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Erythritol helps both prevent and improve periodontal disease and is therefore widely used for dental care in humans. However, only a few studies have investigated the effects of erythritol on periodontal disease in animals. We hypothesized that erythritol could be used to prevent and improve periodontal disease also in canines and investigated the effects of erythritol on canine periodontal disease-related pathogenic bacteria using both in vitro and in vivo methods. The effect of erythritol on the proliferation of Porphyromonas gulae, which is reportedly associated with canine periodontal disease, was investigated in vitro. In addition, a 4-week intervention trial using an external gel preparation containing 5% erythritol was performed in canines with mild periodontal disease; changes in the microbiota around periodontal lesions were investigated using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. The growth of P. gulae was significantly suppressed by erythritol in vitro. In the intervention study, the Shannon index, an indicator of the species distribution α-diversity, and the occupancy of several canine periodontal disease - related bacteria ( P. gulae, P. cangingivalis) were significantly decreased in periodontal lesions. Based on the results of in vitro and in vivo studies, we conclude that, as in humans, erythritol has bacteriostatic effects against periodontal disease - related bacteria in canines.

1-Kestose is a trisaccharide prebiotic that modifies immune responses in humans and rodents with allergic diseases by altering the intestinal microbiota. In the present study, we examined the effects of 1-kestose supplementation on the intestinal microbiota, peripheral lymphocyte subsets, and antibody production in healthy dogs. Fecal IgA levels and serum antibody titers against the rabies vaccine were not significantly affected by 1-kestose supplementation. In a flow cytometric analysis, the percentage of T cells among total lymphocytes decreased, whereas that of B cells increased in supplemented dogs. A metagenomic analysis of the intestinal microbiota showed that the proportion of Bifidobacterium increased, while that of Lactobacillus did not decrease in supplemented dogs. Furthermore, a quantification analysis using real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that the proportion of Bifidobacterium increased in supplemented dogs. These results suggest that 1-kestose supplementation induced modifications in the intestinal microbiota of dogs, which presumably enhanced the immune system. 1-Kestose may be a useful food material as a prebiotic for dogs.

We studied on the anticorrosion effect by applying silane type surface penetrants on RC degraded by carbonation. Two types of carbonation residue and two types of environmental conditions after accelerated carbonation were prepared and investigation was made on the corrosion behaviour of reinforcing bars by applying surface penetrants. As a result, by blocking water penetration by applying surface penetrants, there was a difference in anticorrosive effect in the behaviour of half-cell potential, polarization resistance, and investigation of reinforcing bar corrosion after the end of exposure. From the above, this paper reports on the possibility of realizing anticorrosion effect by suppressing invasion of moisture from concrete surface to carbonated RC.

Ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of PZT thin films was performed using an ultrasonic transducer integrated into the lid of an autoclave. Direct ultrasonic irradiation of 23 W at 53 kHz was carried out during the hydrothermal synthesis at a reaction temperature of 140 degrees C for 24 h. The resultant PZT thin film was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The PZT thin film had fine nanoparticles of approximately 100 nm in diameter when the substrate was placed perpendicular to the plane of ultrasonic irradiation. The film exhibited predominantly (001) orientation when the substrate was placed parallel to the plane of ultrasonic irradiation.

The members of Anemone L. sect. Himalayicae (Ulbr.) Juz. (Ranunculaceae) are mainly distributed in the Himalaya of North India, Nepal and Bhutan and the neighbouring mountains of SW China at elevations between 1850 and 4800 m. Their taxonomy is re-evaluated on the basis of a critical morphological analysis of extensive herbarium material. The section is placed in Anemone subgen. Omalocarpus and differentiated into three new series: ser. Obtusilobae, ser. Trullifoliae and ser. Rupestres. A conspectus, keys to species, subspecies and varieties, descriptions of taxa, illustrations and distribution maps are presented. Eleven species with several infraspecific taxa are recognized and their synonymy, variability and relationships are discussed. In addition to the generally accepted species Anemone obtusiloba, A. trullifolia and A. rupestris, we recognize the following: A. polycarpa, A. rockii, A. geum and A. coelestina and four Chinese endemics, A. yulongshanica, A. patula, A. subpinnata and A. subindivisa. Anemone imbricata and A. fuscopurpurea are described but excluded from the section. The origins, morphological differentiations and eco-geographical radiations of Anemone sect. Himalayicae are discussed.

