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We developed the soft and full-contact head/gimbal assembly (HGA) for card-size flexible disk drive. We used a 150 μg slider and a flexible beam of BeCu alloy to realize soft contact. We designed our HGA using FEM simulation and optimized the load force, the load pressure, and the stress on the beam. We report the mechanical characteristics, read-write signals, and the vibration of the HGA. A new type loading/unloading mechanism was developed for the removable flexible medium, and confirmed the reliability of the loading/unloading mechanism by the deformation of the HGA and the loaded medium.

Objectives To further clarify the need for routine adrenalectomy during the surgical treatment of renal cell cancer, as in the absence of clinically overt metastatic disease, tumorous lesions within the adrenal gland are found in only 2–10% of patients, with most being over-treated by adrenalectomy. Patients and methods The medical records of 819 patients undergoing adrenalectomy combined with nephrectomy, irrespective of the local extension of the primary tumour or the clinical stage at first diagnosis, were reviewed to determine the reliability of currently available imaging methods in predicting adrenal gland metastases. Several patient and tumour characteristics were correlated with the presence of intra-adrenal metastases, and their possible independent prognostic value was determined by a multivariate logistic regression model. Results There was metastatic spread into the adrenal gland in 27 of 819 (3.3%) patients. In only three of eight patients in whom the adrenal was identified as the only metastatic site were preoperative abdominal computed tomography scans interpreted as false-negative. On multivariate statistical analysis only the presence of distant metastases, vascular invasion within the primary tumour and multifocal growth of renal cell cancer within the tumour-bearing kidney were identified as independent predictors of the presence of intra-adrenal metastases. Conclusions None of the patient or tumour characteristics evaluated reliably predicted the likelihood of adrenal metastases in patients with no evidence of disseminated metastatic spread. However, previously published data indicate that the frequency of metachronous metastases within the contralateral kidney (1.8–3.8%) is significantly higher than the risk of a preoperatively undetected isolated intra-adrenal metastatic lesion when currently available imaging modalities are applied. Therefore, routine adrenalectomy should not be recommended if the preoperative radiological examinations are normal.

Supported Ni catalysts on perovskite-type CaTiO 3 , SrTiO 3 , and BaTiO 3 oxides were prepared by the solid-phase crystallization ( spc ) method and tested for the partial oxidation of CH 4 to synthesis gas. The impregnation ( imp ) method was used for comparison. spc -Ni/SrTiO 3 showed the highest activity as well as the highest sustainability against both coke formation and reoxidation of Ni metal, followed by spc -Ni/BaTiO 3 , spc -Ni/CaTiO 3 , and then imp -Ni/SrTiO 3 . The order of the activity was clearly confirmed in the reaction at high space velocity. Both transmission electron microscopy and temperature-programmed reduction showed the presence of finely dispersed and stable Ni metal particles on the catalysts and their amount correlated well with the order of the catalytic activity. It is suggested that incorporation of Ni is enhanced in SrTiO 3 , followed by BaTiO 3 , and much less in CaTiO 3 , resulting in the higher dispersion of Ni metal particles on SrTiO 3 . Less heat was generated over spc -Ni/SrTiO 3 during CH 4 oxidation, suggesting that the heating of the catalyst bed by CH 4 combustion must be quickly compensated for by endothermic reforming reactions. Oxygen mobility was highest over spc -Ni/SrTiO 3 as judged from CO 2 pulse measurements. The high sustainability against coke formation may be due to the high activity of finely dispersed nickel metal particles for the reforming reactions partly assisted by the mobile oxygen on the catalyst.

Seventeen clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were selected in order to study the bactericidal activities against drug-resistant M. tuberculosis. The effects of different antiseptics against multidrug-resistant M. tuberculosis (MDR-TB) were examined. Each of the test strains was cultured on the surface of an agar slant containing Löwenstein-Jensen medium. 0.05 ml of the bacillary suspension was poured into a test tube, and 0.45 ml of various antiseptics was added. After the bacilli had been exposed to the antiseptic solution with 2% human serum for various periods of incubation time, the antiseptic was inactivated by addition of 0.45 ml neutralizer, a mixture containing 10% Tween 80, 3% soybean lecithin and 0.5% sodium thiosulfate. As the results, povidone-iodine (PVP-I) at a concentration of 0.2% killed 99.9% or more of all strains tested within 30 s. All of the strains tested with PVP-I were killed almost completely within 60 s. There was no difference in bactericidal activities of PVP-I between standard strain H37Rv and MDR-TB. 99.9% or more of all strains tested were killed after exposure to 1.0% cresol for 60 s. In the case of cresol however, the exposure time of 30 s was not enough to get satisfactory effects. 2.0% glutaraldehyde needed 5 min to kill 99.99% or more of the bacilli tested, and 0.2% alkyldiaminoethylglycine hydrochloride required 60 min to do so. The results of bactericidal activities of common antiseptics against MDR-TB were similar to those against H37Rv. We conclude that the commercially available PVP-I product is a useful antiseptic against MDR-TB similar to other M. tuberculosis.

