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The asymptotic normalization coefficients for the virtual decay 9 C → 8 B + p have been determined by measuring the crosssection of the 8 B(d, n) 9 C reaction in inverse kinematics at 14.4 MeV/u, using the RIPS facility. The deduced astrophysical S factor S18 of the 8 B(p ,γ ) 9 C capture reaction in the center of mass energy range 1–100 keV is S18 = 45 ± 13 eV b.  2001

We report on the epitaxial growth of 1:2:0:1 type CuBa 2 CuO y layer, an infinite layer CaCuO 2 and their superlattice (1×3) by self-assembling epitaxy method, involving rf magnetron sputtering, on (1 0 0) SrTiO 3 substrate. Excellent (0 0 1) films of both the CuBa 2 CuO y and CaCuO 2 with c ∼8.4 and 3.2 A, respectively, were obtained. A superlattice with a period of about 18.5 A which corresponds to the formula CuBa 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O y was prepared by growing alternatively the 1:2:0:1 and CaCuO 2 at about 500°C in a gas mixture 10–20 mTorr of Ar+N 2 O. The as-grown superlattice film showed a superconducting diamagnetic signal at about 20 K.

A systematic study of the sub-barrier fusion reactions with neutron-rich projectiles has been carried out for three isotopes 27,29,31Al bombarding a 197Au target. A target chamber equipped with a target stack and sets of MWPC was employed in order to enhance the efficiency of the radioactive beam experiment. Coupled-channel calculations including the quadrupole excitations do not well fit the measured fusion excitation functions, whereas flat barrier distributions to represent the coupling to the neutron transfer largely account for the observed enhancement of the sub-barrier fusion cross-sections.

We measured for the first time the fundamental and higher harmonic components of AC susceptibility of CuBa 2 Ca 3 Cu 4 O y superconductor produced by the high-pressure technique, in various experimental conditions (temperature, DC magnetic field, AC field amplitude and frequency). The results are discussed qualitatively in the frame of the critical state and other models in the literature. By using a very simple frequency-dependent critical state model, we estimated the parameters of practical interest, critical current density and pinning potential at various DC fields and temperatures and the irreversibility field. We also extrapolated our estimations to both practical temperature of 77 K and longer time scale as of DC magnetization and transport measurements. The results appeared to be quite self-consistent.

A cDNA fragment of haemolymph juvenile hormone binding protein (hJHBP) from larvae of Bombyx mori was amplified by RT-PCR using degenerate primers based on the N-terminal amino acid sequence of purified hJHBP and a conserved region near the C-terminus of other lepidopteran hJHBPs. 5'- and 3'-ends were amplified by RACE to yield cDNAs, hJHBP1 and hJHBP2, encoding 225 amino acids with three substitutions. hJHBP-mRNA levels in the fat body were constant in the 4th instar, but decreased in the 5th. JHBP protein was constant until wandering, then declined. Recombinant hJHBP1 expressed in E. coli migrated on SDS-PAGE with a Mr of 32 kDa and showed a Kd of 4.5 x 10-7 M with JH III, both similar to those of native hJHBP.

The nuclear spin alignments of the β-emitting fragments 12B(I π=1+, T 1/2=20.2 ms) and 13B(I π=3/2−, T 1/2=17.4 ms) produced in the 100A-MeV 13C, 15N + 9Be collisions respectively have been observed for the first time detecting asymmetric β-ray emission from these nuclei. By means of the spin manipulation technique based on the hyperfine interaction of B isotopes in TiO2, both the polarization P and the alignment A were determined reliably. The obtained P and A were significantly smaller than the expectation from the kinematical model. From the fact that the quenching factors for P and A are almost the same, there may be some depolarization mechanism in the collision process itself.

The Mountain Hawk-Eagle, Spizaetus nipalensis, is a large bird of prey that is found in mountainous forests of Southeast and East Asia and is listed as an endangered species in Japan. Eleven microsatellite markers for this species were developed from enriched genomic libraries and were used to analyze 22 samples collected in Japan. The primers amplified clear codominant fragments. The number of alleles observed for each locus ranged from 2 to 6 (average 3.67). The effective number of alleles ranged from 1.38 to 4.91 (average 2.64). The degree of polymorphism expressed as expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.274 to 0.797 (average 0.560). These figures were somewhat lower than those reported for other birds of prey.

