Search

Manufacturing semiconductor devices requires advanced patterning technologies, including reactive ion etching (RIE) based on the synergistic interactions between ions and etch gas. However, these interactions weaken as devices continuously scale down to sub‐nanoscale, primarily attributed to the diminished transport of radicals and ions into the small features. This leads to a significant decrease in etch rate (ER). Here, a novel synergistic interaction involving ions, surface‐adsorbed chemistries, and materials at cryogenic temperatures is found to exhibit a significant increase in the ER of SiO2 using CF4/H2 plasmas. The ER increases twofold when plasma with H2/(CF4 + H2) = 33% is used and the substrate temperature is lowered from 20 to −60 °C. The adsorption of HF and H2O on the SiO2 surface at cryogenic temperatures is confirmed using in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The synergistic interactions of the surface‐adsorbed HF/H2O as etching catalysts and plasma species result in the ER enhancement. Therefore, a mechanism called "pseudo‐wet plasma etching" is proposed to explain the cryogenic etching process. This synergy demonstrates that the enhanced etch process is determined by the surface interactions between ions, surface‐adsorbed chemistry, and the material being etched, rather than interactions between ion and gas phase, as observed in the conventional RIE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exposure assessment is integral to the diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). Although the clinical relevance of exposed antigens is essential for the assessment, many of the previous guidelines or reports have only evaluated simple exposure histories or immunological tests. To overcome this problem, the Exposure Assessment Form (EAF) was developed as an assessment tool for classifying the exposure grade from G0 to G4. The EAF was modified from the description in the Japanese clinical practice guide 2022 for HP published by the Japanese Respiratory Society. Methods: One hundred and seventy-two consecutive patients with interstitial lung disease who underwent multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) at our hospital were retrospectively examined. We assessed whether the use of the EAF improved the diagnostic performance of the international guideline of HP. We also evaluated whether the exposure grade affected the prognosis of HP. Results: Even when a HP diagnosis was made with a confidence of 70% or higher according to the international guideline, less than half of these cases resulted in a final diagnosis of HP when the exposure grades were lower than G3. When the result of the EAF was integrated into the exposure definition of the international guideline, the specificity of the diagnostic performance improved, while sensitivity was maintained. Furthermore, HP patients with an exposure grade of G3 or higher showed a tendency to take a longer time to initiate medication. Conclusions: This is the first study to evaluate the clinical relevance of possible antigens using the EAF. Assessing the exposure grade prevents overdiagnosis and improves the diagnostic performance of the international guideline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface conductivity influences the etched pattern profiles in the plasma process. In the dielectric film etching, it is vital to reduce the charging build-up, which bends the trajectory of incoming ions for highly anisotropic etching. A significant increase in surface electric conductivity of SiO2 films was observed when exposed to down-flow plasmas containing hydrogen fluoride (HF) at cryogenic temperature (−60 °C). This phenomenon can be attributed to two factors: (i) the absorption of HF and/or its compounds and (ii) the presence of H2O, which is likely originating from the etching by-product of SiO2 and/or within the reactor. Comparing the surface electric resistance of the samples treated with HF plasmas to that of CF4/H2 and C4F8/H2 plasmas, we found that HF plasma treatment enables to be approximately three and six orders of magnitude lower. By using in situ x-ray photoemission spectroscopy, it was revealed that the presence of HF and/or its compounds and H2O were absorbed on the sample surface at −60 °C. These results strongly suggest that the cryogenic plasma etching with HF-contained gases can be used to alleviate the charge build-up issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the 80 solid tumor cases in which liquid biopsy (LB) was performed using Guardant360 in the PROFILE study, nine were lung cancer cases. Here, we review three cases in which LB was useful in diagnosing ALK fusion‐positive lung cancer, selecting sequential ALK‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors, confirming uncommon EGFR mutations, and receiving biomarker‐compatible therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corticosteroids use in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is controversial, especially in mild to severe patients who do not require invasive/noninvasive ventilation. Moreover, many factors remain unclear regarding the appropriate use of corticosteroids for COVID-19. In this context, this multicenter, retrospective, propensity score–matched study was launched to evaluate the efficacy of systemic corticosteroid administration for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 ranging in the degree of severity from mild to critically-ill disease. This multicenter, retrospective study enrolled consecutive hospitalized COVID-19 patients diagnosed January–April 2020 across 30 institutions in Japan. Clinical outcomes were compared for COVID-19 patients who received or did not receive corticosteroids, after adjusting for propensity scores. The primary endpoint was the odds ratio (OR) for improvement on a 7-point ordinal score on Day 15. Of 1092 COVID-19 patients analyzed, 118 patients were assigned to either the corticosteroid and non-corticosteroid group, after propensity score matching. At baseline, most patients did not require invasive/noninvasive ventilation (85.6% corticosteroid group vs. 89.8% non-corticosteroid group). The odds of improvement in a 7-point ordinal score on Day 15 was