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We designed a front-end circuit for an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter based on single flux quantum circuitry and tested its functionality at a frequency of up to 43 GHz. The front-end circuit consisted of a pulse generator, a sigma-delta modulator, a 1-to-8 demultiplexer (DEMUX), and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) amplifiers. There were 2518 Josephson junctions in the front-end circuit. To operate the circuit at high speed, we designed robust timing against variations in circuit parameters. By using circuit simulations based on the Monte Carlo method, we estimated spread in time lag between clock and data pulses. From this estimate, the timing was optimized to operate the circuit at 40 GHz. The demonstration of the front-end circuit was carried out using the on-chip testing method. Output data were acquired from the modulator through DEMUX. We confirmed proper sigma-delta modulation by analyzing the dependence of the density "1" in the output data on input current level. The proper operation was confirmed in a range of 37-43 GHz. Furthermore, the amplification by the SQUID amplifier was also confirmed at low speed. These results indicate the complete operation of the front-end circuit for superconductive A/D converter.

Relaxation and diffusion of carriers in an electron-hole plasma (EHP) in ZnO epitaxial thin films were studied by femtosecond transient grating spectroscopy. By performing several experiments of different fringe spacing, the lifetime and diffusion coefficient of the EHP state are determined to be 23.8 ps and 10.8 cm2/s, respectively. The observed lifetime is in good agreement with the previous values obtained by pump-probe and time-resolved optical Kerr gate luminescence measurements. Based on a simple diffusion equation, we conclude that the carrier diffusion in the EHP state does not contribute to reduction of the carrier population within such a short carrier lifetime of a few tens picosecond. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

SUMMARYVascular damage in systemic sclerosis (SSc) may be a factor in the abnormal regulation of several vasoactive agents. It has been well confirmed that plasma endothelin-1, as a vasoconstrictive factor, is elevated in patients with SSc. However, it is still controversial whether the levels of serum nitric oxide (NO), a strong vasodilator, are increased or decreased in SSc patients compared to healthy donors. In this study, we measured the levels of serum NO metabolites in SSc patients and determined the contribution of the excessive production of NO synthase (NOS)-2 by skin fibroblasts to NO synthesis. Serum NO levels of 45 patients with SSc were significantly higher than those of 20 healthy volunteers. In addition, some clinical features of SSc (the extent of skin fibrosis, short disease duration, and the complication of active fibrosing alveolitis) were all correlated positively with the levels of NO metabolites in SSc patients. To evaluate the levels of NOS-2 produced by skin fibroblasts, skin fibroblast cultures were established from SSc patients and healthy volunteers. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction indicated that NOS-2 mRNA was spontaneously expressed in cultured fibroblasts derived from SSc patients, but not in those derived from healthy normal controls. Immunohistochemical staining also showed that NOS-2 proteins were detected in SSc fibroblasts but not in normal fibroblasts. The production of NO by cultured fibroblasts was visualized directly by a reagent (DAF-2 DA) used for the fluorescent detection of NO. Cultured SSc fibroblasts were capable of NO synthesis in culture media containing l-arginine, whereas normal fibroblasts (with no expression of NOS-2) did not synthesize detectable NO. These observations indicate that NO production is increased markedly in early-stage diffuse cutaneous SSc patients with active fibrosing alveolitis, and that constitutive NOS-2 expression in SSc fibroblasts may contribute to increased NO production.

To optimize the conditions of oxygen annealing for YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x (YBCO) multilayered structures, we have investigated the effects of annealing on the characteristics of bilayers of CeO 2 /YBCO and surface-modified junctions. The annealing time required to recover a loss of oxygen in the YBCO layer increased as the number of precipitates on the YBCO layer decreased and the thickness of the CeO 2 layer increased. The oxygen annealing increased the critical current ( I c ) of the junction and decreased its normal resistance ( R n ). These changes in I c and R n indicate that oxygen annealing recovered a loss of oxygen at the interface of the junctions, thus decreasing the effective thickness of the barrier. We found that recovering a loss of oxygen in the ground planes requires oxygen annealing for more than 4 h, and the annealing time must be optimized for the designed value of I c .

We designed a front-end circuit of an analog-to-digital converter based on single flux quantum circuitry and tested its high-speed operation. The front-end circuit consists of a clock oscillator, a sigma–delta modulator, a 1-to-8 demultiplexer (DEMUX) and SQUID amplifiers (SQUID AMP’s). The total number of Josephson junctions is 2518. In the test, a dc current was supplied to the modulator and the output digital data were distributed by the DEMUX and amplified by the SQUID AMP’s. The distributed output data was successfully acquired at high-speed by using an on-chip testing method. To confirm the proper function of the circuit, we studied the dependence of the ratio of the logical value “1” on the current level. As a result, we found that the ratio was proportional to the magnitude of the dc current. At the same time, we also confirmed the amplifications of the SQUID AMP’s. These results indicate that the front-end circuit was operated correctly. The maximum operating frequency of the circuit was 43 GHz.

