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This study examined quality of life and its associated factors in siblings of children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities in Japan. The participants were 789 siblings of children with a disability and their primary caregivers. We used the Kinder Lebensqualitat Fragebogen questionnaire to assess the quality of life of siblings. The mean age of the siblings in this study was 12.21 ± 3.07 years, and the mean quality of life score was 69.63 ± 12.55 points, which is higher than that of the general population of children of the same age. It was revealed that the following factors contributed to higher quality of life scores: a closer relationship with the child with a disability, younger age, the primary caregiver's lower care burden, later birth order of siblings (i.e., younger siblings), higher family empowerment, and female gender of siblings. The relationship with the child with a disability had the strongest influence on siblings' quality of life. Our study suggests the need for nursing interventions that focus on the whole family to enhance siblings' quality of life.

In this study, InAlN was grown on glass substrates using pulsed sputtering deposition (PSD) at room temperature (RT) and was applied to thin-film transistors (TFTs). The surface flatness of the InAIN films was improved by reducing the growth temperature from 350 °C to RT. Further, the electron mobility and concentration of the InAlN film that was grown at RT were observed to be strongly dependent on the In composition. It was also observed that the electron concentration could be reduced during the introduction of Al atoms into InN, which could most likely be attributed to the reduction in the position of the Fermi level stabilization energy with respect to the conduction band edge. Further, InAlN-TFT was fabricated, and successful operation with a field-effect mobility of 8 cm2 V−1 s−1 was confirmed. This was the first demonstration of the operation of TFTs based on the growth of InAlN on an amorphous substrate at RT.

We report the in-plane anisotropic conductivity of heavily Si-doped GaN (20 2 ̄ 1) prepared by pulsed sputtering deposition and its application to tunneling junction (TJ) contacts on InGaN (20 2 ̄ 1) LEDs. Si-doped GaN (20 2 ̄ 1) yielded a high electron mobility of 109 cm2 V−1 s−1 even at an electron concentration of 1.1 × 1020 cm−3. The average difference in the in-plane electron mobility along the [ 1 ̄ 014] and [1 2 ̄ 10] directions was small (approximately 9.7%) because of the low stacking fault density. The heavily Si-doped GaN (20 2 ̄ 1) worked as a uniform current spreading layer and hole injection layer through the TJ on InGaN (20 2 ̄ 1) LEDs.

We report the characteristics of heavily Si-doped GaN prepared by pulsed sputtering deposition (PSD) and its application as tunneling junction (TJ) contacts for nitride-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). We determined that the use of PSD allows us to grow extremely heavily Si-doped wurtzite GaN epitaxial layers with [Si] = 1.0 × 1021 cm−3 on commercially available UV-A LED wafers. Then, we processed these samples into LED structures to investigate their device characteristics as TJ-contact LEDs. Compared to commercially available UV-A LEDs with transparent conductive oxide contacts, TJ-contact LEDs with [Si] = 1.0 × 1021 cm−3 at the tunnel-junction interface showed lower differential resistance and, consequently, worked well under a high injection current density of ∼1 kA/cm2 without any degradation. These results indicate that PSD-grown heavily doped n-type GaN is promising for application as a TJ-contact in group III nitride-based optoelectronic devices.

We demonstrate herein the fabrication and operation of p-type GaN Schottky barrier diodes (SBDs) with nearly ideal rectifying characteristics using vertical bottom tunneling junction contacts. The interface between Ni and p-type GaN provides a large Schottky barrier height of 2.29 eV, which is promising for high-temperature operations. The vertical p-type GaN SBDs show nearly ideal rectifying characteristics with an ideality factor close to unity and a rectifying ratio as high as 106, even at 600 K. This distinguished performance indicates the superiority of p-type GaN SBDs for electron devices operated under high-temperature environments.

Integrating the functions of superconductors and semiconductors by epitaxial growth can lead to the fabrication of quantum devices such as on-chip quantum communication systems with single-photon emitters and detectors. Furthermore, a combination of nitride superconductors and nitride semiconductors is one of the most suitable candidates for application in these quantum devices. However, the structure of superconducting NbN films grown on nitride semiconductors needs to be elucidated. In this study, we report the self-organization of NbN nanostructures that were epitaxially grown on an atomically flat AlN surface. Structural investigation of the NbN/AlN heterostructure revealed that the growth of NbN twins on the AlN surface leads to the autonomous formation of nanostructures. These results significantly contribute to the materials science of cubic transition metal nitride heteroepitaxy.