A technology for combining 0.2-/spl mu/m self-aligned selective-epitaxial-growth (SEG) SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs) with CMOS transistors and high-quality passive elements has been developed for use in microwave wireless and optical communication systems. The technology has been applied to fabricate devices on a 200-mm SOI wafer based on a high-resistivity substrate (SOI/HRS). The fabrication process is almost completely compatible with the existing 0.2-/spl mu/m bipolar-CMOS process because of the essential similarity of the two processes. SiGe HBTs with shallow-trench isolations (STIs) and deep-trench isolations (DTIs) and Ti-salicide electrodes exhibited high-frequency and high-speed capabilities with an f/sub max/ of 180 GHz and an ECL-gate delay of 6.7 ps, along with good controllability and reliability and high yield. A high-breakdown-voltage HBT that could produce large output swings for the interface circuit was successfully added. CMOS devices (with gate lengths of 0.25 /spl mu/m for nMOS and 0.3 /spl mu/m for pMOS) exhibited excellent subthreshold slopes. Poly-Si resistors with a quasi-layer-by-layer structure had a low temperature coefficient. Varactors were constructed from the collector-base junctions of the SiGe HBTs. MIM capacitors were formed between the first and second metal layers by using plasma SiO/sub 2/ as an insulator. High-Q octagonal spiral inductors were fabricated by using a 3-/spl mu/m thick fourth metal layer.

We have investigated recording at densities higher than 4.5 Gb/in/sup 2/ in tape systems using spin-valve heads. We report the signal-to-noise ratio at areal recording densities of 4.5 Gb/in/sup 2/ and 11.5 Gb/in/sup 2/ on low-noise obliquely metal evaporated (ME) tapes. Also, we studied an electrostatic discharge failure of giant magnetoresistive heads on ME tape. The results indicate the feasibility of an areal density of 11.5 Gb/in/sup 2/ in a helical-scan tape system.

The authors have been developing a compact power supply with a single-phase Bi2223 high temperature superconducting (HTS) transformer. The conventional transformer has an iron-core for enhancing magnetic coupling between its primary coil and secondary one. However, the iron-core has great majority of size and weight of the transformer and therefore it is desirable to be removed for a smaller and lighter transformer. In this paper, the authors propose an air-core HTS transformer for a more compact power supply than the conventional one. As experimental results, it is shown that appropriate design of the air-core transformer has a possibility to decrease the weight and volume of the large AC current supply.

Recent studies have shown that interindividual variability can be a rich source of information regarding the mechanism of human visual perception. In this study, we examined the mechanisms underlying interindividual variability in the perception of visual motion, one of the fundamental components of visual scene analysis, by measuring neurotransmitter concentrations using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. First, by psychophysically examining two types of motion phenomena—motion assimilation and contrast—we found that, following the presentation of the same stimulus, some participants perceived motion assimilation, while others perceived motion contrast. Furthermore, we found that the concentration of the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate–glutamine (Glx) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 46) was positively correlated with the participant's tendency to motion assimilation over motion contrast; however, this effect was not observed in the visual areas. The concentration of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid had only a weak effect compared with that of Glx. We conclude that excitatory process in the suprasensory area is important for an individual's tendency to determine antagonistically perceived visual motion phenomena. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Auditory and visual scene analysis'.

Neste trabalho, estudamos colisões entre átomos de Rydberg ultrafrios em uma amostra atômica de alta densidade aprisionada em uma armadilha óptica de dipolo (AOD) tipo QUEST (Quasi Electrostatic Trap). Nossos objetivos incluíam testar a manifestação de fenômenos de muitos corpos bem como estudar efeitos de anisotropia nos processos colisionais envolvendo dois corpos. Para isso, escolhemos o processo colisional descrito por 5/2+5/2(+2)3/2+(2)7/2 no intervalo de 37 ≤ ≤47. O processo foi estudado na ausência e presença de campo elétrico estático, originando as ressonâncias Förster. Os resultados mostram que mesmo em alta densidade atômica o processo de dois corpos domina a interação, apesar da clara manifestação do bloqueio dipolar. Após modificações na montagem experimental, estudamos um dos picos da ressonância Förster 375/2+375/2393/2+357/2 em função da direção e amplitude em relação ao eixo longitudinal da AOD. Discutimos os resultados e os desafios futuros do experimento. In this paper, we study collisions between ultracold Rydberg atoms in a high density atomic sample trapped in an optical dipole trap (ODT), type QUEST (Quasi Electrostatic Trap). Our goals included testing the manifestation of many-body phenomena and to study anisotropy effects in collisional processes involving two Rydberg atoms. In order to do this, we have chosen the collision process described by 5/2+5/2(+2)3/2+(2)7/2 in the range of 37 ≤ ≤47. The process was studied in the presence and absence of a dc static electric field, also known as Förster resonances. The results show that even at high atomic density, two-body interaction dominates de process, despite the clear manifestation of Rydberg blockade. After several improvements in our experimental setup, we have studied also a Förster resonance peak 375/2+375/2393/2+357/2 as a function of the magnitude of the dc static electric field as well as the angle between this field and the longitudinal axis of the ODT. We discuss the results and future challenges of the experiment.

