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High lipoprotein (a) [Lp (a)] levels are associated with worse long-term outcomes in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, there are limited studies investigating association between Lp (a) levels and long-term outcomes in the era of new generation drug-eluting stents (DES).A total of 495 patients with available data on Lp (a) who underwent PCI for de novo lesions with new generation DES were enrolled between 2013 and 2017. The primary endpoint was the major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), which was defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis, clinically driven target lesion revascularization, and revascularization for new lesions during 3 years. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the Lp (a) level: high Lp (a) group (≥30 mg/dL: n = 109) and low Lp (a) group (30 mg/dL: n = 386). Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors for 3-year MACE.The incidence of 3-year MACE was significantly higher in high Lp (a) group than low Lp (a) group (33.0% vs. 15.9%, p 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that Lp (a) level of ≥30 mg/dL was an independent predictor for 3-year MACE (HR 2.01, 95%CI 1.30-3.11, p = 0.002).High Lp (a) level was associated with worse long-term outcome even in the era of new generation DES.

Although gender difference in long-term outcomes after acute myocardial infarction have been shown previously, impact of age on gender difference is still controversial. This study focused on the association between age and gender difference in long-term outcome. We analyzed data from 3,283 consecutive patients who were included in a prospective, nationwide, multicenter registry (Japan Registry of Acute Myocardial Infarction Diagnosed by Universal Definition) from 2012 to 2014. The primary end point was the major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), which was defined as a composite of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and revascularization for unstable angina during 3 years. Patients were divided into 4 strata according to age: those with age65 years (group 1: n = 1161), 65 to 74 years (group 2: n = 954), 75 to 84 years (group 3: n = 866) and 84years (group 4: n = 302). Although the crude incidence of 3-year MACE was significantly higher in women than men (36.4% vs. 28.5%, p0.001), there was not significant gender difference in each group (group 1, 19.6% vs 19.0%, p = 0.74; group 2, 33.1% vs 28.3%, p = 0.25; group 3, 38.9% vs 39.6%, p = 0.54; and group 4, 54.0% vs 56.8%, p = 0.24). In conclusion, although women had higher crude incidence of 3-year MACE than men, there was no gender difference in each group.

Background The relationship between long-term outcome in patients with lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) and left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction has not been systematically studied. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of LV diastolic dysfunction on the long-term outcome in patients with LEAD. Methods Two hundred LEAD patients (male 66 %, mean age 76 ± 9 years) with preserved LV systolic function assessed by echocardiography (ejection fraction ≥50 %) were enrolled from a single center database between January 2013 and May 2015. We divided the patients into two groups on the basis of LV diastolic dysfunction, which was diagnosed based on the American Society of Echocardiography/European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines. The 3-year cumulative incidence of the primary endpoint was compared between LEAD patients with LV diastolic dysfunction and those without. The primary endpoint was a composite of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: death, hospitalization for heart failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke). Multivariate analysis was performed to determine whether LV diastolic dysfunction was independently associated with the MACCE. Results LV diastolic dysfunction was identified in 31 % of LEAD patients. The mean observation period was 32 ± 21 months. The 3-year cumulative incidence of MACCE occurred more frequently in patients with LV diastolic dysfunction than those without (35 % vs 23 %, p = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, LV diastolic dysfunction (HR = 1.96, 95 % CI 1.09–3.55, p = 0.03) and critical limb ischemia (HR = 2.52, 95 % CI 1.24–5.10, p = 0.01) were an independent predictor for MACCE. Conclusion LV diastolic dysfunction increased the risk for MACCE in patients with LEAD.

We report a case of catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of anomalous left coronary artery (LCA) during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for acute inferior myocardial infarction (MI). Urgent coronary angiography revealed the culprit lesion of MI was the proximal segment of the right coronary artery (RCA). The anomalous LCA arose from the right sinus of Valsalva the same as the RCA. Catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of RCA was extended to the ostium of anomalous LCA by contrast injection. The patient fell into hemodynamic collapse due to acute occlusion of the anomalous LCA. The patient underwent successful bailout stenting at the ostium of anomalous LCA under percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS). He was weaned from PCPS system five days after PCI and was discharged. This is the first report about bailout procedure for catheter-induced aortocoronary dissection at the ostium of anomalous LCA.