The deposition condition of superconducting YBa 2 Cu 3 O y (YBCO) thin films grown by 90° off-axis dc sputtering was investigated to obtain large and smooth YBCO thin films. The composition of the deposited Y–Ba–Cu–O thin films strongly depended on the distance from the target and sputtering pressure. The composition and phase variations in Y–Ba–Cu–O thin films was consistently described in the simple model. Under the optimized deposition condition, single-phase YBCO thin films with stoichiometric composition could be obtained. YBCO thin films with critical temperatures above 85 K and surface roughnesses of 5 nm were successfully obtained in an area approximately 2-in. in diameter by rotating the substrate.

Printed Wiring Boards (PWB) made by Sequential Build-Up (SBU) processes have found a wide application in semiconductor packaging substrates and system in package substrates, besides usage as a conventional printed wiring board. Its capability for high density circuits can contain multi-functional electronic circuits within a small surface area and can achieve light weight and low-profile products with improved electric characteristics. A number of processes and materials were developed and are used for each application in each electronic product. The advancement of printed wiring boards is expected to continue, driven by the requirements from electronic products. Technical development activities are needed to satisfy these requirements. Activities are still high in the development of embedded passive technology, which will equip printed wiring boards with the functions of passive components resistance (R), capacitance (C) and inductance (L) - as well as the conventional interconnection functions of conductors between components. This technology will dramatically change the structure of printed wiring boards and complicate the fabrication processes. Material development will be a key issue in the case of embedded resistors and capacitors.

Two microbeam lines for an ion microprobe and a cell irradiation have been installed in a 5 MV tandem accelerator at the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center (WERC), Japan. In the ion microprobe beam line, a magnetic quadrupole doublet is equipped for focus of the ion beam on the target point in a scattering chamber. It is utilized for the ion microprobe analysis such as particle induced X-ray emission and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The beam spot size was obtained to be 0.8 μm ( x ) × 0.6 μm ( y ) (FWHM) for a beam current of 1 pA, and to be 2.0 μm ( x ) × 2.5 μm ( y ) (FWHM) for a beam current of 140 pA. In the cell irradiation beam line, a beam is extracted in air through a glass capillary with a 10 μm inner diameter in the vertical direction. A total dose to the cell is measured with a silicon surface barrier detector mounted under the sample stage.

Circuit simulations were used to study the capability of a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) sigma-delta modulator using interface-engineered-Josephson junctions (IEJ's). The dynamic range was calculated while varying the temperature (T) and input-signal frequency (f/sub 0/), and in the resultant power spectra, correct noise shaping (6 dB/oct) was found. Investigation of the dynamic range in terms of effective number of bits (ENOB) showed that ENOB was 6.7 for f/sub 0/ 40 K.

Measurement of the damping of Fe-based cermets containing a boride hard phase (Mo2FeB2) was carried out using newly developed equipment of a torsion pendulum type under static tensile stress: high damping under the conditions of high temperature and high applied load was expected. Three kinds of boride cermets fabricated by Toyo-Kohan were used in this study. The composition of Mo2FeB2 type hard phase in Fe-based cermets was 66 vol.% for V30, 51 vol.% for V50 and 59 vol.% for C50. The damping capacity at 300 K for the strain amplitude of 7×10−5 was ∼2% for every sample and increased with increasing temperature. The damping level tended to decrease with increasing tensile stress, but still remained at a high level at a tensile stress of 50 MPa. A high temperature relaxation peak appeared in the heating process for V30, V50 and C50. The activation energy of the high temperature peak was 84.8 kJ/mol for V30, 89.3 kJ/mol for V50 and 91.3 kJ/mol for C50. The relaxation mechanism of this peak is due to chromium atom diffusion caused by the phase transformation from martensite phase to austenite phase in Fe matrix phase.

A 1-to-4 demultiplexer (DEMUX) was designed based on Single Flux Quantum (SFQ) circuitry and high-speed operation was confirmed using on-chip testing. The circuit was designed with a binary-tree structure to enable high-speed operation. We also investigated timing between clock and data signals in detail. Monte Carlo simulation was applied to vary the design parameters pseudo-randomly and the spread of timing was obtained by circuit simulation. Even if the circuit parameters varied as a result of the fabrication process, proper timing was maintained by optimizing the length of Josephson transmission line. The 1-to-4 DEMUX we fabricated distributed data signals correctly at operating frequencies up to 56 GHz with a bias margin of /spl plusmn/7%.

We have developed processes for fabricating a YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-x/-multilayered structure which contains surface-modified junctions and a ground plane. A process of Ar-and-oxygen-ion milling, which was developed for fabricating the ramp-edges of the junctions, was applied to planarization of the structure's insulating layers. A process of milling with 500-V O/sub 2/ ions, which was developed for cleaning the ramp-edge surfaces, was applied to improve the critical current values for via-contacts in the structure. The fabricated junctions exhibited an average I/sub c/R/sub n/ product of 0.7 mV and a 1/spl sigma/-spread in the critical current of about 10% at 30 K. The sheet inductance of the strip-lines in the structure was less than 1.0 pH per square in the range below 60 K. The obtained values for I/sub c/R/sub n/ product, 1/spl sigma/-spread, and sheet inductance allow us to realize the high-speed operation of single-flux-quantum circuits at temperatures from 20 to 40 K.

