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We investigate the influence of the ratio between carbon and boron on glass-forming ability, thermal stability and mechanical properties of the Co65Cr13Mo22 ternary eutectic alloy modified by carbon and boron addition. Besides, the correlation between the extension of the supercooled liquid region (SCLR) and three bonding parameters, i.e. electronegativity, atomic size, and valence electron is investigated. The results reveal that carbon is more effective than boron to form a glassy phase in this system, and fully glassy alloys or metallic glass composites can be obtained when the metalloid contents are in the range of 20–25 at.%. Fully glassy alloys are only obtained when the carbon-to-boron ratio is 2:1. The glassy alloys and the glass composites exhibit high strength and extraordinarily wide SCLRs of >120 K. The width of the SCLR of the Co-based BMGs can be articulated as a function of three bonding parameters, which is different to the relationship previously observed for Fe-, Mg- and Pd-based BMGs. Based on these findings we propose the optimum C/B ratio for glass phase formation and the new criterion for predicting the width of the SCLR of Co-based BMGs by the three bonding parameters.

Investigation of the microstructural features and mechanical properties of the Al86Cu7Si7 nanostructure-dendrite composite revealed that the high yield strength of 615 MPa and its reasonable plasticity of ~ 20% at room temperature mainly originate from the evolution of dislocations in the micron-scale dendrites together with the cooperative deformation action of shear band and interfacial sliding throughout the whole volume of the material. Especially, shear band-induced rotation of dendrites was found to be an important deformation mechanism. Here, we sequentially elucidate the deformation behavior using atomic force microscopy, nanoindentation, and scanning electron microscopy to determine the surface topography of the deformed alloy.

Objectives No randomized controlled trials have evaluated the comparative outcomes of cefazolin versus nafcillin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteraemia. Methods A prospective observational cohort study including all S. aureus bacteraemia was conducted at 10 hospitals. Patients (≥15 years) with MSSA bacteraemia who received cefazolin or nafcillin as definitive antibiotics were included. The rates of treatment failure (premature discontinuation of antibiotics because of adverse effects, switching of antibiotics because of clinical failure, all-cause mortality within 1 month, or recurrence) were compared between the cefazolin and nafcillin groups. Propensity score matching analyses were performed to balance the factors influencing the selection of antibiotics. Results Among the 242 included cases, the bones and joints (36.8%) were the most common sites of infection and 60.7% of the patients had sepsis. The overall treatment failure rate was 43.8% (106/242). All-cause mortality within 1 month was 6.2% (15/242). After propensity score matching, the treatment failure rate of cefazolin was lower than that of nafcillin (30.4% (24/79) vs. 49.4% (39/79), p 0.015) because of a higher rate of discontinuation caused by adverse events. When the data were limited to patients with sepsis, the treatment failure rates of both groups were not significantly different. Approximately 22% (24/110) of MSSA isolates exhibited a cefazolin-inoculum effect (CIE) that had significant impact on the failure rate and mortality of the cefazolin group. Conclusions Cefazolin might be recommended as an adequate and better-tolerated treatment for MSSA bacteraemia in the absence of CIE.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with neuronal damage in Huntington's disease (HD), but the precise mechanism of mitochondria-dependent pathogenesis is not understood yet. Herein, we found that colocalization of XIAP and p53 was prominent in the cytosolic compartments of normal subjects but reduced in HD patients and HD transgenic animal models. Overexpression of mutant Huntingtin (mHTT) reduced XIAP levels and elevated mitochondrial localization of p53 in striatal cells in vitro and in vivo. Interestingly, XIAP interacted directly with the C-terminal domain of p53 and decreased its stability via autophagy. Overexpression of XIAP prevented mitochondrially targeted-p53 (Mito-p53)-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress and striatal cell death, whereas, knockdown of XIAP exacerbated Mito-p53-induced neuronal damage in vitro. In vivo transduction of AAV-shRNA XIAP in the dorsal striatum induced rapid onset of disease and reduced the lifespan of HD transgenic (N171-82Q) mice compared to WT littermate mice. XIAP dysfunction led to ultrastructural changes of the mitochondrial cristae and nucleus morphology in striatal cells. Knockdown of XIAP exacerbated neuropathology and motor dysfunctions in N171-82Q mice. In contrast, XIAP overexpression improved neuropathology and motor behaviors in both AAV-mHTT-transduced mice and N171-82Q mice. Our data provides a molecular and pathological mechanism that deregulation of XIAP triggers mitochondria dysfunction and other neuropathological processes via the neurotoxic effect of p53 in HD. Together, the XIAP-p53 pathway is a novel pathological marker and can be a therapeutic target for improving the symptoms in HD.

