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Cleft lip, alveolus and palate is a congenital malformation caused by the lack of fusion of the lip and palate embryonic processes, which may disrupt the main functions of the stomatognathic system. Aim: This study aimed to assess the orofacial dysfunction in individuals with cleft lip, alveolus, and palate compared to non-cleft patients. One hundred and twenty individuals between 32 and 65 years of age were selected in the Craniofacial Center and in the School of Dentistry and divided into two groups: non-cleft patients (N-CLAP) and cleft lip, alveolus, and palate patients (CLAP). The two groups were matched by gender. Each individual was interviewed and submitted to a clinical evaluation during which the NOT-S was used to assess orofacial dysfunction. To verify the intra-examiner agreement, the values were compared using the Kappa test. The Mann-Whitney test compared performance on the NOT-S between the groups. The Chi-Square test compared the NOT-S domains between the groups. A comparison of the NOT-S scores between the groups revealed statistically significant differences in gender (p

Objective: This study assessed the prevalence of orofacial dysfunctions (ODs) and quality of life (QoL) in adults with and without a cleft lip and palate. Design: Cross sectional. Setting: Craniofacial Center, Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies, Bauru, São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: The study was composed of a sample of 120 patients: 60 adults in the cleft lip and palate group (CLPG) and 60 adults in the control group with no craniofacial anomalies. Each patient underwent an interview and clinical examination, using the Nordic Orofacial Test-Screening (NOT-S) and the 36-Item Short Form Survey. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test, χ2, and the Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: There was a higher prevalence of OD in CLPG ( P < .001) on the NOT-S. The adults in the CLPG had higher QoL in the areas of general health ( P = .003), physical function ( P = .014), social function ( P < .001), and vitality ( P = .006). The CLPG had significant associations between higher OD and lower QoL for general health ( P = .004), emotional role function ( P = .028), and vitality ( P = .05). Conclusion: Orofacial dysfunctions were more prevalent in adults with a cleft, negatively impacting their QoL in general health, emotional role function, and vitality. However, adults with a cleft also had significantly higher QoL, reflecting possible resiliency when compared to adults without a cleft.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are used widely, but they may damage the upper gastrointestinal mucosa owing to their mechanism of action. Selective cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) inhibitors are known to have a reduced risk for such damage. In this comparative study, the efficacy and safety of the selective COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib for pain after third mandibular molar extraction were compared with those of loxoprofen sodium. This was a parallel-group comparison study; 107 patients who had undergone third mandibular molar extraction were given celecoxib and 102 were given loxoprofen. The level of pain on a visual analogue scale (VAS) 15 min and 30 min after taking the experimental drug decreased over time, with no significant difference between the two groups. The percentage of patients taking a second dose was 64.5% for celecoxib and 80.4% for loxoprofen. The time to second dose was significantly longer for celecoxib (533.5 min) than for loxoprofen (387.4 min). There was no significant difference in the patients' impression of efficacy between the two groups, with ratings of 'excellent' and 'good' for 77.4% in the loxoprofen group and 74.5% in the celecoxib group. These results demonstrate that celecoxib is of equal clinical value to loxoprofen for acute pain after third mandibular molar extraction.

We report rapid laser-induced passivation of the silicon surface. When the top surfaces of n-type 500-µm-thick silicon substrates with surfaces coated with 100 nm thermally grown SiO2 layers (initial samples) were irradiated with Ar plasma at 50 W for 120 s, the 635-nm-light induced minority carrier effective lifetime τeff decreased from 1.7x10 -3 (initial) to 1.7x10 -5 s because Ar plasma caused substantial carrier recombination defect states at the silicon surfaces. τeff was markedly increased to 1.7x10 -3 s by 940-nm-semiconductor laser irradiation at 3.57x10 4 W/cm 2 for 4 ms. Laser heating effectively decreased the density of plasma induced carrier recombination defect. However, laser heating of the initial sample at 4.0x10 4 W/cm 2 decreased τeff from 2.2x10 -3 (initial) to 1.7x10 -4 s. Additional laser heating at 3.70x10 4 W/cm 2 increased τeff to 3.9x10 -4 s and it partially cured laser in

A heterozygous SLC2A1 mutation in the severely affected child was inherited from his less severely affected mother who was mosaic for the mutation.