A high-T/sub C/ superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer - in which a room-temperature pickup coil is used to detect an impedance magnetocardiogram (I-MCG) signal - has been developed. The pickup coil (30-mm diameter) is installed outside the cryostat and is connected to the input coil of the high-T/sub C/ SQUID. The magnetometer's noise level is 150 fTHz/sup -1/2/ (>10 kHz). The magnetometer was used to measure I-MCG signals (about 12 pT), which were obtained by applying an ac current (15 kHz) of constant amplitude (7 mA, peak-to-peak) to a healthy male subject.

This article describes a rare case of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from an unrelated donor (URD) in an adult Japanese male with Down syndrome (DS) diagnosed as having acute mixed lineage leukemia. Examination of peripheral blood demonstrated WBC 6.2 x 10(9)/l with 45.5% blasts at admission. Leukemic blasts with positive peroxidase stain, but negative periodic acid-Schiff stain comprised 91.6% on bone marrow specimen. Surface marker analysis of these blasts showed the following: CD3(-), CD5(-), CD7(-), CD10(+), CD19(+), CD13(+), CD14(-), CD33(+), CD34(+), CD41a(-), and CD56(-). Based on these data, he was diagnosed as having acute mixed lineage (myeloid and B-lymphoid lineage) leukemia. He achieved complete remission (CR) by lymphoid-oriented chemotherapy performed after ineffective myeloid-oriented therapy. After four courses of consolidation chemotherapy for lymphoid lineage blasts, recurrence due to proliferation of myeloblasts had occurred. Thereafter, a second CR was obtained by low dose cytosine arabinoside (AraC) therapy. As this patient was considered to have a high risk of relapse, we selected allogeneic BMT from URD. Severe stomatitis due to methotrexate (MTX) occurred probably due to altered pharmacokinetics usually observed in DS patients. Though acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of systemic skin (grade II) and pneumonia were observed during neutropenia due to the post-conditioning regimen, he could be discharged from our hospital on the 135th day after BMT. On day 205 post-BMT, however, bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) occurred as a chronic GVHD disorder. Despite therapy with prednisolone and FK506, he died on day 400 post-BMT because of respiratory failure due to BO. In DS patients, superfluous toxicities due to MTX and AraC treatment have been reported, and these toxicities have been considered due to altered pharmacokinetics in patients with DS. This patient could tolerate the transplant conditioning regimen commonly used in patients without DS.

This paper deals with modeling and control of a crane mounted on a tower-like flexible structure. A fast transfer of the load causes swaying of the load rope and vibration of the flexible structure. Our object is to control both the sway and the vibration by the inherent capability of the tower crane. We have already succeeded in realizing a decentralized control consisting of two individual controllers. This paper describes the design of a centralized control system considering coupling of between the up-and-down (boom luff) direction and the rotational direction. This is because there is a possibility that the control worsened due to the decentralized control system because it did not take into account coupling both directions. It is, therefore, necessary to compare it with a centralized control system and to examine the advantage of a decentralized control system precisely. From the results of the comparison of experiments and /spl mu/ analysis, it is shown that the decentralized control system has almost the same performance and stability as the centralized one and that it is effective for the control of a tower crane.

The purpose of this study was to obtain basic information on acclimation capacity of photosynthesis in Siebold's beech seedlings to increasing light intensity under future elevated CO2 conditions. We monitored leaf photosynthetic traits of these seedlings in changing light conditions (before removal of shade trees, the year after removal of shade trees and after acclimation to open conditions) in a 10-year free air CO2 enrichment experiment in northern Japan. Elevated CO2 did not affect photosynthetic traits such as leaf mass per area, nitrogen content and biochemical photosynthetic capacity of chloroplasts (i.e. maximum rate of carboxylation and maximum rate of electron transport) before removal of the shade trees and after acclimation to open conditions; in fact, a higher net photosynthetic rate was maintained under elevated CO2 . However, in the year after removal of the shade trees, there was no increase in photosynthesis rate under elevated CO2 conditions. This was not due to photoinhibition. In ambient CO2 conditions, leaf mass per area and nitrogen content were higher in the year after removal of shade trees than before, whereas there was no increase under elevated CO2 conditions. These results indicate that elevated CO2 delays the acclimation of photosynthetic traits of Siebold's beech seedlings to increasing light intensity.

