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The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in tongue-palatal contact patterns using electropalatography (EPG) before and after sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO) in patients with mandibular prognathism. Nine clients who underwent SSRO for mandibular setback and seven control subjects were participated in this study. Tongue-palatal contact patterns for /t/, /s/ and /k/ production were investigated using EPG before surgery and 3 months after surgery. The mean value of whole total of palate contact (WT) in the maximum contact frame was examined before and after SSRO. The correlation quantity between the change of center of gravity (COG) value and the amount of mandibular setback was also evaluated. The mean value of WT for /t/ and /s/ significantly increased after SSRO, and the EPG pattern became normal. However, a remarkable change in WT for /k/ was not observed, and the mean value was significantly larger in the SSRO group before and after surgery than in the control group. A negative correlation between COG variation and the amount of mandibular setback for /t/ and positive correlation for /s/ was observed. This study demonstrated that tongue-palatal contact patterns for /t/ and /s/ articulation improved clearly after SSRO. There was a significant correlation between COG variation and the amount of mandibular setback. However, no significant change was detected through perceptual assessment before and after SSRO. Further investigation is needed to determine whether these results will change over time.

Objectives To test the local delivery of sirolimus nanoparticles following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) to treat in-stent restenosis (ISR) in a swine model. Background Coronary bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation reduces major adverse cardiac events when compared with PTCA; however, ISR rates remain high. Methods Eighteen swine underwent BMS deployment guided by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Of these, 16 developed ISR (1 stent/swine) and underwent angioplasty with a noncompliant balloon (PTCA-NC). The animals were then randomized into four groups for local infusion of sirolimus nanoparticles through a porous balloon catheter, as follows: (1) PTCA-NC alone (control); (2) PTCA-NC + (polylactic acid)-based nanoparticle formulation (anionic 1); (3) PTCA-NC + (polylactic-co-glycolic acid)-based nanoparticle formulation (anionic 2); and (4) PTCA-NC + Eudragit RS nanoparticle formulation (cationic). Coronary angiography and IVUS follow-up were performed 28 days after ISR treatment. Results There was one episode of acute coronary occlusion with the cationic formulation. Late area loss was similar in all groups at 28 days according to IVUS. However, luminal volume loss (control = 20.7%, anionic 1 = 4.0%, anionic 2 = 6.7%, cationic = 9.6%; P = 0.01) and neointimal volume gain (control = 68.7%, anionic 1 = 17.4%, anionic 2 = 29.5%, cationic = 31.2%; P = 0.019) were significantly reduced in all treatment groups, especially in anionic 1. Conclusions PTCA-NC followed by local infusion of sirolimus nanoparticles was safe and efficacious to reduce neointima in this model, and this strategy may be a promising treatment for BMS ISR. Further studies are required to validate this method in humans. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A high-precision sample stage for photoemission microscopy has been constructed to translate the sample by ±3 mm with accuracy better than 100 nm. The stage is actuated by step motors settled outside the vacuum. The accuracies of the translations were measured by observing a standard patterned sample with a photoemission electron microscope (PEEM) of 50 nm resolution. The accuracy was nearly independent of the distance of each translation step and the error was not accumulated by repeated steps. After round-trip translations up to 0.2 mm, the sample came back to the original position with accuracy of ±50 nm. The performance of the stage was demonstrated by observing growth processes of lead phthalocyanine (PbPc) films formed on graphite.

We have proposed a novel poly-Si/a-Si/HfSiON transistor to enhance reliabilities without performance degradation for a 65-nm-node low standby power (LSTP) application. By insertion of a thin amorphous-Si layer between the Poly-Si gate electrode and HfSiON, both phosphorus penetration from gate electrode and a reaction at gate electrode/HfSiON interface are successfully suppressed, so that positive bias temperature instability, one of the biggest issues for high-k gate dielectric, is drastically improved by two orders of magnitude. By carefully optimizing the gate stack structure of HfSiON, the HfSiON device can satisfy both lower gate leakage and gate-induced drain leakage at the same time. As a result, an excellent Ion- Istandby (= Ig + loff) characteristic can be achieved, compared to the conventional SiON device. The a-Si insertion technique can realize the combination between the high-k gate dielectric and Poly-Si for future LSTP applications.

