[en] The seasonal changes in trees are highly dependant on their health and growth rate. Monitoring the vigor of trees at every season provides basic data which can be used at trees planting to predict the physiological characteristics of their seasonal change. In this study, 3 kinds of trees ; zelkova, camphor and metasequoia were monthly observed from April to December, using an infrared television camera. The vigor of the trees was evaluated in each season and the relationship between their image and the evaluation in each season was investigated. The data shows that there is a high correlation between the vigor and the seasonal evaluations

[en] An assessment is performed for data and methods to form response functions of a 3'' diameter x 3'' NaI(Tl) detector. Sie's method is simple and recommended for incident gamma-ray energies below about 2 MeV. The method of Berger and Seltzer is rather complicated, however, it is applicable for wider energy ranges than that of Sie. The Monte Carlo program MARTHA developed by Saito and Moriuchi gives quite accurate response functions for wide energy ranges. (orig.)

[en] The adsorption of sulfur on molybdenum surfaces has been studied by Auger electron spectroscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The Auger spectrum of sulfur overlapping with that of molybdenum at about 150 eV was able to be measured with little effects of the substrate Auger spectra by using the primary beam energy of 280 eV. The adsorbed states of sulfur are reflected in the shapes of Auger spectra. Low energy Auger spectra and energy loss spectra at primary beam energy of 60 eV are sensitive to surface adsorbates, and aid the interpretation of Auger results. (Auth.)

[en] Y-Ba-Cu-O films were prepared using a reactive magnetron sputtering method with three targets. The superconducting and structural properties were investigated in relation to the sputtering conditions. The oxygen content in the sputtering atmosphere influenced superconductivity, crystal orientation, surface roughness. the oxygen uptake into films increased in a 20% O₂-containing than in a 50% O₂-containing gas. The film prepared at 680 degree C showed the highest T_c, 84 K, in the 20% O₂-containing gas. This was considered to be caused by the increase in atomic oxygen, probably owing to collisions between activated argon atoms and oxygen molecules. Sputtering gas pressure severely influenced crystal orientations. The full width at half maximum of the rocking curve was investigated in relation to the superconducting properties

[en] The author presents empirical formulas derived that describe neutron flux distributions in straight and bent cylindrical steel-walled ducts in symmetrical and asymmetrical geometries. Asymmetry is defined by the slant angle between the duct axis and a line passing through the center of the duct mouth and source. Streaming neutrons are divided into direct, albedo, and penetration components. The first two components are described by a function of the axial distance in units of the square root of the line-of-sight area. The last component is described by a function of the neutron flux distribution in the shield in the absence of the duct

[en] Two Raman bands at 880 and 1350 cm^-1 of tryptophan (Trp) side chains have been found useful in structural studies of the side chains in proteins. The frequency of the 880-cm^-1 band reflects the strength of H bonding at the N₁H site of the indole ring: the lower the frequency is, the stronger the H bonding is. The intensity of the 1360-cm^-1 band, on the other hand, is a marker of the hydrophobicity of the environment of the indole ring: particularly strong in hydrophobic environments. It is also demonstrated that a combination of stepwise deuteriation of the tryptophan side chains and difference spectrum techniques is useful to observe these marker bands due to each side chain separately. The states of six tryptophans in lysozyme revealed by the Raman spectroscopic method in solution are compared with those by X-ray diffraction in crystal. The Raman data on the outer four Trp's are consistent with the X-ray structure, whereas significant differences between solution and crystal are suggested for the strength of H bonding of the most and second most buried Trp's. Characterization of four Trp's in α-lactalbumin shows that the two outer Trp's are moderately H bonded to solvent water and closely surrounded by aliphatic side chains while the inner two are not H bonded nor closely surrounded by aliphatic side chains

[en] Fifty-three patients with esophageal carcinoma were treated with high-dose-rate intracavitary irradiation following external irradiation. Ten patients developed esophageal fistula. Perforations were found in the bronchus (four), major vessels (four), pericardium (one), and mediastinum (one). The frequency of fistula occurrence in these patients was not remarkably different from that in 30 other patients treated only with greater than or equal to 50 Gy external irradiation. From the time of the development of esophageal fistula, intracavitary irradiation did not seem to accelerate the development of fistula. The fistulas in our ten patients proved to be associated with tumor, deep ulcer (created before intracavitary irradiation), chemotherapy, infection, and trauma rather than the direct effect of intracavitary irradiation

[en] Five patients with early esophageal carcinoma were treated by 6-12 Gy of intracavitary irradiation following 50-60 Gy of external irradiation as a boost therapy. Surgery was not performed in these cases. None of the patients had local recurrence after radiation therapy, as demonstrated by esophagography and endoscopy. Three patients have been alive for 1-3 years 10 months. Esophageal ulceration induced by intracavitary irradiation has occurred in three of the five patients; however, intracavitary irradiation is still a beneficial treatment because of its efficacy in controlling local lesions and because radiation ulceration can eventually be cured. Intracavitary irradiation is recommended to follow external irradiation as a boost therapy for the treatment of early esophageal carcinoma

[en] Male Wistar rats were injected with CdCl₂ subcutaneously to examine in vivo effects of Cd on density and survival of red blood cells. During the 7 days after administration of 1.0 mg Cd/kg, the following sequence of events occurred: (1) a progressive increase in the amount of more dense red blood cells concomitant with a decrease in that of light red blood cells from the first to the third day; (2) an increase in the spleen weight at the third day; (3) a decrease in the hematocrit value and an increase in the amount of light red blood cells at the fifth day; and (4) a recovery of the hematocrit value at the seventh day. Five days after administration, the hematocrit value decreased in a dose-dependent mode and the decrease was significant at the 1% level at 1.0 and 1.5 mg Cd/kg. A highly significant splenomegaly was also observed at 0.5 to 1.5 mg Cd/kg. In order to label red blood cells in vivo, [³H] diisopropylfluorophosphate ([³H]DFP) was injected into rats. At Day 11, Cd at either 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg was administered to [³H]DFP-prelabeled animals. Cd administration accelerated ³H-labeled red cell clearance from the blood. Six days after Cd administration, the radioactivity of red blood cells was 76 and 68% of the control at 0.5 and 1.0 mg Cd/kg, respectively. In vitro treatment of rat red density and accelerated in vivo clearance of red blood cells from the recipient circulation. These results show that Cd at low dose can cause anemia by increasing red cell density and by accelerating red cell sequestration, presumably in the spleen

[en] The thorium target was irradiated by positrons from a ¹¹⁸Te-¹¹⁸Sb beta-plus source and electrons emitted from the target were measured by means of an electron spectrometer and a counter telescope consisting of two position sensitive counters. We have observed excess electrons located at 328.6 ± 0.3 keV in the spectrogram. The kinematic energy and the intrinsic FWHM of the electron line were deduced to be 333 ± 1 keV and 3.7 ± 0.3 keV, respectively and the cross section was estimated as 120 ± 40 mb. If we assume that the electrons result from the decay of an anomalous particle emitting an electron-positron pair with the same energy, its mass is to be 1688 ± 2 keV. (author)