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Acute chest pain is a commonly encountered symptom in hospital medical/surgical units; however, almost half of nurses in their second year of clinical experience in our facility have reported struggling to care for acute chest pain patients. We developed, implemented, and examined the effectiveness of a simulation-based, mastery learning clinical nursing educational program to improve self-efficacy and performance in caring for patients with acute chest pain.The study adopted a single-site, single-cohort design using simulation-based performance assessment and self-efficacy surveys on a convenience sample of 37 second-year clinical nurse participants in multi-stage hybrid mastery learning educational intervention using asynchronous e-learning, and hands-on simulation training and assessment with feedback on caring for chest pain patients. Performance assessments and self-efficacy surveys were administered pre-, post-, and 5 months post-intervention.Clinical performance on the post- and 5 months follow-up assessments were significantly higher than those for the pre-test (P .0001). The self-efficacy scores for the post- and the 5 months follow-up assessments were significantly higher than the pre-course scores (P .0001). Participants' self-efficacy perceptions were positively correlated with their performances at 5 months post-intervention.Performance and self-efficacy of novice nurses in caring for acute chest pain patients improved significantly with the multi-stage hybrid mastery learning educational intervention, with improvements retained 5 months post-intervention. The results suggest the applicability of simulation-based mastery learning in a clinical setting for novice nurses to attain specific skills, and raise their self-perception of competence to care for patients in acute settings.

An important method to improve the sensitivity of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) system is to increase the quality factor ( Q ) of the pickup coils. In this paper, we focus on the following three items: 1) effect of the surface resistance ( R s) of the YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films on the Q of the NMR pickup coil; 2) relationship between coil line width and current flowing through coil; and 3) effect of Si-ion irradiation to YBCO films on the Q of the NMR pickup coils. In the study of 1), we examined the Q of the NMR pickup coils made by YBCO films with different R s and found that reduction of R s is useful in increasing the Q of the NMR pickup coils. In the study of 2), we simulated the current flowing in the NMR coils by an electromagnetic simulator, and found that wider microstrip lines of the NMR pickup coil increase the current. In the study of 3), we examined Si-ion irradiation effect to reduce R s of YBCO films, and found low irradiation energy and low irradiation density of Si-ion is useful to decrease R s and useful to obtain the high Q NMR pickup coils.

A high-temperature superconducting (HTS) radio frequency (RF) probe has been designed for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy that is constructed of two newly developed HTS elliptical–coupled resonators that are placed on either side of the sample. The probe has a higher quality factor and a more uniform magnetic field along the z -axis than one with square resonators. The measured unloaded quality factor ( Qu ) of a pair of elliptical–coupled resonators fabricated using YBa2Cu3Oy thin films on an Al2O3 substrate was about 30 000 at 15 K, which is about 82 times higher than the simulated Qu of a copper counterpart at room temperature. Measurement of the input power dependence of Qu showed that a Qu of over 20 000 was obtained up to 16 dBm. Measurement of the RF magnetic field profile along the z -axis showed that the RF magnetic field was more than 85% uniform around the sample region.

Splenic sarcoidosis is often diagnosed by splenectomy or an ultrasound-guided splenic biopsy. However, splenectomy is invasive and costly, and a percutaneous biopsy is sometimes difficult. We herein report a case of splenic sarcoidosis diagnosed with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). A 71-year-old man was referred to our hospital for abnormal shadows on a chest roentgenogram. Computed tomography showed multiple lesions in the spleen and pulmonary consolidations. Bronchoscopy revealed no definitive diagnosis. We therefore performed EUS-FNA for a splenic lesion that led to the diagnosis. This case suggests that EUS-FNA is useful in confirming the diagnosis of sarcoidosis with suspected splenic lesions.

We investigated the usability of a trimming mechanism for varying an external quality factor (Q e ) in a hightemperature superconducting bandpass filter (BPF) using bulk resonators at around 5 GHz. The proposed trimming mechanism was composed of air space between an input port and the first resonator in a Cu cavity, a center conductor of the coaxial through the space, and a dielectric or metallic trimming rod. We decided the geometrical dimensions of the trimming mechanism and estimated the Q e by varying the height of rod (h Q ) using an electromagnetic simulator. These simulated results indicate that the proposed mechanism could function for theoretical Q e values up to those of 8-pole BPF. We then fabricated the trimming mechanism for Q e and measured the Q e by using a vector network analyzer. The measured data almost matched the simulated data. Next, we fabricated a 5-pole BPF with the trimming mechanisms for Q e and obtained good filtering responses.