Introduction/Background Long-term care prevention is an important issue, particularly given the rapidly growing aging society. For rehabilitation, an achievement motive defined as “the intention to achieve one's goals while maintaining a standard of excellence” has been used as a means of assessment and intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and the reliability for a prototype scale for achievement motive in geriatric (P-SAMG) based on a scale for achievement motive in rehabilitation. Material and method A cross-sectional study was conducted to measure the P-SAMG, which has been accepted content validity by 8 experts, classification and assessment of occupational dysfunction (CAOD) and comprehensive environmental questionnaire for the elderly (CEQ) in 238 older adults (average age: 76.1 ± 7.2) who participated in senior clubs. The factorial validity of P-SAMG was examined using exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the concurrent validity was assessed using correlative analysis, and the internal consistency reliability was assessed by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient. This study was approved by the Ethical Review Board of Kibi International University and written consent was obtained from all the participants. This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP17H07288. Results ESEM presented good factor loadings (first factor of item 1–5: 0.93–0.56, the second factor of item 6–10: 0.95–0.54) and the CFA presented adequate fit indices. Moreover, P-SAMG indicated a moderate or low correlation with CEQ (0.42–0.20) and a partially low correlation with CAOD (−0.20 to −0.29). Cronbach's alpha coefficient demonstrated a sufficient value for two factors and the whole scale (0.89–0.94). Conclusion These results demonstrated that P-SAMG is useful in the assessment of achievement motives for older adults without rehabilitation service. Management of material or personal environment and appropriate occupational engagements was suggested as a valid strategy to improve motivation in this population.

*** We report the crystallization of 40-nm-thick hydrogenated amorphous silicon films using 940nm continuous wave infrared semiconductor laser with 200 nm diameter carbon particles as photo absorption. The laser beam was focused to 100 μm diameter at the surface of carbon particles. Laser irradiation at 25 W heated the carbon surface region to about 3430 K, which was estimated by analysis of spectra of light emission caused by laser irradiation when quartz substrates were placed on the surface of carbon particles. The silicon films coated with SiO2 films were crystallized by laser irradiation for 170 μs at 25 W. The crystallization volume ratio was 0.53. Crystallization over 1.1 mm area was also demonstrated by laser irradiation at 25 W.

The method using arc discharge in liquid is a simple and inexpensive route for synthesis of carbon nanotubes and other related nano-materials. In this study, we report the synthesis of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by means of the arc-in-water method under extremely low gravity conditions. The strong heat convection caused by the arc plasma is suppressed under such conditions. Therefore, the boiling flow behavior and temperature distribution have been stabilized in low gravity. As a result, the possibility of the chirality control of SWCNTs by applying extremely low gravity was revealed; namely, the yield of semiconducting SWCNTs was increased and several SWCNTs of specific diameters turned out to be prominent under extremely low gravity conditions.

Ultra-low-frequency photocurrent (PC) self-oscillation has been investigated in an In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As/Al 0.15 Ga 0.85 As quantum-well (QW) diode in details as a function of temperature, excitation power and wavelength. The PC oscillation frequency increases with increasing temperature and illumination power at excitation wavelengths below the leading n = 1 heavy-hole exciton resonance line under reverse bias conditions. The illumination wavelength dependence shows a clear evidence for beating due to two oscillators when photoexcitation by shorter wavelength below 1050 nm is used. These results suggest that the low-frequency PC self-oscillation with a characteristic frequency of about 0.01-0.1 Hz is caused by oscillating electric fields due to two types of photogenerated charge carriers trapped at deep localized centers within the QW regions.

Background Studies have revealed that patients who undergo preemptive kidney transplantation (PKT) have favorable prognoses compared with those who undergo kidney transplantation after the initiation of dialysis. The number of PKT cases performed worldwide has been increasing. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics of patients who may successfully receive PKT. Methods A single-center, case–control study was conducted to determine the clinical factors that lead to referral for PKT. Results Between April 1, 2009, and August 1, 2015, a total of 118 patients underwent living donor kidney transplantation. Thirty of these patients had not undergone dialysis before their initial visit to the study hospital. Of these, 20 received kidney transplantation before and after dialysis initiation, respectively (group PKT+, successful PKT; group PKT−, failed PKT). The baseline characteristics at the primary visit were compared between groups. The median duration from the first visit to the study institution to PKT was 5.6 ± 0.7 months. Serum creatinine (Cr) levels differed significantly between groups (PKT+ vs PKT−, 6.0 ± 0.3 mg/dL vs 7.5 ± 0.5 mg/dL; P = .03). The receiver-operating characteristic curves revealed that a serum Cr level >5.7 mg/dL at the initial visit to the unit was a cutoff point for predicting the success of PKT (area under the curve, 0.721; P = .02). Conclusions Our results indicate that PKT should be performed within ∼6 months of the initial visit to the transplant center. Serum Cr levels