A case of a ferromagnetic foreign body in a medically compromised patient was reported. The patient was a 45-year-old male who consulted our department complaining of a foreign body accidentally impacted in the right cheek. X-ray examination revealed a foreign body at the lateral aspect of the right mandibular ramus. The removal of the foreign body was scheduled, but the patient did not return for the procedure. After 8 years he revisited our department for the removal of the foreign body, because it had been found to be ferromagnetic and a barrier to MRI examination. X-ray examination confirmed the foreign body was located at the same site as 8 years prior. Although the patient was suffering from liver cirrhosis with thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, the foreign body was successfully removed under general anesthesia. The foreign body was 12 × 5 × 1 mm, weighed 0.48 g, and was ferromagnetic. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful. X-ray examination confirmed the removal of the foreign body. Since the surgery, the patient has been in generally stable condition with no complications. This case was a rare example of a foreign body that needed to be removed for medical examination.

Thermal treatment is an interesting strategy to dispose of municipal solid waste: it reduces the volume and weight of the material dumped in landfills and generates alternative energy. However, the process emits pollutants, such as dioxins and furans. The present study evaluated MSW gasification-combustion integrated technologies in terms of dioxin and furan emission; and compared the obtained data with literature results on incineration, to point out which operational features differentiate the release of pollutants by these two processes. The results show that the process of integrated gasification and combustion emitted 0.28 ng N-1 m-3, expressed in TEQ (Total Equivalent Toxicity), of PCDD/F, less than the maximum limits allowed by local and international laws, whereas incineration normally affords values above these limits and requires a gas treatment system. The distinct operational conditions of the two thermal processes, especially those related to temperature and the presence of oxygen and fixed carbon, led to a lower PCDD/F emission in gasification.

We have developed low standby power (LSTP) FET utilizing HfSiON dielectric. Due to optimizations of channel and offset spacer structure, we could put threshold voltage of pFET into the place of LSTP region, working through the Fermi-level-pinning effect. This resulted in the reduction of propagation delay and in performance improvement of our test product. We could also introduce reverse body-biasing technique for standby leakage reduction even for LSTP device. In order to characterize positive bias temperature instability (PBTI) of nFET, we have evaluated the kinetics of the electron trapping in amorphous HfSiON (a-HfSiON) and partially crystallized HfSiON (c-HfSiON) dielectric. We have found that the difference in PBTI reflects the structural diversity between them, such as spatial and energy distribution of the traps. We need to take notice of such diversity and figure out the origin of PBTI. Phosphorus penetration into HfSiON should be avoided in terms of gate leakage increase and TDDB degradation. To suppress it, we proposed double-layer gate electrode structure, which consisted of as-deposited amorphous layer followed by poly-Si layer.

Aims : To determine the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in B-cell lymphoma in Japan. HCV infection and type II (monoclonal IgM) cryoglobulinaemia (CG) may be involved in the pathogenesis of low-grade B-cell lymphoma (ML) in southern Europe. Methods and results : Forty-five (11.3%) of 400 B-cell ML cases were HCV antibody (Ab) positive, which was significantly (P

An ultrahigh-definition color video camera that uses new 1.25-in. 8M-pixel CMOS digital imagers and diagonal pixel shifting in a 4-pickup system has been developed. The camera head weighs less than 40 kg. A 5x zoom lens and a signal processing system incorporating a function for realtime lateral chromatic aberration correction was also developed. This function makes it possible to suppress optically generated color shifts across the entire zooming range. Moreover, opticalmultiplexing transmission equipment and a camera control unit were created. This camera has a limiting resolution of more than 3200 TV lines. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on an HDTV video, which is extracted 1/16 from 8k x 4k pixels video for the reason of SNR measurement device, was about 45 dB. The sensitivity was 2000 lux at F2.8 with a dynamic range of 200%.

This paper provides an outline of a new animatronic system, based on the technology of the flexible oscillating fin. The oscillating fin propulsion system was designed and constructed to be combined with a ship model. The system's feasibility has been confirmed by tank tests using the ship model. As a result, several advantages of the oscillating fin system have been found. A neural network was successfully applied for an identification of the ship model dynamics with the oscillating fin and its effectiveness was confirmed. The animatronic system is a computer-controlled biomechanically engineered model, rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world. We have developed aquatic robots with oscillating fins for the animatronics system to build a virtual aquarium. We have proposed an exhibition system for enhancing event spaces that includes an animatronic system for modern-day fish, coelacanths, and Cambrian-world creatures, able to swim under their own electric power.

