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Background Iron deficiency is a proposed mechanism for the anemia that occurs in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Minimal research investigating the iron status of these cats has been performed. Objective To compare indicators of iron status in cats with CKD versus healthy cats and cats with nonrenal illness (NRI). To compare indicators of iron status in anemic versus nonanemic cats with CKD. Animals Thiry-nine client or employee owned healthy cats, 40 cats with CKD and 34 cats with NRI included. Methods Exclusion criteria included prior iron or erythropoiesis stimulating agent administration, blood transfusion, or concurrent CKD and NRI. Complete blood counts, serum chemistries, serum iron concentrations, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and ferritin concentrations were measured and percent transferrin saturation (TSAT) calculated on all cats. Data were analyzed using nonparametric statistical testing. Results No statistically significant differences were detected among groups for iron concentration (P = .50), ferritin concentration (P = .47), or TSAT (P = .19). TIBC was significantly lower in CKD (median 262 μg/dL; IQR 233–302; range 165–488) versus healthy cats (median 316 μg/dL; IQR 272–345, range 196–464); (P = .0030). When comparing anemic (hemoglobin

Transparent and conductive Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were deposited on a glass substrate by direct current sputtering. In a previous study, we noted the influence of time on structural and electrical characteristics of films. In the present paper, the effect of a two-year aging under ambient conditions on the optical properties was investigated. A global improvement of the optical properties of AZO thin films was observed. The optical transmittance spectra revealed a high transmittance more than 90% in the Vis-NIR regions and a high absorption in the ultraviolet range. It is assumed that the crystallinity segregation leads to the decrease of optical scattering. The results from the optical measurements showed a reorganization of the structure leading to the degradation of the structural homogeneity. Nevertheless, the evolution of the figure of merit shows that Al-doped ZnO is a good candidate for the manufacturing and the commercialization of transparent conducting oxide devices.

ZnO thin films were deposited on glass substrates by direct current (DC) sputtering technique at room temperature (RT) to 400 °C with a 99.999% pure ZnO target. Then the samples deposited at RT were annealed in air from the RT to 400 °C. The effects of substrate temperature (Ts) and annealing treatment (Ta) on the crystallization behavior and the morphology have been studied by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. We also compared the structural properties of samples deposited at 400 °C on glass to those deposited on Pt/silicon substrate. The resistivity, surface roughness and size of the grains have also been studied and correlated to the thickness of ZnO films deposited on Pt/Si substrates. The experimental results reveal that the substrate has a major influence on the structural and morphological properties. For the films deposited on glass, below 400 °C, Ts and Ta have a similar influence on the structure of the films. Moreover, the ZnO samples deposited at RT and annealed in air have poor electrical properties.

We have investigated the electrical conductivity and the low-frequency noise of spin coated polyaniline/polyurethane (PANI/PU) films on different substrates (free, on ceramic, PVC and Teflon) and different compositions. The layer thickness is between 12 and 220 μm. The range in conductivity at room temperature is from 102 to 104 S/m and the sheet resistance is between 4 and 50 Ω. The fluctuations in the conductivity have a 1/f spectrum. The 1/f noise normalized for bias, frequency and unit area, Cus is proportional with the sheet resistance, Rsh.Our proposed model explains the proportionality Cus ∝ Rsh and the high value of the proportionality factor between Cus and Rsh. The typical elongated shape of the PANI component with a relative low number of noisy contacts between touching conducting elongated chains explains the strong noise in such materials.

We characterize granular NbN x thin cermet films deposited on either sapphire substrate or on SiO 2 and compare the 1/f noise at 300 K and 80 K. The films were characterized with an impedance analyzer from 20 Hz to 1 MHz and analyzed as a resistor R in parallel with a capacitor C. The calculated noise voltage spectral density SvTh of the sample is in agreement with the experimentally observed noise for unbiased samples. The noise measurements on biased samples show 1/f noise. We checked that contact noise does not contribute to our measurements. The 1/f noise was compared for the films deposited on the silicon substrate and on the sapphire. Finally a model is proposed to explain the observed trends in the temperature resistance coefficient (TRC < 0 for all samples) and the relative 1/f noise at 300 K and 80 K with the composition x = N/Nb of the layers.

