A laser-Compton backscattering beam, which we call a 'Laser-Electron Photon' beam, was upgraded at the LEPS beamline of SPring-8. We accomplished the gains in backscattered photon beam intensities by ...factors of 1.5-1.8 with the injection of two adjacent laser beams or a higher power laser beam into the storage ring. The maximum energy of the photon beam was also extended from 2.4 GeV to 2.9 GeV with deep-ultraviolet lasers. The upgraded beams have been utilized for hadron photoproduction experiments at the LEPS beamline. Based on the developed methods, we plan the simultaneous injection of four high power laser beams at the LEPS2 beamline, which has been newly constructed at SPring-8. As a simulation result, we expect an order of magnitude higher intensities close to 107 s-1 and 106 s-1 for tagged photons up to 2.4 GeV and 2.9 GeV, respectively.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Sloshing of a magnetic fluid can be controlled through altering the sloshing natural frequency by applying magnetic fields. The magnetic field is applied by two permanent magnets. The intensity of ...the applied magnetic field is changed by varying the position of the magnets and the magnet type. The dynamic pressure responses on the inner wall surface were used to gain an understanding of the sloshing phenomenon in this investigation. Several frequency response spectra are obtained in each experimental condition. These results indicated that the free surface disturbance caused by the sloshing was suppressed by the applied magnetic field.
The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of chicken extract on breast milk production and fatigue in early postpartum women. The study is an open-label parallel-group randomized clinical ...trial involving 80 healthy primiparous women from Japan divided into two groups. The intervention group ingested chicken extract twice daily for more than two weeks and the control group ingested water. The effectiveness of chicken extract on breast milk production after delivery and quality of life before and after delivery was examined. The result showed that milk production in the chicken extract group (356 + or - 191 mL) was higher than in the control group (279 + or - 142 mL) at 96-120 h, but not significantly different (P = 0.071). Expressed milk production had increased significantly more at 96-120 h in the chicken extract group (122.6 + or - 115.5 mL) than in the control group (66.5 + or - 55.8 mL) (P = 0.017). Chicken extract significantly reduced fatigue at 38 weeks after gestation, as assessed by visual analog scale (P=0.006). The study concluded that milk production increased more in the intervention group. It is suggesting that the chicken extract may be effective in increasing breast milk production and reducing fatigue in later stage of gestation. Keywords: Chicken extract, Human, Intervention, Milk
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Identification of cancer cells in the peritoneal cavity could influence therapy and outcome of gastric carcinoma patients. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical impact of the ...real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction-(PCR) based identification of isolated tumour cells in the peritoneal lavage fluid of gastric carcinoma. The peritoneal lavage fluid of 116 patients with gastric cancer was sampled at laparotomy. After RNA extraction and reverse transcription, real-time quantitative PCR was performed using the primers and probes for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin-20 (CK20). When either the CEA mRNA or CK20 mRNA level of the sample was over the cutoff value, the sample was determined to be PCR-positive. Forty-six (40%) of the 116 patients were PCR-positive and 30 (65%) of the 46 PCR-positive patients died as a result of recurrent peritoneal dissemination. The prognosis of the 46 PCR-positive patients was significantly (P<0.001) worse than that of 70 PCR-negative patients. Furthermore, in 80 of the cases with a curative R0 resection, 15 of the patients with PCR-positive findings had a significantly (P<0.001) poorer prognosis than the 65 PCR-negative patients. The prognosis of the PCR-positive patients was significantly poorer than that of the PCR-negative patients in the T3 (P<0.0001) and T4 (P=0.048) subgroups. In a multivariate analysis of the 80 cases with a curative R0 resection, the real-time quantitative RT-PCR (CEA and/or CK20) levels indicated that they were independent prognostic factors. The real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis of the CEA and/or CK20 transcripts in the peritoneal lavage fluid is useful for predicting the peritoneal recurrence in patients who are undergoing a curative resection for gastric cancer.
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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 photothermal effect of an ultratrace amount of nonfluorescent molecules in liquid was determined by optimizing the optical arrangement for a thermal lens microscope. The optimized experimental ...setup could be determined from the evaluation of probing volume and the concentration of the sample solutions even when the expectation of the molecule number in the probing region was less than a single molecule. The minimum expectation, which is explained as being the time average, was 0.4 molecule of Pb(II) octaethylporphyrin (OEP) in benzene. The concentrations in the 9.7 × 10-11−7.8 × 10-10 M region used in this work corresponded to the expected number of 0.4−3.4 molecules, and the calibration curve in this region showed good linearity. Taking into account the enhancement factor of solvent, the molar absorption coefficient of solute, and the optimization of the optical arrangement, the present result, which was the determination limit of 0.34, was consistent with that previously reported. The relation between molecular behavior in the probing volume and the signal was discussed. The average temperature rise in the probing volume by the photothermal effect for the single OEP molecule was estimated as 3.1 μK, and this value was detectable, based on conventional thermal lens measurements for bulk scale sample.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
The aims of the present study were to clarify the effect of Kisspeptin-10 (Kp10) on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and prolactin (PRL) from bovine ...anterior pituitary (AP) cells and evaluate the ability of sex steroids to enhance the sensitivity of gonadotropic and lactotropic cells to Kp10. AP cells prepared from 7-week-old male calves were incubated for 12
h with estradiol (E
2; 10
−8
M), progesterone (P
4; 10
−8
M), testosterone (T; 10
−8
M), or vehicle only (control), and then for 2
h with Kp10 (10
−6
M). The amounts of LH, FSH and PRL released into the culture medium after the 2-h incubation period were examined. Kp10 significantly stimulated the secretion of LH from the AP cells treated with E
2 and T (
P
<
0.05), but not from the P
4-treated cells. In contrast, Kp10 had no effect on the secretion of FSH regardless of the steroid treatment. Kp10 significantly stimulated the secretion of PRL (
P
<
0.05), the sexual steroid hormones having no effect. The LH- or FSH-releasing response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH; 10
−8
M) and PRL-releasing response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; 10
−8
M) were significantly greater than those to Kp10 (
P
<
0.05).
