Search

We demonstrate the modulation of spin Seebeck effect (SSE) by hydrogenation in Pd/YIG bilayers. In the presence of 3% hydrogen gas, SSE voltage decreases by more than 50% from the magnitude observed in pure Ar gas. The modulation of the SSE voltage is reversible, but the recovery of the SSE voltage to the prehydrogenation value takes a few days because of a long time constant of hydrogen desorption. We also demonstrate that the spin Hall magnetoresistance of the identical sample reduces significantly with hydrogen exposure, supporting that the observed modulation of spin current signals originates from hydrogenation of Pd/YIG.

We analyze the complex impact of the local magnetic spin texture on the transverse Hall-type voltage in device structures utilized to measure magnetoresistance effects. We find a highly localized and asymmetric magnetic sensitivity in the eight-terminal geometries that are frequently used in current-induced switching experiments, for instance to probe antiferromagnetic materials. Using current-induced switching of antiferromagnetic NiO/Pt as an example, we estimate the change in the spin Hall magnetoresistance signal associated with switching events based on the domain switching patterns observed via direct imaging. This estimate correlates with the actual electrical data after subtraction of a non-magnetic contribution. Here, the consistency of the correlation across three measurement geometries with fundamentally different switching patterns strongly indicates a magnetic origin of the measured and analyzed electrical signals.

Objective: Spatio-temporal parameters are typically used for gait analysis. Although these parameters are measured by sophisticated systems such as 3D motion capture system or optoelectronic bars, these systems cannot be deployed easily because of their high costs, large space requirements and elaborate set-up. The purpose of this study is to develope a system for measuring spatiotemporal gait parameters using a laser range scanner during treadmill gait. Approach: To calculate accurate spatiotemporal parameters, the differences between the laser range scanner measured values and the reference values obtained from a 3D motion capture system were investigated in thirty subjects. From measurements in time and position at foot contact/off, adjustments to compensate for the differences in time and position were derived. Then, to determine the validity of the proposed system, values from the proposed system and the reference system were compared in four additional subjects. Main results: The results indicate that the data from the laser range scanner demonstrate certain differences in time and position compared with reference values. However, when compensation values were introduced, each spatiotemporal parameter correlated well with the reference values. Significance: This newer system is smaller, is easier to deploy and requires less training than the 3D motion capture system.

Introduction/Background Standard treatment for endometrial cancer (EC) and atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) is total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO), however, young patients with early-stage EC and AEH in reproductive age often hope to preserve their fertility. The oncologic outcomes in long follow-up remain unclear especially regarding the incidences of recurrence or double cancer. We experienced two patients with EC who newly developed double cancer in their ovaries after medication of high-dose medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) for fertility-preservation. Methodology In principle, we survey the patients after MPA therapy every four months using vaginal ultrasound check, endometrial histological/cytological examinations, measurement of serum CA125, and pelvic MRI once a year. Results The 44 y/0 patient had received MPA therapy and cyclic surveillance every 4 to 6 months in the previous hospital, and she was introduced to our hospital with 3 year-recurrence-free interval. However, trans-vaginal (TV) echo showed solid tumor measuring 18 mm in diameter in the right ovary, and the serum CA125 was 32 U/ml. MRI revealed solid tumor with positive Gd-enhancement. Hysterectomy with RSO and LS were performed. Pathological examination revealed endometrioid carcinoma (EMC) G1 in uterus (pT1A), and mucin-producing EMC G1 in the right ovary (pT1A, primary ovarian cancer). Another 38 y/o patient had finished MPA therapy 4 months before. TV echo showed solid tumors measuring 30 mm in both ovaries, and the serum CA125 was 112 U/ml. MRI revealed solid tumors in both ovaries with positive Gd-enhancement. Hysterectomy with BSO, retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy was performed. Pathological examination revealed EMC G1 in uterus (pT1A), and mucin-producing EMC G2 in both ovaries (pT1B, bilateral primary ovarian cancers). Both patients have no recurrence after operation without adjuvant chemotherapy for 12 months. Conclusion Strictly careful follow-up every 4 months using TV echo and CA125 is needed after fertility-preserving MPA therapy for detecting heterochronous overlapping cancers in ovaries. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.

