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Background: The Extracorporeal Life Support Organization Supplies Platform (https://Supplies.ELSO.org) was created out of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) disposable product shortage prior to and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This novel Platform supports Centers in obtaining disposables from other Centers when alternative avenues are exhausted. Methods: Driven by the opportunity for increased patient care by using the product availability of the 962 ELSO centers worldwide was the motivation to form an efficient online supply sharing Platform. The pandemic created by COVID-19 became a catalyst to further recognize the magnitude of the supply disruption on a global scale, impacting allocations and guidelines for institutions, practice, and patient care. Conclusions: Records kept on the Platform website are helpful to the industry by providing insights into where difficulties exist in the supply chain for needed equipment. Yet, the common thread is awareness, of how critical situations can stretch resources and challenge our resolve for the best patient care. ELSO is proud to support member centers in these situations, by providing a means of attaining needed ECMO life support products to cover supply shortages.

Background About half of patients with Crohn’s Disease (CD) require surgery in the course of treatment, furthermore, reoperation for later recurrence is also performed in high frequency. One of the characteristic findings for CD patients is creeping fat (CF) wrapped around inflamed areas of the intestine, and CF correlates with stenosis of the intestinal tract resulting from changes in the connective tissue of the intestinal wall. Lower postoperative recurrences have been reported among CD patients who underwent extensive CF resection, suggesting that CF would be clinically important. However, the detail mechanisms are still unknown. The aim of this study is to examine the functional mechanism and clinical significance of CF focused on innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) and macrophages. Methods Normal mesentery (NM) of ileum was obtained from microscopically and macroscopically intact areas in patients with colorectal cancer. Mesentery was also obtained from surgically resected specimens from patients with CD who were diagnosed based on established clinical, radiologic, and endoscopic criteria. Mesenteric stromal vascular fraction were isolated by enzymatic digestion. Mesentery from CD patients divided CF and areas with no or slight inflammation (non-CF). Early recurrence was defined as Rutgeerts score (≥2) or worsening of clinical symptoms (CDAI≥220). Results RNA-seq of CF revealed that expression of immune-related genes and of fibrosis-related genes were elevated compared with NM and non-CF. Both frequency and numbers of ILC1 were increased, and those of ILC2 and ILC3 were decreased in CF compared with NM. Positive associations between ILC1 and inflammatory macrophages (CD14+ CD163low) related to fat fibrosis were observed in frequency and number per unit weight. FACS and RT-PCR showed ILC1 from CF had higher expression of IFNγ than those from non-CF. Co-culture experiment of ILC1 from CF and SVF from NM showed increased expression of fibrosis associated genes (COL1A, COL3A), inflammatory markers of macrophages (iNOS, Mincle), and TGFB1, and these effects were cancelled by IFNγ-neutralizing antibody. Evaluation of risk factors of early recurrence showed high frequency of ILC1 from CF and low preoperative serum albumin level were significantly associated with early recurrence (P = 0.004, P = 0.04, each). There was a significant difference between the ILC1 high (≥ 80 %) and ILC1 low (< 80 %) from CF in terms of early recurrence-free survival (P = 0.02). Conclusion In CF, ILC1 plays a certain role in macrophage function related to fat fibrosis via IFNγ production. CD patients with high ILC1 (≥80%) in the CF have tendency of early recurrence.

Background Blood pressure (BP) variability has reportedly been a risk factor for various clinical events. To clarify the influence of BP visit‐to‐visit variability on adverse events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a post hoc analysis of the J‐RHYTHM Registry was performed. Methods and Results Of 7406 outpatients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation from 158 institutions, 7226 (age, 69.7±9.9 years; men, 70.7%), in whom BP was measured 4 times or more (14.6±5.0 times) during the 2‐year follow‐up period or until occurrence of an event, constituted the study group. SD and coefficient of variation of BP values were calculated as BP variability. Thromboembolism, major hemorrhage, and all‐cause death occurred in 110 (1.5%), 121 (1.7%), and 168 (2.3%) patients, respectively. When patients were divided into quartiles of systolic BP‐SD (P =0.015 for thromboembolism; HR, 2.60, 95% CI, 1.36–4.97, P =0.004 for major hemorrhage; and HR, 1.85, 95% CI, 1.11–3.07, P =0.018 for all‐cause death) after adjusting for components of the CHA 2 DS 2 ‐VASc score, warfarin and antiplatelet use, atrial fibrillation type, BP measurement times, and others. These findings were consistent when BP‐coefficient of variation was used instead of BP‐SD. Conclusions Systolic BP visit‐to‐visit variability was significantly associated with all adverse events in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Further studies are needed to clarify the causality between BP variability and adverse outcomes in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Registration URL: https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ ; Unique Identifier: UMIN000001569.

