Development of a TES Microcalorimeter with a Mushroom Shaped Absorber Deposited on an Insulating Layer in an Overhang Region

A 3×3+1 superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter-array has been developed for the energy dispersive spectrometer performed on a transmission electron microscope. For increasing sensitive area, each TES microcalorimeter consisted of a Ti/Au bilayer and a mushroom shaped absorber. The mushroom shaped absorber is made from a Au layer of 0.5?μm thick. Geometrical dimensions of the surface area of the TES and the absorber are 350?μm×350?μm and 330?μm×330?μm, respectively. The absorber stem of 150?μm×150?μm in the cross sectional area is deposited on the center of the TES surface. A Ta₂O₅ insulating layer of 0.1?μm thick is inserted between the overhang layer of the absorber and the TES surface. One pixel of the TES microcalorimeter was operated for detecting X-ray photons emitted from an ⁵⁵Fe source.     

Fabrication and Optical Properties of Pb(Mg/sub 1/3/Nb/sub 2/3/)O/sub 3/-PbTiO/sub 3/Thin Films on Si Substrates Using the PLD Method

Epitaxial 0.67Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-0.33PbTiO₃ (PMN-PT) thin films with electro-optic effects were fabricated on (La_0.5Sr_0.5)CoO₃(LSCO)/CeO₂/YSZ-buffered Si(001) substrates using double-pulse excitation pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method with a mask placed between the target and the substrate. Epitaxial growth of PMN-PT thin films was undertaken using the two-step growth method of PMN-PT film. The PMN-PT seed layer was deposited at 500degC on the LSCO/CeO₂/YSZ/Si, which temperature was the same as that used for LSCO deposition. The PMN-PT thin films were deposited on the PMN-PT seed layer at 600degC, which enables growth of high-crystallinity PMN-PT films with smooth surfaces. We obtained optimum fabrication conditions of PMN-PT film with micrometer-order thickness. Resultant films showed high crystallinity with full width at half maximum (FWHM)=0.73 deg and 1.6 mum thickness. Electro-optic properties and the refractive index value were measured at 633 nm wavelength using the prism coupling method. The obtained refractive index was 2.59. The electro-optic coefficients r₁₃ and r₃₃ were determined by applying the electrical field between a semitransparent, thin top electrode of Pt and a bottom LSCO electrode. The electro-optic coefficient was r₁₃=17 pm/V at transverse electric field (TE) mode and r₃₃=55 pm/V at transverse magnetic field (TM) mode.     

The effect of small dose of topiroxostat on serum uric acid in patients receiving hemodialysis

Introduction : Topiroxostat, a recently developed xanthine oxidase inhibitor, is expected to have fewer adverse effects than allopurinol because it has different mechanism of action from alloprinol. However, its dosage, usage and safety have not been established in patients with impaired renal function or those undergoing dialysis at the development since no studies was conducted in these patients. Methods : Cross over clinical trial using 3 months of allopurinol and topiroxostat on 27 maintain Japanese HD patients were carried out. The effects on oxidative stress status of both drugs were also evaluated by measuring oxidation reduction potential. Findings : Twenty‐five of twenty‐seven patients completed study. The mean serum uric acid levels in the topiroxostat‐treated arm was significantly lower than it in the allopurinol‐treated arm time‐dependently (P < 0.0001). Corrected oxidative stress ratio defined as biological antioxidant potential/diacron reactive oxygen metabolites was significantly increased in topiroxostat‐arm (*P = 0.0035), but not in allopurinol‐arm (P = 0.1429). No significant difference was seen in diacron reactive oxygen metabolites, biological antioxidant potential, static oxidation‐reduction potential, and capacity oxidation‐reduction potential between pre and post treatment of both drugs. Discussion : It is suggested that a low dose of topiroxostat decreased serum uric acid sufficiently to maintain it below 7.0 mg/dL in patients receiving hemodialysis.     

FTIR studies of adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition under UV irradiation of dimethyl sulfide on calcium hydroxyapatite

The adsorption and photocatalytic decomposition under UV irradiation of dimethyl sulfide ((CH₃)₂S: DMS) on synthetic colloidal calcium hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂: Hap) particles were examined by in vacuo IR measurements. The adsorption isotherms of DMS on Hap exhibited the Langmuir type. The saturated adsorbed amount of DMS was increased with increasing the outgassing temperature of Hap, showing a maximum of 2.4 molecules/nm² at 250 °C. Similar tendency could be observed for change in area intensity of surface P-OH bands of Hap estimated from in vacuo IR measurements against outgassing temperature. By adsorption of DMS, the surface P-OH bands of Hap weakened while the CH bands due to DMS appeared. These results revealed that the DMS was adsorbed on surface P-OH groups of Hap. When the UV light was irradiated to the DMS-adsorbed Hap, the surface P-OH bands revived and the CH bands weakened. This fact strongly indicated the photocatalytic decomposition of DMS took place on surface P-OH groups of Hap, which was thought to be due to the formation of surface P-OH radicals by UV irradiation.     