This chapter is an introduction to the concept of spin current, the detailed formulation of which is not simple by any means and is still a challenging undertaking. However, it is a useful and versatile concept that has given birth to a number of phenomena in condensed matter science and spintronics. There exist certain types of flow, carried by electrons, in condensed matter. This flow of electron charge or electric current has been developed and is now a vital contributor to how electronics is understood today. Since an electron carries both charge and spin, the existence of an electric current naturally implies the existence of a flow of spin. This flow is called a spin current.

This chapter discusses interconversion phenomena between spin and mechanical angular momtum. In moving objects, the spin gauge fields emerge from inertial effects and produce angular momentum transfer between mechanical motion and spin. Such spin-mechanial effects are predicted by quantum theory in non-inertial frames, and confirmed by recent experiments including the resonance frequency shift in NMR, the stray field measurement of rotating metals, and the inverse spin Hall voltage generation in liquied metals. These spin-mechanical effects that arise via the spin-gauge fields open a new field of spintornics, where spin and mechanical motion couple harmoniously.

This chapter discusses another type of equilibrium-spin current similar to the exchange-spin current—the topological spin current. Topological spin currents are driven by topological-band structure and classified into bulk and surface topological spin currents. The former is confined onto electron-band manifolds, sometimes affecting their motions. This confinement is addressed through the standard method of combining the equations of motion and the Boltzmann equation for semi-classical electrons in a band. The latter class, on the other hand, is a surface-spin current, which is limited near surfaces of a three-dimensional system and flows along these surfaces. This type is known to appear in topological insulators, where the bulk is insulating but the surface or edge is electrically conducting due to the surface or edge state.

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) has been applied to permalloy multistep-semicircular wires containing nearly-free magnetic domain walls (DWs). In this study, we investigated the effect of stray-magnetic fields from the probes in the MFM measurement using low-, medium-, and high-moment probes, which are coated by 12 nm-, 24 nm-, and 72 nm-thick CoPtCr films, respectively. By using the low-moment probe, the DW signal was clearly observed at the side of the wires, which is consistent with a micromagnetic simulation. By using the high and medium moment probes, in contrast, we observed complete and incomplete DW manipulations, respectively. These manipulation signals were found to be maximized immediately above the wire. These phenomena were analyzed by calculating the stray fields from the MFM probes. We also discussed the possibility of the controllable DW manipulation in terms of the stray fields and the MFM scanning sequences.

Magnetic structures and magnetization processes in a permalloy wire-based honeycomb network were investigated by means of magnetic-force microscopy (MFM) and magnetoresistance measurement. The MFM measurements show that the remanent magnetic structures are governed by a magnetic interaction similar to the ice-rule, which provides a direct analogy between the present honeycomb network and an Ising system on a kagome lattice. The magnetoresistance measurements reveal that the magnetic interaction at the vertexes also dominates the magnetization processes in the network. With a decrease in the exchange energy at the vertices, the ice-rule-type interaction disappears, causing a transition of the magnetization distribution in the network.

A scanning Hall probe microscope (SHPM) with high resolution of the magnetic field was developed. The non-magnetic scanning stage allows the sample position to be perfectly controlled even in magnetic fields up to 15 kOe. The stray field distribution at the surface of ferromagnetic SmCo5 was investigated in various external magnetic fields. The observed stray-field images show domain transitions corresponding to the magnetic reversal process.

Raman scattering was investigated for a single crystal of LaMnO3. In the orbitally ordered ground state, a clear Raman structure between 120 meV and 170 meV appears, which is relevant to the collective excitation of the orbital degree of freedom called “orbital wave.” The intensity of the Raman bands rapidly decreases above the Neel temperature. This indicates that the coherence of the orbital wave is suppressed in the absence of the static spin order. The peak energy of the Raman bands is decreased with increasing temperature toward the orbital order-disorder temperature T∞. The suppression of the Jahn-Teller distortion as well as the energy gap of the orbital excitation near T∞ may be responsible for the observed energy shift.

The conductance quantization of Ni Nano-wire was investigated by using break-junction technique. When the width of the nano-wire decreased rapidly, the conductance in remanent magnetization states was observed to be quantized in units of 2e2/h. The unit of quantization switched to e2/h when a magnetic field was applied. When the width of the nano-wire varied slowly, however, quantized conductance plateaus in units of e2/h appeared in the remanent state. Even in this case, the plateaus with ne2/h (n = 2,4,6,...) were observed to be more stable than those with ne2/h (n = 1,3,5,...). The results imply the relevance of the local magnetic domain structrure around the contact, as well as its reconfiguration by the magnetic field, to conductance quantization in ferromagnets.