A 5-channel two color interferometer (TCI) system has been designed on KSTAR. TCI system is designed for tangential beam paths, which will combine with two existing interferometer systems of vertical and radial beam paths, so that it will provide 3-dimensional measurement of electron density evolution. TCI system uses wavelengths of 10.6 μm by a CO2 laser and 0.633 μm by a HeNe laser. The system compensates the vibrational noise by using two colors and avoids refraction by short wavelengths. The main purpose of the TCI is to generate routine measurement of the line integrated plasma density for the real time density control on KSTAR. The 5-channels will provide profile data for the density. Time resolution of the system is expected to be 500 kHz or higher in order to measure 3-dimensional density fluctuations for ELMs and other MHD activities including TAE modes. The system is planned to be working on KSTAR 2016 campaign with 1–2 channels.

The e4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE4) is the strongest genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) compared to the common e3 allele. Because APOE4 is also associated with an increased risk for several vascular conditions including small vessel disease and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), apoE4 effects on cerebrovasculature might be a converging pathway impacting brain homeostasis. As apoE is abundantly expressed in multiple brain cell types including astrocytes, microglia, and vascular mural cells (VMCs), defining the in vivo effect of apoE4 expressed by individual cell types is critical for addressing its pathogenic mechanism. Here, using conditional mouse models, we show that VMC-specific apoE4 expression impairs cognition and glio-vascular functions. Expression of either apoE3 or apoE4 in VMCs was sufficient to rescue the hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis phenotypes seen in the Apoe-knockout mice. Intriguingly, vascular specific expression of apoE4, but not apoE3, led to decreased arteriole blood flow, impaired spatial learning, and increased anxiety-like phenotypes. Single cell RNA sequencing of vascular and glial cells isolated from these mice revealed that conditional expression of apoE4 in VMCs was associated with astrocyte activation while expression of apoE3 in VMCs was associated with angiogenic signatures in pericytes. Together, our data support cell-autonomous effects of vascular apoE on multiple brain homeostatic processes in an isoform-dependent manner, suggesting a critical contribution of vascular apoE in the pathogenesis of AD and VCI.

The present study involves a detailed experimental investigation of the concurrent compositional clustering and long-range ordering tendencies in a Ni-33 at.%Cr alloy, carried out by coupling synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and atom probe tomography (APT). Synchrotron-based XRD results clearly exhibited progressively increasing lattice contraction in the matrix with increasing isothermal aging time, at 475 °C, eventually leading to the development of long-range ordering (LRO) of the Pt 2 Mo-type. Detailed TEM and APT investigations revealed that this LRO in the matrix is manifested in the form of nanometer-scale ordered domains, and the spatial distribution, size, morphology and compositional evolution of these domains have been carefully investigated. APT results also revealed the early stages of compositional clustering prior to the onset of long-range ordering in this alloy and such compositional clustering can potentially be correlated to the lattice contraction and previously proposed short-range ordering tendencies.

A flexible polymer-dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) film with graphene layers as transparent electrodes was fabricated by combining a UV curable polymer and a nematic liquid crystal. The PDLC film with a dimension of 5 × 10 cm 2 was flexible and operated normally with no damage when it was bent with a radius of 2 mm. Instead of using conventional transparent conducting film, the single-layer-graphene transferred on PET film was used as transparent electrodes. The thickness of the graphene-PDLC was about 210–220 μm. The single-layer-graphene grown by thermal chemical vapor deposition was transferred onto the PET film, and its sheet resistance was about 1.2 kΩ/□. The controllable transmission range between the on and off states was about 60% in the visible range. The response time for the turn-on and off processes were estimated to be 0.3 and 32 ms, respectively. This successful fabrication of graphene based PDLC is a crucial step toward paving the way for the commercialization of the emerging material, graphene.