Herein, we report the growth method of ultrathin indium nitride (InN) films on aluminum nitride (AlN) templates by sputtering and its application to field-effect transistors (FETs). Although island-like InN surfaces were formed at the initial film growth stage, the height of the islands on the surface could be controlled by changing the growth temperature. The height of the InN islands grown at 500 °C was lower than those grown at 440 °C and 480 °C. To demonstrate an application of the InN/AlN heterostructure to FETs, we fabricated FETs using a 2-nm-thick InN film grown on an AlN template. The FET with the InN channel grown at 500 °C exhibited a drain current density of 0.19 mA/mm and an on/off ratio of approximately 102 although the drain current of the FET with the InN grown at 450 °C was not adequately controlled by the gate bias. These results indicate that the growth condition of InN films is responsible for the characteristics of InN/AlN FETs.

Background: The number of Japanese children with developmental disabilities (DDs) has seen a steady increase in recent years. The parents and families of children with DD experience distress both at the time of DD diagnosis and afterward. Aim: This study aimed to elucidate the issues and needs of the parents of children with DD to facilitate the development of effective support strategies necessary to help the family handle the special needs of their child with DD. Methods: Japanese-speaking parents with children who were aged 3Y14 years and currently being treated in a hospital for DDs were invited to participate in one of three focus groups. A trained moderator led each 90-minute audio-recorded group using a semistructured interview guide. All transcripts were coded using thematic content analysis. Results: Six categories of parents’ significant issues were identified, with three of the categories classified as critical needs. Conclusions: The issues and needs identified in this study are useful for developing an effective family support program and a related performance framework. Key concerns include providing relevant information support, providing counseling and consultation support for parents and siblings, and providing resources to children with DD that are necessary to help them deal effectively with their disabilities.

Background: About 70% of Japanese children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) live at home, and the number is increasing. Family members have an enormous burden of daily physical care for these children. A top priority is to understand quality of life (QoL), family function, and family empowerment to effectively support these families. We aimed to assess current living situations of families with a SMID child, and to reveal the relationships between QoL, family function, and family empowerment. Methods: Sixty-five family members from 34 families with a SMID child participated in this study. We assessed 5 parameters using the Japanese versions of the following instruments: World Health Organization Quality of Life 26 (WHOQOL26), Kinder Lebensqualitats Fragebogen (KINDL), Family Assessment Device (FAD), Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale KG-4 (FACESKG-4), and Family Empowerment Scale (FES). Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted; QoL score was the objective variable. Results: Participants included 54 parents (34 mothers, 20 fathers) and 11 siblings. The mean age of SMID children was 10.4 ± 5.03 years. Twenty-two children needed multiple types of medical care. The mean age of parents and siblings was 41.5 ± 6.16 years and 15.5 ± 2.35 years, respectively. The mean QoL score (3.28 ± 0.5) was similar to the Japanese average. The mean KINDL score (77.2 ± 12.1) was higher than those of previous studies. The mean FAD score was 1.97 ± 0.32. For FACEKG-4, the score of adaptability was correlated with WHOQOL score (r = 0.459, p < 0.05). The mean score of FES was 113.6 ± 14. As the result of multiple regression analysis, lower family FAD scores ([sb] = ?0.61, p < 0.01) indicated higher family function and greater age of participants (sb = 0.495, p < 0.01) was correlated with higher WHOQOL scores (F = 15.208, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Our results indicated that the individual QoL depended on the age of participants (equals the years of experience caring for a SMID child) and the recognition of family function as a whole. Thus, to improve family members’ QoL, we should focus on individuals and also approach the family as a whole.

The number of children with Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities (SMID) receiving medical treatment/recovering at home is rising yearly. Although benefits of this care are emphasized, the stress and duties of family members in the household are extremely great, especially because Japan is becoming a society of nuclear families. In this study, we described the lifestyles of nuclear families providing in-home medical care for children with SMID, focusing on family members’ roles. Roles of mothers, fathers, and siblings of children with SMID were summarized from semi-structured inter-views. As a result, for “the roles of each family member living with a child with SMID”, mothers had five roles, fathers seven, and siblings five. For “the hopes of each family member living with a child with SMID”, parents desired the whole family collaboration in care for children with SMID, and as caregivers, parents’ common thoughts included wanting siblings in order to help care for the child with SMID and wanting siblings to treasure their own lives. Siblings wanted their mother to have some time for rest and expected their fathers to have two main roles. They also expected their grandparents and other siblings to fulfill roles.

