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Retention characteristics of 3D NAND Flash cells are investigated at various temperatures ( ${T}$ ) depending on the degree of program and erase. The $\Delta {V}_{\text {th}}$ for each condition is compared to understand the degradation of the retention characteristics attributable to vertical loss and/or lateral diffusion. In addition, the relationship between Program/Erase (PE) window (PGM ${V}_{\text {th}}$ – Erase ${V}_{\text {th}}$ ) and $\Delta {V}_{\text {th}}$ are analyzed. In the case when PGM ${V}_{\text {th}}$ is the same, the $\Delta {V}_{\text {th}}$ decreases as the PE window decreases. At temperatures below 150 °C, $\Delta {V}_{\text {th}}$ and PE window show linear relationship, and as PE window decreases, $\Delta {V}_{\text {th}}$ also decreases to 0. On the other hand, at 250 °C, $\Delta {V}_{\text {th}}$ has a non-zero value even if PE window decreases to 0, thus has a non-linear relationship. The measurement results show that the lateral diffusion has a great influence on the short-term retention of 3D NAND flash cells.

We report on the development of a high-resolution and highly efficient beamline for soft-X-ray resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) located at Taiwan Photon Source. This beamline adopts an optical design that uses an active grating monochromator (AGM) and an active grating spectrometer (AGS) to implement the energy compensation principle of grating dispersion. Active gratings are utilized to diminish defocus, coma and higher-order aberrations as well as to decrease the slope errors caused by thermal deformation and optical polishing. The AGS is mounted on a rotatable granite platform to enable momentum-resolved RIXS measurements with scattering angle over a wide range. Several high-precision instruments developed in house for this beamline are briefly described. The best energy resolution obtained from this AGM-AGS beamline was 12.4 meV at 530 eV, achieving a resolving power 42,000, while the bandwidth of the incident soft X-rays was kept at 0.5 eV. To demonstrate the scientific impacts of high-resolution RIXS, we present an example of momentum-resolved RIXS measurements on a high-temperature superconducting cuprate, La$_{2-x}$Sr$_x$CuO$_4$. The measurements reveal the A$_{1g}$ apical oxygen phonons in superconducting cuprates, opening a new opportunity to investigate the coupling between these phonons and charge density waves., 9 pages, p figures, submitted to J. of Synchrotron Radiation. Revise expression

Four synaptic devices are introduced for spiking neural networks (SNNs) and deep neural networks (DNNs). Unsupervised learning is successfully demonstrated by applying the STDP learning rule reflecting the LTP/LTD characteristics of the fabricated TFT-type NOR flash memory cells. Gated Schottky diode (GSD) and vertical NAND flash cell are proposed as synaptic device for DNNs. Using matched simulation, we obtained higher learning accuracy with GSD and NAND synaptic devices compared to that with a memristor-based synapse. Measured synaptic properties of the vertical NAND cells are reported for the first time.

A new space program (PGM) scheme is proposed to achieve reliable triple-level-cell (TLC) 3-D NAND flash memory. Considering the lateral diffusion issue of stored electrons in the nitride storage layer, the proposed scheme stores electrons in the nitride layer of the space region between adjacent cells to suppress the lateral movement of trapped electrons in the programmed target cells. The effect of the space PGM can be sustained until 104 s at 90 °C and up to 1k read cycles at 25 °C. The programmed space region of the nitride layer improves the retention characteristics of the cells in the PGM state by 40% and remarkably reduces the V th redistribution.

Super-steep switching is successfully demonstrated using positive feedback (PF) in fabricated diode-type 3-D NAND flash memory strings. Thanks to the PF, the subthreshold swing (SS) measured in a cell of a string during read operation is less than 1 mV/dec at turn-on voltage (V on ) regardless of the polarity and the amount of the charge stored in the cell. This string has memory characteristics similar to conventional FET-type string while keeping much better SS than that of the FET-type string even after program/erase (P/E) cycling.

Charge spreading behavior within a few seconds, referred to as early retention, was comprehensively investigated in 24 word-line stacked tube-type 3D NAND flash memory. We thoroughly explored the charge spreading behavior from the perspectives of both electron and hole spreading in 3D NAND flash memory with different charge trap layer thicknesses at various programming and erasing levels for solid and checkerboard patterns to provide guidelines for minimizing and optimizing the charge spreading.

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 187–193 Objectives: To investigate the level and interrelationship of nerve growth factor (NGF) and sensory neuropeptides [substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)] in plasma and saliva of chronic migraine patients, and to analyze the association between pain intensity and their concentration. Materials and methods: Plasma and resting whole saliva were collected from 33 chronic migraine patients and 36 control subjects. NGF, SP, and CGRP concentrations were measured by enzyme immunoassay and pain intensity of each subject was measured using the Graded Chronic Pain Scale. Results: Chronic migraine patients showed higher NGF and neuropeptide levels in both plasma and saliva compared to the control subjects. Plasma NGF, and plasma and saliva levels of SP and CGRP were highly associated with pain intensity. There was a significant positive correlation between NGF and both neuropeptide levels in plasma, and between the neuropeptide levels in both plasma and saliva. Plasma levels of SP and CGRP were significantly correlated with their saliva level. Conclusions: The increased production of NGF and sensory neuropeptides may play an important role in the maintenance of pain in chronic migraine and analysis results of human saliva could act as an index of disease state and therapeutic outcome.

