Chronic ocular ischemia associated with the Eisenmenger's syndrome

We studied the ocular findings of two adult patients with the Eisenmenger's syndrome who had atrial septal defects that were diagnosed before the age of 10 years but not operated on and pulmonary hypertension. Both eyes of these patients showed microaneurysms, multiple small blot hemorrhages, or capillary dilation in the temporal peripheral fundus. Multiple microaneurysms and retinal collaterals were confirmed by fluorescein angiography. One of the patients developed bilateral rubeosis iridis with slow progression. These retinal lesions and the rubeosis iridis are probably related to chronic ocular ischemia caused by chronic systemic hypoxia.     

High concentration of glucose increases mitogenic responsiveness to heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor in rat vascular smooth muscle cells

The effect of a high extracellular glucose concentration on the mitogenic response of rat vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs) to heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) was investigated. The mitogenic effect of HB-EGF was significantly greater in SMCs cultured in high glucose (25 mmol/L) than in cells cultured in low glucose (5.5 mmol/L) or at high osmolarity (5.5 mmol/L glucose plus 19.5 mmol/L mannitol). The mitogenic effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF), which shares the EGF receptor with HB-EGF, was not affected by glucose concentration. The mitogenic effect of HB-EGF was greater when incubated with heparan sulfate (HS) isolated from SMCs cultured in high glucose than with HS from cells cultured in low glucose. HS synthesized by cells in high glucose was of smaller molecular size and less sulfated than HS synthesized by cells in low glucose. The abundance of mRNA encoding HS-N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase (HS-NdAc/NST), a regulatory enzyme in the biosynthesis of HS, was decreased by high glucose in a protein kinase C-independent manner. These observations suggest that the enhanced mitogenic response to HB-EGF in SMCs cultured in high glucose may be attributable to changes in cell-associated HS. Downregulation of HS-NdAc/NST gene expression by high glucose may be related to the altered HS biosynthesis.     

Epitaxially grown free-standing diamond platelet

We obtained an epitaxially grown free-standing diamond platelet utilizing epitaxial diamond film formed on a {100} iridium surface using a d.c. plasma CVD process. Iridium was selected as a suitable substrate material for the heteroepitaxy of diamond based on original criteria. Confocal Raman spectroscopy revealed that the diamond platelet contained little or no non-diamond carbon. The obtained diamond platelet is transparent to visible light and cleavable along the 110 direction on the surface. The angles between the top surface and the cross-sectional surfaces are approximately 55°, almost equal to the theoretical angle of 54.74° between {100} and {111} planes in cubic crystals. Therefore, the cross-sectional surfaces would be {111} planes of a typical facet for single-crystalline diamond. This means that the diamond platelet we have formed has relatively good crystallinity.     

Study on modified phenolic resin. I. Modification with homopolymer prepared from p-hydroxyphenylmaleimide

We studied the improvement of heat resistance and mechanical properties of phenolic resin modified with polymers prepared from p-hydroxyphenylmaleimide (HPMI). Homopolymers of HPMI and copolymers of HPMI with some vinyl monomers were synthesized and M_n T_g and thermal decomposition temperature of them were measured by GPC, DSC, and TG, respectively. The miscibility of homopolymer with novolac was examined by DSC. It was found that the homopolymer had good heat resistance and good miscibility with novolac. Molding compounds were prepared by hot roll-kneading the mixtures of novolac, the homopolymer, hexamethylenetetramine, and glass fiber. It was found that molded test pieces had good heat resistance.     

Effect of the addition of NH4F on anodic behaviors of DSA-type electrodes in H2SO4-(NH4)2SO4 solutions

The effect of NH₄F addition on the high-anodic behaviors of various DSA-type electrodes was investigated in a mixture of sulfuric acid and ammonium sulfate. The pronounced effect of NH₄ addition was observed on DSA-type Ti/RuO₂, Ti/IrO₂?TiO₂ electrodes, but not observed on the other electrodes studied. The close relationship was found between the increment of the electrode potential caused by the NH₄ addition and the quantity of F^? adsorbed on the electrode surface. The effect of NH₄F addition was considered to be resulted from the adsorption of F^? on the electrode surface, and the presence of adsorbed F^? was directly proved.     

The structure of the core polyol of the ether lipids fromSulfolobus acidocaldarius

The major ether-type lipid structures ofSulfolobus acidocaldarius (ATCC33909) were composed of caldarchaeol and calditoglycerocaldarchaeol. However, the characterization by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry showed that the structure of calditol in calditoglycerocaldarchaeol is not nonitol, 2-(1′,2′,3′-trihydroxypropyl)1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydroxyhexane, but 2-hydroxymethyl-1-(2,3-dihydroxypropoxy),2,3,4,5-cyclopentanetetraol with an ether linkage in the molecule. Such an intermolecular ether linkage was resistant, to BCl₃ treatment, but nonresistant to 57% HI degradation treatment conducted at 100°C for 60 h, producting 2-hydroxymethyl-1,2,3,4,5-cyclopentanepentaol from calditol as reaction product. Further, it was confirmed that the structure of calditol is essentially a derivative of glycerol, and hydrocarbon chains were conjugated to the glycerol-like site in the structure. The calditol with an ether linkage in the molecule suggested an important role regarding the properties of heat-resistance and acid-resistance observed inSulfolobales. Presented at the international workshop on “Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of Extremophiles and Archaebacteria,” Wako, Japan, August 1993.     