It is important to know the mechanisms underlying pain abnormalities associated with inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) regeneration in order to develop the appropriate treatment for orofacial neuropathic pain patients. However, peripheral mechanisms underlying orofacial pain abnormalities following IAN regeneration are not fully understood.Head withdrawal threshold (HWT), jaw opening reflex (JOR) thresholds, single-fibre recordings of the regenerated mental nerve (MN) fibres, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), isolectin B4 (IB4), peripherin, neurofilament-200 (NF-200) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) expression in trigeminal ganglion (TG) cells, and electron microscopic (EM) observations of the regenerated MN fibres were studied in MN- and IAN-transected (M-IANX) rats.HWT to mechanical or heat stimulation of the mental skin was significantly lower in M-IANX rats compared with sham rats. Mean conduction velocity of action potentials recorded from MN fibres (n = 124) was significantly slower in M-IANX rats compared with sham rats. The percentage of Fluoro-Gold (FG)-labelled CGRP-, peripherin- or TRPV1-immunoreactive (IR) cells was significantly larger in M-IANX rats compared with that of sham rats, whereas that of FG-labelled IB4- and NF-200-IR cells was significantly smaller in M-IANX rats compared with sham rats. Large-sized myelinated nerve fibres were rarely observed in M-IANX rats, whereas large-sized unmyelinated nerve fibres were frequently observed and were aggregated in the bundles at the distal portion of regenerated axons.These findings suggest that the demyelination of MN fibres following regeneration may be involved in peripheral sensitization, resulting in the orofacial neuropathic pain associated with trigeminal nerve injury.

Understanding the genes and mechanisms involved in acute alcohol responses has the potential to allow us to predict an individual’s predisposition to developing an alcohol use disorder. To better understand the molecular pathways involved in the activating effects of alcohol and the acute functional tolerance that can develop to such effects, we characterized a novel ethanol-induced hypercontraction response displayed by Caenorhabditis elegans. We compared body size of animals prior to and during ethanol treatment and showed that acute exposure to ethanol produced a concentration-dependent decrease in size followed by recovery to their untreated size by 40 min despite continuous treatment. An increase in cholinergic signaling, leading to muscle hypercontraction, is implicated in this effect because pretreatment with mecamylamine, a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) antagonist, blocked ethanol-induced hypercontraction, as did mutations causing defects in cholinergic signaling (cha-1 and unc-17). Analysis of mutations affecting specific subunits of nAChRs excluded a role for the ACR-2R, the ACR-16R, and the levamisole-sensitive AChR and indicated that this excitation effect is dependent on an uncharacterized nAChR that contains the UNC-63 α-subunit. We performed a forward genetic screen and identified eg200, a mutation that affects a conserved glycine in EAT-6, the α-subunit of the Na+/K+ ATPase. The eat-6(eg200) mutant fails to develop tolerance to ethanol-induced hypercontraction and remains contracted for at least 3 hr of continuous ethanol exposure. These data suggest that cholinergic signaling through a specific α-subunit-containing nAChR is involved in ethanol-induced excitation and that tolerance to this ethanol effect is modulated by Na+/K+ ATPase function.

Working memory is linked to the functions of the frontal areas, in which neural activity is mediated by dopaminergic and serotonergic tones. However, there is no consensus regarding how the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems influence working memory subprocesses. The present study used an imaging genetics approach to examine the interaction between neurochemical functions and working memory performance. We focused on functional polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met and serotonin 2A receptor (HTR2A) -1438G/A genes, and devised a delayed recognition task to isolate the encoding, retention, and retrieval processes for visual information. The COMT genotypes affected recognition accuracy, whereas the HTR2A genotypes were associated with recognition response times. Activations specifically related to working memory were found in the right frontal and parietal areas, such as the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and inferior parietal lobule (IPL). MFG and ACC/IPL activations were sensitive to differences between the COMT genotypes and between the HTR2A genotypes, respectively. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that stronger connectivity in the ACC-MFG and ACC-IFG networks is related to better task performance. The behavioral and fMRI results suggest that the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems play different roles in the working memory subprocesses and modulate closer cooperation between lateral and medial frontal activations.

Background In the last decade, non-multiresistant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (NM-MRSA) has been described as an important agent in bloodstream infections in our hospital. Methods This prospective cohort study, conducted from February 2009 through January 2010 in the neonatal unit, evaluated 403 newborns (NB), their 382 mothers and 148 health care workers (HCW). Results Approximately 217 NB (54%), 187 mothers (48%) and 87 HCW (59%) were colonized by S. aureus (SA). MRSA colonization was greater among NB (15%) than mothers (4.7%) and HCW (3.4%). Although mother-to-NB transmission occurred, in most cases mothers were not responsible for NB colonization. There were 2 predominant PFGE patterns among the NB and some mothers and HCW became colonized by them. Factors significantly associated with MRSA carriage by NB were lower level of maternal schooling (risk factor: odds ratio: 2.99; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-8.07) and maternal rhinosinusitis (protective factor: odds ratio: 0.33; 95% confidence interval:0.12-0.88). Among NB who remained hospitalized for more than 72 hours, breast feeding was protective (odds ratio: 0.22; 95% confidence interval: 0.05-0.98). All the isolates were NM-MRSA, carried few virulence factors and SCCmec types IVa and type IVd predominated. Conclusions Although there were no cases of infection, nosocomial transmission of MRSA clearly occurred in the neonatal unit, and this highlights the need for infection control practices such as hand hygiene to prevent cross-dissemination. Other healthcare practices, which are very basic but also ample in scope, may play a role, such as general education of women and breast feeding.