In this paper we present, to our knowledge, the first low frequency noise characterization of two NbNx thin films deposited on a silicon substrate. Using a transmission line model (TLM) test structure, it is checked that the noise of the contacts is negligible. From 77 K to 300 K no generation-recombination (g-r) noise is observed and both samples exhibit only 1/f noise. By referring to noise studies in semiconductor materials, a first interpretation is suggested.

We present a new characterization technique applicable to ferroelectric liquid crystals. This non perturhative technique allows the determination of the real and imaginary parts of the complex permittivity from current and voltage noise measurements. A current noise measurement set-up is described. The method is validate on an antiferroelectric liquid crystal from simultaneous dielectric and noise measurements.

Dielectric and noise measurements versus frequency have been performed on a liquid crystal in the paraelectric S A and ferroelectric $S^*_{\rm C}$ phases. A confrontation of these measurements is presented on the basis of the fluctuation-dissipation theorem which shows that these techniques both give similar results linked to the observation of the classical soft mode and Goldstone mode in the S A and $S^*_{\rm C}$ phases respectively.

We have investigated the low-frequency noise and the sheet resistance of Al-doped ZnO thin films deposited by DC sputtering technique on glass substrate at different temperature. We characterized the noise below 100 kHz and obtained 1/f spectra. The 1/f noise normalized for bias, frequency and unit area, Cus is proportional with the sheet resistance Rsh· Sheet resistance decreases with the increasing of the substrate temperature Ts. The decrease of the normalized noise showed the improvement of the crystallinity and homogeneity of AZO thin films with Ts which indicates the sensitivity of the noise with the crystalline quality of the thin films.

ZnO films were deposited by dc sputtering technique on glass and Pt/Si substrates. The effect of growth parameters is investigated on sheet resistance and noise. The 1/f noise normalized for bias, frequency and unit area, Cus is proportional with the sheet resistance Rsh. We found that the noise results correlate strongly with the crystalline structure of ZnO. For comparison, we have also studied the ZnO films structural properties.

We have investigated the low-frequency noise of ZnO film deposited by dc sputtering technique on glass substrate. We characterized the noise below 100kHz and obtained classical 1/ƒ spectra. We attempted to verify the validity of Hooge's empirical relation and to test its usefulness as a diagnostic tool. The 1/ƒ noise normalized for bias, frequency and unit area, C us is proportional with the sheet resistance R sh . We found that the noise results depend strongly on illumination.

There is a need to characterize the quality of contacts and the noise properties of new materials deposited or grown as thin films. Poor contacts are interface dominated. Perfect contacts have a negligible interface contribution and there is only a resistance and noise contribution from outside the contact region. The presence of current crowding enhances the resistance and noise contribution. Such contacts are called constriction dominated contacts. The conductive film is characterized by its sheet resistance and normalized conductance fluctuations for a unit surface. The resistance and noise is studied between two circular top electrodes of the same diameter on the conductive. To distinguish between perfect and poor contacts and to characterize the thin film in case of good contacts, we need a set of contacts with different diameters. Models for perfect and poor contacts are investigated. The scaling of resistance and noise with contact radius r is for interface dominated poor contacts: R i 1/ r 2 and S Ri 1/ r 6 . In contrast, perfect contacts with contact diameter (2 r ) much smaller than the distance between the centers (2 b ) show: R c ln( b / r ) and S Rc 1/ r 2 . From the resistance and noise measurements between constriction dominated perfect contacts, the sheet resistance and normalized noise of the thin film are calculated.