Inelastic scattering of the neutron-rich nucleus 12 Be on lead and carbon targets has been studied by measuring de-excitation γ rays in coincidence with scattered 12 Be. The strong γ -ray transition from the state at E x =2.68(3) MeV following E1 Coulomb excitation was observed for the lead target, leading to an assignment of J π =1 − for the excited state. The low excitation energy of this intruder 1 − state and the deduced large B (E1;0 g.s. + →1 − ) value of 0.051(13) e 2 fm 2 provide a consistent picture of the N =8 shell melting in 12 Be.

In order to investigate the possibility of a stripe structure recently proposed around hole density 1 8 in LaSr-214, μSR experiments were carried out for samples of x=0.105, 0.11, 0.115, 0.12, 0.125 and 0.13 with y=0 and 0.01 in La2−xSrxCu1−yZnyO4. For Zn-free samples (y=0), the highest onset temperature of muon-spin rotation was Tr=9 K in x=0.115 but not observed in x=0.125 and 0.13. However, Zn-doping caused moun-spin rotation below Tr=7 K in x=0.125 sample but depressed Tr to about 7 K for the sample of x=0.115. This suggests the possibility that Zn-doping pins dynamical spin modulation, resulting in a static magnetic order.

Three isomers of N,N′-dibenzy-biquinolinium dibromide were synthesized and their photoinduced coloration properties were investigated in the thin poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) films. Upon photo-irradiation, the colorless film of 4,4′-biquinolinium salt became intense purple and had a near IR-absorption at 970 nm, whose color gradually bleached, reaching original ones. While photo-induced absorption maxima of 6,6′-biquinolinium salt does not shift to longer wavelength and 5,5′-one exhibits thermochromism.

Inelastic proton scattering exciting the 2 + 1 states in the neutron-rich beryllium isotopes 10,12 Be has been studied in inverse kinematics. From a coupled-channel analysis, the deformation lengths for the 2 + 1 states in 10 Be and 12 Be were determined to be 1.80±0.25 fm and 2.00±0.23 fm respectively, indicating that a tendency towards strong quadrupole deformation is preserved for these nuclei and that the singly-closed shell structure does not prevail in 12 Be. A quantitative analysis based on shell model calculations supports this picture.

The dopant system graded-index polymer optical fiber (GI POF) for high temperature stability both in bandwidth and attenuation is reported for the first time. We confirmed that the numerical aperture (NA) of the GI POF strongly influences the high temperature stability of the GI POF in the attenuation. It was confirmed in this paper that the attenuation increment was mainly induced by the bending loss, since the GI POF drawn by high tension tended to show its length shrinkage, resulting in irregular bending due to the orientation relaxation of polymer chain. We clarified the optimum drawing tension which maintains high mechanical property and minimizes the length shrinkage of the GI POF at high temperature, and the optimum fabrication conditions of the GI POF for high temperature stability both in bandwidth and attenuation.

Objective: Epidemiologic and clinicohistopathologic prognostic factors of uterine endometrioid carcinomas were analyzed. The association of estrogen related factors, focused on adenomyosis in the prognosis of endometrioid carcinomas was also examined. Methods: Risk factors of surgically treated 286 patients with endometrioid carcinoma (Stage I–III) were statistically analyzed. Results: Overall a recurrence-free 5-year survival rate was 81% (Stage I, 94%, Stage II, 71% and Stage III, 40%). Significant prognostic factors were lymph node metastases (P=0.0035) and serosal/parametrial invasion (P=0.014) by multivariate analysis. Endometrioid carcinomas with co-existing adenomyosis tend to be associated with endometrial hyperplasia (P=0.04, Fisher’s exact test), diagnosed in less invasive status (myometrial invasion, P=0.004 and serosal/parametrial invasion, P=0.006) and therefore have a favorable prognosis (P=0.01, log rank test). Conclusions: A favorable prognosis of endometrioid carcinomas with co-existing estrogen related factors (adenomyosis and endometrial hyperplasia) was suggested.

The neutron drip line up to fluorine has been investigated by the projectile fragmentation of a 94.1A MeV 40 Ar beam at the fragment separator RIPS at RIKEN. A new neutron-rich isotope, 31 F, has been observed for the first time while clear evidence for the particle instability of 24,25 N, 27,28 O and 30 F has been obtained. The sudden change in stability from oxygen to fluorine may demonstrate the onset of deformation for the neutron-rich fluorine isotopes.

