Linearly polarized er(3+)-doped fiber laser by use of a fiber loop polarizer and a wavelength-selective fiber loop reflector

We demonstrate a novel single-polarization Er(3+)-doped fiber Fabry-Perot laser. The all-fiber Fabry-Perot cavity is simple inasmuch as it is formed by only two fiber-based components, a fiber loop polarizer and a wavelength-selective fiber loop reflector. The threshold power is 6.5 mW, the slope efficiency is 12.2%, and the extinction ratio is approximately 25 dB.     

Heat Capacities of Monolayer 3He Fluids Floated on A Superfluid 4He Thin Film

We have measured heat capacities of monolayer ³ He floated on a superfluid ⁴ He thin film (three atomic layers) adsorbed on graphite at low temperatures. The ³ He films behave as degenerate 2D Fermi fluids with m* 1.3m ₃, where m* is the quasiparticle effective mass and m ₃ is the bare mass of ³ He, in the whole temperature range we studied (1 T 80 mK). No anomalous behavior suggesting puddling nor other phase transitions is observed. In contrast to our previous measurements for pure ³ He films without the underlying ⁴ He film, the temperature independent heat-capacity contribution is not observed. This can be explained by the second-layer localized spins trapped on substrate heterogeneities being replaced by nonmagnetic ⁴ He.     

Expression of Lymphatic Markers in the Berger’s Space and Bursa Premacularis

We previously reported that the bursa premacularis (BPM), a peculiar vitreous structure located above the macula, contains numerous cells expressing markers of lymphatic endothelial cells, such as podoplanin and LYVE-1. Herein, we examined the expression of lymphatic markers in the Berger’s space (BS), BPM, and vitreous core (VC). BS, BPM, and VC specimens were selectively collected in macular hole and epiretinal membrane patients during vitrectomy and were then immunostained with antibodies for podoplanin, LYVE-1, and fibrillin-1 and -2. By visualization using triamcinolone acetonide, the BS was recognized as a sac-like structure with a septum located behind the lens as well as BPM. Those tissues adhered to the lens or retina in a circular manner by means of a ligament-like structure. Immunostaining showed intense expression of podoplanin and LYVE-1 in the BS. Both BS and BPM stained strongly positive for fibrillin-1 and -2. The VC was faintly stained with antibodies for those lymph-node markers. Our findings indicate that both BS and BPM possibly belong to the lymphatic system, such as lymph nodes, draining excess fluid and waste products into lymphatic vessels in the dura mater of the optic nerve and the ciliary body, respectively, via intravitreal canals.     

Wavelength-selective fiber loop mirrors and their wavelengthtunability by twisting

Wavelength characteristics and the wavelength tunability of the fiber loop mirror constructed by a fused taper coupler are studied for elongation and twisting. The difference between the reflected and the transmitted wavelengths decreases exponentially with the number of minimal transmissions of the monitored light during fiber mirror fabrication. The fiber loop mirror twisted the constituent coupler can be realized as a fiber coupler and an equivalent waveplate for a theoretical study. The measured spectrum transmission agrees well with the theory. The reflected and the transmitted wavelengths can be tuned by twisting fiber mirrors without significant degradation. The wavelength change due to twisting is reversible and repeatable     

Patients' expectations of information provided at cancer hospitals in Japan

In order to survey patients' views on disease and treatment information that should be provided at hospitals, an anonymous self-administered questionnaire was distributed to patients at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital in 1995. All eligible first-visit outpatients (97 persons), randomly selected revisit outpatients (99 persons; about one in ten refused), and all except six eligible inpatients in good condition at discharge (97 persons) responded. Out of 293 patients (115 males, 174 females and 4 unspecified), 74% answered that they wanted to be informed of their diagnosis irrespective of circumstances, 20% answered that they would want to be informed only in certain circumstances, and 2% did not want to be informed at all. There were no significant differences in response among the three sources of patients. Inpatients wanted more (81%) to be explained about recommended therapy than either first-visit outpatients (67%) or revisit outpatients (67%). The majority considered that about a 30-minute explanation was needed using pamphlet-like written materials or video. When asked what information was needed when choosing a cancer hospital, 71% specified information on the specialty of the hospital, 57% the content of the care provided, 23% the name and specialty of the doctors, 20% the waiting period before scheduled admission, 13% the average admission period, 11% the number of patients with the same disease, 10% the waiting time at the outpatient clinic, 6% the meal menu, and 4% the number of private wards. Forty-three percent wanted an information service covering all hospitals in the region through an information center. The results revealed that patients at this cancer hospital required information on their disease, treatment, and hospital specialty.     

