The impact of data-line interference noise on DRAM scaling

A kind of data-line (DL) interference noise in a scaled DRAM cell array is found and studied through analysis. The dynamic behavior of cell arrays due to sense-amplifier operation is derived analytically. Analysis shows that the amount of interference noise is more than three times larger than expected from simple data-line coupling. A novel experimental technique for precise noise determination is developed to verify the analysis. Analytical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. It is found that the interference noise plays a dominant role in determining the operating margin of the DRAM and that a novel process or a cell array architecture for minimizing the interference noise is indispensable in 16-Mb DRAM and beyond     

Analysis of cases allowed to cease erythromycin therapy for diffuse panbronchiolitis--comparative study between patients with cessation of the therapy and patients continuing the therapy

We investigated the effect of erythromycin (EM) in patients with diffuse panbronchiolitis (DPB) who were divided into 2 groups, the short term group with 8 patients who were treated for at least 2 years and the long term group with 7 patients who were treated for more than 3 years. Each mean value of %VC, FEV1.0, FEV1.0% and PaO2 two years after administration to these patients was improved than before administration of EM, with the exception of PaO2 in the long term group. There was no change in %VC, FEV1.0, FEV1.0% or PaO2 in each group between one year after the therapy and thereafter, with the exception of the fact that FEV1.0% in the short term group, except patients restarting EM therapy, 2 years after the therapy was significantly higher than in the long term group. One patient was readministered EM because of recurrence of DPB after cessation of EM therapy, whose %VC, FEV1.0 and PaO2, but not FEV1.0%, one year after the therapy were increased in those before the therapy. The Neutrophil proportion in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid in this patient was still high after the therapy (94.5%), while that in the patients with cessation of the therapy was improved to the level of less than 8%. Neutrophil proportion in BAL fluids in the patients with continuation of the therapy revealed a high or low level after the therapy. These results suggest that the patients, whose %VC, FEB1.0% and PaO2 were improved and whose proportion of neutrophils in BAL fluid reduced to a normal level compared with those before EM therapy, can be allowed to cease therapy after 2 years or more of EM therapy.     

Relationship between the energy distribution of electrostatic field change and lightning activity

A lightning strength parameter α (denoted as LSP or LAIDO), which is used for characterizing the phenomena of lightning activity, has been proposed, where α is defined by the characteristic energy obtained from the energy distribution of a radiated field component E in the electrostatic field changes produced by lightning discharge. Here, it is observed that the energy distribution of E_γ components is Maxwellian type. To prove more clearly the forementioned assumption from another viewpoint, changes of the amplitudes of the electrostatic field component E_S were measured and their distribution functions constructed. In the cloud-to-ground lightning discharges, the E_S components have a positive sign in the changes. However, those changes in the intercloud discharges are observed with either a negative or positive change depending on the distance between the striking point and the observation site. Therefore it is necessary to sum the numbers of occurrences of both positive and negative components for constructing an energy distribution of the E_S component. A fieldmill and a pair of doughnut-shaped electrostatic antennas are used in measuring the changes of the E_S component. As a result it is found that the changes of the amplitudes of the E_S components have a Maxwelliantype energy distribution. A characteristic energy β is defined which is obtained from the component of the electrostatic fields as a measure of LSP. Based on comparison of α and β it is clarified that β has the same characteristic nature with α. The lightning activity could be estimated from β.     

The invasion potentials of human biliary tract carcinoma cell lines: correlation between invasiveness and morphologic characteristics

The abilities of 9 kinds of human biliary tract carcinoma cell lines to invade through basement membrane or type I collagen were examined using an in vitro invasion assay system. The correlations between invasiveness and morphologic characteristics of the carcinoma cells in 3 dimensional collagen gel were also examined. most of the biliary tract carcinoma cell lines kept the abilities of glandular differentiation and basement membrane formation of the original tumor. Their invasiveness, however, correlated with the degree of in vitro morphologic differentiation regardless of their original morphology.     