To determine the stress state of a wire rope is tedious although analytical solution of a simple rope subjected to static load is available. While facing the problems involving complex ropes, it is usual practice to take approximations based upon the concepts of an average stress state for the constitutive ropes or for every wire. For a statically loaded cable superimposed with a tensile impulse, practically in sudden lifting of a heavy weight, the coupled axial-shearing strain waves in the cable has rarely been studied and explored through analytical approaches. Based on Costello’s force-deformation relationship and elastic wave propagation theory, analysis procedures and results are presented in this paper. Time-dependent coupled axial-torsional displacements and axial-shearing strain waves in a simple straight wire rope, due to a longitudinal impact at one end, are obtained. At the instance of the strike, a pair of coupled primary axial-torsional waves is created and begins to travel in the cable indep...

The aims of this study were to measure the normal concentration of nerve growth factor (NGF) in healthy human saliva and to investigate the effects of age and gender differences on saliva NGF level.Resting whole, stimulated parotid, and stimulated submandibular/sublingual saliva were collected from 127 healthy volunteers with ages ranging from 20 to 81 years. The saliva NGF concentration was measured by enzyme immunoassay.The mean concentrations of NGF were 901.4 +/- 75.6 pg ml(-1) in resting whole saliva, 885.9 +/- 79.9 pg ml(-1) in stimulated parotid saliva, and 1066.1 +/- 88.1 pg ml(-1) in stimulated submandibular/sublingual saliva. The stimulated submandibular saliva showed lower NGF concentrations with increasing age (rho = -0.296, P = 0.001). The NGF concentrations of resting whole saliva (P = 0.025) and stimulated parotid saliva (P = 0.005) were significantly higher in women than men. The NGF concentration of stimulated submandibular saliva was significantly higher than stimulated parotid saliva (P = 0.005) and significantly correlated with stimulated parotid saliva NGF level (rho = -0.244, P = 0.008). We found measurable concentrations of NGF in all three sources of saliva; the concentration was affected by the source for the stimulated parotid and submandibular saliva, age for stimulated submandibular saliva, and gender difference for resting whole saliva and stimulated parotid saliva.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare viscosity and wettability between animal mucin solutions and human saliva. Materials and Methods: Human whole and glandular saliva, porcine gastric mucin, bovine submaxillary mucin, and a mucin-based saliva substitute were used. Viscosity was measured with a cone-and-plate digital viscometer, while wettability on acrylic resin and Co–Cr alloy was determined by the contact angle. Results: The viscosity of animal mucin solutions was proportional to mucin concentration, with the animal mucin solution of concentration 5.0 mg ml−1 displaying similar viscosity to stimulated whole saliva. A decrease in contact angle was found with increasing animal mucin concentration. For the saliva samples tested, viscosity increased in the following order: stimulated parotid saliva, stimulated whole saliva, unstimulated whole saliva, stimulated submandibular–sublingual saliva. Contact angles of human saliva on the tested solid phases were inversely correlated with viscosity. Contact angles of human saliva on acrylic resin were much lower than those of animal mucin solutions and of those on Co–Cr alloy (P

Capsaicin, the pungent component of the red pepper, has been used as an analgesic in a variety of pain conditions, but sensory impairment after long-term treatment has been concerned. This study investigated the influence of topical capsaicin on various types of sensations including pain in the facial areas innervated by the mental nerve, and also evaluated whether the measurement of cutaneous current perception threshold (CPT) is reliable for the quantification of sensory change following capsaicin application. Twenty healthy subjects were given topical capsaicin cream (0.075%), which was applied to the mental area unilaterally, four times daily for 2 weeks. Burning sensation after capsaicin application gradually decreased with repeated applications. Repeated topical capsaicin resulted in reduced sensation to mechanical, heat and cold pain without changing non-painful tactile sensation. It also resulted in increased CPTs at 5 Hz and 250 Hz stimuli but no change in the CPTs at 2000 Hz from the first evaluation after capsaicin treatment and throughout the treatment period. This study demonstrated that topical capsaicin treatment for the management of chronic localized pain can be safely applied to the face without affecting non-painful normal sensations, and that CPT testing is a clinically useful tool for the quantification of sensory changes following capsaicin application.

An integrated design method for a high-precision/speed servomechanism including interactions of mechanical and electrical subsystems is proposed in this article. On the basis of the multiobjective optimization method, a non-linear optimal design procedure of the mechanical subsystem is performed simultaneously through the design process of the electrical subsystem satisfying the desired performance. Mechanical and electrical constraints have been formulated according to design requirements. Both mechanical and electrical parameters are considered as design variables. Validity of the integrated design problem is verified on the different application areas. Parametric studies of the design variables have also been conducted in this article. Case studies show that the integrated design method for an x-y positioning system satisfies the desired high-precision/speed performance.