Cirrus and stratus cloud heights are estimated using LANDSAT MSS(MultiSpectral Scanner) and TM(Thematic mapper) data. Cloud heights are calculated from the sun elevation angle and the horizontal distance between cloud and its shadow templates. The matching of these templates is accomplished by the 2D cross-correlation function. Before accomplishing the matching, histogram equalization, inversion of shadow template, and Fourier Fast Transformation are applied to both templates. Then 2D cross-correlation function is calculated in the frequency domain. Correlation coefficients are 3D graphically displayed to check visually how sharply the templates match. The effects of the skew angle and the nonnadir observation angle are taken into consideration to modify the direction from the cloud template to its corresponding shadow template. The results show that this method is accurate within several pixels.

We fabricated and tested a high-temperature superconducting sigma–delta modulator using interface-engineered Josephson junctions. Proper dc-characteristics were obtained with a sampling frequency of 100 GHz at 20 K. To achieve high-speed sampling, Josephson junctions with a higher critical-current normal-resistance product were used. Circuit simulations with thermal noise were performed for the analysis of switching characteristics and SFQ dynamics. Further numerical analysis was made for the estimation of signal to noise ratio. Resultant bit accuracy was found to be 10.4 for 122 MHz input signal band.

Background Oral leukotriene receptor antagonists have been shown to have efficacy in chronic asthma. Objective To determine whether the addition of montelukast could lead to a reduction in inhaled corticosteroid dose without a significant decrease in peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Methods After a 4-week run-in period, 191 moderate-to-severe asthmatic patients whose asthma had been well controlled with daily inhaled corticosteroid therapy (beclometasone dipropionate 800 to 1600 micro g/day), were randomly assigned to one of two treatments - placebo (n = 98) or montelukast 10 mg once daily (n = 93) - for a 24-week, multicentre, double-blind, treatment period. At the beginning of the active treatment period, the daily dose of inhaled corticosteroid was halved in all of the patients. In addition, the inhaled corticosteroid dose was subsequently titrated every 8 weeks, based on PEFR, asthma symptoms and beta-agonist use. Results After 8 weeks of a 50% reduction in inhaled corticosteroid use, morning PEFR increased by 5.3 +/- 32.3 L/min from baseline in patients receiving montelukast and significantly decreased by 6.9 +/- 29.0 L/min in those receiving placebo (P = 0.035). In addition, evening PEFR significantly decreased by 9.8 +/- 28.5 L/min (P = 0.003) in the placebo group, but was maintained in the montelukast group. In spite of a subsequent 50% reduction in the inhaled corticosteroid dose every 8 weeks, morning and evening PEFRs were maintained over the 24-week treatment period in the montelukast group; PEFR significantly decreased in the placebo group. There was a significant difference between the two groups with regard to morning PEFR, therapy score and asthmatic score at weeks 8, 16 and 24, as well as evening PEFR at week 8. However, the symptom scores were not significantly different between the two groups or within each group. Conclusion These data suggest that montelukast reduces the need for inhaled corticosteroids while maintaining asthma control over a 24-week period. Therefore, montelukast may be useful for long-term treatment in patients with asthma who require high doses of inhaled corticosteroids.

We have fabricated a first-order, directly coupled gradiometer with a gradiometric balance below 0.1% without balance adjustment by selecting the coupling direction of the pickup coil and the superconducting quantum interference device. The noise of the gradiometers with various balances measured in an unshielded environment decreased in proportion to the improvement in balance. However, the noise of the gradiometer with a balance of 0.03% was limited by the gradient field component of the environmental noise. Magnetocardiogram measurement with this gradiometer in an unshielded environment was also demonstrated.

Time evolution of a high density electron-hole plasma (EHP) and excitons in ZnO epitaxial thin films was studied under resonant excitation of the excitonic state using pump-probe absorption and optical Kerr gate luminescence techniques with sub-picosecond time resolution in order to elucidate dynamics of the photo-excited high density carriers. The bleaching of the exciton absorption occurs without any measurable delay time, suggesting that the excitonic state instantaneously becomes unstable because of the dissociation of the high density excitons into the EHP due to the screening of Coulomb interaction. This leads to an instantaneous bandgap reduction. Then the recovery of the renormalized bandgap as well as that of the exciton bleaching takes place with decreasing the carrier density due to radiative recombination of electrons with holes. From the time-resolved absorption and luminescence experiments, the recovery time is determined to be 25 v ps.

Conventional high tibial osteotomy for osteoarthritis of the medial compartment of the knee with closed-wedge or dome osteotomy (DMO) may produce shortening of the patellar tendon and loss of inclination of the proximal tibial plateau or of the offset of the tibial condyle relative to its bony axis. This can make subsequent total knee arthroplasty technically demanding. We undertook a prospective study comparing these changes after DMO with those after using open-wedge osteotomy hemicallotasis (HCO). A total of 50 knees with arthritis of the medial compartment in 46 consecutive patients was randomly allocated to either DMO or HCO. There were no significant differences between the groups with regard to age, gender, femorotibial angle before operation or the angle of correction. Radiological studies showed that HCO caused little change in the length of the patellar tendon or the inclination angle of the tibial plateau, while after DMO both gradually decreased. The degree of tibial condylar offset increased in both groups, but less so in the HCO group.

