Wear-resistant magnetic head using amorphous alloy material

An audio recording/playback head using an amorphous (Fe-Co-Ru-Cr) ₇₅(Si-B)₂₅ alloy was developed. Compared with a commercial Sendust head, three excellent features were observed. The wear of the amorphous alloy head when used with γ-Fe₂O ₃ is two-thirds that of the Sendust head. The output level at high-frequency (14 kHz) is 5 dB higher than that of the Sendust head. The bias current for the amorphous alloy head is half that of the Sendust head     

A demonstrative study for the wind and solar hybrid power system

In March 1995, a small scale wind and solar hybrid power system was installed at Ashikaga Institute of Technology. Until now, the authors have acquired the data of the output of the hybrid power plant along with wind speed, wind direction, and the solar radiation, in order to demonstrate a complementary relationship between solar energy and wind energy.After nine months operation of the system, the authors confirmed that there exists a complementary relationship between solar energy and wind energy. We also found, however, that the power output by wind does not have much prospect compared to that by solar cell especially in summer season in Ashikaga area.     

Formation of low-resistivity poly-Si and SiNx films by Cat-CVD for ULSI application

In this paper, bulk-Si metal–oxide–semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) are fabricated using the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (Cat-CVD) method as an alternative technology to the conventional high-temperature thermal chemical vapor deposition. Particularly, formation of low-resistivity phosphorus (P)-doped poly-Si films is attempted by using Cat-CVD-deposited amorphous silicon (a-Si) films and successive rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of them. Even after RTA processes, neither peeling nor bubbling are observed, since hydrogen contents in Cat-CVD a-Si films can be as low as 1.1%. Both the crystallization and low resistivity of 0.004 Ω·cm are realized by RTA at 1000 °C for only 5 s. It is also revealed that Cat-CVD SiN_x films prepared at 250 °C show excellent oxidation resistance, when the thickness of films is larger than approximately 10 nm for wet O₂ oxidation at 1100 °C. It is found that the thickness required to stop oxygen penetration is equivalent to that for thermal CVD SiN_x prepared at 750 °C. Finally, complementary MOSFETs (CMOSs) of single-crystalline Si were fabricated by using Cat-CVD poly-Si for gate electrodes and SiN_x films for masks of local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS). At 3.3 V operation, less than 1.0 pA μm⁻¹ of OFF leakage current and ON/OFF ratio of 10⁷–10⁸ are realized, i.e. the devices can operate similarly to conventional thermal CVD process.     

Neurotoxic effects of sodium nitroprusside in rat hippocampal slices

The effect of a permanent transection on myelin gene expression in a regenerating sciatic nerve and in an adult sciatic nerve was compared to establish the degree of axonal control exerted upon Schwann cells in each population. First, the adult sciatic nerve was crushed, and the distal segment allowed to regenerate. At 12 days post-crush, the sciatic nerve was transected distal to the site of crush to disrupt the Schwann cell-axonal contacts that had reformed. Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels coding for five myelin proteins were assayed in the distal segment of the crush-transected nerve after 9 days and were compared to corresponding levels in the distal segments of sciatic nerves at 21 days post-crush and 21 days post-transection using Northern blot and slot-blot analysis. Levels of mRNAs found in the distal segment of the transected and crush-transected nerve suggested that Schwann cells in the regenerating nerve and in the mature adult nerve are equally responsive to axonal influences. The crush-transected model allowed the genes that were studied to be classified according to their response to Schwann cell-axonal contact. The levels of mRNAs were 1) down-regulated to basal levels (P0 and MBP mRNAs), 2) down-regulated to undetectable levels (myelin-associated glycoprotein mRNAs), 3) upregulated (mRNAs encoding 2'3'-cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase and beta-actin), or 4) not stringently controlled by the removal of Schwann cell-axonal contact (proteolipid protein mRNAs). This novel experimental model has thus provided evidence that the expression of some of the important myelin genes during peripheral nerve regeneration is dependent on continuous signals from the ingrowing axons.     

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus in a band-like arrangement

We report a case of lichen sclerosus et atrophicus (LSA) in a band-like arrangement. The patient had a white atrophic plaque on the left breast which showed the typical histological features of LSA. One month later, the patient had developed multiple, brown-colored plaques from the right breast to the right upper arm following the distribution of the peripheral nerve. These plaques showed the mild histological changes indicative of LSA. This band-like arrangement of LSA appears to be unique.     