We herein describe the MRI findings in a patient clinically diagnosed with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) initially manifested by retrobulbar optic neuritis. A 63-year-old woman suddenly had left ocular pain and progressive visual disturbance. MR T2-weighted images revealed hyperintensity in the left optic nerve, with swelling. Contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images showed no abnormal enhancement. Follow-up MRI 6 months after admission revealed no significant changes in the affected optic nerve. To our knowledge, optic neuritis as a complication of SjS has been reported in ten patients [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6] and MRI findings in only one of them [6]. We thought MR images were useful for visualizing optic nerve involvement in SjS and observing its course.

Background Body-mass index (BMI) and diabetes have increased worldwide, whereas global average blood pressure and cholesterol have decreased or remained unchanged in the past three decades. We quantified how much of the effects of BMI on coronary heart disease and stroke are mediated through blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose, and how much is independent of these factors. Methods We pooled data from 97 prospective cohort studies that collectively enrolled 1·8 million participants between 1948 and 2005, and that included 57 161 coronary heart disease and 31 093 stroke events. For each cohort we excluded participants who were younger than 18 years, had a BMI of lower than 20 kg/m2, or who had a history of coronary heart disease or stroke. We estimated the hazard ratio (HR) of BMI on coronary heart disease and stroke with and without adjustment for all possible combinations of blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. We pooled HRs with a random-effects model and calculated the attenuation of excess risk after adjustment for mediators. Findings The HR for each 5 kg/m2 higher BMI was 1·27 (95% CI 1·23-1·31) for coronary heart disease and 1·18 (1·14-1·22) for stroke after adjustment for confounders. Additional adjustment for the three metabolic risk factors reduced the HRs to 1·15 (1·12-1·18) for coronary heart disease and 1·04 (1·01-1·08) for stroke, suggesting that 46% (95% CI 42-50) of the excess risk of BMI for coronary heart disease and 76% (65-91) for stroke is mediated by these factors. Blood pressure was the most important mediator, accounting for 31% (28-35) of the excess risk for coronary heart disease and 65% (56-75) for stroke. The percentage excess risks mediated by these three mediators did not differ significantly between Asian and western cohorts (North America, western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand). Both overweight (BMI ≥25 to

In this paper, we present highly reliable high-temperature spot-size converter integrated laser diodes (LDs) fabricated using a full-wafer process with dry etching and MOVPE. The lasers lase at 150°C and operate stably for 10,000 h at 85°C and 10 mW. The median lifetime is estimated to be over 10 5 h. We also demonstrate a novel screening test procedure for a bar configuration of LDs, which can greatly reduce optical module cost.

The movement characteristics of mucosal waves of the vocal fold are important components in normal phonation. Quantitative studies of the mucosal wave have used stroboscopic techniques from a supraglottic view. The current study measured displacement of mucosal epithelium during experimental phonation by using high-speed photography from an infraglottic view. Effects of thyroarytenoid contraction, increased mean airflow rate, and variation of vocal fold length were examined in canine larynges. Top and bottom vocal fold “lip” amplitude, fundamental frequency, and phase difference were the dependent variables examined. Thyroarytenoid contraction increased the amplitude of the top and bottom lips, decreased the fundamental frequency, and increased the phase difference. Increase in airflow through the glottis decreased the top lip amplitude and phase difference and appeared to increase the fundamental frequency and to decrease the bottom lip amplitude. Vocal fold lengthening decreased the bottom lip amplitude and increased the fundamental frequency and appeared to decrease the top lip amplitude and phase difference.