The objective of this study was to clarify the long-term outcome in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) according to the International Society of Nephrology and Renal Pathology Society classification. This retrospective analysis comprised 186 Japanese patients given a diagnosis of LN by renal specimen with a mean observation period of 12 years. Primary end point was defined as death or end-stage renal disease, and standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Five patients presented with histopathological class I, 62 with II, 21 with III or III+V, 73 with IV or IV+V and 25 with V. Fourteen deaths occurred, corresponding to an overall standardized mortality ratio of 3.59 (95% confidence interval 2.02–5.81, p

Two hundred and four unrelated Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were typed for HLA by serological typing and DNA typing. The serological typing revealed that frequencies of HLA-A11, DR4, DR53 and DQ4 were increased and those of DR8 and DQ1 were decreased in the patients. The DNA typing has precisely defined the disease-associated HLA class II alleles; DRB1 * 0405, DQA1 * 03 and DQB1 * 0401 showed positive associations, while negative associations were found with DRB1 * 0803, DQA1 * 0103 and DQB1 * 0601. The risk for RA was found to be closely associated with particular amino acid sequences of DR-beta chain, including glycine residue at the 86th position in addition to those between 70 and 74, which are known to confer binding specificity and affinity to antigenic peptides. The observation that the frequency of HLA-A11 was increased in the DRB1 * 0405-positive patients suggested the interaction of these two alleles in the susceptibility to RA. On the other hand, the frequency of DPB1 * 0201 was increased in the DRB1 * 0405-negative patients and the frequency of HLA-A2 was increased in the DPB1 * 0201-positive patients, especially in the younger onset group. These findings suggested that the combination of HLA-A2 and DPB1 * 0201 may confer the susceptibility in the DRB1 * 0405-negative patients. Our results suggested the possibility that the susceptibility to RA is controlled by the interaction of HLA-A and DRB1 genes or by that of HLA-A and DPB1 genes in different patient subgroups.

The purpose of this study was to analyze changes in the T-helper cell 1/T-helper cell 2 (Th1/Th2) balance of peripheral T-helper cells after autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (auto-PBSCT) for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) and to evaluate the effects of chemotherapy and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the Th1/Th2 balance. A series of peripheral blood samples from four patients with NHL were collected before peripheral blood stem cell harvest and after auto-PBSCT. Using flow cytometry, Th1 and Th2 cells were identified by their intracellular cytokines: interleukin (IL)-4-/interferon (IFN)-gamma+ and IL-4+/IFN-gamma-, respectively. The Th1/Th2 balance was estimated as the ratio of IL4-/IFN-gamma+ cells to IL-4+/IFN-gamma- cells. Although the Th1/Th2 balance decreased initially, it increased markedly 28 days after the cessation of G-CSF, following auto-PBSCT, in parallel with an increase in lymphocytes. This increase was mainly due to an increase in the proportion of Th1 cells. The Th1/Th2 balance did not change appreciably before PBSC harvest. Serum IFN-gamma increased after auto-PBSCT in three patients. These preliminary data demonstrate that, after auto-PBSCT for NHL, the Th1/Th2 balance decreases initially and then increases after 1 month to levels above pretreatment levels and that the effects of chemotherapy and G-CSF on the Th1/Th2 balance are negligible before PBSC harvest. Further evaluation of the Th1/Th2 balance after allogeneic PBSCT at the single-cell level should be undertaken using this method.

A new approach to the surface photovoltage method is demonstrated on thick undoped microcrystalline silicon films grown on different substrates. The model, which includes top as well as bottom space-charge regions, gives a good picture of rather complex experiments and allows good fitting of theoretical curves to experimental results. This method gives us not only the diffusion length of minority carriers but also information on the existence and properties of the space-charge regions in the sample and the results are verified by comparison with the standard procedure.

We analyzed the incidence and risk factors for chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in 265 children undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) who survived longer than 3 months post SCT. Patients transplanted from HLA-mismatched related donors and matched unrelated donors were included. Fifty-five patients developed chronic GVHD between 1 and 25 months after SCT, and the 5-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was 22%. By multivariate analysis, acute GVHD (P = 0.004), malignant disease (P = 0.004), recipient age (> or =10 years) (P = 0.01) and a female donor to male recipient (P = 0.035) were significant risk factors for chronic GVHD. When acute GVHD was excluded from the multivariate analysis, malignant disease (P = 0.002) and older recipient age (P = 0.007) were identified. The incidence of chronic GVHD in this childhood study was lower than that observed in adults, and recipient age was an important factor in childhood SCT. The high incidence associated with malignant disease may be affected by changes in GVHD prophylaxis in order to ensure graft-versus-tumor effects.

We have applied real-time in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (ATR) to investigate a-Si:H nucleation process on substrate that affects the resulting a-Si:H/substrate interface structure significantly. The analyses of these real-time measurements show the formation of a ∼30 A thick H-rich interface layer having an average hydrogen content of ∼20 at.% on a c-Si substrate covered with native oxide (30 A). This interface layer formation is primarily caused by the H-rich three-dimensional island growth on the substrate. We found a weak dependence of interface layer properties on a-Si:H deposition conditions. This result suggests that the interface layer formation is controlled by the nucleation site density of a-Si:H islands on the substrate, rather than plasma conditions.

