Behavior of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 solar cells under light/damp heat over time

We performed accelerated tests on various sealed CIGS solar cells in a complex light/damp heat environment, and investigated the behavior of P_max and other properties over time. The half-life time of P_max in well-sealed cells was found to be 40–80 times greater than that in non-sealed cells, and the degradation of P_max was dependent on changes in V_oc and FF. The cause of these changes was examined based on the behavior of photo IV characteristics under conditions of feeble light, dark IV, and CV.     

Small‐signal stability based on a synchronous generator model with field mutual‐leakage reactance

Power system small‐signal stability studies have been carried out using a synchronous machine model with a field mutual‐leakage reactance called the Canay reactance in the d‐axis equivalent circuit. The influence of the Canay reactance on the effectiveness of a power system stabilizer (PSS) was evaluated by the eigenvalue calculation method. The values of the Canay reactance reported in the literature were also investigated statistically, and an approximate expression applicable to power system stability studies was proposed. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 154(2): 19–29, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20163     

A study of various complications in arterial infusion chemotherapy

Complications of arterial infusion chemotherapy were analyzed in 261 cases from December 1983 to December 1993 in our department. Their complications involved nausea and vomiting (40.6%), bone marrow suppression (33.3%), liver dysfunction (20.3%), gastric and duodenal ulcer (9.6%) and so on. Complications involving an implantable device were hepatic arterial obstruction (29.1%), reservoir obstruction (5.7%), dislocation of catheter (4.6%), infection of catheter (3.8%), and obstruction of catheter (1.9%). In another cases with hepatic arterial obstruction, we performed arterial infusion in another artery as a bypass or stopped the infusion. In cases with obstruction of catheter not able to be reopened, we reinserted the catheter. An obstructed and/or infected reservoir was removed or replaced. Nausea and vomiting were found in 46.3% of FAM arterial infusion method (FAM) cases, in 53.3% of 5-FU persistent arterial method (5-FU) + FAM cases, and in 40.5% of intermittently persistent arterial method (IP) cases. Gastric and duodenal ulcer were noted in 9.8% of FAM, 13.3% of 5-FU + FAM, and 8.1% of IP cases. There were no significantly statistical differences between the methods. Hepatic arterial obstruction predominantly occurred in 32.4% of IP and 26.7% of 5-FU + FAM and bone marrow suppression was predominant in cases in which ADM was used. The duration of obstruction after administration was 154.0 +/- 117.4 days on average (21-455 days). Complications of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy are based on various causes which can be managed for prevention. We intend to enhance safety and assure the greater effectiveness of hepatic arterial chemotherapy.     

Micro-texture at the coated tool face for high performance cutting

This paper describes the effect of micro surface texture on the lubrication conditions at the tool rake face in machining aluminum alloy. For this purpose, four types of micro surface texture were fabricated at the tool faces of cemented carbide through spattering, photolithography and wet etching, and the micro-textured tool faces were coated with diamond like carbon (DLC) or TiN. Then, orthogonal cutting experiments of aluminum alloy were conducted using the coated tools with and without micro-texture. The normal and friction forces and the coefficient of friction were obtained from the measured cutting forces. In addition, tool surface conditions were inspected with a CCD microscope after machining. As a result, it was found that parallel type and square-dot type of micro-textures improved effectively the lubrication conditions in machining aluminum alloy A6061-T6. It was also found that micro-texture was likely to improve the lubrication conditions more effectively as the pattern of texture became smaller and deeper.     

High selectivity (SiN/SiO2) etching using an organic solution containing anhydrous HF

An etching process with high selectivity for SiN relative to SiO₂ at a low temperature is required for an etching process in LSI process. We achieved SiN film etching with high selectivity using an organic solvent (ethylene glycol dimethyl ether) containing anhydrous hydrogen fluoride. Selectivity as high as 15 was obtained at 80 °C. It was found that anhydrous HF effectively induces high selectivity for SiN relative to SiO₂. SiN film etching with high selectivity performed at low temperature for a single wafer process can be readily applied to future node technology devices.     

Scanning electron microscopic studies of smooth muscle cells and their collagen fibrillar sheaths in empty, distended and contracted urinary bladders of the guinea pig

By employing various synthetic substrates, as well as soluble denatured protein substrate (TAP-lysozyme) and its derivatives, endopeptidase activity of cathepsin C, dipeptidyl aminopeptidase I [EC 3.4.14.1], from bovine spleen was investigated. Cathepsin C efficiently degraded Z-Phe-Arg-MCA, Pro-Phe-Arg-MCA, and Suc-Leu-Leu-Val-Tyr-MCA. This endopeptidase activity required sulfhydryl reagents and halide ions, as in the case of the dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DAP) activity. We confirmed that this endopeptidase activity is due to cathepsin C itself based on the results on gel-filtration and anion-exchange chromatographies, comparative studies of the inhibitory effects of leupeptin and E-64 on this activity and those of cathepsins B and L, and further the competitive inhibitions by mutual substrates for the DAP and endopeptidase activities of cathepsin C. We also found that cathepsin C endopeptidase activity towards TAP-lysozyme and its N-alpha-acetylated tryptic peptides showed marked dependence on sulfhydryl reagents and chloride ion. Thus, we concluded that cathepsin C has endopeptidase activity as well as DAP activity. The binding energy between the enzyme and the amino acid side chains of the substrate may be as important for the endopeptidase activity as is the electrostatic interaction between the enzyme and the free alpha-amino group of the substrate for the DAP activity.     

Mutations in the cardiac troponin I gene associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the most common cause of sudden death in the young, is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by ventricular hypertrophy accompanied by myofibrillar disarrays. Linkage studies and candidate-gene approaches have demonstrated that about half of the patients have mutations in one of six disease genes: cardiac beta-myosin heavy chain (c beta MHC), cardiac troponin T (cTnT), alpha-tropomyosin (alpha TM), cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMBPC), ventricular myosin essential light chain (vMLC1) and ventricular myosin regulatory light chain (vMLC2) genes. Other disease genes remain unknown. Because all the known disease genes encode major contractile elements in cardiac muscle, we have systematically characterized the cardiac sarcomere genes, including cardiac troponin I (cTnI), cardiac actin (cACT) and cardiac troponin C (cTnC) in 184 unrelated patients with HCM and found mutations in the cTnI gene in several patients. Family studies showed that an Arg145Gly mutation was linked to HCM and a Lys206Gln mutation had occurred de novo, thus strongly suggesting that cTnI is the seventh HCM gene.     

A case of inflammatory breast cancer successfully treated with 5'-DFUR and MPA

A 67-year-old female with extensive inflammatory breast cancer was treated with oral chemoendocrine therapy using 5'-deoxy-5-fluorouridine (5'-DFUR) 1,200 mg and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 1,200 mg before intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy, which made the extensive inflammatory skin lesion improve remarkably. Sequential intra-arterial infusion made the skin lesion completely disappear. But the main tumor remained, so extended mastectomy was performed. These findings suggested that this therapy was effective for the prevention of extension of the skin lesion on the inflammatory breast cancer, and also served as induction therapy for this modality.     

Telomerase assay for diagnosis of esophageal cancer

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the aggressive diseases that has poor outcome. Therefore it is appeared that early diagnosis is very important for improving its outcome. Iodine staining method is useful for detecting the abnormal squamous epithelium and unstaining lesions by iodine contain the early esophageal cancers. Recently, telomerase activity that provides an immortal capacity for the cells has been measured in many tissues. We measured the telomerase activity in the samples of unstaining lesion by iodine using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay and described the relation between telomerase activity and histopathological findings.