Targeted temperature management (TTM), or therapeutic hypothermia, is one of the most potent neuroprotective approaches after ischemic and traumatic brain injuries. TTM has been applied clinically with various methods, but effective achievement and maintenance of the target temperature remain challenging. Furthermore, timing of cooling and target body and brain temperature to optimize effectiveness for neuroprotection and to minimize side effects are yet to be standardized. Focal brain cooling is a potential strategy to minimize adverse effects of systemic TTM. In this study, we report on a focal brain cooling device for animals and its effectiveness of focal cooling in several animal models of ischemic cerebral stroke. A focal brain cooling device was constructed using a Peltier's element, a thermoelectric heat pump. The device was validated for its cooling ability, and optimal settings to induce an effective intracranial temperature were determined using male Sprague-Dawley rats. Transient and permanent middle cerebral artery occlusions were experimentally induced, and focal brain cooling was applied using the device varying the timing and duration of cooling. The stroke-induced infarct and edema volumes were evaluated from Nissl-stained cryosections. The focal brain cooling device was able to decrease and subsequently maintained cerebral hypothermia in free-moving rats without altering the core temperature. The device with validated intracranial temperatures produced neuroprotective effects in the acute phase of ischemic neural death, reperfusion injury, progressing damage to the penumbra, and edema formation. In conclusion, our validated focal cooling device enabled rapid and accurate cerebral TTM in rats. Using this device, we were able to test the neuroprotective effect of focal TTM in several pathological stages of cerebral ischemia, which warrants further studies to develop clinically feasible TTM procedures for patients with cerebral stroke.

Background: “Children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities” refers to children with markedly limited activity due to severe overlapping of physical and intellectual disabilities. The physical and mental burden placed on families raising severely disabled children, particularly the primary caregivers, is great in home settings. For families to effectively utilize services and over-come child rearing problems, the families themselves need the “strength” to cooperate with others for the purpose of raising a severely disabled child. The ultimate goal of family support is to enable such families to achieve satisfaction and self-growth in child rearing. Methods: We used a questionnaire to survey 75 primary caregivers to empirically elucidate the empowerment and positive feelings towards child rearing of families raising children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities and the related factors. The t-test and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient were used to examine the association with bivariates. A multiple regression analysis was conducted for empowerment and positive feelings. Results: Results revealed that life events, livelihood, awareness of social support and the child’s sleep problems were factors related to empowerment. Of these, awareness of social support from outside of the family was found to contribute the most to empowerment. Furthermore, improvement and maintenance of positive feelings towards child rearing reaffirmed the existence of empowerment in addition to reducing negative feelings towards child rearing and ensuring social support. Conclusions: Raising children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities requires specialist knowledge and skills. Support from professionals to empower the entire family is therefore important in order to strengthen positive feelings towards child rearing.

We examined the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination process in adolescent Japanese girls, including protective and obstructive factors to develop and practice enlightenment activities and educational interventions for promoting HPV vaccination to adolescent Japanese girls and their families. We conducted semistructured interviews with 20 adolescent Japanese girls who lived in the wider Tokyo area. To analyze the interview data, we adopted the modified grounded-theory approach. We identified three stages in the vaccination process: first encounter with cervical cancer and HPV vaccine, thoughts about vaccination, and adjustment with parents toward vaccination. The girls "knew" their knowledge and information on cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine from experts, parents, and friends, "considered and discussed" HPV vaccination in their own way or with parents, and "arranged" actual vaccination. This process was influenced by the promoting/obstructive factors in each stage. Healthcare providers should understand the experiences and feelings of adolescent girls who were confronted with HPV vaccination in the context of their vaccination process and conduct enlightenment activities to promote vaccination, keeping the promoting and obstructive factors suggested in this study in mind.