Background: Multiple major health organisations recommend the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for COVID-19-related acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure. However, initial reports of ECMO use in patients with COVID-19 described very high mortality and there have been no large, international cohort studies of ECMO for COVID-19 reported to date. Methods: We used data from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry to characterise the epidemiology, hospital course, and outcomes of patients aged 16 years or older with confirmed COVID-19 who had ECMO support initiated between Jan 16 and May 1, 2020, at 213 hospitals in 36 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital death in a time-to-event analysis assessed at 90 days after ECMO initiation. We applied a multivariable Cox model to examine whether patient and hospital factors were associated with in-hospital mortality. Findings: Data for 1035 patients with COVID-19 who received ECMO support were included in this study. Of these, 67 (6%) remained hospitalised, 311 (30%) were discharged home or to an acute rehabilitation centre, 101 (10%) were discharged to a long-term acute care centre or unspecified location, 176 (17%) were discharged to another hospital, and 380 (37%) died. The estimated cumulative incidence of in-hospital mortality 90 days after the initiation of ECMO was 37·4% (95% CI 34·4–40·4). Mortality was 39% (380 of 968) in patients with a final disposition of death or hospital discharge. The use of ECMO for circulatory support was independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality (hazard ratio 1·89, 95% CI 1·20–2·97). In the subset of patients with COVID-19 receiving respiratory (venovenous) ECMO and characterised as having acute respiratory distress syndrome, the estimated cumulative incidence of in-hospital mortality 90 days after the initiation of ECMO was 38·0% (95% CI 34·6–41·5). Interpretation: In patients with COVID-19 who received ECMO, both estimated mortality 90 days after ECMO and mortality in those with a final disposition of death or discharge were less than 40%. These data from 213 hospitals worldwide provide a generalisable estimate of ECMO mortality in the setting of COVID-19. Funding: None.

In recent years, energy-generating devices such as residential use fuel cell cogeneration systems (FCCGS) have been spreading. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), which is a type of FCCGS, determines the amount of power generation and power generation time according to the demand for electricity and hot water supply in houses. Therefore, residents’ lifestyle influences a PEFC’s load following speed and efficiency. However, there are few actual surveys of household electricity and hot water supply demand, and we haven’t fully grasped factors that affect them. Therefore, we aim to acquire home electricity and hot water usage habits that affect PEFC operation by measuring detailed electricity and hot water supply demand in 10 houses in Japan. In addition, we also conducted a questionnaire survey for the households and analysed the influence of resident’s behaviour on demand for electricity and hot water supply. We can’t see instantaneous changes in the amount of PEFC generated based on hourly data, so we measured the electricity consumption of the entire house and the electricity consumption and hot water consumption of each household appliance every 2 seconds. In this report, we analysed the usage habits of home appliances.

Background To clarify the influence of hypertension and blood pressure ( BP ) control on thromboembolism and major hemorrhage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, a post hoc analysis of the J‐ RHYTHM Registry was performed. Methods and Results A consecutive series of outpatients with atrial fibrillation was enrolled from 158 institutions. Of 7937 patients, 7406 with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (70.8% men, 69.8±10.0 years) were followed for 2 years or until an event occurred. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP ≥140 mm Hg, a diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, a history of hypertension, and/or antihypertensive drug use. Hypertension was an independent risk factor for major hemorrhage (hazard ratio 1.52, 95% CI 1.05–2.21, P =0.027) but not for thromboembolism (hazard ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.73–1.52, P =0.787). When patients were divided into quartiles according to their systolic BP at the time closest to the event or at the end of follow‐up (Q1, CI 1.75–4.74, P CI 1.02–2.53, P =0.041) after adjustment for components of CHA 2 DS 2 ‐ VAS c score, warfarin use, and antiplatelet use. A systolic BP of ≥136 mm Hg was an independent risk factor for thromboembolism and major hemorrhage. Conclusions BP control appears to be more important than a history of hypertension and baseline BP values at preventing thromboembolism and major hemorrhage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Clinical Trial Registration URL : http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr . Unique identifier: UMIN 000001569.

