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High yield reconfigured multichip-on-wafer (mCoW) Cu/oxide hybrid bonding technology is proposed for ultra-high density 2.5D/3D integration applications. New mCoW hybrid bonding technology use shallow-recess oxide structure, electro-less plated capping layers, and thin glue adhesive layer below 1um to avoid the issues of current standard CoW bonding technology. Multi numbers of TEG die with 7mm × 23mm size are simultaneously aligned with high accuracy around 1um using chip self-assembly technology and thermal-compression bonded by in batch. In the TEG chip, totally 684,000 electrode daisy chain comprising of 3um diameter/6um pitch tiny Cu electrodes are well intact joined by new reconfigured mCoW hybrid bonding technology.

Carrier capture and escape processes in the super-bright green (In,Ga)N single-quantum-well (SQW) light-emitting diode (LED) has been studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy under reverse and forward bias conditions. The PL spectra were measured at 20 K under excitation photon energies above and below the bandgap energy of GaN barrier layers. The PL spectra under both excitation conditions show green emission from the (In,Ga)N SQW layer. The wavelength-integrated PL intensity changes drastically depending on the applied bias voltage. For the excitation below the bandgap energy of GaN (direct excitation), the PL intensity increases with increasing the forward bias voltage up to +2 V and significant reduction of the PL intensity is observed with further increase of the forward bias voltage. On the other hand, for the excitation above the bandgap energy of GaN (indirect excitation), the PL intensity rapidly increases up to +2 V, decreases once, increases again with the maximum value at +3.25 V, and drastically decreases again. These differences of the PL intensity variation reflect carrier escape and capture processes. That is, for the direct excitation condition, the PL intensity variation indicates the effect of the electric field on the radiative recombination and the carrier escape processes. In contrast, for the indirect excitation condition, it indicates the carrier transfer and capture processes. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Electroluminescence (EL) and photoluminescence (PL) properties have been investigated of the high-brightness green InGaN single quantum well (SQW) diode over a wide temperature range (T = 15–300 K) and as a function of injection current level. When the necessary forward bias conditions to get a certain current level are different, it is found that the anomalous temperature-dependent EL efficiency varies quite differently. That is, when the current is low and thus the forward driving voltage is small, the EL quenching observed below 100 K for high injection current levels is less significant or even absent due to the efficient carrier capture. This finding is consistent with decrease of the PL efficiency with increasing the bias over +2.5 V. These results indicate that the EL efficiency is significantly influenced by the interplay of internal and external field effects on the carrier capture and escape processes in addition to the localization phenomena caused by In fluctuations in the SQW layer. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A cost effective 28nm CMOS Interconnect technology is presented for 28nm node high performance and low power applications. Full entitlement of ultra low-k (ULK) inter-level dielectric is enabled. Copper wiring levels can be combined up to a total of 11 levels. The inter-level dielectric was optimized for low k-value and high strength. The feature profiles were optimized to enable defect-free metallization using conventional tools and processes. High yields and robust reliability were demonstrated.

We performed ab initio plane-wave calculations for NO/Pt(1 1 1) using a slab model. The results show that at a low coverage of 0.25 ML, the fcc-hollow site is the most stable adsorption site. Our calculations at a higher coverage of 0.50 ML indicate that NO molecules prefer to be adsorbed at both fcc-hollow and atop sites rather than only at hollow sites. This adsorption arrangement is consistent with a recent scanning tunneling microscopy experiment. The calculations of the peak intensities of fcc-hollow and atop species reveal that the peak corresponding to the fcc-hollow species becomes very small in the presence of the atop species. This effect turns out not to be due to the well-known intensity-transfer effect derived from the dynamic dipole–dipole coupling, but to be related to a change of the electronic state of the adsorption system by the addition of the atop species. This conclusion warns experimentalists using vibrational spectroscopy that spectra they measure should be interpreted very carefully.