Thermal deformations of ball screws directly affect the positioning errors of machine tools. In order to calibrate the thermal deformations of ball screws, an accurate estimation of the whole temperature field of the screws is required. However, it is extremely inefficient and almost impossible to acquire the whole temperature distribution by measuring the temperatures of every point. Therefore, a temperature estimator, which can estimate the whole temperature field from temperatures of just a few points, is required. In this paper, one-dimensional heat transfer problems are formulated under concepts of modal analysis and state-space design. Then an observer is designed to estimate the intensity of a heat source and the whole temperature field in real time. The reliability of the estimator is confirmed through comparisons between solutions from the proposed method and those of exact solutions. The proposed method is applied to the estimation of the intensity of the heat source and the temperature distribution of a ball screw system. It is confirmed that the proposed method estimates the whole temperature distribution of a ball screw system well without noise and time delay.

This paper proposes a developmental procedure of a real-time thermal error compensator for a high-speed machine tool (HSMT). A vertical-type HSMT having a slant column with lightweight moving slides is used to investigate thermal characteristics. Since spindle speed is very fast in the HSMT, a large amount of thermal drift error occurs within a few minutes of operation. Owing to tooling problems of the high-speed spindle, axial offset errors also appear on the machined surfaces. If-then rules and thermal mode approaches are applied to remove defects of the machined surfaces. An infinite impulse response filter is used to compensate for surface roughness of the machine surface. A personal-computer-based error compensation scheme has been developed for the real-time thermal error compensation. Compensation interval of the developed compensator is selected to satisfy correction requirement of thermal errors of the HSMT. Experimental results confirm the validity of the developed compensator and show that the accuracy of machined surface is dramatically improved.

SUMMARY Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a recently emerged infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus, but its immunopathological mechanisms have not yet been fully elucidated. We investigated changes in plasma T helper (Th) cell cytokines, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in 20 patients diagnosed with SARS. Cytokine profile of SARS patients showed marked elevation of Th1 cytokine interferon (IFN)-γ, inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6 and IL-12 for at least 2 weeks after disease onset, but there was no significant elevation of inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, Th1 cytokine IL-2 and Th2 cytokine IL-4. The chemokine profile demonstrated significant elevation of neutrophil chemokine IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), and Th1 chemokine IFN-γ-inducible protein-10 (IP-10). Corticosteroid reduced significantly IL-8, MCP-1 and IP-10 concentrations from 5 to 8 days after treatment (all P

Azygos venous blood flow as an index of blood flow through the gastroesophageal collaterals and varices is of value in the prediction of gastrointestinal bleeding. Measurement of azygos venous blood flow has been achieved by non breath-hold (NBH) cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging. The objective of this study was to compare the faster breath-hold (BH) phase-contrast technique with the standard (NBH) cine phase-contrast technique in the measurement of azygos blood flow. Thirty-two cirrhotic patients with esophageal varices were examined by magnetic resonance imaging using a BH technique and a NBH cine phase-contrast technique to measure the flow velocity, flow volume and calibre of the azygos vein at the mid-right atrial level. The flow values were obtained on the velocity image of the phase-contrast study. Values obtained from the two methods were evaluated statistically for the strength and significance of correlation by the Pearson test. Measurement by the BH method performed at full-inspiration as well as end-expiration was also obtained in 15 healthy volunteers. The breath-hold phase-contrast method has significant but weak correlation with non BH cine phase-contrast method in the measurement of azygos venous blood flow volume (r = 0.55, p0.01) and flow velocity (r = 0.43, p = 0.01). However, the calibre of the azygos vein gave a strong correlation in these two methods (0.82). In the subgroup of patients whose azygos blood flow velocity was greater than 7.4 cm/s, the correlation of azygos blood flow volume is strong (r = 0.80, p0.01). The azygos vein calibre remains highly correlated between the BH and NBH method, in both high flow velocity (r = 0.73) and low flow velocity (r = 0.83) groups. Breath-hold sequence leads to higher values for flow velocity and flow volume in the cirrhotic patients and also the control group. In patients with portal hypertension, BH 2D phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) could give a comparable estimation of the calibre of the azygos vein as the NBH 2D cine PC MRA but not for azygos flow volume. In patients with high azygos flow velocity, the strong correlation in flow volume between the BH and NBH method suggests that the BH method may be a time-saving alternative to the NBH method.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly infectious respiratory disease, to the best of our knowledge caused by a hitherto unknown corona virus. The virus has spread from South East Asia to many countries of the world. Three case reports of patients from the Prince of Wales Hospital of The Chinese University of Hong Kong demonstrate typical clinical courses. Fever, cough, in most cases non-productive, myalgia, chills, and rigor are the leading symptoms. Leucopenia and thrombocytopenia are the most prominent laboratory parameters, increased values for lactatedehydrogenase (LDH) reflect a more severe clinical course. Advanced age and coexisting conditions seem to influence the prognosis unfavourably. The chest roentgenogram may be normal initially but at a later stage progressive consolidations in the majority of peripheral parts of the lung are observed, which cannot be differentiated from pneumonias of other origin. Even young patients can enter a stage of respiratory compromise rather fast. A therapy against the cause of the disease is not known. Empirical therapy with ribavirin in combination with high dose corticosteroids have proved successful. The disease may progress into respiratory failure comparable with an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Mortality is around five to ten per cent. Stringent hygiene and quarantine measures are mandatory to prevent the further spread of this threatening disease.