In this study, we examined the effect of Si-ion irradiation on Rs of YBCO thin films. We measured Rs 90 and Rs0 of YBCO thin films in a magnetic field applied both normal and parallel to the film plane. Si-ion irradiation conditions were configured as follows: irradiation energy = 50–500 keV, irradiation ion density = 1–8 × 10 12 ion/ cm2. We found that the Rs90 decreased through ion irradiation, and Si-ion irradiation with an irradiation energy of 200 keV and an irradiated ion density of 4 × 1012 ion/cm2 being the most effective configuration for reducing Rs90 in high magnetic fields. Magnetic field-dependent Rs0 was quite small for all YBCO films with and without ion irradiation. When a magnetic field is applied parallel to the film plane, the blocking layers of the YBCO act as strong pins, therefore, R s0 in the magnetic field is small without introduction of artificial pins. However, we found that the Rs0 of YBCO films became small with Si-ion irradiation than that of the YBCO film without Si-ion irradiation, that the condition of ion energy 200 keV and ion irradiation density 1 × 10 12 ion/cm2 could reduce Rs0 most.

We investigated the effect of artificial pinning centers (APCs) in YBa 2 Cu 3 Oy (YBCO) thin films to reduce the surface resistance (Re). The introduction of APCs can increase the critical current density (Jc), so APCs are expected to decrease Re of YBCO thin films. To clarify the effect, we chose Si ion irradiation and neutron irradiation for introducing APCs. Si ions of 500 keV and 4 × 10 12 ion/cm 2 and neutrons of 1.34 × 10 12 n/cm 2 at 1 MeV conversion were irradiated in YBCO thin films with a thickness of 300 nm deposited on CeO 2 -buffered Al 2 O 3 substrates. δω and δφ of YBCO thin films without APC were less than 1.0 degree and less than 2.0 degrees, respectively, and these values were not changed very much by Si ion and neutron irradiations. Re of YBCO thin films with and without Si ion irradiation and neutron irradiation was measured using a dielectric resonator method. The applied magnetic field was up to 5T. The magnetic field dependence of R(0) e was smaller than that of R(90) e in all YBCO thin films. We found that R(90) e of Si ion irradiated and neutron irradiated YBCO thin films was reduced, and that R(90) e of Si ion irradiated thin films was about 1/3 that of unirradiated thin films at 20 K and at 5 T. In addition, R(0) e of all the YBCO thin films decreased somewhat as the magnetic field increased at 20 K. As a result, we found that the irradiation of Si ions into YBCO thin films was effective for reducing Re under a magnetic field, and it was revealed that the effect was stronger than the addition of oxide fine particles which was previously reported.

Microwave crosstalk between rewound-spiral resonators was estimated for the optimal design of a microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) array. An electromagnetic simulator (sonnet EM) was used to calculate the frequency responses. First, we analyzed the microwave interactions by changing the geometrical distance, $D_{{\rm{rr}}}$ , between the centers of two resonators and the frequency interval, $\Delta f$ , placed in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. To analyze the microwave crosstalk, we changed the kinetic inductance, $L_{{{k}}}$ , at one resonator, and we estimated the resonant frequencies. Our simulated results reveal that the microwave crosstalk was less than 0.22% placed on the horizontal and vertical directions with $D_{{\rm{rr}}}\,= \,\text{1000}\,\mathrm{\mu}{\text{m}}$ and $\Delta f\,= \,{\text{9 MHz}}$ . We then used these elements to design a 25-element spiral-MKIDs array and fabricated it by using an NbN thin film deposited on an r-sapphire substrate. The crosstalk was estimated using a vector network analyzer and a signal generator for pumping to the single element. In the measured results, 25 resonant dips were clearly observed in the frequency range between 2.70 and 2.95 GHz at 3.45 K. Furthermore, we could estimate the crosstalk between the resonators and found it to be less than $10^{-4}\% $ in both horizontal and vertical patterns.

The role of Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling has attracted much attention in the development of hepatic inflammation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We herein sought to determine the role of TLRs and responsible cells in steatohepatitis-related HCC. We used hepatocyte-specific Pten-deficient (Pten(Δ) (hep)) mice, which exhibit steatohepatitis followed by liver tumor formation, including HCC. We then generated Pten(Δ) (hep)/Tlr4(-/-) and Pten(Δ) (hep)/Tlr2(-/-) double-mutant mice and investigated the role of macrophages using reconstitution of bone marrow (BM)-derived cells, chemical depletion of macrophages, and isolated macrophages. Tlr4 but not Tlr2 deficiency in the Pten(Δ) (hep) mice suppressed tumor growth as well as hepatic inflammation. Gut sterilization by an antibiotic mixture reduced the portal LPS levels as well as tumor growth in the Pten(Δ) (hep) mice. Tumor growth was also decreased by reconstitution of BM-derived cells to Tlr4(-/-) BM cells. In addition, chemical depletion of macrophages significantly reduced tumor size and numbers. Macrophages expressing Ly6C were increased in number, which was associated with inflammation and tumor progression in the Pten(Δ) (hep) mice. Hepatic macrophages isolated from the Pten(Δ) (hep) mice abundantly expressed the Ly6C gene and produced much more IL-6 and TNFα in response to LPS. These proinflammatory cytokines induced the proliferation of HCC cells as well as oval cells, putative cancer progenitor cells. Indeed, putative cancer progenitor cells emerged before the development of macroscopic liver tumors and then increased in number under sustained inflammation. TLR4 on macrophages contributes to the development of steatohepatitis-related HCC in mice.