A read/write simulation based on the Poisson equation by a finite element method was performed on antiferromagnetically coupled (AFC) magnetic media composed of two laminated recording layers and a thin intervening Ru layer, and a thin-film head system. To estimate the thermal stability of the AFC media, a new medium model that introduces interlayer exchange coupling as proposed. This model explains well the ovserved minor loop shifts to the first quadrant in M-H loops due to the interlayer exchange coupling. However, the recorded magnetizations calculated by using this model are found to be in antiparallel magnetization configurations that are independent of the interlayer exchange coupling, and the thermal stability of the AFC media is found to be much improved in comparison with that of the conventional medium. This suggests that within the parameters used in the present simulation, the thermal stability of the AFC media is mainly enhanced by the magnetostatic interlayer coupling.

According to the recent STM measurements and first principles calculations, the ground state structure of Ag adsorbed Si(1 1 1) surface is the inequivalent triangle (IET) structure not but the honeycomb chained triangle (HCT) structure. A simplified theoretical model to describe the phase transition from HCT to IET is introduced. The interaction parameters in the model Hamiltonian are estimated from the first principles calculation based on the density functional theory. The properties related to the phase transition and the Debye–Waller (D–W) factor are calculated with the Monte Carlo simulation. The calculated D–W factor takes the relatively large value corresponding to the thermal fluctuation of the surface Ag atoms and it qualitatively agrees with the experimental one.

We have recently identified a novel gene, klotho (kl), which may suppress several aging phenotypes. A defect of kl gene expression in the mouse results in a syndrome resembling human aging, such as arteriosclerosis, skin atrophy, osteoporosis, and pulmonary emphysema. To determine whether mouse homozygotes for the kl mutation (kl/kl) show abnormal glucose metabolism, an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed at 6 to 8 weeks of age. Blood glucose levels during the OGTT were significantly lower in kl/kl mice versus wild-type mice. The insulin content of the pancreas was significantly lower in kl/kl mice compared with wild-type mice. Decreased insulin production was also supported by Northern blot analysis showing lower levels of insulin mRNA in kl/kl mice. To examine how lower blood glucose levels may exist in kl/kl mice despite decreased insulin production, insulin tolerance tests (ITTs) were performed. The glucose decline following insulin injection was more severe in kl/kl mice versus wild-type mice, suggesting that insulin sensitivity was higher in kl/kl mice versus wild-type mice. In kl/kl mice, an augmented expression of GLUT4 in skeletal muscle was demonstrated by both Northern blot analysis and Western blot analysis. Thus, we conclude that insulin production is decreased and insulin sensitivity is increased in the klotho mouse, a novel animal model for human aging.