Laser diodes monolithically integrated with spot-size converters operating at 1.3 /spl mu/m, and having an almost circular narrow emitted beam, have been successfully fabricated using 2 inch (50.8 mm) full wafer fabrication technology. The spot-size converters consist of a lateral taper, thin-film guiding layer and ridge structure. The epitaxial structure is designed to have wide fabrication tolerance with no deterioration of device characteristics. The investigation of the coupling-loss dependence on the dimension parameters in the spot-size converters confirms that this device has a wide fabrication tolerance for these parameters. Furthermore, butt-coupling loss to fibre as low as -1.3 dB is attained with alignment tolerance wide enough for passive alignment. The overall device is as short as 450 /spl mu/m, enabling high availability from one wafer.

Autoimmune diseases arise from an inappropriate immune response against substances and tissues normally present in the body. Although the pathogenesis are still unclear, several autoimmune diseases, such as dermatomyositis, systemic sclerosis, have a higher incidence of thoracic neoplasm. Also in the mediastinum several autoimmune diseases are known to associate thymoma. While the manifestations of the disease diverse, administration of immunosuppressant are commonly used for the management of aberrant immune response. Immunosuppressive therapies likely to increase susceptibility to infections and associate other side-effects, which could increase the risk of surgery and complicate the perioperative management. In this article we discuss the autoimmune diseases which are known to associate with thoracic and mediastinal neoplasms, and the perioperative management of thoracic surgery in patients with autoimmune diseases.

Decreased maximal urinary concentrating ability after administration of vasopressin analogs is a sensitive indicator of some forms of nephrotoxicity. To evaluate the potential of subcutaneous injection of 1 -deamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (desmopressin) as a provocative agent in testing maximal urinary concentrating ability, rats were administered desmopressin acetate subcutaneously and urine osmolality was measured. At all dosages used (3–300 ng/kg), urinary osmo-lality increased for the first 4 h after desmopressin administration. At dosages > 100 ng/kg, osmolality remained elevated for 8 h. The utility of desmopressin administration in detecting urinary concentrating defects was validated by pre-treating rats with sodium fluoride and measuring maximal urine concentrating ability after administration of 100 ng/kg desmopressin. Administration of 100 or 200 μmol sodium fluoride (NaF) intraperitoneally daily for 3 days, resulted in 55 and 60% decrease, respectively, in maximal urinary concentrating abili...

A number of 6 − and 5 − states in 26 Al were studied in the region of excitation energy 5–15 MeV with the 24 Mg(α, d) 26 Al reaction at E α = 63.7 MeV. The data were analyzed within the framework of zero-range DWBA theory for a macroscopic deuteron-cluster transfer as well as for a microscopic two-nucleon transfer, and compared with our previous results on the 25 Mg( 3 He, d) 26 Al reaction. Several 6 − and 5 − states are newly proposed. Five 6 − states previously assigned as T = 1 were weakly observed in the present (α, d) reaction, which should excite only T = 0 states. The isospin breaking (α, d) transition to the 6 − 1 , T = 1 state was found to be an order of magnitude larger than a second-order exact-finite-range DWBA calculation for the successive transfer processes of ( α - 3 He-d) and ( α -t-d).

Parasympathetic function is important in the induction and maintenance of sleep. We examined whether nocturnal vagal modulation of heart rate is related to the poor sleep quality commonly reported in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Heart rate (HR, as R-R intervals) was continuously monitored during sleep in 20 patients with CFS and 20 matched control subjects. Questionnaires assessed demographic information, symptoms, functional impairment, and subjective sleep quality. CFS was associated with more sleep problems in general and poorer subjective sleep quality on the study night (all p < 0.003), and reports of repeated awakening during the night were 7 times more likely compared to healthy subjects (p = 0.017). Time and frequency-domain parameters of HR variability during sleep were significantly lower in patients with CFS (all p < 0.006). Multiple regression analyses revealed that heart rate variability (HRV) parameters were the best predictors of subjective sleep measures. This study identified significant reductions in vagal modulation of heart rate during sleep in CFS. Low HRV strongly predicted sleep quality-suggesting a pervasive state of nocturnal sympathetic hypervigilance in CFS.