The effect of mechanical stress on Barkhausen noise from 45-permalloy plate is reported for as-rolled plate and plates which are annealed at various temperatures up to 1000 K. The data are compared with data of magnetic permeability, coercive force and Vickers hardness. The Barkhausen noise energy detected has been found to increase linearly with nominal stress. The larger the annealing temperature, the less the rate of increase was observed. On the other hand, the magnetic permeability has been found to decrease linearly with nominal stress in a small stress region. Overall features are explained qualitatively by a model in which tensile stress makes the number of effective pinning sites which have appropriate activation energies for discontinuous motion of domain wall more, while annealing process makes just the number of pinning sites such as defects and grain boundaries less.

Neonatal hypoglycemia is a common problem in nurseries and has been associated with adverse neurodevelopmental consequences. Detection of hypoglycemia in the neonate requires accurate and reliable measurement of blood glucose concentrations. Point of care testing devices have advanced the ability of caretakers to rapidly monitor blood glucose levels at the bedside. However, care must be taken when interpreting low glucose measurements on point of care testing devices in the neonatal population. Although no device has been definitively shown to satisfy guidelines set forth by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards and the American Diabetic Association in measuring low glucose values, some do show higher sensitivities and negative predictive values. The clinical status of the patient and the inherent bias within the device can have a significant impact on the accuracy of the glucose measurements and must be kept in mind when interpreting results. In addition, adherence to quality control and attention to storage and to the expiration of reagents are crucial. It is best to involve a multidisciplinary committee involving clinical and laboratory personnel to choose the appropriate device, perform appropriate validation studies, and monitor its effectiveness.

Aims: To characterise a novel strain of adenovirus (Ad) type Ad8 (genome type Ad8I) involved in an epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC) outbreak in Hiroshima city using serological testing and sequence analysis of the fibre and hexon gene. Methods: A neutralisation test (NT) was performed in microtitre plates containing a confluent monolayer of A549 cells using 100 tissue culture infectious doses of virus and type specific antisera. The haemagglutination inhibition test was also carried out in microtitre plates with rat erythrocytes using four haemagglutination units of virus and twofold dilutions of serum. The fibre gene was sequenced by generating overlapping polymerase chain reaction products or by direct sequencing of genomic DNA. Primer selection was based on alignment of the fibre genes of human adenovirus serotypes Ad8, Ad19, Ad37, Ad9, and Ad15 available from Gene Bank. Results: The virus strain was specifically neutralised by anti-Ad8 antibodies, although there was a major crossreaction with anti-Ad9 antibodies. Haemagglutination was equally inhibited by anti-Ad8 and anti-Ad9 antibodies. The predicted amino acid sequences of the hypervariable regions (HVRs) of the Ad8I hexon gene showed higher homology with Ad9 (83.3%) than with Ad8 (62.0%). However, the Ad8I fibre knob was more homologous to Ad8 (94.4%) than to Ad9 (91.6%). Conclusions: Ad8I is a unique strain of adenovirus because of its lower genomic homology with Ad8, major crossreactivity with Ad9 in NT, and mixed genetic organisation of HVRs of the hexon gene. These factors may have enabled the virus to circumvent acquired immunity, resulting in the outbreak.