The aim of this study was to identify the salivary components present in the pellicles formed on self-curing resin and to investigate the qualitative variations in adsorbed salivary pellicle compositions according to different exposure time to saliva. Experimental pellicles were formed by the incubation of polymerized resin particles with fresh human parotid or submandibular-sublingual saliva for either 20 min or 2 h. Pellicles were extracted using formic acid and lyophilized, they were then subjected to sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting to identify the adsorbed salivary components. The amino acid profiles of the 2 h-pellicles were analysed and compared with those of fresh glandular salivas. There was a difference in the 2 h-pellicle components on the self-curing resin compared with those of other dental materials as well as tooth enamel. The amino acid profiles of the 2 h-pellicles were also different from those of fresh glandular salivas. In the case of submandibular-sublingual saliva, the components of the 2 h-pellicle showed a different pattern compared with those of the 20 min-pellicle. However, there was no significant difference between the components of the 2 h- and 20 min-pellicles in the case of parotid saliva. A distinct difference was found in the surface binding affinities of immunoglobulin (IgA) from different glandular salivas. The findings of this study provide information concerning the initial bacterial adhesion on the surfaces of self-curing resin.

The aim of this study was to subjectively determine the distribution of anaesthesia by mapping areas of sensory loss following inferior alveolar nerve block. Fifty healthy dental students were the subjects of this study (men 32, women 18). They were asked to draw the anaesthetized area on a diagram of the face and tongue 20 min after inferior alveolar nerve block. They evaluated the degree of anaesthesia by touching their faces and moving their tongues. All of the 50 subjects reported anaesthesia in the facial area. Of these, 21 (42%) reported the cutaneous distribution of anaesthesia on mental nerve territory only. Seventeen subjects (34%) reported anaesthesia on mental and buccal nerve territory. Nine subjects (18%) reported anaesthesia on mental, buccal, and auriculotemporal nerve territory. Two subjects (4%) reported anaesthesia on mental and auriculotemporal nerve territory and one subject (2%) on mental, buccal and infra-orbital nerve territory. Forty-seven of the 50 subjects (94%) reported anaesthesia of the tongue with the various degree of anaesthesia according to the area. Of these, 17 subjects (34%) reported strong anaesthesia on the anterior area and weak anaesthesia on the middle part of the tongue. Nineteen subjects (38%) reported strong anaesthesia of the lateral area and weak anaesthesia on the medial area, and 11 subjects (22%) reported anaesthesia on only the lateral side of the tongue. Three subjects (6%) reported no anaesthesia of the tongue. The distribution of anaesthesia of the facial and glossal regions determined subjectively after inferior alveolar nerve block, varies significantly between individuals.

To measure spin-polarized core-level electron spectra, a spectrometer equipped with a highly efficient retarding-potential Mott spin polarimeter using undulator-based soft-x-ray beamlines has been set up. With a thin film of Au as a target this polarimeter has an efficiency estimated to be ∼2×10−4. The performance of this system for spin-polarized spectroscopy has been tested using core-level spin-polarized photoemission of magnetic and nonmagnetic thin films excited with linearly and circularly polarized light, respectively. Measurements using a new spin-resolved absorption technique are also discussed.

The purpose of the present study was to identify salivary molecules carrying the ABH blood group antigens in Koreans and to investigate the changes in these antigens according to processing and storage of saliva samples. Secretor or non-secretor phenotypes and salivary components carrying the ABH antigens were identified in 90 subjects, 30 subjects in each ABO blood group, by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting. Saliva samples were then obtained from 12 secretors-two males and two females in each ABO blood group and aliquots of both fresh saliva samples and their supernatants after centrifugation were stored at room temperature, 4, -20 and -70 degrees C. The same experiments were performed after 1, 3 and 6 months to investigate changes in the blood group antigens. In all 68 secretors, high-molecular-weight salivary mucin (MG1) was found to be the primary carrier of the ABH antigens. A salivary component of approximately 80 kDa also carried H antigen in seven saliva samples of 22 blood type O secretors. The blood group antigens were better detected in centrifuged samples. In saliva samples preserved at room temperature and 4 degrees C, the blood group antigens were either not detected or detected as degraded molecules. No change was found in the blood group antigens in saliva samples preserved at -20 and -70 degrees C for 6 months.

Spin-resolved photoemission and absorption studies of Fe 3 O 4 and CrO 2 epitaxial thin films have been reviewed to address the relationship between the electron correlation effects and the half-metallic properties of these two materials. Spin-resolved photoemission results suggest that Fe 3 O 4 should be considered as a strongly correlated system, and that Fe 3 O 4 is not a half-metal. Spin-resolved O 1s X-ray absorption measurements on ferromagnetic CrO 2 reveal that the spin polarization of the unoccupied states closest to the Fermi level approaches 100%, confirming the half-metallic ferromagnetic nature of the material. The spin polarization of the main line of the unoccupied states, on the other hand, is found to be only 50%, indicating a very atomic-like behavior of the Cr 3d2 ions.

This study describes a prediction model for the impact vibration of raised access floors by a Finite Element Method (FEM) numerical analysis. The residual ratio of the natural frequency of the peak wave is 1.3% and the residual ratio of the maximum vibration acceleration is 0.8%, which indicates the accuracy in application of the numerical model. With the validated numerical model, this study evaluates the influence on the vibration of various construction parameters. It is shown that the panel material, bracing, and panel thickness may reduce the impact vibration.