The characteristics of InOx Ny alloy films prepared via thermal oxidation of InN epitaxial films with In- or N-polarities grown on nearly lattice-matched, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates are investigated. The InN films were oxidized to InOx Ny with a gradual change in O/N composition by annealing in air. Structural analysis revealed that the temperature for phase transition from wurtzite structure depends on the polarity of InN, and N-polar InOx Ny films can retain their wurtzite structure even at higher temperatures compared with the case of In-polar films. Furthermore, changes in the valence band structure and optical characteristics of the InOx Ny alloys take place via thermal oxidation. These results indicate that InOx Ny grown via thermal oxidation of N-polar InN on YSZ can be considered as an alloy semiconductor for optoelectronic devices. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The growth mechanism of InN on Mn-stabilized zirconia (MnSZ) (111) substrates was investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The adsorption energies of indium and nitrogen atoms on MnSZ (111) surfaces were evaluated. Small differences in the adsorption energies of indium atoms on various adsorption sites indicate that the migration of the indium atoms on MnSZ (111) surfaces occurs readily. In contrast, larger differences in the adsorption energies of nitrogen atoms on various adsorption sites indicate that nitrogen atoms tend to stay on the stable site with the largest adsorption energy, which was identified as the Short Bridge Mn–O site. These results suggest that the first layer of InN films consists of a nitrogen layer, which leads to epitaxial relationships between InN (0001)//MnSZ (111) and InN 11 2 ¯ 0 //MnSZ 1 1 ¯ 0 . This alignment makes the lattice mismatch between InN and MnSZ as small as 0.5%. In addition, a local density of state analysis revealed that the hybridization effect between the N2p and Mn3d orbitals plays a crucial role in determining the interface structure for the growth of InN on MnSZ (111) surfaces. Furthermore, it was found that an indium atom preferentially adsorbs at the center of three nitrogen atoms stacked on the MnSZ substrate, which results in the formation of In-polarity InN. Preferential formation of In-polarity InN is advantageous for device fabrication.

The objective of the present study was to qualitatively assess the obstructive and facilitative factors affecting adolescent girls and their caregivers when the adolescent had received or was considering receiving the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccination. Using these data, we propose recommendations for medical and nursing staff concerned with HPV vaccination. Participants were 20 adolescent girls (aged 10 - 19 years) and their caregivers, who had visited any of the 3 pediatric clinics in the Tokyo metropolitan area during a specified period since HPV vaccination began in Japan. The girls and their caregivers were separately interviewed by 2 child and/or family nursing care specialists with a semi-structured interview. The responses were qualitatively analyzed by 2 specialists, and the obstructive and facilitative factors affecting participants’ decision to receive HPV vaccination were extracted from the responses. Among the 20 sets of participants, 7 adolescents had completed HPV vaccination, 9 were going to receive vaccination, and 4 had not received any vaccination. The obstructive/facilitative factors related to considering or receiving HPV vaccination and actual vaccination were extracted and 4 main categories of factors were identified. Facilitators toward HPV-vaccination of daughters included clear future self-image and visions, fear Cervical Cancer (CC) and desire to escape from CC, having discussion with mothers about HPV-vaccination and CC, and to have a boyfriend. Barriers toward vaccination included the mothers’ reluctance to explain the sexual matters about HPV-vaccination to their daughters and difficulty with find the appropriate clinic or hospital to HPV-vaccination. Relevant factors about vaccination included positive family attitudes toward vaccination, having family system allowing consultation and having a public financial support for vaccination for daughters. Our conceptual model adapted from the Katz, et al. conceptual framework integrated the key barriers and facilitators as factors within each of four domains. These four domains have an important link. Especially, the environmental factors and the structural and sociocultural factors domain affect the individual adolescent and the caregiver factors domain, respectively. The results of present study suggest that medical/nursing activities centered on promoting HPV vaccination in Japan should comprehensively cover CC/vaccination/sex education in an integrated fashion, while schools and public health centers should provide opportunities for caregivers and adolescents to jointly participate in awareness education on HPV vaccination.

Herein, polycrystalline InN films with flat surfaces and improved electron mobility were grown atop AlN orientation layers on glass substrates by pulsed sputtering deposition. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the InN films comprise dense c-axis-oriented grains. The electron mobilities of these c-axis-oriented InN films were higher than those of the InN directly grown on the glass substrate, reaching as high as 427 cm2 V−1 s−1. To demonstrate a practical application of the developed InN film, a thin-film transistor was fabricated on a 5-nm-thick c-axis-oriented InN film on an AlN orientation layer and operated successfully with a field-effect mobility of 60 cm2 V−1 s−1.

