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A discharge probability model is proposed to analyze the stochastic distribution of the discharge delay time. The distribution is described as a hybrid function between the exponential and Gaussian distributions and their characteristic properties, such as the emission time constant of an exoelectron and the average and standard deviations of the formative delay time. The calculated results of the probability of a successful discharge show a good agreement with the experimental results measured in plasma display panels. The analytical protocol allows the discharge delay time to be accurately separated into the statistical and formative delay times. A thermal excitation and emission model is devised to analyze the effective number and the activation energy of electron emission sources (EESs) in a MgO layer using the emission time constant of an exoelectron. The effective number of the EES, i.e., 3.79 × 105 per cell, decreases after a long time interval because of the thermal excitation; thus, the emission time constant increases significantly. The effective number of the EES after 1000 h of sustain discharge decreases to 2.07 × 104 per cell, which is 0.055 times that before the sustain discharge. This degradation is explained by 2.6-4.3 times of increase in the density of electron traps due to the ion sputtering of noble gases against the MgO surface. The emission time constant is found to decrease to 0.45 times when the wall voltage near the MgO surface is increased by 11 V, which demonstrates that the exoelectron emission can be controlled by the electric field.

In this study, we investigated the nano-platelet structures of original and organically modified montmorillonite clays. Atomic force microscope observation gave accurate width and thickness of the nano-platelet clays. The organically modified clays could not be homogeneously dispersed even in organic solvent. Ultrasonication of the solution resulted in the destruction of the layered structure of the clays. In contrast, the supernatant solution before ultrasonication contained the mono-layered nano-platelets of the organically modified clays whose surface was rough in the angstrom level due to the adsorbed molecules.

The denaturation of protein by pressure has been generally well known since the findings of the perfect coagulation of egg white by a pressure of 7,000 atm within 30 min by Bridgman (J Biol Chem 19:511-512, 1914), and Kiyama and Yanagimoto (Rev Phys Chem Jpn 21:41-43, 1951) confirmed that the coagulation occurs above 3,880 kg cm(-2). Grant et al. (Science 94:616, 1941) and Suzuki and Kitamura (Abstracts of 30th annual meeting of Japanese Biochemical Society, 1957) found that SH groups are detected at the compressed sample of ovalbumin. On the other hand, Johnson and Campbell (J Cell Comp Physiol 26:43-49, 1945), Tongur (Kolloid Zhur 11:274-279, 1949; Biokhimiya 17:495-503, 1952) and Suzuki et al. (Mem Res Inst Sci Eng Ritsumeikan Univ 3:1-4, 1958) reported that the thermal denaturation of proteins is retarded in a few examples by the low pressure of about 1,000 atm. Before 1960, the studies of denaturation under high pressure were, however, rare and almost qualitative compared with those by heat, acid, urea and so on, so that there was no theory for the influence of hydrostatic pressure on the mechanism of denaturation. Here I review how I started experiments and analysis on pressure denaturation of proteins in early days of 1950s and 1960s in my laboratory and others.

Aim: We propose preliminarily that acute (category I of the NIH consensus definition) and chronic prostatitis (category II) can be subcategorized into primary and recurrent diseases based on the precise analysis of the clinical course and the immunological parameters in prostatic secretions of our cases. Methods: Five patients with stone-free, acute febrile prostatitis and nine patients with acute episodes of afebrile urinary infection were included. The expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) were collected soon after the acute illnesses subsided after medication administration and they were examined microscopically, bacteriologically, and serologically. First-line medications were cefem antibiotics with conventional doses for febrile cases and low doses for afebrile cases. They were administered for at least 2 weeks. Second-line conventional medication with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim or levofloxacin was given only to the patients in whom remaining prostatic infections were revealed. Results: The first-line medications were successful in all patients and they promptly became asymptomatic in 1 week. All the EPS were infected except for two afebrile cases. Prostatic infections were eradicated by second-line conventional medications. In a patient with afebrile prostatitis whose EPS were free of macrophages and immunoglobulin (Ig)M, the eradication of prostatic pathogens was achieved without second-line antibacterial medication. Conclusions: Bacterial prostatitis could be classified into primary and recurrent chronic infections in each of the febrile (category I) and afebrile (category II) illnesses. A cefem regimen in varying doses was a clue for differential diagnosis as it did not affect the pathogens in the prostatic ducts or acini unless heavy urine reflux occurred in the ductal draining systems. Macrophages and immunoglobulins, especially IgM, in the EPS were useful immunological parameters to differentiate primary and recurrent infections of the prostate. Fluoroquinolones or sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim should not be employed in acute urinary infections in male patients until the confirmation of prostatic infection to avoid injudicious use of them, which might cause an increasing prevalence of resistant uropathogens in the community. The evacuation of the prostate by repetitive massage seemed to be effective to enhance the prompt eradication of pathogens from the prostatic tissue and to keep patients asymptomatic throughout the course of the disease by preventing tissue pressure elevation.

An analytical method to study the discharge-radiation dynamics (DRD) in alternating current plasma display panels was developed. The input parameters for this DRD analysis were experimentally determined panel voltage and current wave forms. Discharge voltage, current, and power wave forms in the discharge volume of a cell were first obtained from the measured panel voltage and current wave forms using known geometrical configurations and electric circuit calculations. Intrinsic discharge parameters, such as electron temperature and density, were then determined to satisfy these discharge wave forms under the assumption of a hydrodynamic approach. A one-dimensional discharge structure with two regions (cathode fall and positive column) and several other assumptions which are plausible from the discharge physics point of view were also adopted. These assumptions took account of known cross sections and energies of electron-impact excitation and ionization of discharge gas atoms, and a secondary electron emi...