The authors present a model of the gate current in heterojunction FETs that takes into account two-dimensional electron gas effects at the heterojunction interface. The gate current results from tunnel and thermionic contributions. This model takes into account a number of technological parameters such as heterojunction barrier height, threshold voltage, gate length, and temperature. It has been tested against experimental measurements of gate current in AlGaAs/GaAs MISFETs at various temperatures. The agreement has been found quite satisfactory in a large range of temperatures. >

Al-doped ZnO thin films (AZO) have been deposited on amorphous glass substrates by DC sputtering at different substrate temperatures Ts. X-Ray diffraction results reveal that AZO thin films have a hexagonal wurtzite structure with (002) preferred orientation. (002) peaks indicate that the crystalline structure of the films is oriented with c-axis perpendicular to the substrate. Three-dimensional (3D) atomic force microscopy images of AZO thin films deposited on glass substrate at 200 °C, 300 °C, and 400 °C, respectively, shows the improvement of the crystallinity and the homogeneity of AZO thin films with Ts which is in agreement with the noise measurements. The noise was characterized between 1 Hz and 100 kHz and we have obtained 1/f spectra. The noise is very sensitive to the crystal structure especially to the orientation of the crystallites which is perpendicular to the substrate and to the grain boundaries which generate a high current flow and a sharp increase in noise. Through time, Rsh and [αμ]eff...

In this work, we present the dielectric characterization of polyaniline/polyurethane composite. The samples consisting of 0.5%, 1%, and 5% of polyaniline were deposited on glass fiber, and the measurements were performed in a frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 GHz. The results showed a dielectric relaxation strongly dependent on the concentration of polyaniline. This phenomenon is explained by a theoretical model. In this model, we assume that the alternative conductivity of the polymer network systems is due to conducting clusters whose lengths followed a Gaussian distribution. Depending on their size and the frequency of the excitation signal, the clusters showed a resistive or capacitive effect.

Transparent conducting aluminum-doped and undoped ZnO thin films have been deposited by direct current (DC) sputtering technique from ZnO target onto glass substrate at room temperature and 400 °C. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that all films have a preferential growth along the c -axis of the hexagonal structure. The average grain size increases with the increasing deposition temperature and the doping of thin films. Analysis with AFM shows an improvement of the surface with the doping of thin films and deposition temperature. The root main square (RMS) surface roughness increases with deposition temperature. Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films have a lower electrical resistivity than that of ZnO thin films. 1/ f noise measurement shows that ZnO thin film is more homogeneous than that of AZO.

In the ideal case, noise measurements with four contacts minimize the contribution of the contact interface. There is a need to characterize conductance noise and noise correction factors for the different geometries provided with four contacts, as already is the case for resistivity measurements with van der Pauw structures. Here, we calculate the noise correction factors for two geometries with a pair of sensors and a pair of current driver electrodes placed in a square array. The first geometry investigated is a very large film compared to the distance L between four circular electrodes, which are placed in a square array far away from the borders of the film. The second is a square-shaped conductive film with side length L and provided with four quarter-circle corner contacts with radius l. The effect of the conductance noise in the film can be observed between current free sensors in a four-point measurement or between current carrying drivers in a two-point measurement. Our analytical expressions are based on approximations to solve the integrals (J·)2dA and |J|4dA for the voltage noise measured across a pair of sensors, SVQ, and across the drivers, SVD, respectively. The first and second integrands represent the squared dot product of the current density and adjoint current density and the modulus of the current density to the fourth power, respectively. The current density J in the samples is due to the current I passing through the driver contacts. The calculated expressions are applicable to samples with thickness tl0.1L. Hence, the disturbances in the neighborhood of the sensors on J and of the drivers on are ignored. Noise correction factors for two- and four-point measurements are calculated for sensors on an equipotential (transversal noise) with the driver contacts on the diagonal of a square and for sensors next to each other on one side of the square with the drivers next to each other on the other side of the square (longitudinal noise). In all cases the noise between the sensors is smaller and less sensitive to the contact size 2l/L than the noise between the drivers. The ratio SVQ/SVD becomes smaller with smaller contact radius l. Smaller sensors give a better suppression of interface noise at the contacts. But overly low 2l/L values result in overly high resistance between the sensors and too strong a contribution of thermal noise at the sensors. Therefore, equations are derived to calculate the current level needed to observe 1/f conductance fluctuations on top of the thermal noise. The results from the calculated analytical expressions show good agreement with experimental results obtained from the noise in carbon sheet resistance and numerical results. Transversal noise measurements on a square sample with corner contacts are recommended to characterize the 1/f noise of the layer. This is due to the increased current densities in the sample compared to the open structure, which result in easier detection of the 1/f on top of the thermal noise. ©2007 American Institute of Physics