This article provides an overview of recent development of sputtering method for high-quality III-nitride semiconductor materials and devices. Being a mature deposition technique widely employed in semiconductor industry, sputtering offers many advantages such as low cost, relatively simple equipment, non-toxic raw materials, low process temperatures, high deposition rates, sharp interfaces, and possibility of deposition on large-size substrates, including amorphous and flexible varieties. This review covers two major research directions: (1) ex situ sputtered AlN buffers to be used for subsequent growth of GaN-based structures by conventional techniques, such as metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE), or molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), and (2) deposition of the entire III-nitride layered stacks and device structures by sputtering. Replacing conventional in situ GaN or AlN buffer layers with ex situ sputtered AlN buffers for MOCVD, HVPE, or MBE growth of III-nitride films on sapphire and silicon substrates results in the improved crystal quality through reduction in dislocation density and residual strain. Extensive efforts in the field of sputter deposition of III-nitrides resulted in crystalline quality of sputtered III-nitride films compatible with that of MOCVD and MBE grown layers despite the lower temperatures used in sputtering. For example, sputtering techniques made it possible to achieve GaN layers heavily doped with Si and Ge to electron concentrations in mid-10alt;supagt;20alt;/supagt; cmalt;supagt;-3alt;/supagt; range with mobilities exceeding 100 cmalt;supagt;2alt;/supagt; Valt;supagt;-1alt;/supagt; salt;supagt;-1alt;/supagt;, resulting in conductivities as high as those of benchmark transparent conducting oxides such as indium tin oxide (ITO). For moderate levels of doping with Si, mobilities comparable to state-of-the-art MOCVD-grown material have been demonstrated (up to ~1000 cmalt;supagt;2alt;/supagt; Valt;supagt;-1alt;/supagt; salt;supagt;-1alt;/supagt;). The first promising results have been reported for devices (light emitters and field effect transistors) entirely produced by sputtering.

Operations for hydrogenated diamond (H-diamond) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) after annealing at 500 °C are investigated. SiO x films are employed as oxide insulators for the H-diamond MOSFETs. Before annealing, the current output maximum, on/off ratio, and subthreshold swing for the SiO x /H-diamond MOSFET are −53.3 mA mm−1, 1.4 × 109, and 88 mV dec−1, respectively. After annealing at 500 °C for as long as 60 min, although leakage current density of the SiO x /H-diamond MOS capacitor increases, good operations and distinct pinch-off characteristics are observed for the SiO x /H-diamond MOSFET with the above electrical properties of −2.6 mA mm−1, 1.4 × 104, and 530 mV dec−1, respectively. Stable electrical characteristics are confirmed for the annealed SiO x /H-diamond MOSFET after 35 cycles repeat measurements. This study is meaningful to the development of H-diamond MOSFETs for high-temperature applications.

We have investigated a wet etching process for n-GaN in order to ultimately develop a low damage and highly controllable etching process that can be applied to device fabrication and which also has the merits of cost and convenience. For this purpose, we propose a GaN oxide-formed two-step wet etching process which consists of (i) the electrochemical oxidation of GaN (anodization), and (ii) the chemical etching of GaN oxide formed in process (i). With this two-step wet etching process, we have successfully performed the wet etching of a patterned area of n-GaN without the aid of light irradiation.

The growth of Mg-doped GaN over a wide doping range is demonstrated via pulsed sputtering deposition (PSD). All samples show p-type conductivity without any post-growth annealing, and their room temperature (RT) hole concentration can be controlled for as much as two orders of magnitude from 2.8 × 1016 cm−3 to 2.7 × 1018 cm−3. No apparent structural degradation is observed, even for the most heavily Mg-doped sample with an RT hole concentration of 2.7 × 1018 cm−3. The compensation ratio is lower than 10% for the heavily Mg-doped samples, which explains the high conductivity of PSD-grown p-type GaN. These results indicate the strong potential of PSD for the growth of high-quality p-type GaN and its application to p–n junction devices.

High-quality AlN epilayers were grown via pulsed sputtering deposition on thermally nitrided sapphire with precise control of the N/Al ratio. Under slightly Al-rich growth conditions, the growth of AlN epilayers on the thermally nitrided sapphire proceeded in a two-dimensional mode from the initial stage of growth, and their surfaces were atomically flat stepped and terraced structures. The FWHM values of the X-ray rocking curves were as low as 87 arcsec and 339 arcsec for the 0002 and diffractions, respectively, at a film thickness of 400 nm. The present approach is therefore quite promising for the low-cost fabrication of AlGaN-based UV optical devices. (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

We grew GaN films on r -plane sapphire substrates by pulsed sputtering and investigated their structural properties. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that a-plane GaN grows epitaxially on r-plane sapphire with an epitaxial relation of [0001] GaN // [ 1 ¯ 101 ] sapphire and [ 1 ¯ 101 ] GaN // [ 11 2 ¯ 0 ] sapphire . In situ wafer curvature measurements revealed that the anisotropic compressive strain along [ 1 1 ¯ 00 ] and [0001] GaN is generated during the initial stage of growth as a consequence of the anisotropy in the lattice mismatch between a -plane GaN and r -plane sapphire. We also observed that the coalescence of the GaN islands can lead to a change of stresses from compressive to tensile.