Polymer dispersed liquid crystal was synthesized by combining a UV curable polymer and a nematic liquid crystal. Optimized conditions for the optical properties of the PDLC were found to be the concentration ratio of LC and polymer at 7:3, UV curing time of 18 min, and the thickness less than 25 μm. In the case of the high LC concentration (≥70%) sample, the amount of liquid crystal segregated in the polymerization process was enough to form a spherical shape of droplet, and the threshold driving voltage was reduced. The response time for the turn-on process was nearly independent of the concentration, while the turn-off process was almost proportional to the concentration. From microscopic image and UV–visible spectrum analysis, the relation between LC droplet morphology and optical properties were explained.

We compared the accuracy for localizing arterial occlusion sites between delayed-phase computed tomography angiography (CTA) and arterial-phase CTA in acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and informed consent was waived. For patients treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis within a 6 hour window between January 2009 and November 2011, we retrospectively assessed the arterial occlusion sites of pre-treatment, delayed-phase and arterial-phase CTA and compared these with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) findings. The positive predictive value for detection of vessel occlusion for both CTA methods was derived using DSA as a reference standard. The outcomes were compared using the McNemar test. Inter-observer disagreement within each modality was assessed using the Kendall W test. Among 73 patients treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis, 24 (32.9%) underwent both arterial-phase and delayed-phase CTA, and 66 (90.4%) underwent arterial-phase CTA only. For 24 patients undergoing both arterial-phase and delayed-phase CTA, the delayed-phase CTA detected concordant occlusion sites with DSA in 21 patients, yielding a positive predictive value of 87.5%, whereas the arterial-phase CTA detected this in 14 patients, for a positive predictive value of 58.3% (p=0.013). When discordant with DSA, arterial-phase or delayed-phase CTA indicated occlusions in more proximal sites than DSA. Delayed-phase CTA more precisely localized the occlusion site than arterial-phase CTA in acute stroke patients with large vessel occlusion. Thus, delayed-phase CTA findings could guide neurointerventionists in selecting intra-arterial thrombolysis modalities.

Higher-order carbon sulfides – carbon tetrasulfide (CS4; D2d), carbon pentasulfide (CS5; C2), and carbon hexasulfide (CS6, C2) – were detected for the first time via infrared spectroscopy in low temperature carbon disulfide (CS2) ices upon irradiation with energetic electrons. The identification of these molecules was aided via observed band positions of their C-12 and C-13 isotopologues and the agreement with vibrational modes and isotope shifts predicted from ab initio calculations. Reaction pathways to these species are discussed as well.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has been recognized as a promising technique for analyzing sensitive nuclear materials such as uranium, plutonium, and curium in a high-radiation environment, especially since the implementation of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards. The uranium spectra of ore samples were quantitatively analyzed prior to analyzing sensitive materials in the nuclear industry. The purpose of this experiment is to extract quantitative information about the uranium in a uranium ore using a standard addition approach. The uranium ore samples containing different concentrations of U were prepared by mixing raw ore powder with natural uranium oxide powders. Calibration sets of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 wt.% uranium concentrations within the uranium ore sample were achieved. A pulsed and Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 532 nm was used as a light source. An echelle spectrometer that covers a 190–420 nm wavelength range is used to generate a calibration curve and determine the detection limit of uranium in the ore matrix. The neutral atomic-emission peak at a wavelength of 356.659 nm indicated a detection limit of ~ 158 ppm for uranium, and the uranium concentration was determined in a raw ore sample that has an unknown quantity of uranium.

Islet transplantation (ITx) has potential as a therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes. For successful engraftment and insulin independence, the transplanted islets must establish an adequate, stable blood supply. Angiopoientin-1 (Ang1) is a specific growth factor that induces vascularization via the Tie2 or Tie1 receptor. In this study, we used an in vitro angiogenesis assay to evaluate islet function following transplantation and the effect of the Ang1 variant cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) Ang1 on isolated islets. The enhanced function of islets transduced with COMP-Ang1 was also confirmed in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice model. In a three-dimensional collagen-based culture system, the transduction of COMP-Ang1 into islets significantly increased angiogenesis compared with the bacterial-β-galactosidase (LacZ)-transduced controls and an intact, nontransduced islet negative control group. COMP-Ang1 transduced islets also attenuated hyperglycemia in syngeneic diabetic C57BL/6 mice and enhanced glucose tolerance by areas under the curves of intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests. These findings demonstrated the capacity of COMP-Ang1 to promote revascularization in cultured islets, which may contribute to successful transplantation in vivo.