The multimodality treatment approach for advanced breast cancer provides survival advantages with decreased locoregional and distant recurrences, but these intensive anti-tumour treatments cause severe myelosuppression. Thus, in this study, the usefulness of pre-operative anti-tumour treatment without myelosuppression was investigated. Nine patients with advanced breast carcinoma underwent pre-operative hyperthermic tumour ablation (HTA) using an 8 MHz radiofrequency (RF) heating device (Thermotron RF-8) combined with a grounded needle electrode. The patients had a mean age of 58.3+/-13.9 years and included four patients with stage IIIA, two with stage IIIB and three with stage IV cancer. The target temperature was over 50 degrees C. They tolerated pre-operative HTA therapy well with no early or late complications. The initial mean tumour size was 122.1+/-71.5 cm3 and the post-HTA tumour size was 82.2+/-63.4 cm3; the reduction rate was significant (p = 0.000 293). After the pre-operative HTA, all patients underwent surgery with Level III nodal extirpation. Post-operatively, no locoregional recurrence was observed. Microscopic examination of the primary focus showed complete coagulation necrosis expanding for a diameter of 3.5-5.0 cm. Taken together, the pre-operative HTA was a safe, well-tolerated and effective treatment, achieving tumour reduction as well as complete coagulation necrosis that resulted in a large volume of destruction in breast cancer tissue.

Multilevel PWM inverters have significant advantages over the conventional one because of the capability of operating the motor with nearly sinusoidal current waveforms and higher output voltages. In order to increase the power rating of the inverter, connection in parallel would be effective in the present case. In high-power applications, for instance, the carriers should be synchronized to the modulating sinusoidal waves. Moreover, for the interphase reactor, lower order harmonic application is prohibited. In practice, to improve the harmonic characteristics of the parallel-connected five-level inverter, two modulation strategies have been devised and designed in this paper. It is found that the DC current flow through the DC power supplies can be controlled by means of phase shifting of the injected third order harmonics. In the case of a static VAr compensator (SVC), the output capacitor voltages can be controlled by means of this technique.

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) were studied in 75 patients with cerebral infarction. All patients were alert with the symptoms of hemiparesis and/or aphasia, and were divided into two groups: 42 patients had occlusion or stenosis of >75% at the internal carotid artery or main trunk of middle cerebral artery; and 33 patients did not. Hemispheric mean CBF was measured by performing first-pass radionuclide angiography using 99mTc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime. CVR was measured as the percentage change from the baseline mean CBF value after the administration of 500 mg acetazolamide. The CVR in both groups was significantly impaired (5.2+/-6.3%, P

Purpose: A large single dose of irradiation to bone tissue causes bone fragility, and such bone will be susceptible to fracture even without trauma. the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fractional irradiation on the biomechanical properties of bone in the rat in relation to the cortical bone-mineral content (BMC), and to compare these effects with those brought about by single-dose irradiation Material and Methods: Seventy-five veteran female Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups. Group 1 was the control group. the left tibiae of the remaining rats were exposed to irradiation. Group 2 received one single dose of X-rays at 10–60 Gy. Groups 3 and 4 received fractional irradiation up to different cumulative doses (10–60 Gy): group 3 received 2.5 Gy once a day; group 4 received 1.25 Gy twice a day. Twenty-four weeks after irradiation, the rats were killed and the BMC in each tibial diaphysis was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). the bones were then loaded to failure in a three-point bending test Results: the control group showed no difference (p Conclusion: the study suggested that bone fragility induced by single fractional irradiation doses (given once daily up to high cumulative doses) was not associated with change in the cortical BMC. It also confirmed the preference for twice-daily fractional irradiation as compared to once-daily fractional irradiation and the total single dose

