Reduction of the off-state current of polysilicon thin-filmtransistors by means of a polysilicon buffer layer

The off state current for polysilicon thin-film transistors for pixels in LCDs has been successfully reduced by introducing a polysilicon buffer layer between a polysilicon active layer fabricated by solid-phase-crystallisation (SPC) and a fused quartz substrate. Off-slate current of less than 1 pA under V_gs=-25 V at V_ds=3 V was obtained for n-channel single-gate coplanar transistors using the buffer layer (400 Å)     

Surface Analysis of Cr2O3‐, CoO‐, and Al2O3‐Doped Iron–Phosphate Glasses at High Temperature

Surface structures of iron–phosphate glasses were examined using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Cr₂O₃, CoO, and Al₂O₃ were introduced to the glass by the replacement of a part of Fe₂O₃, and the simulated fission products are also added. The obtained glasses showed high chemical durabilities by MCC‐1 test. In situ high‐temperature and room‐temperature XPS measurements were conducted on the polished sample surfaces and also those after 1‐week chemical durability test. Unique trends were observed in XPS spectra on heating and after the chemical durability test, respectively. Nature of the glass surface of iron–phosphate glasses was explained from the point of view of surface energy, and the origin of high chemical durability and the effect of chromium ions were discussed based on the changes on surface composition and valence states of transition‐metal ions.     

Evaluation of MRCP compared to ERCP in the diagnosis of biliary and pancreatic duct

Recently, Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is developed as a noninvasive diagnostic modality in the diagnosis of biliary and pancreatic tract. Using Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) as the gold standard, we evaluated the diagnostic quality of MRCP and direct cholangiography. Fifty-six patients (9 cases of cholangiocarcinoma, 5 of gallbladder carcinoma, 1 of gallbladder carcinoma and anomalous arrangement of pancreaticobiliary ductal system, 4 of cholecystlithiasis, 3 of papillary carcinoma, 1 of adenomyomatosis of the gallbladder, 1 of primary sclerosing cholangitis, 1 of hepatolithiasis and postoperative bile duct stricture, 4 of mucin producing pancreatic tumor, 13 of pancreatic carcinoma, 1 of chronic pancreatitis and pancreas divisum, 9 of chronic pancreatitis, and 1 of chronic pancreatitis and biliary stricture) are studied prospectively with MRCP and direct cholangiography (included ERCP and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography). The image of MRCP accorded with direct cholangiography in twenty-two of 27 patients with biliary tract disease, and in sixteen of 29 patients with pancreatic disease. The different diagnosis is observed in ten of 56 patients. In cases of not visualized gallbladder, pancreatic cyst without communicated to the pancreatic duct, and pre-stenotic dilatation of biliary and pancreatic duct, the image of MRCP was better than that of ERCP. However, the image of MRCP for the diagnosis of either benign or malignant strictures, mucin producing pancreatic tumor, and a branch of pancreatic duct in patients with pancreatic carcinoma were not suitable for evaluation than that of ERCP. In our study, ERCP is superior to MRCP due to the important information for diagnosis such as mentioned above. Therefore we advocate using ERCP as the first diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of biliary and pancreatic duct.     

Ultrashort X-ray pulse generation using subpicosecond electron linac

As a promising tool for ultrafast material analyses, we propose to utilize the X-ray pulse which may be generated in a quite simple manner using subpicosecond electron linacs. The properties of the X-ray were numerically studied with the EGS4 code. Verification of the X-ray generation was also conducted at the Nuclear Engineering Research Laboratory (NERL) linac and clear diffraction patterns of characteristic X-ray were obtained for typical single crystals.     