We used murine Ba/F3 cells transfected with human growth hormone receptor (hGHR) cDNA to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of human growth hormone-binding protein (hGH-BP) release. The extracellular domain of hGHRs were cleaved and released as hGH-BPs (a soluble form of hGHR). The hGH-BP release was enhanced by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu), and suggested to be mediated by activation of PKC, the same as in human IM-9 cells. Thus, Ba/F3 cells have hGH-BP-releasing pathways similar to those of human cells. The proteasome inhibitors MG-132 and clasto-lactacystin β-lactone also increased hGH-BP release from Ba/F3-hGHR cells, and MG-132 and PDBu synergistically increased hGH-BP release. The results obtained by using three PKC inhibitors Go 6976, GF 109203X and Go 6983 suggest that the enhancement of hGH-BP release by MG-132 and PDBu is mediated by different mechanisms probably involving different PKC isozymes.

Phencyclidine (PCP)-induced head-weaving is inhibited by a novel selective sigma1-ligand, (R)-(+)-1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-[4-(2-methoxyethyl)piperazin-1-yl]methyl-2-pyrrolidinone L-tartrate (MS-377), but not by dopamine D2 antagonists. In the present study, we examined the effects of two potent and selective sigma1-ligands, MS-377 and N,N-dipropyl-2-(4-methoxy-3-(2-phenylethoxy)phenyl) ethylamine (NE-100), on PCP-induced rearing behaviour, hyperlocomotion and ataxia in comparison with the currently available antipsychotic agents with affinity for D2 receptors, haloperidol, sultopride and risperidone. Male Wistar rats or ddY mice were administered MS-377, NE-100, haloperidol, sultopride or risperidone, and PCP was administered 60 min later (in the case of NE-100 10 min later). Rearing behaviour, hyperlocomotion and ataxia were examined 10 min after PCP administration. MS-377, haloperidol, sultopride and risperidone dose-dependently inhibited PCP-induced rearing and hyperlocomotion, but did not antagonize PCP-induced ataxia. In contrast, the other selective sigma1-ligand, NE-100, did not affect any of the PCP-induced behaviour patterns in this study. These results suggest that there are at least two types of ligands for sigma1-receptors and that some sigma1-ligands, including MS-377, have more comprehensive effects against PCP-induced abnormal behaviour than other sigma1-ligands or D2 antagonists.

A fast algorithm for multiplicative inversion in GF(2/sup m/) using normal basis is proposed. It is an improvement on those proposed by Itoh and Tsujii and by Chang et al., which are based on Fermat's theorem and require O(logm) multiplications. The number of multiplications is reduced by decomposing m-1 into several factors and a small remainder.

We investigated the incidence of evidence of irritation of the brachial plexus in 119 patients with whiplash injuries sustained in road-traffic accidents. We compared the symptoms, physical signs, autonomic status, psychological status and findings from radiographs of the cervical spine using examination charts and a modified Cornell Medical Index Health questionnaire, in patients in two distinct groups: those with irritation of the brachial plexus and those without. There were 45 patients (37.8%) in the first group. The ratio of women to men was significantly higher in patients with irritation of the plexus as was the incidence of symptoms other than neck pain. There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to psychological status or findings in radiographs of the cervical spine. Symptoms and signs attributable to stretching of the brachial plexus do occur in a significant proportion of patients after a whiplash injury. Their presence and persistence are associated with a poor outcome.

We fabricated and tested high-temperature superconducting (HTS) rapid-single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuits using interface-engineered Josephson junction (IEJ). The characteristics of high-speed operation were examined by voltage-divider operation based on the toggle-flip-flop circuit. An operation at 155 GHz was obtained at 15 K and the proper functioning of the voltage divider was observed up to 27 K. Temperature dependence of the maximum operation speed was analyzed by circuit simulation with thermal-noise sources. To achieve higher speed operation using a Josephson junction with a higher I/sub c/R/sub n/ product, we also fabricated an RSFQ balanced comparator using IEJ; proper switching characteristics of the circuit was confirmed up to 190 GHz at 30 K. The bias condition dependencies were studied based on the circuit simulations in the relationship of the I/sub c/R/sub n/ product. The results of circuit simulation indicate that a Josephson junction with an I/sub c/R/sub n/ product of more than 0.7 mV is required for high-speed operation (100 GHz) in high-temperature range (30-40 K). We believe that the IEJ is a promising junction candidate for realizing high-speed operation in a high-temperature range.

High-T/sub c/ directly coupled magnetometers made from thin films of single layer YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub y/ deposited on bicrystal substrates were investigated. A series 2-SQUID structure with a common pickup coil was designed to increase voltage modulation depth (/spl Delta/V). A second bias current was introduced to compensate for the disagreement between the two optimal bias currents and the voltage peak positions. The distribution of the second bias current was controlled by selecting the proper electrodes formed on the pickup coil, thus eliminating the difference in the voltage peak positions. The value of /spl Delta/V was doubled. The white noise in the magnetometer decreased by using this 2-SQUID design, but the low-frequency noise increased slightly. In addition, another type of the 2-SQUID magnetometer was proposed. This magnetometer has SQUIDs with different inductances. The overlapped V-/spl Phi/ curve showed the modulation beat caused by the difference in V-/spl Phi/ periodicity, and a high /spl Delta/V was observed at several /spl Phi//sub 0/ intervals.