The denaturation of protein by pressure has been generally well known since the findings of the perfect coagulation of egg white by a pressure of 7,000 atm within 30 min by Bridgman (J Biol Chem 19:511–512, 1914), and Kiyama and Yanagimoto (Rev Phys Chem Jpn 21:41–43, 1951) confirmed that the coagulation occurs above 3,880 kg cm−2. Grant et al. (Science 94:616, 1941) and Suzuki and Kitamura (Abstracts of 30th annual meeting of Japanese Biochemical Society, 1957) found that SH groups are detected at the compressed sample of ovalbumin. On the other hand, Johnson and Campbell (J Cell Comp Physiol 26:43–49, 1945), Tongur (Kolloid Zhur 11:274–279, 1949; Biokhimiya 17:495–503, 1952) and Suzuki et al. (Mem Res Inst Sci Eng Ritsumeikan Univ 3:1–4, 1958) reported that the thermal denaturation of proteins is retarded in a few examples by the low pressure of about 1,000 atm. Before 1960, the studies of denaturation under high pressure were, however, rare and almost qualitative compared with those by heat, acid, urea and so on, so that there was no theory for the influence of hydrostatic pressure on the mechanism of denaturation. Here I review how I started experiments and analysis on pressure denaturation of proteins in early days of 1950s and 1960s in my laboratory and others.

The gastric toxic effects of aspirin (ASA) and NCX-4016, a nitric oxide (NO)-releasing ASA, were compared in normal, cirrhotic, and arthritic rats. Oral administration of ASA (100 mg/kg) produced hemorrhagic lesions on the gastric mucosa in normal rats. The gastric ulcerogenic response to ASA was significantly worsened in both cirrhotic rats induced by N-nitrosodiethylamine and in arthritic rats induced by Freund's complete adjuvant. By contrast, NCX-4016 at 190 mg/kg (a dose equimolar to 100 mg/kg of ASA) did not induce damage in normal rat stomachs but caused slight lesions in the gastric mucosa of both cirrhotic and arthritic rats. Plasma salicylate levels following administration of ASA or NCX-4016 were not different between normal, cirrhotic, and arthritic rats, although the latter drug gave significantly lower values in any group of rats as compared to the former. Acid secretion was significantly increased in both cirrhotic and arthritic rats. ASA with 150 mM HCl caused severe gastric lesions in normal rats, the degree of damage being significantly greater than that induced by ASA alone. Coadministration of NOR-3, a NO donor, significantly prevented the development of gastric lesions induced by ASA, irrespective of whether or not ASA was given together with HCl. Gastric mucosal application of ASA (100 mg/kg) for 30 min caused a marked reduction of transmucosal potential difference (PD) with a minimal effect on gastric mucosal blood flow in both normal and cirrhotic rats, while that of NCX-4016 did not cause a PD reduction and produced a marked increase in the mucosal blood flow in both groups of rats. These results suggest that gastric mucosal susceptibility to ASA-induced damage is increased in both cirrhotic and arthritic rats (the process being partly accounted for by acid hypersecretion in these animals), NCX-4016 has even less gastric toxicity in both cirrhotic and arthritic rats, and the gastric-sparing effect of NCX-4016 is due, at least partly, to an increase of gastric mucosal blood flow, mediated by NO released from this drug.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Twenty-two institutes have organized Keio University Prostate Cancer Study Group to study clinical efficacy and safety of Leuprolide acetate (Leuplin) for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer (clinical stage D1 and D2). Cotreatment of Leuplin and Estramustine phosphate disodium (Estracyt) has been performed to investigate its clinical efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and two cases of advanced prostate cancer were treated either with Leuplin alone (group I), Leuplin and Estracyt (group II) or Estracyt alone (group III). After 12 weeks treatment, clinical effects against subjective symptoms (pain, voiding difficulty, performance status and body weight), serum testosterone level, tumor size and serum PSA level were examined to investigate short-term effect of each treatment. The treatment had been continued for 24 months and the treatment effects including progression free survival and overall survival were analyzed. RESULTS Clinical efficacy after 12 weeks treatment were examined among 97 cases (group I; 35 cases, group II; 36 cases, group III; 26 cases). The background of those patients in each group was statistically equal. Treatment effects against subjective symptoms and serum testosterone level statistically revealed no significant difference among 3 groups. Treatment effects against primary tumor, bone metastatic lesion, lymphnode metastatic lesion and serum PSA level were investigated and anti-tumor effect was characterized by total efficacy rate (complete remission rate plus partial remission rate) of each treatment group. Treatment efficacy rates for each lesion and PSA demonstrated no statistical difference among 3 treatment groups. Total efficacy rate of group I, II and III were 88.2%, 84.0% and 78.3%, respectively, which statistically revealed no significant difference. Total efficacy rate of each group after completing 24 months treatment was; group I 80.0%, group II 55.6% and group III 83.3%, which statistically showed no significant difference among 3 treatment groups. The median day for progression free survival of group I, II and III were 661, 731 and 517, respectively. The overall survival rate of group I, II and III after completing 24 months treatment were 77.5%, 83.0% and 72.4%, respectively. Both progression free survival rates and overall survival rates revealed no significant difference among 3 groups. Side effects during 24 months treatment were seen in 8.6% of group I, 47.2% of group II and 26.9% of group III, and these occurrence rates were significantly different among the groups (p = 0.0013). CONCLUSION Although number of the cases had not been able to continue the treatment for their side effects, the statistical characterization demonstrated that cotreatment of Leuplin and Estracyt had no greater treatment effect than monotreatment of each drug.

