Patterning of CVD diamond films by seeding and their field emission properties

Selective seeding for growing diamond on Si substrates was performed by conventional lithography using photoresist mixed with fine diamond particles. The selectivity was improved by filtering the diamond powder-photoresist mixture and carrying out reactive ion etching of patterned substrates. As a result, a selectivity up to 2.0 × 10² or higher was achieved. The resolution was of the order of 1 μm. Field emission from diamonds prepared using this selective growth method was observed without any postgrowth treatment. The measured current vs. voltage plot of a diode showed a rectifying characteristic. Under a forward bias, a current of about 15 μA was obtained at about 570 V, with a turn-on voltage of about 480 V. The emission current was comparable with that which had been observed for Si field emitter tips.     

Analysis of stress in the active site of myosin accompanied by conformational changes in transient state intermediate complexes using photoaffinity labeling and 19F-NMR spectroscopy

Myosin forms stable ternary complexes with ADP and the phosphate analogues, fluoroaluminate (Al F4-), fluoroberyllate (BeFn) or orthovanadate (Vi); these ternary complexes mimic transient intermediates in the myosin ATPase cycle. Moreover, we previously demonstrated that these complexes may mimic different myosin ATPase reaction intermediates corresponding to separate steps in the cross-bridge cycle [Maruta, S., Henry, G. D., Sykes, B. D. & Ikebe, M. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 7093-7100]. Park et al. suggested that the changing conformation of ATP during hydrolysis stresses the active site of myosin subfragment-1 (S-1) through protein-nucleotide contacts at the gamma-phosphate and nucleotide base, and the stress-induced strain in the cross-bridge may be the mechanism by which energy in ATP is transferred to the myosin structure [Park, S., Ajtai, K. & Burghardt, T. P. (1997) Biochemistry 36, 3368-3372]. In the present study, the photoactive ADP analogue, 3'-O-(N-methylanthraniloyl)-2-azido-ADP (Mant-2-N3-ADP), and the 19F-labeled ADP analogue, 2-[(trifluoromethylnitrophenyl)aminoethyl]diphosphate, were employed to examine conformational differences in protein-nucleotide contact in the ATP-binding site that may correlate with energy transduction. Mant-2-N3-ADP was trapped within the active site of skeletal and smooth muscle myosin in the presence of AlF4-, BeFn or Vi. For both skeletal and smooth muscle myosins, trapped Mant-2-N3-ADP was covalently linked to the 25-kDa N-terminal fragment of S-1 of both myosin/Mant-2-N3-ADP/AlF4- and BeFn complexes, presumably at Trp130. However, the efficiency of the incorporation was much higher for skeletal than for smooth muscle myosin suggesting that the conformations of the adenine-binding pockets of the two myosins are somewhat different. Although the amount of Mant-2-N3-ADP trapped in the presence of AlF4- and BeFn was the same for both myosins, the efficiency of photolabeling skeletal muscle myosin was approximately two times higher for BeFn complex than for AlF4- complex. The 19F-NMR spectra of the bound 2-[(trifluoromethylnitrophenyl)aminoethyl]diphosphate in the ternary complexes formed in the presence of AlF4-, BeFn or Vi showed small but distinguishable differences. Taken together, these results indicate that there is some variation in the protein-nucleotide contacts at the nucleotide base among the ternary complexes studied, and these differences mimic separate steps occurring transiently during the contractile cycle.     

Successful graft replacement of the descending aorta after an extended reconstruction of the ascending and transverse aorta in a patient with Marfan's syndrome

A 27-year-old man with Marfan's syndrome underwent a total aortic graft replacement in three separate stages. Initially the abdominal aorta was replaced, followed by the ascending aorta and aortic arch, and finally the residual portion. The extensive reconstruction of both the ascending and transverse aorta at the second operation, even though no dissection was present in the aortic arch, reduced the risk of the subsequent operation since the same surgical approach did not have to be used.     

EXTRACTION OF METAL-OXALATE COMPLEXES BY DICATIONIC ANION-EXCHANGE EXTRACTANTS

The extraction of oxalate complexes of divalent metal ions (Zn²⁺, Cd²⁺ ) by dicationic anion-exchange extractants, polymethylenebis(trioctylphosphonium)s (abbreviated as C_nBP), was studied. The shorter the length of methylene-chain connecting two cationic centers within an extractant molecule, the higher was the extractant capability, i. e., the extraction ability of extractants decreased in the order: C₂- > C₃- > C₄- > C₅- > C₆- > C₈- > C₁₀- > C₁₂BP. The entirely inverse order was obtained in the extraction of metal-halide complexes (M^IICl₄ ²-) and metal-cyanide complexes (M II(CN) ₄ ²-). The extraction abilities of monocationic extractants were inferior to even that of the least efficient one among the dicationic extractants. The extraction equilibrium was also studied.     

Higher order formulation of absorbing boundary conditions for finite-difference time-domain method

A simple formulation of absorbing boundary conditions with higher order approximation is proposed for the finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) method. Although this formulation is based on the third order approximation of the one-way wave equations the authors have succeeded in reducing it to an equation in a form quite similar to the second order approximation.<>     

High-efficiency water pipe cooling system for undergroundtransmission lines

An advanced forced-cooling system developed for the Nankou-Karyoku line of the Kansai Electric Power Co. in Japan is described. The 154 kV transmission line was designed to cope with increasing power demands and the need for greater transmission capacity     

A NotI restriction map of the entire long arm of human chromosome 21

A variety of maps of the human genome have been constructed, including cloned DNA maps. We have isolated 40 of the 42 NotI sites that exist on the long arm of human chromosome 21, as NotI linking clones and constructed a complete NotI restriction map spanning the entire region. This map, which provides the most reliable ordering and distance estimation in the region from a pericentromeric locus to the terminus, demonstrates the usefulness of linking clone mapping for analysing human chromosomes.