A selfaligned refractory gate HIGFET technology is described. A three-layer resist process has been used for gate TiPtAu thickening, making high-speed digital structures compatible with low noise microwave applications. Pseudomorphic HIGFETs with 0.2 μm gate length exhibit a maximum transconductance of 660mS/mm and a maximum oscillation frequency fmax of 100 GHz.

A specific protein from the liquid of a mammary cyst with a molecular weight of 15,000 (GCDFP 15) was studied in normal and pathological mammary tissue using an immunohistochemical method (peroxidase-anti-peroxidase complex). An immunoreactivity of the GCDFP type was found in normal idrosadenoid glands having an apocrine secretion. Histologically normal mammary tissue was not immunoreactive. In benign breast tissue the GCDFP was found particularly in epithelium undergoing apocrine metaplasia (55/55) and in atypical lobular epithelial hyperplasia (8/10). Of the adenocarcinomas of the breast 136/161 (84%) were immunoreactive, especially lobular carcinoma (13/13). The proportion of tumors with a high percentage of immunoreactive cells (76-100%) was greater for Bloom's grade I (1/29: 34%) than for grade III (10/66: 15%). A significant correlation was found between the percentage of immunoreactive cells and the cytosolic concentration of progesterone receptors. The morphological intracellular identification of GCDFP (due to its greater sensitivity) and its correlation with progesterone receptors allowed a more precise evaluation of the functional state and the hormonal dependency of the breast cells by underlining the heterogeneity of the tumoral cell population.

A strain aging type of reversible hydrogen embrittlement has been demonstrated for a high strength aluminum alloy in a 3% NaCl environment. Permeation of hydrogen was related to SCC under cathodic polarization as well as anodic conditions. Internal friction and lattice parameter measurements relate directly to lattice dissolved hydrogen arising from the environment. It is concluded that the evidence is quite consistent with a mechanism of stress corrosion cracking (SCC) involving absorption of hydrogen leading to lattice dissolved hydrogen and embrittlement.

More than 1200 patients per year are treated in the Radiation therapy department of the ‘Centre Rene Huguenin'.A harmonious distribution of patients between therapists must ensure some freedom in the choice patient-therapist, balance the work load of each therapist and take into account the specialization of each one.A systems approach has led us to design a two-level structure: a distribution pattern is set up at management level on an annual basis; every week, actual results are taken into account; the next patients are simulated and the receptionist is given a command that aims at the decided distribution.Three years of operation enable a concrete evaluation of the working characteristics: permanent knowledge of the distribution, flexibility, lightness of the computerized part and psychological impact.Le service de radiotherapie du Centre Rene Huguenin traite plus de 1200 malades par an.La repartition harmonieuse de cette clientele entre les six radiotherapeutes doit assurer une certaine liberte dans l...