We designed three-and five-pole HTS filters with superconducting bulk resonators. We used MW-Studio software to simulate the frequency responses and current densities of these HTS filters. We estimated that the power-handling capability of the five-pole bulk filter was about 1.7 times higher than that of the three-pole bulk filter from the simulation results. We fabricated these HTS filters and measured their frequency responses and power-handling capabilities at 20 K. The five-pole bulk filter showed sharper skirt characteristic that is approximately 2.1 times than that of the three-pole bulk filter, and the power-handling capabilities of the three-and five-pole bulk filters were 41.7 and 114 W, respectively. Therefore, we clarified that the five-pole bulk filter was more suitable for a steep skirt characteristic and a high power-handling capability than the three-pole bulk filter.

We investigated the relationship between loaded quality factor (QL) and responsivity of microwave kinetic inductance detectors (MKIDs) using a dual-function spiral strip (DFSS). Three types of DFSSs with different QL values were designed, and the S 21 properties were simulated when kinetic inductance of a superconductor was changed by using a 2.5-dimentional simulator. The simulated results showed that a very high Q L value was not necessarily required. The resonator frequencies of the 25-MKID array using a better type of DFSS (Q L ~ 3500) were adjusted to be separated by 5 MHz around 2.0 GHz. The 25-MKID array were fabricated using 20-nm thick niobium nitride films deposited on r-plane sapphire substrates. We clearly observed 25 half-wavelength resonances around 2.0 GHz at 2.245 K. The optical responses were also confirmed using hot and cold radiation. The dependence of the responsivity on the Q L indicated that the Q L value of approximately 2000 could obtain higher responsivity.

The critical current of a bulk resonator is larger than that of a thin film resonator. Therefore, we investigated a transmitting filter that uses high temperature bulk superconducting resonators to increase their power-handling capability. We designed disk- and ring-type 3-pole bulk superconducting resonator filters using MW-studio software and calculated the current density distribution. From the simulation, the power-handling capability of the disk-type bulk filter was found to be approximately 1.3 times that of the ring-type bulk filter. These filters were fabricated and tested. The frequency response and the power-handling capability were measured at 20 K. The filters showed band-pass properties. The power-handling capability of the disk-type bulk filter was 41.7 W and that of the ring-type bulk filter was 26.6 W. Therefore, the disk-type filter had an approximately 1.6 times higher power-handling capability than did the ring-type filter.

We designed a compact high-temperature superconductor (HTS) duplexer on a substrate. The duplexer consists of a T-junction with discontinuous impedance and two cascaded quadruplet (CQ) filters with a bandwidth of 20 MHz centered at 5.0 and 5.1 GHz, respectively. The unloaded quality factor Q u of the proposed resonator used for the CQ filter was about 98000, and the smallest line and gap width were 10 μm. We applied a CQ structure to the bandpass filter with one pair of transmission zeros. The isolation of the HTS duplexer could be designed at less than 35 dB. We fabricated the HTS duplexer by using a 300-nm single-sided YBCO film deposited on a sapphire substrate 10 mm × 10 mm in size. We measured the frequency response of the duplexer between 4.8 and 5.15 GHz. We found a separation of the two passbands and sharp out-of-band rejection with the pair of transmission zeros. The isolation between the two filters was better than 32 dB. However, it was necessary to adjust the measured center frequency shifts about 150 MHz to the low-frequency side from the design results. Through this method, we were able to fabricate a miniaturized HTS duplexer with high selectivity.

In this paper, we propose a terahertz wave detector using a grain boundary Josephson junctions (GBJJs) with a single slot-dipole antenna (SDA). A full-wavelength single SDA structure designed for 220 GHz was patterned with an Au on an YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) GBJJ covered with an insulating benzocyclobutene (BCB). The current-voltage characteristic of the detector showed clear Shapiro steps for radio frequency wave irradiation at frequencies around the designed one.

