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We report the development of a millimeter-wave electron-spin-resonance (ESR) measurement system at the University of Fukui using a 3He/4He dilution refrigerator to reach temperatures below 1 K. The system operates in the frequency range of 125-130 GHz, with a homodyne detection. A nuclear-magnetic-resonance (NMR) measurement system was also developed in this system as the extension for millimeter-wave ESR/NMR double magnetic-resonance (DoMR) experiments. Several types of Fabry-Pérot-type resonators (FPR) have been developed: A piezo actuator attached to an FPR enables an electric tuning of cavity frequency. A flat mirror of an FPR has been fabricated using a gold thin film aiming for DoMR. ESR signal was measured down to 0.09 K. Results of ESR measurements of an organic radical crystal and phosphorous-doped silicon are presented. The NMR signal from 1H contained in the resonator is also detected successfully as a test for DoMR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a millimeter-wave electron-spin-resonance (ESR) measurement system using a 3He-4He dilution refrigerator for the ultralow-temperature range below 1 K. The currently available frequency range is 125–130 GHz. This system is based on a Fabry-Pérot-type resonator (FPR) that is composed of two mirrors. The frequency can be changed by adjusting the distance between the mirrors using a piezoelectric actuator installed at the bottom of the resonator. A homodyne detection system with an InSb detector is built into the low-temperature section of the 3He-4He dilution refrigerator; this system provides high sensitivity. Using this system, we performed ESR measurements on a Heisenberg quantum-spin chain—copper pyrazine dinitrate, Cu(C4H4N2)(NO3)2—over the temperature range from 6.6 down to 0.25 K. The ESR lines change continuously with decreasing temperature. Our results suggest that the ESR spectrum of copper pyrazine dinitrate may be useful as a temperature sensor for the very low-temperature range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the validity and the utility of the Japanese version of the WHO-Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5-J) in the context of detecting suicidal ideation in elderly community residents.Methods: A sample of 696 subjects aged 70 years or over who completed a set of questionnaires was examined.Results: Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 and Loevinger's coefficient was 0.64. The total score was significantly correlated with the number of cohabitants, the number of physical illnesses, physical functioning, instrumental activities of daily living, and depressive symptoms. Subjects with suicidal ideation had significantly lower scores on the WHO-5-J. The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that the scale significantly discriminated the subjects with suicidal ideation. When combined with the assessment of a lack of perceived social support (PSS), a standard cut-off criterion of "a total score < or = 12 or answering 0 or 1 to any of the five items" more appropriately identified elderly subjects with suicidal ideation: sensitivity = 87%, specificity = 75%, negative predictive value = 99%, and positive predictive value = 10%.Conclusions: In combination with PSS, the scale has predictive utility to detect suicidal ideation in elderly community residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We are developing a transition edge sensor (TES) using multilayer readout wiring for future X-ray astronomy satellites. Although we fabricated a first full 20 $$\,\times \,$$ 20 pixels TES array, we could not confirm transition of the TES. Considering possible causes, we focused on surface roughness of the TES film. We checked the fabrication process steps that can influence the surface roughness step by step, and changed wiring material (Al to Nb) and also a process condition of an ion milling. As a result, we succeeded to reduce the surface roughness from 4.5 to 2.5 nm rms at 1 $$\upmu $$ m scale. However, the transition was not observed probably because the TES films in our samples with surface roughness more than $${\sim }1$$ nm rms tend not to show the transition. Therefore, to suppress the surface roughness even more, we discuss possible process effects and mitigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors propose a hybrid geothermal heat pump system that could cool buildings in summer and melt snow on the pedestrian sidewalks in winter, utilizing cold mine water and hot spring water. In the proposed system, mine water would be used as cold thermal energy storage, and the heat from the hot spring after its commercial use would be used to melt snow for a certain section of sidewalks. Neither of these sources is viable for direct use application of geothermal resources, however, they become contributing energy factors without producing any greenhouse gases. To assess the feasibility of the proposed system, a series of temperature measurements in the Edgar Mine (Colorado School of Mines' experimental mine) in Idaho Springs, Colorado, were first conducted, and heat/mass transfer analyses of geothermal hot spring