A code for analyzing density distribution in UO 2 green pellet was developed using a finite element method. Calculated results using this code were compared with measured local densities in the UO 2 green pellet determined by Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). According to code analyses, axial density fluctuation along the lateral surface of the green pellet increases with the increase of the length to diameter ratio of the green pellet

Two organic and two inorganic carriers were compared with regard to the removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in a biofilter inoculated with night soil sludge. By gradually increasing the inlet load of H2S, the complete removal capacity and maximum removal capacity of H2S for each carrier were estimated. Both values were higher for organic carriers. By using a kinetic analysis, the maximum removal rate of H2S, Vm, and the saturation constant, Ks, were determined for all carriers. By using the kinetic parameters, the removal rates for H2S were compared among the four carriers, and organic carriers showed better performance for the removal of H2S in the inlet concentration range of 0–200 ppm.

The E' center formed by γ-irradiation in crushed quartz has a distribution in the value of the hyperfine fine structure (hfs) constant of 29 Si (nuclear spin: I = 1/2) and of the g-factor. The widths of both distributions decreased after annealing. The central line due to the E'center associated with 28 Si (I = 0) shows a clear narrowing as to allow the numerical simulation of the distribution of g-factor based on the following assumptions. One is that the distribution is composed of Gaussians with various line widths. The other is that the broader component has a small thermal activation energy. The simulated spectrum shows good agreement with the experimental one. The distribution of the g-factor can be explained with an inhomogeneous eigenvector of a singly occupied molecular orbital (SOMO).

Objective: To evaluate the pressure under short-stretch and elastic bandages. Design: Prospective study in 20 healthy volunteers, comparing the two different kinds of bandages. Setting: Department of Surgery, Aichi Prefectural College of Nursing, Nagoya, Japan. Main outcome measures: Pressure measurements were made beneath the bandages with different initial pressures of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 mmHg, during supine resting, standing, tip-toe exercise and walking. Results: Short-stretch bandages showed a significant increase in pressure during standing and exercise at lower initial pressures compared with elastic bandages. In analysing the pressure waveform during tip-toe exercise and walking, a significantly greater pressure difference between muscle contraction and relaxation was noted for short-stretch bandages compared with elastic bandages at any initial pressures. Conclusions: Short-stretch bandages produce a higher working pressure and a larger pressure difference during exercise. However, the effect depends on the initial pressures at the time of application. In clinical practice, prevention of a decrease in pressure with time and uniform application of bandages are important.

The isobaric analog state (IAS) of the 11 Li nucleus has been investigated using the (p,n) reaction in inverse kinematics at E( 11 Li ) = 64 A MeV . The IAS has been found in the decay energy spectrum of 11 Be ∗ → 9 Li+p+n at the corresponding excitation energy of 21.16 ± 0.02 MeV with a width of 0.49 ± 0.07 MeV (FWHM). The Coulomb displacement energy, decay width, decay mode and their relation to the halo structure are discussed.

To reduce the cost of a DVD player, we have integrated peripheral functions to the audio and video decoder LSI. The peripheral functions are controlled by the I/O processing tasks on single I/O control processor. I/O processing tasks are switched in constant cycle without overhead, to achieve real-time performance and flexibility of software control. In the case of video output handling, software can control each line parameter. Therefore software with line level support of hardware can perform many kinds of functions; image resizing, copy guard and dynamic blending of the image and graphics.

We investigate numerical solution of Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) Q^2 evolution equations for longitudinally polarized structure functions. Flavor nonsinglet and singlet equations with next-to-leading-order $\alpha_s$ corrections are studied. A brute-force method is employed. Dividing the variables x and Q^2 into small steps, we simply solve the integrodifferential equations. Numerical results indicate that accuracy is better than 1% in the region 10^{-5}, Comment: 1+33 pages, LaTeX2e, epsfig.sty, amsmath.sty, 9 eps figures. Complete postscript file is available at http://www.cc.saga-u.ac.jp/saga-u/riko/physics/quantum1/structure.html Our evolution program may be obtained upon email request. (See the WWW home page for the details.) Email: 96sm18@edu.cc.saga-u.ac.jp, kumanos@cc.saga-u.ac.jp, 96td25@edu.cc.saga-u.ac.jp

The neutron spectroscopy of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-delayed neutron decay of ${}^{14}$Be has been investigated. A strong neutron group, which accounts for much of the $\ensuremath{\beta}$-decay yield and could explain the discrepancy in total neutron branching ratio found in a previous experiment, was observed. We found that the total width of the final state for this transition is $60\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}6$ keV, and the measured half-life of the ${}^{14}$Be $\ensuremath{\beta}$ decay was $4.29\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.18$ ms. The limits on the branching ratio and log$\mathrm{ft}$ value determined for this group are compared with the earlier work and the results of a shell-model calculation.