Relation between crystal structure and lattice oxygen content of sintered reaction-bonded silicon nitride

When reaction-bonded silicon nitride containing MgO/Y₂O₃ additives is sintered at three different temperatures to form sintered reaction-bonded silicon nitride (SRBSN), the thermal conductivity increases with sintering temperature. The β-Si₃N₄ (silicon nitride) crystals of SRBSN ceramics were synthesized and characterized to investigate the relation between the crystal structure and the lattice oxygen content. The hot-gas extraction measurement result and the crystal structure obtained using Rietveld analysis suggested that the unit cell size of the β-Si₃N₄ crystal increases with the decrease in the lattice oxygen content. This result is reasonable considering that the lattice oxygen with the smaller covalent radius substitutes nitrogen with the larger one in the β-Si₃N₄ crystals. The lattice oxygen content decreased with increasing sintering temperature which also correlated with increase in thermal conductivity. Moreover, it is noteworthy from the viewpoint that it may be possible to apply the lattice constant analysis for the nondestructive and simple measurement of the lattice oxygen content that deteriorates the thermal conductivity of the β-Si₃N₄ ceramics.     

Changes in the Peeled Surfaces of Copper Thin Films Deposited on Polyimide Substrates After Heat Treatment

Peel strength between a copper (Cu) thin film and a polyimide (pyromellitic dianhydride-oxydianiline, or PMDA-ODA) substrate is reduced by heat treatment at 150°C in air. In this work, we investigated the peel strength, the morphology of the interface between Cu films and polyimide substrates using optical microscopy and electron microscopy, and chemical change of the interface using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and micro X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The analysis showed that CuO “lumps” were present on the peeled surface of PMDA-ODA after heat treatment at 150°C in air. The peeled surfaces of other polyimide substrates were also analyzed: biphenyl dianhydride-para phenylene diamine (BPDA-PDA) and biphenyl dianhydride-oxydianiline (BPDA-ODA). CuO lumps were present on the peeled surface of BPDA-ODA after the heat treatment, but not that of BPDA-PDA. Compared with the adhesion strength for the Cu thin film, the adhesion strength was high for the Cu/PMDA-ODA and Cu/BPDA-ODA laminates, but the adhesion strength was very low for the Cu/BPDA-PDA laminate. This low strength is the reason that CuO lumps were not detected on the peeled surface of the BPDA-PDA substrate. These CuO lumps were related to the adhesion degradation of the Cu/polyimide laminates after the heat treatment.     

Structure of silane layer formed on silica particle surfaces by treatment with silane coupling agents having various functional groups

The surface treatment of spherical silica particles with silane coupling agents having various organic functional groups was conducted and the effect of the alkoxy group number on the molecular flexibility of the silane chain with multilayer coverage was investigated using ¹H-pulse nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The silica particles were treated with 2-propanol solution and heated at 120?°C for 24?h after solvent evaporation to accelerate the polycondensation reaction of silanol groups. For multilayer coverage, flexible linear chain and rigid network structures were expected to form on the surface from the di- and trialkoxy structures, respectively. However, the rigid network structure was formed from both the di- and trialkoxy structures with glycidoxy, amino, and methacryloxy functional silanes. Ring opening of the epoxy group occurred, followed by reaction to form the network structure, even with the dialkoxy structure of the glycidoxy functionality. Ring opening of the epoxy group could be reduced by pH adjustment of the treatment solution and the linear chain structure was formed from the dialkoxy structure. In the case of amino and methacryloxy functional groups, hydrogen bonds were formed between the amino or methacryloxy groups and the silanol groups on the silica surface or silane molecules.     

Anisotropic Thermal Expansion of β-Ca2SiO4 Monoclinic Crystal

Crystals of β-Ca₂SiO₄ (space group P 12₁/ n 1) were examined by high-temperature powder X-ray diffractometry to determine the change in unit-cell dimensions with temperature up to 645°C. The temperature dependence of the principal expansion coefficients (α_i) found from the matrix algebra analysis was as follows: α₁= 20.492 × 10⁻⁶+ 16.490 × 10⁻⁹ ( T - 25)°C⁻¹, α₂= 7.494 × 10⁻⁶+ 5.168 × 10⁻⁹( T - 25)°C⁻¹, α₃=−0.842 × 10⁻⁶− 1.497 × 10⁻⁹( T - 25)°C⁻¹. The expansion coefficient α₁, nearly along [302] was approximately 3 times α₂ along the b -axis. Very small contraction (α₃) occurred nearly along [     01]. The volume changes upon martensitic transformations of β↔α_L' were very small, and the strain accommodation would be almost complete. This is consistent with the thermoelasticity.