A correlation between composition, microstructure, and magnetic properties of sputter-deposited CoFeSiB alloy films has been studied. Various analytical tools and micromagnetic models were employed to understand the details of microstructural evolution and magnetic reversal processes, respectively. The CoFeSiB alloy film shows significantly different microstructure and magnetic properties depend on the Co concentration. When the Co concentration is below 75 at.%, the alloy has an amorphous phase exhibiting magnetic softness with negative remanence. Meanwhile, beyond 75 at.%, the structure consists of nanocrystals precipitated in the amorphous matrix, which becomes magnetically hard with positive remanence as well as antiferromagnetic exchange coupling.

We present the first measurement of photoproduction of J/psi and of two-photon production of high-mass e(+)e(-) pairs in electromagnetic (or ultra-peripheral) nucleus-nucleus interactions, using Au + Au data at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. The events are tagged with forward neutrons emitted following Coulomb excitation of one or both Au* nuclei. The event sample consists of 28 events with m(e+e-) > 2 GeV/c(2) with zero like-sign background. The measured cross sections at midrapidity of d sigma/dy (J/psi + Xn, y = 0) = 76 +/- 33 (stat) +/- 11 (syst) pb and d(2)sigma /dm dy (e(+) e(-) + Xn, y = 0) = 86 +/- 23(stat) +/- 16(syst) mu b/ (GeV/c(2)) for m(e+e-) epsilon vertical bar 2.0, 2.8 vertical bar GeV/c(2) have been compared and found to be consistent with models for photoproduction of J/psi and QED based calculations of two-photon production of e(+)e(-) pairs. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The 10 μm region of thioformaldehyde (H2CS) has been recorded at high resolution (0.005 cm−1) using a Fourier transform spectrometer. H2CS was produced by low-pressure pyrolysis of a gas flow of C3H5SCH3 in Ar at 560 °C or CH3SCl at 1150 °C, which was introduced into a multipass White cell with an optical path length of 32 m. Forty scans were recorded for the range 750–1400 cm−1 at a total pressure of 0.15 mbar. A thorough analysis of the three lowest wavenumber fundamental bands, ν3, ν4 and ν6, which fall in this region, has been carried out using a Hamiltonian model, which takes explicitly into account the numerous resonances affecting the ro-vibrational energy levels; especially the massive A-type Coriolis resonance between the out-of-plane wagging mode, ν4, and the in-plane rocking mode, ν6. These two modes are only separated by 0.83 cm−1, and they are thoroughly mixed. From the fittings, the following band centers were derived: νo (ν4)=990.18213(40) cm−1, νo (ν6)=991.02021(50) cm−1 and νo (ν3)=1059.20476 (30) cm−1 where the uncertainties are one standard deviation. In addition, a number of relative line intensities were measured permitting the determination of relative values of the first-order transition moments and therefore relative band intensities for all three bands. Finally, a comprehensive list of line wavenumbers and relative intensities has been generated.

