Characteristics of mutations in the p53 gene of oral squamous-cell carcinomas associated with betel-quid chewing in Sri Lanka

The PCR copy of the ribR gene of Bacillus subtilis was subcloned in Escherichia coli cells under the control of the phage T7 inducible promoter. The polypeptide of 26 kDa corresponding to the 690-bp gene is the product of the ribR gene. The protein encoded by the ribR gene is flavokinase, and the riboflavin-reduced form is the substrate for it.     

A 1-inch 2-M pixel HDTV CCD image sensor with tungsten photo-shieldand H-CCD shunt wiring

A 1-inch 2-million pixel FIT-CCD image sensor for HDTV has been developed, which features a tungsten photo-shield and horizontal CCD (H-CCD) shunt wiring. Tungsten photo-shield, which has low reflectance and good step coverage characteristics, reduces smear level to -110 dB, combined with a frame-interline-transfer (FIT) scheme. The tungsten photo-shield also acts as a shunt busline, supplying transfer pulses to vertical CCD (V-CCD) electrodes, so that a 1.2×10ˆ5 electron charge handling capability is obtained at a frame transfer frequency of 1 MHz. Newly developed H-CCD shunt wiring suppresses vertical line pair FPN, even with smaller transfer pulse amplitudes. H-CCD shunt wiring also helps reduce power consumption in the H-CCD by 2/3 as compared to that achieved with conventional wiring     

Needle penetrometry with variable force loading for measuring viscosity of pelletized coal upon heating

A needle penetrometry was performed loading steady force in a range from 1×10⁻³ to 2 N to pelletized coal upon heating via a cylindrical needle. From the observed effects of shear rate on apparent viscosity of softening coal pellet, defined as the shear-rate to shear-stress ratio, it was found that the pellet behaved as a Newtonian fluid for shear rates lower than a critical one while as a pseudo-plastic fluid for higher shear rates. The penetrometry was also carried out varying the force with time. The variable force loading enabled to maintain the shear rate well below the critical one, and thereby to measure the apparent viscosity of coal pellets as Newtonian fluids over a temperature range from 600 to 800 K. Upon heating at 10 K min⁻¹, the apparent viscosity of Goonyella coal pellet decreased from about 10¹⁰ Pa s at 640 K down to a minimum of about 10⁴ Pa s at 755 K, and increased up to 10⁹ Pa s at 800 K. In a course of heating as above, the viscosity of Blind Canyon coal pellet decreased above 600 K, underwent a minimum of about 10⁶ Pa s at 715 K, and increased up to 10¹⁰ Pa s at 770 K. Decreasing the heating rate from 10 to 3 K min⁻¹ caused the minimum viscosities of the pellets to increase by 1-2 orders of magnitude.     

High-precision voltage-measuring method using fast sampled data for electric power systems

Control and protection equipment in power systems requires higher sensitivity and operational reliability to meet today's changing power system requirements. The voltage-measuring deviation requirement for advanced voltage and var control equipment is less than 0.1 percent under conditions of harmonic distortion in the voltage waveform and power-system frequency variation. Studies on digital signal processing suitable for electric power systems showed that these requirements are satisfied using fast sampling and very fast 32-bit floating point operations by a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). This paper describes the design philosophy of a high-precision power system voltage-measuring method using fast sampled data. In addition, total voltage-measuring deviation characteristics under a combination of the techniques are described along with digital filter characteristics, frequency-measuring deviation characteristics, frequency variation versus gain-compensation characteristics of a digital filter, and peak value operating principles.     

The sign of Leser-Trelat associated with esophageal carcinoma

A 79-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with complaints of dysphagia and multiple verrucous papules that had developed over the previous year. The diagnosis of esophageal carcinoma was based on upper gastrointestinal radiography and endoscopic examination with biopsy. The clinical syndrome was consistent with the sign of Leser-Trelat associated with esophageal carcinoma. Although radiation therapy and chemotherapy were undertaken, the patient died 8 months later because of the sign of Leser-Trelat in association with squamous cell esophageal carcinoma.     