A double-blind, multi-center study was performed on patients with HTLV-I-associated myelopathy (HAM) to evaluate the therapeutic effect of treatment with natural interferon-alpha (HLBI). Forty-eight HAM patients were enrolled and treated with either 0.3 MU (n = 15), 1.0 MU (n = 17), or 3.0 MU (n = 16) of HLBI for 28 days. Clinical evaluation included motor dysfunction, urinary disturbances, and changes of neurologic signs. The frequency of therapeutic response judged as excellent to good 4 weeks after starting therapy and 4 weeks after completion of therapy were 7.1% (1 of 14) and 8.3% (1 of 12) in the 0.3-MU group, 23.5% (4 of 17) and 26.7% (4 of 15) for the 1.0-MU group, and 66.7% (10 of 15) and 61.5% (8 of 13) for the 3.0-MU group. The therapeutic benefit in the 3.0-MU group was significantly higher than in the 0.3-MU group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of symptomatic side effects between groups. Abnormal laboratory data were obtained for some patients in the 1.0-MU and 3.0-MU groups; however, the treatment schedule could be continued in most patients. These results suggest that HAM patients may be safely treated with HLBI 3.0 MU every day for 4 weeks with favorable clinical effects.

Background Extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) is an uncommon skin tumor that usually occurs in the genital area. Few studies on EMPD have been conducted. Objective To evaluate the clinical and pathologic features, treatments, recurrence, survival rates, and prognostic factors of EMPD. Methods A total of 35 (27 men and 8 women) patients with EMPD was analyzed. The average age of the patients was 73.4 years. Result Twenty nine Of the 35 patients had lesions in the genital area, one in the genital and perianal area, three in the axillary area and two in the perianal area. Eighteen patients had in situ lesions, five had inguinal lymph node metastases and two had distant metastases at the time of diagnosis. Surgical resection was performed in 30 cases and radiation therapy, was administered in three cases. Six patients died of EMPD, and the overall 5 year survival rate was 75%. Conclusion The presence of a nodule on the primary lesion, clinically palpable lymph nodes, the level of tumor invasion, and lymph node metastases were found to be significant prognostic factors in the 35 EMPD cases at our institution.

The lumbar region is a frequent site of spinal disorders, including low-back pain, and of spinal trauma. Clinical studies have established that abnormal intervertebral motions occur in some patients who have low-back pain. A knowledge of normal spinal movements, with all of the inherent complexities, is needed as a baseline. The present study documents the complete three-dimensional elastic physical properties of each lumbar intervertebral level from the level between the first and second lumbar vertebrae through the level between the fifth lumbar and first sacral vertebrae. Nine whole fresh-frozen human cadaveric lumbar-spine specimens were used. Pure moments of flexion-extension, bilateral axial torque, and bilateral lateral bending were applied, and three-dimensional intervertebral motions were determined with use of stereophotogrammetry. The motions were presented in the form of a set of six load-displacement curves, quantitating intervertebral rotations and translations. The curves were found to be non-linear, and the motions were coupled. The ranges of motion were found to compare favorably with reported values from in vivo studies.

The recent developments in both instrumentation and software have led to the widespread use of DXA in osteoporosis. Although DXA has advantages over other techniques, it is important to give the pitfalls and limitations of DXA careful consideration to ensure its effective clinical application.

The instrumented Charpy impact test has been widely used as a simple method semi-empirically evaluating the material impact toughness. The authors have developed a new dynamic fracture tougness evaluation system using a instrumented Charpy impact testing machine aided with a personal computer, which has been called the ‘CAI (Computer-Aided instrumented Charpy Impact testing)’ system. Using the CAI system, dynamic fracture toughness such as K d , J d , T mat and various energies can be obtained from the load-deflection curve of a single pre-cracked specimen. In this paper, in addition to the detail of the CAI system, the elastic deformation behaviour of the Charpy testing machine and its correspondence in the CAI system are described.

Hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) is a major cause of morbidity after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Many therapies have been investigated to prevent or treat HC, but effective treatment for HC is still limited. While the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been established for HC due to chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, its role in HC occurring after allogeneic BMT has yet to be defined. We report two cases of life-threatening late-onset HC after allogeneic BMT in children, which resolved after treatment with hyperbaric oxygen.

This is the first report to describe the coexistence of two rare diseases, intracranial paramedian hourglass-shaped dermoid and steatocystoma multiplex. A 46-year-old female with a history of steatocystoma multiplex, bradydactylies and kyphosis showed oscillopsia, ataxia and hemifacial spasm. MRI findings suggested a giant dermoid cyst extending from the left middle temporal fossa to the cerebellopontine angle, and this was confirmed surgically. We propose the involvement of some genetic factor or pathological process common to both disorders, steatocystoma multiplex and dermoid. From the clinical point of view, patients with cystic skin lesion should also be checked for intracranial lesion.

Unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO), a model of tubulointerstitial scarring (TIS), has a propensity toward regeneration of renal parenchyma after release of obstruction (RUUO). No information exists on the contribution of stem cells to this process. We performed UUO in FVB/N mice, reversed it after 10 days, and examined kidneys 3 wk after RUUO. UUO resulted in attenuation of renal parenchyma. FACS analysis of endothelial progenitor (EPC), mesenchymal stem (MSC) and hematopoietic stem (HSC) cells obtained from UUO kidneys by collagenase-dispersed single-cell suspension showed significant increase in EPC, MSC, and HSC compared with control. After RUUO cortical parenchyma was nearly restored, and TIS score improved by 3 wk. This reversal process was associated with return of stem cells toward baseline level. When animals were chronically treated with nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor at a dose that did not induce hypertension but resulted in endothelial dysfunction, TIS scores were not different from control UUO, but EPC number in the kidney decreased significantly; however, parenchymal regeneration in these mice was similar to control. Blockade of CXCR4-mediated engraftment resulted in dramatic worsening of UUO and RUUO. Similar results were obtained in caveolin-1-deficient but not -overexpressing mice, reflecting the fact that activation of CXCR4 occurs in caveolae. The present data show increase in EPC, HSC, and MSC population during UUO and a tendency for these cells to decrease to control level during RUUO. These processes are minimally affected by chronic NOS inhibition. Blockade of CXCR4-stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) interaction by AMD3100 or caveolin-1 deficiency significantly reduced the UUO-associated surge in stem cells and prevented parenchymal regeneration after RUUO. We conclude that the surge in stem cell accumulation during UUO is a prerequisite for regeneration of renal parenchyma.

Introduction Previous studies indicate that overexpression of the membrane-associated mucin MUC4 is potently anti-adhesive to cultured tumor cells, and suppresses cellular apoptotic response to a variety of insults. Such observations raise the possibility that MUC4 expression could contribute to tumor progression or metastasis, but the potential involvement of MUC4 in breast cancer has not been rigorously assessed. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of the membrane mucin MUC4 in normal breast tissue, primary breast tumors and lymph node metastases, and to evaluate the role of MUC4 in promoting the malignant properties of breast tumor cells. Methods MUC4 expression levels in patient-matched normal and tumor breast tissue was initially examined by immunoblotting lysates of fresh frozen tissue samples with a highly specific preparation of anti-MUC4 monoclonal antibody 1G8. Immunohistochemical analysis was then carried out using tissue microarrays encompassing patient-matched normal breast tissue and primary tumors, and patient-matched lymph node metastases and primary tumors. Finally, shRNA-mediated knockdown was employed to assess the contribution of MUC4 to the cellular growth and malignancy properties of JIMT-1 breast cancer cells. Results Immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry revealed that MUC4 levels are suppressed in the majority (58%, p < 0.001) of primary tumors relative to patient-matched normal tissue. On the other hand, lymph node metastatic lesions from 37% (p < 0.05) of patients expressed higher MUC4 protein levels than patient-matched primary tumors. MUC4-positive tumor emboli were often found in lymphovascular spaces of lymph node metastatic lesions. shRNA-mediated MUC4 knockdown compromised the migration, proliferation and anoikis resistance of JIMT-1 cells, strongly suggesting that MUC4 expression actively contributes to cellular properties associated with breast tumor metastasis. Conclusions Our observations suggest that after an initial loss of MUC4 levels during the transition of normal breast tissue to primary tumor, the re-establishment of elevated MUC4 levels confers an advantage to metastasizing breast tumor cells by promoting the acquisition of cellular properties associated with malignancy.