Chemical byproducts analysis has been recognized as a powerful diagnosis method for SF6 gas-insulated switchgear (GIS). The authors have previously demonstrated that a carbon nanotube (CNT) gas sensor could detect partial discharge (PD) generated in SF6 gas. However, PD-generated decomposition gas species, which were responsible for the CNT gas sensor response, have not been identified yet. In this paper, two kinds of experiments were conducted in order to identify the responsible decomposition gas species. At first, the decomposition gas molecules adsorbed on CNTs were analyzed by Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. FTIR absorbance was observed around 735 cm-1 after CNTs were exposed to PD generated in SF6. In the second experiment, the CNT gas sensor responses to typical SF6 decomposition products (HF and SF4) were examined. The CNT gas sensor responded to these gases in the same way as to PD generated in SF6. SF4 response was larger than HF response. Based on these results, SF 4 and SOF2 emerged as candidates for the responsible decomposition gases. Electrochemical interactions between adsorbed gas molecules and CNT were discussed based on theoretical predictions of molecular orbital calculations. The calculation results suggested that both of SOF2 and SF4 could increase the CNT gas sensor conductance

The control of Cu precipitation at low temperatures, e.g., bake hardening of Cu bearing steels, has recently attracted considerable attention due to the potential of achieving good formability and high strength. An Fe-1.5 wt pct Cu alloy, solution treated and 10 pct prestrained, exhibits a two-step age-hardening behavior, i.e., a smaller, but substantial hardening around 200 °C to 300 °C and a major hardening around 500 °C, while only the latter hardening occurs in undeformed specimens. The precipitation behavior of nanoscale Cu particles or bcc Cu clusters that plays a major role in age hardening was simulated by Cahn-Hilliard nonclassical nucleation theory and the Langer-Schwartz model. Simulation results are compared with the distribution of Cu particles observed under three-dimensional atom probe field ion microscope (3-D APFIM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), and age hardening behavior as well. The increase in hardness in prestrained specimens at low temperatures (≤400 °C) can be ascribed to Cu particles nucleated preferentially at dislocations or to Cu particles that were formed in the matrix as early as at dislocations presumably due to excess vacancies introduced by prestraining.

A 7-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in second remission received an allogeneic PBSCT from his HLA-matched sister. Acute grade II graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) resolved with corticosteroids. Chronic GVHD in the skin and oral mucosa at around day 60 responded to corticosteroids and cyclosporin A. At 6 months after the transplant, he developed hepatic dysfunction with elevated serum transaminases and gamma-globulin. Liver biopsy revealed chronic inflammation with lymphocytes and plasma cells in portal areas without destruction of bile ducts, suggesting autoimmune hepatitis. While rare, autoimmune hepatitis should be considered a potential long-term complication in patients with hepatic dysfunction in the late post-transplant phase.

Secretory carcinoma of the breast: a tumour analogous to salivary gland acinic cell carcinoma? Aims: Acinic cell-like breast carcinoma is a newly recognized entity, and few acinic cell-like breast carcinoma cases have been reported. All reported acinic cell-like breast carcinomas were counterparts of the solid type of acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland. We report here three cases of secretory breast carcinoma with acinic cell differentiation, and discuss the similarity between secretory breast carcinoma and acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland. Methods and results: The cases were histologically identical to acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland: papillary-cystic type in case 1, a mixture of papillary-cystic, microcystic and follicular type in case 2, and microfollicular type in case 3. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells were positive for salivary-type amylase, lysozyme, S100 protein and α1-antitrypsin, and negative or less reactive for gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 and oestrogen receptor. All three cases did not reveal metastasis or recurrence. Conclusions: These cases were typical of secretory breast carcinoma, and were clinically, histologically and immunohistochemically analogous to acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland. We emphasize that secretory breast carcinoma and acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland may be identical lesions.

Vertical transport of photoexcited carriers has been studied in a p–i–n diode whose intrinsic layer contains two different multiple quantum wells (MQW), GaAs/Al0.15Ga0.85As (MQW1) and strained In0.15Ga0.85As/Al0.15Ga0.85As (MQW2) isolated by a thick Al0.15Ga0.85As barrier. Pseudo-negative photocurrent (PC) peaks are observed at exciton resonance wavelengths of MQW1 located far from the n-electrode under low electric fields, while the normal positive excitonic peaks recover with increasing the electric field. Moreover, the PC intensity of MQW1 as a function of inverse electric field shows linear dependence due to Fowler–Nordheim-type tunneling with a slope change. The observed PC intensity crossover is rigorously explained by tunneling probability calculations, because of differences in the thickness and height of the transport limiting tunneling barriers, assuming dominance of electron tunneling transport for the PC responses.

