Phonon lasing in an electromechanical resonator

An electromechanical resonator harboring an atomlike spectrum of discrete mechanical vibrations, namely, phonon modes, has been developed. A purely mechanical three-mode system becomes available in the electromechanical atom in which the energy difference of the two higher modes is resonant with a long-lived lower mode. Our measurements reveal that even an incoherent input into the higher mode results in coherent emission in the lower mode that exhibits all the hallmarks of phonon lasing in a process that is reminiscent of Brillouin lasing.

Anomalous pressure effect in heteroacene organic field-effect transistors

Anomalous pressure dependent conductivity is revealed for heteroacene organic field-effect transistors of dinaphtho[2, 3-b:2', 3'-f]thieno[3, 2-b]thiophene single crystals in the direction of a and b crystallographic axes. In contrast to the normal characteristics of a monotonic increase in mobility μ with the application of external hydrostatic pressure P in conductors, we found that the present organic semiconductor devices exhibit nonmonotonic and gigantic pressure dependence including an even negative pressure coefficient dμ/dP. In combination with a structural analysis based on x-ray diffraction experiments under pressure, it is suggested that on-site molecular orientation and displacement peculiar in heteroacene molecules are responsible for the anomalous pressure effect.

Clinical characteristics classified by the serum KL-6 level in patients with organizing pneumonia

BACKGROUND

The serum Krebs von der Lungen-6 (KL-6) level is a useful marker correlated with the severity of various interstitial lung diseases. There have been few reports about the clinical characteristics of organizing pneumonia (OP) associated with the serum KL-6 levels.

OBJECTIVE

This study was performed to determine whether the serum KL-6 levels can help determine the optimal treatment for OP.

DESIGNS

Patients diagnosed with OP by clinical, radiological and histopathological findings were retrospectively reviewed. The OP patients were classified into two groups based on their serum KL-6 levels: normal KL-6 and high KL-6 groups. The two groups were compared with regard to their clinical and radiological data and therapeutic response one month after the start of treatment.

RESULTS

The clinical records of twenty-two patients diagnosed with OP were reviewed. The serum KL-6 level was elevated in 11 of the 22 patients. There were no obvious differences in the clinical data between the two groups, although patients in the normal KL-6 group tended to have a fever. There were no significant differences in the chest X-ray (CXR) score or computed tomography (CT) score between the two groups. The CXR scores were correlated with the serum KL-6 levels. At 1 month after the diagnosis, 11 patients who needed treatment with prednisolone were included in the high KL-6 group.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with normal KL-6 levels showed lower CXR and CT scores. The serum KL-6 level on admission is a useful marker to judge the need for corticosteroid treatment in OP patients.

Metallic behaviour in SOI quantum wells with strong intervalley scattering

The fundamental properties of valleys are recently attracting growing attention due to electrons in new and topical materials possessing this degree-of-freedom and recent proposals for valleytronics devices. In silicon MOSFETs, the interest has a longer history since the valley degree of freedom had been identified as a key parameter in the observation of the controversial "metallic behaviour" in two dimensions. However, while it has been recently demonstrated that lifting valley degeneracy can destroy the metallic behaviour, little is known about the role of intervalley scattering. Here, we show that the metallic behaviour can be observed in the presence of strong intervalley scattering in silicon on insulator (SOI) quantum wells. Analysis of the conductivity in terms of quantum corrections reveals that interactions are much stronger in SOI than in conventional MOSFETs, leading to the metallic behaviour despite the strong intervalley scattering.

Donor-based single electron pumps with tunable donor binding energy

We report on single electron pumping via a tunable number of individual donors. We use a device that essentially consists of a silicon nanowire with local arsenic implantation between a set of fine gates. A temperature-dependent characterization of the pumped current allows us to extract the ionization energy of a single arsenic donor. We observe the ionization energy to be tunable by the gate electric field over a large range of energies.

Impact of valley polarization on the resistivity in two dimensions

We examine the temperature dependence of resistivity in a two-dimensional electron system formed in a silicon-on-insulator quantum well. The device allows us to tune the valley splitting continuously in addition to the electron density. Our data provide a global picture of how the resistivity and its temperature dependence change with valley polarization. At the boundary between valley-polarized and partially polarized regions, we demonstrate that there is an insulating contribution from spin-degenerate electrons occupying the upper valley-subband edge.

