Development of Polyspermic Embryos in IVP Systems of Farm Animals

Tamás Somfai,Kazuhiro Kikuchi,Takashi Nagai,Kei Imai 한국동물번식학회 2008 Reproductive & Developmental Biology(Supplement) Vol.32 No.2s

Design of Heat-Activated Reversible Integral Attachments for Product-Embedded Disassembly

Li, Ying,Kikuchi, Noboru,Saitou, Kazuhiro Society for Computational Design and Engineering 2003 International Journal of CAD/CAM Vol.3 No.1

Disassembly is a fundamental process needed for component reuse and material recycling in all assembled products. Integral attachments, also known as 'snap' fits, are favored fastening means in design for assembly (DFA) methodologies, but not necessarily a favored choice for design for disassembly. In this paper, design methods of a new class of integral attachments are proposed, where the snapped joints can be disengaged by the application of localized heat sources. The design problem of reversible integral attachments is posed as the design of compliant mechanisms actuated with localized thermal expansion of materials. Topology optimization technique is utilized to obtain conceptual layout of snap-fit mechanisms that realizes a desired deformation of snapped features for joint release. Two design approaches are attempted and design results of each approach are presented, where the geometrical configuration extracted from optimal topologies are simplified to enhance the manufacturability for the conventional injection molding technologies. To maximize the magnitude of deformation, a design scheme has been proposed to include boundary conditions as design variables. Final designs are verified using commercial software for finite element analysis.

Development of Polyspermic Embryos in IVP Systems of Farm Animals

Tamas Somfai,Kazuhiro Kikuchi,Takashi Nagai,Kei Imai 한국동물생명공학회(구 한국동물번식학회) 2008 Reproductive & developmental biology Vol.32 No.2

Porcine Oocyte Maturation and Embryo Development In Vitro in a Chamber without CO2 Gas Tension

Takashi Nagai,Manabu Ozawa,Kazuhiro Kikuchi,Junko Noguchi,Hiroyuki Kaneko 한국동물생명공학회(구 한국동물번식학회) 2005 Reproductive & Developmental Biology(Supplement) Vol.29 No.2s

Characteristics of Dissimilatory Arsenate-reducing Bacteria

Young-Cheol Chang(장용철),Kazuhiro Takamizawa(다까미자와 카즈히로),Hoon Cho(조훈),Shintaro Kikuchi(키쿠치 신타로) 한국생물공학회 2012 KSBB Journal Vol.27 No.2

Although, microbial arsenic mobilization by dissimilatory arsenate-reducing bacteria (DARB) and the practical use to the removal technology of arsenic from contaminated soil are expected, most previous research mainly has been focused on the geochemical circulation of arsenic. Therefore, in this review we summarized the previously reported DARB to grasp the characteristic for bioremediation of arsenic. Evidence of microbial growth on arsenate is presented based on isolate analyses, after which a summary of the physiology of the following arsenaterespiring bacteria is provided: Chrysiogenes arsenatis strain BAL-1<SUP>T</SUP>, Sulfurospirillum barnesii, Desulfotomaculum strain Ben-RB, Desulfotomaculum auripigmentum strains OREX-4, GFAJ-1, Bacillus sp., Desulfitobacterium hafniense DCB-2<SUP>T</SUP>, strain SES-3, Citrobacter sp. (TSA-1 and NC-1), Sulfurospirillum arsenophilum sp. nov., Shewanella sp., Chrysiogenes arsenatis BAL-l<SUP>T</SUP>, Deferribacter desulfuricans. Among the DARB, Citrobacter sp. NC-1 is superior to other dissimilatory arsenate-reducing bacteria with respect to arsenate reduction, particularly at high concentrations as high as 60 mM. A gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, Citrobacter sp. NC-1, which was isolated from arsenic contaminated soil, can grow on glucose as an electron donor and arsenate as an electron acceptor. Strain NC-1 rapidly reduced arsenate at 5 mM to arsenite with concomitant cell growth, indicating that arsenate can act as the terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration (dissimilatory arsenate reduction). To characterize the reductase systems in strain NC-1, arsenate and nitrate reduction activities were investigated with washed-cell suspensions and crude cell extracts from cells grown on arsenate or nitrate. These reductase activities were induced individually by the two electron acceptors. Tungstate, which is a typical inhibitory antagonist of molybdenum containing dissimilatory reductases, strongly inhibited the reduction of arsenate and nitrate in anaerobic growth cultures. These results suggest that strain NC-1 catalyzes the reduction of arsenate and nitrate by distinct terminal reductases containing a molybdenum cofactor. This may be advantageous during bioremediation processes where both contaminants are present. Moreover, a brief explanation of arsenic extraction from a model soil artificially contaminated with As (V) using a novel DARB (Citrobacter sp. NC-1) is given in this article. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of microbial arsenate reduction in the environment. The successful application and use of DARB should facilitate the effective bioremediation of arsenic contaminated sites.