Background: Primary and acquired resistance to antibiotics is an important factor in determining the reason for treatment failure in Helicobacter pylori infection. We examined the relationship between the susceptibility of H. pylori isolates and the efficacy of chemotherapy. Methods: The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of metronidazole (MNZ), clarithromycin (CLAR) and amoxycillin (AMOX) of 320 H. pylori pre-treatment isolates were determined by the agar dilution method. In 290 patients with peptic ulcers, H. pylori infection was treated by dual or triple combination therapies for 2 weeks: one proton pump inhibitor (30 mg/day lansoprazole or 20 mg/day omeprazole) and one or two antibiotics (500 mg AMOX, 200 mg CLAR or 250 mg MNZ twice a day). MICs were also determined after the treatment failure. Results: Among the drugs tested, for MNZ and CLAR, 8.1% and 9.1% of the isolates, respectively, were resistant, while no isolate was resistant to AMOX. After unsuccessful treatment using MNZ and CLAR, 66.7% and 70.6% of the isolates changed from sensitive to resistant, respectively. All isolates were sensitive to AMOX after treatment failure. Conclusions: The failure of the H. pylori treatment results in the induction of resistance to CLAR and/or MNZ. Regimens with a high cure rate should be used in order to prevent the generation of acquired resistance to antibiotics.

The effect of grain size on recrystallized structure formation in the outer region of high burnup UO2 fuel pellets was studied by optical microscopy, SEM, EPMA, XRD and TEM. Specimens were prepared from three kinds of fuels with different grain size (the standard pellet (grain size: 9 μm), the undoped large-grained pellet (51 μm) and the alumino-silicate-doped large-grained pellet (45 μm)), irradiated up to an average pellet burnup of 60 GWd/t in the Halden Reactor. The TEM observations showed that recrystallized structures were formed in a region from the middle to the edge (relative radius: r/r0= 0.7–1.0) of all fuel pellets, though they were less likely to form in the undoped large-grained pellet and the alumino-silicate-doped large-grained pellet than in the standard one. This result agreed qualitatively with the results obtained from optical microscope observations of the whole pellet region, SEM fractographs, and measurements of Xe concentration in the fuel matrix by EPMA. The effects of grain size and irradiation temperature on recrystallized structure formation were discussed in connection with fission damage accumulation.

Objective: To examine whether maternal meal ingestion affects the fetal circulation in uncomplicated pregnancies. Methods: A simple crossover blinded study was designed for late uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. After overnight fasting, two different maternal meal states were tested. In one state, pregnant women had a standard 600-kcal breakfast at 8 am (phase A). The other state consisted of maintaining fasting (phase B). Both states were assigned to each woman within 3 days in randomized order. Fetal Doppler studies of the umbilical, middle cerebral, and renal arteries and the descending aorta were performed at 7 am (the fasting state) and at 10 am (the fed state or the continuous fasting state). Results: Twenty women underwent the crossover study. Regardless of the maternal meal state, no significant change was observed in the pulsatility index (PI) of either the umbilical artery (n = 20), the middle cerebral artery (n = 19), or the descending aorta (n = 15). However, the PI of the fetal renal artery decreased significantly after maternal meal ingestion (n = 14) (phase A, 2.36 ± 0.16 versus 2.09 ± 0.33; P = .021). There was no such change in the PI after prolonged fasting (phase B, 2.44 ± 0.32 versus 2.39 ± 0.44; P = .75). Conclusion: Fetal renal artery resistance decreased after maternal meal ingestion in normally grown fetuses during late pregnancy. This decrease in the resistance may be associated with increased fetal urine production after maternal meals.

Murine interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) stimulates the murine macrophage tumour cell line RAW264-7 to produce nitric oxide (NO). IFN-gamma induces expression of inducible NO synthase (iNOS), manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) and copper zinc SOD (CuZn-SOD) in these cells. To investigate the mechanism of induction of SOD expression, we added S-nitroso-N-acetyl penicillamine (SNAP) to RAW264-7 cells. SNAP enhanced the expression of Mn-SOD and CuZn-SOD. These results suggest that when producing NO, RAW264-7 cells express SOD that might protect them from NO toxicity.