In general, the ferroelectric properties, such as a piezoelectricity, a permittivity and an electro-optic function, are controlled by external electrical field. To keep these properties, a contentious voltage-supply has been indispensable. On the contrary, this study proposes to realize memory effects on the ferroelectric materials. As one of the examples, the shape memory effect was demonstrated using the imprint electrical field. Control of the imprint was performed under the severe conditions of a very high electrical field and high temperature. After applying a pulse shaped voltage, the piezoelectric shape was kept under zero electric field. With the opposite pulse voltage, it was confirmed that the shape returned to the initial one. In addition to this shape memory effect, the optical transmittance memory effect and the magnetic force memory were also realized.

A new numerical method is proposed for multidimensional hyperbolic equations. The scheme uses a cubic spatial profile within grids, and is described in an explicit finite-difference form by assuming that both the physical quantity and its spatial derivative obey the master equation. The method gives a stable and less diffusive result than the old methods without any flux limiter. Extension to nonlinear equations with nonadvection terms is straightforward.

A sleeve lobectomy is an established general thoracic surgical procedure. To improve clinical outcomes following the procedure, we reviewed the records of 60 patients who underwent a bronchoplasty procedure in our department from 1992 to 2007. Induction chemotherapy was performed for 20, of whom 10 underwent radiotherapy as well. For all subjects, the postoperative mortality and morbidity rates were 1.7% and 33.3%, respectively. Induction therapy did not significantly affect those rates, though complications related to bronchial anastomoses occurred exclusively in subjects who received that therapy. The overall 5-year survival rate was 51.0%, while subjects with pN0 (67.9%) and pN1 (60.0%) disease, and those in stage I (79.1%) and stage II (59.9%) had better survival as compared with patients with pN2 (16.9%) disease, and those in stage III (21.8%) and stage IV (0%). Furthermore, the survival rate of yp-stage I and II patients was significantly greater than that of those in yp-stage III and IV (59.9% vs. 14.3%, p = 0.0158). We concluded that patients in stages I, II or with pN0-1 disease are good candidates for a bronchoplasty procedure, though induction therapy should be considered thereafter. In addition, due diligence for postoperative complications is necessary.

Autoimmunizing mechanisms are very hard to study in humans, so we have focused on vital clues in thymomas and hyperplastic thymuses in myasthenia gravis (MG). According to our multi-step hypothesis: thymic epithelial cells (TEC) present epitopes from the isolated acetylcholine receptor (AChR) subunits they express, and autoimmunize helper T cells; subsequently, these evoke "early antibodies" that then attack rare thymic myoid cells expressing intact AChR; in the resulting germinal centers, autoantibodies diversify to recognize native AChR. We have studied: 1) thymomas, to identify autoimmunizing cell types, focusing on IFN-alpha, against which many patients have high titer autoantibodies, as in another highly informative autoimmune syndrome. Although IFN-alpha is much easier to label than the sparse and delicate AChR subunits, we have not yet located obviously autoimmunizing micro-environments; 2) hyperplastic MG thymuses, where we find (a) upregulation of complement receptors and regulators on hyperplastic TEC and deposition of activated C3b complement component on them, (b) absence of complement regulators from almost all myoid cells, indicating vulnerability to attack, and (c) deposition of C3b, and even of the terminal membrane attack complex, especially on the myoid cells close to the infiltrating germinal centers. The changes are very similar in over 50% of the so-called seronegative patients with generalized MG (SNMG) but without detectable autoantibodies against AChR or MuSK, consistently with other evidence that they belong to the spectrum of AChR-seropositive MG. Together, moreover, our findings implicate both myoid cells and TEC in autoimmunization, and thus strongly support our hypothesis.