The effects of a nitric oxide (NO) releasing derivative of indomethacin (NCX-530) on gastric ulcerogenic and healing responses were evaluated in rats and mice, in comparison with the parent compound indomethacin. Indomethacin (per os) produced damage in the rat stomach in a dose-dependent manner. NCX-530 (per os) itself, however, was not ulcerogenic and even showed a dose-dependent protection against HCl/ethanol-induced lesions in the rat stomach. Likewise, indomethacin given repeatedly delayed healing of gastric ulcers induced in mice by thermal cauterization, while NCX-530 did not affect the healing response and significantly promoted the healing as compared to indomethacin. These actions of NCX-530 were mimicked by the combined administration of a NO donor NOR-3 with indomethacin. The amount of NO metabolites was increased in both the gastric contents and serum when NCX-530, but not indomethacin, was given in pylorus-ligated stomachs. Neither indomethacin nor NCX-530 influenced gastric acid secretion and transmucosal potential difference, yet NCX-530 caused a marked increase of gastric mucosal blood flow, which was preventable by carboxy-PTIO, a scavenger of NO. Gastric motility was increased by indomethacin but not by NCX-530. In addition, NCX-530 inhibited PGE2 generation in both the intact and ulcerated gastric mucosa and showed antiinflammatory action on carrageenan-induced rat paw edema, as effectively as indomethacin. These results suggest that unlike indomethacin, NCX-530 caused neither an irritating action on the stomach nor healing impairment effect on the preexisting gastric ulcers, but conferred gastric protection against HCl/ethanol, despite causing cyclooxygenase inhibition and antiinflammatory action, as effectively as indomethacin. This NO-releasing indomethacin, probably by releasing NO, exerts protective influences, such as an increase of gastric mucosal blood flow, that counteract the potential damaging effects of cyclooxygenase inhibition by indomethacin.

The theoretical formulation given in this article allows the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) production efficiency to be calculated from the electron temperature of the plasma and the gas parameters including gas mixing ratio, excitation energies, and excitation cross sections using the separately determined conversion efficiency of the plasma input power into the electron heating power. The VUV production efficiencies calculated for (Ne+Xe) mixture (neon (Ne) and xenon (Xe) mixture) discharge gases using the formulation show that the efficiency can be increased by decreasing the electron temperature and by increasing the amount of Xe in the gas mixture. A method for determining the electron temperature of the plasma display panel (PDP) plasma from emission intensity measurements was also given, and was used to show that the electron temperature in the ordinary PDP plasma is 3 eV.

Summary Aim: To investigate the EP receptor subtype involved in the gastroprotective action of prostaglandin (PG) E2 using various EP receptor agonists in rats, and using knockout mice lacking EP1 or EP3 receptors. Methods: Male SD rats and C57BL/6 mice were used after an 18-h fast. Gastric lesions were induced by oral administration of HCl/ethanol (150 m m HCl in 60% ethanol). Rats were given various EP agonists i.v. 10 min before HCl/ethanol: PGE2, sulprostone (EP1/EP3 agonist), butaprost (EP2 agonist), 17-phenyl-ω-trinorPGE2 (17-phenylPGE2: EP1 agonist), ONO-NT012 (EP3 agonist) and 11-deoxyPGE1 (EP3/EP4 agonist). In a separate study, the effect of PGE2 on HCl/ethanol lesions was examined in EP1- and EP3-receptor knockout mice. Results: Gastric lesions induced by HCl/ethanol were dose dependently prevented by PGE2; this effect was mimicked by sulprostone and 17-phenylPGE2 and was significantly antagonized by ONO-AE-829, an EP1 antagonist. Neither butaprost, ONO-NT012 nor 11-deoxyPGE1 exhibited any protective activity against HCl/ethanol-induced gastric lesions. PGE2 caused an inhibition of gastric motility as well as an increase of mucosal blood flow and mucus secretion, the effects being mimicked by prostanoids activating EP1 receptors, EP2/EP3/EP4 receptors and EP4 receptors, respectively. On the other hand, although HCl/ethanol caused similar damage in both wild-type mice and knockout mice lacking EP1 or EP3 receptors, the cytoprotective action of PGE2 observed in wild-type and EP3-receptor knockout mice totally disappeared in mice lacking EP1 receptors. Conclusion: The gastric cytoprotective action of PGE2 is mediated by activation of EP1 receptors. This effect may be functionally associated with inhibition of gastric motility but not with increased mucosal blood flow or mucus secretion.

We examined the influence of diabetes mellitus (DM) on the healing of HCl-induced gastric lesions and the healing promoting effect of polaprezinc [N-(3-aminopropionyl)-l-histidinato zinc] on these lesions. Studies were performed on rats injected intraperitoneally with streptozotocin (STZ, 70 mg/kg) five weeks prior to experiments. Diabetic rats had blood glucose levels (BGLs) higher than 350 mg/100 ml. Randomly chosen animals were treated subcutaneously with insulin (4 IU/day/rat) starting 1 week after STZ. Animals were given 1 ml of 0.6 N HCl by oral gavage (per os) following 18 hr of fasting; they were fed normally from 1 hr later and killed at various time points after HCl administration. Polaprezinc (3–30 mg/kg) or its components ZnSO4/7H2O and l-carnosine were given orally, twice daily for four days following HCl treatment. Gastric lesions induced by HCl healed macroscopically to quiescence within 10 days. DM and insulin did not affect the development of HCl-invoked gastric lesions, but the healing of such lesions was markedly impaired in animals with DM. Daily administration of insulin returned high BGLs to significantly lower ranges (190–208 mg/100 ml) and markedly antagonized the healing impairment. Polaprezinc (>10 mg/kg) significantly reversed the delay observed in diabetic rats without any notable effects on BGLs or acid secretion. Similar trends were observed with ZnSO4/7H2O or a mixture of ZnSO4/7H2O and l-carnosine, but not by l-carnosine alone. The mucosal expression of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I) mRNA was significantly lower in diabetic rats, a dysregulation partially corrected by insulin and polaprezinc. In addition, the delayed healing in diabetic rats was also significantly promoted by the repeated subcutaneous administration of rhIGF-I (>10 μg/kg, twice daily) without any notable effect on BGLs or acid secretion. These results suggest that DM exerted a deleterious influence on the healing of acute gastric lesions in both insulin- and zinc-sensitive manner. The salutary effects of polaprezinc on the impaired healing of gastric lesion in STZ-diabetic animals may at least be partly explained by enhancement of mucosal IGF-I mRNA expression in the stomach.