An initial stage of InN growth on cubic zirconia (111) substrates has been investigated using first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). We have evaluated adsorption energies of indium and nitrogen atoms on cubic zirconia (111) surfaces, and have found that the differences in the adsorption energies of the indium atoms at various adsorption sites were small, indicating that the migration of the indium atoms on zirconia (111) surfaces occurs readily. On the other hand, we have found that the differences in the adsorption energies of the nitrogen atoms at various adsorption sites were large, implying that the nitrogen atoms tend to stay at the stable site with the largest adsorption energy, which was identified as the O–Zr bridge site. These results suggest that the first layer of InN films is the nitrogen layer. In addition, we have found that the energetically favorable arrangement is comprised of InN(0001)//cubic zirconia (111) and InN //cubic zirconia which is quite consistent with previously obtained experimental data. Furthermore, the hybridization effect between N 2p and O 2p plays a crucial role in determining the interface structure for the growth of InN on cubic zirconia (111) surfaces. (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Objectives: The families of these children experience distress both at the time of diagnosis and afterward. A top priority is to understand family empowerment, family function, and family members' quality of life (QoL) and to effectively support these families in Japan. The objective of this study was to assess the actual conditions of families living with children having DDs and to explore the factors associated with family empowerment and parents' QoL. Methods: We surveyed ninety-three parents (78 mothers, 15 fathers) from 78 families which lived with children with DDs in the capital region of Japan. We assessed two main outcomes using the Japanese versions of the following instruments: Family Empowerment Scale (FES), World Health Organization Quality of Life 26 (WHOQOL26), and other six outcomes. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results: No medication, cooperation with child rearing, assistance from a developmental support center, solved problems related to child rearing, and higher scores in Problem Solving contributed to higher FES scores. Higher WHOQOL26 scores were related to being a full-time housewife, higher self-esteem, no developmental support, a broad emotional support network, higher scores in Problem Solving and Role Function, and lower scores in Affective Reaction and General Function. Conclusions: We revealed that family empowerment and QoL of parents rearing children with DDs in Japan were affected by various subscales of family function and other family attributes. Effective interventions for improving family empowerment and QoL should be researched in the future. Keywords: Developmental disabilities, Family empowerment, Japan, Multiple regression analysis, Quality of life, Social support

We report the first demonstration of operational InGaN-based thin-film transistors (TFTs) on glass substrates. The key to our success was coating the glass substrate with a thin amorphous layer of HfO2, which enabled a highly c-axis-oriented growth of InGaN films using pulsed sputtering deposition. The electrical characteristics of the thin films were controlled easily by varying their In content. The optimized InGaN-TFTs exhibited a high on/off ratio of ~108, a field-effect mobility of ~22 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a maximum current density of ~30 mA/mm. These results lay the foundation for developing high-performance electronic devices on glass substrates using group III nitride semiconductors.

We have fabricated various nitride based devices with the use of newly developed low temperature epitaxial growth technique called PSD and confirmed its applicability for fabrication of nitride devices on large area low cost substrates such as metal foils, mica sheets, and glass. With the use of conventional single crystal wafers, we, firstly, confirmed successful fabrication and operation of various devices such as LEDs, HEMTs, MISFETs, and solar cells. We have found that the low growth temperature is quite advantageous for preparation of high In concentration InGaN films for long wave length LEDs and solar cells. The low growth temperature also allows us to fabricate nitride devices such as RGB LEDs on low cost large area substrates without causing serious interfacial reactions between nitride films and chemically vulnerable substrates.

Generally, group III–V compound semiconductor devices are believed to exhibit high performance; however, their applications are limited because of their high fabrication costs. This problem primarily stems from the fact that the fabrication process involves low-throughput and high-temperature metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth on expensive bulk single-crystal substrates. To fabricate high-performance, large-area III–V semiconductor devices, such as solar cells or displays, at a reasonable cost, development of a high-throughput, low-temperature growth technique on low-cost substrates is important. We have recently discovered that using pulsed sputtering deposition as a growth technique allows the synthesis of device-quality III–V semiconductors even at room temperature. This reduction in the growth temperature allows utilization of various large-area, low-cost substrates that have not previously been used for the growth of III–V compound semiconductors. This chapter describes the feasibility of fabricating large-area inorganic crystalline devices based on group III nitrides.