A simulation model for predicting pesticide concentrations in paddy water and surface soil (PCPF-1) was validated with the result of field monitoring data of pretilachlor dissipation in experimental paddy rice field at National Institute of Agro-Environmental Sciences (NIAES), Ibaraki, Japan in 1998. Parameter values were determined from laboratory and field experiments. Environmental conditions and pesticide concentrations in experimental rice paddy plot at NIAES were monitored after the herbicide application for 52 days in 1998. Pesticide concentrations in paddy water and 1cm deep surface paddy soil sampled at 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 (water only), 42 and 49 days after the herbicide application were measured using gas chromatography with nitrogen/phosphorus detector (NPD-GC). The PCPF-1 model successfully simulated the drastic decline of pretilachlor concentrations in paddy water during the first week. Although the prediction of pesticide concentrations in paddy water during the mid-period of the simulat...

The thermoelectric power S was measured from 1.5 to 500 K for CePdSb, CeRhSn, CeIrSn, UNi4B, UPt2In and UCu3+xGa2−x. The value of S at 300 K ranges from 16 to 70 μV/K. The rather large S is attributed to the strong scattering of conduction electrons by the 4f or 5f electrons in the vicinity of the Fermi level. A Lorentzian 4f-band model, which was previously proposed for valence fluctuating compounds, reproduces the temperature dependence of S for CeRhSn and CeIrSn. However, it can not reproduce the upward curvature of S(T) at low temperatures for the U compounds. We propose here a two-5f-bands model, which consists of a narrow (5–20 meV) and a wide (37–82 meV) Lorentzian density of states. The good fitting to the data of S(T) for the above U compounds suggests the presence of two energy scales.

A simulation model for predicting pesticide concentrations in paddy water and surface soil (PCPF-1) was developed. The PCPF-1 model simulates the fate and transport of pesticide in paddy water and 1cm deep oxidative paddy surface soil layer, or the pesticide source layer (PSL). The model considers the pesticide fate and transport processes in paddy water such as dissolution of pesticide in paddy water compartment, pesticide transfer by desorption from the PSL, dilution by precipitation and irrigation, concentration from evaporation and transpiration, and dissipation by biochemical and photochemical degradation. In the PSL compartment, adsorption in soil, pesticide transport though percolation of paddy water, and pesticide dissipation by biochemical degradation are considered. The model program was coded using Visual Basic for Applications as a Macro in Microsoft Excel that includes data sheets of daily water balance and daily UV-B radiation received on paddy water. The model behavior and sensitivity analy...

PURPOSE: We evaluated the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging for the preoperative diagnosis of deep anorectal abscesses. METHODS: Subjects were 21 patients with deep anorectal abscesses. Deep anorectal abscesses were classified into two types, ischiorectal and pelvirectal, according to their location. Patients were also classified into a single abscess group, which showed either an ischiorectal or pelvirectal abscess, and a double abscess group, which showed both ischiorectal and pelvirectal abscesses. The final diagnosis was made from surgical findings, and the types of deep anorectal abscesses determined by digital examination and magnetic resonance imaging were compared. RESULTS: Sensitivity of ischiorectal abscesses (20 lesions) with digital examination and magnetic resonance imaging was 75 and 95 percent, respectively, and that of pelvirectal abscesses (10 lesions) with digital examination and magnetic resonance imaging was 60 and 70 percent, respectively. Sensitivity of the magnetic resonance imaging was significantly higher than that of digital examination in ischiorectal abscesses. Diagnostic accuracy of digital examination and magnetic resonance imaging were both 83 percent in the single abscess group (12 patients), whereas in the double abscess group (9 patients) it was 22 and 78 percent, respectively. The rate of accurate diagnosis of magnetic resonance imaging compared with digital examination in the double abscess group was significantly higher than that in the single abscess group. CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance imaging was useful for diagnosing and differentiating ischiorectal and pelvirectal abscesses.

At the Wakasa Wan Energy Research Center, construction of an ion beam accelerator system has almost completed. Two beam lines for PIXE measurements are equipped; one is for the measurement with a micro beam in vacuum, and the other is for the measurement in air. Details of these beam lines together with a data handling system are discussed.

