Objectives: We evaluated the disinfecting efficacy of atomized ionless hypochlorous acid water (CLFine) against pathogenic microorganisms in an isolation room. Methods: The study was conducted in an isolation room of Kurume University Hospital. CLFine with available chlorine concentrations of 40 ppm and 300 ppm as test substances and purified water as control were atomized with an ultrasonic atomizer (CLmistL). The 40 ppm and 300 ppm of CLFine were atomized at the atmospheric available chlorine concentrations of ~0.03 ppm and 0.1~0.2 ppm, respectively, and purified water was atomized in the same manner as CLFine. Petri dishes with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus spores, Bacillus subtilis spores and Aspergillus ruber were allocated in the room, then CLFine or purified water was atomized. Sampling was performed at 3 and 5 hours after the start of atomization, and the bacterial counts were measured. The study was carried out either with air conditioning turned “on” or “off” because atmospherically available chlorine concentration is affected by ventilation. Results: When the air conditioning was turned on, purified water showed a slight reduction of bacterial counts by 0.9 log or less at 5 hours after the atomization. When CLFine was used, 40 ppm greatly reduced the counts of Staphylococcus aureus by 5.1~5.4 logs reduction at 5 hours after the atomization, but no distinctive efficacy was observed against other microorganisms. On the other hand, 300 ppm caused a significant reduction of the bacterial counts for all the microorganisms at 5 hours after the atomization (P < .001 vs purified water). The same results were observed in the environment with the air conditioning turned off. Conclusions: Our data suggest that CLFine effectively disinfects pathogenic microorganisms and can contribute to maintaining the hygienic environment of hospital rooms. This study was funded as contracted research by NIPRO Corporation with the approval of the ethics committee (study no. 21229).

Tiny samples of ancient atmosphere in air bubbles within ice cores contain argon (Ar), which can be used to reconstruct past temperature changes. At a sufficient depth, the air bubbles are compressed by the overburden pressure under low temperature and transform into air-hydrate crystals. While the oxygen (O2) and nitrogen (N2) molecules have indeed been identified in the air-hydrate crystals with Raman spectroscopy, direct observational knowledge of the distribution of Ar at depth within ice sheet and its enclathration has been lacking. In this study, we applied scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to five air-hydrate crystals in the Greenland NEEM ice core, finding them to contain Ar and N. Given that Ar cannot be detected by Raman spectroscopy, the method commonly used for O2 and N2, the SEM-EDS measurement method may become increasingly useful for measuring inert gases in deep ice cores.

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the dietary habits of the Japanese population have shown that an effect rs671 allele was inversely associated with fish consumption, whereas it was directly associated with coffee consumption. Although meat is a major source of protein and fat in the diet, whether genetic factors that influence meat-eating habits in healthy populations are unknown. This study aimed to conduct a GWAS to find genetic variations that affect meat consumption in a Japanese population. We analysed GWAS data using 14 076 participants from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study. We used a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to estimate food intake that was validated previously. Association of the imputed variants with total meat consumption per 1000 kcal energy was performed by linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, sex, and principal component analysis components 1–10. We found that no genetic variant, including rs671, was associated with meat consumption. The previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms that were associated with meat consumption in samples of European ancestry could not be replicated in our J-MICC data. In conclusion, significant genetic factors that affect meat consumption were not observed in a Japanese population.

Differences in individual eating habits may be influenced by genetic factors, in addition to cultural, social or environmental factors. Previous studies suggested that genetic variants within sweet taste receptor genes family were associated with sweet taste perception and the intake of sweet foods. The aim of this study was to conduct a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to find genetic variations that affect confection consumption in a Japanese population. We analysed GWAS data on confection consumption using 14 073 participants from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort study. We used a semi-quantitative FFQ to estimate food intake that was validated previously. Association of the imputed variants with confection consumption was performed by linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, sex, total energy intake and principal component analysis components 1–3. Furthermore, the analysis was repeated adjusting for alcohol intake (g/d) in addition to the above-described variables. We found 418 SNP located in 12q24 that were associated with confection consumption. SNP with the ten lowest P-values were located on nine genes including at the BRAP, ACAD10 and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 regions on 12q24.12-13. After adjustment for alcohol intake, no variant was associated with confections intake with genome-wide significance. In conclusion, we found a significant number of SNP located on 12q24 genes that were associated with confections intake before adjustment for alcohol intake. However, all of them lost statistical significance after adjustment for alcohol intake.

We report fourteen and twenty-eight protocluster candidates at z = 5.7 and 6.6 over 14 and 19 deg2 areas, respectively, selected from 2,230 Lyα emitters (LAEs) photometrically identified with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) deep images. Six out of the 42 protocluster candidates include at least 1 spectroscopically confirmed LAEs at redshifts up to z = 6.574. By the comparisons with the cosmological Lyα radiative transfer (RT) model reproducing LAEs with the reionization effects, we find that more than a half of these protocluster candidates might be progenitors of the present-day clusters with a mass of ≳ 1014M⊙. We also investigate the correlation between LAE overdensity and Lya rest-frame equivalent width (EW), because the cosmological Lyα RT model suggests that a slope of EW-overdensity relation is steepened towards the epoch of cosmic reionization (EoR), due to the existence of the ionized bubbles around galaxy overdensities easing the escape of Lyα emission from the partly neutral intergalactic medium. The available HSC data suggest that the slope of the EW-overdensity correlation does not evolve from the post-reionization epoch z = 5.7 to the EoR z = 6.6 beyond the moderately large statistical errors.

Cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) is a membrane receptor expressed on a wide variety of human cells. CD36 polymorphisms are reportedly associated with oral fat perception, dietary intake and metabolic disorders. The present study examined associations of two CD36 polymorphisms (rs1761667 and rs1527483) and dietary fat intake, and metabolic phenotypes in a Japanese population. This cross-sectional study was conducted based on clinical information collected from health check-ups in Japan (n 495). Dietary nutrient intake was estimated from a validated short FFQ and adjusted for total energy intake using the residual method. Mean blood pressure was calculated from systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Hypertension was defined as SBP ≥ 130 mmHg and/or DBP ≥ 85 mmHg, or use of antihypertensive drugs. Genotyping was performed using PCR with confronting two-pair primers method. Mean age was 63·4 (sd 9·9) years. Individuals with the AA genotype showed higher total fat and MUFA intake (standardised β = 0·110 and 0·087, P = 0·01 and 0·05, respectively) compared with the GG and GA genotypes. For metabolic phenotypes, the AA genotype of rs1761667 had a lower blood pressure compared with the GG genotype (standardised β = –0·123, P = 0·02). Our results suggested that the AA genotype of rs1761667 in the CD36 gene was associated with higher intake of total fat and MUFA and lower risk of hypertension in a Japanese population.

The deformation behavior and shape recovery of an Fe-added AuCuAl shape memory alloy micropillar were investigated. XRD analysis revealed that Au-28Cu-22Al-2Fe (at.%) alloy contained a second phase which was evaluated to be α-Fe (bcc). SEM observation also confirmed the second phase at the surface of the micropillar specimen. A polycrystalline micropillar with 20 x 20 x 40μm rectangular was fabricated by a focused ion beam (FIB) system, and micro compress test was performed at room temperature. It was found that the yield stress of micropillar showed 50MPa, which must correspond to stress for inducing martensite. After the heating of the compressed micropillar, 1.75% shape recovery was recognized which is comparable to the transformation strain. Then, the Fe-added AuCuAl micropillar was concluded to possess good shape memory property, and thus this alloy may be suitable for small endovascular treatment which requires good X-ray radiography.

The reverse martensitic (austenite) transformation temperatures (As) were investigated using a diffusion couple of PtTi and CoTi with a continuous compositional gradient. It was found that PtTi and CoTi form a complete solid solution of (Pt, Co)Ti at 1373K. Surface relief was formed by heating due to the austenite transformation. Judging from the formation of the surface patterns and the corresponding chemical compositions, As monotonously decreases with increasing Co content at a rate of -70K/at%Co, and As is estimated to be close to room temperature (RT) when the Co concentration is 15at%Co. Besides, micro Vickers hardness values measured at RT are minimized around 15at%Co.

In order to improve shape memory properties of Au-Cu-Al based shape memory alloys, the possibility to utilize thermo-mechanical treatment was investigated in this study, and effects of heat-treatment temperature on microstructure, martensitic transformation and mechanical properties of cold-rolled Au-30Cu-18Al-2Fe (AuCuAlFe) alloy were clarified by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile tests at room temperature (RT). Here, Fe addition to AuCuAl improves ductility. Cold rolling with the thickness reduction of 30% was successfully carried out in AuCuAlFe at RT. An exothermic heat was observed in DSC at temperature from 402K, suggesting that recovery started at 402K. Besides, the transformation temperature hysteresis increased by the cold-rolling. The alloy was completely recrystallized after the heat treatment at 573K for 3.6ks. Tensile tests revealed that the yield stress was raised by cold rolling and largely by the subsequent heat treatment at 433K, which corresponded to the recovery start temperature by DSC. The yield stress decreased with increasing heat treatment temperature over 453K, probably due to recrystallization. AuCuAlFe cold-rolled and subsequent heat-treated at 573K exhibited the lowest yield stress as well as stress-plateau region, indicating that the thermo-mechanical treatment is effective to improve shape memory properties of Au-Cu-Al based alloys.

Recent experiments on ultrasonic measurements of non-doped and boron-doped silicon indicate that vacancies in crystalline silicon can be detected through the elastic softening at low temperature. This is attributed to enhanced response of electronic quadrupole localized at the vacancies to the elastic strain. In the present work, the electronic quadrupole moment of the vacancy orbital in silicon and their strain susceptibility are evaluated quantitatively by using the density-functional method. We show the orbital of gap state is localized around vacancy but extended over several neighbors. The effect of applied magnetic field on the vacancy orbital and its multipole structures are also investigated. We find that the results obtained from these calculations are consistent with the ultrasonic experiments.