Correlations between p and (p) over bar at transverse momenta typical of enhanced baryon production in Au + Au collisions are reported. The PHENIX experiment has measured same and opposite sign baryon pairs in Au + Au collisions at root s(NN) = 200 GeV. Correlated production of p and p with the trigger particle from the range 2.5 < p(T) < 4.0 GeV/c and the associated particle with 1.8 < p(T) < 2.5 GeV/c is observed to be nearly independent of the centrality of the collisions. Same sign pairs show no correlation at any centrality. The conditional yield of mesons triggered by baryons (and anti-baryons) and mesons in the same p(T) range rises with increasing centrality, except for the most central collisions, where baryons show a significantly smaller number of associated mesons. These data are consistent with a picture in which hard scattered partons produce correlated p and (p) over bar in the p(T) region of the baryon excess. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Background A preponderance of evidence now indicates that storage of reconstituted botulinum toxin solution for longer than the 4 hours recommended by the manufacturer does not result in loss of effectiveness. Objective Then purpose of this study was to assess whether serial re-extraction of reconstituted botulinum toxin solution from vials undergoing prolonged storage is associated with increased risk of microbial contamination. Methods Consecutive 100-U vials of botulinun A exotoxin were reconstituted with 2.5 mL each of normal saline with preservative (benzyl alcohol). Within 1 week after reconstitution, each vial was used to treat 1 to 3 patients, for a total of 60 to 80 U used. Thereafter, each vial was stored in a plastic kidney basin in an unlocked, multiuse medication refrigerator. Two weeks later, a randomly assigned nurse removed the vial from the refrigerator and withdrew and discarded 0.1 mL (5 U) using the same technique used for therapeutic extractions. Iterations of this withdrawal and discarding procedure were continued until a 0.1-mL aliquot could not be withdrawn without prying off the metal cover. Once this threshold was reached, the vial was sent to the microbiology laboratory for sterility testing using a thioglycolate broth. Results In all, 127 vials were handled per protocol. On average (mean), vials underwent 4.5 access procedures, including 1.6 therapeutic extractions for a total of 76 U removed during a period of 7 weeks. Sterility analysis with thioglycolate broth indicated no evidence of contamination. Limitations Preservative-containing saline was used for reconstitution. Conclusion Routine refrigerator storage of medication vials containing reconstituted botulinum toxin does not result in microbial contamination of the contents even after serial re-extraction of solution from these vials, and after handling of such vials by multiple personnel. Storage and subsequent reuse of botulinum toxin appears safe for at least 7 weeks after reconstitution.

We studied the current-voltage (I–V) characteristics and the field effect mobility (μ FET ) of polydiacetylene single crystals in the temperature range 4 K–300 K. Non-Ohmic I–V characteristics reveal the maximum of the Drain-Source current (I DS ) at 170 K while the μ FET maximum appears at 130 K. The I DS along the backbone chains increases with the positive gate voltage (V G ) whereas the I DS between the backbone chains increases with the negative V G . The anisotropy of the conductivity and the μ FET are observed. The current parallel to the PDA backbone is ∼ 10–1000 times higher than that perpendicular, while the electron mobility parallel to the PDA backbone is about 100 times higher than that perpendicular.

Vertical distributions of aerosol optical properties and relative humidity were measured with a Raman lidar at Nagoya and Tsukuba, Japan, during the Asian dust events in 2000 and 2001. The data obtained on 23 April 2001 showed a maximum of aerosol backscattering ratio (R) of 3.5–4.0 at 532 nm at an altitude of 5 km over both measurement sites. Around that height the aerosol depolarization ratios (δa), which indicate the aerosol nonsphericity, were higher than 20% and the relative humidities (RH) were lower than 30%. The aerosol optical thickness between 4 and 7 km was 0.18±0.02 and the average aerosol extinction-to-backscatter ratio (lidar ratio) was 46±5 sr at Tsukuba. This aerosol layer was present for over 6 h and finally showed the highest δa value of about 33% and the lidar ratio of 10±3 sr at the uppermost region, where the RH was almost saturated with respect to ice. The data obtained on 4 May 2000 at Nagoya showed relatively high R values (∼2.5) below 5 km . The values of δa were higher than 15% between 3.5 and 8 km in which the maximum RH was about 60%. The values of δa and RH showed a weak negative correlation below 3.5 km , where the RH varied between 30% and 70%. In the 5– 8 km region, the δa values were correlated negatively with the wavelength exponent of the aerosol backscattering coefficient (α), whereas they showed the lowest value (∼7%) at smaller α values ( 5 km region. We hypothesized that these relations of δa to α and RH are due to the mixing state of mineral dust, sea-salt, and sulfate-containing particles that are major aerosol constituents in the free troposphere during the Asian dust period and to the dependence of their shape and size on RH.

