Enhancement of adjustable threshold voltage range by substrate bias due to quantum confinement in ultrathin body SOI pMOSFETs

The body effect in ultrathin body (silicon-on-insulator) SOI MOSFETs has been investigated by experiments and modeling. It is demonstrated for the first time that the adjustable threshold voltage range by substrate bias is enhanced due to the quantum confinement effect in ultrathin body SOI. The enhancement ratio of the adjustable threshold voltage range in a 4.3-nm-thick SOI MOSFET compared to 11.7-nm-thick one is around 10%. This indicates that ultrathin body MOSFETs are useful not only for suppressing the short channel effects, but also for suppressing the off-leak current in the variable threshold CMOS scheme.     

Optimization of facial skin temperature-based anomaly detection model considering diurnal variation

Artificial Life and Robotics - The amount of blood under the surface of skin is controlled by the autonomic nervous system and directly influences the facial skin temperature. Classification models...     

Terpendole E and its Derivative Inhibit STLC‐ and GSK‐1‐Resistant Eg5

Terpendole E is first natural product found to inhibit mitotic kinesin Eg5, but its inhibitory mechanism remains to be revealed. Here, we report the effects of terpendole E and 11ketopaspaline (a new natural terpendole E analogue) on the Eg5–microtubule interaction and in several Eg5 mutants. 11‐Ketopaspaline is a shunt product from terpendole E, and it shows potent inhibitory activity against the microtubule‐stimulated ATPase activity of Eg5. Unlike other Eg5 inhibitors, such as S‐trityl‐L ‐cysteine (STLC) and GSK‐1, both terpendole E and 11‐ketopaspaline only partially inhibited Eg5–microtubule interaction. Furthermore, terpendole E and 11‐ketopaspaline inhibited several Eg5 mutants that are resistant to STLC (Eg5^D130A, Eg5^L214A) or GSK‐1 (Eg5^I299F, Eg5^A356T), but with the same extent of inhibition against wild‐type Eg5. Because Eg5^D130A and Eg5^L214A show cross‐resistance to most known Eg5 inhibitors, which bind the L5 loop, these results suggest that terpendole E and its analogues have a different binding site and/or inhibitory mechanism to those for L5 loop‐binding type Eg5 inhibitors.     

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 stimulates osteoblast differentiation and suppresses matrix metalloproteinase-1 production in human bone cells isolated from mandibulae

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), a member of the transforming growth factor superfamily, is one of the most potent growth factors that stimulate osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. We investigated the effects of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) on osteoblast differentiation and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) production in human bone cells (HBC) isolated from mandibulae of 3 adult patients. rhBMP-2 at concentrations over 50 ng/ml significantly stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity and parathyroid hormone (PTH)-dependent 3', 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate accumulation, which are early markers of osteoblast differentiation, in HBCs. rhBMP-2 (500 ng/ml) also enhanced the level of PTH/PTH related-peptide receptor mRNA expression in HBCs. Although neither HBCs untreated nor treated with rhBMP-2 produced measurable amounts of osteocalcin, which is a marker of more mature osteoblasts, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] induced ostocalcin mRNA expression and its protein synthesis in these cells. rhBMP-2 inhibited 1,25(OH)2D3-induced osteocalcin synthesis in HBCs at both the mRNA and protein level. rhBMP-2 also significantly suppressed MMP-1 production and MMP-1 mRNA expression at concentrations over 500 ng/ml. These results suggest that rhBMP-2 exerts anabolic effects on human osteoblastic cells derived from mandibulae by stimulation of osteoblast differentiation and down-regulation of MMP-1 synthesis.     