significantly lower for the corticosteroid versus non-corticosteroid group (OR, 0.611; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.388–0.962; p = 0.034). The time to improvement in radiological findings was significantly shorter in the corticosteroid versus non-corticosteroid group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.758; 95% CI, 1.323–2.337; p < 0.001), regardless of baseline clinical status. The duration of invasive mechanical ventilation was shorter in corticosteroid versus non-corticosteroid group (HR, 1.466; 95% CI, 0.841–2.554; p = 0.177). Of the 106 patients who received methylprednisolone, the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation was significantly shorter in the pulse/semi-pulse versus standard dose group (HR, 2.831; 95% CI, 1.347–5.950; p = 0.006). In conclusion, corticosteroids for hospitalized patients with COVID-19 did not improve clinical status on Day 15, but reduced the time to improvement in radiological findings for all patients regardless of disease severity and also reduced the duration of invasive mechanical ventilation in patients who required intubation. Trial registration: This study was registered in the University hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry on April 21, 2020 (ID: UMIN000040211). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of reports on sarcoidosis complicated by hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is limited, and most describe cases complicated by chronic bird-related HP. Here, we present for the first time a case with Propionibacterium acnes-associated sarcoidosis complicated by acute bird-related HP.Case Presentation: A 62-year-old man with a past medical history of sarcoidosis was admitted to our department, and chest computed tomography showed diffuse ground-glass opacities, which appeared as he rapidly increased the number of pigeons he kept for a competition. Random transbronchial lung biopsy revealed well-formed non-caseating epithelioid granulomas, which contained positively stained substances on immunohistochemistry using the PAB antibody, a specific monoclonal antibody against P. acnes lipoteichoic acid. Poorly formed non-caseating granulomas without positively stained substances were also detected.Conclusion: We describe the successful identification of this exceptionally rare case of sarcoidosis complicated by acute bird-related HP in which two morphologically and immunohistologically different types of granulomas were present in the same lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Osteochondral autograft transplant (OAT), a surgical treatment for capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), has favorable rates of elbow recovery and return to sports in adolescents. However, few reports have investigated how long patients continue to play baseball after OAT and their satisfaction with their treatment outcome. Purpose: To evaluate the rate of boys who played baseball and received OAT for OCD in junior high school or earlier (age <15 years) and continued to play baseball in high school and the players' satisfaction with their elbow function during play. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 32 elbows of boys who played baseball and received OAT at age ≤15 years (mean, 14.1 years) were examined and divided into pitcher (n = 11) and nonpitcher (n = 21) groups according to their player position before surgery. The clinical Timmerman-Andrews score at the end of their high school baseball, participation percentage of players who continued to play baseball, and satisfaction level during play (on a scale of 0-10 during pitching and batting and in a 4-choice format) were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The Timmerman-Andrews scores significantly improved after surgery in both groups, with no significant difference between the groups. Of the 32 players, 30 (93.8%) continued to play baseball throughout high school, including all players in the pitcher group and 19 (90.5%) of those in the nonpitcher group. The percentage of players who continued to pitch was 55.6% (6/11) in the pitcher group. Satisfaction with elbow joint function at the time of pitching was significantly lower in the pitcher group. Further, 5 players reported being "a little unsatisfied" because of elbow pain during pitching. All of the players indicated satisfaction with elbow function during batting. Conclusion: The percentage of players who received OAT for OCD in junior high school and continued to play baseball in high school was favorable. However, satisfaction with elbow function during throwing was lower in pitchers than in nonpitchers. Clinical Relevance: Before surgery, consent should be obtained from patients who are pitchers after it is explained that satisfaction with elbow joint function during pitching could be decreased after OAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective We developed a novel luciferase-based viability assay for assessing the viability of hearts preserved in different solutions. We examined whether this in vitro system could predict heart damage and survival after transplantation in rats. Design By our novel system, preserved heart viability evaluation and transplanted heart-graft functional research study. Setting University basic science laboratory. Interventions Isolated Luciferase-transgenic Lewis (LEW) rat cardiac-tissue-chips were plated on 96-well tissue-culture plates and incubated in preservation solutions at 4°C. Viability was measured as photon intensity by using a bio-imaging system. Heart-grafts preserved in University of Wisconsin (UW), extracellular-trehalose-Kyoto (ETK), Euro-Collins (EC), histidin-tryptophan-ketoglutarat solution (HTK), lactated Ringer's (LR) or normal saline solution were transplanted cervically by using a cuff-technique or into the abdomens of syngeneic wild-type LEW rats by using conventional microsurgical suture techniques. Main outcome measures Imaging an evaluation of preservation heart-graft and functional analysis. Results Cardiac-tissue-chips preserved with UW, HTK or ETK solution gave higher luminance than those preserved with EC, LR or normal saline (p<0.03). After 24 h of preservation of hearts in each solution at 