We examined a microstrip line structure to reduce the current concentration at the outer edge of a microstrip line. We developed three kinds of microstrip line; sliced-microstrip line, layered-film microstrip line, and conventional microstrip line. The first microstrip line is a line divided into the narrow line, and the second one is a line made by a layered thin film. Electromagnetic simulations indicated that the current concentration of the outer edge of the sliced microstrip line and layered film microstrip line was lower than that of a conventional microstrip line. We measured the power handling capability of the filters made by sliced-microstrip lines, layered-film microstrip lines, and conventional microstrip lines. The value of the first and the second filters was better than that of a conventional one. The difference in the characteristics is based on the difference in the current concentration at the outer edge of the microstrip lines.

Superconducting NMR pickup coils have to have a low surface resistance (Rs) under a high magnetic field. One way of reducing the Rs of superconducting thin films is adding artificial pins to the films. We examined the hetero-epitaxial growth of MgB2and YBCO thin films on decorated sapphire and MgO substrates while using nano-wires and nano-particles to add pins to the films.We used ZnO nano-wire to add artificial grain boundary pins to MgB2 films. The tilted c-plane sapphire substrate with nano-step edges was used for these substrates. The terrace width with one lattice step edge can be controlled by changing the tilt angle. AFM images showed that the tilted c-plane sapphire substrate had straight nano-step edges. ZnO nono-wires were decorated on the nano-step edges by MOCVD, and then deposited on MgB2 films by sputtering. The Rs of the films was then measured with a sapphire rod resonator. The Rs of MgB2 thin films fabricated on the tilted c-plane sapphire substrate with ZnO nano-wires was lower than that of MgB2thin films on a conventional sapphire substrate under a high magnetic field.We used BaZrO3(BZO) nano-particles to add the artificial pins to YBCO thin films. The BZO particles on the MgO substrates were fabricated by laser deposition. The size and density of these particles were controlled with a pulse number of laser shot. YBCO thin films were formed on decorated MgO substrate by laser deposition. The Rs of YBCO thin films on the decorated MgO substrate was lower than that of the YBCO films formed on a conventional MgO substrate under a high magnetic field.We clarified that artificial pins in MgB2and YBCO thin films are useful for decreasing the Rs under a high magnetic field.

We investigated the power-handling capability of superconducting filters using multi-layered microstrip line resonators (MSLRs). A multi-layered MSLR consists of superconducting/insulating/superconducting multi-layered film to improve the power-handling capability of the superconducting filter. The current flowing along the bottom edges of the multi-layered MSLR was less concentrated than that in the conventional MSLR. A 3-pole filter using a straight-type MSLR was designed based on the Chebyshev function to have a center frequency of 5 GHz and a bandwidth of 100 MHz. The single-layered and multi-layered MSLR filters were fabricated with the simulated filter design using NbN single-sided 600-nm thick film and NbN/AlN/NbN single-sided 300/20/300-nm multi-layered film on MgO substrates. Both filters showed good frequency responses at 6.8 K. The input-output relations of both filters at 6.8 K were measured. The power-handling capability of the multi-layered MSLR filter was 1.9 dB larger than that of the single-layered MSLR filter. Thus, the multi-layered MSLR helped to improve the power-handling capability of superconducting filters.

Background and Aims: Many investigations have demonstrated that cell injuries caused by generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a common mechanism of various hepatic disorders. Recently, we have demonstrated that epimorphin, originally cloned as a mesenchymal protein, protects cultured intestinal epithelial cells from ROS. We therefore examine whether epimorphin protects primary cultured hepatocytes from ROS-induced cell injury. Methods: We explored the cell viability and the intracellular ROS levels of purified murine hepatocytes after exposure to 0.5 mM H2O2 with or without pretreatment of epimorphin. Then, we observed mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT) and depolarization using confocal microscopy to make clear the mechanism that epimorphin inhibited cell injuries after exposure to H2O2. In addition, to clarify the signaling pathways related to cell survival, we carried out Western blotting analysis with phosphorylated stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) polyclonal antibody to evaluate the inhibition of JNK by epimorphin. Finally, we evaluated the cell viability in hepatocytes administered JNK inhibitor. Results: Epimorphin protected primary cultured hepatocytes from H2O2-induced cell injuries independent of intracellular ROS levels. Epimorphin also inhibited onset of MPT, depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and eventually cell killing. The cell protective function of epimorphin after exposure to H2O2 was not dependent on Akt signaling but on JNK signaling. Conclusion: Epimorphin can protect hepatocytes from MPT-dependent cell injury induced by ROS. Since hepatic disorders could be caused by MPT-dependent cell injuries with excessive ROS, epimorphin might open a new therapeutic avenue for hepatic disorders.

