Search

Abstract: Chemical substances that contain indium (In) and silicon (Si) in close proximity are known to catalyze certain organic chemical reactions. An earlier paper [Yoshimura, Hine, Kiuchi, Nishimoto, Yasuda, Baba, Hamaguchi, Appl. Surf. Sci. 257 (2010) 192] has demonstrated that In implanted silicon dioxide (SiO2) films formed at room temperature catalyze a reaction of benzhydrol with acetylacetone. This study, thus, examined effects of substrate temperature during In ion implantation, revealing that, if In ions were implanted into a SiO2 film at the substrate holder temperature of 200°C or higher, the film exhibited no catalytic ability. Surface analyses by the X-ray diffraction, the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and the atomic force microscopy indicated that, at such high temperature, implanted In atoms either formed separate phases of metallic In on the SiO2 film surface or were simply nonexistent due to vaporization. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chemical substances that contain indium (In) and silicon (Si) in close proximity are known to catalyze certain organic chemical reactions. The previous study [S. Yoshimura, et al., Appl. Surf. Sci., 257 (2010) 192] has demonstrated that In implanted SiO2 thin films, formed under some specific conditions, contain In atoms on or near the substrate surface in close proximity with Si atoms and catalyze a reaction of benzhydrol with acetylacetone. In this study, dependence of the catalytic ability of an In implanted SiO2 thin film on the ion incident energy and dose for the In ion implantation process has been examined. It has been shown that a right combination of ion energy and ion dose must be selected in the film preparation process for the manifestation of the catalytic effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Restenosis after carotid artery stenting (CAS) is a critical issue. Cilostazol can reduce restenosis after interventions in coronary or femoropopliteal arteries. We investigated whether periprocedural cilostazol treatment was related to the incidence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) or target vessel revascularization (TVR) after CAS. The study group comprised 553 of 580 patients who underwent CAS between April 2003 and August 2006 and were followed for 30 months after the procedure. ISR was defined as stenosis of at least 50% detected on angiography or ultrasonography. TVR was defined as revascularization of the treated carotid artery. During CAS, 207 patients (37.4%) were treated with cilostazol. Over 30 months, ISR occurred in 23 patients (4.2%), TVR occurred in 16 patients (2.9%), and either ISR or TVR occurred in 25 patients (4.5%). The incidence of ISR or TVR was significantly lower in the cilostazol-treated group than in the untreated group (1.4% vs 6.4%; log-rank P = .006). In a multivariate analysis, cilostazol treatment (hazard ratio [HR], 0.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.08-0.95; P = .041) and stent diameter (HR, 0.73/1-mm increase; 95% CI, 0.54-0.99; P = .044) were independent factors for the occurrence of ISR or TVR. The incidence of a composite of events, including thromboembolism, hemorrhage, death, and TVR, tended to be lower in the cilostazol-treated group than in the untreated group (15.0% vs 19.9%; log-rank P = .17). Periprocedural cilostazol treatment was associated with lower rates of ISR and retreatment after CAS. A prospective randomized controlled trial is needed to clarify the effect of cilostazol on ISR after CAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interactions of Indium (In) and silicon (Si) atoms are known to catalyze certain organic chemical reactions with high efficiency. In an attempt of creating a material that manifests the interactions, In implanted SiO2 thin films were prepared by ion beam injection and their catalytic abilities for organic chemical reactions were examined. It has been found that, with an injection energy of approximately 0.5keV, a thin In film is formed on a SiO2 substrate surface and the In implanted SiO2 thin film can catalyze an organic chemical reaction. It has been also shown that there is an optimal ion dose for the highest catalytic ability in the film preparation process. Thin-film-type catalyzing materials such as the one proposed here may open a new way to enhance surface chemical reaction rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semipurified diets incorporating either perilla oil [high in alpha-linolenate, 18:3(n-3)] or safflower oil [high in linoleate, 18:2(n-6)] were fed to senescence-resistant SAMR1 mouse dams and their pups. Male offspring at 15 mo were examined using behavioral tests. In the open field test, locomotor activity during a 5-min period was significantly higher in the safflower oil group than in the perilla oil group. Observations of the circadian rhythm (48 h) of spontaneous motor activity indicated that the safflower oil group was more active than the perilla oil group during the first and second dark periods. The total number of responses to positive and negative stimuli was higher in the safflower oil group than in the perilla oil group in the light and dark discrimination learning test, but the correct response ratio was lower in the safflower oil group. The difference in the (n-6)/(n-3) ratios of the diets reflected the proportions of (n-6) polyunsaturated fatty acids, rather than those of (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain total fatty acids, and in the proportions of (n-6) and (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids in the total polyunsaturated fatty acids of the brain phospholipids. These results suggest that in SAMR1 mice, the dietary alpha-linolenate/linoleate balance affects the (n-6)/(n-3) ratio of brain phospholipids, and this may modify emotional reactivity and learning ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of monozygotic twins. One twin had a single umbilical artery and the other co-twin had congenital heart disease. This case and a review of the literature suggest that local environmental factors are important in the pathogenesis of these malformations although genetic factors cannot be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We have been developing terahertz (THz) wave detectors using superconducting tunnel junctions (STJs). The STJs consist of the Nb/Al/AlO x /Al/Nb structure. We fabricated THz-wave detectors on LiNbO3 substrates that have a high absorption coefficient for the frequency range of 1012 Hz. Two kinds of signals were detected when the THz-wave was irradiated from the substrate side. One was an indirect signal related to the generation of phonons. The other was a signal that corresponds to directly generated quasi-particles in the Nb electrode of the STJ. The pulse height of the indirect signal was larger than that of the latter signal. To enlarge the detector area, we designed a STJ that has different areas of the base electrode and top electrode. In this paper, the characteristics of the THz-wave detector area will be discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

“Amarna blue” pigments (18 Dynasty, c. 1400 BC) painted on pottery fragments were investigated using the PIXE, XRF and XRD methods in laboratories and also using a portable type of X-ray spectrometer at the sites of excavation. On the blue-colored part enrichment of Na, Al, S, Cl, Ca, Mn, Co, Ni and Zn was found using X-ray spectroscopy, and CaSO4, NaCl and Co(M)Al2O4, M denoting Mn, Fe, Ni and Zn, were found by the help of X-ray diffraction. This means that Amarna blue is a mixture of CaSO4 and Co(M)Al2O4, at least in part. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]