Previous studies have reported that long-term prognosis of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) was worse than that of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We hypothesized that coronary artery disease (CAD) in non-culprit lesion is more severe in NSTEMI. We compared with the

This study sought to assess the impact of polyvascular disease on severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) and clinical outcome in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for stable angina. We retrospectively analyzed a single-center database of 283 patients (male 75 %, mean

The instability of wealth effect on consumption over the business cycles is widely recognized in recent empirical studies. We develop a consumption and investment problem for an investor with direct preference for wealth where the drift and volatility of asset return switches between two regimes. Furthermore, the model is extended to allow the investor's borrowing rate to be higher than her risk-free rate. An utility-maximizing policy is derived explicitly such that optimal consumption-wealth ratio depends not only on both current and future regimes, but also on the transition across different regimes. Numerical simulation demonstrates that low frequent changes in regimes produce instability of consumption-wealth ratio, while high frequent regime-shifts produce stable consumption-wealth ratio. These features are enhanced by investor's wealth accumulation motive and tighter credit spread between borrowing rate and risk-free rate, both of which can be applied to explain the instability of consumption-wealth ratio observed in the U.S.

The preparation of 〈1 1 1〉-textured Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (BNT) ceramics was attempted by the templated grain growth method. This method uses anisometric grains as the template for texture development. In this work, plate-like BaTiO3 grains with the 〈1 1 1〉 direction perpendicular to the plate faces were used. A mixture of the plate-like BaTiO3 grains and equiaxed BNT grains was consolidated by tape casting to prepare green compacts in which the plate-like BaTiO3 grains were dispersed in the matrix of the BNT grains and were aligned with their plate faces parallel to the casting direction. The textured BNT ceramics could not be obtained by the sintering of the green compacts, because of the disappearance of the plate-like BaTiO3 grains by dissolution in the BNT grains. Several approaches were examined to obtain 〈1 1 1〉-textured ceramics. They included the use of plate-like (Sr, Ba)TiO3 grains as the template, the use of equiaxed grains of BNT–BaTiO3 and BNT–Bi0.5K0.5TiO3 solid solutions as the matrix, and the addition of excess Na2CO3 and Bi2O3 to form liquid phases. The only approach successful in obtaining the textured ceramics was the one involving the addition of excess Na2CO3. The excess Na2CO3 formed a liquid phase and promoted the formation of a shell of BNT grains around a plate-like BaTiO3 grain, prior to the dissolution of the BaTiO3 grain. The BNT shell had the same crystallographic orientation as the BaTiO3 grain and acted as the template for texture development.

Dense BaTiO 3 ceramics with 〈1 1 1〉-texture were prepared by the TGG process. Platelike BaTiO 3 particles with their 〈1 1 1〉 direction perpendicular to the plate face were prepared by the reaction of platelike Ba 6 Ti 17 O 40 particles with BaCO 3 particles in molten NaCl. A green compact was composed of the aligned, platelike BaTiO 3 template particles dispersed in the matrix of small, equiaxed BaTiO 3 particles. Sintering caused densification and also the growth of template particles at the expense of matrix particles, resulting in texture development. Densification prior to grain growth was found to be necessary to obtain highly textured ceramics, and the effect of pre-sintering conditions on texture development was examined.

The effect of sodium concentration on texture development in Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 [BNT] bulk ceramics was examined. The 〈1 0 0〉-textured specimens were prepared by the reactive-template grain growth process using platelike Bi4Ti3O12 particles. Texture did not extensively develop in stoichiometric and Na-deficient BNT, but excess Na promoted extensive texture development together with densification. The role of excess Na was discussed based on the formation of a liquid phase.

The mechanisms of texture development were examined in the 〈0 0 1〉-textured bismuth layer-structured ferroelectrics (BLSF) prepared by the templated grain growth (TGG) method using BLSF templates with the composition different from that of the matrix. The formation and growth of layers of matrix grains on the templates were main mechanism for the texture development. Another mechanism of texture development was the formation of face-to-face contact between platelike template grains and matrix grains grown to be platelike.

