Melting of a vertical ice cylinder inside a rotating cylindrical cavity filled with binary aqueous solution

The melting of a vertical ice cylinder into a homogeneous calcium chloride aqueous solution inside a rotating cylindrical cavity with several rotating speeds is considered experimentally. The melting mass and temperature are measured on four initial conditions of the solution and four rotating speeds of the cavity. The temperature of the liquid layer becomes uniform by the mixing effect resulting from cavity rotation and it enhances the melting rate of the ice cylinder. As the cavity‐rotating speed increases, the melting rate increases. The dimensionless melting mass is related to the Fourier number and the rotating Reynolds number in each initial condition, therefore an experimental equation that is able to quantitatively calculate the dimensionless melting mass is presented. It is seen that the melting Nusselt numbers increase again in the middle of the melting process. The ice cylinder continues to melt in spite of the small temperature difference between the ice cylinder and the solution. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 37(6): 359–373, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/htj.20211     

Low loss high-density optical cable with nylon-extruded fibre units

A low loss, highly dense cable containing nylon-extruded six-fibre units was examined. Suitable unit parameters were determined by measuring loss increases with lateral force and at low temperature. 216-fibre cable was manufactured using the nylon-extruded units, and cabling loss increase was found to be only 0.1 dB/km.     

Acquisition of sex-typed preferences in preschool-aged children.

Assessed a total of 119 preschool children with the Sex Role Learning Index (SERLI), a picture-choice instrument designed to compare children's preferences to both sex role stereotypes and each child's conception of what is sex appropriate. Boys showed higher masculine preferences in the section depicting child figures than in the section depicting adult figures, while girls showed more feminine preferences in the adult figures than child figures section. Boys were more masculine in their preferences than girls were feminine in the child figures section, but not in the adult figures section. Girls were also found to adhere more to their own conceptions of what is sex appropriate than to sex role stereotypes in the child figures section. Boy's scores in the adult figures section correlated significantly with MA and IQ, while girls' scores in the child figures section correlated with CA. Boys' scores on the SERLI were significantly correlated with scores on the It Scale for Children, but girls' scores were not. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two-step purely thermal ion-exchange technique for single-modewaveguide devices in glass

Two-step purely thermal ion-exchange technique using two monovalent ions for single-mode waveguides is proposed. Experiments show embedded waveguide structure below the surface of the glass, as computer simulation predicted. The insertion loss of the straight waveguide was less than 1 dB for 19 mm long samples, at both λ=1.3 μm and 1.55 μm     

A physiologic function for p-glycoprotein (MDR-1) during the migration of dendritic cells from skin via afferent lymphatic vessels

P-glycoprotein (MDR-1) is a well-known transporter that mediates efflux of chemotherapeutic agents from the intracellular milieu and thereby contributes to drug resistance. MDR-1 also is expressed by nonmalignant cells, including leukocytes, but physiologic functions for MDR-1 are poorly defined. Using an initial screening assay that included >100 mAbs, we observed that neutralizing mAbs MRK16, UIC2, and 4E3 against MDR-1 specifically and potently blocked basal-to-apical transendothelial migration of mononuclear phagocytes, a process that may mimic their migration into lymphatic vessels. Antagonists of MDR-1 then were used in a model of authentic lymphatic clearance. In this model, antigen-presenting dendritic cells (DC) migrate out of explants of cultured human skin and into the culture medium via dermal lymphatic vessels. DC and T cells derived from skin expressed MDR-1 on their surfaces. Addition of anti-MDR-1 mAbs MRK16, UIC2, or the MDR-1 antagonist verapamil to skin explants at the onset of culture inhibited the appearance of DC, and accompanying T cells, in the culture medium by approximately 70%. Isotype-matched control mAbs against other DC molecules including CD18, CD31, and major histocompatibility complex I did not block. In the presence of MDR-1 antagonists, epidermal DC were retained in the epidermis, in contrast to control conditions. In summary, this work identifies a physiologic function for MDR-1 during the mobilization of DC and begins to elucidate how these critical antigen-presenting cells migrate from the periphery to lymph nodes to initiate T lymphocyte-mediated immunity.     