We have found that polarity of epitaxial InN layers has been controlled by choice of a capping material during high-temperature annealing of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (111) substrates in air. Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has revealed that the amount of segregation of Y atoms to the YSZ surface depended on the capping material of the substrates. In-polar and N-polar InN have been reproducibly grown on Y-segregated and Y-segregation-free YSZ surfaces, respectively. We have also found that the growth of the first monolayer (ML) of N-polar InN proceeds in a step-flow mode which then switches to layer-by-layer mode after the coverage by 1-ML-thick InN.

We have grown GaN on patterned Si (1 1 0) substrates prepared using a nano-imprinting technique and investigated the influence of growth temperature and the nano-pattern on the morphology of the nanostructure. Although {1 1 0 2} facets were preferentially formed as sidewalls at a growth temperature of 650 °C, {1 1 0 0} facets became dominant at substrate temperatures above 700 °C. We found that closely packed hexagonal GaN nanostructures, which are quite promising for future high efficiency light emitting devices, can be formed by the correct choice of not only the alignment between the pattern and the in-plane crystalline orientation of the substrate but also the period of the triangular lattice array of Si nano-pillars. The formation of this unique structure can most probably be attributed to the self-inhibited growth of GaN on the sidewall facets.

We grew semipolar r-plane GaN films on ZnO substrates at room temperature (RT) by pulsed laser depositon (PLD). The structural characteristics of r-plane GaN films grown on nearly lattice-matched ZnO substrates at RT were investigated by X-ray diffraction and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). The r-plane GaN films grown on ZnO exhibited the narrowest X-ray rocking curves of any heteroepitaxial semipolar GaN films. The improvement in crystalline quality achieved by the use of ZnO substrates was attributed to the coherent growth of r-plane GaN under non-equilibrium conditions by PLD. Symmetric RSM revealed that r-plane GaN grows on ZnO substrates without the tilting of the r-plane that was often observed in lattice-mismatched semipolar growth. These results indicated that the formation of misfit dislocations at the GaN/ZnO interface is suppressed by coherent growth at RT.

C-plane (polar) and m-plane (nonpolar) GaN/ZnO heterostructures have been fabricated by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature, and their electronic structures have been characterized by synchrotron radiation photoemission spectroscopy. Based on the binding energies of core levels and valence band maximum values, the valence band offsets have been found to be 0.7 ± 0.1 and 0.9 ± 0.1 eV for polar and nonpolar GaN/ZnO heterojunctions, respectively. Both heterostructures show type-II band configurations with conduction band offsets of 0.8 ± 0.1 and 1.0 ± 0.1 eV, respectively. GaN and ZnO show upward and downward band bending toward the interface in the nonpolar GaN/ZnO heterojunction. However, both GaN and ZnO show upward band bending toward the interface in the polar heterojunction, which is attributed to negative charges. Analysis of N 1s spectra has revealed that N–O bonds exist only at the polar interface, which probably caused the formation of the negative charges.

The understanding of developmental disorders and the support that is offered to families rearing a child with developmental disorders always have been limited in Japan. To clarify the empowerment process for families rearing a child with developmental disorders, we interviewed 20 mothers of children who lived in the wider Tokyo area, Japan. To analyze the data, we adopted the modified grounded theory approach. The results identified three stages in the empowerment process: confusion over caring for the child, confrontation with the child with the disorder, and expectations of a valuable life for the child. The empowerment process showed step-by-step progress: families that were originally ill-equipped to deal with their child's disorders were able to deal with them in collaboration with professionals through approaching the local administration and were able to shift their stance on child-rearing along with their child's growth. To promote the family empowerment process, cross-jurisdictional and cross-occupational collaboration among local care teams is needed. The members of the teams should understand the experiences and feelings of the families that are rearing children with developmental disorders in the context of the family's empowerment process.

We have grown Al x Ga 1―x N films on semipolar ZnO (1103) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The direct growth of Al 0.25 Ga 0.75 N on ZnO (1103) substrates at 850 °C results in the formation of c-axis oriented materials with poor crystallinity due to serious interfacial reactions that occur between Al 0.25 Ga 0.75 N and ZnO. However, epitaxial Al x Ga 1―x N (1103) films can be grown on ZnO substrates by the incorporation of PLD room temperature (RT) epitaxial buffer layers, From X-ray symmetric reciprocal space mapping studies, the [1103] directions of all Al x Ga 1―x N (1103) layers are slightly tilted toward the c-axis from that of the ZnO substrate. We also found that the magnitude of the crystallographic tilt of Al x Ga 1―x N (1103) increases with AIN mole fraction x. This tendency can be explained by a reduction in the average misfit dislocation interval due to the increasing lattice mismatch between Al x Ga 1―x N and ZnO with AlN mole fraction x.