Spin-current injection into an organic semiconductor $\rm{\kappa\text{-}(BEDT\text{-}TTF)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br}$ film induced by the spin pumping from an yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film. When magnetization dynamics in the YIG film is excited by ferromagnetic or spin-wave resonance, a voltage signal was found to appear in the $\rm{\kappa\text{-}(BEDT\text{-}TTF)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br}$ film. Magnetic-field-angle dependence measurements indicate that the voltage signal is governed by the inverse spin Hall effect in $\rm{\kappa\text{-}(BEDT\text{-}TTF)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br}$. We found that the voltage signal in the $\rm{\kappa\text{-}(BEDT\text{-}TTF)_2Cu[N(CN)_2]Br}$/YIG system is critically suppressed around 80 K, around which magnetic and/or glass transitions occur, implying that the efficiency of the spin-current injection is suppressed by fluctuations which critically enhanced near the transitions.

Gefitinib is a potent drug used in the treatment of nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gefitinib acts by inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase. Clinical trials have confirmed the efficacy of gefitinib for NSCLC. Adverse drug reactions, although frequent, are mild, and include acne-like skin rash and diarrhoea. The present study describes the case of a 56-yr-old male with NSCLC who, 4 weeks after treatment with gefitinib, suffered from a severe alveolar haemorrhage diagnosed by bronchoalveolar lavage. This is the first case report of an acute life-threatening lung injury in a patient with nonsmall-cell lung cancer who had been given gefitinib.

To investigate the effect of continued stretching of affected arms in patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD), F-wave was tested from the abductor pollicis brevis (APB) during relaxation (trial 1) and 3 different continued stretches: stretched position with shoulder abduction (trial 2), stretched position with shoulder abduction and elbow extension (trial 3), and stretched position with shoulder abduction, elbow extension and wrist extension (trial 4) of the affected arm for 1 min. in 20 hemiparesis patients with moderate hypertonus (modified Ashworth scale of 2 or 3) caused by CVD (mean age of 49.5 years). Persistence and amplitude ratio of F/M in trial 2 were the same as those in trial 1. Persistence and amplitude ratio of F/M in trials 3 and 4 were significantly lower than those in trial 1. It was suggested that excitability of spinal neural function of the distal part, the APB, of the affected arm was reduced during continued stretching of the proximal part, shoulder and elbow joints, or all of the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints in hemiparesis patients with moderate hypertonus caused by CVD.

We experienced H-reflex may be evoked with supramaximal stimulation in patients with cerebrovascular disease (CVD). In this study, we investigated the relationship between the characteristic appearances of H-reflex and F-wave with increased stimulus intensity and neurological signs. We examined the H-reflex and F-wave of the affected arm with increased stimulus intensity during muscle relaxation in 31 patients (17 males and 14 females) with hemiparesis caused by CVD. Mean patient age was 56.0 (range 30-82) years. 30 healthy subjects, mean age of 56.2 (range 28-80) were investigated using the same method as controlled group. H-reflex and F-wave with increased stimulus intensity after the median nerve stimulation at the wrist were recorded from the opponence pollicis muscle on the affected side in patients with CVD or right arm in the healthy subjects. Appearance patterns of the H-reflex and F-wave with increased stimulus intensity was separated into four types. Type 1: F-wave appeared with increased stimulus intensity, but there was no H-reflex. Type 2: H-reflex and F-wave both appeared with increased stimulus intensity, but the F-wave followed disappearance of the H-reflex with increased stimulus intensity. Type 3: H-reflex and F-wave both appeared with increased stimulus intensity, but the F-wave appeared during the H-reflex with increased stimulus intensity. Type 4: Only the H-reflex appeared with increased stimulus intensity, but there was no F-wave. Neurological findings including muscle tone and tendon reflex were also evaluated. Findings on muscle tone and tendon reflex were classified into increased (markedly, moderately and slightly), normal and decreased. Results were analyzed as follows; 1) The characteristic appearances of H-reflex and F-wave in the healthy subjects and 2) The relationship between characteristic appearances of waves with increased stimulus intensity and neurological signs in patients with CVD. 1) Pattern of the H-reflex and F-wave with increased stimulus intensity in all healthy subjects were type 1. 2) Patterns of the H-reflex and F-wave with increased stimulus intensity in patients with markedly increased muscle tone and tendon reflex were almost always type 4. Those with moderately increased signs in this parameter demonstrated type 2 or 3. Those with slightly increased signs in this parameter demonstrated type 1 or 2. Those with normal or decreased signs were type 1. These findings suggest that the characteristic appearances of the H-reflex and F-wave was influenced by grade of neurological signs.