A 98 mm2 die size 3.3-V 64-Mb flash memory with FN-NORtype four-level cell

In order to realize high-capacity and low-cost flash memory, we have developed a 64-Mb flash memory with multilevel cell operation scheme. The 64-Mb flash memory has been achieved in a 98 mm² die size by using four-level per cell operation scheme, NOR type cell array, and 0.4-μm CMOS technology. Using an FN type program/erase cell allows a single 3.3 V supply voltage. In order to establish fast programming operation using Fowler-Nordheim (FN)-NOR type memory cell, we have developed a highly parallel multilevel programming technology. The drain voltage controlled multilevel programming (DCMP) scheme, the parallel multilevel verify (PMV) circuit, and the compact multilevel sense-amplifier (CMS) have been implemented to achieve 128 b parallel programming and 6.3 μs/Byte programming speed     

Liquid-Solid mass transfer in a slurry bubble column and a gas-liquid-solid three-phase fluidized bed

Mass transfer coefficients between particles and liquids in a slurry bubble column and a three-phase fluidized bed containing small size particles were obtained with two mass transfer systems: (1) K⁺ –Na⁺ ion-exchange in cation-exchange resin bead beds, including anion-exchange resin beads as inert particles; (2) zinc dissolution by HCl in zinc-plated glass bead beds, and in beds of non-plated glass beads. Operating parameters were gas velocity, liquid velocity, particle diameter, and particle concentration. The dependence of mass transfer coefficients on these parameters is discussed from the viewpoint of the energy supplied into the systems. Correlations of the experimental data using dimensionless groups are compared to previous correlations.     

A 1.25-inch 60-frames/s 8.3-M-pixel digital-output CMOS image sensor

The ultrahigh-definition television (UDTV) camera system requires an image sensor having four times higher resolution and two times higher frame rate than the conventional HDTV systems. Also, an image sensor with a small optical format and low power consumption is required for practical UDTV camera systems. To respond to these requirements, we have developed an 8.3-M-pixel digital-output CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) for the UDTV application. It features an optical format of 1.25inch, low power consumption of less than 600 mW at dark, while reproducing a low-noise, 60-frames/s progressive scan image. The image sensor is equipped with 1920 on-chip 10-bit analog-to-digital converters and outputs digital data stream through 16 parallel output ports. Design considerations to reproduce a low-noise, high-resolution image at high frame rate of 60 fps are described. Implementation and experimental results of the 8.3-M-pixel CMOS APS are presented.     

Collaborative work to determine the optimal administration period and parameters to detect drug effects on male rat fertility--study on estradiol benzoate effects

In order to examine the optimal administration period and parameters for male fertility assessment, male rats were subcutaneously administered 0.2, 2 or 20 micrograms/kg of estradiol benzoate (E2B), a known testicular toxicant, for 4 weeks or 9 weeks before mating. After 4 weeks administration, suppression of body weight gain and food consumption, decreases in prostate and seminal vesicle weights, atrophy of Leydig cells, and mature spermatid retention at stages IX, X and XI were observed in the 2 and 20 micrograms/kg groups. In the 20, micrograms/kg group, decreases in epididymides weight and copulation index were also found but the number of sperm and sperm motility were not affected. In the 0.2 micrograms/kg group, no changes were noted in any parameters. After 9 weeks administration, decreases in testis weight and the number and motility of sperm were observed in the 20, micrograms/kg group, in addition to the changes found after 4 weeks administration. These results suggest that detailed histopathological evaluation and determination of accessory sex organ weights are sensitive for evaluating the effects of E2B on male fertility. Results with the 4-weeks treatment were comparable to those with the 9-weeks treatment in terms of these parameters.     

Relationships among tenascin expression, DNA ploidy patterns, and multidrug resistance gene product (P-glycoprotein) in human colon carcinoma

Relationships among tenascin expression, DNA ploidy, and P-glycoprotein were examined in 81 primary human colon cancers and 61 metastatic lymph nodes. First, the DNA ploidy patterns of colon cancerous tissue surrounded (TN+) and not surrounded (TN-) by tenascin immunoreactivity were investigated. Then the expression of P-glycoprotein, one of two multidrug resistance gene products, was examined in TN+ and TN- colon cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry. Aneuploid DNA patterns were observed at high frequency in TN- colon cancer tissues (37/61) and metastatic lymph nodes (44/52). In contrast, diploid DNA patterns were observed predominantly in TN+ colon cancer tissues (50/56). Although P-glycoprotein expression was observed in primary TN+ and TN- colon cancer (9/81), the level of P-glycoprotein expression was not correlated with DNA aneuploidy in TN- colon cancer tissues. Overall, reduced tenascin expression was correlated well with DNA aneuploidy, but no significant correlation was found between DNA aneuploidy and P-glycoprotein appearing when cancer cells become resistant to several anti-cancer drugs. Thus, tenascin may play an important role in preventing colon cancer cells from invading surrounding tissues.