J/psi production in sqrt s_NN=200 GeV Cu+Cu collisions

Yields for J/psi production in Cu+Cu collisions at sqrt s_NN=200 GeV have been measured over the rapidity range |y|<2.2 and compared with results in p+p and Au+Au collisions at the same energy. The Cu+Cu data offer greatly improved precision over existing Au+Au data for J/psi production in collisions with small to intermediate numbers of participants, in the range where the quark-gluon plasma transition threshold is predicted to lie. Cold nuclear matter estimates based on ad hoc fits to d+Au data describe the Cu+Cu data up to N_part approximately 50, corresponding to a Bjorken energy density of at least 1.5 GeV/fm(3).

Acute myocardial infarction in the elderly

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the elderly. In fact, the cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in women and the number two cause in men of 65 years or over in Japan. We studied the clinical characteristics and significances of acute myocardial infarction as they relate to the aged.

Measurement of analyzing power for proton-carbon elastic scattering in the coulomb-nuclear interference region with a 22-GeV/c polarized proton beam

The analyzing power for proton-carbon elastic scattering in the Coulomb-nuclear interference region of momentum transfer, 9.0x10(-3)<-t<4.1x10(-2) (GeV/c)(2), was measured with a 21.7 GeV/c polarized proton beam at the Alternating Gradient Synchrotron of Brookhaven National Laboratory. The ratio of hadronic spin-flip to nonflip amplitude, r(5), was obtained from the analyzing power to be Rer(5)=0.088+/-0.058 and Imr(5)=-0.161+/-0.226.

Disintegration of uncooked rice by carboxymethyl cellulase from Sporotrichum sp. HG-I

A thermostable carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) was purified to homogeneity from a wheat bran culture of the thermophilic fungus Sporotrichum sp. HG-1, an isolate from a compost heap. The enzyme had a molecular weight (M(r)) of 33,000 by SDS-PAGE. The optimum temperature and pH for enzyme activity were 70 degrees C and 4.5-5.0, and the enzyme was heat stable. Uncooked Thai rice was digested so as to cause its disintegration by the addition of purified CMCase, but not by the addition of xylanase purified from strain HG-1. Ferulic acid conjugated to oligosaccharide was released significantly by the combined action of CMCase and xylanase, but the free form of ferulic acid was not detectable.

Delayed vagal withdrawal slows circulatory but not oxygen uptake responses at work increase

The effect of delayed vagal activity withdrawal on cardiorespiratory responses at an increase in workload was examined. Eleven volunteers (21 +/- 3 yr, 66 +/- 4 kg) performed cycle ergometer exercise at a work rate corresponding to 80% of ventilatory threshold after 3 min of unloaded cycling. Facial stimulation was given by applying a vinyl bag filled with cold water (3-5 degrees C) to the face 1 min before to 1 min after the increase in workload (S2 trial) or no stimulation was given (Nr trial). Oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (Q) were continuously recorded in four transitions for each trial. Data were averaged for each subject and trial. Mean response time (MRT, sum of delay and time constant) was calculated with monoexponential fitting. Facial stimulation induced acute bradycardia (-10 +/- 5 beats/min in S2 trial). The MRT of HR and Q was significantly longer in the S2 trials (46 +/- 35 and 37 +/- 23 s) than in the Nr trials (26 +/- 18 and 28 +/- 19 s, respectively), but no significant change in VO2 MRT was shown (36 +/- vs. 38 +/- 12 s). These findings suggest that increased vagal activity delays the central circulatory responses, which does not alter the VO2 kinetics at the onset of stepwise increase in workload. The maintenance of VO2 kinetics during acute bradycardia may either reflect the fact that some intramuscular processes (such as oxidative enzyme inertia) limit VO2 kinetics or alternatively that increased sympathetic vasoconstriction at some remote site defends exercising muscle blood flow.

Anomalously hindered E2 strength B(E2;2+(1)-->0+) in 16C

The electric quadrupole transition from the first 2(+) state to the ground 0(+) state in 16C is studied through measurement of the lifetime by a recoil shadow method applied to inelastically scattered radioactive 16C nuclei. The measured mean lifetime is 77+/-14(stat)+/-19(syst) ps. The central value of mean lifetime corresponds to a B(E2;2+(1)-->0(+)) value of 0.63e(2) fm(4), or 0.26 Weisskopf units. The transition strength is found to be anomalously small compared to the empirically predicted value.