Plasma concentrations of inhibin A and inhibin B during pregnancy and early lactation in chimpanzees were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Plasma samples were taken from five pregnant chimpanzees at 6-9, 10, 20 and 25 weeks of pregnancy, and following parturition. Throughout pregnancy and the early postpartum period, circulating inhibin A and inhibin B concentrations remained low, at similar levels to those during the normal menstrual cycle in chimpanzees. Concentrations of inhibin A in the placental homogenate were high enough to be measured by the ELISA and by bioassay, whereas circulating inhibin bioactivities in late pregnancy were too low to be measured. Plasma concentrations of FSH remained low with no significant changes throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. Plasma concentrations of oestradiol-17beta and progesterone at 25 weeks of pregnancy were much higher than normal menstrual cycle levels. It was concluded that in chimpanzees the levels of circulating inhibin A and inhibin B remained low throughout pregnancy and the early postpartum period, and that the concentrations of bioactive dimeric inhibin did not increase towards the end of pregnancy. The suppression of circulating FSH levels during pregnancy is suggested to be controlled by steroid hormones that increased significantly in late pregnancy, and the present findings further suggest that the secretory pattern and role of inhibin during pregnancy in chimpanzees may be different from that in human and other primates.

In this paper, a new mobility model for device simulation is presented that incorporates Coulomb scattering due to ionized impurities in the MOS inversion layer. It is well known that the Coulomb scattering strongly depends on carrier concentration because of the screening effect. A crucial technique is used in the modeling procedure, with which a local dependency of the mobility on carrier concentration is derived from the experimental data of the effective mobility. Consequently, the present model has the ability to reproduce the experimental effective mobility over a wide range of impurity concentration with a single parameter set. Comparisons of the simulated and measured I/sub DS/-V/sub GS/ curves show good agreement for 0.15 /spl mu/m CMOS devices having pure SiO/sub 2/ and NO-based oxynitride gate oxides.

The emitter diffusion depth of wider emitters was found to be shallower than that of narrower emitters for transistors with a TiSi/sub 2/-formed in-situ phosphorus doped polysilicon (IDP) emitter. This dependence of emitter diffusion depth on emitter width W/sub E/ resulted in a large dependence of h/sub FE/ on W/sub E/. We found that the emitter diffusion in emitters with TiSi/sub 2/ formation was shallower than that in emitters without TiSi/sub 2/ formation. We conclude that the dependence of emitter diffusion depth on W/sub E/ is due to variation in phosphorus diffusivity caused by the TiSi/sub 2/ formation. We found by X-ray diffraction measurements that TiSi/sub 2/ formation reduced the crystal lattice volume of the IDP emitter layers by 0.2-0.30%. We attribute this reduction to a reduction in packing density due to a supersaturation of vacancies caused by the TiSi/sub 2/ formation. We believe that the vacancy supersaturation decreases the density of interstitials in the emitter regions, which decreases the emitter diffusion depth, and that the dependence of emitter diffusion depth on W/sub E/ is due to variations in the density of vacancies depending on W/sub E/.

A 0.2-/spl mu/m self-aligned selective-epitaxial-growth (SEG) SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), with shallow-trench and dual-deep-trench isolations and Ti-salicide electrodes, has been developed. The 0.6-/spl mu/m-wide Si-cap/SiGe-base multilayer was selectively grown by UHV/CVD. The process, except the SEG, is almost completely compatible with well-established bipolar-CMOS technology and the SiGe HBTs were fabricated on a 200-mm wafer line. The SiGe HBTs have demonstrated a peak cutoff frequency of 90 GHz, a peak maximum oscillation frequency of 107 GHz, and an ECL gate delay time of 6.7 ps. Four-level interconnects, including MIM capacitors and high-Q inductors, were formed by chemical mechanical polishing.

We review the fabrication process and device technologies of a high-speed self-aligned selective-epitaxial-growth (SEG) SiGe-base heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT), and its potential application in ICs for optical-fiber-link systems. A 0.54-μm-wide SiGe base, self-aligned to the 0.14-μm-wide emitter to reduce collector capacitance, was selectively grown by using a UHV/CVD system. A self-aligned stacked metal/in situ doped poly-Si electrode technology enables low parasitic resistance, and allows the intrinsic base profile to be kept shallow, so it is well-suited to a SiGe-base HBT. A 2-μm-wide insulator refilled trench was introduced to reduce substrate capacitance. This SiGe HBT makes it possible to obtain 95-GHz cutoff frequencies and 97-GHz maximum oscillation frequencies, and ultra-high-speed emitter-coupled-logic (ECL) circuits with an 8-ps gate delay. The technology was applied in ICs required for optical-fiber-link systems, including a 1/8 static frequency divider with a maximum operating frequency of up to 50 GHz, a time-division multiplexer and a demultiplexer operating at 40 Gb/s, a preamplifier with a bandwidth of 35 GHz, an AGC amplifier core with a bandwidth of 32 GHz, and a decision circuit operating at 40 Gb/s.

BACKGROUND—Little is known about the genetic alterations in multiple primary cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is frequently observed in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), and multiple primary cancers is a feature of this syndrome. AIMS—To identify MSI incidence, target gene mutation, and mismatch repair (MMR) protein status in patients with multiple primary cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. SUBJECTS—Fifty seven cancers from 22 Japanese patients with multiple primary cancers of the stomach, duodenum, colon, and rectum. METHODS—MSI was examined at 5-7 microsatellite loci. Mutation analysis for TGFβRII, IGFIIR, and BAX was performed in cancers with MSI. MMR protein status was examined by immunohistochemical analysis using a monoclonal antibody against hMSH2 and hMLH1. RESULTS—MSI was observed in 16 of 22 patients (73%) and in 29 of 57 lesions (51%). High frequency MSI (MSI-H) was found often in patients with multiple cancers in the same organ (p=0.042), especially in multiple gastric cancer patients (p=0.038). In contrast, patients with multiple cancers in different organs had a tendency to show low frequency MSI (MSI-L) or microsatellite stable (MSS) phenotype. Both target gene mutation and decreased expression of MMR protein were found only in seven lesions of three patients with MSI at more than four microsatellite loci. CONCLUSIONS—These results suggest that genetic instability may play an important role in the development of multiple gastrointestinal cancers but there may be different genetic alterations between multiple gastrointestinal cancers of the same and different organs. Keywords: microsatellite instability; multiple primary cancer; hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer

In situ observations of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) have been performed to investigate the microcrystalline silicon formation mechanism in plasma-enhanced-chemical-vapor-deposition (PECVD) using a mixture of SiH4 and H2 at a temperature Ts between 27°C and 560°C. In low temperature epitaxy (LTE) on Si(0 0 1), we found that the epitaxial structure of films as a function of temperature had, at 120°C, a surface structure Si1 × 1 and at 430°C Si2 × 1, depending on hydrogen dilution. This bistable epitaxy is mediated by the surface hydrogen mode. In polycrystalline silicon growth on a ZnO coated glass substrate, we observed in situ the change in the order and disorder of the structure and the change in the orientation during the growth. These results can be utilized to control crystal growth by a real-time feed-back to deposition parameters. Thus, we have demonstrated that in situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction observation is useful for the study of microcrystalline silicon growth.

Light-induced degradation of a-Si:H by intense nanosecond laser pulse pairs is studied to access the time scale of processes involved in dangling bond (DB) defect creation. The recombination kinetics accompanying DB creation is measured by transient photoconductivity and instant temperature. Based on the reduction of DB creation efficiency with the delay time between the pulses we suggest two successive time regimes. The first, decrease in DB creation efficiency at delays ⩽15 ns may be directly related to recombination, which initiates the structural transformation. The second, more gradual decrease in creation efficiency extending to microseconds is likely related to long-living DB defect precursors.

Real time observations by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (ATR) have been performed to characterize initial layers from which μc-Si:H nucleates in rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The SE analysis showed an enhanced surface smoothening of a-Si:H layers with increasing hydrogen dilution ratio, R (=[H 2 ]/[SiH 4 ]), owing to surface diffusion of precursors. No change was found for the absorbance intensities of SiH and SiH 2 bonds in the a-Si:H bulk layers with variation of R , while μc-Si:H formation reduces the incorporation of SiH bonds. In contrast, sub-surface analyses performed by Ar plasma treatment of the deposited a-Si:H layers showed larger sub-surface hydrogen contents in the a-Si:H incubation layers deposited at larger R than those in a-Si:H layers deposited without hydrogen dilution. We suggest that the a-Si:H network formation process in the sub-surface differs in a-Si:H deposition at larger R compared with the smaller R case and this causes the μc-Si:H nucleation.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) on paramagnetic defects in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H) has been studied to investigate its microscopic structure. From the anisotropy of preferentially oriented sample along 〈1 1 0〉 we suggest that the fine structure and its angular dependence arise from the grain boundary having 〈1 1 1〉 axial symmetry with g -tensors of g ‖ ∼2.0022 and g ⊥ ∼2.0078 such as the Pb center. A simulation study indicates the presence of isotropic components arising from grain boundary defects on randomly oriented crystallites and dangling bonds in the amorphous structure. Thermal desorption of hydrogen from μc-Si:H was correlated with the isochronal annealing of the ESR spectra.

Effects of concreteness and representation mode (kanji/hiragana) of target words on working memory during reading was tested using Japanese version of reading span test (RST), developed by Osaka and Osaka (1994). Concreteness and familiarity of target words and difficulty of sentences were carefully controlled. The words with high concreteness resulted in significantly higher RST scores, which suggests the high efficiency of working memory in processing these words. The results suggest that high concrete noun-words associated with visual clues consume less working memory capacity during reading. The effect of representation mode is different between subjects with high-RST and low-RST scores. Characteristic of the high concrete words that may be responsible for the effectiveness of processing are discussed.

The effects of electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), periventricular arcuate nucleus (ARC) and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH) on the rates of 14C transfer from 14C-1 acetate into ovarian steroids in ovarian slices of hypophysectomized and adrenalectomized (H-A) rats were investigated. The 14C transfer rates into estrogen and 20 alpha-hydroxypregn-4-en-3-one (20 alpha-OH-P) were decreased by LHA stimulation. The stimulation of the ARC and VMH increased the rates of 14C transfer into estrogen, progesterone and 20 alpha-OH-P. From these results, it might be suggested that these hypothalamic structures were involved in the regulation of ovarian steroidogenesis without participation of the pituitary and adrenal.

Real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (ATR) have been applied to investigate interface layer formation mechanisms in an $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ film on a c-Si substrate covered with native oxide (\ensuremath{\sim}30 \AA{}) in a conventional rf plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. These real-time monitoring techniques allow us to determine a depth profile of hydrogen content for the SiH and ${\mathrm{SiH}}_{2}$ bonding states, together with the microscopic structural evolution during the $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ deposition. The analyses of these real-time measurements show the formation of a 35-\AA{}-thick H-rich layer having an average hydrogen content of \ensuremath{\sim}17 at. % at the $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$/substrate interface. A deuterium diffusion experiment performed after a 130-\AA{}-thick $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ deposition supports the H-rich layer formation at the interface. This interface layer formation is primarily caused by the H-rich three-dimensional island growth on the substrate in the early $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ deposition stage. In a following coalescence process, we found a significant reduction in the hydrogen content in $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ bulk layer, accompanied by a clear surface smoothening of the $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ layer. The above results indicate that surface diffusion of precursors promotes a dense $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ network formation during the coalescence and confines H-rich $a\ensuremath{-}\mathrm{S}\mathrm{i}:\mathrm{H}$ islands at the film/substrate interface region.