TAT (time-axis transform) bandwidth compression system of picturesignals

A bandwidth compression system for picture signals called the time-axis transform (TAT) system is introduced. It can be applied to various systems for transmission and recording of picture signals, such as the satellite broadcast system of high-definition television. The TAT compresses the bandwidth by reducing the number of transmitted pixels. The transmitted pixels consist of two kinds: basic pixels and additional pixels. The location of the former is fixed and that of the latter varies from picture to picture to minimize the interpolation error in the reconstructed picture. Thus, the TAT is a hybrid of fixed sampling and variable sampling systems. It compresses the bandwidth of the picture signal to one half or less, keeping high picture quality for both still and moving pictures. The feasibility of the TAT is demonstrated by an experimental system     

Detection of serum antibodies against Chlamydia pneumoniae by ELISA

Chlamydia pneumoniae causes pneumonia and other respiratory infections in children, adolescents and adults. We tried to evaluate the diagnostic value of detection of serum antibodies by ELISA for C. pneumoniae infections in Japanese children. Serum IgG, IgA and IgM antibodies to C. pneumoniae were determined by the microimmunofluorescence (MIF) test. Serum IgG and IgA antibodies were also determined by ELISA test kits. Results obtained by ELISA were compared with those obtained by MIF test. IgG antibody to C. pneumoniae was detected in 135 (39.5%) by ELISA and in 125 (36.5%) by MIF out of 342 sera from Japanese infants and children without respiratory infections (aged from 2 months old to 15 years old). IgA antibody to C. pneumoniae was detected in 129 (37.7%) by ELISA and in 117 (34.2%) by MIF out of 342 sera tested. Of 342 specimens 113 were IgG-positive by ELISA and MIF (sensitivity: 90.4%, specificity: 89.9%, r = 0.853). Of 342 sera 28 had IgG antibody titers of 1:256 and none had titers 1:512 or higher by MIF. Of 28 infants and children a total of nine were less than 4 years of age. On the other hand, of 342 specimens 99 were IgA-positive by ELISA and MIF (sensitivity: 84.6%, specificity: 86.7%, r = 0.769). Of 342 sera 16 had IgA antibody titers of 1:256 or higher by MIF. Of 16 infants and children, ten were less than 4 years of age. ELISA had excellent sensitivity and specificity relative to MIF test for detection of IgC and IgA antibodies to C. pneumoniae. It was suggested that C. pneumoniae infection in Japanese infants and children under 4 years of age was not infrequent.     

COMPARISON OF COAL LIQUEFACTION IN BATCH AND CONTINUOUS REACTORS

Liquefaction of Akabira coal with a sufficient amount of tetralin was conducted in a 27 cm³ batch reactor and two types of continuous reactors - a 5000 cm³stirred tank reactor and a 800 cm³ tube reactor. These reactors were mainly operated at 673°K and 5.4 MPa. The batch reactor was heated at different rates from 4°K/nrin to 150°K/min to examine the effects of the heating rate on the conversion of coal to benzene solubles. Conversions in the continuous reactors were measured together with the residence time distributions of coal particles.

In the batch reactor, change of the conversion with time differed appreciably depending on the heating rate even when other operating variables were the same. With increasing heating rate the conversion during heating period decreased while the apparent reaction rate constants increased. Using the kinetic data together with the observed residence time distribution of the coal particles, the conversion in the continuous reactor was predicted. From a comparison between the predicted and the observed conversions, it is concluded that conversions in a continuous reactor can be predicted on the basis of kinetic data obtained in a batch reactor with the same heating rate.     

Corneal endothelial cell loss caused by detached opacified anterior lens capsule in the anterior chamber

From 1984 to 1986, we performed cataract surgery through a 1.5 mm anterior capsule hole in 77 eyes. The hole was enlarged to 6.0 mm by a slit incision, and an intraocular lens was implanted into an almost completely intact capsular bag. Twelve (16%) eyes developed severe postoperative anterior capsule opacification. The opacified central anterior capsule, approximately 5 mm in diameter, was detached by can-opener anterior capsulotomy using a neodymium:YAG laser and fell into the inferior anterior chamber. Inferior corneal endothelial cell loss occurred in nine of the 12 eyes within 20 months after detachment; in six of the nine, inferior corneal endothelial cell density decreased 50% more than central cornea cell density. This method will be unsuitable for treating the extensive anterior capsule opacification that will occur when endocapsular cataract surgery that retains most of the lens capsule is widely performed in the future.