water was carried out. The result of the temperature measurements proved that the temperature of Edgar Mine would be low enough to store cold groundwater for use in summer. The heat loss of the hot spring water during its transportation was also calculated, and the heat requirement for snow melt was compared with the heat available from the hot spring water. It was concluded that the heat supply in the proposed usage of hot spring water was insufficient to melt the snow for the entire area that was initially proposed. This feasibility study should serve as an example of "local consumption of locally available energy". If communities start harnessing economically viable local energy in a responsible manner, there will be a foundation upon which to build a sustainable community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid crystals (LCs) are attractive for optical devices, such as lenses because of their large birefringence and high response to external field. However, the low-speed response of nematic LCs often becomes an obstacle to the progress of LC devices. In this study, we research the lens effect of ferroelectric LC by using a voltage-gradient cell. As a result, it is found that in order to obtain the lens effect in FLC, the wide cell gap, the large tilt angle and/or the large birefringence of FLC materials are necessary to increase the birefringence variation under the gradient voltage in addition to the monostabilization of FLC media. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Study design:Prospective multicenter study.Objective:To clarify the significance of intramedullary Gd-DTPA enhancement in cervical myelopathy, the prevalence, morphologic features, clinical relevance and postoperative change were investigated.Setting:Four hospitals in Japan.Methods:A total of 683 patients with cervical myelopathy who underwent decompressive surgery were consecutively examined. T1, 2 and Gd-DTPA-enhanced MRI were taken before surgery. Fifty consecutive cases without intramedullary enhancement were allocated in the non-enhancement group. The following variables were investigated: prevalence of the enhancement, the morphologic feature, the relationship between the enhancement and T2 high-intensity areas, the change of the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score for cervical myelopathy and the change of the enhancement after surgery.Results:Intramedullary enhancement was observed in 50 cases (7.3%). The enhancements were observed between the most severely compressed disc and the cranial half of the lower vertebral body. On axial images, they were observed at the posterior or posterolateral periphery of the spinal cord. Enhancement areas were observed within T2 high-intensity areas and smaller than them. The preoperative JOA score was 9.8±2.8 points in the enhancement group and 9.8±3.3 points in the non-enhancement group (NS). The postoperative JOA score was 12.7±2.9 points in the enhancement group and 14.2±2.4 in the non-enhancement group (P=0.006). Intramedullary enhancement disappeared in 60% of the patients 1 year after surgery.Conclusion:Intramedullary enhancement indicated not the severity of preoperative symptoms, but a sign of a worse prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new kind of Ni-Co–base disk alloys, named TMW alloys, has been developed on the basis of our innovative concept. Full-scale pancakes (440 mm in diameter and 65 mm in thickness) with an average grain size of about 10 μm were successfully manufactured from TMW alloys by a conventional cast-and-wrought (C&W) processing route. The property assessments of the pancakes indicate that TMW alloys are superior to C&W U720Li alloys in tensile strength and in creep resistance, while the performances of low-cycle fatigue (LCF) and fatigue crack growth (FCG) are comparative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Au diffusion in the Ti3Al compound was investigated at six compositions from 25 to 35 at. pct Al by using the diffusion couples (Ti- X at. pct Al/Ti- X at. pct Al-2 at. pct Au; X = 25, 27, 29, 31, 32, and 35) at 1273 to 1423 K. The diffusion coefficients of Au in Ti3Al $$ \left( {D_{\text{Au}}^{{{\text{Ti}}_{3} {\text{Al}}}} } \right) $$ are relatively close to those of Ti. The $$ {D}_{\text{Au}}^{{{\text{Ti}}_{3} {\text{Al}}}} {\text{s}} $$ slightly increase with Al concentration within the same order of magnitude. The activation energies of Au diffusion, $$ Q_{\text{Au}}^{{{\text{Ti}}_{3} {\text{Al}}}} {\text{s}}, $$ evaluated from the Arrhenius plots were relatively close to those of Ti diffusion, $$ Q_{\text{Ti}}^{{{\text{Ti}}_{3} {\text{Al}}}} {\text{s}}, $$ rather than those of Al diffusion, $$ {Q}_{\text{Al}}^{{{\text{Ti}}_{3} {\text{Al}}}} {\text{s}}; $$ therefore, it was suggested that Au atoms diffuse by the sublattice diffusion mechanism in which Au atoms substitute for Ti sites preferentially in Ti3Al and diffuse by vacancy mechanism on Ti sublattice. The influence of the D019 ordered structure (hcp base) of Ti3Al on diffusion of Au and other elements is discussed by comparing the diffusivities in Ti3Al and α-Ti. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidation resistant fourth and fifth generation Ni base superalloys were developed. The fourth generation superalloys TMS-138A were modified by increasing the content of Al and Cr and deceasing Mo. Designed alloys were cast as single crystal and examined in cyclic and isothermal exposures at 1100°C and creep rupture test. Under high temperature/low stress condition, 0.5 wt-% of Al addition was effective to improve the oxidation resistance but degrade creep property. Cr addition and Mo and W reduction were effective to improve the oxidation resistance and display creep property almost equal to the original TMS-138A. The fourth generation superalloy TMS-138 and fifth generation superalloy TMS-173 were also modified. By adding Cr and removing Mo and W, their oxidation resistances were dramatically improved. Thus it was found that it is possible to improve the oxidation resistance of Ru containing SC superalloys with keeping the high temperature strength by the increase in Cr and decrease in Mo and W. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion coefficients of oxygen in directions parallel to the c- (Dc) and a-axis (Da) of Ti3Al single crystals were measured by oxygen implantation and Auger electron spectroscopy. The temperature dependence of Dc and Da in the temperature range 723 - 1073 K is expressed as: [image omitted] and [image omitted], respectively. The diffusion coefficients are three orders of magnitude less than those in α-Ti. The value of Dc/Da is within the range 0.94 - 1.11 and the diffusion anisotropy is weak, despite the anisotropic arrangement of octahedral sites. The diffusion mechanism is discussed in terms of the ordered arrangement of two types of octahedral sites occupied by oxygen atoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aims: We have previously reported that specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies induced by transcutaneous immunization (TCI) with a 40-kDa outer membrane protein (40k-OMP) of Porphyromonas gingivalis, with cholera toxin (CT) as adjuvant, inhibited coaggregation by P. gingivalis. In this study, we further pursue the potential of the 40k-OMP as a transcutaneous vaccine. Methods/results: TCI of rats administered 40k-OMP elicited significant 40k-OMP-specific serum IgG and IgA, as well as salivary IgG antibody titers. Importantly, these antibody responses were induced without adjuvant. Thus, both serum and saliva antibody titers induced by TCI with the 40k-OMP alone were identical to those of 40k-OMP plus cholera toxin as adjuvant. The serum antibody responses induced by 40k-OMP persisted for more than 140 days. On the other hand, salivary IgG anti-40k-OMP antibodies were gradually decreased. Analysis of antibody-forming cells (AFCs) confirmed the antibody titers by detecting high numbers of 40k-OMP-specific IgG AFCs in spleen and cervical lymph node. Conclusion: Since 40k-OMP-specific IgG inhibited the coaggregation of P. gingivalis with Streptococcus gordonii, and the hemagglutinin activity of P. gingivalis, TCI with the 40k-OMP may be important as an adjuvant-free immunogen for the prevention of chronic periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To shed light on the enormous dependence of the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) for prism slip of Ti3Al on antiphase domain (APD) size, which was found in a previous study, morphologies and configurations of dislocations in crystals with various APD sizes were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Contrary to models in previous works, dislocation had a wavy or winding morphology depending on [image omitted], the average APD size. Also, unpaired dislocations were observed in the APD structure with an [image omitted] approximately smaller than 100 nm, whereas superpartial dislocation pairs were observed in coarser APD structures. Based on these observations we propose a new model of dislocation motion in relatively coarse APDs. The model relies on a detailed theoretical investigation of the interaction of dislocations with differently oriented antiphase domain boundaries (APDBs). In the model, dislocations move by bowing out between APDBs that are inclined from their Burgers vector, b, because dislocation motion is interfered by APDBs inclined from b but they can move easily through APDBs parallel to b. As this process is reminiscent of the classical Orowan mechanism, the model is designated an “Orowan-like model”. For relatively coarse APD structures with [image omitted] larger than approximately 100 nm, the dependence of the CRSS on the APD size derived from this model agrees with that measured experimentally. Also, the mechanism of uncoupling of superpartial dislocation pairs is suggested considering dislocation motion shearing APDBs inclined from b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the study that evaluated the utility and validity of the Japanese version of the World Health Organization (WHO) - Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5-J) in the context of detecting suicidal ideation in elderly community residents. The study used 696 subjects whose ages are 70 years old and older and were able to completely answer a set of questionnaires.