We investigated the relationship between the intrinsic surface resistance ( R s int ) and critical current density (Jc) of YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) film thinner than the penetration depth (λL). The measured YBCO films were deposited on CeO2-buffered r-cut Al2O3 substrates by the pulsed laser deposition method. The thicknesses of these films were 300, 200, and 100 nm, respectively. The R s int means the surface resistance of YBCO film removing the loss by the impedance of the substrates. The effective surface resistance ( R s eff ) including the impedance of the substrate and the Jc of each YBCO film were measured using the dielectric resonator method at 21.8 GHz and the inductive method. We calculated R s int by using phenomenological expressions and the R s eff value. The R s int values of each YBCO film were almost the same in the measured temperature region. As a result, we found that R s int was in inverse proportion to the Jc of YBCO film thinner than λL.

The power-handling capability and frequency responses of superconducting bandpass filters (BPFs) at a center frequency around 5 GHz with a 100-MHz bandwidth were investigated for application to transmit filters. A 3-pole BPF was designed using a Chebyshev function with three pairs of the bulk ring resonators and the dielectric trimming rods with the same dimensions. Using this design, we simulated the frequency responses of the filter with low loss and passband ripple, and by adjusting positions of trimming rods a fine tuning of the filter responses was achieved. The BPF was fabricated using ring resonators made from a DyBa2Cu3Oy superconducting bulk and a pair of Al2O3 substrates in a Cu cavity with trimming mechanisms using dielectric rods. The filtering property with low insertion loss was clearly observed at 25 K. Power-handling capability of the 3-pole BPF of over 10 W (40 dBm) was observed.

The superconducting band-pass filter has small insertion loss and excellent out-of-band rejection properties. It has been put to practical use in a number of applications. However, in order to expand its range of application, a tuning technique that can restore the filter characteristics is needed. We propose an automatic tuning system using a trimming library and checked the feasibility of the system by tuning a forward-coupled filter with three resonators. The results show that the trimming library method is an effective way of automatically improving the filter characteristics.

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a term used to describe a spectrum of conditions characterized by histological findings of hepatic macrovesicular steatosis with inflammation in individuals who consume little or no alcohol. The NASH patients progress to liver cirrhosis and even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Hepatocyte-specific phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-deficient mice (PTEN-deficient mice), which the authors had generated previously, showed massive hepatomegaly and steatohepatitis with triglyceride accumulation followed by liver fibrosis and HCC, a phenotype similar to human NASH. Therefore, it was shown that PTEN deficiency in hepatocytes could induce hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis and tumors and that PTEN-deficient mice were a useful animal model for not only the understanding of the pathogenesis of NASH but also the development of treatment for NASH.

Recent demands of higher integration in ultra large scale integrations (ULSIs) have accelerated shrinking of their devices to the size of nanometer scale. A major concern in nanoscale metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices is generation of depletion layers in poly Si gate films due to the strong electric field inherent in thin gate oxide MOS devices. Nickel monosilicide (NiSi) has been an attractive alternate since it has a lower resistivity [1,2]. So far NiSi has been formed with Ni deposition followed by a post anneal up to 350 500 . However, the conventional method does not allow the low temperature process below 300 and the concentration control of Ni in the film was difficult. One of the present coauthors, on the other hand, has developed a metal formation process of Cu by metal chloride reduction chemical vapor deposition (MCR-CVD) [3]. In the present work, we have newly developed a unique method of Ni silicidation with a Cl plasma containing NiCl based on MCR-CVD. The present technique enables the low temperature process below 300 and the concentration control of Ni in the grown film. We show a schematic of MCR-CVD system for the Ni silicidation in Fig. 1. A Ni solid source was placed at a certain distance in front of a substrate in a reaction chamber. Pure Cl2 gas diluted with a noble gas was introduced into the reaction chamber and the processed gas was evacuated through a variable conductance valve to keep the pressure at constant pressures below 1x10 Torr. The plasma was generated by radio frequency power with a frequency of 13.56 MHz and powers exceeding 1 kW by an antenna. As a substrate we prepared poly Si/SiO2 overcoated Si wafers. The thicknesses of Si and SiO2 were 150nm and 8nm, respectively. During the process, the substrate temperature was set in the rage of 280-300 . We assume the present process is explained as follows. The Cl plasma generated by the RF antenna reacts with the Ni solid source; Ni + Cl* NiCl(gas). (1) The vaporized NiCl is transported and adsorbed on the Si substrate. Cl atoms in NiCl are extracted by surface Si and SiCl desorbs from the surface, NiCl + Si Ni + SiCl(gas). (2) In the course of the process, the delivered Ni is diffused into the poly Si film. We show a cross-sectional image of the poly Si/SiO2 overcoated Si wafers processed with the Cl plasma containing NiCl in Fig.2. The thickness of NiSi was 130nm, which is smaller than the initial thickness of the poly Si. This is because the Si atoms desorb as SiCl from the film and Ni is concentrated. In our experiment, we have confirmed that the concentration of Ni is possible by extending the process time. We also show the XRD data obtained from the processed wafer in Fig.4. We can see the Ni5Si2 and Ni2Si are generated in the film. We have also confirmed the crystallinity can be changed from NiSi2 to Ni by changing the process time. The resistivity of the film was 57 ·cm, suggesting the present technique is available for the fabrication of metal gate MOSs at near RT. References [1] S. Schmidt, T. Mollenhauer, H.D.B. Gottlob, T. Wahlbrink, J.K. Efavi, L. Ottaviano, S. Cristolveanu, M.C. Lemmne, H. Kurz, Microelectronic Eng. 82(2005)497. [2] J. Kedzierski, D. Boyd, P. Ronshim, S. Zafar, J. Newbury, J. Otto, C. Canral Jr., M. Ieong, W. Haensch, IEDM Tech. Dig. (2003)315. [3] Y.Ohba, H.Sakamoto, Y.Ogura, N.Yahata, T.Nishimori and K.Hatayama, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 42 (2003) 6820.

