamellar organization was proposed for the homo- and heteroassemblies made of T - n -T and A - n -A.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Self‐assembly of an unsymmetrical bolaamphiphile produces either lipid nanotubes with cationic inner surfaces or nanotapes, depending on the initial molecular packing, which in turn depends on the ...solvent conditions. The nanotubes have different inner and outer surfaces, covered with amino and sugar functionalities, respectively, and effectively encapsulate anionic nanomaterials in the hollow cylinder without depending on capillary action (see Figure).
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
During neck dissection, the current practice is to preserve the internal jugular vein in the majority of cases. However, sacrifice of bilateral internal jugular veins is required in rare cases. ...Simultaneous excision of both internal jugular veins is known to frequently cause fatal complications. Even if staged, bilateral internal jugular vein sacrifice still occasionally leads to fatal complications (in 2 per cent). We report two different methods of unilateral internal jugular vein reconstruction, in two cases requiring excision of bilateral internal jugular veins, and we review the significance of this reconstruction procedure.
The first patient underwent conventional type A reconstruction (using Katsuno's classification): end-to-end anastomosis of the internal jugular vein to the external jugular vein. For the second patient, we anastomosed the internal jugular vein to the anterior jugular vein, preserving the flow of the external jugular vein. This method, termed type K, had two main expected benefits: facial drainage via the preserved external jugular vein; and provision of a built-in safeguard in the case of occlusion (via the preserved venous networks between the internal jugular vein and the external jugular vein, e.g. the facial vein).
In both cases, the reconstructed internal jugular vein was patent and the post-operative course was uneventful, with no severe complications.
The current and previous findings strongly indicate that the reconstruction of at least one internal jugular vein is highly recommended for patients requiring bilateral internal jugular vein sacrifice. Our type K method may represent a useful technique for this procedure.
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