Reactive interactions in plasma etching have been investigated. Simple gas-phase transport of etchants and the reaction by-products in the wafer near-surface area are discussed. A new reincidence parameter, determined with a proposed near-surface model, was used to formulate metal etch rates. The experimental results obtained from an electron cyclotron resonance microwave plasma etching system revealed that the measured etching rate agreed well with those obtained by the near-surface model. It was found that reaction by-products repeatedly arrived at the surface depending on the reincidence numbers for the metal etching. The reincidence is the result of the diffusional transport in the vicinity of the wafer and is given by the expression {(one-half of the wafer radius)/(mean-free path)}. The ratio of the by-product flux is expressed by the product of the etching-rate flux times the reincidence number. Then, the resulting ratio of the reaction products in the flux becomes very high when we compare it to th...

An overview of plasma etching, including its basic mechanism, its history, and the problem of trade-offs in its properties, is given as background for a proposal concerning the direction that research aimed at developing future dry- etching techniques should take. Considering the three-level structure of the chemical, physical, and apparatus parameters of plasma etching, we need to develop new plasma souxes with high controllability of the physical parameters. The ideal style is a soft thFee-dimensionally uniform plasma created using a wave- plasma coupling power supply. Also, as device integration continues to advance and special requirements for new-concept devices arise, it may also be necessary to examine processes using post-plasma techniques, where minimizing damage will be especially important. 1. Introduction The integration required for semiconductor-memory devices has approached the giga-bit order in recent years and the scale of fabrication will soon reach the 0.1-pm order. Dry etching, like lithography, is a key technology for fine-pattern delineation. It now has two possible courses of future development. One is to improve current plasma etching techniques, and the other is to stop using plasma and develop new concepts of etching methodology. In this paper, we investigate the future prospects of dry etching, mainly focusing on plasma etching. First, we explain the role of plasma etching in the device fabrication process in terms of the basic mechanism of plasma etching and the desired performance. Next, the essential difficulty in plasma-etching development is discussed from the viewpoint of the structure of etching parameters. In this context, we review the history of plasma etching, mainly at the beginning stages of the research. Then, we propose what we feel are the most feasible future trends in plasma etching, including some important concepts for developing new plasma formation techniques. Finally, the importance and desired aspects of post-plasma etching are briefly discussed.

The susceptibility of 10 antimicrobials against P. aeruginosa isolated from complicated UTI during 1992-1995 was determined, and the yearly trend was examined. The drug tested included 3 cephems (ceftazidime [CAZ], cefpirome [CPR], cefclidin [CFCL]), 1 monobactam (aztreonam [AZT]), 2 carbapenem (imipenem/cilastatin [IPM/CS], biapenem [BIPM]), 2 aminoglycosides (netilmicin [NTL], gentamicin [GM]) and 2 new quinolones (ofloxacin [OFLX], ciprofloxacin [CPFX]). A total number of isolates of which MIC were determined was 77 in 1992/1993 and 70 in 1994/1995. MIC50/MIC90(micrograms/ml) on the isolates were as follows (1992/1993 1994/1995); 3.13/ 100 12.5/50 in CAZ, 12.5/100 12.5/100 in CPR, 3.13/25 1.56/25 in CFCL, 6.25/50 12.5/100 in AZT, 6.25/25 3.13/25 in IPM/CS, 1.56/6.25 0.78/50 in BIPM, 12.5/100 6.25/100 in NTL, 6.25/ 50 6.25/100 < in GM, 25.100 < 25/100 < in OFLX, 6.25/100 6.25/100 < in CPFX. When the susceptibility of the yearly trend is compared, no significant changes were detected among the drugs tested expect the decrease of susceptibility on CAZ, AZT and increase of it on IPM/CS. From the data obtained, against complicated UTI infected by P. aerugunosa, CFCL, IPM/CS and BIPM are considered to drugs of first choice in the treatment.

Solubilities of seven inorganic compounds in water were measured at 298.15 K and up to 350 MPa. The solubilities of K2SO4, LiF, NaF, and KCI increased with increasing pressure, those of NH4Cl and (NH4)2SO4 decreased, and that of ZnSO4·7H2O showed almost no dependence on pressure. From the slopes of these solubility curves at 0.1 MPa, we estimated the volume changes accompanying the dissolution of the solutes. These values coincided with the volume differences between the partial molar volume at saturation and the molar volume of the crystal within ca. ± 1 cm3 mol−.

Solubility of naphthalene in water was measured at 25°C and pressures up to 200 MPa. The solubility decreased with increasing pressure. From the pressure coefficient of the solubility, the volume change ΔV accompanying the dissolution was estimated as 13.8±0.4 cm3-mol−1. Further we estimated the volume change ΔVCH accompanying hydrophobic hydration as −0.1±0.6 cm3-mol−1 using the ΔV value, the molar volume of crystalline naphthalene, and the partial molar volume of naphthalene in n-heptane. This ΔVCH is much larger (i.e., less negative) than that for hydrophobic hydration of alkyl-chain compounds and suggests that the hydration structure of naphthalene differs from that of alkyl-chain compounds.

The oxidation of Si (100) surface with a hot oxygen beam is demonstrated at low substrate temperatures. Oxygen molecules flow through a furnace tube then expand into a vacuum where the beam strikes the Si substrate. The oxidation rate can be controlled to a very slow rate (∼0.1 nm/min) by controlling the thermal dissociation ratio of O2. The oxidizing species that migrates through the oxide is O−. The density of Pb centers at the Si (111)‐SiO2 interface measured by electron spin resonance is ∼1.5×1012 cm−2.