Mechanical ventilation with positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) may prevent venous air embolism in the sitting position because cerebral venous pressure (Pcev) could be increased by the PEEP-induced increase in right atrial pressure (Pra). Whereas it is clear that there is a linear transmission of the PEEP-induced increase in Pra to Pcev while the dog is in the prone position, the mechanism of the transmission with the dog in the head-elevated position is unclear. We tested the hypothesis that a Starling resistor-type mechanism exists in the jugular veins when the head is elevated. In one group of dogs, increasing PEEP linearly increased Pcev with the dog in the prone position (head at heart level, slope = 0.851) but did not increase Pcev when the head was elevated. In another group of dogs, an external chest binder was used to produce a larger PEEP-induced increase in Pra. Further increasing Pra increased Pcev only after Pra exceeded a pressure of 19 mmHg (break pressure). This sharp inflection in the upstream (Pcev)-downstream (Pra) relationship suggests that this may be caused by a Starling resistor-type mechanism. We conclude that jugular venous collapse serves as a significant resistance in the transmission of Pra to Pcev in the head-elevated position.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-03T13:11:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-11-01Bitstream added on 2014-12-03T13:22:42Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 WOS000327173600009.pdf: 183843 bytes, checksum: 67e071e27db279236c95be73f53acbf0 (MD5) Objective: This study evaluated the influence of different surface treatments on the resin bond strength/light-cured characterizing materials (LCCMs), using the intrinsic characterization technique. The intrinsic technique is characterized by the use of LCCMs between the increments of resin composite (resin/thin film of LCCM/external layer of resin covering the LCCM).Materials and Methods: Using a silicone matrix, 240 blocks of composite (Z350/3M ESPE) were fabricated. The surfaces received different surface treatments, totaling four groups (n=60): Group C (control group), no surface treatment was used; Group PA, 37% phosphoric acid for one minute and washing the surface for two minutes; Group RD, roughening with diamond tip; and Group AO, aluminum oxide. Each group was divided into four subgroups (n=15), according to the LCCMs used: Subgroup WT, White Tetric Color pigment (Ivoclar/Vivadent) LCCM; Subgroup BT, Black Tetric Color pigment (Ivoclar/Vivadent) LCCM; Subgroup WK, White Kolor Plus pigment (Kerr) LCCM; Subgroup BK, Brown Kolor Plus pigment (Kerr) LCCM. All materials were used according to the manufacturer's instructions. After this, block composites were fabricated over the LCCMs. Specimens were sectioned and submitted to microtensile testing to evaluate the bond strength at the interface. Data were submitted to two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (surface treatment and LCCMs) and Tukey tests.Results: ANOVA presented a value of p

We previously demonstrated (Ookata et al., 1992, 1993) that the p34cdc2/cyclin B complex associates with microtubules in the mitotic spindle and premeiotic aster in starfish oocytes, and that microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) might be responsible for this interaction. In this study, we have investigated the mechanism by which p34cdc2 kinase associates with the microtubule cytoskeleton in primate tissue culture cells whose major MAP is known to be MAP4. Double staining of primate cells with anti-cyclin B and anti-MAP4 antibodies demonstrated these two antigens were colocalized on microtubules and copartitioned following two treatments that altered MAP4 distribution. Detergent extraction before fixation removed cyclin B as well as MAP4 from the microtubules. Depolymerization of some of the cellular microtubules with nocodazole preferentially retained the microtubule localization of both cyclin B and MAP4. The association of p34cdc2/cyclin B kinase with microtubules was also shown biochemically to be mediated by MAP4. Cosedimentation of purified p34cdc2/cyclin B with purified microtubule proteins containing MAP4, but not with MAP-free microtubules, as well as binding of MAP4 to GST-cyclin B fusion proteins, demonstrated an interaction between cyclin B and MAP4. Using recombinant MAP4 fragments, we demonstrated that the Pro-rich C-terminal region of MAP4 is sufficient to mediate the cyclin B-MAP4 interaction. Since p34cdc2/cyclin B physically associated with MAP4, we examined the ability of the kinase complex to phosphorylate MAP4. Incubation of a ternary complex of p34cdc2, cyclin B, and the COOH-terminal domain of MAP4, PA4, with ATP resulted in intracomplex phosphorylation of PA4. Finally, we tested the effects of MAP4 phosphorylation on microtubule dynamics. Phosphorylation of MAP4 by p34cdc2 kinase did not prevent its binding to microtubules, but abolished its microtubule stabilizing activity. Thus, the cyclin B/MAP4 interaction we have described may be important in targeting the mitotic kinase to appropriate cytoskeletal substrates, for the regulation of spindle assembly and dynamics.