The sensitivity and specificity of the simple swallowing provocation test (S-SPT) were evaluated in a group of patients who were being examined for aspiration pneumonia (ASP) (ASP group: 72.5 +/- 3.9 years old) and in a group of age-matched control subjects (CTRL group: 69.5 +/- 2.9 years old). The S-SPT was evaluated in terms of the swallowing response and latent time (LT) for swallowing after a bolus injection of 0.4 ml of distilled water at the suprapharynx. Responses to the S-SPT were classified as normal or abnormal, dependent on induction of the swallowing reflex within 3 seconds after bolus injection. The sensitivity and specificity of the S-SPT in detecting ASP were calculated. Of the 40 patients in the ASP group, 18 were given a diagnosis of ASP on the basis of clinical findings and laboratory examinations. The sensitivity and specificity of the S-SPT were 94.4% and 86.4%, respectively, compared to 77.8% and 68.1%, respectively, for the water swallowing test. Because the S-SPT can be performed without any need for special patient effort or cooperation, it should be effective in diagnosing ASP in a wide variety of patients, including those who are bedridden.

Functional recovery in a rather late stage after stroke was examined in 70 stroke patients using the Stroke Impairment Assessment Set (SIAS) and the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). The SIAS and the FIM were administered at three and six months after the onset of stroke. Motor items and the abdominal manual muscle testing item improved in more than 30 percent of patients. The motor subscore of the FIM changed from 60.8 to 73.4, and the cognitive subscore changed from 28.4 to 30.4. The relationship between impairment and disability was evaluated using the neural network method with the software, Skiltran. The change of the FIM motor subscore from three months to six months was used as an output variable, and the change in the SIAS items and the FIM motor subscore were included as input variables. As a result of the connection weight obtained from this network, the change in the fifth motor item (one of the tone items, abdominal manual muscle testing) and the unaffected side grip as well as the FIM at three months had a strong connection to the change of the FIM. It is compatible with ordinary experience that function of both the affected and unaffected side influences the level of disability. Contribution of the impairment to the disability indicates the importance of taking into consideration the impairment for predicting prognosis and selecting adequate treatment when we carry out stroke rehabilitation. In conclusion, we described the relationship between the SIAS and the FIM using the neural network in stroke patients and proved the importance of the impairment to predict the outcome of disability.

Seventeen cases (11 patients) of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) were studied to define the intensity and extent of disease by 99mTc-HMPAO-labeled leukocytes scintigraphy (TLLS), and 10 cases underwent CT examination to evaluate the bowel wall, lymph-nodes, and mesenteric surroundings. Serial TLLS were obtained up to 4 hours and CT was carried out within one week before or after TLLS. The sensitivities of early (1 hour) and delayed (4 hours) TLLS were 91% and 100%, respectively. The respective specificities were 100% and 33%. However, it appeared that mild IBD may yield false negative results in early TLLS while non-specific bowel activity and migration of white cells may cause false positive results in delayed imaging. By setting the diagnostic criteria for labeled leukocyte accumulation on visualization of the small bowel regardless of uptake or activity of the large bowel similar to or greater than lumbar bone marrow, the sensitivity and specificity of delayed TLLS changed to 91% and 83%, respectively. On CT examination, mesenteric lymph-node swelling, periintestinal blurring and dilatation of mesenteric vasa recta were observed in all five patients with active Crohn's disease, while wall thickening and enhancement were seen in four of them. None of the other three cases of inflammatory disease showed positive findings of dilatation of the mesenteric vasa recta, and they revealed relatively low uptake of labeled leukocytes in TLLS. A "scintigram score" was calculated by comparing uptake of tracer in five bowel segments with lumbar bone marrow activity, and a "CT score" was calculated by adding abnormalities of the intestine and mesenteric surroundings. The scintigram score correlated closely with CT score and clinical disease activity. Combined use of CT and TLLS for the evaluation of patients with IBD was an excellent means to obtain the findings of intensity and extent of disease of the bowel wall and mesenteric surroundings and provided useful information in determining the patient management.