Previous studies have provided evidence indicating that the nuclear orphan receptor RTR plays an important role during embryonic development and in spermatogenesis. In this study, we examine the expression of RTR in murine placenta and several human placental choriocarcinoma cell lines. Northern blot analysis showed high expression of RTR mRNA in placental tissue. In contrast to murine testis, which contains 7.4 and 2.3 kb transcripts, placental tissue expressed only the larger transcript. Examination of RTR expression in murine placental tissue by immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of RTR protein in the nuclei of giant trophoblasts and spongiotrophoblasts. RTR mRNA was also expressed in rat choriocarcinoma Rcho-1 cells and in the human placental choriocarcinoma cell lines BeWo, JAR, and JEG-3. In trophoblasts, RTR was co-expressed with the estrogen-related receptors ERR alpha and ERR beta. Giant trophoblast differentiation in Rcho-1 cells, characterized by induction of placental lactogen I (PL-I), was accompanied by a steady decrease in the expression of RTR mRNA and down-regulation of ERR beta expression while levels of ERR alpha mRNA did not change significantly. RTR was able to inhibit ERR alpha-mediated transactivation through the consensus RTR-response element (RTRE) likely by competing with ERR alpha for binding to the RTRE. These results suggest the possibility of cross-talk between RTR and ERR alpha receptor signalling pathways in trophoblasts.

We have deposited titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) thin films on Si(1 0 0) and Si(1 1 1) substrates in the temperature range of 500–750°C and in the pressure range of 3.0×10 −7 –5.0×10 −5 Torr using a single molecular precursor such as titanium (IV) iso-propoxide (Ti[OCH(CH 3 ) 2 ] 4 , 97%) by high-vacuum metal-organic chemical vapor deposition method. Highly oriented, stoichiometric TiO 2 thin films with rutile phase were successfully deposited on both Si(1 0 0) and Si(1 1 1) substrates between 650°C and 750°C under a working pressure of 1.0×10 −5 Torr. X-ray diffraction results clearly showed different growth behaviors between Si(1 0 0) and Si(1 1 1) substrates. The main film growth directions are [1 1 0] on Si(1 0 0) and [2 0 0] on Si(1 1 1), respectively. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope images showed a quite smooth surface with no cracks and sharp interface between film layers, suggesting good adhesion and uniformity in depth. In the case of TiO 2 films, grown under low temperature below 600°C and high pressure above 3.0×10 −5 Torr, transmission electron diffraction pattern showed a mixed structure with spot and ring patterns, resulting in polycrystalline film formation. By increasing the growth temperature to 650°C and decreasing the pressure to 3.0×10 −7 Torr, however, strong spot images with weak ring pattern were observed, indicating that the film crystallinity as well as growth direction was strongly affected by deposition temperature and pressure.

Microlenses with high relative aperture can be fabricated in PMMA by irradiation with energetic proton beams and diffusion of monomer vapour into the irradiated domains. For good reproducibility of the experiments, stable conditions regarding the temperature and pressure during diffusion have to be guaranteed and the deposited dose in the PMMA must be controlled exactly. A diffusion apparatus has been designed and constructed in order to precisely control the diffusion parameters. Microlenses were fabricated on PMMA substrates, which have been irradiated with 3 MeV proton beam through a metal mask with circular apertures. The curing of the microlenses has been done successfully with 254 nm UV, which is highly absorbed by styrene. Ranges of the diffusion temperature and the diffusion time for the proper swelling have been determined experimentally as a function of deposited fluence in a range between 5×10 12 and 5×10 13 ions/cm 2 .

Vertical profiles of free tropospheric humidity, aerosol backscattering and the depolarization ratio (particle nonsphericity) were measured with a Raman lidar at Nagoya (35.1°N, 137.0°E) from March 1994 to February 1997 to study the seasonal and altitude characteristics of the aerosol optical properties. We analyzed the relation of these characteristics to relative humidity (RH) and the transport pathways from the source areas. The vertically integrated aerosol backscattering coefficients (IBC) in the altitude ranges of 2–4 and 4–8 km showed an annual maximum in the spring (March–May). A second maximum of IBC was found in 2–4 km in mid-late summer (July–August). Aerosol depolarization ratios as high as 25% were observed frequently in the 2–8 km region in the spring and occasionally in the 4–8 km region in the autumn (September–November) and winter (December–February). In the 4–8 km regions these high values were observed over a wide range of RH values. Depolarization ratios less than 5% with RH values less than 20% were predominantly observed in the winter. The air parcels in these regions had mainly passed over the Asian Continent. Depolarization ratios less than 5% over a wide range of RH and high depolarization ratios (>10%) with relatively low RH values (