Micro/nano-textured ZnO thick films were synthesized through deposition and pyrolysis of layered hydroxide zinc acetate (LHZA), Zn 5 (OH) 8 (CH 3 COO) 2 ·2H 2 O. LHZA films having a unique, rose-like morphology were initially deposited on conducting glass sheets in a chemical bath composed of methanol and zinc acetate dihydrate at 60 °C under neutral conditions. Pyrolysis of the LHZA films resulted in formation of ZnO without destroying the original morphology. Pyrolysis temperatures were found to greatly influence grain sizes and specific surface areas of the ZnO films. Photoelectrochemical performance of the films as ZnO/eosin Y electrodes was investigated in dye-sensitized solar cells using an I − /I 3 − redox electrolyte solution. The cell using the ZnO film pyrolyzed at 150 °C exhibited overall light to electricity conversion efficiencies of 2.0 and 3.3% under an AM-1.5 illumination at 100 and 10 mW cm −2 , respectively. While microscale pores in the electrodes facilitated mass transfer of fluid electrolytes in the depth direction, nanoscale pores contributed to an increase in the amount of adsorbed dye. The maximum incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency (IPCE) of the electrode reached 84.9% at a wavelength of 530 nm.

Perovskite-type barium lithium fluoride (BaLiF3) was synthesized by pyrolysis of metal trifluoroacetates. The reaction temperature necessary for producing a single-phase material was found to be 600°C, which was lower than that for a conventional solid-state reaction or a melting method. Eu-doped BaLiF3 was also prepared and characterized to examine the suitability of trifluoroacetates for precursors in synthesizing homogeneous complex metal fluoride materials. It was demonstrated that trivalent Eu3+, which was used as acetate for a starting material, was reduced to divalent Eu2+ in the pyrolysis process of BaLiF3, as indicated by a broad blue emission due to an allowed 4f65d→4f7 transition at 408 nm with a ultraviolet excitation at 254 nm. The concentration quenching of the blue emission occurred at 5 at% of Eu in BaLiF3, indicating that Eu was homogeneously dispersed in the BaLiF3 host lattice. Mechanisms of the formation and reduction process of BaLiF3 were discussed based on pertinent chemical reactions.

Crystallographically textured ferroelectric and piezoelectric ceramics are prepared by tape casting of slurries containing powder particles with shape anisotropy. This paper describes the overview of these methods and the application of reactive-templated grain growth (RTGG) method to (100)-textured Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 (BNT) and 96Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -6BaTiO 3 (BNT-BT) ceramics.

Introduction Les etudes Inpulsis™ sont deux essais identiques de phase III de 52 semaines, randomises, en double aveugle, controles par placebo, menes chez des patients atteints de fibrose pulmonaire idiopathique (FPI) ayant une capacite vitale forcee (CVFp) ≥50 % de la valeur theorique a l’inclusion. Ces etudes ont montre une reduction significative du taux annuel du declin de la CVF–critere principal) dans le groupe nintedanib 150 mg deux fois par jour par rapport au groupe placebo. Methodes Une analyse post-hoc de sous-groupes a ete menee chez les patients presentant une CVFp initiale >90 % vs ≤90 % en utilisant les donnees groupees des deux etudes. Resultats Au total 274 patients (nintedanib 166, placebo 108) presentaient une CVFp >90 % et 787 patients (nintedanib 472, placebo 315) une CVFp ≤90 %. Pour les patients dont la CVFp initiale etait >90 %, l’âge moyen etait de 67,9 ans, 71,5 % etaient des hommes et la DLco moyenne etait de 52,6 %. Pour les patients dont la CVFp initiale etait ≤90 %, la moyenne d’âge etait de 66,4 ans, 82 % etaient des hommes et la DLco moyenne etait de 45,5 %. Il n’a ete observe aucune interaction significative du traitement en fonction du sous-groupe ( p = 0,5300) sur le critere principal. Chez les patients avec une CVFp initiale >90 %, la moyenne ajustee du taux annuel de declin de la CVF (mL/an) etait de–91,5 avec le nintedanib et de–224,6 avec le placebo (difference : 133,1 [IC a 95 % : 68,0, 198,2]) ; pour les patients avec une CVFp initiale ≤90 %, les valeurs etaient de–121,5 avec le nintedanib et de–223,6 avec le placebo (difference : 102,1 [IC a 95 % : 61,9, 142,3]). Conclusion L’analyse de sous-groupes a montre que le nintedanib 150 mg deux fois par jour a ralenti le declin de la fonction pulmonaire chez les patients atteints de FPI, independamment de la severite de l’alteration de la fonction pulmonaire a l’inclusion, suggerant que les patients avec une alteration encore legere de la CVF peuvent aussi beneficier d’un traitement par nintedanib.