A 72-year-old male visited our hospital for further evaluation of esophageal varices. Telangiectasias were present in the stomach. He had recurrent epistaxis, which was also confirmed in his family's medical history. We diagnosed this case as Osler-Weber-Rendu disease. He had concomitant with hepatic nodular change. Abdominal angiography showed arterio-portal (A-P) shunts, superior mesenteric artery (SMA)-superior mesenteric vein (SMV) shunt, extension of SMV, and dilated and meandering portal vein. Esophageal varices were treated by endoscopic variceral ligation (EVL) and argon plasma coagulation (APC) therapy for prophylaxis of bleeding.

Objective We evaluated the efficacy and safety of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO) performed using absolute ethanol with iodized oil (ET+LPD) and simultaneous endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) with cyanoacrylate (CA) for gastric varices (GVs). Methods A total of 16 patients with endoscopically proven high-risk GVs treated using combined B-RTO with ET+LPD and EIS with CA between January 2007 and July 2012 were enrolled. Results Twelve cases included GVs involving both the cardia and fundus, two cases included fundal varices and two cases included cardiac varices. In terms of the form of GVs, 10 cases involved F2 lesions and six cases involved F3 lesions. The flow vein was the left gastric vein in 13 cases and the posterior gastric vein in three cases. The drainage route was a splenorenal shunt in all cases. The average dose of ET+LPD was 12.0 mL, while that of CA was 2.45 mL. All complications were transient, and no major complications occurred after the procedures. None of the patients experienced bleeding or recurrence of gastric varices after the combined B-RTO and EIS procedures during an average follow-up period of 38.3 months. Conclusion Combined B-RTO with ET+LPD and simultaneous EIS with CA is considered to be an effective and safe procedure for treating GVs.

A 57-year-old woman in Japan, the first recipient of part of a liver from a 58-year-old man with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) amyloidogenic transthyretin Val30Met who had had sensorimotor polyneuropathy in the lower limbs for 3 years, started to develop sensory neuropathy 7 years after transplantation. Before the July 1998 sequential transplantation, she had been in a hepatic coma at the terminal stage of primary biliary cirrhosis and waiting for deceased donor liver transplantation. In September 2004, biopsy samples of her duodenum first showed amyloid deposition. Although biopsy materials in 2005 and 2006 showed no changes in amyloid deposition, decreased temperature sensation and pain in fingertips and toes were detected at a neurologic examination in March 2006. Thus, clinical symptoms of FAP appeared about 2 years after amyloid deposition started. Nerve conduction velocity studies revealed mild to moderate axonal sensory polyneuropathy without demyelination. Our findings confirmed iatrogenic sensory neuropathy induced by amyloid deposition 7 years after sequential liver transplantation.

We have designed and fabricated a superconducting microstrip patch antenna with a larger bandwidth. The low surface resistance of superconductor compared to normal conductor corresponds to a large quality factor (Q) and improved performance in passive microwave devices. However, the narrow bandwidth that occurs with large Q is a major obstacle to the wider application of superconducting microstrip antennas. To enlarge the bandwidth of superconducting microstrip antennas, two additional gap-coupled resonators (GCRs) are used for the antenna. An electromagnetic simulator based on the moment method was used for design and analysis. The antenna has a center frequency of 11.85 GHz and was fabricated using YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) thin films on CeO2 buffered r-Al2O3 substrates. Return loss and bandwidth of the GCR antenna were measured using a vector network analyzer. The GCR antenna shows an improvement of the bandwidth over a single-element superconducting patch antenna.