In the core of quantum Hall effect, intrinsic anomalous Hall effect (AHE), and intrinsic spin Hall effect lies the Berry phase, a quantum mechanical phase associated with an adiabatic change of the system. However, experimental evidences supporting this new recognition are scarce in three-dimensional systems. We report here that the anomalous Hall conductivity of metallic GaMnAs samples, when properly scaled by the carrier concentration, remains constant regardless of the ferromagnetic transition temperature from 50 to 160 K. In addition, the constant agrees with the theoretical prediction quite well. These qualitative and quantitative agreements support the idea of intrinsic AHE originated from momentum-space Berry phase firmly. Furthermore, the tunability of intrinsic AHE in the diluted magnetic semiconductors can be utilized in the semiconductor spintronics applications.

We have studied the effect of barrier strength on the tunneling magnetoresistance of MnAs/GaMnAs heterostructures with double AlAs barriers. The epitaxial structures were grown by low-temperature molecular beam epitaxy. The vertical magnetotransport properties were studied for various GaAs spacer thicknesses. We find that the junction resistivities of double barrier samples increase exponentially as the barrier strength increases, implying that direct tunneling process governs the transport properties. In contrast, the tunneling magnetoresistance depends primarily on the number of interfaces rather than on the barrier strength.

MHC associations with IDDM in the Korean population were studied to investigate genetic susceptibility to this disorder. The frequencies of HLA-DR3, -DR4 and -DR9 were significantly higher in diabetic patients. However, the frequency of DR2 was significantly decreased in diabetic patients. DQA1*0301 and DQA1*0501 were positively and DQA1*0102 and DQA1*0201 negatively associated with IDDM. DQB1*0301 and DQB1*0601 were negatively associated with IDDM. Heterodimers DQA1*0301-DQB1*0201, DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 and DQA1*0501-DQB1*0302 were positively associated with DQA1*0102-DQB1*0601 negatively associated with IDDM. The frequencies of DR3-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0201 and -DQA1*0501-DQB1*0201 were significantly higher in diabetic patients. The frequencies of DR4-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0201 and DR9-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0303 were significantly higher in diabetic patients. The presence of non-aspartic acid at position 57 of the DQ beta-chain was not associated with susceptibility to IDDM. However, the frequency of Arg 52 homozygotes was significantly higher in diabetic patients. These results suggest a role of the MHC molecule and also suggest racial differences in susceptibility to IDDM even within the Asian populations.

The electrochemical dissolution of the barrier layer in porous anodic oxide film on pure aluminium film has been investigated as functions of applied potential and pH by using the potential drop method and AC impedance technique. The porous film was formed on pure aluminium film at various potentials from 5 to 8 V (SCE) in l M aqueous H 2 SO 4 solution and a potential drop in the passivation range was applied to the porous film in aqueous H 2 SO 4 solutions. An induction time, after which a sudden increase in current density occurs, was observed. The change in reciprocal capacitance of the barrier layer with time revealed that the thinning of the barrier layer occurs mainly during the induction time. It was found that the dissolution of oxide from the barrier layer/solution interface occurs simultaneously with the formation of oxide at the aluminium/barrier layer interface during the induction time, indicating that the real dissolution rate of the barrier layer is higher than its thinning rate. The real dissolution rate increases with increasing relative change of potential drop to the initial applied potential, implying that the real dissolution of the barrier layer proceeds via an electrochemical dissolution (field-assisted dissolution) at the barrier layer/solution interface. The electrochemical dissolution rate does not change with pH, suggesting that the electrochemical dissolution of the barrier layer is crucially determined by aluminium ion-removal rate at the barrier layer/solution interface.

