A CMOS multichannel 10-Gb/s transceiver

We describe a CMOS multichannel transceiver that transmits and receives 10 Gb/s per channel over balanced copper media. The transceiver consists of two identical 10-Gb/s modules. Each module operates off a single 1.2-V supply and has a single 5-GHz phase-locked loop to supply a reference clock to two transmitter (Tx) channels and two receiver (Rx) channels. To track the input-signal phase, the Rx channel has a clock recovery unit (CRU), which uses a phase-interpolator-based timing generator and digital loop filter. The CRU can adjust the recovered clock phase with a resolution of 1.56 ps. Two sets of two-channel transceiver units were fabricated in 0.11-/spl mu/m CMOS on a single test chip. The transceiver unit size was 1.6 mm /spl times/ 2.6 mm. The Rx sensitivity was 120-mVp-p differential with a 70-ps phase margin for a common-mode voltage ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 V. The evaluated jitter tolerance curve met the OC-192 specification.     

Circulating platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor increases in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND: Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is an angiogenic factor that is expressed in various cancer tissues. Little is known regarding plasma PD-ECGF levels in patients with chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis (CH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with cirrhosis. The expression of PD-ECGF in HCC tissues also remains to be clarified. METHODS: Plasma PD-ECGF levels in patients with chronic liver disease were determined with an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay system using the mouse monoclonal antibodies specific to PD-ECGF. These were cross-sectionally compared among groups of normal persons, CH, cirrhosis, and HCC patients. The HCC patients were classified into two groups based on TNM stage: early and advanced stage disease groups. PD-ECGF expressions in HCC tissues were immunohistologically examined. RESULTS: The plasma PD-ECGF levels from the normal individuals and those with CH, cirrhosis, and HCC specimens were 4.2+/-0.5, 4.3+/-0.6, 4.6+/-1.1, and 6.0 +/-2.5 U/mL, respectively. The plasma PD-ECGF concentration was highest in HCC (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found among the normal subjects, CH, and cirrhosis specimens. Plasma PD-ECGF concentrations were significantly higher in the advanced stage disease HCC group compared with the early stage disease group (6.75+/-2.62 U/mL vs. 4.19+/-0.34 U/mL) (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical expression of PD-ECGF in HCC cells increased significantly compared with normal liver cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Circulating PD-ECGF plasma level might be a new tumor marker for progression in patients with HCC. Immunohistological findings correspond to elevation of the plasma PD-ECGF in HCC patients. It is possible that increased production of PD-ECGF in HCC cells causes abundant neovascularization.     

Small increase of CR1 and CR3 by C5a-receptors on polymorphonuclear leukocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus

One of the anaphylatoxins, C5a, is known to increase the expression of the complement receptors, CR1 and CR3, on PMNs which play important roles in the phagocytosis. We measured the expression of these receptors before and after the stimulation with C5a and C5a-receptors (C5aR) on PMNs in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). PMNs from 16 patients and 11 normal controls were tested. All the patients with SLE were administered with prednisolone orally and were in the inactive stage. The CR1 expression in SLE was significantly weak (p < 0.01) before and after stimulation with 4.55 nM (50 micrograms/ml) of C5a. There was no significant difference of CR3 expression before stimulation. However, after the stimulation with C5a, the increase of CR3 on PMNs from SLE was significantly small (p < 0.01). C5aR on PMNs showed no difference between the two groups. However, the expression of C5aR was significantly suppressed in patients treated with a high dosage of prednisolone (> = 10 mg/day) compared to those with a low dosage of prednisolone (< 10 mg/day). There was no significant difference of CR1 and CR3 expression between these groups. It is concluded that the increase of CR1 and CR3 on PMNs by C5a in small in SLE, of which impaired increase is not due to C5aR on PMNs, and that the expression of C5aR is suppressed by prednisolone.     

Activation of thymic B cells by signals of CD40 molecules plus interleukin-10

We have previously found that thymic B cells, particularly thymic CD5+ B cells, show low responsiveness to the usual B cell stimulants such as lipopolysaccharide or anti-IgM plus interleukin (IL)-4, although they proliferate and produce antibodies after direct interaction with major histocompatibility complex class II-restricted T blasts. These findings raise the possibility that a CD40-CD40 ligand (L) interaction is involved in the activation of thymic B cells. In the present study, we therefore examine this possibility using CD40L-transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells or anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (mAb). When B cells in the spleen and peritoneal cavity were stimulated, they proliferated and produced immunoglobulin (Ig) in the presence of CD40L-CHO cells or anti-CD40 mAb alone. However, another signal delivered by IL-10 in addition to CD40L-CHO cells or anti-CD40 mAb was found to be necessary for thymic B cells to proliferate and secrete Ig. Other interleukins acting on B cells, such as IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6, had no effect on the activation of thymic B cells, which thus have unique characteristics not found in peripheral B cells. This report discusses the physiological significance of IL-10- and CD40-driven signals in the activation of thymic B cells.     

Postpartum depression

Depression following childbirth (postpartum depression) is a common psychiatric illness of women, postpartum. We review Japanese and English literature on postpartum depression. Problems with definition, study design and validity of the diagnosis prevented comprehensive understanding whether postpartum depression is a distinct subtype of endogenous depression. In general, postpartum depression seems to be the same illness as depression at other times in life. The biological and psycho-social pathogenetic factors, unique to the puerperal period, are not yet known. Clinicians caring for women and infants should learn to screen their patients for this multifactorial (genetic, temperamental, and environmental) disorder, and try to integrate a multidisciplinary (pharmaco-, psycho-, socio-, familial) approach.     

Murine coronavirus-induced subacute fatal peritonitis in C57BL/6 mice deficient in gamma interferon

Gamma interferon-deficient (IFN-gamma-/-) mice with a C57BL/6 background were infected intraperitoneally with mouse hepatitis virus strain JHM (JHMV). In contrast to IFN-gamma-+/- and IFN-gamma+/+ mice, JHMV persisted in IFN-gamma-/- mice and induced death during the subacute phase of the infection. Unexpectedly, infected IFN-gamma-/- mice showed severe peritonitis accompanying the accumulation of a viscous fluid in the abdominal and thoracic cavities in the subacute phase. Destructive changes of hepatocytes were not observed. Administration of recombinant IFN-gamma protracted the survival time of IFN-gamma-/- mice after JHMV infection. These results demonstrate that IFN-gamma plays a critical role in viral clearance in JHMV infection. They also show that a resultant persistent JHMV infection induces another form of disease in IFN-gamma-/- mice, which bears a resemblance to feline infectious peritonitis in cats.     

A new parameter for describing the structure bifurcation in two-phase alloys containing coherent particles

The so-called bifurcation diagrams for precipitate particles in nickel-based alloys were obtained by calculating the energy state for a pair of particles on the basis of the bifurcation theory. Based on the bifurcation diagrams, we have proposed a new parameter for describing the two-phase structure containing coherent particles. The parameter is defined as the mean particle radius at the intersection of the energy ridge and the line ofR=–0.5 orR=0.5 in the bifurcation diagram (R(r –r )/(r +r ), wherer andr are the radii of and ), and is symbolized by¯r ^* _±0.5. Because the energy state of the paired and is maximum at¯r ^* _±0.5 whenR=±0.5,¯r ^* _±0.5 is just like the watershed and hence we have termed it structureshed. This parameter successfully describes the effects of elastic energy as well as surface energy on the microstructural changes during coarsening of precipitate particles.