We have studied the magnetic dependence of the surface resistance (Rs) of YBa2Cu3Oy (YBCO) thin films by changing the direction of an applied magnetic field by mean of a micriostrip line resonator method (MLRM). We measured Rs(0), Rs(90) and Rs(45) to which the direction of the applied magnetic field was respectively normal, parallel and at 45° to the film surface. In the low temperature region, (below 40 K), the Rs(0) had low magnetic dependence; however, the Rs(90) and Rs(45) had high magnetic dependence, even below 10 K. We examined the magnetic field dependence of Rs (90) and Rs(0) using the London equation, and found that Rs(90) in the higher temperature region could be mostly explained by the theory.

Epimorphin, a mesenchymal morphogenic protein expressed by hepatic stellate cells, is considered important to liver morphogenesis in both healthy and pathologic conditions. However, the stellate cell phenotype, quiescent versus activated, that expresses epimorphin is unknown. We studied the relationship between epimorphin expression and stellate cell status in carbon tetrachloride-induced acute and chronic injury to mouse liver and in mouse liver regeneration following 70% partial hepatectomy. Epimorphin-positive cells in sinusoids expressed desmin, indicating that they are stellate cells. Epimorphin-positive cells were more numerous and larger in pericentral than periportal sinusoids in normal liver. In early-phase acute liver injury and liver regeneration, epimorphin expression transiently decreased while alphaSMA-positive stellate cells increased. In the recovery phase of acute and chronic injury as well as the late phase of liver regeneration, epimorphin expression was strikingly enhanced while alphaSMA-positive stellate cells decreased. This expression pattern was seen in both Balb/c and C57BL6 mouse strains irrespective of their differences in response to the hepatotoxin. In conclusion, stellate cells express epimorphin in their quiescent state and in the recovery phase, respectively associated with maintenance and reconstruction of microscopic liver structure.

We have examined the improvement of filter properties using sapphire and nickel rod trimmers. We measured the resonance frequency of the hairpin resonator in the filter, and examined the difference between the simulated and measured values. When the measured resonance frequency was lower than the simulated frequency, we used a nickel trimmer to increase the resonance frequency, and when high, a sapphire trimmer to decrease the frequency. Our results showed that the use of sapphire and nickel rod trimmers is effective in improving the frequency response of HTS bandpass filters.

Improvements in superconducting device characteristics using laser-etching trimming is examined. A KrF excimer laser (248 nm) was used. As an example, improving the bandwidth of a superconducting patch antenna with gap-coupled resonators and that insertion loss of a 3-pole hairpin-type superconducting filter were studied. We found that laser-etching trimming is quite useful for improving the antenna and filter properties; increasing the bandwidth and reducing return loss with the antenna, and reducing loss with the filter.

We herein report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with lung metastasis that was successfully treated with transcatheter arterial infusion chemotherapy via the hepatic and bronchial arteries. A 64-year-old man diagnosed with HCC in 2003 was treated with locoregional therapy followed by sorafenib for recurrent HCC. Tumor thrombosis and lung metastasis were noted in April 2012. We administered IA-call(®), a fine-powder formulation of cisplatin, via the hepatic and bronchial arteries. This therapy resulted in the disappearance of the lung metastases and a partial response to tumor thrombosis. The patient remained alive for 23 months after developing lung metastasis.

Gabexate mesilate, a synthetic protease inhibitor, is used to treat acute pancreatitis and disseminated intravascular coagulation because it inhibits various serine proteases; however, whether gabexate mesilate prevents acute liver failure has not yet been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of gabexate mesilate in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats.Acute hepatic failure was induced by administration of CCl4 intragastrically to male Sprague-Dawley rats. The effects of gabexate mesilate were examined in terms of serum transaminase levels, liver histology, and the prognosis of rats.Gabexate mesilate treatment significantly decreased the elevation of serum transaminase levels and improved liver histology 24 h after the administration of CCl4 (0.2 ml/100 g rat weight). Plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) decreased significantly in the gabexate mesilate-treated rats compared with saline-treated rats. Gabexate mesilate treatment also significantly improved survival rate after a lethal dose of CCl4 (0.5 ml/100 g rat weight) from 0% to 20%.Gabexate mesilate treatment attenuated CCl4-induced liver injury via a suppression of proinflammatory cytokine production. In addition, these investigations suggest that gabexate mesilate treatment may provide therapeutic strategies for human acute liver failure.

We developed a novel non-destructive and non-contact method for the measurement of critical current density (Jc) using a permanent magnet. A high-temperature superconductor (HTS) thin-film was fixed on the stage of the system and a small cylindrical permanent magnet (Sm2Co17) was set above the HTS film. The repulsive force (Fr) and attractive force between the small magnet and HTS film were measured by a high-resolution load sensor changing the distance (L) between the HTS film and the magnet. The maximum repulsive force (Fm) could be estimated from an experimental result of the Fr vs. L curve. We investigated the relationship of Jc to Fm in several HTS samples. The standard Jc of the HTS films was determined using the inductive measurement system made from THEVA GmbH. We found that the Jc is approximately proportional to the Fm normalized by the film thickness. This result indicates that the permanent magnet technique can easily estimate the Jc of HTS films. We also found that the system can measure Jc with sufficient reproducibility and in a short time. Moreover, it was checked to confirm that Jc mapping of a YBCO thin film could be also measured.