Surgical treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms]

Between February, 1981, and April, 1989, 20 patients underwent surgical treatment of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms. Most of the patients were operated under temporary external bypass. For Group I and III aneurysms without reconstruction of renal arteries, a modified Crawford's graft inclusion technique was employed to shorten abdominal visceral ischemic time. This modification consists of (1) using adjuncts to perfuse the distal aorta during aortic clamp, (2) starting the first anasistomosis from the distal end of the graft, and (3) shifting the distal aortic clamp on the graft after completing the anastomosis in order to restore abdominal visceral circulation as soon as possible. For Group III and IV aneurysms with reconstruction of renal arteries as well as celiac and superior mesenteric arteries, a modified DeBakey's procedure was employed. This modification consists of (1) using the spiral opening method, (2) doing end-to-end anastomosis at the proximal aortic site, and (3) maintaining the circulation of abdominal organs and spinal cord by using adjuncts during the anastomosis of the proximal end. There were one operative death and two hospital deaths. Paraplegia developed in two cases, one of which was a ruptured case. Renal dysfunction was not found in any case. The survivors were followed from 5 to 103 months, and there was no late death. The results suggest that our modified procedures for thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms are useful and reliable ones.     

Characterization of an energy source for modeling hypothetical core disruptive accidents in nuclear reactors

The experimental methods for and results of determining the expansion characteristics of the detonation products of an energy source that simulates the pressure-volume change relationships for sodium vapor expansions during hypothetical core disruptive accidents in a fast test reactor are presented. Rigid cylinder-piston experiments performed at two scales (ratio 1:3) to determine a pressure-volume relationship as a function of source mass and expansion environment are described. Some of these measurements are compared with code calculations for the source. The results show: (1) that the pressure-volume relationship depends significantly on the presence of water in the cylinder and comparatively little on the timescale of the expansion, the presence of steel balls in the water, or a Mylar sheet on the water surface; and (2) the experiment's scale. A relationship between the measured work energy from the source and the charge mass is presented, and pressure-volume change measurements are compared with previous experimental measurements and with theoretical calculations for a 150 MWsec hypothetical core disruptive accident. The measurements and code calculations of the pressure-volume relationship for the source agree reasonably well.     

Measurement of the isotopic abundance of boron-10 by inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry

This article describes the method for measuring the isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B in nuclear grade boron carbide using inductively coupled plasma-quadrupole mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS). The results of investigation revealed that both the integration time and the dwell time have a major influence on the reproducibility of ICP-QMS measurements. As a result of optimization of the measurement conditions, reproducibility below 0.2% relative standard deviation (RSD) (0.17% RSD maximum) was achieved. In addition, the measured value of the isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B for each sample well agreed with the values measured by the TIMS. Thus, the method described in the present investigation was very effective in the analysis of isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B in B₄C or H₃BO₃. The results of this study suggest that ICP-QMS could be applied to the precise analysis of the isotopic abundance of ¹⁰B required in the field of nuclear applications.     

Cardiac extension of intravenous leiomyomatosis with successful resection

The density and fine structure of the peripheral nerve system in various skin lesions of 64 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) was quantitatively analyzed by immunohistochemical staining with antibodies directed against protein gene product (PGP) and substance P (SP). The density of PGP-positive peripheral nerves was 2.5 x 10(3) microns2/delta s (delta s = 0.24 mm2 selected area) in early acute lesions, 3.8 x 10(3) microns2/delta s in subacute lesions, 4.9 x 10(3) microns2/delta s in lichenified lesions and 7.1 x 10(3) microns2/delta s in prurigo lesions of AD. The density of nerve fibers in subacute, lichenified and prurigo lesions was significantly higher than in uninvolved skin of AD patients (2.0 x 10(3) microns2/delta s). Electron microscopically, bulging of axons with many mitochondria and a loss of their surrounding sheath of Schwann cells suggests that the free nerve endings in skin lesions of AD are in an active state of excitation. Many pinocytotic vesicles in the periphery of basal keratinocytes facing nerve endings which contained many neurovesicles suggests reciprocal effects between keratinocytes and nerve endings. The number of SP-positive nerve fibers in AD lesions was far less than one-tenth of the number of PGP-positive nerve fibers.