Aims: To investigate the genetic differences among the strains of adenovirus type 8 (Ad8) circulating in Hiroshima city, Japan, and to study their circulation pattern. Methods: One hundred and twenty nine strains of adenovirus type 8 (Ad8) were isolated in Hiroshima City over a 15 year period (1983–97) from patients with keratoconjunctivitis, and analysed with six restriction enzymes—BamHI, HindIII, PstI, SacI, SalI, and SmaI—to investigate possible relations among the isolates and their genetic variability. Seven hypervariable regions of the hexon gene that carry the type specific epitope were also sequenced to investigate the variation among the genome types. Results: Restriction endonuclease analyses yielded three known genome types (Ad8A, 13 samples; Ad8B, seven samples; and Ad8E, 35 samples) and a novel genome type (Ad8I, 74 samples). Ad8A, Ad8B, and Ad8E were closely related, with 96% homology, whereas Ad8I had only 71% homology. Ad8A, Ad8B, and Ad8E shared 91.8% and 96.4% homology with regard to their amino acid and nucleotide sequences, respectively, with the isolate 1127 (accession no X74663). However, when compared with Ad8A, Ad8B, Ad8E, and isolate 1127, Ad8I shared only 62.7% and 69.9% homology with regard to amino acid and nucleotide sequences, respectively. Ad8A, Ad8B, and Ad8E had a unique 31 amino acid deletion in the hypervariable region 1 of the hexon gene, whereas Ad8I had a 33 residue deletion. The Ad8E strain that circulated from 1984 to 1995 was stable among the study population. Ad8I was isolated from an outbreak of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis in 1995 and was also isolated from sporadic cases until 1997. Conclusions: These results confirmed that genetic variability occurs in Ad8 in the microenvironment and revealed the emergence of a new genome type (Ad8I).

Although abdominal perforator flaps based on a cutaneous branch of the deep inferior epigastric artery (DIEP flaps) have many advantages, preparing these flaps is technically difficult and requires great skill, especially as the portion of the artery running under the anterior rectus abdominis sheath must be operated upon "blind". To allow easier preparation and elevation of a DIEP flap pedicle, we propose that the arterial perforator should: 1) be more than 1.0 mm large; 2) run a straight intramuscular course, parallel to the rectus abdominis m. fibers, with no large muscular branches; and 3) have only a short portion running immediately under the anterior rectus abdominis sheath. We examined 329 perforators (more than 0.5 mm in diameter at the anterior sheath) in 66 rectus abdominis mm. from 33 cadavers among them: 1) 52 "large" perforators were over 1.0 mm in diameter; 2) 107 "suitable" perforators ran parallel to the muscle fibers without giving off large muscular branches; and 3) 35 "ideal" perforators combined these characteristics. The ideal perforators were usually located in the mid-abdominal region, 10-30 mm lateral to the umbilicus. The suitable perforators were usually present, often in combination with the ideal perforator(s), in a restricted area 20 mm cranial and 40-50 mm lateral to the umbilicus. We classified the course and ramification pattern of the deep inferior epigastric a. into six patterns, depending on whether the anastomosis was sited in the medial or lateral branch and the level at which the branches originated.

We present a new approach for designing atomic step arrangements on the Si(111) surface on a wafer scale. Steps on the surfaces patterned with mesas and trenches are rearranged during step-flow growth in molecular beam epitaxy. The step-flow growth produces straight arrays of [112]-type steps along the mesa tops. On the bottom of the trenches, however, resulting atomic steps curve toward the [112] direction, and are randomly distributed. These results show that step-flow growth on Si(111) mesa tops is promising for large-scale control of step arrangement and that the steps can be used as templates for step-initiated nanofabrication.

Variability in the response of the magnetosphere under different interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions is investigated by utilizing a high-resolution, three-dimensional, global magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model. Changes in the MHD model response time delay are found by performing a parameter search based on the strength of the IMF Bz component, which is held constant for 4 hours prior to and following southward turnings. The parameter search reveals that variations in the growth phase duration and, thus in the timing of expansion phase onset, follow a simple pattern governed by the relative strengths of IMF Bz before and after the southward turnings. If the IMF northward and southward values are equal in magnitude, the expansion phase onset occurs ∼60 min after dayside merging begins. However, if the north IMF setting is smaller (larger) than the subsequent southward field intensity, the expansion phase onset can occur after a much shorter (longer) time delay. The range of onset delay times found from the simulation is ∼60±30 min. The MHD results are tested by means of an empirical analysis, which is based on the assumption that the solar wind response of the magnetosphere, as represented by the AL index, is bimodal, owing to the different solar wind response timescales of the convection current system and the substorm current wedge. The empirical analysis utilizes short duration time intervals including solar wind input time series and corresponding AL index data. The empirical results agree favorably with the results found via MHD simulation.