尿管溢流による腹痛で発症,lymphangiosis carcinomatosaを呈し,内腔の病変は粘膜下層の高度なリンパ管侵襲によるIs型隆起を示した粘膜病変6mmの直腸癌の1例を報告する.症例は55歳男性.右側腹部痛で来院.精査の結果,右尿管溢流の診断を得た,注腸造影でRsの不整狭窄を認めた.大腸内視鏡検査でRsに径10mmのIs型隆起病変を認め,EMRを施行したところ,粘膜病変6mmの中分化腺癌で,粘膜下層への高度のリンパ管侵襲を伴っていた.びまん浸潤型直腸癌の診断で手術施行,手術所見で,RsからRbの直腸壁の硬化が著明で,右尿管周囲リンパ節,腹部大動脈周囲リンパ節まで転移を認めた,化学療法,放射線療法も行ったが,術後11カ月再発死亡した.本症例は約6mmの微小な粘膜病変がリンパ管侵襲をきたし,sm内のリンパ管に転移することによりIs型の隆起を,もたらした.リンパ管侵襲が漿膜下のリンパ管内まで進展することにより直腸壁の肥厚・硬化をもたらし,さらに右尿管周囲のリンパ節転移によって尿管狭窄から尿管溢流で発症したものであった.

Effectively atomically flat GaAs/AlAs interfaces over a macroscopic area (“super-flat interfaces”) have been realized in GaAs/AlAs and GaAs/(GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 quantum wells (QWs) grown on (4 1 1)A GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). A single and very sharp photoluminescence (PL) peak was observed at 4.2 K from each GaAs/AlAs or GaAs/(GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 QW grown on (4 1 1)A GaAs substrate. The full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of a PL peak for GaAs/AlAs QW with a well width ( L w ) of 4.2 nm was 4.7 meV and that for GaAs/(GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 QW with a smaller well width of 2.8 nm (3.9 nm) was 7.6 meV (4.6 meV), which are as narrow as that for an individual splitted peak for conventional GaAs/AlAs QWs grown on (1 0 0) GaAs substrates with growth interruption. Furthermore, only one sharp peak was observed for each GaAs/(GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 QW on the (4 1 1)A GaAs substrate over the whole area of the wafer (7×7 mm 2 ), in contrast with two- or three-splitted peaks reported for each GaAs/AlAs QW grown on the (1 0 0) GaAs substrate with growth interruption. These results indicate that GaAs/AlAs super-flat interfaces have been realized in GaAs/AlAs and GaAs/(GaAs) 2 (AlAs) 2 QWs grown on the (4 1 1)A GaAs substrates.

We have extensively used atom-probe field ion microscopy (APFIM) for microanalyses of a heat-treated Zircaloy-4 and ZrSn alloys containing 0.6 or 1.39 wt% Sn and clarified as to whether Sn is fully dissolved or not in the α-Zr matrix. It is found that Sn dissolves in the matrix of both Zircaloy-4 and Zr-0.6 wt% Sn alloy upon annealing at 723 K. For Zr-1.39 wt% Sn alloy, after annealing for more than 200 h, the symptom of phase separation has been found. The distribution of Sn in the matrix is changed from the α-quenched state, and local regions enriched with Sn are formed in the matrix.

GaAs AlAs resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) with atomically flat GaAs AlAs interfaces over an entire device area (super-flat interfaces) have been successfully fabricated on a (4 1 1)A GaAs substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The (4 1 1)A GaAs AlAs RTDs exhibited a superior peak-to-valley current ratio ( J p J v = 11.8 at 80 K) to that (7.5) of RTDs simultaneously grown on a conventional (1 0 0)GaAs substrate. The improved J p J v ratio of the (4 1 1)A RTD is believed to be due to the super-flat GaAs AlAs interfaces, which significantly reduce the valley current density.

Arsenic pressure dependence of the interface flatness of GaAs AlGaAs (Al content of 0.27-0.29) quantum wells (QWs) grown on (411)A GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) was investigated. Effectively atomically flat (411)A interfaces could be realized under a low V III ratio ( V III = 7 ), but the interfaces decreased in flatness under an increased V III ratio ( V III ≥ 11 ). The linewidth of the photoluminescence peak increases with increasing the V III radio during the growth of the GaAs QW layers, but does not increase so much with increasing V III ratio during the growth of the AlGaAs barrier layers, indicating that the flatness of an AlGaAs GaAs upper interface of the GaAs QWs grown on (411)A substrates is more strongly affected by the high V III ratio than that of a GaAs AlGaAs lower interface of the GaAs QWs. The excess fluctuation in the GaAs well width (ΔLw) which results from the roughness of the upper interface caused by the high V III ratio increases parabolically as a function of the GaAs well width (Lwo). This result was explained in terms of the formation of microsteps consisting of (311)A and (511)A microfacets on the averaged (411)A GaAs surface. Sizes of the (311)A and (511)A microfacets increase in proportion with the GaAs well width (Lwo).