In the field of FeRAM research, the imprint electrical field is serious problem for data storage operation. On the other hand, we propose to modify conventional piezoelectric actuator to a shape memory actuator using this imprint electrical field in this paper. The principle of shape memory piezoelectric actuator is based on the electrical field imprint and utilizes the polarization reversal, which is totally different from the conventional piezoelectric actuators. This shape memory piezoelectric actuator can be operated using a pulse voltage, so that small energy consumption and small voltage operation can be realized. The imprint electrical field was induced by treatment with a high electrical field of 3.5 kV/mm in a 150degC environment. Long time treatment resulted in a large electrical field imprint, and the imprint direction was dependent on the direction of the applied electrical field. After treatment for four hours, the shape memory actuator was driven using a pulse voltage. The actuator had two stable positions that were dependent on the piezoelectric polarization, and could be maintained without the use of an external electrical field. The ferroelectric materials have versatile properties such as piezoelectric effect, nonlinear permittivity and nonlinear optical refractive index. Not only the piezoelectric effect, but the other functional properties can obtain memory properties with the control of the imprint electrical field.

A temperature insensitive arrayed waveguide grating (TI-AWG) with an InGaAsP-InP material system is proposed. Less than 0.1 /spl Aring///spl deg/C temperature dependence for all eight channels was achieved for the first time even though we used the InGaAsP-InP material system. This novel characteristic is in good agreement with the design principle of the TI-AWG.

We present results for the modification of spontaneous emission in hemispherical micro-cavity quantum well lasers.

A temperature insensitive optical filter (TIOF) with InGaAsP-InP material system is proposed. Less than 0.1 /spl Aring///spl deg/C temperature dependence is achieved for the first time even though we used the InGaAsP-InP material system. By changing the optimum structure of the TIOF, blue-shift temperature characteristics are also obtained. These two novel phenomena are in good agreement with the TIOF design principle.

Stable CW operation for over 800 h at 25°C is demonstrated for the first time for a 1.3 µm DH LD heteroepitaxially grown on Si. This is attributable to the high performance of the LDs, approaching that of similar LDs grown on InP.

Multi-junction (MJ) solar cells on Si substrates are expected as low-cost and high-efficiency cells. Previously, the authors have demonstrated that GaAs-on-Si solar cells with novel structures have better radiation-resistance than GaAs and single-crystal Si space cells. In this paper, effectiveness; of novel structures such as super-lattice, strained super-lattice and Bragg reflectors upon initial performance and radiation-resistance of GaAs-on-Si cells has been studied. GaAs-on-Si cells with Bragg reflectors are found to have better radiation-resistance than those without Bragg reflectors. Insertion of super-lattice and strained super-lattice has also been found to be effective for improving initial cell performance as a result of effects of dislocation annihilation and back-surface field layer by insertion of such layers.

Using precision-cut liver slices (20-25 mg wet weight) from male Wistar rats, we examined whether clinically relevant propofol concentrations have hepatoprotective or -toxic effects during hypoxia/reoxygenation. Slices were preincubated for 2 h in sealed roller vials (three slices per vial) containing Waymouth's medium (37 degrees C; 95% oxygen/5% CO(2)). Then, propofol or Intralipid was added to create four different groups (control, Intralipid, small-concentration propofol [0.5-1.5 micro g/mL], and large-concentration propofol [2.0-6.0 micro g/mL]). Thereafter, each group was incubated for 4 h under 95% oxygen/5% CO(2) (no hypoxia) or for 2 h under 100% nitrogen plus 2 h under 95% oxygen/5% CO(2) (hypoxia/reoxygenation). Slice viability and hypoxia/reoxygenation injury were assessed at 2, 3, and 4 h after incubation began by using the slice intracellular K(+) concentration, energy status (adenosine triphosphate content, total adenine nucleotides content, and energy charge), and liver enzyme leakage (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase). Propofol and Intralipid caused a significant delay in energy charge recovery in comparison with the control. There were no significant differences between the propofol groups and the other two groups in intracellular K(+) content or liver enzyme leakage. Propofol had no hepatotoxic effect under no-hypoxia conditions in rat liver slices, nor did it have a protective effect against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced hepatic injury.Propofol had no hepatotoxic effect under no-hypoxia conditions in rat liver slices, nor did it have a protective effect against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced hepatic injury.