A specific breast cyst fluid protein was purified by the following steps: ultracentrifugation, gel filtration, DEAE and Con A chromatography, and gel filtration with guanidine, 6 M. The protein was pure, having a molecular weight of 17,800 daltons on SDS-PAGE and 68,000 daltons on gel filtration. The GCDFP 17,800 is immunologically distinct from other breast cyst fluid components and known milk and plasma proteins. A specific radioimmunoassay was developed and used to determine GCDFP 17,800 in 158 samples of breast cancer cytosol. The GCDFP 17,800 levels were significantly different between grade I tumors (mean of 813 ng protein per mg +/- 430 SEM) and grade III tumors (mean 184 ng protein per mg +/- 59 SEM) and were correlated with progesterone receptor values in postmenopausal women (Spearman's correlation, p = 0.03) but not in premenopausal women. The value of GCDFP 17,800 did not differ between the pre- and the postmenopausal women. By immunocytochemistry the intracellular localization of the GCDFP 17,800 was also found in relation to tumor grading and in correlation with PR values. GCDFP 17,800 appears as a hormone-induced protein of the breast cells. Its intracellular detection by means of radiolabeling allows a more sensitive and precise evaluation of the hormone-dependence of the breast cancer cells and emphasizes the heterogeneity of the tumor cell population.

Alphalactalbumin was investigated in breast cells using the immunoperoxidase technique with a specific anti-alphalactalbumin serum. In 50 benign tumors alphalactalbumin immunoreactivity was demonstrated in the epithelium of fibroadenomas and in fibrocystic disease showing apocrine metaplasia. Alphalactalbumin immunoreactivity, investigated in 124 breast cancers, was present in all cells of lobular tumors but in only 76% of other cancers where the pattern was heterogeneous. Perineoplastic mammary tissue of normal appearance was not labeled with the anti-alphalactalbumin antiserum except where lobular hyperplasia was present. The presence of alphalactalbumin-type immunoreactivity was not correlated with the histopathological staging of Bloom and Richardson, nor with menopausal status. The incidence of positivity was 90% when estrogen and progesterone receptors were present in the tumor. The demonstration of alphalactalbumin using immunoperoxidase could be used to complement the histological classification of breast cancers.

The records of 203 patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma treated at the Centre René Huguenin, Saint-Cloud, from october, 1959 to december, 1978 were reviewed. Histological data from 155 patients were retained after re-examination. The melanomas, which had previously been classified according to Clark's system of histological type and degree of invasiveness, were re-evaluated according to the thickness, were re-evaluated according to the thickness of the tumour as measured by Breslow's ocular micrometric method. Other histological data, as well as clinical and therapeutic data, were gathered together. One hundred and fifty cases were found to be suitable for standard single and multifactorial analysis, and 96 records contained sufficient information to be analyzed by the new "similarly aggregation" method developed by IBM. Two significant results emerged from the study: the thickness of the tumor is the single most important prognostic factor, as it correlates with the incidence of recurrences, metastases and deaths; by using a small number of clinical and histological variables, it seems possible to draw a profile of every new patient, to classify him in a well-determined prognostic category and, consequently, to institute a complementary treatment when needed.

Distant metastases from carcinoma of the breast are most commonly located in the skeleton. Although it has been clearly shown that bone radionuclide scanning is more sensitive than X-rays in detecting such metastases, diverging opinions have recently been voiced concerning its sensitivity and specificity. The authors have quantitatively analyzed 1631 focal alterations, taking the uptake index value as yardstick. They found that quantitative scanning increases the sensitivity of the method and makes it possible to differentiate between malignant and benign bone lesions.

A survey of the risk factors involved in the incidence of female breast cancer was conducted in the Hauts-de-Seine and Yvelines departments, near Paris. Two hundred and fifty thousand questionnaires were sent out; 18000 women replied. The family risk factor appeared in 15% of the replies, including 6% which concerned the closest relatives (mother and/or sister). Correlations are established between the various factors, and conclusions are drawn about the possibility of cancer detection according to graded risks.

The authors are studying the effects of subcutaneous injections of Corynebacterium parvum in male patients with acute ear, nose, or throat tumors and poor prognosis. These patients had no treatment other than 60Co radiation; patients who had undergone surgery or chemotherapy were excluded. Increases in the survival rate were observed, but as this trial is still going on, the authors cannot draw any final conclusions.