Technical Improvement Using a Three-Dimensional Video System for Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy

Komatsuda, Akari,Matsumoto, Kazuhiro,Miyajima, Akira,Kaneko, Gou,Mizuno, Ryuichi,Kikuchi, Eiji,Oya, Mototsugu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.5

Background: Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy is one of the major surgical techniques for small renal masses. However, it is difficult to manage cutting and suturing procedures within acceptable time periods. To overcome this difficulty, we applied a three-dimensional (3D) video system with laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, and evaluated its utility. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 31 patients who underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy between November 2009 and June 2014. A conventional two-dimensional (2D) video system was used in 20 patients, and a 3D video system in 11. Patient characteristics and video system type (2D or 3D) were recorded, and correlations with perioperative outcomes were analyzed. Results: Mean age of the patients was $55.8{\pm}12.4$, mean body mass index was $25.7{\pm}3.9kg/m^2$, mean tumor size was $2.0{\pm}0.8cm$, mean R.E.N.A.L nephrometry score was $6.9{\pm}1.9$, and clinical stage was T1a in all patients. There were no significant differences in operative time (p=0.348), pneumoperitoneum time (p=0.322), cutting time (p=0.493), estimated blood loss (p=0.335), and Clavien grade of >II complication rate (p=0.719) between the two groups. However, warm ischemic time was significantly shorter in the 3D group than the 2D group (16.1 min vs. 21.2min, p=0.021), which resulted from short suturing time (9.1 min vs. 15.2 min, p=0.008). No open conversion occurred in either group. Conclusions: A 3D video system allows the shortening of warm ischemic time in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy and thus may be useful in improving the procedure.

Characteristics of Dissimilatory Arsenate-reducing Bacteria

장용철,다까미자와 카즈히로,조훈,키쿠치 신타로,Chang, Young-Cheol,Takamizawa, Kazuhiro,Cho, Hoon,Kikuchi, Shintaro The Korean Society for Biotechnology and Bioengine 2012 KSBB Journal Vol.5 No.4

Although, microbial arsenic mobilization by dissimilatory arsenate-reducing bacteria (DARB) and the practical use to the removal technology of arsenic from contaminated soil are expected, most previous research mainly has been focused on the geochemical circulation of arsenic. Therefore, in this review we summarized the previously reported DARB to grasp the characteristic for bioremediation of arsenic. Evidence of microbial growth on arsenate is presented based on isolate analyses, after which a summary of the physiology of the following arsenate-respiring bacteria is provided: Chrysiogenes arsenatis strain BAL-$1^T$, Sulfurospirillum barnesii, Desulfotomaculum strain Ben-RB, Desulfotomaculum auripigmentum strains OREX-4, GFAJ-1, Bacillus sp., Desulfitobacterium hafniense DCB-$2^T$, strain SES-3, Citrobacter sp. (TSA-1 and NC-1), Sulfurospirillum arsenophilum sp. nov., Shewanella sp., Chrysiogenes arsenatis BAL-$1^T$, Deferribacter desulfuricans. Among the DARB, Citrobacter sp. NC-1 is superior to other dissimilatory arsenate-reducing bacteria with respect to arsenate reduction, particularly at high concentrations as high as 60 mM. A gram-negative anaerobic bacterium, Citrobacter sp. NC-1, which was isolated from arsenic contaminated soil, can grow on glucose as an electron donor and arsenate as an electron acceptor. Strain NC-1 rapidly reduced arsenate at 5 mM to arsenite with concomitant cell growth, indicating that arsenate can act as the terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration (dissimilatory arsenate reduction). To characterize the reductase systems in strain NC-1, arsenate and nitrate reduction activities were investigated with washed-cell suspensions and crude cell extracts from cells grown on arsenate or nitrate. These reductase activities were induced individually by the two electron acceptors. Tungstate, which is a typical inhibitory antagonist of molybdenum containing dissimilatory reductases, strongly inhibited the reduction of arsenate and nitrate in anaerobic growth cultures. These results suggest that strain NC-1 catalyzes the reduction of arsenate and nitrate by distinct terminal reductases containing a molybdenum cofactor. This may be advantageous during bioremediation processes where both contaminants are present. Moreover, a brief explanation of arsenic extraction from a model soil artificially contaminated with As (V) using a novel DARB (Citrobacter sp. NC-1) is given in this article. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of microbial arsenate reduction in the environment. The successful application and use of DARB should facilitate the effective bioremediation of arsenic contaminated sites.