BaMgF 4 –Eu 2+ thin films were prepared from trifluoroacetate precursor solutions by a sol–gel method and their violet luminescence was investigated. A (Ba,Eu)MgF 4 phase was obtained by heating the spin-coated precursor films at temperatures of 550–650°C. The reduction of Eu 3+ , which originated from Eu(CH 3 COO) 3 ·4H 2 O in the precursor, to Eu 2+ in the heat-treated films was evidenced by the strong, broadband 4f–5d excitation at 290 nm and emission at 420 nm in photoluminescence measurements. The intensity of violet luminescence of Eu 2+ depended on the heating temperature, heating time and the Eu concentration. The strongest violet emission was observed with the BaMgF 4 –Eu (15 mol%) film that was heated at 650°C for 10 min under the present experimental conditions.

Preferentially, c -axis-oriented lithium-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Li) thin films were prepared on Pyrex borosilicate glass substrates by a sol–gel method starting from zinc acetate dihydrate, lithium chloride, 2-methoxyethanol and monoethanolamine. Decomposition and crystallization behavior of dip-coated amorphous precursor films during post-annealing treatments were investigated by thermogravimetry–differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical transmittance measurements, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was revealed that the films contained the organic compounds at temperatures up to 300°C, which was the key to the transformation from the amorphous to the crystalline state. Thermodynamical consideration of nucleation and crystal growth was made taking account of surface energies of the film and the glass substrate and an interfacial energy between them. Mechanisms underlying the c -axis orientation were proposed based upon the initial orientation due to nucleation and final growth orientation.

ZnO/MgF 2 nanocomposite thin films, where ZnO nanoparticles were dispersed in an MgF 2 matrix, were prepared by a sol–gel method using metal acetates, isopropanol, trifluoroacetic acid, monoethanolamine and water as starting materials. The particle size of ZnO was approximately 6.2 nm, showing quantum size effects in the absorption edge measurement. Green photoluminescent (PL) emission from the films was observed at room temperature. The emission intensity was found to be greatly dependent on heat-treatment temperature and time. By optimizing the heating conditions, the film with high transparency and high PL intensity was obtained. Influence of the heating conditions on the formation of the ZnO nanoparticles and the green emission was discussed.

The effects of Cu substitution for Tl in TlSr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y superconductor were investigated. Nearly single-phase samples of Tl 1− x Cu x Sr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y ( x =0.2−0.6) were successfully synthesized using a high pressure technique. The observed shrinkage in the lattice parameter a , concave ρ – T curve above T c and negative thermoelectric power near room temperature indicated that the Cu-substituted samples were over-doped. T c for the sample with x =0.4 increased from 73 to 94 K after annealing treatment in flowing argon gas. The Cu-substituted samples showed lower irreversibility field B irr as a function of reduced temperature than that of the pristine TlSr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y [Physica C 324 (1999) 15].

The effects of the homogenizing procedure and annealing treatment on superconducting transition temperature, T c , were investigated for Zn-substituted YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ . Samples of YBa 2 Cu 3− x Zn x O 7− δ ( x =0.00, 0.02, 0.05 and 0.10) were prepared under different conditions. It was found that additional pulverization and re-sintering lower T c in Zn-substituted samples. Moreover, annealing in reduced atmosphere prior to the final oxygenation further decreases T c , resulting in the lowest value ( T c =46 K for x=0.10 ) among T c ’s ever reported for Zn-substituted YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− δ . This suggests that Zn at the Cu–O chain site moves to the CuO 2 plane by annealing samples in reduced atmosphere. Comparison of T c -suppression effects by Zn and Ni is also discussed.