Charge exchange reactions of the 11 Li nucleus have been measured by means of the inverse kinematics on proton and deuteron targets at 63 A MeV. The isobaric analog state of the 11 Li nucleus has been found at E x ( 11 Be) = 21.14 ± 0.03 MeV with the width Γ = 0.25 −0.1 +0.2 MeV. Neutron halo effects and the configuration of halo nucleons are discussed.

Our objective was to evaluate whether intratumoral-blood flow analysis could differentiate uterine sarcoma from uterine leiomyoma. Color and pulsed Doppler findings obtained from 41 patients with histologically proven uterine leiomyoma and five with uterine sarcoma (four leiomyosarcoma, one mixed mesodermal tumor) were retrospectively assessed. Intratumoral blood flow velocity waveforms were recorded, and the resistance index (RI) and peak systolic velocity (PSV) were calculated. There was no significant difference between the RI (median 0.647; range 0.422-0.896) in the uterine leiomyomas and the RI (median 0.663; range 0.330-0.774) in the uterine sarcomas. The PSV (median 61.6 cm/s; range 40.0-124.0 cm/s) in the uterine sarcomas was significantly higher (median 21.6 cm/s, range 6.3-48.6 cm/s) than that in the uterine leiomyomas (p < 0.05). When a cut-off value for the PSV of 41.0 cm/s (mean PSV of the uterine leiomyomas plus 2 standard deviations) was considered, the detection rate for uterine sarcoma was 80.0%, and the false-positive rate was 2.4%. These results suggest that the PSV within the tumor detected by color and pulsed Doppler ultrasonography could be useful for the preoperative differential diagnosis of uterine sarcoma.

Angular distributions of the Coulomb dissociation of B-8 in the field of Pb-208 at E(in) = 51.9 MeV/u were measured at 0 degrees less than or equal to theta(8) less than or equal to 10 degrees and 0.5 less than or equal to E(rel) less than or equal to 2.25 MeV. The data were analyzed using a quantum mechanical method where E1, E2 and l = 2 nuclear amplitudes are included. Although systematic effects could be large, the extracted E2 components appear to be considerably smaller than any theoretical predictions reported so far.

We investigated a nuclear modification difference between up- and down-valence quark distributions by analyzing structure function F_2 and Drell-Yan cross-section ratios. Although nuclear modifications of the valence-quark distributions themselves are rather well determined, it is difficult to find their difference from the present data. We estimated such an effect on the NuTeV sin^2 theta_W value and its uncertainty by the Hessian method. At this stage, it is not large enough to explain the whole NuTeV anomaly. However, the modification difference cannot be precisely determined, so that further studies are needed.

We have recently shown that nitric oxide (NO) derived from neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) does not contribute to the hyperaemic response within rat hindlimb skeletal muscle during low-speed treadmill running. This may be attributed to low exercise intensities recruiting primarily oxidative muscle and that vascular effects of nNOS-derived NO are manifest principally within glycolytic muscle. We tested the hypothesis that selective nNOS inhibition via S-methyl-l-thiocitrulline (SMTC) would reduce rat hindlimb skeletal muscle blood flow and vascular conductance (VC) during high-speed treadmill running above critical speed (asymptote of the hyperbolic speed versus time-to-exhaustion relationship for high-speed running and an important glycolytic fast-twitch fibre recruitment boundary in the rat) principally within glycolytic fast-twitch muscle. Six rats performed three high-speed treadmill runs to exhaustion to determine critical speed. Subsequently, hindlimb skeletal muscle blood flow (radiolabelled microspheres) and VC (blood flow/mean arterial pressure) were determined during supra-critical speed treadmill running (critical speed + 15%, 52.5 ± 1.3 m min(-1)) before (control) and after selective nNOS inhibition with 0.56 mg kg(-1) SMTC. SMTC reduced total hindlimb skeletal muscle blood flow (control: 241 ± 23, SMTC: 204 ± 13 ml min(-1) (100 g)(-1), P0.05) and VC (control: 1.88 ± 0.20, SMTC: 1.48 ± 0.13 ml min(-1) (100 g)(-1) mmHg(-1), P0.05) during high-speed running. The relative reductions in blood flow and VC were greater in the highly glycolytic muscles and muscle parts consisting of 100% type IIb+d/x fibres compared to the highly oxidative muscles and muscle parts consisting of 35% type IIb+d/x muscle fibres (P0.05). These results extend our understanding of vascular control during exercise by identifying fibre-type-selective peripheral vascular effects of nNOS-derived NO during high-speed treadmill running.