We have used a three dimensional global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere to investigate the changes which occur in the magnetotail when the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) changes orientation. For IMF B y ≠ 0 the entire magnetotail twists when the IMF changes from southward to northward. The twisting at a given location on the tail magnetopause occurs shortly after the IMF change reaches that location. Inside the magnetosphere the response time is much longer. New field lines with open ends formed by the reconnection of tail lobe field at a near-Earth neutral line also twist as the field lines convect tailward. Initially formed with a southward B z they end up with a northward B z . The response of the tail to a change in the IMF is controlled by the penetration of the solar wind electric field into the magnetosphere.

We have developed a three-dimensional global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the interaction between the solar wind and a rapidly rotating magnetosphere and applied it to Jupiter. For fixed solar wind dynamic pressure the rotating model Jovian magnetosphere extends farther toward the Sun and has greater extent in the east–west direction than a model without rotation but is little different in the north south direction. There is a pronounced dawn-dusk asymmetry with the dawn magnetopause displaced farther from Jupiter. The middle Jovian magnetosphere contains a thin plasma sheet dominated by rotating plasmas. On the day side this plasma sheet thickens near the magnetopause. Near the dawnside magnetopause where rotating Jovian convection is opposed to the solar wind induced flow, a pressure ridge forms where the magnetospheric flow slows and forms a stagnation region. In the magnetotail the rotating flow is diverted tailward. For x < −100RJ x-type and o-type neutral lines form. When the solar wind pressure was decreased, the boundaries moved away from Jupiter and the dayside field lines became stretched into a more tail-like configuration. A flow vortex formed in the evening middle magnetosphere.

Novel planar growth of highly strained heterostructure of InAs GaAs (0 0 1) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been studied by an in situ scanning tunneling microscope (STM) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). It is found that deposition of submonolayer indium on the GaAs As-rich 2 × 4 substrate produces a new 4 × 2 reconstruction, and a novel layer-by-layer growth of multilayers of InAs can be achieved when the growing front displays this 4 × 2 symmetry. Here, we will discuss the atomic structure of the 4 × 2 reconstruction, based on the voltage-dependent high-resolution STM images. In addition, a new strain relaxation mechanism — domain wall structure, in terms of the present novel planar growth mode, will also be addressed.

This paper presents an overview of the convection in the magnetotail that has been revealed by extensive observations by GEOTAIL as well as by recent advances in the three-dimensional simulation. Over a wide range of the IMF conditions the magnetic reconnection is the basic element of the convection in the magnetotail. In geomagnetically active times that correspond to the southward IMF, the observations confirm that there are two preferred sites for the reconnection; one is in the distant tail and at about 140 Re, while the other is in the near-earth region and is formed earthward of 50 Re. Larger flux of the open field lines is reconnected at the distant neutral line than at the near-earth neutral line. In geomagnetically quiet times when IMF B y l ≥ B z > 0, the reconnection still occurs in the magnetotail but it generates an apparently different signature because of the twisting of the tail due to the IMF B y ; the field lines that are convected tailward beyond the neutral line have the northward B z polarity although they cross the twisted neutral sheet from the northern side to the southern side. Since the northward B z is not the unique signature of the closed field lines, the amount of the closed field lines in the tail is not easy to estimate and the conjecture that the magnetosphere is tadpole shaped when the IMF is almost due northward is yet to be proven.

In this paper, we report a scanning tunnelling microscopy study of C60 thin film growth on the GaAs(001) As-rich 2 × 6 and InAs(001) In-rich 4 × 2 surfaces prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. On the 2 × 6-As surface, the corrugated potential of the 2 × 6 substrate forces the first monolayer structure to be strongly modified resulting in formation of a ‘double-chain’ commensurate structure. C60-substrate interaction, however, is limited to 2–3 monolayers at the interface and the competing intermolecular interaction governs the 3-dimensional growth of multiple-layer C60 FCC crystalline film on the InAs(001). In 4 × 2 surface, the C60 molecule is very mobile even at room temperature. The intermolecular interaction is significant and overcomes the substrate corrugated potential, and 2-dimensional islands with quasi-hexagonal close-packing form even at submonolayer coverage.