Zinc oxide thin films doped with Li and Mg were prepared by the sol-gel method, and effects of doping on microstructure and electrical properties were examined. The doped films exhibited c-axis-orientation after final heating at 500°C for 30 min in flowing oxygen. The ZnO crystallite size increased by doping and the surface of the films became rougher. The current density of the films was reduced by doping probably due to the formation of acceptor levels (Li-doping) and the reduction of oxygen defects (Mg-doping). The film with a nominal composition of Zn0.85Li0.10Mg0.05O showed the lowest current density of 1.7×10−6 A cm−2 in the present study.

We fabricated LaNiO 3 (LNO) thin films on SiO 2 glass, (100) SrTiO 3 (STO), (100) Si and CeO 2 -covered (100) Si substrates by the sol–gel method. The deposited films were heat-treated at 700°C with various conditions, duration and atmosphere. Preferentially (100)-oriented, polycrystalline LNO films were obtained on STO and Si. It was also found that orientated films could be formed even on SiO 2 glass and CeO 2 -covered (100) Si substrates by altering the heating process. We investigated a relationship between the resistance and the crystallite size of the LNO films. The sheet resistance of LNO decreased with increasing crystallite size of LNO. The resistivity and sheet resistance of LNO/STO at 300 K were 340 μΩ·cm and 33.8 Ω/□, respectively, and those values of LNO/CeO 2 /Si at 300 K were 460 μΩ·cm and 28.8 Ω/□.

A sol–gel method to prepare inorganic complex fluorides, SrAlF 5 and BaMgF 4 is described. Metal acetates and alkoxide were used as starting materials, and trifluoroacetic acid was used as a fluorine source. The formation of the fluorides was examined using thermal analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared (IR) absorption. The fluorides were formed through the highly exothermic decomposition reaction of trifluoroacetate gels at temperatures around 321–339°C. The heating time necessary to produce SrAlF 5 and BaMgF 4 powder samples was considerably reduced in the sol–gel process as compared to the solid-state reaction between SrF 2 and AlF 3 or BaF 2 and MgF 2 . It is also shown that BaMgF 4 thin films could be prepared by the sol–gel process using a spin-coating technique. The characteristics of the films were investigated with a field emission scanning electron microscope and a spectrophotometer.

We successfully prepared a single-phase sample of TlSr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O y by high pressure synthesis. The powder mixture with a nominal composition of TlSr 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 9.4 was heat-treated at 1100°C for 4 h under 6 GPa. Powder X-ray diffraction revealed that the obtained sample was single-phase of the 1223 structure with a tetragonal unit cell ( a =3.813(4) A, c =15.24(1) A). The sample exhibited Meissner signals below 86 K. The resistivity linearly decreased with decreasing temperature above 86 K and the thermoelectric power at 290 K was found to be nearly zero. These results imply that the hole concentration of the sample is nearly optimized. The sample showed an excellent dependence of the irreversibility field B irr on reduced temperature (1− T / T c ), which is comparable to that for (Cu,C)-1223.

The interfacial reaction between Ag and NdBa2Cu3O7-δ (Nd123) was examined from the viewpoint of low-temperature processing of superconducting materials. The incongruent melting temperature of an Nd123 sample was measured to be as low as 960°C in N2. Addition of 10 mass% of Ag to Nd123 decreased further the incongruent melting temperature of Nd123 to 920°C. By a model experiment using an Ag pellet embedded in Nd123, it was revealed that an Ag-dissolved (Ba,Cu)-rich phase was formed near the interface with Ag. Based upon these results, Ag-added Nd123 ceramic samples were prepared by the partial melting process at temperatures below the melting point of Ag, 960°C. Superconducting properties of the ceramic samples were improved by the addition of Ag.

