Expression of thymidine phosphorylase is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas

Adult rats were prepared with either sham or medial prefrontal cortex lesions and administered, beginning on the third post-operative day, either, 0, 40, or 80 mg kg-1 crude ginseng extract suspended in saline daily for the next 30 days. Later, kinetic functions were evaluated on an elevated rotating rod. No long-term influences of the treatments were observed on this task. Significant positive influences of ginseng were observed in the position reversal task. The learning deficits observed in the saline control brain-damaged rats were significantly attenuated in the ginseng-treated animals. An analysis of trial 2 response accuracy across reversals revealed enhanced cognitive abilities (i.e. acquisition of a win-stay, lose-shift strategy) in both the brain damaged and sham control rats administered ginseng. Generally, administration of the higher dose resulted in better performance in the learning paradigm. The exact mechanism responsible for these promising results remains to be discovered. Several possible mechanisms are discussed.     

Role of Mg and Ti on a SiCp,ZrCp/Al composite at elevated temperatures

Metal-matrix composites have been considered as new materials with many attractive properties. One of the characteristics of particulate composites is high strength at elevated temperatures. In this work, a SiC-or ZrC-particle-reinforced composite was fabricated through a casting route and the effect of Ti and Mg alloying on the wettability between ceramic particles and a liquid aluminium alloy was measured with the time required for particulate incorporation. The formation of a reaction product was observed and it was identified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray microanalysis. Observations by SEM revealed that the incorporation time was closely related to the interfacial reactions. The degradation of the composite at an elevated temperature was measured, and the roles of the interfacial reaction and the formation of the reaction product were investigated. Decomposition of the ceramic phase due to the elevated-temperature holding depended on the thermodynamical properties of the ceramic phase. The formation site of the reaction product also affected the degradation of the composite material.     

Optical-fibre network system for air-pollution monitoring over a wide area by optical absorption method

A low-loss optical-fibre network system for monitoring air pollution and species concentrations in various environments utilising the differential absorption method is proposed and discussed as a sensitive and economical as well as nonhazardous method. Its feasibility and advantages are also described on the basis of the present state of the art of the relevant technology.     

Shorter-wavelength lithography utilizing MRS-type negative resists

New negative photoresists, called MRS-type resists, are successfully applied to deep-UV 1:1 projection printing and 365 nm 10:1 reduction projection printing. The MRS-type resists are characterized by intense absorption of exposure light and absence of swelling in aqueous developer solutions. They resolve steep profile submicron images in a 1.0 μ thick film. They are not adversely affected by reflected light from water surfaces. In order to use MRS-type resists with broader development latitude, optimizing the extent of light absorption is important because the resist profiles strongly depend on development conditions due to increasing solubility towards the resist bottom.     

Preferred orientation on beta-alumina ceramics

A β-alumina tube was formed by hydrostatic pressing of raw powder, lathing and subsequent firing. Preferred orientation of tabular crystallites of β-alumina was determined by X-ray diffraction and polarizing microscope technique. The basal planes of the crystallites had a tendency to be perpendicular to the radial direction of the tube. Ionic conductivity in the axial direction was higher by a factor of 1.5 than that in the radial direction. This was consistent with the result on preferred orientation of the crystallites.