We report a systematic investigation of the transport properties of highly degenerate electrons in Ge-doped and Si-doped GaN epilayers prepared using the pulsed sputtering deposition (PSD) technique. Secondary-ion mass spectrometry and Hall-effect measurements revealed that the doping efficiency of PSD n-type GaN is close to unity at electron concentrations as high as 5.1 × 1020 cm−3. A record low resistivity for n-type GaN of 0.16 mΩ cm was achieved with an electron mobility of 100 cm2 V−1 s−1 at a carrier concentration of 3.9 × 1020 cm−3. We explain this unusually high electron mobility of PSD n-type GaN within the framework of conventional scattering theory by modifying a parameter related to nonparabolicity of the conduction band. The Ge-doped GaN films show a slightly lower electron mobility compared with Si-doped films with the same carrier concentrations, which is likely a consequence of the formation of a small number of compensation centers. The excellent electrical properties presented in this letter clearly demonstrate the striking advantages of the low-temperature PSD technique for growing high-quality and highly conductive n-type GaN.

Object Focal brain cooling has been recognized to have a suppressive effect on epileptiform discharges or a protective effect on brain tissue. However, the precise influence of brain cooling on normal brain function and histology has not yet been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the neurophysiopathological consequences of focal cooling and to detect the threshold temperature that causes irreversible histological change and motor dysfunction. Methods The experiments were performed in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 250–350 g) after induction of halothane anesthesia. A thermoelectric chip (6 × 6 × 2 mm) was used as a cooling device and was placed on the surface of the sensorimotor cortex after a 10 × 8–mm craniotomy. A thermocouple was placed between the chip and the brain surface. Focal cooling of the cortex was performed at the temperatures of 20, 15, 10, 5, 0, and −5°C for 1 hour (5 rats in each group). Thereafter, the cranial window was repaired. Motor function was evaluated using the beam-walking scale (BWS) every day for 7 days. The rats were killed 7 days after the operation for histological examination with H & E, Klüver-Barrera, glial fibrillary acidic protein, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferasemediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling stainings. The authors also euthanized some rats 24 hours after cooling and obtained brain sections by the same methods. Results The BWS score was decreased on the day after cooling only in the −5°C group (p < 0.05), whereas the score did not change in the other temperature groups. Histologically, the appearance of cryoinjury such as necrosis, apoptosis, loss of neurons, and marked proliferation of astrocytes at the periphery of the lesion was observed only in the −5°C group, while no apparent changes were observed in the other temperature groups. Conclusions The present study confirmed that the focal cooling of the cortex for 1 hour above the temperature of 0°C did not induce any irreversible histological change or motor dysfunction. These results suggest that focal brain cooling above 0°C has the potential to be a minimally invasive and valuable modality for the treatment of severe brain injury or to assist in the examination of brain function.

We have grown group III nitride films on Al2O3 (0 0 0 1), 6H–SiC (0 0 0 1), and ZnO ( 0 0 0 1 ¯ ) substrates by pulsed electron beam deposition (PED) for the first time and investigated their characteristics. We found that c-plane AlN and GaN grow epitaxially on these substrates. It has been revealed that the growth of GaN on atomically flat 6H–SiC substrates starts with the three-dimensional mode and eventually changes into the two-dimensional mode. The GaN films exhibited strong near-band-edge emission in their room temperature photoluminescence spectra. We also found that the use of PED allows us to reduce the epitaxial growth temperature for GaN down to 200 °C.

GaN films have been grown on single-crystalline Mo substrates using lattice-matched HfN buffer layers, and their structural properties have been investigated. Although it is not possible to grow high-quality GaN films on either Mo(1 1 0) or (1 1 1) substrates, high-quality epitaxial GaN(0 0 0 1) films with atomically flat surfaces can be grown on the HfN(1 1 1)/Mo(1 1 0) structure with an in-plane alignment of GaN[1 1 2¯ 0] ∥ HfN[1 1¯ 0] ∥ Mo[0 0 1]. We have also found that the HfN/Mo heterointerface is quite abrupt. These results indicate that Mo(1 1 0) substrates with HfN buffer layers are promising candidates for the fabrication of future light-emitting devices (LEDs).