We report on the first production and identification of two neutron-rich nuclei {sup 31}Ne and {sup 37}Mg. They were produced in the projectile fragmentation of an 80{ital A} MeV {sup 50}Ti beam on a {sup 181}Ta target, and were efficiently analyzed and identified through the fragment separator RIPS at RIKEN, by measuring the magnetic rigidity, time of flight, energy loss, and total kinetic energy. The particle stability of the new isotopes is discussed in comparison with various mass predictions. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

The cross-section excitation functions for various neutron-evaporation channels have been measured in the 11,10,9 Be+ 209 Bi systems around the Coulomb barrier, for energies ranging from 35 to 70 MeV, in order to see any eventual effect from the expected breakup of the 11 Be unstable halo nucleus. Within the simplified reaction process considered, the data are consistent with a breakup of 11 Be at the top of the Coulomb barrier contributing to less than 25% to the total fusion cross-section; however contributions from other type of breakup mechanisms cannot be excluded.

To determine whether hyperinsulinemia is related to gestational hypertension.We measured the arterial blood pressure and the level of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test in a total of 84 pregnant women. Hyperinsulinemia was defined as a fasting IRI levelor = 9 IU/l, while gestational hypertension was defined as arterial blood pressureor = 140/90 mmHg.The incidence of gestational hypertension was higher in the hyperinsulinemic group (n = 29) than in the control group (n = 55) (24.1% vs. 7.3%, respectively P0.05). After controlling for maternal age, parity, pre-pregnancy body mass index and the gestational age at the time of oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), using a multiple regression model, the relative risk of developing gestational hypertension for a fasting insulin level was 1.19 (95% C.I., 1.03-1.38).Pregnant women with hyperinsulinemia are at increased risk of developing gestational hypertension.

The vacuolating cytotoxin and urease secreted by Helicobacter pylori are thought to be virulent factors. Because vacuolation is potentiated by the presence of ammonium ion, which is produced by urease in vitro, it is of interest to examine whether cytotoxin and urease work reciprocally in the development of atrophic gastritis or duodenal ulcer. In the present study, patients (all H. pylori-positive) were divided into four groups: mild atrophic gastritis (group 1; nine patients), severe atrophic gastritis (group 2; 36 patients), duodenal ulcer with mild atrophic gastritis (group 3; 19 patients) and duodenal ulcer with severe atrophic gastritis (group 4; 12 patients). Cytotoxin production and urease activity of H. pylori isolated from these patients were analysed. Cytotoxin production was observed in four of nine (44.4%), 28 of 36 (77.8%), 11 of 19 (57.9%) and eight of 12 (66.7%) isolates from groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Cytotoxin-producing H. pylori isolates were found significantly more in patients with severe atrophy than in patients with mild atrophy (P = 0.048). The mean of relative activity of cytotoxin in H. pylori isolate was 1.6 +/- 2.3, 7.9 +/- 7.4, 5.8 +/- 6.0 and 9.0 +/- 9.1 in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Helicobacter pylori isolates from severe atrophy or duodenal ulcer patients in groups 2 or 4 possessed significantly higher activity than those from non-ulcer patients in group 1 (P = 0.017 and 0.030, respectively). The mean of urease activity was 8.6 +/- 4.6, 10.0 +/- 5.9, 10.0 +/- 8.5 and 11.2 +/- 7.7 IU/mg in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. These differences indicated no statistical significance. In each H. pylori isolate, the production of cytotoxin and urease were independent, which indicated that there was no reciprocal effect between them in vivo. Thus, cytotoxin-producing H. pylori isolates were more prevalent in patients with severe atrophic gastritis and the cytotoxin activities of H. pylori isolates from the patients with severe atrophic gastritis or duodenal ulcer were much higher than those from the patients with mild atrophic gastritis, which suggested that vacuolating cytotoxin may be a disease-inducing factor.

Silicon-doped GaAs layers have been grown on patterned GaAs(111)A substrates with equilateral triangles by molecular beam epitaxy. Lateral carrier confinement structures are confirmed by cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra: a (111)A surface is p -type and (311)A sidewalls are n -type. The confined (111)A region is reduced to submicron scale by reducing the size of the photoresist pattern. Furthermore, strong emission from the confined region and lateral modulation of peak wavelength are observed in the CL spectra of Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As GaAs single quantum well grown on the patterned (111)A substrate. This modulation is caused by a decrease in GaAs layer thickness due to Ga migration from the (111)A surface to the (311)A surface. These results indicate that MBE growth on the patterned (111)A substrate is effective for fabricating submicron carrier confinement or optical confinement structures.