The energies of conservative and non-conservative antiphase boundaries (APBs) on and (0001) planes of stoichiometric Ti 3 Al are calculated ab initio in order to shed light on the reason for the enormous strengthening by antiphase domains (APDs). The energy of the non-conservative APB, which has never before been estimated either experimentally or theoretically, is found to be between those of the two types of conservative APBs, and therefore, the great strengthening cannot be attributed to the energy of the non-conservative APB. On the other hand, large differences are found between the calculated energies of conservative energies and those estimated from dissociation distances of superdislocations. This is similar to the differences seen in the case of the APB energies of TiAl, which are probably due to the equilibration of APBs by rearrangements of atoms in the vicinity of APBs. The calculated APB energies in Ti 3 Al are significantly larger than those estimated experimentally, and the APD size dependences of the critical resolved shear stress (CRSS) estimated by substituting these calculated values into the previously proposed equations are in better agreement with the actual dependence than those obtained using the experimental values. This implies that the enormous strengthening by APDs may be attributed to the quite large energy of the APBs created by shearing of APD boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the cytochrome P450 (CYP) primarily expressed after styrene exposure, seven forms of hepatic CYP mRNA in rats treated with 600?mg?kg -1 styrene were examined. CYP1A2, CYP2B1/2, CYP2E1 and CYP3A2 mRNA were observed using real-time LightCycler PCR. The amount of CYP2B1 mRNA was significantly increased, 47-fold compared with controls, suggesting that this CYP is the primary cytochrome P450 in rats exposed to styrene. Significant increases in the amount of CYP2E1, CYP1A2 and CYP2B2 mRNA were also observed after styrene exposure, and their increase levels were 3.1-, 1.7- and 1.7-fold higher than controls, respectively. Western blot analysis also indicated that the protein levels of CYP2B1, CYP2B2, CYP2E1 and CYP1A2 showed clear increases after styrene treatment, corresponding to their mRNA expression. CYP2C11 mRNA decreased significantly in rats after styrene exposure. CYP1A1 was detected at the mRNA level in rat liver, but it was not detected at the protein level. The expression of epoxide hydrolase (EH), involved in Phase I drug metabolism, was also examined. EH mRNA increased 2-fold compared with controls after styrene exposure. Styrene thus appears to be a chemical compound that induces multiple CYPs. The results demonstrate that CYP2B1 is the primarily induced CYP form by styrene treatment to rats at acute toxic level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted a case-control study to investigate the association of nutrient intake involved in the one-carbon pathway of folate for DNA methylation and DNA synthesis and the related enzyme genetic polymorphisms with colorectal cancer. Cases were 107 patients newly diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Controls were 224 subjects matched with cases by sex, age, and residential area. Nutrient intake was assessed by a self-administered, semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Four genetic polymorphisms-MTHFR C677T and A1298C, MTRR A66G, and ALDH2 Glu487Lys-were determined using blood samples. Odds ratios were calculated using conditional logistic regression analysis adjusted for smoking, alcohol consumption, body mass index, and dietary fiber intake. Although folate intake was inversely associated with colorectal cancer, this association was attenuated after further controlling for dietary fiber intake. Neither vitamin B6, vitamin B12, nor vitamin B2, nor any genetic polymorphism was significantly associated with colorectal cancer. MTRR polymorphism interacted with the association of folate (P for interaction = 0.04) or vitamin (P for interaction = 0.02) with colorectal cancer, although the other polymorphisms did not interact with any nutrient intake. In conclusion, the study did not support the existing hypothesis of gene-nutrient interaction in colorectal carcinogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-energy protons induce Single Event Transient (SET) currents that trigger bit errors in optical data links used in radiation environments. Here, Monte Carlo modeling and the Evaluated Nuclear Data Format (ENDF) database library were combined to develop an approach for estimating proton induced SET currents in photodiodes. Modeling of the SET current distribution induced in a Si pin photodiode is compared to charge collection data measured in the laboratory. In this paper, we discuss the basic methodology of the approach and comment on any differences noted between theory and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the strengthening of TMS 162 alloy toward a fifth-generation single-crystal superalloy. Increase in the temperature stability of superalloys with γ/γ' structure; Effect of platinum group metals on alloys; Characteristic features of interfacial dislocation networks.