In Huntington's disease striatal neurons undergo marked changes in dendritic morphology and coincidently exhibit an increase in immunoreactive calbindin D28k (calbindin), a cytosolic calcium-binding protein which is highly abundant in these neurons. Previous studies in the rat striatum have shown that excitotoxic injury, which is linked to a rise in intracellular Ca2+, mimics many of the neurochemical and neuropathological characteristics of Hungtington's disease. We speculated, therefore, that the apparent increase in calbindin labeling in Huntington's disease spiny neurons may signal the response to an excitotoxic process. To investigate this possibility, we compared the cellular features of calbindin immunoreactivity in grade 1–4 Huntington's disease cases with those seen in rat striatal neurons in vivo and in vitro following treatment with N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist, quinolinic acid. In human post mortem control cases calbindin immunoreactivity was seen primarily in the somata and proximal dendrites of striatal neurons. In the Huntington's disease cases, calbindin labeling was markedly increased throughout the second and third order dendrites and in spines, and this change was more prevalent in advanced cases (grades 3–4). In the rat brain, two weeks after intrastriatal injection of quinolinic acid (6–20 ng), surviving medium-spiny neurons in the transition zone around the lesion core exhibited a marked increase in calbindin immunoreactivity similar to that seen in Huntington's disease spiny neurons. In more peripheral areas away from the lesion and on the contralateral unlesioned side, calbindin immunostaining was confirmed to somata and proximal dendrites. In situ hybridization histochemistry with an 35S-labeled oligonucleotide probe showed no change or a decrease in calbindin mRNA levels in neurons within the transition zone, suggesting that the observed increase in calbindin staining was not the result of increased transcription. In 12 day old postnatal striatal cultures, 2–6 h exposures to quinolinic acid (0.5 mM) significantly increased the length of neurites exhibiting calbindin immunoreactivity when compared to untreated controls. This effect was blocked by the selective NMDA receptor blocker (±)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5), indicating that an NMDA receptor-mediated mechanism contributed to the change in staining pattern. Results in rats suggest that the subcellular redistribution of calbindin immunoreactivity observed in Huntington's disease spiny neurons may be related to an NMDA receptor-induced excitotoxic process. An increased availability of calbindin protein at dendrites and spines may reflect a greater demand for Ca2+ buffering precipitated by an abnormal rise in intracellular Ca2+.

We describe two protocols for preparing human brains collected for research and diagnosis. In both protocols, one half brain is processed for research and the other for neuropathological evaluation. Clinical, neuropathological and tissue mRNA retention data are used for sample categorization. In protocol 1, coronal, whole hemisphere slices cut at standardized landmarks are frozen with a cooling device at -90 degrees C, which yields discrete anatomical structures. In selected instances, small blocks of brain are frozen at -160 degrees C in liquid nitrogen vapor. Cooling device or liquid nitrogen vapor frozen samples are suitable for in situ hybridization, protein blotting or immunohistochemistry. Morphological freezing artifacts are minimal. In protocol 2, one half brain is frozen en bloc on dry ice; this tissue is suitable for regional evaluation of gene expression or neurochemistry. Morphological freezing artifacts are severe. In both protocols, the other half brain is fixed in formalin prior to sectioning and diagnostic evaluation. The standardized selection of paraffin blocks from each brain allows precise diagnoses to be established, including identification of dangerous infectious processes; moreover, it makes it possible to produce a set of uniformly selected blocks and slides for comparative studies. These protocols lead to standardized tissue preparation for research and reduce variables impairing interpretation and comparison of data.