We tried to prepare the mercury-based superconductor, HgBa 2 Ca 2 Cu 3 O 8+δ (Hg1223), under highly oxidizing atmosphere using a high pressure technique. Samples containing Hg1223 as the main phase with T C =90–122 K were obtained. CuO and a new phase were included in the samples as impurities. The a -axes of the samples were shorter than the values ever reported for Hg1223 with T C =135 K. These results suggest that our Hg1223 samples had excess hole concentrations, i.e. they are over-doped. The irreversibility field ( B irr ) was measured for two samples with T C =118 and 94 K. They had almost the same normalized temperature (1− T/T C ) dependence of B irr .

A novel sol–gel process for silica/fluoride composites is described. Crystallization of LaF3 in the sol–gel silica has been investigated. Dry silica gels containing La3+ and trifluoroacetate ions (CF3COO−) were produced from tetramethylorthosilicate (TMOS), methanol, dimethylformamide, lanthanum acetate, trifluoroacetic acid, water and nitric acid. By heating the gels at temperatures above 300°C, LaF3 microcrystals with a size of 10–30 nm were formed in the silica matrix. IR, XPS and TG-DTA analyses suggested that CF3COO− ions are coordinated to La3+ ions in the sols and the dried gels, leading to the formation of LaF3 by the thermal decomposition at elevated temperatures.

Decay-accelerating factor (DAF) protects host tissue from the attack of autologous complement activation. To evaluate the participation of complement-mediated immune responses in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC), we performed an immunohistochemical examination of DAF expression in the colonic mucosa of patients with UC. In normal colonic mucosa, DAF expression was negligible on the epithelium. However, weak expression was sporadically detected on the epithelium at inactive lesion of UC patients. In the inflamed mucosa of active UC patients, DAF expression was markedly enhanced as compared with normal mucosa. DAF was detected at the luminal surface of the mucosa (apical surface of the epithelium). This expression was stronger at the upper part of the crypt than the lower part of the crypt. Our results indicate that activity to protect host tissues from complement activation is enhanced in the inflamed mucosa of UC patients, suggesting that complement-mediated immune responses may be involved in the pathogenesis of this chronic inflammatory bowel disease of unknown etiology.

The oxyfluoride superconductor, Sr 2 CuO 2 F 2+δ , was prepared by a sol-gel method. Two different routes were examined; one was an attempt to prepare the Sr 2 CuO 2 F 2+δ phase directly from fluorine-containing sols, and the other was the fluorination of sol-gel-derived Sr 2 CuO 3 fine powders by F 2 gas. The former route did not lead to the formation of oxyfluorides because of the precipitation of SrF 2 by the heat treatments of the gel. The latter route led to the formation of the Sr 2 CuO 2 F 2+δ phase. The amount of the Sr 2 CuO 2 F 2+δ phase and superconducting properties of the powders depended on the fluorinating condition such as F 2 gas concentration and fluorinating time. The T c values reached 45–47 K by annealing the fluorinated samples in vacuo. The magnetization hysteresis loop was measured for the first time in the oxyfluoride superconductors.

The Sr-substituted NdBa 1.5 Sr 0.5 Cu 3 O 7− δ superconductor was prepared using the sol-gel derived, highly oxidized Ba 1.5 Sr 0.5 Cu 3 O 5+ x percursor. An orthorhombic NdBa 1.5 Sr 0.5 Cu 3 O 6.9 was obtained by the reaction between Nd 2 O 3 and Ba 1.5 Sr 0.5 Cu 3 O 5.6 at 900°C under N 2 atmosphere. The superconducting transition temperatures of the sample, T c ( θ ) = 85K, T c (onset) = 90 K, and T c (end) = 84 K, were slightly higher than the reported values. The formation pass through this preparation method, the “BCO route”, and the effects of Sr substitution on the superconducting properties were discussed.