Amid the growing concern about global environmental problems, there is a positive movement to reduce the amount of lead contained in the solder that is used for mounting printed circuit boards. Although many researchers have studied alternative solder materials and evaluated their reliability, there are few reports on a minute examination of the interface of solder joint. We considered that in order to evaluate the reliability of solder joint, it was indispensable to study the mechanism of alloy formation at the joint interface. Therefore, we made a microscopic observation of cross sections of solder joint specimens and examined the segregation of Pb from SnPb plating at the joint interface.

A spot-size converted laser diode (SSC-LD) is an attractive device for low cost optical modules because it provides low-loss coupling to a single-mode fiber and to a Planar Lightwave Circuit (PLC) without using lenses as well as large alignment tolerance. Many intensive studies have been done in this field. We have recently developed 1.3 /spl mu/m-LDs with butt-jointed selectively grown spot-size converters. They have low threshold and good temperature characteristics. However, it has been uncertain whether the butt-joint selective growth process is suitable for mass production or not. The problem to be solved is how to improve the yield. A key process for the uniform fabrication of the SSC-LD is the uniform etching of the active region in preparation for butt-joint growth, In this report, we demonstrate SSC-LDs on 2-inch InP substrates with good uniform characteristics by using a combination of uniform epitaxial growth, wet etching and dry etching.

Efforts to grow high-quality GaAs films on Si substrates and improvements in the efficiency of GaAs-on-Si solar cells are reported. The epitaxial growth of GaAs on Si was studied using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The dislocation density in the active layer of the GaAs solar cell is significantly reduced by combining cyclic thermal annealing and the insertion of buffers such as InGaAs/GaAs and AlGaAs/GaA. This minimal dislocation density allowed a large-size and high conversion efficiency GaAs-on-Si solar cell to be fabricated with a total area of 2 cm/sup 2/ and an efficiency of 18.3% under AM0 and one-sun illumination. After 1 MeV electron beam irradiation at 1*10/sup 15/ cm/sup -2/, the GaAs-on-Si cells show a normalized efficiency of 0.83, which is larger than the 0.71 of a GaAs-on-GaAs cell. The use of GaAs-on-Si solar cells as the power source for satellites now looks feasible because this material is highly efficient, lightweight, inexpensive, and highly radiation resistant. >

8-channel WDM channel selectors were fabricated on InP substrates. A compact device size of 5.2 mm/spl times/3.6 mm is achieved with a combination of deep-ridge waveguides and buried waveguides. The device can select an arbitrary signal from WDM signals with a low crosstalk of less than -40 dB.

ACE (ammonium sulfide combined etching) is a new treatment designed for use in hydrocarbon gas RIE based fabrication of InP-based buried-heterostructure (BH) laser diodes (LD). ACE involves dipping a sample in ammonium sulfide (NH/sub 4/S/sub x/) solution at room temperature for 10 minutes and then treating it again with sulfuric acid prior to regrowth. We found that ACE improves regrowth interface quality and LD characteristics due to its ability to remove impurities incorporated during the process.

The temperature dependence of wavelength in optical devices is a serious issue in building high-density WDM optical networks. The lasing wavelength of semiconductor lasers and the central wavelength in the semiconductor optical filters have a typical temperature dependence of 1 /spl Aring///spl deg/C or higher. This is too high for these lasers to be used without temperature control units in WDM systems, which typically have a few hundreds of GHz spacing and temperature variation up to a few tens of degrees centigrade. Recently, we fabricated temperature-insensitive optical filters (TIOF) with the InGaAsP/InP material system. Although the operation principle of the TIOF was clearly verified in that work, the filtering characteristics of the device were relatively unsuitable for multiplexing or demultiplexing devices. In this presentation, by extending the principle of the TIOF to arrayed waveguide grating, we propose a novel temperature-insensitive arrayed waveguide grating and show its highly feasible filtering characteristics for practical applications.

The GaAs thin-film solar cells on Si substrates (GaAs-on-Si cells) are found to show higher end-of-life efficiency than the conventional GaAs cells fabricated on GaAs substrates (GaAs-on-GaAs cells) under high fluence 1 MeV electron irradiation of more than 1/spl times/10/sup 15/ cm/sup -2/. The first space flight of them has been carried out. 48 2 cm/spl times/2 cm GaAs-on-Si cells with an average AM0 total-area efficiency of 16.9% have been evaluated using the Engineering Test Satellite (ETS-VI). The GaAs-on-Si cells have been demonstrated to be more radiation-resistant in space than GaAs-on-GaAs cells and 50 /spl mu/m thick Si cells. These results show that the GaAs-on-Si single-junction and InGaP/GaAs-on-Si multi-junction cells have great potential for space applications.