39 IN VITRO DEVELOPMENT OF CANINE EMBRYOS PRODUCED BY INTERSPECIES SOMATIC CELL NUCLEAR TRANSFER USING ENUCLEATED BOVINE OOCYTES

Interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) is an invaluable tool for studying nucleous-cytoplasm interactions, and may provide an alternative for cloning endangered animals, whose oocytes are difficult to obtain. Using readily available oocytes from domestic/farm animals as recipients for iSCNT would greatly benefit ongoing research on somatic cell reprogramming. However, little information is available concerning the development of canine iSCNT embryos reconstructed with bovine oocyte cytoplasm. In the first experiment, we investigated the influence of donor cell type on the development of canine iSCNT embryos reconstructed with enucleated bovine oocytes. Canine mammary gland tumour (MGT) cells and cumulus cells were used as donor cell. The bovine oocytes matured for 22 h were enucleated by the micromanipulator, and the donor cells were transferred into the perivitelline space adjacent to the plasma membrane of the oocyte. The couples were fused and activated simultaneously with a single DC pulse of 2.3 kV cm–1 for 30 μs, using an electro cell fusion generator. The reconstructed embryos were cultured for 72 h in the mSOF medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA. After 72 h of culture, only cleaved embryos were further co-cultured with bovine cumulus cells in mSOF supplemented with 5% fetal bovine serum (FBS) for an additional 5 days. In the second experiment, we examined the effects of serum type on the development of canine iSCNT embryos. The embryos reconstructed with canine cumulus cells were co-cultured with canine cumulus cells in mSOF supplemented with 5% FBS, and canine oestrous and diestrous serum for 5 days after 72 h of culture with 0.4% BSA. Data were analysed by chi-square analysis with a Yates’ correction. More than 75% of the canine somatic cells successfully were fused with bovine enucleated oocytes following electrofusion, irrespective of the types of the donor cells. There were no significant differences in the cleavage rates of iSCNT embryos between the cumulus cell and MGT cell (66.2% v. 62.6%). Although none of the embryos reconstructed with MGT cells (n = 123) developed to the 16-cell stage, 6% of embryos with cumulus cells (n = 133) reached at least the 16-cell stage. There were no significant differences in the cleavage rates of iSCNT embryos among the types of serum. The iSCNT embryos could not develop to the blastocyst stage, irrespective of the type of donor cell and serum. In conclusion, our results indicate that the bovine oocytes partly supported the remodelling and reprogramming of the canine somatic cell nuclei, but they were unable to support the development to the blastocyst stage of canine iSCNT embryos. Moreover, the development to the late embryonic stage of iSCNT embryos may be influenced by the type of donor cell but not serum.

[Complete resection of Pancoast tumor following induction chemoradiotherapy improves survival]

OBJECTIVE

Pancoast tumors are some of the most challenging thoracic malignant diseases to treat because of their proximity to vital structures at the thoracic inlet. We retrospectively analyzed 23 patients with pT3-4, N0-3 Pancoast tumors who underwent combined chest wall resection including the 1st rib, and discuss the anatomical considerations, assessment of induction therapy, and surgical approaches for these cancers.

METHODS

Between 1983 and 2006, 23 patients with Pancoast tumors underwent combined resection of the 1st rib at our institute. Of those, 21 were male and 2 were female, with an average age of 58 years. There were 10 each of squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma, 2 large cell carcinoma, and 1 adenosquamous carcinoma. Over the past decade, induction chemoradiotherapy (>40Gy) was employed before surgery.

RESULTS

A posterior approach was employed in 14 patients, an anterior approach in 7, and a combined anterior and posterior approach in 2. Sixteen patients underwent complete resection. One of 7 patients undergoing incomplete resection (4.3%) died on the 45th postoperative day. The 3- and 5-year survival rates were 50 and 22%, respectively, for patients with complete resection. No case survived for more than 8 months out of the 7 patients with incomplete resection. Fourteen patients with pN0 showed significantly better survival than those with pN1-3 (p = 0.0053).

CONCLUSION

Recent literature and our results suggest that patients with pN0 and/or a pathological complete response (pCR) after induction chemoradiotherapy could achieve long-term survival after complete resection.

Direct effects of protein S in ameliorating acute lung injury

OBJECTIVE

Protein S may exert an anticoagulant activity by enhancing the anticoagulant activity of activated protein C and/or by directly inhibiting the prothrombinase complex. Protein S itself may also directly regulate inflammatory responses and apoptosis. The role of protein S in acute lung injury (ALI) was unknown. This study evaluated the effect of protein S on ALI in the mouse.

METHODS

Animal ALI was induced in C57/BL6 mice by intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Mice were treated with protein S or saline by intraperitoneal injection 1 h before LPS instillation.