A 60-year-old man with dermatomyositis was admitted to our hospital because of dyspnea and hypertension. He had high fever and convulsive seizures after admission. Laboratory examinations showed hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and renal failure. A clinical diagnosis of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) was made. He failed to respond to plasma exchange therapy, pulse therapy with methylprednisolone, high-dose gamma-globulin therapy, and antiplatelet therapies with ticlopidine, dipyridamole and a prostacyclin analog of beraprost sodium. He died on his 17th day in hospital. Autopsy examination revealed widespread microthrombi in his kidneys, lungs, spleen, and intestine. Only seven cases of dermatomyositis or polymyositis complicated by TTP have been cited in the literature. TTP was fatal in 6 of these 7 cases. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment may improve the outcome of TTP patients with dermatomyositis. Dermatologists should keep in mind that TTP occasionally arises as a serious complication of dermatomyositis.

Application of fine-grained doubly oriented electrical steel sheets that have a strong {100} texture to synchronous interior permanent magnet motors has been investigated. The alteration in stator core material from high grade nonoriented electrical steel sheets to the doubly oriented material with a simple change in stator design was found to lead to an increase in efficiency up to more than 2%. This efficiency increase is ascribed to a larger permeability and a lower iron loss in two perpendicular directions of the doubly oriented material. Finite-element analysis has revealed that the magnetic field distribution in stator cores made of the doubly oriented material is largely different from that in stator cores made of the nonoriented material.

In this paper, we introduce an electro-chemical doping method of amorphous selenium (a-Se) using NaClaq. Recently, an a-Se photovoltaic device fabricated using this method [1], has been announced and opened up the potential of a new impurity doping method. This study will further explore its possibilities by doping chlorine (Cl) and sodium (Na) and aim to fabricate a p-n junction by reversing the applied voltage during the electrolysis. The device is characterized through photoelectric measurements. The I-V characteristics show rectification under light illumination.

We report an observation of ultra-low-frequency self-oscillation of photocurrent in InxGa1–xAs/Al0.15Ga0.85As multiple-quantum-well p–i–n diodes. The photocurrent intensity shows self-oscillations with a characteristic frequency of ~0.1 Hz at low temperatures under reverse bias voltages. The photocurrent self-oscillation depends on applied bias voltage, temperature, illumination power, and indium content of quantum-well layers. These dependences indicate that the photocurrent self-oscillation is attributed to photogenerated carriers trapped in localized centers within InxGa1–xAs quantum-well regions.

Thirty CD2- J32 stable clones, derived by mutagenesis and subsequent immunoselection with anti-CD2 Ab, were used to study the regulation of CD2 and TCR gene expression. Analysis of RNA expression revealed that the loss of surface expression of CD2 was due to a lack of expression of CD2 mRNA and was associated with a lack of expression of VDJ TCR-beta transcripts in 12 of these mutants, sparing the expression of DJ TCR-beta, TCR-alpha, CD3 gamma, delta, epsilon, and zeta RNA. The expression of other differentiation molecules was unaffected, except for CD1, CD4, and CD5, which were either decreased or absent in most of these mutants. A gain in the expression of TCR-gamma transcripts was observed in each of these mutants, while, as expected, no TCR-gamma transcripts were detected in wild-type J32 cells. Several mutants were able to use the human CD2 enhancer and the murine TCR-beta enhancer and promoter to activate transcription from reporter genes in the context of heterologous promoters, indicating that the mutation(s) does not affect transcription pathways. Consistent with this finding is the adequate expression in these mutants of several lineage-specific transcription factors. The expression of CD2 in several of these mutants was rescued by gene transfer using a genomic 28.5-kb CD2 fragment, suggesting that the enhancer function of this gene may be dependent on the enhancer site. These observations suggest that the coordinate expressions of CD2 and TCR-beta genes share common regulatory mechanisms involving factors regulating chromatin structure and accessibility.

In x Ga 1− x As/GaAs ( x = 0.12–0.23) quantum well (QW) structures were grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on [001] ridges with various widths (1.1–12 μm) of patterned GaAs (100) substrate. The smallest lateral width of the InGaAs/GaAs quantum wire (QWR) structures was estimated to be about 0.1 μm by high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM). The In contents of the grown InGaAs/GaAs QWs on the ridges were studied as a function of ridge top width (ridge width of the MBE grown layer) by cathodoluminescence (CL) measurements at 78 K. Compared to the InGaAs QW grown on a flat substrate, the In content of the InGaAs/GaAs QW on the ridge increases from 0.22 to 0.23 when the ridge top width decreases to about 2.9 μm, but it decreases steeply from 0.23 down to 0.12 with a further decrease of the ridge width from 2.9 to 0.05 μm. A simulation of MBE growth of InGaAs on the [001] ridges shows that this reduced In content for narrow ridges is due to a large migration of Ga atoms to the (100) ridge top region from {110} side facets.

