At 400 MW, the world's largest adjustable speed pumped storage unit for Ohkawachi Power Station, the Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Japan, was commissioned on Dec. 3, 1993. It can change power in ...steps of at least 32 MW in the generate mode and at least 80 MW in the pump mode, within 0.2 s. This paper describes principal design considerations for the control systems of the machine and presents actual performance of the machine with reference to some typical oscillograph charts.
This paper presents a novel spiral scanning probe measurement system which is developed to achieve precise profile measurements of micro-aspheric surfaces. The system consists of a scanning stage (a ...spindle and a linear slide) and a contact-type displacement sensor. The contact-type sensor is employed for the scanning of the micro-aspheric surface. The micro-aspheric object is set on the spindle, and the contact-type displacement sensor is set on the linear slide. The motions of the spindle and the linear slide are controlled synchronously so that the micro-aspheric object is scanned spirally for high-speed measurement. The motions of the stage are used as the scanning datum for the profile measurement. Because the error motions of the stage are estimated to be on the order of tens of nanometer, these errors are measured and compensated to achieve precise measurements. The alignment error between the spindle rotation axis and the probe tip of the contact-type displacement sensor, which is called the centering error, is confirmed to cause considerable measurement error of the micro-aspheric surface profile. Methods are proposed to make the alignment accurately. Experiments of surface profile measurement of a micro-aspheric lens are also carried out in the measurement system.
The association between viral level and the long‐term outcomes of hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers who test negative for hepatitis B virus e antigen (HBeAg) but have persistently normal serum alanine ...aminotransferase levels (PNALT) remains unclear. We examined hepatocarcinogenesis, hepatitis reactivation, predictive factors and the time course of HBV DNA levels during follow‐up in 104 HBeAg‐negative Japanese carriers with PNALT. During a mean follow‐up period of 6.4 ± 3.4 years, 5 patients (4.8%) had hepatocarcinogenesis and 14 (13.5%) had hepatitis reactivation. At 5 and 10 years, the cumulative rates of hepatocarcinogenesis were 2.4% and 9.9%, while those of hepatitis activation were 13.7% and 15.5%, respectively. An HBV DNA level of ≥5 log10 copies/mL was the sole predictor of hepatocarcinogenesis with a univariate analysis. An HBV DNA level of ≥5 log10 copies/mL and an alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level of >20 to ≤40 IU/L were independent predictors of hepatitis reactivation in a Cox model. Because there was no association between hepatocarcinogenesis and ALT activity, the HBV DNA level was considered an essential predictor. In addition, the baseline HBV DNA level was related to the future level and was not subject to wide fluctuations. Our results showed that an HBV DNA level of ≥5 log10 copies/mL predicts subsequent hepatocarcinogenesis and hepatitis reactivation in HBeAg‐negative carriers with PNALT. As the baseline HBV DNA level reflects the future level, appropriate clinical management according to the viral level is expected to decrease future risk.
To study an autopsy case of troglitazone-induced fulminant hepatitis.
A 58-year-old man contracted severe hepatitis 2 months after administration of troglitazone for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. ...Liver damage progressed gradually, even after withdrawal of the agent. Despite intensive therapy, the hepatitis became fulminant and the patient died 8 weeks after the onset of liver damage. Autopsy revealed massive hepatic necrosis and cholestasis with inflammatory cell infiltration. The pathological findings and the positive result of the drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test for troglitazone indicated that the liver damage was mediated by hypersensitivity to troglitazone.
One report has attributed troglitazone-induced liver damage in less severe cases to idiosyncratic reactions. However, the present case indicates that troglitazone can induce hypersensitivity resulting in fulminant hepatitis. Careful monitoring of serum liver enzymes during troglitazone therapy is therefore essential.
Expression cloning of cDNAs was first described a decade ago and was based on transient expression of cDNA libraries in COS cells. In contrast to transient transfection of plasmids, retroviral gene ...transfer delivers genes stably into a wide range of target cells. We utilize a simple packaging system for production of high-titer retrovirus stock from cDNA libraries to establish a cDNA expression cloning system. In two model experiments, murine interleukin (IL)-3-dependent Ba/F3 cells were infected with libraries of retrovirally expressed cDNA derived from human T-cell mRNA or human IL-3-dependent TF-1 cell line mRNA. These infected Ba/F3 cells were selected for the expression of CD2 by flow cytometry or for the α subunit of the human IL-3 receptor (hIL-3Rα) by factor-dependent growth. CD2 (frequency, 1 in 104) and hIL-3Rα (frequency, 1 in 1.5 x 105) cDNAs were readily detected in small-scale experiments, indicating this retroviral expression cloning system is efficient enough to clone low-abundance cDNAs by their expression or function.
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