To elucidate the normal development and growth of Mongolian gerbils, the timing and sequence of the appearance of ossification centres within foetuses were investigated. Average foetus body weight and tail length on the 15th day of pregnancy were found to be 0.042 g and 6.2 mm, respectively. For the 25th day of pregnancy, these measurements were 2.601 g and 29.4 mm, respectively. The body weight and tail length of foetuses increased significantly from the 20th day of pregnancy. Also, the first ossification centre of Mongolian gerbil foetuses appeared in the clavicle at the 17th day of pregnancy. The order in which ossification centres appeared in Mongolian gerbils resembles the pattern for rats and mice, except in some areas of the skull. Except for the clavicle, in which ossification centres appeared rather early, most ossification centres appeared in the last quarter of pregnancy. These results suggest that Mongolian gerbil foetal development is near completion by the last gestational stage. Also, ossification centres appear sooner in the skull and nasal bones than in other rodents.

We developed a nonperturbative and noncontact method of time-resolved ripplon light scattering for investigating slow dynamics on a liquid surface over a frequency range of 10-3 Hz to 1 Hz. Surface...

Bicrystal grain boundary junctions and dc SQUIDs are fabricated using c-axis oriented (Hg,Re)-1212 thin films grown on 24/spl deg/ SrTiO/sub 3/ bicrystal substrates, The junctions exhibit supercurrents up to a temperature close to the film T/sub c/ of 118 K and RSJ-like current-voltage characteristics. A large I/sub C/R/sub n/ product of 400-460 /spl mu/V is observed at 77 K in some junctions. The dc SQUIDs show a field-induced periodic voltage up to 111 K. The 18 pH-SQUID exhibit voltage modulation depths as large as 90 /spl mu/V (at 77 K), 27 /spl mu/V (at 97 K), and 1-2 /spl mu/V (at 110 K). The SQUID with a feedback coil is operated in a flux-locked loop scheme and shows flux noise of 10/sup -3/ /spl phi//sub 0//Hz/sup 1/2/ at 1 Hz.

Quantum Flux Parametron (QFP) devices were fabricated from Au/SrTiO/sub 3//YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7/ structures based on bicrystal grain boundary junctions. The junction connected to a load inductor in series was utilized as a sampling gate which reads out the load current. External fluxes were applied to two closed loops separately in the QFP by using two independent activation lines in order to reduce the load inductance. A multiplexer consisting of a couple of the QFPs and the sampling junction was fabricated and was tested at 6.5 K.

Quantum-Flux-Parametron (QFP) gates whose input and output are inductively coupled with the next gate are proposed. According to the numerical simulation, the degree of signal isolation is improved and the output signal deformation is suppressed compared to the directly connected QFP gates. Majority gates that are capable of handling input signals much greater than three are improved in their functionality. Characteristics of the QFP gates upon application of an activation current are also investigated by the numerical simulation. The minimum time of the signal propagation between adjacent QFP gates is calculated to be 5 ps.

Ag/Al2O3 catalysts prepared from boehmite needles (ca. 10 nm×100 nm), which were formed by a hydrolysis of aluminium tri-isopropoxide (AIP), showed good performances for selective catalytic reduction of NOx compared with the previously reported catalysts [N. Aoyama, K. Yoshida, A. Abe, T. Miyadera, Catal. Lett. 43 (1997) 249], especially when ethanol is employed as a reducing agent in the presence of water. Temperature programmed reduction (TPR) study revealed that the Ag species are attractively interacted with the alumina surface and the oxidized Ag species contribute positively for the improvement of the catalytic activity at the temperatures above 750 K. It is concluded that the boehmite needles as a precursor of alumina support are useful to create the catalytically active sites for NOx reduction.

The aim of this study was to compare the predictive value of umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry in women in the supine position with that in women in the complete left lateral position as a screening test for abnormal obstetric outcomes. Umbilical artery resistance index (RI) was measured at 27–29 weeks and 35–37 weeks in 202 pregnant women. The measurements were performed with the mother in the supine position in 100 cases (supine group), and in the complete left lateral position in 102 cases (lateral group). Predictive values of the tests for abnormal outcomes (small for gestational age, fetal distress, pregnancy-induced hypertension) were compared between both groups. When abnormal RIs were defined as being greater than the 90th centile in the supine group, the sensitivities for any of the abnormal outcomes at 27–29 weeks were 18% in the supine group and 6% in the lateral group; the positive predictive values were 30% and 25%, respectively. For measurement at 35–37 weeks, the sensitivity and positive predictive value were 29% and 45%, respectively in the supine group, and 0% in both cases in the lateral group. When abnormal RIs were defined as being greater than the 90th centile in the lateral group, the sensitivities at 27–29 weeks were 41% in the supine group and 6% in the lateral group; the positive predictive values were 44% and 8%, respectively. At 35–37 weeks, the sensitivity and positive predictive value were 53% and 43% in the supine group, and 6% and 8% in the lateral group. Umbilical artery Doppler velocimetry when the mother was in the complete left lateral position was of little value as a screening test. However, when the mother is in the supine position, it may serve as a kind of stress test and disclose latent obstetric abnormalities in certain cases. Copyright © 1998 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

The asymmetry appearing in the dynamic structure factor of a medium under a non-equilibrium state of temperature gradient was experimentally verified. Brillouin scattering was carried out in water with the optical beating spectroscopy technique at frequencies lower than 60 MHz where a large asymmetry was expected. The finite-cell-size effect to which the disagreement between the theory and experiment had been attributed was excluded by a specially designed tall cell which suffers from the least effect of the finite size. The observed Stokes line was shown to have intensity 2% to 8% higher than the anti-Stokes line depending on the phonon frequency for a temperature gradient applied into the same direction as the scattering vector. Based on a concept of anisotropic phonon propagation under a temperature gradient, a simple theory was proposed which succeeded in estimating the asymmetry for the temperature distribution of actual experimental condition including the effect of cell boundaries. The observed asymmetry was quantitatively in good agreement with the theoretical prediction.