Purpose The satisfaction-of-search (SOS) effect occurs when an abnormality on an image is missed because another is found. The aim of this experiment was to test whether severe distracting fractures control the magnitude of SOS on other fractures when both appear in a single CT image. Methods The institutional review board approved this study. The experimental (SOS) condition included 35 cervical spine CT cases, all of which contained severe cervical spine injuries. For each of these cases, a similar case was found that had no injuries. Image modification software was developed to add simulated fractures to each pair of cases, with and without a major injury. Sixteen different minor fractures were added to 16 of the 35 pairs of images. The 35 cases without native injuries constituted a control (non-SOS) condition mixed in a random order. Twenty radiologists read 35 mixed cases in each of two sessions. False-positive evaluations were collected only for cases without simulated fractures. Results An SOS effect on the detection of simulated fractures was not observed. There was a nonsignificant ( P = .07) finding of poorer detection in the presence of cases with severe injuries. However, the magnitude of the effect was no greater than has been observed for less severe distracting injuries. Conclusions The outcome agrees with the results of two previous experiments that failed to yield an SOS effect associated with detecting severe injuries, suggesting that the severity of a distracting injury does not determine whether a second injury is discovered.

We have investigated the effects of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on the characteristics of a -Si:H films and a -Si:H TFTs by employing both a low-pressure mercury lamp and an excimer laser. The intensity of the XeCl excimer laser was varied from 10 to 80 mJ/cm 2 . The electrical properties of a -Si:H films and the characteristics of TFTs that were degraded by various stresses such as visible light soaking (130,000 1x, 1∼8 hrs) and electrical stress (30 V, 8 hrs) for a long period, recovered considerably to their original states after exposure.

Heavily carbon-doped GaAs ( p ∼3×10 20 cm −3 ) layers were implanted with Mn ions. The structural and transport properties of the as-implanted samples were investigated using the high resolution X-ray diffraction and AC magneto-transport measurements. The results show there are no known secondary phases in the samples and indicate anomalous Hall effect at intermediate temperatures.

Background This study was designed to identify the significance of lymphovascular invasion as a prognosticator for tumor recurrence and survival in rectal cancer patients treated with preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and total mesorectal excision (TME). Methods Between January 2003 and October 2010, the study included 328 patients with primary rectal cancer who had received preoperative CRT followed by TME. We analyzed the clinicopathologic factors that may be associated with survival, such as age, gender, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) value, pathologic T and N stage, tumor response, histologic grade, lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and perineural invasion. Results Higher pathologic T and N stage, poor tumorresponse, high-grade histology, and positive LVI were adverse prognostic factors for both disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) on the multivariate analysis. Perineural invasion was a significant adverse prognostic factor affecting DFS (P = 0.046) but not OS (P = 0.08). Increased T and N stage and distant recurrence, but not local recurrence, were significant factors associated with LVI. The LVI-negative group had a higher DFS (71.4 versus 56.2%, P = 0.012) and OS rate (86.7 versus 63.4%, P = 0.020) at 5 years than the LVI-positive group did. Conclusions Positive LVI had a negative impact on survivalin patients with rectal cancer who received preoperative CRT and TME and is significantly associated with an increased chance of distant recurrence. Based on this finding, more tailored adjuvant chemotherapy is warranted for advanced rectal cancer patients with LVI to reduce the distant dissemination of tumor.

SRPX2 (Sushi repeat-containing protein, X-linked 2) has recently emerged as a multifunctional protein that is involved in seizure disorders, angiogenesis and cellular adhesion. Here, we analyzed this protein biochemically. SRPX2 protein was secreted with a highly post-translational modification. Chondroitinase ABC treatment completely decreased the molecular mass of purified SRPX2 protein to its predicted size, whereas heparitinase, keratanase and hyaluroinidase did not. Secreted SRPX2 protein was also detected using an anti-chondroitin sulfate antibody. These results indicate that SRPX2 is a novel chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG). Furthermore, a binding assay revealed that hepatocyte growth factor dose-dependently binds to SRPX2 protein, and a ligand–glycosaminoglycans interaction was speculated to be likely in proteoglycans. Regarding its molecular architecture, SRPX2 has sushi repeat modules similar to four other CSPGs/lecticans; however, the molecular architecture of SRPX2 seems to be quite different from that of the lecticans. Taken together, we found that SRPX2 is a novel CSPG that is overexpressed in gastrointestinal cancer cells. Our findings provide key glycobiological insight into SRPX2 in cancer cells and demonstrate that SRPX2 is a new member of the cancer-related proteoglycan family.