A model of plasma current through a hole of Rogowski probe including sheath effects.

In TST-2 Ohmic discharges, local current is measured using a Rogowski probe by changing the angle between the local magnetic field and the direction of the hole of the Rogowski probe. The angular dependence shows a peak when the direction of the hole is almost parallel to the local magnetic field. The obtained width of the peak was broader than that of the theoretical curve expected from the probe geometry.

Demonstration of improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio of Thomson scattering signal obtained by using a multi-pass optical cavity on the Tokyo Spherical Tokamak-2.

The multi-pass Thomson scattering (TS) scheme enables obtaining many photons by accumulating multiple TS signals. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) depends on the accumulation number. In this study, we performed multi-pass TS measurements for ohmically heated plasmas, and the relationship between SNR and the accumulation number was investigated.

Local current density measurement using a Rogowski probe in Tokyo Spherical Tokamak-2.

A Rogowski probe consisting of a small multi-layer Rogowski coil, five magnetic pick-up coils, and a Langmuir probe was developed to measure the local current density and its direction. It can be moved along the major radius and can be turned around its axis. This probe was used to measure the current density profile near the last closed flux surface of Ohmic plasmas in Tokyo Spherical Tokamak-2.

Note: Multi-pass Thomson scattering measurement on the TST-2 spherical tokamak.

In multi-pass Thomson scattering (TS) scheme, a laser pulse makes multiple round trips through the plasma, and the effective laser energy is enhanced, and we can increase the signal-to-noise ratio as a result. We have developed a coaxial optical cavity in which a laser pulse is confined, and we performed TS measurements using the coaxial cavity in tokamak plasmas for the first time. In the optical cavity, the laser energy attenuation was approximately 30% in each round trip, and we achieved a photon number gain of about 3 compared with that obtained in the first round trip.

Study of prolonged administration of lanthanum carbonate in dialysis patients.

Data of 36 months were accumulated regarding the effects of lanthanum carbonate (LA) on serum phosphate concentrations in dialysis patients. Fifty-three patients (average age and dialysis history 58.4 years and 9.

[Trends in asthma management over a ten-year period in Gifu Prefecture].

Background: Although clinical management methods for asthma have developed dramatically, it is not sure that the newly-developed methods have come to the attention of all doctors.

Methods: We sent questionnaires to all members of the Gifu Medical Association (general practitioners, pediatricians, and respiratory physicians) in 2000, 2004, and 2010.

Results: A majority of doctors felt that the number of asthmatic outpatients (adults and children) had decreased by 2010 compared with 2000.

Clinical study of therapeutic angiogenesis by autologous peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) transplantation in 92 patients with critically ischemic limbs.

Patients with critically ischemic limbs due to maintenance hemodialysis and diabetes are increasing in number markedly in Japan. The difficulty of treating critically ischemic limbs is well recognized. Despite active medication and surgical therapy, many critically ischemic limbs are amputated.

Acute effects of cigarette smoking on the heart rate variability of taxi drivers during work.

Objectives: This study attempted to clarify the acute effects of cigarette smoking on autonomic nervous function among taxi drivers under ordinary work conditions.

Methods: Holter electrocardiographic recordings from 20 healthy middle-aged taxi drivers were analyzed for the time from 0800 in the morning to 0159 at night. The amplitudes (milliseconds) of the high-frequency (HF) component and the ratio of the low-frequency component to HF (LF/HF) were calculated as changes in the R-R interval, and time-course changes were investigated by a complex demodulation method.

[Relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and depressive mood in the industrial society].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism and depressive mood in the industrial society. 380 workers in a construction company replied to a questionnaire, which consisted of a Beck depression inventory (BDI) and a multidimensional self-oriented perfectionism scale (MSPS). The results showed that concern over mistakes (CM) had a positive correlation with depressive mood in both younger and older age groups.

Effects of changing shift schedules from a full-day to a half-day shift before a night shift on physical activities and sleep patterns of single nurses and married nurses with children.

To clarify the effects of changing shift schedules from a full-day to a half-day before a night shift, 12 single nurses and 18 married nurses with children that engaged in night shift work in a Japanese hospital were investigated. Subjects worked 2 different shift patterns consisting of a night shift after a half-day shift (HF-N) and a night shift after a day shift (D-N). Physical activity levels were recorded with a physical activity volume meter to measure sleep/wake time more precisely without restricting subjects' activities.

Tomatine Content in Host and Transgenic Tomatoes by Absorptiometric Measurement.

Tomatine is a steroidal glycoalkaloid in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) and other Lycopersicon and Solanum Species. Tomatine is used as an indicator to evaluate the safety of transgenic tomatoes by FDA in U.S.

Changes in psychophysiological functions during night shift in nurses. Influence of changing from a full-day to a half-day work shift before night duty.

The effects of changing from a full-day to a half-day shift work before a night duty shift on physiological and psychological functions during the night shift were investigated in 12 healthy unmarried nurses working on the same ward of a university hospital. Three shift patterns, i.e.

Assessment of job stress dimensions based on the job demands- control model of employees of telecommunication and electric power companies in Japan: reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire.

To investigate the reliability and validity of 4 selected scales from the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ. Karasek, 1985)-decision latitude, psychological demand, supervisor support, and coworker support-a survey was conducted on a total of 626 employees of telephone and electric companies in Japan. The survey questionnaire was composed of 22 items.

Systematic synthesis of N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin-containing, Le(x), Le(a), sialyl-Le(x) and sialyl-Le(a) epitopes recognized by selectins.