Sensitive analyses of neutral N-glycans using anion-doped liquid matrix G3CA by negative-ion matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Negative-ion fragmentation of N-glycans has been proven to be more informative than that of positive-ion. In particular, it defines structural features such as the specific composition of the two antennae and the location of fucose. However, negative-ion formation of neutral N-glycans by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) remains a challenging task, and the detection limit of N-glycans in negative-ion mode is merely at the subpicomole level. Thus, practical applications are limited. In this study, combinations of five liquid matrices and nine anions were used to ionize N-glycans as anionic adducts, and their performances for sensitive analyses were evaluated. The best results were obtained with anion-doped liquid matrix G(3)CA, which consists of p-coumaric acid and 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine; the detection limits of anion adducted N-glycans were 1 fmol/well for NO(3)(-), and 100 amol/well for BF(4)(-). Negative-ion MS(2) spectra of 1 fmol N-glycans were successfully acquired with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio and were quite useful for MS-based structural determination. The anion-doped G(3)CA matrix opens the way for sensitive and rapid analysis of neutral N-glycans in negative-ion MALDI at a low femtomole level.     

Enhanced radiosensitization by liposome-encapsulated pimonidazole for anticancer effects on human melanoma cells

The nitroimidazole-related hypoxic radiosensitizer, pimonidazole (Pmz) was encapsulated in liposome composed of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, cholesterol and dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol (molar ratio = 1:1:0.2; diameter = 112.9 nm), and the radiosensitization was evaluated in human melanoma cells HMV-II. Cell proliferation was examined by WST-8 assay after X-ray irradiation in the presence of liposomal Pmz or free-Pmz under hypoxic conditions. On 7th day after X-ray irradiation of 5 Gy, cell proliferation decreased more markedly in the administration of liposomal Pmz than free-Pmz at equivalent Pmz doses. Chromatin fragmentation or nuclear condensation was observed in liposomal Pmz-treated HMV-II cells. Radiosensitization was enhanced dose-dependently along with Pmz amounts of 250-2000 microM contained in liposomal Pmz. Intracellular uptake was more abundant for liposomal Pmz for 60-240 min than for free-Pmz. Thus liposomal Pmz has a potential to overcome radiation resistance in hypoxia, owing to enhanced intracellular uptake by melanoma cells.     

Estimation of beta-ray skin dose from exposure to fission fallout from the Hiroshima atomic bomb

Beta-ray skin dose due to the fission fallout from the Hiroshima atomic bomb is potentially related to the epilation in the black rain area. The absorbed dose to the skin from beta-rays emitted by fission fallout has been estimated for an initial 13?Cs deposition of 1 kBq m?2 on the ground at 0.5 h after the explosion. The estimated skin dose takes into account both external exposure from fission fallout radionuclides uniformly distributed in 1 mm of soil on the surface of the ground and from a 26 μm thickness of contaminated soil on the skin, using the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCNP-4C. The cumulative skin dose for 1 month after the explosion is taken as the representative value. The estimated skin dose for an initial 13?Cs deposition of 1 kBq m?2 was determined to be about 500 mSv.     

Synthesis of New Superconducting Pb-Based 1222 Cuprates Containing Sulfur in the (Pb0.75S0.25)Sr2(Eu2.0−x Ce x )Cu2O z System

We have synthesized new Pb-based 1222 cuprates containing sulfur in the (Pb_0.75S_0.25)Sr₂(Eu_2.0?x Ce _x )Cu₂O _z system. X-ray diffraction study shows that almost the single 1222 phase samples can be obtained for a considerable wide area of 0.3≤x≤1.2 in the composition of (Pb_0.75S_0.25)Sr₂(Eu_2.0?x Ce _x )Cu₂O _z . Next, the sample with x=0.4 after annealing under high-pressure O₂ is discovered to show an onset of the resistivity drop at about 31 K and to show an onset of diamagnetic signal at about 29 K. These phenomena clearly indicate that the sample is a new superconductor.