AS-186 compounds, new inhibitors of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase from Penicillium asperosporum KY1635

AS-186a, b, c, d, and g were isolated from the cultured broth of Penicillium asperosporum KY1635 as inhibitors of acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT). IC50 values for the effect of AS-186a, b, c, d, and g against ACAT activity of the microsomes from cholesterol-fed rabbit liver were calculated to be 22.9, 8.2, 11.5, 12.4, and 13.9 microM, respectively. Although AS-186a, and b were identical to penicillide and purpactin A, respectively, AS-186c, d, and g were found to be new compounds.     

Complex susceptibility and penetration depth of BEDT-TTF based layered superconductors

We have obtained the parallel penetration depth of two representative compounds of layered organic superconductors, κ-(BEDT-TTF)₂Cu[N(CN)₂]Br and -(BEDT-TTF)₂NH₄(SCN)₄ by ac susceptibility measurements. The former salt gives the depth of 190 μm, while that for the latter is 1.4 mm. These values demonstrate that the NH₄(SCN)₄ salt is more highly-two-dimensional than the Cu[N(CN)₂]Br salt. The ac susceptibility under dc magnetic field probes peculiarities of tile vortex dynamics.     

Breast cancer diagnosis by lactate dehydrogenase isozymes in nipple discharge

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of breast cancer based on nipple discharge, often the only clinical manifestation of early breast cancer, is currently unsatisfactory. Because M subunits of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) have been noted to increase in cancer tissue, the author assessed the value of using LDH isozyme patterns in nipple discharge for the diagnosis of breast cancer. METHODS: LDH isozyme levels in (1) nipple discharge of patients diagnosed as having breast cancer, intraductal papilloma, mastopathy, drug-induced nipple discharge, mastitis, or benign nipple discharge; (2) control samples of normal nipple discharge (milk) 6 days, 1-5 months, and 6 months to 2 years postpartum; (3) the serum of patients presenting with nipple discharge; and (4) normal and cancerous breast tissue extracts were measured using a Ciba-Corning LDH isozyme system (Ciba Corning Diagnostic Corp., Tokyo, Japan). RESULTS: LDH isozyme levels in the nipple discharge of patients with benign breast diseases displayed various patterns. Levels in the nipple discharge of patients with breast cancer, including noninvasive carcinoma, tended to increase in ascending order from LDH1 to LDH5. This pattern was similar to that in breast cancer tissue and was unrelated to the pattern in serum. CONCLUSION: LDH isozyme assay of nipple discharge may be a useful technique for providing a supporting diagnosis of breast cancer.     

Potent preventive action of alpha-carotene against carcinogenesis: spontaneous liver carcinogenesis and promoting stage of lung and skin carcinogenesis in mice are suppressed more effectively by alpha-carotene than by beta-carotene

Although beta-carotene has been considered to be a key cancer preventive agent in green and yellow vegetables, other types of carotenoids, such as alpha-carotene, may also contribute to anticarcinogenic action, since these carotenoids usually coexist with beta-carotene and are detectable in human blood and tissues. In this study, we compared the inhibitory effect of natural alpha-carotene, obtained from palm oil, with that of beta-carotene on spontaneous liver carcinogenesis in C3H/He male mice. The mean number of hepatomas per mouse was significantly decreased by alpha-carotene supplementation (per os administration in drinking water at a concentration of 0.05%, ad libitum) as compared with that in the control group (P < 0.001, Student's t test). On the other hand, beta-carotene, at the same dose as alpha-carotene, did not show any such significant difference from the control group. Furthermore, we also compared the antitumor-promoting activity of alpha-carotene with that of beta-carotene against two-stage mouse lung carcinogenesis (initiator, 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide; promoter, glycerol). alpha-Carotene, but not beta-carotene, reduced the number of lung tumors per mouse to about 30% of that in the control group (P < 0.001, Student's t test). The higher potency of the antitumor-promoting action of alpha-carotene compared to beta-carotene was confirmed in other experimental systems; e.g., alpha-carotene was also found to have a stronger effect than beta-carotene in suppressing the promoting activity of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate on skin carcinogenesis in 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-initiated mice. These results suggest that not only beta-carotene, but also other types of carotenoids, such as alpha-carotene, may play an important role in cancer prevention.