Previous studies have shown that in advanced cases of Huntington's disease, enkephalin-immunoreactive striatal projections to the external globus pallidus may be more affected than substance P-containing striatal projections to the inner segment of the pallidum [Reiner A. et al. (1988) Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. , 85 , 5733–5737]. Other immunohistochemical [Ferrante R. J. et al. (1990) Soc. Neurosci. Abstr. , 16 , 1120] and neurochemical observations [Storey E. and Beal M. F. (1993) Brain , 116 , 1201–1222] suggest no difference in the loss of these peptide-containing pathways in Huntington's disease. In view of the potential significance of this issue for understanding the neuropathological process in Huntington's diseasem we examined the globus pallidus in control and Huntington's disease brains, using a quantitative approach which involved high resolution image analysis of 7 μm frozen sections to determine the overall density of peptide-immunoreactive terminals. Results showed that in the controls there was no significant difference between the density of enkephalin- and substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the external and internal globus pallidus, respectively. In all Huntington's disease brains, including grade 1 cases, enkephalin-immunoreactive terminals in the external globus pallidus were significantly reduced compared to substance P-positive boutons in the internal segment of the adjacent section. In comparison to controls, enkephalin immunoreactivity in all Huntington's disease cases was significantly lower; substance P-immunoreactive terminals in the internal globus pallidus were significantly lower than controls in some of the grade 2 cases and in the grade 3 cases. Our results using a method of analysis different from previous studies support the earlier findings of Reiner et al. , that in Huntington's disease the striatopallidal pathway containing immunoreactive enkephalin is affected to a greater extent than the projection containing substance P. Moreover, the additional finding in this study that enekephalin and substance P projections differ markedly in the grade 1 cases strongly suggests that the alterations in the enkephalin pathway signal a relatively early event in the neuropathological process in Huntington's disease.

We commercialized a large-size optical current transformer (OCT) using the Faraday effect for the Cable Head Station of Hokkaido-Honshu HVDC Link for cable protection. The rated current and voltage of the HVDC are ±1200 A and ±250 kV, respectively. The diameter of the sensing head of the OCT is about 2 m and it is applicable not only to newly constructed cable heads but also to existing cable heads without disassembling a cable head bushing. The field test of the OCT was conducted at Furukawa Cable Head Station for more than one year and we confirmed long-term stability. In the field test, ambient temperature changed in the range from −15degC to 27degC. Primary current measured by the OCT was compared to that measured by a Kraemer-type DCCT, and the data were consistent. Reflecting the field test results, we manufactured the OCT for commercial installation. Factory tests of the OCT for commercial installation were conducted. Ratio error, frequency response, and the results of other tests satisfied their criteria. In particular, we measured temperature characteristics precisely and confirmed that the ratio error of the total system at any ambient temperature, including dispersion, satisfied the required specification, which is equivalent to IEC 60044-8 class 1.0.

The morphology and the growth mechanism of lithium borate crystals from the vitreous state have been studied for various compositions, X = B/(Li + B), from 0.62 to 0.75. Crystalline phases and morphology of grown crystals varied with the composition. Octahedral and/or spherical Li2B4O7 crystals are seen in the specimen with X = 0.62, 0.64, 0.67, and 0.68. The spherical crystal is composed of an octahedral core and fibrous crystals. The size of the core varied with the composition of the starting glass, X. The fibrous crystal growth is supposed to arise from the morphological instability due to the compositional variation caused by the solute pileup at the growth interface.

Asthma and rhinitis are common co-morbidities everywhere in the world but nation-wide studies assessing rhinitis in asthmatics using questionnaires based on guidelines are not available.To assess the prevalence, classification, and severity of rhinitis using the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) criteria in Japanese patients with diagnosed and treated asthma.The study was performed from March to August 2009. Patients in physicians' waiting rooms, or physicians themselves, filled out questionnaires on rhinitis and asthma based on ARIA and Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) diagnostic guides. The patients answered questions on the severity of the diseases and a Visual Analog Scale. Their physicians made the diagnosis of rhinitis.In this study, 1910 physicians enrolled 29,518 asthmatics; 15,051 (51.0%) questionnaires were administered by physician, and 26,680 (90.4%) patients were evaluable. Self- and physician-administered questionnaires gave similar results. Rhinitis was diagnosed in 68.5% of patients with self-administered questionnaires and 66.2% with physician-administered questionnaires. In this study, 994 (7.6%) patients with self-administered and 561 (5.2%) patients with physician-administered questionnaires indicated rhinitis symptoms on the questionnaires without a physician's diagnosis of rhinitis. Most patients with the physician's diagnosis of rhinitis had moderate/severe rhinitis. Asthma control was significantly impaired in patients with a physician's diagnosis of rhinitis for all GINA clinical criteria except exacerbations. There were significantly more patients with uncontrolled asthma as defined by GINA in those with a physician's diagnosis of rhinitis (25.4% and 29.7%) by comparison with those without rhinitis (18.0% and 22.8%).Rhinitis is common in asthma and impairs asthma control.