In increasing portal blood flow, hepatic stellate cells (HSC) may be lengthened in response to mechanical stretch stimulation and their function may be changed. However, little is known about the influence of mechanical stretch on hepatic stellate cells. We examined production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP), and extracellular matrix by hepatic stellate cells to investigate the relationship between mechanical stretch and hepatic fibrosis. LI90 cells, human hepatic stellate cells, were stretched cyclically using the Flexer cell strain unit. Concentrations of MMP1, MMP2, TIMP1, TIMP2, type I collagen C-telopeptide (1CTP), procollagen III propeptide (PIIIP), and hyaluronic acid in culture supernatants were determined. MMP1, MMP2, and TIMP1 mRNA expression was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In stretched LI90 cells, concentration of MMP1 showed an increase relative to unstretched cells, but concentrations of MMP2, TIMPl, and TIMP2 showed a decrease. MMP1/TIMP1 ratio and MMP1 mRNA expression showed an increase in stretched cells. Our finding suggested that in the early phase of portal hypertension, hepatic stellate cells increase production of MMPl and decrease production of TIMP1 and TIMP2, activated by mechanical stretch.

The current status of microwave applications in Japan and Asia is presented. In Japan, research on HTS filters and HTS filter subsystems is being carried out in only a few companies and universities. Compact lumped-element filters, small and light HTS filter subsystems for the IMT-2000 system and new applications using HTS bandpass filters are being proposed. In China and Korea, HTS filter subsystems have recently been developed for mobile telecommunications base stations. Field trials of these HTS filter subsystems were carried out and their effectiveness was verified.

Background and Aim: A 70-kDa heat shock protein (stress-inducible HSP70, HSP72) has been reported to be a cytoprotectant in a variety of organs. It has been reported that HSP72 protected non-cirrhotic rats against endotoxemia. However, its cytoprotective effect against endotoxemia in cirrhotic rats has not yet been studied. In this study, we investigated the cytoprotective effect of HSP72 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced liver injury in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced cirrhotic rats. Methods: Liver cirrhosis was produced by an 8-week intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 in male Sprague–Dawley rats. Expression of HSP72 was investigated using western blot analysis. Cirrhotic rats were given an intraperitoneal injection of LPS (10 mg/kg) with or without hyperthermia (42.5°C, 15 min) preconditioning. Liver injury was assessed biochemically (aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase, creatinine) and histologically. The plasma tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level was determined. Results: Hyperthermia preconditioning induced a 4-fold increase in HSP72 in the cirrhotic rat liver. Pre-induction of HSP72 prevented LPS-induced liver injury, as evaluated using serum biochemical parameters and histology with reduced TNF-α response. Conclusion: These findings suggest that pre-induction of HSP72 may provide therapeutic strategies for Gram-negative sepsis-induced liver injury in liver cirrhosis.

The growth and characterization of a BaZrO3 buffer layer for controlling the in-plane orientation of YBa2Cu3O7?? films grown on MgO substrates is described. BaZrO3 buffer layers and YBa2Cu3O7?? films are grown by pulsed laser deposition. 45? grain boundaries typically exist in YBa2Cu3O7?? films grown on MgO(001) substrates; these are fatal defects for microwave device applications and are eliminated using the BaZrO3 buffer layer. The preferred orientation and in-plane orientation with respect to the MgO substrates are estimated for MgO lattice-matched BaZrO3 buffer layers grown on MgO substrates. YBa2Cu3O7?? films grown at an optimum growth temperature of 710??C on BaZrO3 buffer layers on MgO(001) substrates show a lower surface resistance (RS) than those on MgO(001) substrates without BaZrO3 buffer layers.

This paper reports the results the application of sapphire rod trimming to improve HTS filter properties. First, we examined the optimum position of the sapphire rod above the hairpin filter to shift the resonance frequency. The resonance frequency could be changed about 20 MHz, a value which is sufficient for filter trimming. Next, we examined sapphire rod trimming for a 5-resonator hairpin filter. We found that sapphire rod trimming is a very useful technique for improving filter properties; for example, reducing the ripple and increasing the steepness of the filter properties. We also discuss improving sapphire rod trimming using an equivalent circuit model. The improvement and sapphire rod position could be explained by the equivalent circuit model.

We examined the two-step annealing for YBCO thin-film preparation using the spin-coating method, and proved its effectiveness. High-rate annealing (∼120°C/min) for first annealing (