A surgical case of acute three-channeled aortic dissection in Marfan syndrome

We surgically treated a 35-year-old male with acute 3-channeled aortic dissection in Marfan syndrome. He had acute type A aortic dissection, and underwent Bentall's type operation, simultaneous graft replacement of the ascending aorta and total aortic arch. Pain recurred 5 years and 9 months after the first operation. CT scan showed two adjacent false lumens in the descending aorta. The morphology of the first and second dissections was Stanford type A + B. The second dissection was acute. In the second false lumen, a re-entry formation was observed in the abdominal aorta. Because severe pain was persistent, we immediately replaced the descending aorta using a femoro-femoral partial cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient was doing well and was discharged. When pain recurs in a Marfan patient with an aortic dissection, a 3-channeled aortic dissection should be suspected, and we recommend emergency surgery.     

A Small-Corpus-Based Approach to Alice's Roles

This paper is a case study for examining how a small-corpus-basedapproach can contribute to research in stylistics. Specifically,we have built small corpora of the two Alice books and retrieved,using WordSmith Tools suite, first, verbs of saying and theiradverbials to elucidate how Alice speaks to others in the stories,and secondly, modifiers of ‘Alice’ to get the imagesof the main character. An analysis of these data reveals thatAlice's role in each book is quite distinct: an unexpected visitorthrown into the passive state in Wonderland and an active explorerin Looking-Glass. These findings objectively serve to reinforceour argument over what Alice is called through the perusal ofthe texts. Alice's roles in the two books are thus interactivelysupported by the small-corpus-based approach and the non-corpus-basedapproach, which may explore the validity of the interfaced approach,the collaborative work of quantitative processing and qualitativespeculation.     

Operation for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism accompanied by thrombophilia in 8 patients

BACKGROUND: Medical therapy for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism is limited, and surgical treatment has become more frequent recently. We have performed pulmonary thromboendarterectomy on 8 patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism accompanied by thrombophilia. METHODS: The patients were 6 men and 2 women aged 21 to 56 years (mean, 35 years). Five patients had antiphospholipid syndrome, 2 had protein C deficiency, and 1 had congenital antithrombin III deficiency. The preoperative condition was New York Heart Association functional class III in 5 and class IV in 3. Hypoxemia, marked pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure, 47+/-6.7 mm Hg), and low cardiac output were observed in all patients. After a median sternotomy, deep hypothermia was induced using a cardiopulmonary bypass, and pulmonary thromboendarterectomy in the bilateral pulmonary arteries was performed under intermittent circulatory arrest. RESULTS: There were no operative deaths. Long-term respiratory management was needed postoperatively by 3 patients. In the remaining 5 patients, no reperfusion injury was observed. The arterial blood oxygen concentration improved, and the mean pulmonary pressure decreased to 16+/-5.5 mm Hg. The cardiac output also increased, and New York Heart Association functional class improved to I in 4 and II in 4 patients. CONCLUSION: Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy under deep hypothermic intermittent circulatory arrest was effective for chronic pulmonary thromboembolism accompanied by thrombophilia for which medical treatment is of limited value.     

Surgery for aortic dissection associated with congenital bicuspid aortic valve

The Distribution Moment (DM) model has simulated experimental data on skeletal muscle, but it has not been used previously to study the mechanics of active contraction in cardiac muscle. In contrast to previous models of striated muscle contraction, all parameters have physical meaning and assumptions concerning biophysical events within the cell are consistent with available data. In order to simulate cardiac muscle deactivation using the DM model it was necessary to make the cross-bridge detachment rates large for large displacements from the neutral equilibrium position of a cross-bridge. To examine the effect of cooperativity on cardiac muscle contraction, we used the DM model's tight coupling scheme with binding of one or two calcium sites regulating contraction. As observed experimentally, our model predicted a reduction of isometric tension development following rapid shortening lengthening transients when contraction is regulated by either one or two calcium binding sites. The predicted deactivating effect increased if the transient was applied late in the twitch when contraction is regulated by two calcium binding sites, but not when it is regulated by one site. This is the first study in which deactivation has been simulated without making any provisions for length-dependent calcium trononin dissociation.