GaAs/Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As multi-layer structures were grown on GaAs(100) reverse-mesa etched substrates by glancing angle molecular beam epitaxy (GA-MBE). A(111)B facet was formed as a side-facet. Surface migration of Ga and Al atoms from the (100) flat region to the (111)B side-facet region has been investigated to fabricate T-shaped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs) under the condition that Ga and Al atoms impinge only on the (100) flat region and do not impinge on the (111)B side-facet. Observation of T-shaped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wires (QWRs) by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that there is no migration of Al atoms from the (100) to the (111)B facet region at a substrate temperature (T s ) as high as 630 o C, under a V/III ratio of 28 (in pressure ratio). On the other hand, very thin GaAs epitaxial layers grown on the (111)B side-facet region owing to the Ga migration were observed for substrate temperatures of 600 and 630 o C. It was found that the mass flow of Ga atoms from the (100) region to the (111)B side-facet region increases, with the thermal activation energy of 2.0 eV, as the substrate temperature increases from 570 to 630 o C. The GA-MBE growth on a reverse-mesa etched GaAs substrate at a low temperature 570 o C or lower is desirable to fabricate a nm-scale GaAs/AlGaAs QWR structure with nm-scale precision

The magnetic properties of fine-grained doubly oriented Si steel sheets of 0.25–0.35 mm in thickness have been investigated. The doubly oriented Si steel sheets with grains of about 0.5 mm in diameter showed a large induction B8 of about 1.9 T as well as a 35% smaller core loss than the previously studied coarse-grained doubly oriented materials. This decrease in core loss associated with the grain size reduction is primarily due to a large decrease in eddy current loss. The core loss was further decreased by applying tensile stresses and by a reduction in sheet thickness. A tensile-stressed 0.25-mm-thick material showed a small core loss of 0.82 W/kg at 1.7 T and 50 Hz. The material also showed relatively small core losses under alternating fields below 500 Hz.

Oxide-separator-induced decarburization causes a pronounced cube-texture development in Si-steel sheets. Cube grains nucleate prior to the decarburization, and they then selectively grow when a diffusion-induced transformation occurs. The 0.35 mm thick cube-textured strips show 2D magnetic properties with an almost ideal four-fold symmetry as well as surprisingly low core losses in the easy magnetizing directions.

A GaAs/Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As T-shaped quantum-well (QW) structure (one of edge quantum wire structures), which consists of a QW layer on a (111)B facet and multi-quantum well (MQW) layers, was fabricated using preferential growth on a GaAs channeled substrate with reverse-mesa stripes by glancing angle molecular beam epitaxy (GA-MBE). Strong luminescence was observed from two spatially overlapped QW region in the spatially-resolved cathodoluminescence measurements, indicating that the T-shaped QW structure with high optical quality can be grown by GA-MBE. Possible confinement of one-dimensional electrons was obtained at the junction region of the T-shaped QW structure.

Summary form only given. Although the energy efficiency of electrical apparatus, such as motors and transformers, could be significantly improved by the use of electrical steel sheets with cube texture {100} , applications of this kind of doubly-oriented steel to magnetic cores have been scarcely investigated. It has been found recently that a decarburizing annealing of a 3wt.%Si-1wt.%Mn-0.05wt.%C steel sheets with a SiO/sub 2/-containing separator gives rise to a remarkable evolution of the cube texture. In this process, neither inhibitors for grain growth, thinner thickness of steel sheets, nor cross-rolling is needed. In this paper, a hoop form of the cube-textured Si-steel sheets produced by this new method is introduced. The materials thus produced are evaluated in laboratory test, as well as by assembling a prototype motor.

In this paper, reduction of mutual coupling between microstrip antennas using wave absorber is presented. The two radiation patches are closely placed and the absorber is arranged inbetween to reduce the mutual coupling. The size appropriate for reducing the mutual coupling was studied analytically. From these results, the size of the absorber was determined as 12×12 mm. The measured mutual coupling was as low as 10 dB compared with the simulated ones. It was assumed that the difference is caused by a gap between the absorber and the substrate. Then the simulated results with the gap agreed well with the measured ones.

We report shallow PN junctions and analysis of their electrical characteristics. Infrared semiconductor laser annealing using carbon films as optical absorption layer was adapted to the activation of silicon implanted with boron cluster ions. We carried out implantations of boron clusters at 6 keV with an equivalent boron concentration of 1.0×1015 cm−2. Laser irradiation at 375 kW/cm2 was conducted to activate impurities. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy revealed that boron atoms with a concentration of 6.0×1014 cm−2 were incorporated into silicon surface within a 10 nm depth. The free carrier absorption analyses and current‐voltage characteristics of the PN junction diode indicated that the boron atoms were effectively activated by laser annealing.