RESULTS

Activated protein or protein S alone and combined activated protein C + protein S therapy decreased inflammatory markers and cytokines in mice with acute lung injury. In LPS-treated mice compared with controls ALI was induced as shown by significantly increased levels of total protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Mice with ALI treated with protein S had significantly decreased concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in the lung compared with untreated animals. Thrombin-antithrombin III, a marker of the activity of the coagulation cascade, was unchanged. Protein S inhibited the expression of cytokines in vitro and increased activation of the Axl tyrosine kinase pathway in A549 epithelial cells.

CONCLUSION

Protein S protects against LPS-induced ALI, possibly by directly inhibiting the local expression of inflammatory cytokines without affecting coagulation.

Complex formation and solubility of Pu(IV) with malonic and succinic acids

The complex formation constants of tetravalent plutonium ion with malonic and succinic acids in aqueous solution were determined by the solvent-extraction method. Also, by taking the known values of the solubility products, the hydrolysis constants and the formation constants, the experimental solubility data of plutonium in the presence of carboxylates were analyzed.

Single-electron counting statistics and its circuit application in nanoscale field-effect transistors at room temperature

A circuit utilizing single electrons is demonstrated at room temperature. Individual electrons randomly passing through the nanoscale silicon-on-insulator metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) are monitored by an electrometer in real time. Such a random behavior of single electrons is used for high-quality random-number generation suitable for data processing which stochastically extracts the most preferable pattern among various ones. MOSFET-based random-number generation allows fast operation as well as high controllability, which leads to flexible extraction of the preferable pattern.

112. DIFFERENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF SEX-RELATED CHARACTERS OF THE GSP AND PNP/DO CHICKENS AFTER LEFT-OVARIECTOMY

To elucidate the strain difference in the sex reversal of genetic female to phenotypic male, GSP and PNP/DO females were left ovariectomized (ovx) between one day to three days after hatching and the degree of masculinization based on sex-related characters, histological analysis of the right gonad and hormone assay were assessed at one year of age. The GSP and PNP/DO inbred lines were both derived from the Fayoumi breed and are only differentiated based on red blood cell antigens type carried by each of the inbred line. Comb and wattles were found to be significantly bigger (P < 0.05) in the GSP ovx compared to the PNP/DO ovx, although male plumage pattern were more pronounced in the PNP/DO ovx. Spurs were observed both in the GSP and PNP/DO ovx with no significant difference (P > 0.05) in length to the respective male controls and body weight were not significantly different (P > 0.05) to the female controls. The size of the right gonad were significantly bigger (P < 0.05) in the GSP ovx than the PNP/DO ovx. Positive correlations were found in the sex related characters as well as plasma testosterone level and the right gonad weight both in the GSP and PNP/DO ovx except for the spur length which resulted into a negative correlation in the PNP/DO ovx. Histological analysis revealed that the right gonad of PNP/DO ovx are morphologically developed compared to GSP ovx showing more advance stages of spermatogenesis. It could be inferred that PNP/DO females which exhibit hereditary persistent right oviduct, are more responsive to the masculinizing effect of ovariectomy compared to GSP females, suggesting that genetic background may have a possible contribution on the degree of masculinization and subsequent development of sex related characters.

Anomalous resistance ridges along filling factor nu=4i

We report anomalous structure in the magnetoresistance of SiO(2)/Si(100)/SiO(2) quantum wells. When Landau levels of opposite valleys are driven through coincidence at the Fermi level, the longitudinal resistance displays elevations at filling factors that are integer multiples of 4 (nu=4i) accompanied by suppression on either side of nu=4i. This persists when either the magnetic field or the valley splitting is swept, leading to resistance ridges running along nu=4i. The range of field over which they are observed points to the role of spin degeneracy, which is directly confirmed by their disappearance with the addition of an in-plane magnetic field. The data suggest a new type of many-body effect arising from the combined degeneracy due to the valley and the spin degrees of freedom.

Therapeutic efficacy of leukocytapheresis in a pregnant woman with severe active ulcerative colitis

Leukocytapheresis has recently been used to induce remission in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who fail to respond to corticosteroids. We could not find a report in the literature on leukocytapheresis for UC with gestational exacerbation. We have recently encountered this unique condition and report the details here. A 30-year-old Japanese woman with left-sided severe UC was corticosteroid-dependent and had recurrence of the active disease during tapering of corticosteroid. She declined any dose increase and the use of any immunosuppressive agent because she was in the 13th week of pregnancy. Then, concomitant leukocytapheresis was performed without increasing the corticosteroid dose. Recovery was rapid and dramatic. Mucous and bloody stool decreased after the first session, and she had remission 2 weeks later. She underwent a total of four sessions without complications. After 6 weeks, she was discharged from our hospital and underwent maintenance treatment as an outpatient with mesalazine and corticosteroid tapering. Subsequently, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl by an uncomplicated vaginal delivery while keeping the remitted stage of UC.