This is one of a series of reports which compare the oral conditions of Tibetans from three different areas.As regards occlusal features, crowding shows whether their jaws developed well or not.1. In Karakoram, teeth were too abrased to know the original occulusion of the villagers' teeth because of fine sand mixed in cooking water.2. In northwest Nepal, the crowding rate was smaller than than of Yunnan Province. On the other hand, the overjet rate decreased much among the villagers who were more than fourteen years old.3. In Yunnan Province, the crowding rate was two times greater than in Northwest Nepal.Much crowding was found in youngsters; one third of those five to fourteen years old proved to have crowding. Greater overjet rate was found among villagers who were older than fifteen years old than those who were five to fourteen years old.4. As malocculusion data from a Japanese report on a survey of dental diseases were examined from the view point of orthodontic requirements, it is impossible to compare the malocclusion conditions with those from the three Tibetan areas.The crowding rate found among five-to-fourteen-years old villagers in Yunnan Province was similar to that of Sakuta's data.

a comparative study was made in Karakoram (Goma village, 1974), northwest Nepal (Simikot village, 1983) and Yunnan province (Sinong village, 1989). Japanese data (1987) was used for comparison.1) In Goma and Simikot, the number of cases of permanent tooth caries was extremely small. On the other hand, it was very great in Sinong and Japan.2) The patterns of DFT can be divided into two groups: one group includes Sinong and Japan, the other Goma and Simikot.3) The DFT rate according to the location of teeth. The patterns can be divided into two groups, Sinong and Japan, Goma and Simikot.4) Caries surfaces: in Simikot, there was not a great difference between the number of cases of occlusal, proximal or distal and labiolingual surface caries. In Sinong, both upper and lower jaws had a great number of cases of occlusal surface caries, but the difference between the surfaces decreased according to age.5) The transition of caries grade: in the three Tibetan areas, the ratio of C4 to all carious teeth was quite similar.6) Missing teeth: in Goma, where the number of caries cases was extremely small, the number of missing teeth was the greatest after 35 years of age, probably because of severe attrition.7) Caries ratio of three molar teeth:Second and third molars: caries increase patterns were similar in the three Tibetan areas and in Japan.First molar: in Sinong, caries increased rapidly after eruption, Goma and Japan followed Sinong and in Simikot, caries increased very slowly.

We studied the luminance saturation properties of five types of plasma display panel (PDP) phosphors under excitation by an ArF laser (wavelength: 193 nm, pulse width: 25 ns, and frequency: 10 Hz). The relationship between luminance and excitation energy density shows that all the phosphors exhibit luminance saturation above an excitation energy density level of 0.2 mJ/cm 2 /pulse.

An axisymmetric Wolter type mirror is used in a synchrotron radiation beamline to focus 150 eV soft x rays for microscopic x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The focusing characteristics are evaluated for x‐ray source sizes of 1 mm, 200 and 120 μm in diameter. In this evaluation, the Si(2p) photoelectrons from a Si sample are counted while a knife edge is scanned across the focal point of the mirror. The lateral resolution is 2 μm by the 25%–75% criterion, and 4 μm by the full width at half‐maximum definition in the beam intensity profile. The Wolter type mirror is expected to provide microscopic XPS techniques with micrometer to sub‐micrometer resolution.

In the countries where dentistry is developed, the number and quality of dentists, the economic conditions of the people, dental education and many other factors influence the oral condition of the people: food style and the natural environment no longer have much effect on oral conditions. On the other hand, in areas where no dentist exists and where people live on natural foods, food style and the natural environment are the most important factors which influence the oral condition.We made an oral survey of the Tibetans in three quite different areas and got interesting results. With the eruption of wisdom teeth, it is very important to know whether the jaw develops well or not. People whose jaw develops well can grow four normal wisdom teeth. Japanese can not have four normal wisdom teeth any more because of lack of space for wisdom teeth. Only a few modern Japanese can have four normal teeth.On the other hand, Tibetans have many normal wisdom teeth. The results were as follows: 1) 80% of the 20-years-old villagers in Karakoram (Goma village, 1974) had four normal wisdom teeth. No horizontal or half impacted wisdom teeth were found there. Old people lost many teeth including wisdom teeth because of a high degree of abrasion and the lack of oral hygiene. 2) In northwest Nepal (a very poor village, 1983), many wisdom teeth could not erupt at 20 years of age, but after 25 years 50% of the villagers had four normal wisdom teeth. Even old people still had wisdom teeth probably because of the very low amount and poor quality of the food. 3) In Yunnan (at a Tibetan village, 1989), where villagers can eat a rather large amount of refined and well cooked food, about 40% of the villagers had four well erupted wisdom teeth. Old people lost wisdom teeth because of a high incidence of tooth caries. The causes of tooth caries were lack of oral hygiene and the consumption of rich food.

The generation yield (Rf) of effective positive charges at an SiO2/Si interface, induced by a vacuum ultraviolet (vuv) photon, is measured as a function of the substrate temperature by a low-temperature microwave plasma etching apparatus. The Rf decreases monotonously with decreasing temperatures from 300 K down to 120 K. The model is verified by analyzing the experimental results according to the effective positive charge generation model previously proposed. From this analysis, it is proposed that an ultra low-damage plasma process becomes possible by eliminating the holes generated by the vuv photons from the SiO2 film keeping the specimens at low temperatures.