The deformation structure after the out-of-phase thermomechanical fatigue (OP TMF) of the single-crystal (SC), Ni-based superalloy TMS-75 has been studied. Mechanical experiments were performed at temperatures between 400°C and 900°C under different total strain ranges with varying hold times in the compression stage. The lives of TMF for samples with hold times of 10 and 60 minutes dropped drastically by one order of magnitude as compared with those without it. Different structures developed during TMF were correlated to the difference in mechanical behavior for the two cases. The dislocations in the γ phase and the stacking faults (SFs) in the γ′ phase were quantitatively analyzed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). This work verified that shearing of the γ′ precipitates occurred with a single-dislocation mechanism rather than a dislocation-reaction mechanism. The implications of this work on the design of superalloys are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth kinetics of antiphase domain (APD) which increases the yield strength of Ti3Al by a factor of five, was investigated in Ti3Al compounds with compositions of 22.6, 24.6 and 34.7 at.%Al by quenching from disordered state and subsequent isothermal annealing at 973–1173 K. The variation in APD size exhibited positive deviation from the conventional ‘parabolic-growth-law’ in the early stage in all the compounds, while negative deviations were observed in the late stage in all the compounds except the stoichiometric one (Ti–25 at.%Al). The variation in the APD size in the stoichiometric compound was numerically calculated by considering the variation in the long range order in the matrix (S) and that in the mobility of the APDBs which was enhanced by non-equilibrium excess vacancies which were introduced by the quenching. The calculated variations in APD size could be successfully fitted to the experimental results in the early stage, and therefore, the positive deviation was attributed to the enhancement of the mobility of APDBs by the excess vacancies. In the late stage, the segregation of excess atoms (i.e. Ti atoms in Ti-rich composition and Al atoms in Al-rich composition) was detected in the compounds of off-stoichiometric composition by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, while any heterogeneity of composition was not observed in the stoichiometric compound. Faceted APDBs were observed in this stage. The mechanism of the negative deviation was attributed to the segregation and the facet which decrease the mobility and/or the driving force of the APDB migration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The morphologies of (001) γ/γ′ interfacial dislocation networks are studied through TEM observations. The lattice misfit has an important relation with creep property for superalloy during high temperature creep deformation. The fourth generation superalloy TMS-138 possesses superior creep properties based on its fine interfacial dislocation networks. The networks have two typical characteristics: closely spaced dislocations and stable square morphology during creep deformation. Such arranged dislocations can effectively prevent the slipping dislocations in the γ phase from moving through the γ/γ′ interface and improve drastically the creep resistance in the fourth generation superalloy TMS-138. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the possible association of gastrointestinal cancers with cruciferous vegetables and mushrooms in a multicenter, hospital-based case-control study in an agricultural area of Japan. One hundred forty-nine cases and 287 controls for stomach cancer and 115 cases and 230 controls for colorectal cancer were matched by age, sex, and residential area. In stomach cancer, the protective effect of vegetables (consumption of total vegetable) was obscure, but it became clearer when we examined specific kinds of vegetables. Marginal associations were observed in the group of the highest consumption of Chinese cabbage (odds ratio [OR] = 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.35-1.07), broccoli (OR = 0.60; 95% CI = 0.34-1.08), Hypsizigus marmoreus (Bunashimeji) (OR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.31-1.04) and Pholita nameko (Nameko) (OR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.30-1.06). In colorectal cancer, we observed decreased risks from the highest tertile of total vegetables (OR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.08-0.66) and low-carotene-containing vegetables (OR = 0.28; 95% CI = 0.08-0.77), and inverse associations were observed in the group of the highest consumption of broccoli (OR = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.06-0.58). Although the sample size was limited, subgroup analyses showed that the associations differed with the histopathological subtype. These findings suggest that cruciferous vegetables decrease the risk of both stomach and colorectal cancer, and that mushrooms are associated with a decreased risk of stomach cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviour of two third generation single crystal superalloys, TMS-75 and TMS-113, has been investigated. The two alloys had similar chemical composition with a γ ′ volume fraction of 60% (TMS-75) and 70% (TMS-113). It was shown that the lifetime of TMF for specimens with a hold period in the compression phase decreased severely by an order of magnitude compared with those without a hold period. Compared with TMS-75, TMS-113 superalloy showed superior creep behaviour at 1173 K, but inferior TMF behaviour between 673 Kand 1173 Kunder out of phase conditions. Microstructural studies by electron microscopy were performed to reveal the deformation mechanisms. Microstructures developed during TMF differed for the two superalloys, probably due to the difference in γ ′ volume fraction. Compressive stress relaxation behaviours also differed, which playeda keyrole in the