An ultra-high resolution and high flux 6 m cylindrical grating monochromator (6 m-CGM) undulator beamline, covering the photon energies from 5 to 100 eV, has been designed and constructed at SRRC. Two branches, housing separate entrance slits chosen to provide different incident angles, are used to optimize the overall performance. In each branch, two cylindrical gratings are used with the grating included angle set at 150° and 130°, respectively, to cover low (5–30 eV) and high (15–100 eV) photon energy. Movable entrance and exit slits are used to enhance the beamline performance. The energy resolving power with both slit openings set at 10 μm is expected to reach 90,000 and 40,000 in the low and high energy branches, respectively. A photon flux of 6×10 10 and 3×10 11 photons/s/200 mA can be obtained at the respective energy resolving power of 90,000 and 40,000.

A high performance wide range elliptically polarized undulator beamline is under commissioning at SRRC. The dragon-type design with two independent entrance slits has been employed to cover photon energies from 60 to 1400 eV. The energy resolution of the beamline has been measured using Ar, N 2 , and Ne absorption spectra. The photon flux as a function of energy has been recorded by photodiode and gives an average of flux greater than 1×10 12 photons/s/200 mA with both slits set at 10 μm. Based on spin polarized photoemission and magnetic circular dichroism results, the degree of polarization calculated from the spin-polarized resolved spectrum is estimated to be better than 95% in the first harmonic undulator radiation.

A novel high resolution, high flux bending magnet beamline with an energy range from 5to 40eV has beenconstructed at SRRC. This Dragon-like beamline, which horizontally collects 50mrad of synchrotron radiationfrom a bending magnet source, uses four cylindrical gratings with an included angle of 1408 and a movablecurved exit slit. The average photon flux with an energy resolving power of 1000 is about 2 1210 photons/s,which is among the highest of all existing VUV bending magnet beamlines. An energy resolving power of24000 at 6.8eV has been obtained from the Schumann–Runge bands (B 3 P u 3XP g ) absorption spectra ofO 2 gas. A photon flux of 3 10 9 photons/s is measured at the energy resolving power of 24000. This high fluxbending magnet beamline offers excellent opportunities for VUV experiments with a wide range spectrum. # 2001ElsevierScienceB.V.Allrightsreserved. PACS: 33.80. b;39.30.+w;42.79.Dj;51.50.+vKeywords: Beamline;Highflux;Highresolution 1.IntroductionAhighfluxandhighresolutionbendingmagnetbeamlinewithanenergyrangefrom5to40eVhasbeenconstructedatSRRC[1]fortheexperimentsofdilutesystems,oflowsignal-to-noiseratio,andexperimentswhichrequirelowenergyphotonsandverygoodenergyresolution.Theopticallayoutofthis beamline is shown in Fig.1. This beamlinecollects 50mrad of horizontal radiation from abending magnet source. Similar to the Dragon-type beamline, a 6m-CGM is arranged betweenpre-andpost-focusingmirrors.Wehaveadoptedseveralspecialfeaturesincludingamodifiedplane-elliptical horizontal pre-focusing mirror (HFM),one movable entrance slit, and one curvedmovableexitslittooptimizethebeamlineperfor-mance.Fourcylindricalgratingswithanincludedangle of 1408 are used to cover the entire energyrange interested. Two horizontal refocusing mir-rors(HRFM1andHRFM2)areusedtodeliverthe photon beam to two separate experimentalstationsthroughthehigh-andlow-energybranch,respectively. The beamline is expected to deliverphoton fluxes of 1 10

In vitro experimental and animal studies have shown that quinolones reduce the adherence of bacteria on a polyethylene tube and prevent stent blockage. Our aim was to see whether ciprofloxacin prevents stent blockage in patients with malignant stricture of the biliary tract.Patients with inoperable biliary or pancreatic tumor not involving the bifurcation of the common hepatic duct were recruited. They were randomized to receive either endoscopic stenting alone or stenting with prophylactic treatment of ciprofloxacin (200 mg i.v. before stenting, followed by 250 mg orally twice per day). In each follow-up visit, clinical symptoms of cholangitis were documented and blood samples taken for blood counts, serum levels of bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase. Stent blockage was defined as clinical symptom(s) of cholangitis with biochemical or radiological evidence of stent dysfunction.Fifty-eight patients were recruited into the study. Three patients in the stenting group and three in the ciprofloxacin group were excluded after randomization. Eleven patients received stenting alone and five patients receiving ciprofloxacin had previous endoscopic stenting. Thirteen patients (50%) in the ciprofloxacin group and eight patients (31%) in the stenting group died before stent blockage. Ten patients (38%) in each group had stent blockage during the follow-up at 20 wk. The median stent patency was 11.6 wk and 11.9 wk in the ciprofloxacin group and the stenting group, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis of stent patency showed no difference between the two groups. Among patients who received endoscopic stenting for the first time, there was a trend favoring ciprofloxacin treatment, but the difference was not significant. The 30-day and 20-wk mortality between the groups were comparable.Long-term use of ciprofloxacin does not prevent blockage of polyethylene biliary stents.