We propose preliminarily that acute (category I of the NIH consensus definition) and chronic prostatitis (category II) can be subcategorized into primary and recurrent diseases based on the precise analysis of the clinical course and the immunological parameters in prostatic secretions of our cases.Five patients with stone-free, acute febrile prostatitis and nine patients with acute episodes of afebrile urinary infection were included. The expressed prostatic secretions (EPS) were collected soon after the acute illnesses subsided after medication administration and they were examined microscopically, bacteriologically, and serologically. First-line medications were cefem antibiotics with conventional doses for febrile cases and low doses for afebrile cases. They were administered for at least 2 weeks. Second-line conventional medication with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim or levofloxacin was given only to the patients in whom remaining prostatic infections were revealed.The first-line medications were successful in all patients and they promptly became asymptomatic in 1 week. All the EPS were infected except for two afebrile cases. Prostatic infections were eradicated by second-line conventional medications. In a patient with afebrile prostatitis whose EPS were free of macrophages and immunoglobulin (Ig)M, the eradication of prostatic pathogens was achieved without second-line antibacterial medication.Bacterial prostatitis could be classified into primary and recurrent chronic infections in each of the febrile (category I) and afebrile (category II) illnesses. A cefem regimen in varying doses was a clue for differential diagnosis as it did not affect the pathogens in the prostatic ducts or acini unless heavy urine reflux occurred in the ductal draining systems. Macrophages and immunoglobulins, especially IgM, in the EPS were useful immunological parameters to differentiate primary and recurrent infections of the prostate. Fluoroquinolones or sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim should not be employed in acute urinary infections in male patients until the confirmation of prostatic infection to avoid injudicious use of them, which might cause an increasing prevalence of resistant uropathogens in the community. The evacuation of the prostate by repetitive massage seemed to be effective to enhance the prompt eradication of pathogens from the prostatic tissue and to keep patients asymptomatic throughout the course of the disease by preventing tissue pressure elevation.

The mechanism of VUV production in an AC‐PDP was theoretically studied, and ways to increase VUV production efficiency were discussed. It was then shown that precise and dynamic control of the non‐uniform and non‐steady discharge‐radiation process will become even more important in the future development of new AC‐PDP technologies.

Introduction: Congenital human blood coagulation factor XI (FXI) deficiency is associated with bleeding that is less severe than that observed in patients with other coagulation factor deficiencies, whereas severe FXI deficiency confers the decreased risk of deep vein thrombosis. FXI knockout mice show a reduction in venous thrombus formation with no bleeding. Therefore, FXI is considered to be a promising drug target for treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism without increasing bleeding risk. Recently, we discovered a novel, potent, selective and injectable small molecule inhibitor of activated FXI (FXIa), ONO-IG-012, and evaluated the in vitro and in vivo pharmacological profiles of the compound. Methods: In anin vitro study, inhibitory effects of ONO-IG-012 on enzyme activities of human FXIa, other blood coagulation factors, and fibrinolytic factors were evaluated. Anticoagulant effects of ONO-IG-012 were also evaluated in human and rabbit plasma. In in vivo studies, the antithrombotic and hemorrhagic effects of ONO-IG-012 were compared to those of enoxaparin in rabbit models of deep venous thrombosis and femur hemorrhage. In the thrombosis model, under ketamine and xylazine anesthesia, inferior vena cava was isolated and partially ligated to reduce blood flow. The vein at the distal site was wrapped with filter paper saturated with ferric chloride (FeCl3) solution for 15 minutes to induce endothelial injury and subsequent thrombus formation. Sixty minutes after the application of FeCl3, the thrombus wet weight was measured. In the bleeding model, a puncture wound was made into the medullary canal at the epiphysis of femur using a drill under isoflurane anesthesia and mechanical ventilation. Blood was continuously collected with absorbent cotton for one hour, and the blood loss volume was calculated from its specific gravity. Intravenous administration of ONO-IG-012 or enoxaparin was initiated as a loading dose an hour before applying FeCl3 or producing a puncture wound, followed by their maintenance dose infusion. Blood was collected to measure APTT and PT just before the administration of the compounds and applying FeCl3 or producing a puncture wound. Results: ONO-IG-012 competitively inhibited human FXIa with a Ki value of 0.0019 μmol/L. Although ONO-IG-012 moderately inhibited human plasma kallikrein with a Ki value of 0.15 μmol/L, it had little effect on other human blood coagulation factors, and fibrinolytic factors [thrombin, FVIIa, FIXa, FXa, FXIIa, tPA, urokinase, and plasmin (Ki value >100 μmol/L)]. ONO-IG-012 prolonged APTT, and the concentration required to double the APTT was 0.098 μmol/L in human plasma and 0.30 μmol/L in rabbit plasma. However, prolongation of PT was not observed even at 33 μmol/L. ONO-IG-012 inhibited thrombus formation even at a dose as low as 0.1 mg/kg/h and achieved maximum antithrombotic effect at greater than or equal to 0.3 mg/kg/h. The ex vivo APTT was increased from baseline by 1.7 ± 0.0-fold at 0.1 mg/kg/h, by 2.8 ± 0.3-fold at 0.3 mg/kg/h, and by 5.4 ± 0.4-fold at 1 mg/kg/h, while PT showed no changes at any of the concentrations tested. Enoxaparin also inhibited thrombus formation at a dose of 10 IU/kg/h, and the antithrombotic effect at 30 IU/kg/h was comparable to that of ONO-IG-012 at 0.3 mg/kg/h (−87% vs. −80%). ONO-IG-012 did not affect the blood loss volume at all even at 10 mg/kg/h, which is 33-fold higher than the dose showing maximum antithrombotic effect (0.3 mg/kg/h). At 10 mg/kg/h, the blood loss volume was 0.7 ± 0.1 mL which is not statistically significant as compared to 1.2 ± 0.3 mL in the vehicle group, and the APTT ratio was 9.0 ± 1.1-fold. In contrast, enoxaparin increased the blood loss volume dose-dependently with the values of 4.5 ± 1.8 mL (not statistically significant) at 10 IU/kg/h, 8.4 ± 2.2 mL (P Conclusions: ONO-IG-012 demonstrated a competitive, highly selective and potent inhibitory effect on FXIa among proteases involved in blood coagulation or fibrinolysis and a potent anticoagulant effect on APTT. ONO-IG-012 did not affect the blood loss volume at all even at 33-fold higher dose than the dose showing the maximum antithrombotic effect comparable to enoxaparin. ONO-IG-012 is expected to be a novel potent anticoagulant without an increased risk of bleeding for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Backgrounds and Aims: We examined the effect of various prostaglandin E (PGE) analogs specific to EP receptor subtypes on indomethacin-induced gastric lesions in rats and investigated which EP receptor subtype is involved in the protective action of PGE2 using EP-receptor knockout mice. Methods: Gastric lesions were induced by subcutaneous administration of indomethacin (35 mg/kg). Gastric motility was measured using a balloon method, while neutrophil chemotaxis determined using a Boyden chamber. Results: Indomethacin-induced gastric lesions were significantly prevented by PGE2 as well as atropine, and the former effect was mimicked by sulprostone (EP1/EP3) and 17-phenyl PGE2 (EP1) and antagonized by an EP1 antagonist, ONO-AE-829. Neither butaprost (EP2), ONO-NT-012 (EP3) nor 11-deoxy PGE1 (EP3/EP4) showed any protection on the lesions. Indomethacin caused a marked increase in gastric motility; the response preceded the onset of lesions and was inhibited by atropine as well as PGE derivatives acting as EP1 receptors. Neutrophil chemotaxis was inhibited by PGE2, butaprost and slightly by 11-deoxy PGE1, but not by either 17-phenyl PGE2, ONO-NT-012 or atropine. In addition, indomethacin caused damage similarly in both wild-type and knockout mice lacking EP1 or EP3 receptors, yet the protective action of PGE2 was observed in wild-type and EP3 receptor knockout mice but totally disappeared in mice lacking EP1 receptors. Conclusion: PGE2 inhibits indomethacin-induced gastric lesions, through EP1 receptors, and this effect may be functionally associated with inhibition of gastric motility but not of neutrophil activation/migration.