Identification of Eucalyptus citriodora clones micropropagated in tissue culture

The extent of genetic identity observed in the young individuals which were micropropagated from a single Eucalyptus individual was analyzed by using DNA-fingerprinting. Among 40,000 tissue-cultured-seedings of E.citriodora, 200 plants were randomly chosen so that each total DNA might be extracted from their leaves. Using these DNAs as template, PCR was performed with some primers we found in advance that leads polymorphism for DNA of E. citriodora. In this study, all over the 200 cases, the band pattern formed cDNA fragment on a gel after electrophoresis was the identical one mutually.     

Transformation and fragmentation behavior of molten metal drop in sodium pool

In order to clarify the fragmentation mechanism of a metallic alloy (U–Pu–Zr) fuel on liquid phase formed by metallurgical reactions (liquefaction temperature = 650 °C), which is important in evaluating the sequence of core disruptive accidents for metallic fuel fast reactors, a series of experiments was carried out using molten aluminum (melting point = 660 °C) and sodium mainly under the condition that the boiling of sodium does not occur. When the instantaneous contact interface temperature (T_i) between molten aluminum drop and sodium is lower than the boiling point of sodium (T_c,bp), the molten aluminum drop can be fragmented and the mass median diameter (D_m) of aluminum fragments becomes small with increasing T_i. When T_i is roughly equivalent to or higher than T_c,bp, the fragmentation of aluminum drop is promoted by thermal interaction caused by the boiling of sodium on the surface of the drop. Furthermore, even under the condition that the boiling of sodium does not occur and the solid crust is formed on the surface of the drop, it is confirmed from an analytical evaluation that the thermal fragmentation of molten aluminum drop with solid crust has a potential to be caused by the transient pressurization within the melt confined by the crust. These results indicate the possibility that the metallic alloy fuel on liquid phase formed by the metallurgical reactions can be fragmented without occurring the boiling of sodium on the surface of the melt.     

Geographic distribution of medical supplies and the numbers of hospital inpatients in the secondary medical areas in Japan

A secondary medical area is defined as a medical administrative area under the Medical Care Law by which every prefectural government is expected to provide general medical care supplies such as beds for inpatients. This study evaluated the distribution in medical supplies among the secondary medical areas in Japan and the correlation between medical supply and demand. The numbers of hospital inpatients (residence of patients), physicians, and general beds excluding those for mental disorders and tuberculosis were analysed in relation to the population in all secondary medical areas in Japan. Those data were obtained from surveys conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The main results were as follows; 1) The distribution of physicians and general hospital beds among the secondary medical areas was not equal. 2) Even adjusted for the sex and age distribution, the highest hospital inpatients/population ratio among the secondary medical areas was four times as large as that of the lowest. 3) With multiple regression models, two independent variables (normal hospital beds/population ratio and aged 65 and over/total population ratio) accounted about 60% of the variance in hospital inpatients/population ratio. 4) The differences in medical supplies among the secondary medical areas may cause the differences in hospital inpatients/population ratio.     

Late phase II trial of oral etoposide administered for 21 consecutive days in patients with cervical cancer. ETP 21 Study Group--Cervical Cancer Group

We conducted a multi-site late phase II trial of oral etoposide administered for 21 consecutive days in patients with cervical cancer in cooperation with 32 institutes. Fifty mg/body of oral etoposide was administered daily for 21 consecutive days. Treatment cycles were to be repeated at 4- to 5-week intervals. Eighty patients were enrolled and 70 patients were evaluated. The overall response rate (95% CI), including one complete response patient and 18 partial response patients, was 27.1% (19/70). The most commonly observed toxicity was myelosuppression such as leukopenia, neutropenia, hemoglobin decrease and thrombocytopenia. Other adverse effects were gastrointestinal toxicities such as anorexia, nausea, stomatitis and vomiting, as well as fatigue and alopecia. These adverse effects were well tolerated and controlled with medications. From these results we concluded oral etoposide administered for 21 consecutive days was an effective drug against cervical cancer.     

Two-dimensional electrophoretic analysis of humoral responses to culture filtrate of Mycobacterium bovis BCG in patients with leprosy and tuberculosis

Various aspects of our communication are well known to have changed over time (1-3). This article describes a cross-sectional study that examined the acoustic characteristics of two groups of Australian women aged 18-25 years from recordings made in 1945 and 1993 and investigated the possible changes in the voice across generations. Archival recordings from 1945 which had been used in a longitudinal study (4) were compared to recordings made in 1993. The results of this study show that women in 1993 have significantly deeper voices than women of the same age recorded in 1945. The possible factors influencing this change are discussed.