Diagnosis of Desmoplastic Reaction by Immunohistochemical Analysis,in Biopsy Specimens of Early Colorectal Carcinomas,Is Efficacious in Estimating the Depth of Invasion

The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnosis of desmoplastic reaction (DR) by immunostaining for α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and desmin, for predicting the depth of submucosal invasion in biopsy specimens of early colorectal carcinomas (CRCs). Thirty-eight cases of non-pedunculated early CRCs were included in this study. Positive for DR was defined as αSMA-positive and desmin-negative stroma in the CRC. The depth of submucosal invasion was measured in endoscopically or surgically resected specimens and the lesions were subsequently divided into two groups: Group A (carcinoma in situ/intramucosal carcinoma and submucosal invasive carcinoma with a depth <1000 μm) and Group B (submucosal invasion with a depth ≥1000 μm). Twenty-one cases were DR-positive and 17 were DR-negative. No statistical significance was found between the DR with regard to tumor size, location and histological type. All DR-positive cases belonged to Group B whereas 14 (82.4%) DR-negative lesions belonged to Group A (p < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of DR positivity for diagnosis of Group B were 87.5%, 100%, 100%, 82.4% and 92.1%, respectively. Conclusively, detection of DR in biopsy specimens with ancillary immunohistochemistry (αSMA/desmin) would help in preoperative diagnosis for the depth of submucosal invasion of early CRC.     

A Simultaneous Loading System to Evaluate the Structural Reliability of Brittle Materials

An alternative method to obtain a strength distribution of many test pieces simultaneously has been proposed. In this method, the bending stress of all subjected samples is simultaneously increased by utilizing their elastic modulus constancy, and the fractured sample number is monitored by the change in electric conductance.     

Visible Light-Sensitive InTaO4-Based Photocatalysts for Organic Decomposition

The ability of InTa_{1− x} V _x O₄ ( x =0, 0.002, 0.005, 0.01) and InTaO_{4− y} N _y ( y =0, 0.048, 0.059) powders to photocatalyze the oxidative decomposition of gaseous 2-propanol (IPA) when irradiated by the same number of visible or ultraviolet photons was confirmed. The first-principle calculations of InTa_0.875V_0.125O₈ indicated that the V 3d introduced state was discretely situated below the conduction band, which was composed mainly of Ta 5d. Similar calculations of InTaO_3.5N_0.5 indicated that the N 2p state was above the valence band, which was composed of O2p. These discrete narrow bands were responsible for the visible light sensitivity in the V- or N-doped InTaO₄ compounds.     

Development of sulfur tolerant catalysts for the synthesis of high quality transportation fuels

In this paper, results concerning the development of sulfur tolerant catalysts for Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS), C₂₊ alcohol synthesis, methanol and/or DME synthesis are presented. In the FTS reaction on Fe using H₂-rich syngas such as the biomass-derived syngas, the composition of catalyst pretreatment gas and the addition of MnO on Fe had strong impacts on its sulfur resistance as well as activity. Especially the Fe/MnO catalyst pretreated with CO showed a much lower deactivation rate and a higher FTS activity than an Fe/Cu/K catalyst in the presence of H₂S. For C₂₊ alcohol synthesis a novel preparation method was developed for a highly active MoS₂-based catalyst that is well known as the sulfur tolerant catalyst. Besides some metal sulfides were found to show higher CO hydrogenation activities than MoS₂. In particular, both Rh and Pd sulfides were active and selective for the methanol synthesis. Modified Pd sulfide catalyst, i.e. sulfided Ca/Pd/SiO₂, showed an activity that was about 60% of that of a Cu/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst in the absence of H₂S. This catalyst preserved 35% of the initial activity even in the presence of H₂S. The sulfided Ca/Pd/SiO₂ mixed with γ-Al₂O₃ was also available for in situ DME synthesis in the presence of H₂S.     

Enzyme electrode based on gold-plated polyester cloth

Summary Glucose oxidase is immobilized on gold-plated polyester cloth by entrapment method and coupled with an electron mediator, ferrocene derivative. Cyclic voltammogram depends on the existence of the substrate glucose and the flavo-enzyme was shown to donate electron(s) to the cloth electrode with mediation of the ferrocene derivative even in the immobilized state. The glucose-concentration dependence of the peak current was linear upto several tens of 35 mM, depending on the concentration of the mediator. Co-immobilization of polymer-anchored electron mediator is also studied.     

Crystal quality of a 6H-SiC layer grown over macrodefects by liquid-phase epitaxy: a Raman spectroscopic study

Liquid-phase epitaxial (LPE) growth on silicon carbide simultaneously covers macroscale defects, e.g. micropipes, and improves the quality of the crystal. In this study, an epi-layer grown over a macrodefect was evaluated by micro-Raman scattering spectroscopy. Before the growth process, the density of the stacking fault was high and the carrier density spatially inhomogeneous in the vicinity of the macrodefects. On the other hand, after growth, the layer over the macrodefect displayed good quality; the density of the stacking fault was less than that before growth and the homogeneity of the carrier density improved.     

Absolute Value of the Surface Tension of Liquid 4He

In 1985 Iino et al. [J. Low Temp. Phys. 61, 155 (1985)] measured the surface tension of liquid ⁴ He by the surface-wave resonance method, and reported that the surface tension at 0K is 354 N/m. Recently, Roche et al. [J. Low Temp. Phys. 106, 565 (1997)] obtained the absolute value at 0K to be 375 N/m from the dispersion relation of a capillary wave at a micron wavelength. There is a 6% discrepancy between those two values. To determine the meniscus effects for the surface waves and the absolute value of the surface tension, we measured the resonance frequencies of the surface wave in two parallelepiped cavities with different widths. By comparing the same wave number of the two cavities, it was found that the resonance frequencies are shifted to be slightly smaller by the meniscus effects. The absolute value of the surface tension, which was obtained by eliminating these effects by using the resonance frequencies of the two cavities, was in agreement with that of Iino et al.     

Atomic Insights of Self-Healing in Silicon Nanowires

The self-healing capability is highly desirable in semiconductors to develop advanced devices with improved stability and longevity. In this study, the automatic self-healing in silicon nanowires is reported, which are one of the most important building blocks for high-performance semiconductor nanodevices. A recovery of fracture strength (10.1%) on fractured silicon nanowires is achieved, which is demonstrated by in situ transmission electron microscopy tensile tests. The self-healing mechanism and factors governing the self-healing efficiency are revealed by a combination of atomic-resolution characterizations and atomistic simulations. Spontaneous rebonding, atomic rearrangement, and van der Waals attraction are responsible for the self-healing in silicon nanowires. Additionally, the self-healing efficiency is affected by the fracture surface roughness, the nanowire size, the nanowire orientation, and the passivation of dangling bonds on fracture surfaces. These new findings shed light on the self-healing mechanism of silicon nanowires and provide new insights into developing high-lifetime and high-security semiconductor devices.     

Pivoting based manipulation by a humanoid robot

In this paper we address whole-body manipulation of bulky objects by a humanoid robot. We adopt a “pivoting” manipulation method that allows the humanoid to displace an object without lifting, but by the support of the ground contact. First, the small-time controllability of pivoting is demonstrated. On its basis, an algorithm for collision-free pivoting motion planning is established taking into account the naturalness of motion as nonholonomic constraints. Finally, we present a whole-body motion generation method by a humanoid robot, which is verified by experiments.