We examined the roles of endogenous prostaglandins (PGs) and nitric oxide (NO) in the gastroduodenal ulcerogenic responses to hypothermic stress (28∼30 °C) in anesthetized rats. Lowering body temperature provoked damage in the gastroduodenal mucosa, with an increase of gastric acid secretion and motility. These responses were completely abolished by bilateral vagotomy or atropine, while 16,16-dimethyl PGE 2 decreased the mucosal ulcerogenic response with no effect on acid secretion. The non-selective COX inhibitors, indomethacin or aspirin, worsened these lesions with enhancement of gastric motility and no effect on acid secretion, while the selective COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 did not affect any of these responses. On the other hand, the non-selective NOS inhibitor L-NAME but not aminoguanidine (a relatively selective inhibitor of iNOS), significantly potentiated the acid secretory and mucosal ulcerogenic responses in the stomach but reduced the duodenal damage in response to hypothermia, the effects being antagonized by co-administration of L-arginine. Hypothermia itself decreased duodenal HCO 3 – secretion under both basal and mucosal acidification-stimulated conditions. Both indomethacin and aspirin further decreased the HCO 3 – response to the mucosal acidification, while L-NAME significantly increased the HCO 3 – secretion even under hypothermic conditions, similar to 16,16-dimethyl PGE 2 . These results suggest that 1) hypothermic stress caused an increase of acid secretion and motility as well as a decrease of duodenal HCO 3 – secretion, resulting in damage in both the stomach and duodenum, 2) the COX-1 but not COX-2 inhibition worsened these lesions by enhancing gastric motility and further decreasing duodenal HCO 3 – response, 3) the cNOS but not iNOS inhibition worsened gastric lesions by increasing acid secretion but decreased duodenal damage by increasing HCO 3 – secretion. Thus, it is assumed that the gastroduodenal ulcerogenic and functional responses to hypothermic stress are modified by cNOS/NO as well as COX-1/PGs.

The trend of epidemiological study against MRSA strains which were isolated in 1992 and in 1993 was investigated. Number of stains tested yearly consisted of 30 isolates that were considered to play pathogenic roles for inpatients in clinical departments at our institute. In comparing with biological studies on MRSA strains and the epidemiological surveillance of the background of the isolation, the data summarizes as followings; 1) No. of MRSA strains which were producible for TSST increased from 24/30, 80% up to 30/30, 100%. 2) No. of enterotoxin type harbouring biotype of B/C increased 0/30, 0% up to 12/30, 40%. 3) No. of type of plasmid DNA profile increased in varying from 3 types (A, B, C) to 8 types (A-H). 4) The in vitro activity of antimicrobials, as such MINO, GM, IPM, CMZ was less potent than that of the prior year, and even for VCM, ABK, the activity proved less potent in 1-2 tubes in MIC90. 5) No. significant hospital acquired infection was detected between the inpatients, with MRSA infection and isolates from plasmid DNA profiles. 6) Since the ratio of the coincidence of plasmid DNA profiles of MRSA was only in 4 patients out of 27, 14.9 &, nosocomial infections with MRSA brought to patients have not only been considered by medical, paramedical staff, but that the infection may be caused by broad contamination at the institute.

A surface-discharge plasma source based on dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) has been developed for use in sterilization and cleaning. In these processes, ozone-generation ability is one of the key factors in regard to atmospheric plasma sources. However, it was observed that ozone density decreased during plasma discharge. It is known that an increase in gas temperature decreases the ozone density; thus, the gas temperature in plasma was measured from the rotational temperature of nitrogen molecules. It was confirmed that the gas temperature increases in the case that the ozone density decreases. A dielectric-surface temperature of the plasma source was also measured and its behavior agreed with that of the gas temperature since the thickness of the plasma was small. It is thus confirmed that cooling the dielectric surface of the plasma source is important to increase the ozone density in a surface-discharge plasma source.

A generalized analytical method to determine the density of energy states of electron emission source (EES) is devised by using a thermal excitation and emission model for an exoelectron in the MgO layer and the emission time constants of the exoelectron extracted from experimental stochastic distributions of discharge delay time. When applied to Si-doped MgO, the emission time constant of the exoelectron from the Si EES becomes shorter at high temperature and at short time intervals due to thermal excitation. The density of energy states of the Si EES DSi(E) shows the main peak at 736 meV, a satellite peak at 601 meV, and broad energy structures over the range of 586–896 meV. The effective number of Si EES is 5.5 times larger than that in purified MgO. The excitation energy in a Si-doped MgO cluster with a crystal structure is obtained to be 0.83 eV by using the symmetry-adapted-cluster configuration interaction method and the Si EES contributes to exoelectron emission. The thermal excitation is governed...