We used the test-dose method to calculate the dose of methotrexate to administer to the patients to reach the therapeutic but non-toxic blood concentration of 10 −5 mol/L. Methotrexate was tested with a radioimmunoassay technique and in 19 out of 20 patients we obtained the desired plateau during 24-h infusion.

The c-Ha-ras-1 locus in 104 breast cancer patients and 56 unaffected individuals was examined for allelic restriction fragment-length polymorphism. Four common and 16 rare alleles were detected in the combined populations. The distribution of common and rare alleles differed significantly between the two populations. The common restriction fragments represented 91% of the allele pool in the unaffected population. In breast cancer patients, these common alleles represented only 59% of the allele pool (P less than .001). More specifically, the frequency of two of the common fragments, the 6.5- and 8.0-kilobase alleles, was significantly diminished in the breast cancer population (P less than .001 and P less than .02, respectively). The frequency of rare c-Ha-ras-1 alleles and hence genotypes composed of two rare alleles was increased in the breast cancer population (P less than .001). One of the rare alleles had a significant (P less than .05) association with these breast cancer patients. These results suggest that genotype analysis of the c-Ha-ras-1 locus, in combination with other clinical parameters, may be of prognostic value in assessing the potential for cancer.

In this general review of adjuvant chemotherapy clinical trial in breast cancer (with the exception of that of Milan), we shall try to answer the following questions: Is adjuvant chemotherapy useful and if so, for what precise purpose? Is polychemotherapy superior to monochemotherapy and if so, in what cases is it to be preferred? Can we determine the best time for beginning chemotherapy in relation to surgery? Could a shorter course of chemotherapy be equivalent to a longer one? Are there breast cancer subsets which particularly need adjuvant chemotherapy? After discussion of these questions, the answers are certainly affirmative although not perfectly outlined and the need for complementary trials is paramount if we want to obtain a consensus.

Trends in mortality from bladder cancer have been described with several statistical methods using bi and multivariate analysis. Between 1952 and 1976, the mortality by bladder cancer was marked by an increase for both sexes with a predominance among the males (annual increase + 3,65%, against 1.34% among the females). In 1976, the age-adjusted rate/100,000 of mortality was 11,35 for males and 3,20 for the females showing an high sex-ratio. The computerized mapping of this cancer geographical distribution shows a significant predominance in the south of France and also a high statistically significant correlation with the geographical distribution of lung and gallbladder cancer mortality in France.

Between 1963 and 1971, a total of 406 inoperable cases of cervical cancer were treated by high-dose radiotherapy at the Centre René-Huguenin. Most of the patients (243) were irradiated by continuous therapy. In the other group (163) there was a 3-week interval in the middle of the treatment. The five-year survival rates (direct method) were respectively 60 and 39 per cent for the patients staged as T2 and T3. Local cure rates were 85 per cent for T2 and 65 per cent for T3. Unfortunately a high rate of complications was noted (12%), 4 per cent of which were fatal. Classical radiotherapy proved to be more beneficial than "split-course" technique considering survival rates. Yet, the rate of local cure is identical in both procedures, and the large rate of death in "split-course" seems to be irrespective of the method. Nevertheless, we have abandoned the "split-course" because the incidence of sequelae had not improved and in as much as the total dose had been reduced, the continuation of such therapy was less justified.

A study of changes in mortality due to carcinomas of cervix uteri in France between 1950 and 1976 was undertaken. Rates increased slightly over the whole period (0.44% per year). However, from 1950 to 1968 there was an increase (1.9% per year) and from 1969 to 1976 a decrease (1.17%). This decrease may be due partly to improvements in diagnosis, screening and cure. The geographical distribution has not shown any regional particularity. There is a high significant correlation with geographical distribution of breast cancer mortality, a hitherto unknown finding in France.