different maximum stresses and rupture lives. Results indicate that a balance between creep and TMF properties must be made by changing the volume fraction of γ′ phase when designing new superalloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective--It has been reported that the eye movements induced by off vertical axis rotation (OVAR) are composed of two components: a bias component (BIC) and a modulation component (MOC). It was suggested that the MOC compensates for changes in head orientation with respect to gravity and that the BIC is related to the velocity storage mechanism. However, the characteristics of the otolith organs remain obscure. In order to investigate these characteristics, we performed a 3D analysis of eye movements induced by human sinusoidal s-OVAR, and compared the result with that of eye movements induced by constant c-OVAR. Material and Methods--Fifteen healthy human subjects participated in this study. OVAR stimulation was produced by rotation following tilt. After a 30° tilt, the subject was rotated sinusoidally at 0.05 and 0.02 Hz at 50°/s peak velocity. Eye movements were recorded using an infrared charge-coupled device camera, and the updated version of our standard computerized image recognition method was used to analyze them three-dimensionally. Results--The eye movements induced by s-OVAR consisted of two kinds of sine waves: low- and high-frequency components. The low-frequency component was related to the change in angular acceleration, and the eye movements were found to derive from the semicircular canals. In contrast, the high-frequency component was related to the change in head position, and the eye movements were found to derive from the otolith organs. Conclusion-s-OVAR may prove to be a useful tool for simultaneously assessing the functions of both the otolith organs and the semicircular canals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The γ/γ′ interfacial dislocation networks in several creep-ruptured superalloys were analyzed. It was found that the morphologies of dislocation networks differ slightly from each other in these alloys. The fourth-generation superalloy has finer dislocation networks and keeps a relatively stable state. Comparatively, the interfacial dislocations in the third-generation superalloy show obvious curved features associated with possible climb or slip. These interfacial dislocation characteristics can be correlated with the creep behavior of these superalloys. The mechanisms of evolution of the interfacial dislocation networks were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study that examined the optical spectral response of silicon pin photodiodes after gamma and electron irradiation. Experiments; Results and discussion; Summary; Conclusion.

Background: We have previously found that agents increasing intracellular cAMP levels of smooth muscles, such as PDE3 inhibitors, aminophylline and prostaglandin E1, produce both bronchodilation and pulmonary vasodilation in serotonin-induced pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction models. In the present study we have simultaneously evaluated the spasmolytic effects of colforsin daropate, a novel forskolin derivative, on serotonin-induced pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction.Methods: Ten mongrel dogs were anesthetized with pentobarbital. The pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction were elicited with serotonin (10 microg/kg + 1 mg x kg(-1) x h(-1)) and assessed as percentage changes in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and bronchial cross-sectional area (BCA) (basal = 100%). Initially, the relaxant effects of colforsin daropate (0-300 microg/kg) were determined. The PVR and BCA were assessed before and 30 min after serotonin infusion began and 5 min after each dose of colforsin daropate. To determine whether colforsin daropate-induced relaxation is independent of plasma catecholamine, propranolol 0.4 mg/kg was given following colforsin daropate 300 microg/kg i.v.Results: Colforsin daropate reversed both pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction dose-dependently: -logED50 (95% confidence intervals, mean ED50) for pulmonary hypertension and bronchoconstriction 5.44 (5.08-5.80, 3.6 microg/kg) and 4.90 (4.06-5.20, 12.5 microg/kg), respectively. However, colforsin daropate (>or= 30 microg/kg) produced a more pronounced systemic than pulmonary vasodilation. Although colforsin daropate (>or= 30 microg/kg) significantly increased plasma catecholamines, propranolol did not reverse the relaxant effects.Conclusions: Colforsin daropate may attenuate bronchoconstriction and pulmonary hypertension. In addition, as beta-blockade did not change the attenuation, the relaxant effects may be independent of plasma catecholamines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A mixture of copper and carbon powders was mechanically alloyed in a planetary ball mill. The supersaturated solid solubility of carbon in mechanically-alloyed copper is 25 at% C, as determined from the lattice parameter change. The supersaturated powder consolidated by static compression at 1.4 GPa, has the relative density of 95%, a Vickers hardness of 121, and a compressive strength of 1.4 GPa. In contrast, powder consolidated dynamically by a 90.1 g projectile traveling at a velocity of 38.1 m/s and at an estimated impact compression of 2.3 GPa after 0.4 GPa static precompression has a relative density of 96.3% and a Vickers hardness of 200. X-ray diffraction patterns shift to higher angles after impact compression. The supersaturated solid solubility of 18 at% C in Cu+20 at% C mechanically-alloyed powders was reduced to 12.5 at% C by impact compression. Mechanically-alloyed powders can be consolidated by impact and static pressures while retaining the effects of mechanical alloying; for example, supersaturated solid solubility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]