An extremely high-reliability 300 MW frequency converter has been developed. To achieve high reliability, the frequency converter adopts several dual (redundant) methods. The fault-system-lock function and the online recovery function greatly enhance the system reliability, allowing the Shin-Shinano FC to continue to operate almost without any stoppages due to faults. Highvolume, non-volatile CPLDs are utilized in the controller, and a simple controller configuration is also achieved, which makes maintenance easy.

1. The rostromesial agranular frontal cortex of macaque monkey (Macaca fuscata), traditionally defined as the supplementary motor area (SMA), was studied using various physiological techniques to delineate two different areas rostrocaudally. 2. Field and unitary responses to electrical stimulation of the primary motor cortex were distinct in the caudal part, but minimal or absent in the rostral part. Intracortical microstimulation readily evoked limb or orofacial movements in the caudal part, but only infrequently in the rostral part. Neuronal responses to visual stimuli prevailed in the rostral part, but somatosensory responses were rare. The opposite was true in the caudal part. 3. The rostral part, roughly corresponding to area 6a beta, was operationally defined as the presupplementary motor area (pre-SMA). The caudal part was redefined as the SMA proper. 4. Single-cell activity in the pre-SMA was quantitatively compared with that in the SMA proper in relation to a trained motor task. 5. Phasic responses to visual cue signals indicating the direction of forthcoming arm-reaching movement were more abundant in the pre-SMA. 6. Activity changes during the preparatory period, which lasted until the occurrence of the trigger signal for the reaching movement, were more frequent in the pre-SMA. 7. Phasic, movement-related activity was more frequent in the SMA, and its onset was often time locked to the movement onset. In the pre-SMA, the occurrences of response time locked to the movement-trigger signal were more frequent than in the SMA. 8. Among neurons in both areas, directional selectivity was found in all the cue, preparatory, and movement-related responses.

Reliability of 32-nm-node ultralow-k (k=2.4)/Cu multilevel interconnects incorporating a bilayer low-k barrier cap (k=3.9) was improved without excessive wiring resistance by using CuAl seed technology with high-temperature and short-time annealing. Though the increase in wiring resistivity was about 10 %, both electromigration (EM) and stress-induced voiding (SiV) reliability was clearly improved by using Cu-0.5wt%Al seed metal.

Although the importance of the vagal nerve in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma has been reported, its precise contribution is still not fully understood. To shed more light on this area, we evaluated the possible contribution of vagal reflex in histamine-induced bronchoconstriction (HIB), and decided the site of action of histamine on the vagal nerve. For this purpose, we studied the effects of the bilateral cervical vagotomy, hexamethonium (2 mg.kg-1) or tetrodotoxin (0.5 mg.kg-1) on HIB (8 micrograms.kg-1, iv) in anaesthetized and mechanically-ventilated guinea-pigs. We also studied whether or not atropine (1 mg.kg-1) decreases HIB after vagotomy, including either the treatment of hexamethonium or tetrodotoxin. Airway responses were assessed by measurement of pulmonary resistance. The following results were obtained; 1) the response to histamine was significantly enhanced by the vagotomy, hexamethonium or tetrodotoxin; 2) propranolol increased HIB, and HIB was further enhanced by the vagotomy in the animals treated with propranolol; 3) atropine significantly suppressed HIB after the vagotomy, hexamethonium or tetrodotoxin. These results suggest that the postganglionic vagal nerve plays an excitatory role in HIB through the release of acetylcholine from the nerve terminals. It is also suggested that the vagal reflex mainly exhibits an inhibitory role in the HIB of guinea-pigs, presumably by the action of the nonadrenergic inhibitory nervous system.