A biomechanical study was performed in order to evaluate the initial stability of three spinal instrumentation systems, applied to a scoliosis model. Five calf spines (T11-L2) were destabilized anteriorly, and, by inserting a wedge-shaped resin disc within each destabilized inter-vertebral space, a thoracolumbar scoliosis was created. Three spinal instrumentation systems (Zielke anterior instrumentation, Kaneda anterior multisegmental fixation device, and Cotrel-Dubousset posterior instrumentation) were applied to correct the simulated scoliotic condition. Mechanical nondestructive cyclical testing in axial compression, rotation, flexion, and extension was performed on each spinal construct. The Kaneda device was the most stable instrumentation in all four loading conditions. Zielke instrumentation failed to restore the stability to the level of the intact spine in rotation, and was the least rigid instrumentation in flexion and extension. The Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation demonstrated favorable stability in flexion and extension, but became the least rigid instrumentation in axial compression and rotation. This study suggests that a one-stage procedure with Zielke instrumentation and a two-stage procedure (anterior release with bone graft and posterior stabilization) with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation applied for the correction of scoliosis, should be supplemented with additional external or internal supports. The Kaneda device may offer enough stability with an anterior procedure alone in the correction of scoliosis.

Retrospective data analysis. To clarify the clinical features and surgical management of spinal cord hemangioblastomas in patients with von Hippel–Lindau disease (VHL). Clinical VHL Research Group in Japan, Japan. Forty-eight out of 66 patients with associated spinal cord hemangioblastoma among 142 VHL patients were retrospectively examined with respect to clinical features, accompanying lesions and outcome of surgical treatment. Among these 48 patients, 46 of them (95.8%) also had a central nervous system (CNS) hemangioblastoma at another site: 42 (87.5%) with cerebellar hemangioblastoma and 11 (22.9%) with brain stem hemangioblastoma. Twenty-three patients (47.9%) had more than one spinal cord hemangioblastoma. The 48 patients with spinal cord hemangioblastomas collectively had a total of 74 tumors. The tumor was accompanied with a syrinx in 64 and without it in 10 patients. Forty of the 48 patients underwent surgical treatment for their spinal cord hemangioblastomas, and 7 of these 40 underwent surgical treatment twice. When functional changes in the patients after these 47 operations were examined by postoperative evaluation by McCormick’s classification, 39 of these operations (83.0%) resulted in improvement/no change and 8 (17.0%) in aggravation of symptoms. Von Hippel–Lindau disease patients bearing spinal cord hemangioblastomas mostly had a CNS hemangioblastoma at another site. These tumors can be removed in the majority of VHL patients without aggravation. In these patients, when the timing of treatment for spinal cord hemangioblastoma is determined, the probability of occurrence and treatment of other lesions should be considered.

Nonlinear rectifier circuits, having capacitors or inductors, are generally used as rectifier circuits, such as those in consumer electronics and appliances. It is known that such rectifiers generate various harmonics in the power system. To reduce these harmonic problems, various original PFC (Power Factor Correction) circuits have been proposed. Amongst these, Prasad-Ziogas, et al, have proposed a PFC scheme using single switching device for three phase circuit applications. This method achieves a PFC effect by simultaneously creating three phase supplies by the use of a single switch through an inductor. On the basis of this scheme, we propose an alternative PFC circuit. This method attempts to improve the input current, approaching a nearly sinusoidal waveform, by using an intermediate capacitor circuit, with a method of operation analogous to the conventional method having capacitor filter, but is, nonetheless, original. Various fundamental operations have been considered and have been confirmed by computer simulation. Compared with the conventional Prasad-Ziogas circuits, the construction is a little more complicated, but the output power can be much increased, in addition to improved THD (Total Harmonic Distortion).

We report the appearance of lymphocutaneous sporotrichosis on the left arm of a 28-year-old farmer's wife, followed two months later by the same type of lesion on the right upper eyelid of this patient's three-year-old child. According to the mother, the child was accustomed to sleeping with the right side of her face applied to the lesion on the mother's arm, and so it was presumed that the infection had been transmitted by direct contact from mother to child. Cases of person-to-person contagion of this disorder are thought to be extremely rare, but where there has been close contact on a daily basis, such contagion is likely to occur.

