Role of peritoneal lavage smears and gastric wall brushing smears in gastric cancer surgery

Examinations of peritoneal lavage smears (LC) and gastric wall brushing smear cytology (BC) appear to be important for determining accurately the stage of gastric cancer. We have been carrying out such examinations during gastric cancer surgery for 7 years. In the present study, we evaluated the results obtained from 287 patients with gastric cancer. Tumor invasion and peritoneal dissemination were correlated with a positive incidence of cancer cells in LC and/or BC. Gastric cancer showing serosal invasion was classified into positive for LC and/or BC and negative for LC and/or BC. Patients positive for LC and/or BC had a poorer prognosis. For future gastric cancer treatment, patients positive for peritoneal cytology are expected to be targeted for intensive treatment during or before surgery.     

Phase equilibria and thermodynamic properties of Sn-Ag based Pb-free solder alloys

We have recently developed a thermodynamic database for micro-soldering alloys, alloy database for micro-solders (ADAMIS). ADAMIS which consists of the elements Ag, Bi, Cu, In, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn has been constructed by the calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) method. The thermodynamic parameters for describing the Gibbs energy of the liquid and solid phases have been evaluated by optimizing the experimental data on phase boundaries and thermo-chemical properties. In this paper, the phase equilibria and the related thermodynamic properties pertaining to the Sn-Ag-X (X=Bi, In, Cu, and Zn) alloys are examined using ADAMIS. Typical examples of the isothermal and vertical section phase diagrams, liquidus surface, etc. for these promising lead-free solders are presented. In addition, ADAMIS is also applied to calculate the nonequilibrium solidification process using the Scheil model.     

Dependence of electron channel mobility on Si-SiO2interface microroughness

The effect of the Si-SiO₂ interface microroughness on the electron channel mobility of n-MOSFETs was investigated. The surface microroughness was controlled by changing the mixing ratio of NH₄ OH in the NH₄OH-H₂O₂-H₂O solution in the RCA cleaning procedure. The gate oxide was etched, following the evaluation of the electrical characteristics of MOS transistors, to measure the microroughness of the Si-SiO₂ interface with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). As the interface microroughness increases, the electron channel mobility, which can be obtained from the current-voltage characteristics of the MOSFET, gets lower. The channel mobility is around 360 cm²/V-s when the average interface microroughness is 0.2 nm, where the substrate impurity concentration is 4.5×10¹⁷ cm^-3, i.e. the electron bulk mobility is 400 cm²/V-s. It goes down to 100 cm²/V-s when the interface microroughness exceeds 1 nm     

A new solution for splay‐to‐bend transition in OCB mode with a twisted area

Abstract— Quick, stable transition from splay‐to‐bend alignment in optically compensated bend (OCB) mode is crucial for practical use. This has been achieved by surface treating part of a pixel with a chiral dopant to induce a twist alignment while controlling the twist direction. The effectiveness of this new method was confirmed in a prototype TFT‐LCD panel.     

Fluoride-glass-cladded optical fibres for mid-infra-red ray transmission

Cladded-type fluoride glass fibres with a transmission loss of 0.1 dB/m at 2.5 ?m and 0.3 dB/m at 3.6 ?m, respectively, were fabricated by a novel casting method. Relative refractive-index differences between core and cladding ranging from 0.17% to 0.33% were obtained using BaF2-GdF3-ZrF4-AlF3 glasses as core and cladding components.     

Investigations of antisense oligonucleotides targeted against bcl-2 RNAs

The purpose of this article is to describe how nurse instructors understand nursing and the necessary conditions for high quality nursing care. The approach of the study was inductive and based on phenomenology and a sociological field research method, i.e. grounded theory. It emerged that the core of nursing is a process, termed here caring, with three stages. Three types of caring emerged. Understanding the client, the art of nursing, co-operation between the nurse and other health care professionals were found to be necessary conditions for a high quality nursing care and it was also found that it is not possible to separate caring from the society and its history.