Aromatic PU (polyurea) thin films were fabricated for second-order nonlinear optical application by vapor deposition polymerization using MDI (4,4-diphenylmethane diisocyanate) and DDM (4,4-diaminodiphenylmethane) or DNB (p-diamino nitro benzene). The former was abbreviated to PU (DDM) and the latter to PU (DNB). In PU (DDM) fabricated by VDP (vapor deposition polymerization), the SH (second-harmonic) intensity showed orientation stability up to 200/spl deg/C due to polymerization and simultaneous orientation under the dc field (the poling process). In PU (DNB) fabricated by VDP, although the enhanced optical nonlinearity due to the introduction of the NO/sub 2/ group was achieved, a drastic decay of SH intensity was observed at 200/spl deg/C. The decay was attributed to hindrance of the polymerization by the dc field, suggesting that the strong poling field reduces reactivity of some monomers. In PU (DNB) fabricated by EVDP (VDP under electric field), SHG (second-harmonic generation) was observed. Applying a higher electric field was effective in improving the optical nonlinearity. Film fabrication at higher temperature was also effective in improving the orientation stability and the optical nonlinearity, due to further polymerization during fabrication. We attributed this to the increase in the number of urea groups. The use of appropriate monomers that polymerize under high electric fields would result in improvement of SHG characteristics.

The coral species, Montipora digitata and seagrass, Thalassia hemprichii , co-inhabit the southern portion of the reef moat in Bise, Okinawa, Japan. To elucidate the biogeochemical relationship between coral and seagrass in mixed communities of the coral reef ecosystem, the carbon metabolisms and the inorganic nitrogen flux rates were estimated in various reef habitats. We used benthic chambers to investigate sandy, seagrass, coral-seagrass mixed communities, coral, and acorn worm habitats. Relatively high concentrations of nitrate and nitrite ions (NO x ) were observed in all habitats due to coastal groundwater inflow. The uptake rate constant of NO x was the highest in the coral-seagrass habitat and was significantly different from the rate constant in the seagrass habitat, indicating that seagrass benefits from co-inhabitation with coral. Dissolution of CaCO 3 was observed in the seagrass and coral-seagrass communities. This decline in basal coral carbonate substrate may contribute to increased fragmentation and dispersal of the coral habitat. On a biogeochemical scale, the coral-seagrass relationship benefits the seagrass in terms of NO x availability and benefits the coral in terms of carbonate dissolution, increasing fragmentation, and furthering habitat development.

PURPOSE: We analyzed the results of a long-term follow-up surveillance of patients with colorectal polyps after endoscopic polypectomy in terms of the cumulative incidence of subsequent colorectal cancer and the clinicopathologic characteristics of carcinomas detected by colonoscopy. METHOD: The study cohort consisted of 6,715 patients who had received endoscopic resection of single or multiple colorectal polyps and then underwent periodic colonoscopy (or a combination of sigmoidoscopy and barium x-ray examination in some cases) during an average follow-up of six years (40,622 person-years in total). RESULTS; During the follow-up, 31 cases of colorectal cancer containing 15 submucosal invasive carcinomas (T1,N0,M0) and 16 advanced carcinomas were detected. The cumulative incidence of colorectal cancer was analyzed for four subgroups of the 6,715 patients classified according to the diameter, grade of dysplasia, and histologic features of polyps. Furthermore, the depth of invasion, macroscopic configuration of submucosal invasive cancer, and site of colorectal cancer observed in the 31 cases were compared with those of a reference group of 1,497 patients with colorectal cancer treated at Takano Hospital during the same period. Submucosal invasive cancer was the most common type among the colorectal carcinomas detected during follow-up. In terms of macroscopic configuration of submucosal cancer, the superficial type was significantly more common than the protruded type. The superficial submucosal cancer showed a significantly longer interval to detection than the protruded submucosal cancer. By site of lesion, proximal colon cancer was significantly more common. CONCLUSION: Follow-up colonoscopy appears to be useful in patients with larger polyps (>5 mm). Patients with severe dysplasia and those with malignant polyps should be followed-up carefully. Because submucosal cancer detected by follow-up examination after polypectomy showed higher rates of superficial-type cancer and proximal colon cancer, careful endoscopic examination of the entire colon is important.