For small capacity rectifier circuits such as those for consumer electronics and appliances, rectifier circuits of the capacitor input type are generally used. The various harmonics generated within such a power system become a serious problem. Various studies to reduce these effects have been presented so far. However, most of these employ switching devices, such as MOSFETs and the like. Removing the need for switching devices renders the systems more tolerant to over-load, and brings low RF noise benefits. The authors have proposed a power factor correction scheme using a LC circuit, resonant at a commercial frequency, without using switching devices. This method makes a sinusoidal wave by widening conduction period using the current resonance in commercial frequency. It is found that a output high voltage may be readily obtained by means of the LC resonance in this PFC circuit, such that the dc output voltage achieved can be as great as ten times the AC input voltage. In this paper the results are reported and confirmed from both theoretical and experimental implementations.

The results of gamma knife radiosurgery for haemangioblastomas were retrospectively studied to assess the efficacy for tumour growth control and clarify the clinical indications for gamma knife radiosurgery in these tumours.The medical records of 22 patients with 67 tumours, 12 men and 10 women aged 20-73 years (mean 51.9 years), who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery for haemangioblastomas between January 1993 and January 2006, were retrospectively reviewed. Ten patients with 54 lesions had von Hippel-Lindau disease. The mean tumour volume was 1.69 cm(3) (range 0.0097-16.4 cm(3)). Nineteen patients had undergone 1-4 open surgery procedures (mean 1.5) before gamma knife radiosurgery. Tumours without a cystic component, (the solid type), were found in 54 lesions and tumours associated with cyst, (the mural nodule with cyst type), in 13 lesions. The marginal dose was 8-30 Gy (mean 14.0 Gy).Follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed at 9-146 months (mean 63 months). The control rate for tumour growth was 83.6%. The only factor affecting tumour growth control was the presence of a cystic component at the time of gamma knife radiosurgery in both univariate and multivariate analysis. No complication such as radiation-induced peritumoural oedema or radiation necrosis occurred.The presence of cystic components at the time of gamma knife radiosurgery was the only factor significantly correlated with unfavourable tumour growth control by gamma knife radiosurgery for haemangioblastomas. Gamma knife radiosurgery is effective for solid type tumours, even if the marginal dose is relatively low. Surgical removal is recommended for mural nodule with cyst type tumours, when possible.

It is a little difficult to obtain the lower dc voltage below the one obtained from input ac supply voltage without transformer or switching operations. Those operations can be implemented by passive devices due to fabrication of electrolytic capacitors. The results are confirmed by the theoretical and experimental implementations.

Various non-linear semiconductor circuits have been used in consumer electronics and industrial electronics. It is well known that rectifier circuits such as these can generate various harmonics within the power system. Because of this, several different power factor correction circuits have been proposed and studied. These methods are designed to improve the input current to a sinusoidal waveform by using switching devices, and they therefore degrade the cost performance. From this point of view, it is also appropriate to discuss harmonic reduction methods that do not use switching devices. This paper proposes a novel three-phase rectifier circuit for power factor correction that operates without switching devices, and whose input current waveform is almost sinusoidal. Since it does not make use of any switching devices, this solution avoids any losses and noise due to switching. In addition, since it is also unnecessary to employ a complicated driving circuit, it is favorable in terms of cost performance. The effectiveness of this circuit is confirmed by simulation and experiment.

For consumer electronics and appliances, rectifier circuits of the capacitor input type are generally used. The various harmonics generated within such a power system become a serious problem. Various studies to reduce these effects have been presented so far. However, most of these employ switching devices, such as MOSFETs and the like. Removing the need for switching devices renders the systems more tolerant to over-load, and brings low RF noise benefits. The authors have proposed a Cscheme using a LC circuit, resonant at a commercial frequency, without using switching devices. This method makes a sinusoidal wave by widening conduction period using the current resonance in commercial frequency. It is found that a output high voltage may be readily obtained by means of the LC resonance in this PFC circuit, such that the dc output voltage achieved can be as great as ten times the AC input voltage. In this paper the results are reported and confirmed from both theoretical and experimental implementations.

It is a little difficult to obtain the lower dc voltage below the one obtained from input AC supply voltage without transformer or switching operations. Those operations can be implemented by passive devices due to fabrication of electrolytic capacitors. The results are confirmed by the theoretical and experimental implementations.