Results of in situ studies of reversible photostructural changes are presented. For the case example of amorphous selenium (a-Se), following the excitation of lone-pair electrons, dynamic interchain bonds are formed as evidenced by an increase in the average coordination number by ∼ 5% and appearance of new peaks (158 and 180 cm -1 ) in the Raman spectra of the photoexcited sample. A light-induced ESR study reveals that these bonds are dynamical and break first into a pair of a triply coordinated and singly coordinated defects and then into a pair of neutral dangling bonds. Similarity in the structure of photo-excited (solid) a-Se and liquid selenium provides a clue for understanding of the mechanism of the photostructural change as local athermal photomelting. A critical role of lone-pair electrons in this process explains why such changes can only be observed in amorphous chalcogenides.

Mibefradil was approved as a novel calcium antagonist in Switzerland in 1996. Following its launch as an antihypertensive and anti-anginal agent, there were reports about serious pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions occurring with other drugs frequently administered to patients with cardiovascular diseases. Despite appropriate modifications of the prescribing information, such interactions continued to occur. The drug was finally withdrawn after a study in patients with congestive heart failure showed a trend to higher mortality with mibefradil. This increase in mortality could again be due to multiple interactions between mibefradil and other drugs. In retrospect, it can be concluded that several of the interactions, including the theoretical risk of severe toxicity in some patients, could have been and in fact were predicted on the basis of the data available before introduction to the market. Depending on the benefits, these problems would however not necessarily represent an unacceptable risk for a new active compound.The most important points revealed by this analysis were: (1) when interpreting the results of interaction studies, it is important to consider not only the mean of the interaction effect but also the observed and the theoretically conceivable extreme effects in individual subjects and (2) a drug with a high interaction potential may represent a high risk even if an adequate warning is included in the product information. The need for specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interaction studies with new drugs and the limitations of the pivotal clinical efficacy and safety studies during phase III in order to reveal such interactions are discussed.

An ultra-high-speed selective-epitaxial-growth SiGe-base heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) with self-aligned stacked metal/in-situ doped poly-Si (IDP) (referred to as SMI) electrodes is developed. A 0.5-/spl mu/m-wide SiGe base self-aligned to the 0.1-/spl mu/m-wide emitter was selectively grown by using a UHV/CVD system. This self-aligned structure effectively reduces collector capacitance. In SMI technology, a tungsten film is selectively stacked on all poly-Si electrodes (base, emitter, and collector) in a self-aligned manner by using selective deposition without any heat treatment. So this technology does not cause unwanted diffusion of the base dopants and keeps a shallow intrinsic base profile. SMI technology can therefore provide low parasitic resistances and is well-suited to an SiGe-base HBT. A 2-/spl mu/m-wide BPSG/SiO/sub 2/ refilled trench was introduced in order to reduce the substrate capacitance. The low dielectric constant of BPSG/SiO/sub 2/ and the wide trench are very effective in reducing the sidewall element of substrate capacitance. This technology makes it possible to obtain ultra-high-speed operation with a 9.3-ps-gate-delay emitter-coupled-logic (ECL) circuit.

Gas-phase molecular composition in silane (pure and H2-diluted) plasma was studied using a mass spectrometry under various deposition conditions of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H). Our aim was to correlate the gas-phase species with the film property after light-induced degradation and to find the ideal deposition conditions to achieve high-rate growth of stable a-Si:H films. A parallel-plate plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) system with an excitation frequency of 13.56 MHz (RF) was used. Both the film deposition and mass spectrometry were performed under deposition conditions of a-Si:H giving growth rates ranging from 2 to 20 A/s. We observed the signal intensities of SiH2+ (m/e=30) and Si2H4+ (m/e=60) as the most abundant ions in the mass fragmentation related to monosilane and disilane molecules, respectively. The film property of a-Si:H films after light-induced degradation, monitored by the fill factor (FF) of photo current - voltage characteristics in n+ crystalline Si/a-Si:H/Ni Schottky cells after light soaking, deteriorated with the increase in the growth rate. The contribution of gas-phase disilane related radicals to the film growth, represented as the disilane fraction ([m/e=60]/[m/e=30]), showed a good correspondence with the FF after light soaking. It is suggested that the suppression of gas-phase higher-order silane-related radicals as well as short-lifetime radicals is a clue for obtaining stable a-Si:H solar cells at high growth rate.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze the biochemical characteristics of synovial fluids after treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with intra-articularly injected hyaluronate (HA).¶Treatment: In a double-blind study, 13 patients received intra-articular injections of 1% HA in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) while 13 other patients were injected 0.01% HA in PBS, as the control group. Injections were administered once a week for five weeks.¶Methods: Clinical efficacy and characteristics of synovial fluid were compared between groups.¶Results: Significant clinical improvement was observed in the HA-treated group compared to the control group. The viscosity of retained synovial fluid increased. Stringing and HA concentration increased significantly whereas the concentrations of protein and chondroitin sulfate 4 and 6 decreased significantly. The HA molecular weight remained the same in both groups.¶Conclusion: Intra-articular HA injection altered the properties of synovial fluid and proved efficacious for patients with RA.