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) binding revealed that porcine ciliary epithelial membranes possess two subclasses of binding sites or receptors. Ciliary nonpigmented epithelial (NPE) membranes have two binding sites (Kd,1 = 35 x 10(-9) M, Bmax,1 = 485 x 10(-12) mol/mg protein; Kd,2 = 0.723 x 10(-6) M, Bmax,2 = 1473 x 10(-12) mol/mg protein), while pigmented epithelial (PE) membranes have one binding site (Kd = 82 x 10(-9) M, Bmax = 377 x 10(-12) mol/mg protein). The three sites of NPE/PE membranes were found to show the highest affinity for PGE2 by competitive binding assay; affinity for PGF2 alpha and PGD2 was several orders of magnitude less. PGE2 binding to the higher affinity site of NPE membranes induced inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity. Activation of the lower affinity site resulted in activation of the cyclase activity. PGE2 binding to PE membranes caused inhibition of adenylate cyclase activity. There is evidence that cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) affects transport of ions and water in the ciliary epithelium, hence modulates aqueous humor inflow. The present results, therefore suggest that aqueous humor production by the ciliary NPE cells may be influenced by changes in the concentration of PGE2 which binds to the receptor subtypes having opposing effects on adenylate cyclase and regulates intracellular cAMP level.

Herpesvirus cyprini (CHV) genome was traced in carp, Cyprinus carpio L., after acute infection by the method of in situ hybridization with biotinylated probes. The viral genome was detected in several tissues including cranial nerve ganglia. Subcutaneous tissue and spinal nerves. However, at this stage, viral antigens were not detected and the virus was not isolated. The viral genome was also detected in the same fish tissues when papillomas were present which contained viral antigens and even infective virus particles. After papilloma regression, the viral genome was still detected in these tissues. It is suggested that CHV becomes latently established in cranial nerve ganglia, subcutaneous tissue and spinal nerves, and is associated with the induction and recurrence of papillomas.

The compositions of the G.P. zones, θ″, θ′, and Ω phases in alloys based on the AlCuMgAg system aged under various conditions have been examined by atom probe field ion microscopy. At the peak hardness condition, the composition of θ′ was determined to be Al2Cu without any partitioning of Ag and Mg. Under the same aging condition, the Ω phase was found to contain a similar amount of Cu as θ′ together with significant levels of Ag and Mg at the α/Ω interfaces. In order to understand the nucleation stage of the Ω phase, the precipitation process during low temperature aging was also studied. By the combination of TEM and FIM observations, it was found that the precipitation sequence at 130°C was supersaturated α → G.P. zones →θ″ →Ω . Uniform nucleation of the Ω phase was observed on the {111} planes independent of the θ″ precipitates on the {001} planes at 130°C at almost the same stage. However, the Ω phase was not observed on aging at 100°C, even after 500 h, although Mg and Ag were detected in some G.P. zones formed at this temperature. The θ″ phase did not appear to contain Mg and Ag, while the Ω phase was found to contain Ag and Mg in this stage. In the as-quenched state, no evidence for co-clustering of Mg and Ag was found.

A study of phase decomposition in two CuNiFe alloys was realized by AP-FIM. It was possible to confirm that phase decomposition takes place via spinodal decomposition in this alloy system, as the amplitude of the composition modulation increased with ageing time without practically any change in the wavelength of the modulation. It was also observed that the morphology of the decomposed phases is related to the coherency-strain energy as predicted by Cahn's theory of spinodal decomposition. By analysis of the data of the modulation wavelength, it was possible to estimate the coherent spinodal temperature to be 800 ± 25 and 900 ± 25 K in Cu46 at.% Ni4 at.% Fe and Cu48 at.% Ni8 at.% Fe alloys, respectively. In the early stage of decomposition, the change in modulation wavelength showed a time exponent as small as about 0.07. On the other hand, in the coarsening stage the change in the modulation wavelength agreed well with the LSW theory of thermally activated growth. The activation energy for this coarsening process was determined to be 216 ± 10 and 232 ± 10 kJ/mol in the Cu46 at.% Ni4 at.% Fe and Cu8 at.% Fe alloys, respectively. The compositions of the decomposed phases are consistent with the miscibility gap in the calculatedequilibrium CuNiFe phase diagram.

Taking advantage of the low-temperature cooling capability of the IMR atom probe, we have examined the compositions of various small precipitates in some aluminum alloys, such as AlCuMgAg, AlZnMgCu and AlLi alloys . In all the cases both selective and random area analyses were possible, since we could clearly image the precipitates in these alloys using He as an imaging gas. The concentration depth profiles of a binary AlLi alloy were quantitatively obtained. The chemical compositions of the extremely small GP zones which appeared at the early stage of low-temperature aging of AlCuMgAg and AlZnMg (−Cu) alloys were successfully determined.