The Walkabout is a new hip-knee-ankle-foot orthotic (HKAFO) system with a medial single hip joint (MSH-KAFO) invented by S. McKay in 1992. Compared with other HKAFO systems, the hip joint part is compact and removable, so it has distinguishable, real merits: ease in donning and doffing the device, compatibility with a wheelchair, and cosmesis. We clinically tested five patients, paraplegic because of spinal cord injury, using the MSH-KAFO system. All were males, aged 26-36 yr old. Their functional levels were L-1 (2 cases), T-10 (2 cases), and T-5 (1 case). All patients could stand stably without crutches and walk in parallel bars immediately the first time they wore the braces. After a few hours of crutch-walking exercises, all could walk independently with Lofstrand crutches. Their walking velocities ranged from 10 to 37.5 (mean, 19.9) m/min at the follow-up points (mean, 7.1 mo). With four cases, we measured oxygen uptake for predictions of energy consumption. At comfortable walking, predicted energy consumptions were from 1.31 to 3.89 (mean, 2.75) METs. Compared with the data in literature, these seemed to be at the same level with normal walking and lower than the KAFOs walking level. Our results suggest that MSH-KAFO is a very convenient standing and walking device for paraplegics and is compatible with wheelchair use.

The cDNAs encoding the precursors of cystatin SN, cystatin S, and two mutants of cystatin S (-18R--W; 117R--W) were expressed in Escherichia coli JM109 with isopropyl-beta-D-thio-galactoside (IPTG) induction. Premature cystatin S with the original signal [-20MARPLCTLLLLMATLAGALA] was processed and a large amount of the mature form was produced. A mutation (-18R--W) in the signal reduced its accumulation in periplasmic space remarkably. The amount of cystatin SN accumulated in the periplasm was slightly smaller than that of cystatin S. The periplasmic fraction was prepared by cold osmotic-shock treatment and the expressed cystatins were detected using anti-cystatin S antibody. Recombinant cystatin S and its mutant (117R--W) were purified from the periplasmic fractions with an ion exchange column of DEAE-cellulose. The amino (N-) terminal 10 residues of recombinant cystatin S was sequenced to be SSSKEENRII-, which is exactly identical to that of the authentic mature cystatin S. Recombinant cystatin S and the mutant showed virtually the same inhibitory properties for ficin, papain and cathepsin B as the native cystatin S and its monophosphorylated form. The inhibitory activity of the both recombinant cystatins for cathepsin C was weaker than those of the native cystatin S and phosphorylated cystatin S.

cDNA coding for the human salivary proline-rich peptide P-B was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using human submaxillary gland cDNA as the template and d(deoxy)T25 as the primer for both strands. The amplified cDNA of 0.8 kbp encodes a hydrophobic signal sequence of 22 amino acid residues and the complete sequence of P-B (57 amino acids). The determined nucleotide sequence of P-B cDNA indicates that P-B is a mature full-size protein and not the enzymic degradation product of a larger protein. The gene coding for P-B is not a member of the proline-rich protein gene family characterized previously.

Influence of fibril length (porosity) upon synthetic vascular graft healing has not been investigated in detail. The purpose of this study was to determine the dependence of neoendothelial healing, cellular response, and biocompatibility on the fibril length of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) grafts with an internal diameter of 1.5 mm. ePTFE grafts of different fibril length, 20, 40, 60, and 90 microns, were implanted into the abdominal aorta of rats (n = 5 for each group). After 5 weeks, the implants were harvested and examined for neointimal and pseudointimal coverage by light microscopy and SEM. The hydroxyproline content of the implants was measured, and the distribution of collagen types was examined. The neointimal and pseudointimal coverage was related to the fibril length, and the neoendothelial healing was better on 60-microns and 90-microns grafts than on 20-microns and 40-microns grafts. The amount of hydroxyproline was also related to the fibril length, however, no significant difference could be observed between 60-microns and 90-microns grafts. Collagen types I and III were almost identically located in the middle portion of the implants. Our results demonstrate that the fibril length of ePTFE grafts affected neoendothelial healing and its affinity to collagen.