Valence-band photoemission sspectra of Ni 3 Al , Ni 3 Ga and Ni 3 In were measured with synchrotron radiation at photon energies around the Ni-3p core excitation threshold. The valence-band satellites are resonantly enhanced. The number of holes per Ni atom in the Ni-d band for Ni 3 Al , Ni 3 Ga and Ni 3 In is estimated to be 0.37, 0.30 and 0.34, respectively. The self-energy correction due to the configuration interaction is 0.72, 0.71 and 0.72 eV, respectively, for Ni 3 Al , Ni 3 Ga and Ni 3 In . The Fano parameters and the effective Coulomb interactions between two 3D holes for these intermetallic compounds are determined.

This work investigates charge redistribution in a series of Ni-Cu alloys using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) and Ni/Cu ${L}_{3,2}$- and $K$-edge x-ray-absorption near-edge structure (XANES). XPS results show that the constituent $d$ bands are well separated and shifted to a slightly higher binding energy upon dilution into the other host, indicating that the atomic sites in the alloy are not as well screened relative to the pure metal. However, no significant $d$-band narrowing is observed, suggesting that there is modest $d\ensuremath{-}d$ interaction in the alloys. In contrast to the XPS observation, XANES results show a reduction in white-line intensity at both edges relative to the pure metal suggesting that both Ni and Cu sites gain $d$ charge. The unoccupied Ni $d$ band is far from fully occupied even at infinite dilution. The discrepancy between the implications of the XPS and XANES results is dealt with using a charge redistribution model in which $s\ensuremath{-}p\ensuremath{-}d$ rehybridization takes place at both sites within the framework of electroneutrality and electronegativity considerations. It appears that both Ni and Cu gain a small but measurable amount of $d$ charge in alloy formation through rehybridization (loss of non-$d$ conduction charge). Possible connection between these results and the disappearance of ferromagnetism in ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{x}$ alloys at $xg0.6$ is discussed.

The influencing factors of floor impact sound, are characteristics such as the impact source, floor vibration reaction, and sound radiation. In this article, computerised simulation is utilised to explore the influencing factors of floor impact vibration, including slab with beam, floor thickness, compression strength of concrete, etc. Based on the finite element method (FEM), which is frequently used by structure designers in Taiwan, this research establishes an effective convenient method of predicting the impact vibration characteristics of slabs with various boundary conditions. By means of the computerised simulation and measurements in the field, the validity of the research methods is confirmed. Then, how the floor impact characteristics is influenced by various factors is investigated with different computerised models. It is shown that the floor vibration will be decreased by increasing floor thickness, and also by changing the position and the numbers of the beam. However, the vibration insulation of the floor is not improved significantly when the compression strength of concrete is increased.

Biliary infections are common conditions that can be life threatening. In the past, many of these conditions mandated emergency surgery, but advances in endoscopic and radiological techniques have allowed some of these to be managed in a minimally invasive fashion. Acute cholangitis is caused by infection in an obstructed biliary tree. Endoscopic drainage, together with broad-spectrum antibiotics, has replaced emergency common duct exploration and T-tube drainage as standard treatment. Oriental cholangitis, sclerosing cholangitis and AIDS-related cholangitis are some of the variants of cholangitis. Pyogenic liver abscesses complicating cholangitis can be managed by radiological percutaneous drainage. Close collaboration between surgeons, endoscopists and radiologists is the key to success in managing biliary infections.

O K-edge and Cu ${\mathrm{L}}_{23}$ -edge x-ray-absorption near-edge-structure spectra for the series of ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{1+\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{7+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ compounds (x=0--0.6) were measured using a bulk-sensitive x-ray fluorescence yield technique. Near the O 1s edge, pre-edge peaks at \ensuremath{\sim}527.5 and \ensuremath{\sim}528.2 eV are ascribed to the excitations of O 1s electrons to O 2p holes located in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{3}$ ribbons and ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes, respectively. The peak at \ensuremath{\sim}528.2 eV decreases in intensity with increasing the Nd doping, indicating the filling of holes in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes by the substitution of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ for ${\mathrm{Ba}}^{2+}$ in the ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{1+\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{7+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ system. For low levels of Nd doping, the holes are located mainly in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes. At higher Nd doping, the holes are located predominantly in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{3}$ ribbons. The depression in ${\mathrm{T}}_{\mathrm{c}}$ for the ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{1+\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$ ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$ ${\mathrm{O}}_{7+\mathrm{\ensuremath{\delta}}}$ system correlates closely with the hole concentration in the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes and the number of disrupted fourfold-coordinated Cu on the chain sites. The high-energy shoulders in the Cu ${\mathrm{L}}_{23}$ -edge absorption spectra arise from ${\mathrm{Cu}3\mathrm{d}}^{9}$ L defected states to ${\mathrm{Cu}2\mathrm{p}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ ${3\mathrm{d}}^{10}$ L excited states, where L denotes the ligand hole on the ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{3}$ ribbons and ${\mathrm{CuO}}_{2}$ planes. With increasing the Nd doping, the shoulders shift to higher energy \ensuremath{\sim}0.3 eV from x=0 to 0.6.