A method of in situ hybridization with biotinylated probes is described for the spceific detection of the Herpesvirus cyprini (CHV) genome, both in CHV infected cell cultures and tissue specimens prepared from carp fry infected with the same virus. From molecularly cloned PstI-fragments of CHV DNA, two fragments were selected as probes for in situ hybridization which had no detectable homology, either with DNA of fathead minnow (FHM) cells used for virus propagation, or with the DNA of several fish herpes-viruses. The method of in situ hybridization was based on a system using streptavidin-biotinylated alkaline phosphatase for the detection of hybridization.

Photoluminescence measurements (4.2 K) were carried out for pseudomorphic InxGa1−xAs/AlAs quantum wells (x = 0.155, well width Lw = 56, 84, 169 A) grown by MBE on GaAs(100) channeled substrates which have the (100) flat region and the (111)A slope region on their surface. Effective band-gap energies(Eg) of the InGaAs/AlAs QW's on the (111)A slope region was investigated for the first time. When Lw is small (56 and 84 A in the (100) region), Eg values of the (111) region are large than those of the (100) region, but when Lw is large (Lw = 169 A in the (100) region), Eg of the (111) region becomes smaller than that of the (100) region because of the effect of piezoelectric field induced by the strain in the (111)A region, indicating the possibility of the lateral confinement of carriers not only in the (100) flat region but also in the (111)A slope region for pseudomorphic InGaAs/AlAs QW's grown on (100) GaAs channeled substrates.

The surface melting and lamella rearrangement process that happen in commercially available linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) were studied with special emphasis on conformational and crystal structural changes during the process. The thermal melting behavior of the specimens was examined by using differential scanning calorimetry and the occurrence of the surface melting was strongly suggested in low-crystallinity LLDPE (LLDPE-L) in the temperature range of 90-120 degrees C at the heating rate of 2 degrees C/min. The structural and conformational disordering process during heating was studied by IR spectroscopy combined with two-dimensional spectral correlation analysis. The formation of conformational defects has been determined to proceed prior to the overall disordering of orthorhombic crystalline structure in all the PE specimens except for LLDPE-L. During the heating process, conformational defects are preferably developed in side chains that are excluded from tightly packed orthorhombic crystal in PEs other than in LLDPE-L. The temperature dependency in the thickness of lamella layers of LLDPE-L examined by small-angle X-ray scattering indicates the occurrence of the lamella thickening in the temperature range where surface melting has been observed. In this way, the formation of new orthorhombic cells due to the lamella rearrangement dominates over the formation of conformational defects in LLDPE-L while other specimens indicate opposite. Wide-angle X-ray scattering shows significantly suppressed dilation of the unit cell in LLDPE-L, especially toward orthorhombic unit cell parameter a in the temperature range where lamella thickening process undergoes. It is implied that the lamella thickening happens not only by rearranging the chains originally exist in the interfacial region but also it incorporates those originally existing in the orthorhombic crystal phase in LLDPE-L. The heat-induced morphological changes are explored by means of polarized light microscope with liquid crystal universal compensator and circular polarizer (LC-PolScope). Unlike other PE specimen, high-crystallinity LLDPE (LLDPE-H) shows the retardance histogram with multiple peaks, indicating the presence of several types of higher order structure, such as aggregation within the specimen.

Synthetic multilayered films with alternating MoSi layers were fabricated by electron beam evaporation in a high vacuum of 10 −8 Pa. They are designed according to a calculation based on a dynamical theory including absorption. A molybdenum buffer layer with a thickness of 50 nm was epitaxially grown on the substrate in order to obtain a smooth surface. The reflectivity of the first Bragg peak with Cu Kα radiation was determined as 28% while the calculated value was 54%. Silicon layers were grown as the amorphous and molybdenum layers as the polycrystalline state. The discrepancy between the observed and calculated reflectivity is due to both the interfacial roughness and the variation in the period.

We report on our approach for developing a potentially low-cost process for fabricating a p-n junction for a crystalline Si solar cell using a cheaper infrared laser. The proposed process was that dopants film and a carbon infrared absorption film were sequentially formed by spin-coating method on a Si wafer and then it was irradiated with the infrared laser. The process was applied to phosphorus doping in p-type single and multi-crystalline wafers. A low sheet resistance of less than 100 Ω/ was obtained for the phosphorus(P)-doped layers of both Si wafers. In addition, a p-n junction depth of 100 nm was achieved for the single crystalline wafer. Good-quality diode I–V characteristics were also obtained. As another approach, a p-n junction was fabricated by crystallizing a P-doped a-Si film formed on a Si substrate with the laser. A suitable condition for the crystallization was explored and it was applied to fabricating a simplified solar cell. The fabricated sample showed I–V characteristics as a solar cell under light illumination.