Oxyfluoride Sr 2 Cu(O,F) y thin films were prepared by a sol-gel method using Sr(O- i C 3 H 7 ) 2 and CuF 2 as starting materials and trifluoroacetic acid as an additional fluorine source. The sols were coated on SrTiO 3 (STO) or LaAlO 3 (LAO) single crystal substrates and then heated at 800°C under a condition controlled by the concentration of O 2 gas. For the films on STO, Sr 2 CuO 3 was formed first and changed to the K 2 NiF 4 -type Sr 2 Cu(O,F) y phase by post-fluorination using a methanol solution of NH 4 F. In the case of using LAO substrates, the Sr 2 Cu(O,F) y phase was directly formed by one time heating at 800°C. A direct formation of the Sr 2 Cu(O,F) y phase has never been reported before. The presence of fluorine in the films was confirmed both by chemical analysis and XPS spectroscopy. The discrepancy in the crystallization behavior of the films on STO and on LAO substrates is explained by the formation of SrF 2 impurities owing to the reaction between fluorine in the film and strontium in the STO substrate. The Sr 2 Cu(O,F) y thin films on STO exhibited the superconducting transition at 45 K in a SQUID measurement.

The preparation of magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ) thin films on silica glass substrates was studied by a trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) method using trifluoroacetic acid as a fluorine source. The coating solution was prepared by stirring a mixture of magnesium ethoxide, isopropanol and TFA. MgF 2 thin films were obtained by heat-treatment of the spin-coated films below 500°C in air. Higher optical transmittance of the films was observed as compared to the substrates. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) observation revealed a particle size of less than 50 nm in the films. The formation process of MgF 2 from trifluoroacetate gels was discussed according to the results of the thermal analysis of the gel.

Chinese hamster heat shock protein 110-encoding gene (hsp110), mouse apg-1 and human hsp70RY are structurally related genes, with the first two encoding about 110-kDa HSPs [Yoon et al. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 15725-15733; Kaneko et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem., in press; Fathallah et al. (1993) J. Immunol. 151, 810-813]. Using apg-1 cDNA as a probe, we isolated a novel cDNA, apg-2 from a mouse testis cDNA library, which was highly homologous to human hsp70RY. However, the predicted amino acid (aa) sequence of APG-2 was longer (841 aa) than that of HSP70RY (701 aa) and comparable to those of HSP110 and APG-1. Northern blot analysis revealed that the expression of apg-2 transcripts was ubiquitous in various mouse tissues, and most abundant in the testis and ovary. While induction of hsp70 transcripts was observed in mouse TAMA26 Sertoli cells and NIH/3T3 fibroblasts on temperature shift from 37 degrees C to 42 degrees C (traditional heat shock) or from 32 degrees C to 39 degrees C, apg-2 transcripts were not induced under either condition. These results suggest that apg-2 is an isoform of mouse homolog of hsp70RY, but that it belongs to the hsp110 family instead of hsp70 family, and that it plays a role under non-stress conditions.

The preparation of the polycrystalline NdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ superconductor using Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 + x as a precursor has been studied. Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 + x was prepared by the sol-gel process using metal acetates as starting materials, tartaric acid as an chelating reagent and water as solvent. The gel was heated at 780°C for 60 h in O 2 to form the Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 + x precursor. The value of x in Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 + x was determined to be 0.5; that is, copper was in a highly oxidized state over +2. NdBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 − δ was obtained by the solid-state reaction between Nd 2 O 3 and Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 + x heated at 900°C for 20 h in N 2 . Although the sample did not undergo post-anneal in oxygen, it showed good superconducting properties; T c of 94 K and the intragranular J c of 3.7 × 10 5 A/cm 2 under a field of 50 kOe at 20 K. The advantage of using Ba 2 Cu 3 O 5 + x is considered to be its sufficient amount of oxygen as well as prevention of the Nd 3+ /Ba 2+ substitution.