Various rectifier circuits such as those for consumer electronics and appliances, rectifier circuits of the capacitor input type are generally used. The various harmonics generated within such a power system become a serious problem. Various studies to reduce these effects have been presented so far. However, most of these employ switching devices, such as MOSFETs and the like. Removing the need for switching devices renders the systems more tolerant to over-load, and brings low RF noise benefits. The authors have proposed a power factor correction scheme using a LC circuit, resonant at a commercial frequency, without using switching devices. This method makes a sinusoidal wave by widening conduction period using the current resonance in commercial frequency. It is found that a output high voltage may be readily obtained by means of the LC resonance in this PFC circuit, such that the dc output voltage achieved can be as great as ten times the ac input voltage. In this paper the results are reported and confirmed from both theoretical and experimental implementations.

Some papers of power converters that interface between photovoltaic arrays and a.c. utility system have been reported [1]-[3]. Some innovative utility-interactive power conditioning systems have been also studied [4],[5]. The characteristics of these systems lie in the fact that a full wave rectified current waveform is generated from the d.c. source and converted into a low distortion sinusoidal current which is fed in-phase with the a.c. sinusoidal voltage of the utility. This method has various advantages, but the circuit configurations and control systems are a little complicated. However, as the cost of such systems will rise, it is preferable the utility interactive system without on-site battery. This paper proposes a simple utility interactive photovoltaic power conditioning system with a forward converter. In addition, innovative lossless snubber circuits are presented and discussed.

We investigated the deposition process reproducibility of extremely-thin (

It is a little difficult to obtain the lower dc voltage below the one obtained from input ac supply voltage without transformer or switching operations. Those operations can be implemented by passive devices due to fabrication of electrolytic capacitors. The results are confirmed by the theoretical and experimental implementations.

Some papers of power converters that interface between photovoltaic arrays and a.c. utility system have been reported [l]-[3]. Some innovative utility-interactive power conditioning systems have been also studied [4],[5]. The characteristics of these systems lie in the fact that a full wave rectified current waveform is generated from the d.c. source and converted into a low distortion sinusoidal current which is fed in-phase with the a.c. sinusoidal voltage of the utility. This method has various advantages, but the circuit configurations and control systems are a little complicated. However, as the cost of such systems will rise, it is preferable the utility interactive system without on-site battery. This paper proposes a simple utility interactive photovoltaic power conditioning system with a forward converter. In addition, innovative lossless snubber circuits are presented and discussed.

A 55nm node low standby power/generic CMOS technology is demonstrated. The transistor deploys the combination of high-k gate dielectric film and process-induced stress technologies. It features high drive currents with low leakage, wide coverage of transistor performance and process simplicity. Ion of 525/295 muA/mum at Ion of 20 muA/mum and Ion of 780/400 muA/mum at Ioff of 3 nA/mum with supply voltage of 1.2 V have been achieved. A leading-edge ArF immersion lithography has been utilized for fine-pitch design rules such as L/S of 160 nm for metal 1 layer. A 0.432 mum2 SRAM cell shows a sufficient SNM of 130 mV at supply voltage of 0.8 V

The line impedance could be measured by means of only passive elements such as inductors or resistors, that is presented at first. However, as the voltage and current used for the measurement are increased, the size of the inductor or resistor being used also needs to be increased, so in practice it would be virtually impossible to make an accurate measurement. Because of this, we have developed a novel measurement method for feeder impedance using an inverter circuit, which we describe secondly. In the third place, we propose another feeder impedance measurement method. The novel method is that the high frequency wave with minimum voltage is injected into the distribution feeder system. By means of this method, the feeder capacitance and the feeder inductance can be measured. These proposals are confirmed by the simulation or experiment.

We found a new anomalous gate leakage current (AGLC) of ultra-thin gate-SiON, which may directly impact standby leakage and yield for 65 nm node and beyond. We have identified the AGLC mechanism and also developed gate-stack fabrication process as effective countermeasures. Reducing gate-SiON to less than 1.3 nm induces AGLC leading to reliability degradation in nFET. With relatively large Phosphorous doping of gate electrode, gate length larger than 0.1 mum and very large total width comparable to product level, AGLC can be observed even in 1.3 nm gate-SiON which is a typical gate dielectric thickness for 65 nm node. Nitrogen implantation into poly-Si suppresses AGLC and effectively prevents the reliability degradation while boosting drivability as the poly-Si grain size is reduced. For suppression of AGLC for even thinner gate-SiON of 1.1 nm, additional poly-Si/SiON fabrication process optimization has been implemented