We treated 12 shoulders in ten patients with irreparable rotator-cuff tears by transfer of the latissimus dorsi. There were nine men and one woman. Their average age was 64.0 years and the average follow-up was 35.6 months (26 to 42). The results were excellent in four shoulders, good in four, fair in one, and poor in three. Active forward flexion improved from a preoperative average of 99° to a postoperative average of 135°. Osteoarthritic changes appeared in five shoulders and proximal migration of the humeral head progressed in six. EMG revealed that nine of the 12 transferred muscles showed activity which was synergistic with the supraspinatus on external rotation with abduction. We conclude that latissimus dorsi transfer can be effective in restoring shoulder function after massive irreparable tears of the rotator cuff.

We report on a scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) study, with different C 60 thin-film growth orientations, on As-rich 2 x 6 and 2 x 4 surfaces of GaAs(001) prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. On the 2 x 6 As surface, the corrugated potential of the 2 x 6 substrate forces the first monolayer to be strongly modified, resulting in the formation of a 'double-chain' commensurate structure. C 60 -substrate interaction, however, is limited to 2 or 3 monolayers from the interface and a competing intermolecular interaction governs the 3-dimensional growth of multiple-layer C 60 FCC crystalline film. Even though both surfaces have similar strongly corrugated potentials, an unusual (110)-oriented C 60 thin crystalline film grows on the 2 x 4 β phase. This novel growth can be understood in terms of a site-specific interaction between the substrate and the molecule and the interplay of the competing intermolecular interactions.

12 hands with congenital short finger in 11 patients were treated with various types of metacarpal bone lengthening. These included three patients with brachydactyly, seven with transverse deficiency, and one with constriction ring syndrome. All cases involved metacarpal lengthening and surgery was performed 16 times in 15 digits. Single-stage lengthening was performed in seven cases, on-top plasty in three cases, and distraction lengthening in six cases. The length gained ranged from 2 to 10 mm in single-stage lengthening, 3 to 17 mm in on-top plasty, and 12 to 30 mm in distraction lengthening. Delayed union and malunion occurred in single-stage lengthening or on-top plasty. After metacarpal lengthening, pinch function was improved in seven out of eight patients with either transverse deficiency or constriction band syndrome, and aesthetic improvement was achieved in three patients with brachydactyly.

We report photoluminescence and Raman scattering measurements of Ge wires formed by self-assembly on Si(113) substrates. The samples were grown at a growth temperature of 500 °C on Si(113) substrates by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy. Atomic force microscopy results clearly show the formation of coherent wire-shaped islands elongated in the [33-2] direction, some with lengths exceeding 500 nm. Micro-Raman measurements indicate that at this low growth temperature intermixing of the silicon and germanium is restricted with an average Ge fraction exceeding 0.7. Capping of the wires with a 20 nm Si epilayer enables the observation of low-temperature photoluminescence. A series of samples with increasing Ge coverage were studied and the onset of Ge islanding is observed to occur at a coverage of 5 monolayers. Wire formation occurs at coverages of 6 monolayers or greater. The observed emission band from the wires has a line shape quite different from that observed from Ge islands on Si[100], being substant...

We report the observation of ghost peaks in the X-ray photoelectron spectrum of Si and Au surfaces. In the XPS of Si excited by Mg Kα as well as Al Kα, a strong peak at 1144.6 eV kinetic energy was observed. Similarly, we observed ghost peaks in the spectrum of Au foil excited with Mg Kα and Al Kα at kinetic energies 945.6, 859.6, 778.6 and 693.6 eV. Detailed analysis of the anode employing XPS and electron probe micro analysis (EPMA) showed evidence for Ag contamination, which causes emission of Ag Lα and Lβ radiations. All the ghost peaks have been explained as photoemission peaks originating from Ag Lα and Lβ radiations. EPMA is seen to give more reliable information than XPS in characterising the contaminated anode.