The present results suggest that E
2 and T, but not P
4, enhance the sensitivity of gonadotropic cells to the secretion of LH in response to Kp10. However, Kp10 had no stimulatory effect on the secretion of FSH regardless of the effect of sex steroids. Kp10 directly stimulates the secretion of PRL from the pituitary cells, and sex steroids do not enhance the sensitivity of lactotropic cells to Kp10. Furthermore, the LH- and FSH-releasing effect and the PRL-releasing effect of Kp10 are less potent than that of GnRH and TRH, respectively.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Enlargement of intracerebral hemorrhage is a major cause of clinical deterioration. Identification of factors that predispose to hematoma enlargement is important in managing patients.
We selected ...186 patients (71 women and 115 men; mean age, 64.8 +/- 12.5 years) with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage who had undergone an initial CT within 24 hours and a second scan within 120 hours of symptom onset. We compared patients with (n = 41) and without (n = 145) hematoma enlargement according to clinical characteristics and laboratory data.
By multiple logistic regression analysis (n = 139), interaction of long interval (> 6 hours) from onset to first CT and small hematoma (< 25 cm3) strongly reduced risk of enlargement. The analysis also demonstrated that the following factors independently predisposed to enlargement: history of brain infarction; liver disease; interaction of fasting plasma glucose > or = 141 mg/dL and systolic blood pressure on admission > or = 200 mm Hg; and interaction of glycosylated hemoglobin A1c > or = 5.1% and systolic blood pressure on admission > or = 200 mm Hg.
A patient examined > 6 hours after ictus who has a hematoma volume < 25 cm3 is unlikely to experience further hematoma growth. Prevention of brain infarction and premorbid management of liver disease may serve to lower the risk of hematoma enlargement. Although it remains controversial whether antihypertensive drugs should be used in the acute phase of intracerebral hemorrhage, poorly controlled diabetics with high systolic blood pressure (> or = 200 mm Hg) on admission also were at high risk of hematoma enlargement.
A fast and highly controllable method of fabricating large films of photonic crystals of colloids is reported. A charge‐stabilized colloidal suspension was run in a flat capillary driven by a ...pressure‐regulated air pulse. The colloidal crystal texture formed in the capillary was a sensitive function of air pressure. Above a critical pressure, the entire capillary was filled with a uniform single‐domain texture whose transmittance spectrum showed a high quality as a photonic crystal, i.e., excellent opacity at a photonic bandgap and high transparency at other wavelengths. The present method is easily applicable to industrial processes for mass production.
A novel method of fabricating large films of photonic crystals of colloids is reported. A charge‐stabilized colloidal suspension is run in a flat capillary driven by a pressure‐regulated air pulse. Above a critical pressure, the capillary was filled with a single‐domain texture showing angle‐dependent diffraction colors and a distinct laser diffraction pattern (see Figure). This method is easily applicable to industrial processes.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Aims To determine the herd prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae producing CTX-M-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) among 381 dairy farms in Japan. Methods and Results Between 2007 and 2009, ...we screened 897 faecal samples using BTB lactose agar plates containing cefotaxime (2 µg ml-1). Positive isolates were tested using ESBL confirmatory tests, PCR and sequencing for CTX-M,AmpC,TEM and SHV. The incidence of Enterobacteriaceae producing CTX-M-15 (n = 7), CTX-M-2 (n = 12), CTX-M-14 (n = 3), CMY-2 (n = 2) or CTX-M-15/2/14 and CMY-2 (n = 4) in bovine faeces was 28/897 (3·1%) faecal samples. These genes had spread to Escherichia coli (n = 23) and three genera of Enterobacteriaceae (n = 5). Herd prevalence was found to be 20/381 (5·2%) dairy farms. The 23 E. coli isolates showed clonal diversity, as assessed by multilocus sequence typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The pandemic E. coli strain ST131 producing CTX-M-15 or CTX-M-27 was not detected. Conclusions Three clusters of CTX-M (CTX-M-15, CTX-M-2, CTX-M-14) had spread among Japanese dairy farms. Significance and Impact of the Study This is the first report on the prevalence of multidrug-resistant CTX-M-15-producing E. coli among Japanese dairy farms. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
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