[Experimental study of vibration analysis in middle ear models by holographic interferometry. Effects of the cross-sectioned area of aditus on the vibration of tympanic membrane]

To aid in the establishment of optimum conditions for postoperative function of the tympanic membrane, a model of the middle ear was experimentally prepared, the cross-sectioned area of aditus ad antrum was altered and the effects on the tympanic membrane vibrational characteristics were observed using the holographic interference method. The following results were obtained. 1) At the low frequencies below 2 kHz, the vibration mode of tympanic membrane was concentric on the whole, but the vibration pattern became fractionated at 4 kHz and above. The frequency of onset of the fractionated vibration pattern was changed only by the conditions of the membrane itself and was not affected much by the sound pressure, the volume of the middle ear cavity and the cross-sectioned area of aditus ad antrum. 2) There were resonance and anti-resonance points in the tympanic vibration pattern. These resonance and anti-resonance frequencies became higher as the diameter of aditus increased until eventually a constant value was reached. At diameters in excess of this constant value, the resonance frequency tended to fall and the anti-resonance frequency tended to rise. 3) The tympanic vibration in the middle ear cavity was not influenced very much by the diameter of aditus at 250Hz. Vibration decreased when aditus was blocked at 500Hz and the opening diameter had a major influence at 1kHz. Vibration was maximum at a diameter of about 2mm and a minimum when aditus was blocked. At 2 to 3kHz, the effects on vibration increased when aditus was blocked. 4) When aditus ad antrum was blocked, the vibration frequency characteristics of tympanic membrane deteriorated at under 1kHz and improved at 2 to 3kHz. When a comparison was made between the case with opened aditus, (which was considered to be equivalent to the closed method of tympano-plasty), and the case with closed aditus, (considered to be equivalent to the open method), the vibration frequency characteristics of the tympanic membrane improved in the low sound region up to 2kHz when the diameter was 4mm.

Improvement of immunologic abnormalities associated with hyperthyroidism of Graves' disease during methimazole treatment

In an attempt to study the effects of methimazole treatment on immunologic abnormality of hyperthyroidism of Graves' disease, TSH receptor antibody (TRab), anti-DNA antibody and HLA-DR were measured in untreated patients with hyperthyroidism of Graves' disease and treated patients with methimazole for 2 years, using peripheral blood. In untreated patients, all 3 parameters elevated above normal. Three parameters decreased 2 years after methimazole treatment, but the magnitude of decrease was more in T3-suppressible patients than in T3-unsuppressible patients. However, both anti-DNA antibody and HLA-DR were significantly more in T3-suppressible patients than in normal subjects. It is suggested that immunologic abnormalities should largely be improved before remission of Graves' disease can be obtained.

Non-invasive estimation of arterial blood pH using exhaled CO/CO2 analyser, microwave radar and infrared thermography for patients after massive haemorrhage

In order to conduct non-contact estimation of arterial blood pH after massive haemorrhage, we calculated the arterial pH based on linear-regression analysis of exhaled gas concentrations (CO and CO2) and vital signs (heart rate, respiratory rate, and surface temperature) measured using non-contact methods in hypovolemic animals.

J/psi production from proton-proton collisions at square root of s=200 GeV

J/psi production has been measured in proton-proton collisions at square root of s=200 GeV over a wide rapidity and transverse momentum range by the PHENIX experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Distributions of the rapidity and transverse momentum, along with measurements of the mean transverse momentum and total production cross section are presented and compared to available theoretical calculations. The total J/psi cross section is 4.0+/-0.6(stat)+/-0.6(syst)+/-0.4(abs) mu b. The mean transverse momentum is 1.80+/-0.23(stat)+/-0.16(syst) GeV/c.

Centrality dependence of direct photon production in (square root)S(NN) = 200 GeV Au + Au collisions

The first measurement of direct photons in Au + Au collisions at (square root)S(NN) = 200 GeV is presented. The direct photon signal is extracted as a function of the Au + Au collision centrality and compared to next-to-leading order perturbative quantum chromodynamics calculations. The direct photon yield is shown to scale with the number of nucleon-nucleon collisions for all centralities.

Adult-onset Satoyoshi syndrome with prominent laterality of clinical features

We herein report the case of a patient with adult-onset Satoyoshi syndrome. Alopecia was detected on the patient's head, left leg and abdomen, with pigmentation on the left thigh and abdomen. Painful muscle spasms were also noted in the abdomen and left upper and lower extremities, and a sensory disturbance was present in the left thigh. A skin biopsy of this field showed lymphocyte infiltration, and the patient was found to be positive for antinuclear antibodies and rheumatoid factor. These clinical findings were atypical, as they were lateralized. This case is the first report of Satoyoshi syndrome associated with a sensory disturbance. The patient's histological findings and positivity for autoantibodies indicated the presence of immunological abnormalities in this case of Satoyoshi syndrome.

Monoclonal anti-melanoma antibodies IKH-1 and IKH-2 which work on formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissues: characterization, clinical trials and comparative studies with HMB-45

Mouse monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs), IKH-1 and IKH-2, were produced against cloned human melanoma cells, KHm-6, which were cultured with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and processed by formalin fixation and alcohol dehydration (FFAD). According to the biochemical analysis, antigenic substances which reacted with IKH-1 were 34.0-60.0 kDa glycoproteins, and those which reacted with IKH-2 were 33.5, 34.5 and 36.0 kDa glycoproteins. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that reaction products of IKH-1 were seen in some membranous vesicles, premelanosomes and cell membrane of TPA-treated KHm-6 cells, while IKH-2 recognized only premelanosomal structures. Immunohistochemical tests revealed that IKH-1 and IKH-2 have a high sensitivity (94.0% and 85.0%, respectively) to formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections of malignant melanomas. IKH-1 had a high specificity and IKH-2 and 100% specificity to FFPE tissue sections of melanocytic lesions.