We have designed and fabricated a polarization independent spot-size convertor-semiconductor optical amplifier (SS-SOA) using a wide rectangular waveguide for ease of fabrication. The polarization dependence of the gain in the active region and that of the coupling efficiency in the SS regions on both sides of the device are compensated together by using a separate-confinement heterostructure (SCH) layer in the active region. The SS-SOA exhibits high-performance characteristics, such as low polarization dependence, high gain, efficient coupling to fiber, and uniform far-field-patterns.

A 33-year-old male presented with involuntary and inappropriate laughter. Neuroimaging revealed a meningioma ventrolateral to the pons and midbrain, attached to the medial middle tentorium on the left side. The pathological laughter ceased immediately after subtotal removal of the tumor. Pathological laughter may be an early focal sign of a mass compressing ventrolateral brainstem.

A 38-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), myasthenia gravis (MG), and pemphigus foliaceous (PF) was scheduled to undergo total hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy. Preanesthetic examination revealed anemia, a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time, and a reduced percent vital capacity. Antiphospholipid antibody was not positive. After treating the bullous lesions of PF and the muscle weakness due to MG (noted on admission for surgery) with oral prednisolone, the patient was scheduled for surgery. To avoid the use of a muscle relaxant and the potential complications of the airway manipulation involved in using a laryngeal mask or endotracheal tube, since the patient had MG and PF, a regional anesthetic technique was selected. This involved continuous epidural anesthesia, achieved using 1% or 2% mepivacaine, with sedation by a combination of propofol infusion (3 mg.kg-1.hr-1) and nitrous oxide (60% in oxygen). The patient breathed spontaneously under the mask throughout the 3.5-hr operation. The intraoperative surgical and anesthetic course was uneventful. After a benign postoperative course, the patient was discharged on the 16th postoperative day.

Summary. A 24-year-old male was admitted to Kansai Medical University Hospital, complaining of fever, skin exanthema, jaundice, brown urine and lymphadenopathy. The patient was diagnosed as having haemolytic anaemia caused by a cold agglutinin following rubella infection. The cold agglutinin of the patient reacted strongly with group OI red blood cells (RBC), Oi cord RBC, Oi adult RBC and neuraminidase-treated RBC, and much weaker with protease (papain, ficin, bromelin)-treated RBC; it was identified as anti-Pra. Cold agglutinins of anti-Pra specificity following rubella infection in adults have rarely been reported.

We demonstrate low‐threshold lasing at 4 K in optically pumped hemispherical In0.2Ga0.8As single‐quantum‐well microcavities. The incident threshold pump power density is 11 kW/cm2 corresponding to an absorbed power density of about 320 W/cm2, and the measured spontaneous emission factor β is about 0.01.

The Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome (DMCS) is a rare autosomal recessive skeletal dysplasia characterized by short-trunk dwarfism and mental retardation. A 49-year-old male with DMCS underwent resection arthroplasty for contracture of the right hip joint under general anesthesia using thiamylal, nitrous oxide, sevoflurane, and vecuronium. Although he was assumed to have difficult airway due to short neck, macroglossia, and disturbance of neck flexion, tracheal intubation was not difficult. No complications including malignant hyperthermia were observed during the 95 min of the operation.

InGaAs quantum-well vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with low-Al-content p-type mirrors grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) have have been characterized. Series resistance in p-type Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As/GaAs mirrors decreases drastically as the Al content in Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As decreases from AlAs. Air-post devices with a p-type Al/sub 0.06/Ga/sub 0.4/As/GaAs top mirror exhibit a room temperature CW threshold current of 1.8 mA at an operating voltage of 2.0 V (with a threshold power consumption at 3.6 mW). >