Effect of gold doping on the superconducting critical temperature and transition width in single-crystal YBa2Cu3Oδ (YBCO)

Single-crystal YBa₂Cu₃O_?δ (YBCO) has been made with some of the copper atoms in the copper-oxygen chains replaced by gold. The samples were made by a flux method. The gold concentration was determined by EDX (energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) as a function of the nominal (i.e., flux) composition. Up to about 4.8% of all the copper atoms can be replaced by gold. The effect of the gold doping on the superconducting transition temperature (T _c ) and the transition width (ΔT _c ) were determined.     

An analysis of young people’s use of and attitudes toward cell phones

Cell phones are a pervasive new communication technology, especially among college students. This paper examines college students’ cell phone usage from a behavioral and psychological perspective. Utilizing both qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (survey) approaches, the study suggests these individuals use the devices for a variety of purposes: to help them feel safe, for financial benefits, to manage time efficiently, to keep in touch with friends and family members, et al. The degree to which the individuals are dependent on the cell phones and what they view as the negatives of their utilization are also examined. The findings suggest people have various feelings and attitudes toward cell phone usage. This study serves as a foundation on which future studies will be built.     

Heavy arsenic doping of silicon grown by atmospheric pressure selective epitaxial chemical vapor deposition

Selective epitaxial Si with a high arsenic concentration of 2.2×10¹⁹ atoms/cm³ was deposited at a high growth rate of 3.3 nm/min under atmospheric pressure. It was confirmed that this method had excellent selectivity and produced films having good crystalline quality, abrupt dopant profiles at the interfaces, and smooth surfaces. The growth mechanism is discussed in terms of the relationship between the effects of arsenic surface segregation and etching by hydrogen chloride.     

Advanced endocrine cell carcinoma of the gallbladder: a patient with 12-year survival

Gallbladder carcinoid is a rare disease. In previous reports, classical carcinoid, an entity with a good prognosis, has not been distinguished from endocrine cell carcinoma, a tumor associated with marked cell atypia and mitosis, and a poor prognosis. The patient was a 66 year old woman who presented to our hospital with a chief complaint of jaundice. Pre-operatively, she was diagnosed as having advanced gallbladder carcinoma invading the liver and the hepatic hilus. The patient underwent right hepatic trisegmentectomy with en bloc resection of the caudate lobe and extrahepatic bile ducts, extended lymph node clearance and left hepaticojejunostomy. Histopathological examination showed positive Grimelius staining, marked mitosis, and intense atypism, hence, the tumor was diagnosed as an endocrine cell carcinoma. Twelve years after surgery, the patient is healthy, without any sign of recurrence. We present this novel case of long-term survival and review the literature.     

Redox properties of CeO2 and Pt-Rh/CeO2 studied by TAP method

Redox properties of CeO₂ and Pt-Rh/CeO₂ were studied by temporal analysis of products (TAP) method using alternative pulses of CO and O₂. A portion of pulsed CO was oxidized to CO₂ and a portion of CO was adsorbed on the surface. Pulsing ¹⁸O₂ onto the catalyst which has surface species derived from CO, evolved CO₂ contained no ¹⁸O suggesting that the surface species will be carbonate ions.     

Sources and leaching of manganese and iron in the Saigon River Basin, Vietnam

High concentrations of manganese and iron in the Saigon River are major problems for the water supply in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Viet Nam. To identify their sources and leaching processes, we surveyed water quality along the Saigon River and ran batch leaching tests using soil and sediment samples. Two important leaching processes were identified: acidic leaching from acid sulfate soil (ASS) in the middle reaches of the river, and Mn dissolution and Fe reduction from sediments in the downstream reaches. Low pH caused the concurrent release of Fe and Mn from the ASS. In contrast, anoxia caused the release of Fe but not Mn from the sediments, whereas low pH facilitated Mn dissolution. Sediments are a more important source of Mn because of their higher Mn contents (10 times) and release rates (14 times) than those from ASS.     

The effects of qi-gong and acupuncture on human cerebral evoked potentials and electroencephalogram

Although a number of studies on traditional Chinese medicine, such as qi-gong (QG), acupuncture (AC), moxibustion and Chinese herbal drugs, have been reported in recent years, there are few reports on human cerebral evoked potentials (EPs), especially relating only to QG and AC. In the present study, we examined the changes in EPs and electroencephalogram (EEG) by QG, and by AC stimulation to the point called "Zusanli" on the left lower leg, with one healthy male adult. 1. With regard to the effect of QG, significant changes in EP-components originated from the cortex suggest both facilitating and inhibitory effects of QG on the cortex. However, no significant changes in EP-components originated from the subcortex and no significant changes in EEG power% suggest that QG does not affect the subcortex. 2. With regard to the effects of AC, significant changes in EP-components originated from the cortex suggest facilitating and inhibitory effects of AC stimulation on the cortex. Furthermore, it is suggested that AC stimulation has few effects on the somatosensory and the visual pathways up to the cortex, while it has complicated effects on the auditory pathway up to the cortex.     

Role of granulosa and theca cell interactions in ovarian follicular maturation

We developed a culture system in which two types of ovarian follicular cells were allowed to attach to opposite sides of a collagen membrane. Using this in vitro cell culture system, we studied the effects of granulosa- and theca-cell interaction on the morphology, structure, and function of bovine ovarian follicular cells. In the first part of the study, we explored how the interaction between theca and granulosa cells affects the morphology and structure of the cells. This study was done using follicular cells collected from bovine ovarian follicles at the early developmental stage. Granulosa cells cultured alone were flattened, and formed a monolayer sheet. By contrast, granulosa cells cultured with theca cells were convex, and formed multilayer sheets. Theca cells cultured alone were thin, flat, and spindle-shaped. Theca cells cultured with granulosa cells were also spindle-shaped; however, they appeared convex and more densely packed when compared with theca cells cultured alone. In the second part of the study, the possible role of the cellular interaction in the control of differentiation and growth of granulosa and theca cells was investigated. When follicular cells were isolated from the early stage of follicular development, theca cells reduced progesterone and inhibin production by granulosa cells and augmented the growth of granulosa cells. When the cells were isolated from the late stage of follicular development, by contrast, theca cells augmented hormonal production by granulosa cells, and did not affect the growth of granulosa cells. The growth and androstenedione production by theca cells were increased by the presence of granulosa cells, irrespective of the origin of follicular cells. These results demonstrated that communication between two types of follicular cells results in reciprocal modulation of their morphology, structure, growth, and function. Cellular interactions seem to be one of the major factors controlling the differentiation and growth of the follicular cells during the follicular maturation process. In contrast to granulosa and theca cells cultured alone, cells in the coculture seemed to possess morphological and functional characteristics more similar to those of cells in the growing follicular wall in vivo. Thus, we speculate that the interaction between these two types of follicular cells is essential for the maintenance of original structure and function of the bovine follicular wall.