We analyzed the incidence, complications, and risk factors for late-onset hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) in 256 children undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Twenty-six recipients (10.2%) developed late-onset HC between 3 and 270 days (median, 33 days) after HSCT. In most patients, the severity of HC was mild to moderate, and spontaneous resolution occurred. Three children developed bladder tamponade, and one required suprapubic cystotomy. Four children died in the early post-transplant period without resolution of HC, but HC was not the direct cause of death in any patient. Twenty-two patients recovered within 6-86 days (median, 16 days) of onset. Three predisposing factors were identified for development of late-onset HC by multivariate analysis: allogeneic HSCT, older age (> or = 7 years), and busulphan for pretransplant conditioning were significantly associated with late-onset HC (P=0.022, P=0.044 and P=0.036, respectively). Excretion of adenovirus type 11 was demonstrated in six of 22 patients at the onset of cystitis. We suspect that reactivation of virus may be a major pathogenic factor in late-onset HC, but several clinical factors are also associated.

Two different kinds of electron spin resonance (ESR) signals, triclinic and isotropic, are observed in amorphous selenium under photoexcitation at 20 K with a concentration of up to ${10}^{20}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}3}.$ ESR annealing behavior shows that isotropic centers are not stable and are converted into triclinic defects. The defects are identified as singly and triply coordinated Se defects. The results present experimental evidence for negative-U centers and valence alternation in amorphous selenium. The relationship between the photoinduced ESR and reversible photodarkening is discussed.

The dark conductivity and photoconductivity along with pulsed electron spin resonance have been measured over a wide temperature range with a high crystallinity hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si: H) sample. The transport mechanism in μc-Si: H is discussed on the basis of these measurements. Striking similarities in the temperature dependences of the dark conductivity and photoconductivity between μc-Si: H and some well-studied materials, such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon, suggest that at low temperatures hopping of carriers between localized states dominates the transport properties of μc-Si: H.

Ultra-low-power and high-speed SiGe base bipolar transistors that can be used in RF sections of multi-GHz telecommunication systems have been developed. The SiGe base and a poly-Si/SiGe base-contact were formed by selective growth in a self-aligned manner. The transistors have a very small base-collector capacitance (below 1 fF for an emitter area of 0.2/spl times/0.7 /spl mu/m) and exhibit a high maximum oscillation frequency (30-70 GHz) at low current (5-100 /spl mu/A). The power-delay product of an ECL ring oscillator is only 5.1 fJ/gate for a 250-mV voltage swing. The maximum toggle frequency of a one-eighth static divider is 4.7 GHz at a switching current of 68 /spl mu/A/FF.

Crossline is a novel advanced glycation endproduct (AGE) which has both a crosslink and fluorescence similar to AGE-protein in vivo. To assess the association of AGEs to the development of diabetic retinopathy we developed a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for crossline in blood samples and investigated the association of the development of retinopathy and erythrocyte membrane protein (EMP)-crossline concentrations in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Type 2 DM). Crossline formation in EMP exceeded that in haemoglobin and was detectable in normal EMP samples without pretreatment by this ELISA system. Mean (±SE) EMP crossline levels were elevated 1.6-fold in diabetic patients without retinopathy (7.6 ± 0.5 pmol mg−1, p < 0.005), 2.2-fold in diabetic patients with non-proliferative retinopathy (10.5 ± 0.6 pmol mg−1, p < 0.001) and 2.6-fold in diabetic patients with proliferative retinopathy (12.0 ± 0.6 pmol mg−1, p < 0.001) compared with healthy control subjects (4.7 ± 0.5 pmol mg−1). Type 2 DM patients with retinopathy had significantly higher EMP-crossline levels than those without retinopathy (p < 0.005). Our data suggest that elevated EMP-crossline concentrations are associated with the presence of retinopathy in patients with Type 2 DM and EMP-crossline measured by our ELISA may provide a useful marker for assessing the role of glycation in the development of diabetic retinopathy. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The effects of light exposure on neutral defect density at the surface of porous Si are investigated by electron-spin resonance (ESR) experiments. We report, for the first time, the inverted Staebler–Wronski effect—a decrease of the neutral dangling bond density by light exposure. This phenomenon is contrary to what is expected from hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Our ESR measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and photoluminescence degradation measurements show that the degradation of photoluminescence is not correlated with the neutral defect density but is correlated with the degree of oxidation.

Photoexcitation of amorphous selenium at 20 K is shown to excite two different kinds of ESR-active defects in concentrations up to 1020 cm−3 which are identified as neutral singly and triply coordinated defect pairs, the former defect being more stable. At higher temperatures, charged valence alternation pairs are formed but not by a direct charge transfer. Instead, this process requires intermediate bond breaking.

Light induced phenomena in hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon (μc-Si:H). i.e., light induced electron spin resonance (LESR) and light induced defect formation are studied. A single resonance line with a g-value of 1.998 is induced by the hand gap light of c-Si (hv > 1.1 eV) at low temperatures of T < 80 K. It is suggested from the spin density and its temperature dependence that this center is a trapped electron at a shallow conduction band tail state of Si crystallites. The defect formation has been observed by the ESR after prolonged light exposure. The defect formation correlates with the surface oxidation. A surface band bending model due to the oxidation is proposed.