In normal trichromats, the long- (L) and middle-wavelength-sensitive (M) pigment genes are arranged in a head-to-tandem array on the X chromosome. Two amino acids at positions 277 and 285, encoded by exon 5 of the L and M genes, respectively, are essential for the spectral difference between L and M pigments whose spectral peaks are at approximately 560 and 530 nm. Intragenic or intergenic unequal crossing-over commonly occurs between the highly homologous L and M genes, resulting in red-green color vision deficiencies. The dichromacy is usually associated with a single L gene for deuteranopia or a single 5′ L-M 3′ hybrid gene with M-gene exon 5 for protanopia. We clinically diagnosed a total of 88 male dichromats using a Nagel model I anomaloscope, which included one unclassified subject in addition to 31 protanopes and 56 deuteranopes. The objective of this study was to characterize the phenotype of the subject and to determine the genotype of his X-linked pigment genes. The subject accepted not only any red-green mixture but also an extended yellow-scale range at each matching point (i.e. 20 to 32 scale units at the green primary and 3.5 to 6 scale units at the red primary). The slopes of regression lines were in the range of −0.34 to −0.23, while the mean slopes for the protanopes and deuteranopes were −0.38 and −0.01, respectively. Spectral sensitivity tests showed that the subject's curve was shifted between the protanope and deuteranope curves. Molecular analysis revealed a novel form of a single pigment gene with a unique arrangement of exon 5 (Y277 from the L gene and A285 from the M gene). The predicted λmax (541 to 546 nm) of the unique pigment was closer to the M than to the L pigment. Our outcome suggests that intragenic unequal crossing-over may have occurred between amino acid positions 279 and 283.

Congenital achromatopsia is a stationary retinal disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance that is characterized by loss of color discrimination, low visual acuity, photophobia, and nystagmus. This disorder has been shown to be associated with CNGA3, CNGB3, and GNAT2 mutations, and the frequency of mutations in the CNGA3 gene (encoding α subunit of the cone-specific cGMP-gated cation channel) was 23–33% in European populations. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that CNGA3 mutations are also responsible for congenital achromatopsia in Japanese patients. DNA from venous blood samples from a total of 14 patients from 13 Japanese pedigrees was prepared. Mutation screening of the CNGA3 gene was performed using direct sequencing and PCR-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. Compound heterozygous missense mutations (p.R436W and p.L633P, the latter of which was novel) were identified in one patient only, a 22-year-old female. Neither of these two mutations was found in 150 Japanese control individuals. The patient's parents and sister carried one of these mutations each but were not affected. No mutations in the CNGB3 or GNAT2 genes were identified in the patient. Clinically, best-corrected visual acuity was 0.1 in both eyes. No specific findings were obtained in funduscopy. Optical coherence topography revealed a normal foveal thickness but a 20% decrease in parafoveal thickness. Ganzfeld full-field electroretinograms (ERGs) showed normal responses in rod and mixed rod-plus-cone ERGs but no response in cone or 30-Hz flicker ERGs. Spectral sensitivity on a white background revealed a curve with only one peak at around 500 nm, which fits the absorption spectrum of human rhodopsin. L633, conserved among vertebrate orthologs of human CNGA3, is a hydrophobic residue forming part of the carboxy-terminal leucine zipper (CLZ) domain, which is functionally important in the mediation of intracellular interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Japanese complete achromat with CNGA3 mutations, and of any patient with a missense mutation within the CLZ domain. The outcome suggests low frequency (7%, 1/14) of CNGA3 mutations in Japanese patients.

We construct generating functions for the entries of Hankel determinant formula for the Okamoto polynomials which characterise a class of rational solutions to the Painlevé IV equation. Generating functions are characterised as asymptotic expansions of log derivative of Ai and Bi, which are solutions of the Airy equation.

Let R be a commutative Noetherian ring. Let [Pscr ](R) (respectively, [Iscr ](R)) be the category of all finite R-modules of finite projective (respectively, injective) dimension. Sharp [9] constructed a category equivalence between [Iscr ](R) and [Pscr ](R) for certain Cohen–Macaulay local rings R. Thus many properties about finite modules of finite projective dimension can be connected with those of finite injective dimension through this equivalence.

Let R be a commutative Noetherian ring. Let [Pscr ](R) (respectively, [Iscr ](R)) be the category of all finite R-modules of finite projective (respectively, injective) dimension. Sharp [9] constructed a category equivalence between [Iscr ](R) and [Pscr ](R) for certain Cohen–Macaulay local rings R. Thus many properties about finite modules of finite projective dimension can be connected with those of finite injective dimension through this equivalence.

Physical properties of mono-, di- and tri- fluorobenzenc derivatives with different core structures consisting of 3-ring system were measured. By introduction of fluorine atoms, phase change telnperaturcs decreased, nematic temperature range narrowed, optical anisotropy and elastic constant decreased, and dielectric anisotropy increased. From a calculation with MOPAC ver. 6.0, it is clear that elastic constants depend upon shapes of molecules under a restricted condition.

By blending the investigated compounds as main components, different nematic mixtures, having low threshold voltage low viscosity, large optical anisotropy or wide nematic range, which are suitable for specific applications for AM-LCD, were obtained