A systematic synthesis of the N-methyl-1-deoxynojirimycin-containing oligosaccharides related to the Lewis x, Lewis a, sialyl-Lewis x and sialyl-Lewis a antigens has been achieved. The couplings of the suitably protected 1-deoxynojirimycin derivative 10 with methyl-1-thioglycosides (glycosyl donors) of L-fucose (11), D-galactose (15) and alpha-sialyl-(2-->3)-D-galactose (27) were carried out by using dimethyl(methylthio)sulfonium triflate (DMTST) or N-iodosuccinimide/trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (NIS/TfOH) as the glycosyl promoter. The resulting di- and tri-saccharides were each converted, by further cross glycosylations with 11, 15 or 27, to the desired tri- and tetra-saccharides 3-6 that inhibit the recognition between sialyl-Lewis x and selectins, a family of leukocyte cell adhesion molecules.

[Clinical evaluation of plasma atrial natriuretic polypeptide in patients with respiratory failure in pulmonary tuberculosis].

We previously reported the clinical role of plasma immunoreactive atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) and cyclic GMP in patients with respiratory diseases, bronchial asthma (BA), chronic pulmonary emphysema (CPE) and pulmonary insufficiency induced by pulmonary tuberculosis (TBC). In this study, moreover, we divided patients with respiratory failure induced by tuberculosis sequelae into two groups, patients with oxygen therapy group [O2 (+) group] or ordinary practical treatment group [O2 (-) group], and we evaluated the difference of the roles of ANP in two groups and the correlation of ANP and c-GMP with clinical findings, blood gas analysis, electrocardiogram, chest roentogen photography and spirogram in two groups. In conclusion, the respiratory failure in patients with tuberculosis sequelae is compensated by increased cardiac output, and that causes the rising of right atrial pressure.

The relationship between the ambulatory variability and the laboratory reactivity of blood pressure and heart rate.

We examined the relationship between the ambulatory variability and the laboratory reactivity of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and heart rate (HR) in 21 male college students. The mean increase during the waking period from that during sleep was defined as variability 1, and the standard deviation of the ambulatory measurements during waking was defined as variability 2. The reactivity to laboratory tests was measured by the pretask-to-task increase in variables.

Effect of xanthine derivatives on chemotactic polypeptide-induced superoxide and enzyme release from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes.

1. We investigated the effects of new xanthine derivatives, 1-methyl-3-propyl xanthine (MPX) and 1,3-dipropyl xanthine (DPX), and several other xanthine derivatives on N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced superoxide and lysozyme release from human polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN). 2.

Assessment of sympathetic nerve activity controlling blood pressure in the elderly using head-up tilt.

In order to assess age-related changes in sympathetic nerve activity controlling blood pressure, we recorded muscle sympathetic nerve activity, blood pressure, and heart rate during head-up tilt in 10 healthy elderly (69-75 years) and 16 healthy young (19-23 years) subjects. The elderly had significantly lower responsiveness of muscle sympathetic nerve activity to postural change than did the young subjects. In the elderly, marked rise in blood pressure without increase in muscle sympathetic nerve activity was observed in nearly upright position during head-up tilt, whereas this phenomenon was not observed in the young.

[In vitro susceptibilities of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare to new macrolides, new quinolones, and antituberculous drugs on Dubos agar medium].

Mycobacterium avium and M. intracellulare were isolated from the sputum of patients infected with atypical mycobacteria using 1% Ogawa medium and identified by the DNA probe test. Then the MICs of various kinds of drugs against these mycobacterial species were determined on Dubos agar medium, and the drug susceptibilities were also determined on 1% Ogawa medium in parallel.

The effects of season and exercise on the levels of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipoprotein cholesterol in young rats.

Plasma concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:4(n - 6), 20:5(n - 3), 22:6(n - 3)) and high- or low-density lipoprotein cholesterols (HDL-C, LDL-C) in young rats were measured to elucidate a possible relationship between the levels of [20:5(n - 3)] [20:4(n - 6)]-1, [22:6(n - 3)] [20:4(n - 6)]-1 and [LDL-C] [HDL-C]-1. Seasonal change in [LDL-C] [HDL-C]-1 in the sedentary and exercised rats was found to correlate with the respective values of [20:5(n - 3)] [20:4(n - 6)]-1 and/or [22:6(n - 3)] [20:4(n - 6)]-1. Moderate exercise in summer decreased plasma arachidonic acid (20:4(n - 6)).

Blood coagulability and fibrinolytic activity before and after physical training during the recovery phase of acute myocardial infarction.

The effects of physical training on hemostatic parameters were evaluated in 56 postmyocardial infarction (MI) patients before and after one month of systematic physical training and in 30 control post-MI patients, who did not undergo such training. There were no significant changes in prothrombin time (PT) and alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1AT) at the beginning and end of the study in either group. Levels of fibrinogen, Factor VIII: C (VIII:C) and von Wildebrand antigen (vWf:Ag), and activities of ATIII and plasminogen (Plg) were significantly decreased in the group with physical training (p less than 0.

Adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate inhibits in vitro angiogenesis induced by endothelial cell growth factor.

The formation of new blood capillaries (angiogenesis) occurs in response to angiogenic factors released by either normal or tumoral cells. In the present study, we cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on collagen gels and aimed to clarify the effects of cyclic nucleotides on angiogenesis induced by endothelial cell growth factor (ECGF). HUVEC invaded the underlying collagen matrix and formed tube-like structures when ECGF was added.