Very little is known about how compression bandages lose interface pressure. We hypothesized that the loss of interface pressure is correlated with the slippage of the bandages, and studied the interface pressure and slippage of three bandages over 8 hours.Twenty-Seven legs from 27 healthy volunteers were bandaged with short stretch bandages (SS), cohesive short stretch bandages (CS), and long stretch bandages (LS). Pressure sensors were placed above the ankle (B1), below the knee (D), and mid thigh (F). Interface pressures in a sitting position were recorded at the beginning, and 4 and 8 hours later. In 17 legs, the pressure sensor sites were marked, and their heights were measured on standing upright.SS and CS lost interface pressure quickly, but LS maintained pressure better than SS and CS at all sites. There was no pressure difference between SS and CS at the lower leg. However, CS maintained pressure better than SS at the mid thigh (44.6% vs. 54.4% pressure loss at 8 hours, respectively. P=0.037). There was a tendency toward less slippage with CS than SS at the mid thigh. In CS and LS, there was a linear correlation between the slippage of bandages and the interface pressure at the mid thigh (P.01, in both).The interface pressure may be affected by the slippage of bandages at the thigh, but not at the lower leg. Cohesive short stretch bandages may exert their beneficial impact at the thigh.

Objectives: Exercise of the leg with external limb compression has been reported to be useful for preventing and reducing leg oedema. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of leg gaiters on calf muscle pump activity. Methods: Continuous measurements of the interface pressure at the leg during exercise and determination of the femoral venous velocity at the groin during exercise were carried out in healthy volunteers with elastic stockings alone, leg gaiters alone and gaiters over the elastic stockings. Results: The greatest pressure difference between muscle contraction and relaxation during exercise was observed when gaiters were applied over the elastic stockings at the calf. Gaiters alone without elastic stockings led to a significantly greater pressure difference between muscle contraction and relaxation during exercise than elastic stockings alone (P, 0.01). A significantly higher value of the peak flow velocity of the femoral vein was observed with the combined use of gaiters and elastic stockings than the single use of elastic stockings. Conclusions: Leg gaiters have a beneficial effect of augmenting venous femoral blood flow during calf muscle pump activity in volunteers with a normal valve function of leg veins.

Consumption of the dietary flavanol (−)-epicatechin (EPI) is associated with enhanced endothelial function and augmented skeletal muscle capillarity and mitochondrial volume density. The potential for EPI to improve peripheral vascular function and muscle oxygenation during exercise is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that EPI administration in healthy rats would improve treadmill exercise performance secondary to elevated skeletal muscle blood flow and vascular conductance [VC, blood flow/mean arterial pressure (MAP)] and improved skeletal muscle microvascular oxygenation. Rats received water (control, n = 12) or 4 mg/kg EPI ( n = 12) via oral gavage daily for 24 days. Exercise endurance capacity and peak O2 uptake (V̇o2 peak) were measured via treadmill runs to exhaustion. MAP (arterial catheter) and blood flow (radiolabeled microspheres) were measured and VC was calculated during submaximal treadmill exercise (25 m/min, 5% grade). Spinotrapezius muscle microvascular O2 pressure (Po2mv) was measured (phosphorescence quenching) during electrically induced twitch (1 Hz) contractions. In conscious rats, EPI administration resulted in lower (↓∼5%) resting ( P = 0.03) and exercising ( P = 0.04) MAP. There were no differences in exercise endurance capacity, V̇o2 peak, total exercising hindlimb blood flow (control, 154 ± 13; and EPI, 159 ± 8 ml·min−1·100 g−1, P = 0.68), or VC (control, 1.13 ± 0.10; and EPI, 1.24 ± 0.08 ml·min−1·100 g−1·mmHg−1, P = 0.21) between groups. Following anesthesia, EPI resulted in lower MAP (↓∼16%) but did not impact resting Po2mv or any kinetics parameters ( P > 0.05 for all) during muscle contractions compared with control. EPI administration (4 mg·kg−1·day−1) improved modestly cardiovascular function (i.e., ↓MAP) with no impact on exercise performance, total exercising skeletal muscle blood flow and VC, or contracting muscle microvascular oxygenation in healthy rats.