For the first time, we demonstrate standard cell gate density of 3650 KGate/mm2 and SRAM cell of 0.124 mum2 for 32 nm CMOS platform technology. Both advanced single exposure (SE) lithography and gate-first metal gate/high-k (MG/HK) process contribute to reduce total cost per function by 50% from 45 nm technology node, which is unattainable by dual exposure (DE) lithography or double patterning (DP) and poly/SiON gate stack.

We have analyzed the correlation between insulator surface copper contamination and time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) quantitatively for the first time. TDDB lifetime strongly depends on the copper contamination after CMP process, and it is important to control the redox potential to be less than -0.5 V vs. NHE and to utilize a chelating agent on cleaning sequence. Furthermore, we have successfully optimized the post-CMP sequence to decrease the size of antioxidant-copper complex, and improved the TDDB lifetime.

The structure of microtubule assembly inhibitor protein (MIP) was studied by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and limited proteolysis. Spin-diffusion experiments revealed that MIP has a tightly folded structure, a "rigid globule." This globule was irreversibly denatured by heat treatment at 80 degrees C, and the denatured MIP showed little ability to inhibit microtubule assembly. This indicates that the native globular structure is essential for the activity. By spin-diffusion and spin-echo experiments, the other part of the molecule was found to be highly mobile. We termed the region "highly mobile coils." Most of the acidic residues appeared to be clustered in the highly mobile coils. By limited proteolysis using subtilisin, the mobile region was digested into shorter pieces, and a single 17-kDa fragment remained. Proton NMR spectrum of this fragment was much the same as the spin-diffusion subspectra of the rigid globule in the intact MIP molecule. Furthermore, the 17-kDa fragment was found to retain the activity to inhibit the microtubule assembly. These results indicate that MIP consists of two moieties; one domain forms a rigid globule which is essential for its activity to inhibit microtubule assembly, and the other acidic one is highly mobile and tails from the globule. The tertiary structures of these two domains appear to be independent from each other. These domains may be responsible for two different functions of MIP, the interaction with the cytoskeleton and the interaction with, for example, nuclear components.

The paper presents an ultrasonic sensor network system that can be utilized in elderly care homes. One of the problems of an aging society is the shortage of carers in homes for the aged; the shortage imposes an increasing workload on carers and leads to a deterioration of the quality of care for the elderly. The authors developed an ultrasonic sensor network system to reduce the workload on carers. The system monitors the elderly people in a nursing room continuously and remotely, and, when it detects accident-prone events or accidents of the elderly, it notifies carers about the occurrence of such events. The system was installed in a nursing home in Tokyo and has been running for several months. The paper describes the background of the research, the system overview, and results obtained during its real operation.

A highly sensitive method for the detection of trichloroethylene (TCE) using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is described. This method (Hybrid type QCM) uses lead dioxide and sulfuric acid as oxidizing agents to convert TCE into hydrogen chloride, which in turn reacts directly with a copper electrode on the quartz crystal surface. The results indicate that the sensitivity increases at higher temperatures. Using a calibration curve, it is possible to obtain a TCE gas concentration. This hybrid type QCM method allows for the measurement of very low concentrations of TCE, and has a detection limit comparable to the Japanese Environmental Standard (0.2 mg/m3).