Acute myelogenous leukemia with monosomy 7, inv(3) (q21q26), involving activated EVI 1 gene occurring after a complete remission of lymphoblastic lymphoma: a case report

A 42-year-old female with a mediastinal tumor and massive pleural effusion ws admitted to our hospital in June 1993. Biopsy revealed lymphoblastic lymphoma. She had no evidence of distant metastasis except pleural effusion. Bone marrow examination revealed a normal karyotype (46, XY). The patient had been progression-free for more than 1 year after achieving complete remission by induction, consolidation and maintenance therapy according to the standard chemotherapy and involved-field radiation for lymphoblastic lymphoma. From May 1996 progressive leukopenia and thrombocytopenia developed. The diagnosis of refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) was made. Subsequently, in November 1996, she developed acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), M4 type by FAB classification. The karyotype of MDS and AML clones involved inversion (3) (q21q26) and monosomy 7. The EVI 1 gene was examined and was proved to be rearranged and activated. This may be the first case among the therapy-related cases of MDS/AML reported whose karyotypes were followed and in which the mRNA expression of EVI 1 gene involved was directly proved in the leukemogenesis process of chemotherapy-induced secondary MDS and AML.     

Cooperative scheduling and its application to steelmaking processes

A cooperative approach to scheduling problems is proposed, and its application to creating daily schedules for steelmaking processes is described. In cooperative scheduling, procedures, rules, and the user cooperate to make a feasible schedule efficiently. The procedures, collectively called a scheduling engine, work as a local constraint satisfier to solve general primitive constraints. Rules that represent domain-dependent knowledge then solve the domain-specific constraints by means of a pattern-matching function. The user evaluates the schedule and modifies it by means of a user-friendly interface with direct-manipulation functions. The user interaction is therefore included in the system architecture as a global constraint satisfier. The iteration of this cycle improves the schedule until it becomes feasible. Experimental results obtained with Scheplan, the scheduling environment that applies this approach to scheduling steelmaking processes, show that the daily scheduling time is much less than in manual scheduling and the quality of the schedule is much improved     

Heat Capacities of Submonolayer Solid 3He Films on Graphite at Highly Frustrated Density Regime

No Heading The heat capacities (C) of submonolayer solid films adsorbed on a graphite surface are measured down to 100 K at areal densities between 6.6 and 7.5 nm^–2, where there has been no previous measurement below 2 mK. The temperature (T) variation of C shows almost single power low behavior, C T, in a wide temperature range. And the exponent is much smaller than –2, an expected exponent for localized spins in the high temperature limit. These behaviors should imply that the competition of multiple spin exchange interactions is strong at this density range.PACS numbers: 67.70.+n, 67.80.Gb     

Effects of tamoxifen on endometrial carcinogenesis in mice

Environmental poisoning is most commonly associated with chronic long-term exposure to toxins rather than to acute exposure. Such repeated exposure to sublethal doses of compounds and elements presents problems in risk assessment. This is primarily because the data are unavailable to describe relationships between dose and effect at lower levels of exposure to toxins. Bioavailability of toxins also presents a problem because the data on bioavailability are sparse and seldom as high as the default of 100% bioavailability commonly used in risk assessment. Examples are presented of two toxins: arsenic as an elemental anthropogenic and geologic poison and ciguatoxin, a polyether ladder compound, as a toxin produced naturally by dinoflagellates. Bioavailability drives the toxicity of arsenic from contaminated sites, whereas tissue accumulation drives the toxicity of ciguatoxin. Considerable benefit is derived from the harmonization of regulatory processes where there is linkage of health and environmental factors in the derivation of credible risk assessment.