An experiment has been performed to determine fission gas diffusion coefficients in gadolinia-doped UO 2 nuclear fuels under irradiation. Small specimens of UO 2 containing 0, 4 and 8 wt% Gd 2 O 3 were irradiated in the gas sweep rig of the DIDO reactor and fission gas release rates were measured as a function of temperature and sweep gas oxygen potential. The fission gas diffusion coefficient in (U,Gd)O 2± x under irradiation increased with temperature above 800°C. Below 800°C, the diffusion coefficient appeared to be independent of temperature. Over the range studied here, the fission gas diffusion coefficient was sensitive to oxygen potential in UO 2 , less sensitive in 4 wt% Gd 2 O 3 , and independent of oxygen potential in 8 wt% Gd 2 O 3 . The fission gas diffusion coefficient in (U,Gd)O 2± x was judged to be independent of Gd 2 O 3 content at the same O/M ratio and also appeared to be independent of O/M in the hypostoichiometric region, whist it increased sharply with increasing O/M in the hyperstoichiometric region.

The electrical properties of Se-doped Al0.3Ga0.7As layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs(111)A substrates have been investigated by Hall-effect and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements. In Se-dopped GaAs layers, the carrier concentration depends on the misorientation angle of the substrates; it decreases drastically on the exact (111)A surface due to the re-evaporation of Se atoms. By contrast, in Se-doped AlGaAs layers, the decrease is not observed even on exact oriented (111)A. This is caused by the suppression of the re-evaporation of Se atoms, by Se-Al bonds formed during the Se-doped AlGaAs growth. An AlGaAs/GaAs high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structure has been grown. The Hall mobility of the sample on a (111)A 5° off substrate is 5.9 × 104 cm2/V · s at 77 K. This result shows that using Se as the n-type dopant is effective in fabricating devices on GaAs(111)A.

Diffusion of Si-acceptors (Si occupying As sites) in δ-doped GaAs grown on GaAs(111)A has been investigated by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). We have measured the diffusion parameters in GaAs(111)A and found that they differ from those in GaAs(001). The diffusion coefficient in GaAs(111)A is smaller than that in GaAs(001) and the activation energy in GaAs(111)A is larger than that in GaAs(001). Furthermore, the diffusion mechanism of Si in GaAs(111)A has been investigated by photoluminescence; we have found that in p-type layers Si-donors (Si occupying Ga sites) diffuse easily to As sites. The activation energy of Si-acceptor diffusion is 2.74 ± 0.11 eV . These results indicate that Si-acceptors are more stable than Si-donors.

Fusion cross sections of 11 Be, 10 Be and 9 Be have been measured on 209 Bi target at 30–70 MeV. Due to the neutron halo effect of 11 Be, a large enhancement or suppression of the fusion cross section around the Coulomb barrier was theoretically predicted. Comparing the excitation function of 11 Be with 10 Be at near the Coulomb barrier region, no significant difference has been observed.

The thermochromism of Ni(II) complexes of cresolphthalein dye was studied in pyridine-containing acrylamide copolymers with N-vinyl-pyrrolidone (VP) or N-isopropylacrylamide (IPA). Pendant pyridine moieties in the copolymers affect the sensitivity of color development and stability of color species. A large temperature dependence was obtained in the copolymer 2-acrylamido-N-3-pyridylpropanoamide pyridine with VP and the developed color was stable in copolymer of N-3-pyridylacrylamide with IPA.

Copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) films were grown on Si(OOl) substrates at temperatures between 483 K and 150 K by organic molecular beam deposition under ultra-high vacuum of 1 x IO-’ Pa. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement and the atomic force microscope ( AFM) lattice image observation revealed that a-axis oriented a-CuPc columnar crystals were epitaxially grown on Si( 001) at substrate temperature (7’J between 363 and 453 K. The b ( ,) L axis of the cc-CuPc crystal was parallel to the Si [ 1 lo] (Si [ IiO]). Very smooth SC-CuPc film was also prepared at 150 K. The root-mean-square roughness obtained from the AFM measurement was 0.89 nm. The phase of polymorphs of CuPc was determined by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with a standard powder transmission measurement. The electron spin resonance investigation indicates that the molecular plane is tilted at an angle of 21 k 3’ with respect to the substrate surface. A CuPc film was also deposited on the surface of a Langmuir-Blodgett film on glass, and investigated by XRD and AFM. The substrate suppresses the epitaxial columnar crystal growth even at high temperature. Ke~~~~or&: Atomic force microscopy; Electron spin resonance; Molecular beam epitaxy; X-ray diffraction