This paper presents a novel single sustain PDP with a high voltage address driver (Hi-AD) that has an address supply voltage equal to the sustain voltage and does not change wall voltage on the address electrode side during sustain periods. The Hi-AD system reduced the luminance degradation to only 1% after 1000 hours. A power consumption in an all black display condition for the Hi-AD system is 28 % less than that for a conventional dual sustain system.

A half-pitch shifted priming cell structure to reduce address-delay-time degradation and lower power consumption has been developed. Discharge transition from a priming cell to a display cell occurred. The time constant of priming electron emission only from the priming cell did not degrade. Observed address-delay-time degradation in the display cell reduced.

The developed address-vlotage-modulation drive generates pre-discharge in an ac-PDP (plasma display panel) by applying a rising address-pulse voltage during the sustain-pulse-open period. This pre-discharge increases the panel luminous efficiency by approximately 30%. This increase in luminous efficiency is a result of decreases in effective discharge voltage and electron temperature.

Anisotropic etching of GaAs(100) is performed using a hot Cl2 molecular beam produced by free expansion of gas heated in a furnace. The etch rate is 1.5 μm/min at a furnace temperature of 800 °C and a substrate temperature of 120 °C. An aspect ratio of ten and an almost smooth bottom surface are obtained under this condition.

The possibility of µ-XPS (microscopic X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) analysis using a focused X-ray has been demonstrated in a synchrotron radiation beamline. A Wolter type mirror produced a focused 150 eV X-ray with a beam size ranging from 23(sagittal)×36(meridional) µm2 to 1.4×20 µm2. The meridional beam size was always larger than the sagittal one due to the figure displacement of the mirror surface. When the focused beam was used for µ-XPS analysis of Si and Al samples, the Si(2p) and Al (2p) XPS spectra indicating native oxides on the sample surface could be clearly observed with energy resolutions of 1.7 to 2.8 eV. For practical µ-XPS analysis in the micrometer to sub-micrometer range, the fabrication accuracy of the mirror should be improved and the photon flux to the sample surface has to be increased.

Silicon dioxide films thermally grown on Si are irradiated with vacuum ultravioulet (VUV) photons (16.7 and 16.8 eV) as the films are supplied with bias voltages between -10 and 10 V. The resultant positive charges and E' centers in the films are studied by C-V (capacitance-voltage) and ESR measurements, respectively. The observed E' centers are distributed near the SiO2 surface, while the positive charges are localized at or very near the SiO2/Si interface. The positive charges and the E' centers show different characteristics in their bias and irradiation time dipendencies as well as in their depth distributions. These results indicate that the detected positive charges are different from holes trapped at oxygen vacancy sites between weak Si–Si bonds.

A Au(4f) XPS spectrum has been obtained for a Au thin film deposited on a fine W wire using a 300 µm-diameter X-ray beam (MgKα, 1253.6 eV) produced by a Wolter type I mirror. The Au(4f) photoelectron count rate has also been measured as a function of beam center position when the focused beam is moved across the sample surface. This is the first microscopic XPS measurement that has been achieved using the Wolter type mirror. The observed count rate (6–7 cps) and its change across the sample surface are compared with the Au(4f) photoelectron count rates calculated in consideration of the focused X-ray beam intensity profile and the geometric configuration of the XPS measurement system. The present results suggest that XPS analysis in the micrometer range is possible with a highly brilliant X-ray source.

The Si etch rate in an (F2+O2) microwave plasma has been measured as a function of O2 mixing ratio at a fixed total pressure of 5.3×10−2 Pa. The etch rate significantly decreases with the mixing ratio. This etch rate decrease is due primarily to surface oxidation. When sulfur is added to the (F2+O2) plasma, the Si surface is much less oxidized and the etch rate increases by about a factor of 4. Such sulfur‐containing species as S atoms react with O atoms or ions in the plasma and form O atom‐containing species, such as SO2, SO+, SOF+, and SOF+2, thereby reducing the O atom and O+ ion concentrations in the plasma. As a result, the Si surface is scarcely oxidized, so that the etching reaction can easily proceed. Sulfur atoms inhibit surface oxidation and promote Si etching. Sulfur atoms contained in SF6, which is usually used in microwave plasma etching of Si, are expected to have the same role.

1-Methyl-2-pyrrolyl-magnesium bromide and -zinc chloride, which were prepared from 1-methyl-2-pyrrolyllithium with MgBr 2 and ZnCl 2 respectively, reacted with aryl- and heteroaromatic halides to give the corresponding 2-substituted pyrroles in good to excellent yields in the presence of palladium-phosphine complexes as catalysts.

The rates of the hydrolysis of p-nitrotrifluoroacetanilide (pNFA) catalyzed by α- and β-cyclodextrins (α-, β-CD) were measured at pressures up to 2 kbar at 25 °C and at pH 6.9 in a 0.05 M Tris buffer solution. The substrate binding constants, K, and the rate constants of the acylation process, kacyl, increased monotonically up to 2 kbar. From the pressure dependence of K, the volume changes (ΔV) accompanying the formation of the inclusion complexes at 1 bar were −3±2 cm3/mol for α-CD–pNFA and −2±2 cm3/mol for β-CD–pNFA. The activation volumes (ΔV) for the cleavage of the anilide molecule in the acylation process were −25±2 cm3/mol for α-CD–pNFA and −18±2 cm3/mol for β-CD–pNFA. The reaction mechanisms of the cleavage of the anilide substrte by CDs were discussed on the basis of the volume parameters (ΔV and ΔV*).