The design, construction and commissioning of a beamline and spectrometer for inelastic soft X-ray scattering at high resolution in a highly efficient system are presented. Based on the energy-compensation principle of grating dispersion, the design of the monochromator–spectrometer system greatly enhances the efficiency of measurement of inelastic soft X-rays scattering. Comprising two bendable gratings, the set-up effectively diminishes the defocus and coma aberrations. At commissioning, this system showed results of spin-flip, d–d and charge-transfer excitations of NiO. These results are consistent with published results but exhibit improved spectral resolution and increased efficiency of measurement. The best energy resolution of the set-up in terms of full width at half-maximum is 108 meV at an incident photon energy tuned about the Ni L3-edge.

We present the electronic structure of ferrimagnetic ${\mathrm{Zn}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ni}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{2}$${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ compounds obtained by a combination of O K-edge x-ray-absorption measurements and first-principles spin-unrestricted calculations using the pseudofunction method. The two distinct preedge features are found to vary systematically as a function of the Zn content. From both experimental and theoretical analyses, we find that substitution of Ni with Zn enhances localization of the 3d states of Fe on the octahedral sites, so that the O 2p\char21{}Fe 3d hybridized states can be resolved into two distinct twofold and threefold features. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

The polycrystalline 59 Co NMR spectra (1/2↔-1/2 transition) of the diamagnetic cobalt(III) complexes Na 3 [Co(NO 2 ) 6 ] and trans-[Co(en) 2 (NO 2 ) 2 ]NO 3 were measured at 7.1 and 9.5 T. It is demonstrated that for axially symmetric diamagnetic cobalt(III) complexes the 59 Co chemical shielding anisotropy (CSA) is semiquantitatively correlated (r=0.998) with the product of the nuclear quadrupole coupling constant (NQCC) and the inverse of the weighted averate of the first d-d electronic transition energies (ΔE av ) through the similarity of the d-orbitals population imbalance in the expressions for the CSA and the NQCC

We present the results obtained by commissioning a wide-range, 6-meter SGM, bending magnet beamline located at SRRC. The beamline is based on the Dragon-type design and delivers photons over a wide spectral range of 10–1500 eV. Two movable entrance slits in conjunction with a shared movable exit slit are employed to accommodate the requirement of different grating included angles for low- and high-energy branches. Gas-phase photoabsorption measurements performed on various gases validate that the resolution is at least 20 000 in the low-energy branch and 8000 in the high-energy branch. The resolution data compare well with the theoretical calculations.

Most cases with anti-tuberculosis drug-induced hepatotoxicity (ATDH) have been attributed to isoniazid.To evaluate whether the polymorphisms of the cytochrome P450 2EI (CYP2E1) and N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) gene are associated with ATDH.A total of 140 tuberculosis (TB) patients without liver diseases before treatment who received anti-tuberculosis treatment were followed prospectively. Their CYP2E1 and NAT2 genotypes were determined using the TaqMan polymerase chain reaction assay.Forty-five (32.1%) patients were diagnosed with ATDH. No significant differences were reported in age and sex between patients with and without ATDH. Slow acetylators defined by NAT2 genotypes had a higher risk of hepatotoxicity than rapid acetylators (51.2% vs. 25.2%, P = 0.0026). Odds ratio (OR) analysis showed that slow acetylator status (OR 3.15, 95%CI 1.47-6.48) was the only independent risk factor for ATDH. Pyrazinamide co-administration induced hepatitis was also associated with NAT2 acetylator status. CYP2E1 c1/c1 homozygotes are prone to developing more severe hepatotoxicity than other c1/c2 and c2/c2 genotypes.The slow acetylator status of NAT2 is a significant susceptibility risk factor for ATDH. CYP2E1 is associated with the severity of ATDH.

The purpose of this study was to test whether the jerk, the third derivative of the position, can be used as a quantitative driving performance index during simulated driving. Sixty healthy adults having 1-3 years driving experience were participated in driving simulator experiment. All subjects were instructed to keep constant distance from front vehicle running at 55~65km/hr speed on straight road. Each 10 males and 10 females were randomly selected in condition of keeping a constant distance with 20m, 25m and 30m, respectively. Experiment consisted of straight driving for 1 min and unexpected situation caused by emergency stop of the front vehicle. To collect 3D kinematic data, 10 markers were attached on the subjects’ upper (elbow, wrist and hand) and lower (knee, exterior knee, ankle, and toe) limbs and 3D motion capture system was synchronized with the driving simulator. The data was divided into unexpected situation section for 2 sec. To evaluate the driving performance, the jerk cost function (JCF) which indicates the smoothness of motion was calculated for all makers. The probability of collision was significantly smaller at the distance of 30m compared with 20m and 25m (p

The purpose of this study was to develop 3-axis Magnetic Resonance (MR) compatible motion measurement system which can measure motion signals without deteriorating MR image. 3-axis accelerometer was used to measure motion signals and velcro was used to attach accelerometer module to finger or wrist. To minimize mutual interference effect between MR imaging system and motion measurement system, amplifier circuit was made of analog devices and amplifier was located at the shielded case which was made of copper and aluminum. Motion signal was modulated to optic signal by using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) and modulated optic signal was transmitted to outside MR room by using Light Emitting Diode (LED) and optic cable. Measurement of 3-directional acceleration was possible with 3-axis accelerometer. It was verified that functional Magnetic Resonance imaging (fMRI) and motion signals were measured simultaneously and stably.