Decreasing susceptibility to zidovudine (ZDV) has been described in persons infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 who are receiving ZDV therapy. However, the clinical significance of decreased ZDV susceptibility remains unclear. In this study, HIV isolates obtained from children with symptomatic HIV infection treated with ZDV were monitored for their susceptibility to the antiretroviral agent and correlated with disease progression. Using a peripheral blood mononuclear cell-based assay to measure ZDV susceptibility, we evaluated HIV isolates from 19 children (mean age, 6.8 years; range, 5 months to 12 years) during ZDV therapy for susceptibility to ZDV. Of the 19 children studied, 10 continued to have susceptible HIV strains during ZDV treatment, and 9 acquired resistant viruses. All eight isolates from children without previous exposure to ZDV were initially susceptible. After a median of 11 months of ZDV therapy, three (38%) of these eight children had acquired resistant HIV strains (defined as ZDV susceptibilityor = 10 mumol/L). Children with resistant strains had worse clinical outcomes than children whose viruses remained susceptible, as determined by a 50% decline in absolute CD4+ cell counts after 1 year of treatment, failure to thrive, or death. Children with resistant viruses who were given alternative antiretroviral therapy frequently responded to the new treatment with improved growth and stabilization of their HIV-related disease. These data suggest that, in HIV-infected children, ZDV-resistant HIV strains are associated with diminished drug efficacy and more rapid disease progression.

Constitutional lipid peroxidation in randomly selected 32 cases of clinically advanced carcinoma from human gastrointestinal tract (20 cases), breast (8 cases) and kidney (4 cases) was examined histochemically in frozen sections using cold Schiff's reagent. Only two cases of gastrointestinal carcinoma were positive by the reagent. Non-cancerous parenchymal cells were negative. These findings suggest that detectable constitutional lipid peroxidation seldom occurs in either cancerous or normal tissues. The capacity for normal and neoplastic tissues to undergo lipid peroxidation was also studied by incubation with an iron-NADPH pro-oxidant system. Normal parenchymal cells showed, to various degrees, a positive reactivity. In gastrointestinal carcinoma, 6 out of 7 cases of well differentiated adenocarcinoma reacted positively, whereas 2 out of 8 cases of moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma disclosed weakly positive reactions. Mucinous adenocarcinomas (4 cases) were all negative. Signet-ring cell carcinoma (1 case) was positive. One out of 8 cases of breast cancer also showed positive reaction. Four renal cell carcinomas were all negative. Cancer cells have lower capacity to undergo lipid peroxidation than normal cells, when the iron-NADPH pro-oxidant system was employed. In gastrointestinal carcinoma, the ability to undergo lipid peroxidation by the iron-NADPH pro-oxidant seems to be correlated with their histological differentiation. This fact may suggest that differences in lipid composition or the NADPH enzyme system exist between well differentiated and poorly differentiated gastrointestinal malignancies.

Liver regeneration after surgical resection is important. The present study was designed to understand the effect of background liver damage on the rate of liver tissue regeneration after hepatectomy and the mechanism of any defective regeneration.The subjects were 40 patients who underwent liver resection. They comprised 22 patients with chronic viral hepatitis-hepatocellular carcinoma (liver damage group) and 18 patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer (normal liver group). Liver regeneration was evaluated by histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of the surgically resected tissue and by CT-scanning of the regenerated liver mass. The resected liver specimens were stained for c-met, gp-130 and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) proteins.Liver regeneration was significantly less in the liver-damage group than in the normal-liver group. Histopathological examination showed marked inflammatory cell infiltration in the liver-damage group. Expression of c-met, but not gp-130, was significantly higher on parenchymal cells of the liver-damage group than the normal-liver group. NF-kappaB expression in parenchymal liver cells was significantly higher than in non-parenchymal cells of the normal-liver group. In the liver-damage group, liver regeneration correlated negatively with the staining intensity of NF-kappaB protein in non-parenchymal cells. These findings suggest that non-parenchymal cells are constitutively activated in the damaged liver, probably explaining the refractoriness of hepatocytes to cytokine-induced proliferation after hepatectomy, in spite of increased receptor (c-met) expression.The refractory response of injured hepatocytes to cytokines may explain the impaired postoperative liver regeneration in patients with damaged liver.