The structure and electrical conductivity of oxygen-deficient Nd 1− x A x NiO 3− y (A = alkaline earth) have been investigated. The samples were prepared from aqueous solutions of metal acetates and EDTA by the low-temperature process. Single-phase NdNiO 3− y and alkaline earth-substituted Nd 0.95 A 0.05 NiO 3− y (A = Mg, Ca and Cr) were obtained by heating at 700 °C for 20 h in flowing oxygen. All the samples had large numbers of oxygen vacancies with y = 0.25−0.28, resulting in the mixed valence state of Ni 2+ Ni 3+ , as confirmed by iodometric titration and XPS measurements. The lattice constants of the alkaline earth-substituted samples were larger than those of the non-substituted sample. These results were attributed to the difference in ionic radius. The substitution of alkaline earths for Nd decreased the decomposition temperature. All the samples showed resistivity on the order of 10 −1 μ cm at room temperature, and the temperature dependence of the electrical resistance revealed the transition from metallic to semiconducting at lower temperatures. The transition temperature was dependent on the substituted alkaline earths. This behavior is discussed in terms of the changes in lattice constants as well as in the valence of Ni resulting from the oxygen deficiency.

The products of the reaction between lead acetate and tetraethoxysilane in 2-methoxyethanol at 100°C were estimated by kinematic viscosity measurement and infrared and 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques. Two reaction methods were used; in method I lead acetate and tetraethoxysilane were mixed in 2-methoxyethanol, whereas in method II each reactant was pretreated in 2-methoxyethanol and then mixed. The reaction product in method I was estimated as (CH 3 COO)PbOSi(OC 2 H 4 OCH 3 ) 3 , which polymerized on prolonged heating. In method II lead acetate and tetraethoxysilane were changed to (CH 3 COO)Pb(OC 2 H 4 OCH 3 ) and Si(OC 2 H 4 OCH 3 ) 4 respectively before mixing. The reaction product in method II was estimated as (CH 3 OC 2 H 4 O)PbOSi(OC 2 H 4 OCH 3 ) 3 . No polymerization reaction occurred because of the absence of acetyl group in the reaction product.

(La,Ca)(Ba,La,Ca) 2 Cu 3 O z superconducting thin films were prepared by a pulsed laser deposition method. X-ray and electron diffractions revealed that the obtained thin films had the tetragonal “123” structure. Moreover, c -axis orientation and in-plane alignment were accomplished. The films showed T c (onset)=80 K and T c (zero)=76 K in resistivity measurement. The critical current density was about 2.8×10 6 A/cm 2 at 4.2 K in zero magnetic field. The surface of the films was more stable than that of a commercial YBa 2 Cu 3 O y film in water environment.

A seroepidemiologic study of the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Japan was performed, and the relationship between serum pepsinogen I and II levels (markers of gastritis and gastric atrophy) and H. pylori infection was investigated. Four hundred and eighteen asymptomatic children and adults were studied. The prevalence of anti-H. pylori immunoglobulin G antibody increased with age. For persons born after 1950, the frequency of H. pylori infection increased at approximately 1% per year; for those born before 1950 the prevalence was high (70%-80%) and relatively constant. Serum pepsinogen I and II levels were significantly higher in H. pylori-infected volunteers than in H. pylori-uninfected volunteers [51.6 +/- 3 vs. 42.9 +/- 2 ng/mL (P less than 0.05) for pepsinogen I; 16.0 +/- 1 vs. 7.5 +/- 0.8 ng/mL (P less than 0.001) for pepsinogen II]. The ratio of pepsinogen I to pepsinogen II was significantly lower in H. pylori-infected volunteers (3.5 +/- 0.2) than in uninfected volunteers (6.3 +/- 0.3; P less than 0.001). The apparent decrease in prevalence of H. pylori accompanying the Westernization of Japan may eventually be accompanied by a reduction in the frequency of atrophic gastritis, the precursor lesion of the epidemic form of gastric carcinoma, and ultimately result in a decrease in the incidence of gastric carcinoma in Japan.

The effect of particle agglomeration on sintering has been studied by slipcasting suspensions with pH values ranging from 2 to 11. The rate of densification has been found to depend on the degree of agglomeration. Complete dispersion of alumina primary particles has not been attained through adjustment of pH of suspensions, and agglomerates also remained in the best-dispersed suspension. Elimination of the agglomerates by sedimentation lowered the densification temperature of slip-cast compacts. The grain size-density curve is a function of temperature. High-density and small-grained sintered bodies were obtained by low-temperature long-time firing.