This paper addresses the unique aspects of multinational CCS7 design and development faced by DMS-10 in meeting the signaling requirements for Japan and the United States. Back ground information on DAIS-10 application in these two coun tries is presented. Differences and similarities in the CCS7 re quirements and applications for the two networks are discussed The system architecture and technology employed in theDMS-10 system to provide the necessary services in a cost-effective man ner are presented. Experience in nuildnational design is shareA with particular emphasis on the strategies used to help insure succesk&I project development

We propose a human support system by a humanoid robot in the living environment. For supporting humans, the robot has to follow a human in order that he/she can give commands to the robot at any time, anywhere. In this paper our target is to develop a system in which a human can command the robot to pick up daily objects and to deliver the objects to him/her. Using the sensorized living environment, where a lot of ultrasonic sensors are distributed on the walls and the ceiling, the robot can obtain the 3-dimensional positions of human and the targets. The robot performs these tasks using the information and other information obtained from devices that are equipped with the robot.

This paper introduces an embedded distributed sensor network for a home for the aged which monitors positions of elderly people in a nursing room. The system employs about one hundred ultrasonic sensors and attaches an ultrasonic emitter to a wheel chair which an elderly person uses. The system tracks the emitter's position continuously and notifies caregivers when the wheel chair enters one of preset regions where accidents are likely to occur. This paper describes the background of the development and system configuration with a preliminary experimental result.

This paper describes an ultrasonic tagging system developed for robustly observing human activity in a living area. Using ultrasonic transmitter tags with unique identifiers, the system is shown through experimental application to be able to track the three-dimensional motion of tagged objects in real time with high accuracy, resolution and robustness to occlusion. The use of an ultrasonic system is desirable because of its low cost and use of commercial components, and the proposed system achieves high accuracy and robustness through the use of many redundant sensors. The system employs multilateration to locate tagged objects using one of two estimation algorithms, a least-squares optimization method or a random sample consensus method.

This paper describes a middleware which the authors developed to implement distributed sensor networks. The authors have been developing sensorized environments which have hundreds of sensors and can monitor human daily activities in real time. All sensors in the environment should be connected and organized into a sensor network because no single sensor can cover the whole environment. The middleware developed by the authors supports easy implementation of such sensor network. The design and implementation of the middleware, especially the generic programming and pattern-oriented approach for I/O device handlers, are presented in this paper.

This paper presents a networked sensor system for monitoring human daily behaviors in real time. Monitoring human shape, motion, and behavior plays an important role in modeling humans and it is an essential component of Digital Human research. The authors have been developing sensor-based environment that has hundreds of sensors and monitors human daily activities in realtime for developing human behavior models. This paper introduces the environment and its sensor systems. Applications in the environment are also presented briefly.

Background: The 72 kDa matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and the 92 kDa matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) are type IV collagenases implicated in various aspects of inflammation including accumulation of inflammatory cells, tissue injury, and development of remodelling. The role of these enzymes in the pathogenesis of asthma exacerbations is unknown. Methods: Circulating levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins and the expression of their inhibitor, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1), were measured in 21 patients experiencing an asthma exacerbation and 21 age matched patients with stable asthma. Circulating gelatinolytic activity was compared during the asthma exacerbation and during subsequent convalescence by gelatin zymography in the same individuals. In addition, MMP-9 specific activity was quantified with a colorimetric assay which uses an artificial proenzyme containing a specific domain recognised by MMP-9 in the same paired samples. Results: A significant increase in the circulating level of MMP-9 was seen in patients with an asthma exacerbation compared with patients with stable asthma (202.9 (22.0) v 107.7 (9.9) ng/ml, p=0.0003). There were no significant differences in the circulating levels of MMP-2 or TIMP-1. Gelatin zymography identified two major circulating gelatinolytic activities corresponding to MMP-2 and MMP-9, and showed that asthma exacerbations are characterised by markedly increased MMP-9 activity with no significant change in MMP-2 activity compared with the activities during convalescence in the same individuals. Direct measurement showed that MMP-9 specific activity is significantly increased during asthma exacerbations compared with subsequent convalescence (269.6 (31.7) v 170.4 (12.6) ng/ml, p=0.0099). Conclusions: Asthma exacerbations are characterised by increased circulating MMP-9 activity. This increased activity may be related to exaggerated airway inflammation and airway remodelling.