4°C, the beating of the isolated hearts was evaluated. The success rate, evaluation of beating, of cervical heart transplants using UW and ETK solution exceeded 70%, but those using other preservation solutions were lower (UW: 100%, ETK: 75%, EC: 42.86%, HTK: 14.29%, normal saline: 0%). Histological analysis of cervical heart-grafts after 3 h preservation by myeloperoxidase (MPO), zona occludens-1 (ZO-1), and caspase-3 immunostaining revealed different degrees of preservation damage in all grafts. Conclusions Our novel assay system is simple and can test multiple solutions. It should therefore be a powerful tool for developing and improving new heart-graft preservation solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present here a case wherein the patient developed an unsuspected pseudoaneurysm (also called a false aneurysm) secondary to a low-energy proximal humeral fracture. Massive hemorrhaging from the pseudoaneurysm occurred around 4 months from the initial injury. Neurovascular deficit and necrosis were present upon examination and the limb was unsalvageable. The delay in treatment resulted in a severe and irreversible neurovascular deficit. A shoulder disarticulation was performed and postoperative progress was favorable. Early diagnosis and surgical intervention is critical to recovery in such cases. Common features and challenges associated with this sort of injury are here described based on a review of past case reports and on our own case. Although early diagnosis is difficult, the following are some clinical features of a pseudoaneurysm secondary to a proximal humeral fracture (1) delayed presentation; (2) severe anteromedial displacement of the fracture; (3) somewhat atypical symptoms such as a recurrence or persistence of shoulder swelling and pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ladder-like polymers with different degrees of ladder were synthesized by copper-mediated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl methacrylate) with α, α′-dibromo- p-xylene, as a bifunctional initiator. The livingness of ATRP was confirmed by kinetic analysis. The size of ladder-like sequence in ladder-like polymer was controlled by the hydrolysis. It was found that the remaining ester group was preferentially hydrolyzed and then the ester group of the ladder unit was hydrolyzed due to the high mobility of the remaining ester groups and high chemical resistance of the ladder-like unit. The products are block copolymers with different content of ladder-like sequences in the range of 18.2-73.5 mol%. All products showed two different glass transition temperatures (Tgs) and their high Tg was owing to the ladder-like sequence. The segregation of cyclic units in the ladder-like polymers was effective in improving the thermal stability of products. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

72-year-old woman with a history of lower extremity weakness, pain, and sensory loss in the right thigh for the last 15 months had deteriorated during a period of 6 months. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral spine revealed apparent nerve root thickening from L1 to S and spinal canal stenosis. An L1-L3 decompressive laminectomy and durotomy revealed multiple segmentally enlarged and congestive nerve roots. A 1-mm segment of nerve root was resected and submitted for pathological analysis. The pathological examination revealed hypertrophic neuropathy, with nonspecific inflammation. After steroid use, the patient's symptoms improved. HNCE is a rare disorder that can cause pain and lower extremity weakness, sensory loss, and hyporeflexia. One possible cause is chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), but the intrathecal nerve roots are enlarged only patchily and canal stenosis is also present, so the diagnosis is unclear. As this case demonstrates, surgical management and administration of steroids are an effective treatment for some HNCE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present two cases of pulmonary embolism (PE) without deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after spinal surgery with an anterior approach. On the seventh day after surgery, the patients’ plasma D-dimer levels were high without symptoms, so computed tomography (CT) was performed from chest to lower limb, revealing PE without lower limb DVT. After the exam, we immediately started anticoagulation therapy with heparin and warfarin. The patients were discharged with no complications. Previous reports have documented that DVT causes most cases of PE; however, our cases had no lower limb DVT. Some reports hypothesize that anterior spinal surgery might have a differential pathogenesis of PE. Simple mechanical prophylaxis for DVT may not protect these patients. On the other hand, the administration of chemical anticoagulants therapy after spinal surgery is controversial because of the risk of epidural hematoma. We should explain the risk of PE to patients undergoing spinal surgery with an anterior approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninefold coordination of hydrogen is very rare, and has been observed in two different hydride complexes comprising rhenium and technetium. Herein, based on a theoretical/experimental approach, we present evidence for the formation of ninefold H- coordination hydride complexes of molybdenum ([MoH9]3−), tungsten ([WH9]3−), niobium ([NbH9]4−) and tantalum ([TaH9]4−) in novel complex transition-metal hydrides, Li5MoH11, Li5WH11, Li6NbH11 and Li6TaH11, respectively. All of the synthesized materials are insulated with band gaps of approximately 4 eV, but contain a sufficient amount of hydrogen to cause the H 1s-derived states to reach the Fermi level. Such hydrogen-rich materials might be of interest for high-critical-temperature superconductivity if the gaps close under compression. Furthermore, the hydride complexes exhibit significant rotational motions associated with anharmonic librations at room temperature, which are often discussed in relation to the translational diffusion of cations in alkali-metal dodecahydro-closo-dodecaborates and strongly point to the emergence of a fast lithium conduction even at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]