A new dummy fill placement scheme which has a forbidden area in the vicinity of and underneath the inductor wires of an on-chip spiral inductor is proposed. Experimental results showed no degradation in either the Q value or the resonant frequency for the proposed scheme.

These days, devices known as "networked consumer electronics" (NCE), are being manufactured with installed IP functions. If a fixed address is embedded in an NCE, control, maintenance, and monitoring of the device is facilitated. We propose a scheme to enable an NCE with an embedded fixed IPv6 address to communicate with any node through a collaboration of the NCE and a home network gateway. This scheme reduces the development cost and processing load of NCEs as well as the cost of managing IP addresses of NCEs by using fixed IPv6 addresses.

Definition, incidence, genetics, and etiology of typical cleft hand are discussed in this paper. Cleft hand, central polydactyly, and osseous syndactyly were induced experimentally when the same teratogenic factors acted on the embryos at the same developmental stage. Typical cleft hand, central polydactyly, and syndactyly should be classified together as manifestations of the same entity, that is, failure of induction of finger rays. Typical cleft hand may be further subdivided into five types on the basis of the number of defective finger rays. Treatment of the typical cleft hand involves cosmetic and functional considerations. Reduction of the wide interdigital space is performed primarily for cosmetic reasons, while separation of syndactyly between thumb and index finger and correction of deviation of the thumb is performed for functional improvement. A zigzag incision with a small triangular flap is recommended for reduction of the interdigital space. If metacarpal remnants or cross bones prevent drawing the metacarpals together, they should be removed. The deep transverse metacarpal ligament should be reconstructed by ligamentous flap made out of the flexor tendon sheaths of the index and ring fingers to prevent later spreading of the fingers. A dorsal-based rotation flap fashioned from the skin of the cleft is recommended for the treatment of cleft hand with partial syndactyly of the thumb and index finger. Deviation of the thumb is often caused by a delta phalanx by a trapezoidal-shaped extra phalanx. Deviation of the thumb is corrected by removing the delta phalanx or osteotomy of the trapezoidal phalanx. When the cleft is closed at approximately 1 year of age, spontaneous correction of the flexion deformity of the ring finger is sometimes observed.

Three different polypeptides capable of stimulating histamine release from mast cells were isolated from human whole saliva, using heparin-gel chromatography followed by reversed-phase HPLC. The amino acid sequences of these peptides were shown to be identical to those of histatins 1, 3 and 5.

A current-mode data transceiver for mobile applications is described. This transceiver has a multi-level current transmitter with simple clock recovery and a low-input impedance receiver, and realizes low-voltage swing (about 20 mV) with 150-300 muA drive current at 625 Mbps by differential manner. The transceiver operates with a 1.5-V single power supply, and consumes 3 m\V including transmitter and receiver when simultaneous data and clock transmission at 625 Mbps is achieved through a single differential I/O connecting the transmitter and receiver pair.

In these days, the number of educators who use Squeak in their education is increasing. However, most of them do not have enough experience in teaching with Squeak and are looking for how to educate children with it. We introduce a new system, which helps us to generate new specialized morph kits. This system helps educators to create and share good methods of Squeak education by the specialized kits. We held a workshop using a specialized kit, "animation Morph ", and found that the specialized kit was effective in squeak education. We also compare existing Squeak systems and consider what is important for the new system.

application/pdf, In this letter, we report a method called chemical bond manipulation for fabrication of multiperiod nanometer sized Si/SiO2/Ge layered structure. Chemical bond manipulation is a self-organization process which involves selective breaking and making of surface chemical bonds and thereby enable formation of the desired species on a full wafer scale. We show that oxygen of germanium oxide layer formed on Si(111) are picked up by the Si atoms arriving at the surface during subsequent growth. This phenomenon involves breaking of Ge–O bonds and making of Si–O bonds and leads to the formation of ultrathin Si and Ge layers sandwiched between ultrathin silicon oxide layers, preserving the original wafer morphology. This material exhibits blue-green light emission at room temperature when excited by ultraviolet laser.