A vacuum‐ultraviolet bending‐magnet beamline for circular dichroism (CD) experiments has been designed. To maximize the photon flux and minimize the focused beam size, a cylindrical mirror and a cylindrical grating with independent optical functions are utilized. The beamline can collect a 30 mrad horizontal by 7 mrad vertical solid angle of synchrotron radiation. By using a 600 grooves/mm grating, the calculated photon flux is greater than 1×1013 photons/sec and the focused beam size is 0.4 mm×0.65 mm for the spectral range from 130 nm to 330 nm with the energy resolving power set at 1000. The linear polarization degree is better than 75% and can be increased to 90% by reducing the vertical acceptance angle down to 2 mrad. In addition to the high flux mode described above, this beamline can also be operated in a high resolution mode. By using a 1200 grooves/mm grating, a resolving power greater than 10,000 can be achieved for the spectral range from 180 to 330 nm. This beamline can provide photon flux as...

X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) measurements have been performed for nitrogen (N) containing diamond films with three different N concentrations at the C K-edge using the sample drain current mode. The C K-edge XANES spectra of these diamond films resemble that of the pure diamond regardless of the N concentration, which suggests that the overall bonding configuration of the C atom is unaltered. N impurities are found to reduce the intensities of both the sp2- and sp3-bond derived resonance features in the XANES spectra. The valence-band photoelectron spectra indicate that N atoms cause the broadening of the valence band σ- and π-bond features and the enhancement and reduction of the σ- and π-bond features, respectively.

The purpose of the current study was to develop a magnetic resonance (MR)-compatible photoplethysmograph (PPG) system which could measure the raw PPG signal during MR image acquisition. The system consisted of an optic sensor which measured the optic signal, an optic cable which transmitted a near-infrared optic signal, a signal amplifier, and a filter for noise removal. To minimize interactive noise, only the optic cable and the optic sensor module were located inside the MR room; the signal amplifier and filter were located outside the MR room. The experiment verified that a reliable PPG signal can be obtained without deteriorating the MR image. Especially, it was possible to get a reliable PPG signal while acquiring MR images with EPI method which has been used for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. This system can simultaneously measure the response of the central nervous system using fMRI and that of the peripheral nervous system using the PPG.

This study proposes a new cerebral lateralization index on the basis of neural activation intensity. Eight right-handed male college students (mean age 23.5 years) and ten right-handed male college students (the mean age — 25.1 years) participated in this study of visuospatial and verbal tasks, respectively. Functional brain images were taken from 3T MRI using the single-shot EPI method. A cerebral lateralization index based on neural activation area (i.e. number of activated voxels) and another based on neural activation intensity (i.e. intensity of BOLD) were calculated for both cognition tasks. The result of calculating a cerebral lateralization index based on neural activation area suggested that the right hemisphere is dominant during visuospatial tasks and the left hemisphere is dominant during verbal tasks. When a cerebral lateralization index was computed on the basis of the neural activation intensity, it was shown that the area of cerebral lateralization closely related to visuospatial tasks is the superior parietal lobe, and the area of cerebral lateralization closely related to verbal tasks is the inferior and middle frontal lobes. Since the proposed method can determine the dominance of the cerebrum by each area, it can be helpful to determine cerebral lateralization accurately and easily.

Flexible endoscopy is used to inspect and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract without the need for creating an artificial opening on the patient’s body (Phee, Ng, Chen, Seow, & Davies, 1997). The endoscope is introduced via the mouth or anus into the upper or lower GI tracts respectively. A miniature camera at the distal end captures images of the GI wall that help the clinician in diagnosis of the GI diseases. Simple surgical procedures (like polypectomy and biopsy) can be performed by introducing a flexible tool via a working channel to reach the site of interest at the distal end. The types of procedures that can be performed in this manner are limited by the lack of maneuverability of the tool. More technically demanding surgical procedures like hemostasis for arterial bleeding, suturing to mend a perforation, and fundoplication for gastrooesophageal reflux cannot be effectively achieved with flexible endoscopy. These procedures are often presently being performed under opened or laparoscopic surgeries.

Objective: Compared with whole saliva, residual saliva comprising the oral mucosal film shows a high protein concentration. The purpose of this study was to compare the composition of residual saliva with unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva in normosalivators. Materials and methods: The composition of oral mucosal residual saliva in 30 healthy individuals was investigated and compared with that of whole saliva. The concentrations of total protein, secretory immunoglobin A (sIgA), lactoferrin, total carbohydrate, and sialic acid were examined. The activities of peroxidase, lysozyme and α-amylase were determined. Results: Residual saliva had higher levels of total protein and carbohydrate than whole saliva, with a higher carbohydrate to protein ratio in the residual saliva suggesting that salivary glycoproteins are concentrated on the oral mucosal surface. sIgA, lactoferrin and sialic acid were present as highly concentrated forms in residual saliva. The enzymatic activity of peroxidase in residual saliva was higher than that of whole saliva. Conclusions: These concentrated carbohydrate and antimicrobials on the oral mucosal surface work for mucosal defence and could be used for targeting sites for the delivery of therapeutic agents.