A comparative map of macrochromosomes between chicken and Japanese quail based on orthologous genes

In order to develop a comparative map between chicken and quail, we identified orthologous gene markers based on chicken genomic sequences and localized them on the Japanese quail Kobe-NIBS linkage map, which had previously been constructed with amplified fragment length polymorphisms. After sequencing the intronic regions of 168 genes located on chicken chromosomes 1-8, polymorphisms among Kobe-NIBS quail family parents were detected in 51 genes. These orthologous markers were mapped on eight Japanese quail linkage groups (JQG), and they allowed the comparison of JQG to chicken macrochromosomes. The locations of the genes and their orders were quite similar between the two species except within a previously reported inversion on quail chromosome 2. Therefore, we propose that the respective quail linkage groups are macrochromosomes and designated as quail chromosomes CJA 1-8.

Difference in stretching of sarcomeres between medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior by tibial lengthening: an experiment in rabbits

PURPOSE

To compare the degree of stretching of sarcomeres--in the medial gastrocnemius versus the tibialis anterior--acutely extended by tibial lengthening.

METHODS

The right lower legs of 6 New Zealand White rabbits were acutely distracted by 6.3 mm using an external fixator, whereas the left lower legs served as controls. Immediately after distraction, the ankle was dorsiflexed at 50 degrees and the knee flexed at 140 degrees, with respect to the posture of resting on the ground. Both legs were immersed in 10% buffered formalin for fixation, and the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior were removed. Length of the 2 sarcomeres was measured by a laser diffraction technique using isolated muscle fibre bundles.

RESULTS

The mean lengths of sarcomeres in the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior were 3.0 microm and 2.3 microm in the lengthened legs, and 2.4 microm and 2.1 microm in control legs, respectively. The degree of stretching of corresponding sarcomeres was therefore 25% and 10%, this difference being significant (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Sarcomeres of the medial gastrocnemius are more stretchable than those of the tibialis anterior following tibial lengthening.

The rubble-pile asteroid Itokawa as observed by Hayabusa

During the interval from September through early December 2005, the Hayabusa spacecraft was in close proximity to near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa, and a variety of data were taken on its shape, mass, and surface topography as well as its mineralogic and elemental abundances. The asteroid's orthogonal axes are 535, 294, and 209 meters, the mass is 3.51 x 10(10) kilograms, and the estimated bulk density is 1.9 +/- 0.13 grams per cubic centimeter. The correspondence between the smooth areas on the surface (Muses Sea and Sagamihara) and the gravitationally low regions suggests mass movement and an effective resurfacing process by impact jolting. Itokawa is considered to be a rubble-pile body because of its low bulk density, high porosity, boulder-rich appearance, and shape. The existence of very large boulders and pillars suggests an early collisional breakup of a preexisting parent asteroid followed by a re-agglomeration into a rubble-pile object.

Valley polarization in Si(100) at zero magnetic field

The valley splitting, which lifts the degeneracy of the lowest two valley states in a SiO(2)/Si(100)/SiO(2) quantum well, is examined through transport measurements. We demonstrate that the valley splitting can be observed directly as a step in the conductance defining a boundary between valley-unpolarized and -polarized regions. This persists to well above liquid helium temperature and shows no dependence on magnetic field, indicating that single-particle valley splitting and valley polarization exist in (100) silicon even at zero magnetic field.

Touchdown of the Hayabusa Spacecraft at the Muses Sea on Itokawa

After global observations of asteroid 25143 Itokawa by the Hayabusa spacecraft, we selected the smooth terrain of the Muses Sea for two touchdowns carried out on 19 and 25 November 2005 UTC for the first asteroid sample collection with an impact sampling mechanism. Here, we report initial findings about geological features, surface condition, regolith grain size, compositional variation, and constraints on the physical properties of this site by using both scientific and housekeeping data during the descent sequence of the first touchdown. Close-up images revealed the first touchdown site as a regolith field densely filled with size-sorted, millimeter- to centimeter-sized grains.

Near-Infrared Spectral Results of Asteroid Itokawa from the Hayabusa Spacecraft

The near-infrared spectrometer on board the Japanese Hayabusa spacecraft found a variation of more than 10% in albedo and absorption band depth in the surface reflectance of asteroid 25143 Itokawa. Spectral shape over the 1-micrometer absorption band indicates that the surface of this body has an olivine-rich mineral assemblage potentially similar to that of LL5 or LL6 chondrites. Diversity in the physical condition of Itokawa's surface appears to be larger than for other S-type asteroids previously explored by spacecraft, such as 433 Eros.