Library

Notes: We have observed that stress-induced leakage currents (SILC) in thin gate oxides (4.5 nm) could be reduced by applying a low gate bias to the oxides after stress, regardless of the polarity of the applied gate bias. The reduction of SILC increased with the applied gate bias and began to saturate after 105 s. In addition, the reduction of SILC was significantly enhanced in a hydrogen ambient, suggesting a strong link between the reduction of SILC and trapped-hole annealing. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: We report successful fabrication and characteristics of submicron-size tunneling junctions using c-axis YBa2Cu3O7−y (YBCO) thin films of 800 nm thickness and Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ(Bi-2212) single-crystal whiskers. The junctions were made using a three-dimensional focused-ion-beam etching method. First, a microbridge was patterned in a required junction width by normal direction etching. By tilting the sample stage up to 90°, two grooves on the bridge were etched from the lateral direction in order to create the required junction size. The 60 K YBCO junctions did not show any degradation of critical current density (Jc) down to an in-plane area of 0.5 μm2 and showed current–voltage (I–V) characteristics of the collective switching transition from the zero voltage state to the resistive state. For Bi-2212 stacks smaller than 1 μm2, we identified some of the features of charging effects on the I–V characteristics. © 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Experimentally induced wounds in animal models are useful in gaining a better understanding of the cellular and molecular processes of wound healing and in the initial evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of potential therapeutic agents. However, studying delayed healing has proven difficult in animals, whose wounds heal within a few days. In this report, we describe a novel method for establishing mouse wounds that require up to more than three weeks for complete closure, and we show the validity of this model in Smad3 null mice, which are known to display accelerated healing. Full-thickness wounds, measuring 0.3 by 1.0 cm, were made down to fascia on the dorsal aspect of the mouse tail in Smad3 KO mice and control littermates, approximately 1 cm distal to the body of the animal. The wounds were left to heal by secondary intention and were assessed histologically by computerized planimetry for wound closure at various times after wounding. These wounds in wild-type mice displayed delayed healing, with full closure occurring between 14 and 25 days after wounding. Complete closure of similar wounds in Smad3 null mice healed 30% faster (p 〈 0.01). By immunostaining with ki67, a marker for proliferation, Smad3 null animals also showed increased proliferation of dermal wound cells. Cultured dermal fibroblasts from Smad3 null mice showed increased baseline DNA synthesis and, interestingly, enhanced response to TGF-β1. By Western blot analysis, Smad3 null mice fibroblasts showed a compensatory increase in MAPK phosphorylation in response to TGF-β1, suggesting that MAPK overcompensation together with loss of Smad3 may be involved in the modulation of faster healing. We conclude that this novel tail wounding model can be useful for studying delayed or prolonged wound closure.Experimentally induced wounds in animal models can be useful in gaining a better understanding of the cellular and molecular processes of wound healing. Such models have also proven themselves valuable in the initial evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of potential therapeutic agents targeted for chronic non-healing wounds. (Gottrup, Agren et al. 2000). However, no ideal animal model exists which reliably reproduces delayed healing. In the mouse, a mammal whose genome has been completely cloned and which is easily manipulated genetically, wounds normally heal within a few days, and with a great deal of contraction. (Morris, Wu et al. 1997; Gottrup, Agren et al. 2000) There are models utilizing either genetically altered and inbred mice with certain characteristics that cause delayed healing. (Carmeliet 1995) However, it would be useful to have wound healing models that are applicable to most wild type mice used as controls and which would have a large enough window of observation before healing occurs. In this report, we describe a novel method for studying delayed healing in mice. This method utilizes full-thickness wounds made down to fascia on the dorsal and mostly hairless aspect of the mouse tail. The wounds are left to heal by secondary intention and assessed histologically by computerized planimetry for wound closure at various times after wounding. In this first report, the validity of the model was determined by studying control littermates and Smad3 null mice, which have been shown to display accelerated healing. The results shown here suggest that this is a useful model for studying delayed healing in mice.

Notes: Point mutations of c-K-ras in ovarian cancer were detected by replacement of GGT of codon 12 by GAT, AGT, TGT and GTT, polymerase chain reaction, agarose gel electrophoresis and Southern blot hybridization with a digoxigenin detection system. The incidence of four-typed point mutations of c-K-ras oncogene in 37 ovarian cancers was 35.1% (13/37) and the distributions were 32.4% (12/37), 2.7% (1/37), 0% and 0% of GGT to GAT, GGT to AGT, GGT to TGT, and GGT to GTT, respectively. The incidence of c-K-ras point mutations on codon 12 among 37 patients with ovarian cancer was 35.5% (8/22) in those with serous cystadenocarcinomas and 28.6% (2/7) in those with mucinous cystadenocarcinomas. c-K-ras point mutations on codon 12 were detected in 14.3% (1/7) of patients with stage I disease, 28.6% (2/7) with stage II disease, and in 43.5% (10/23) with stage III/IV disease, and there was a statistically significant increase in point mutations of c-K-ras oncogene with advancing clinical stage. The incidence of c-K-ras point mutations on codon 12 among 33 patients who had a pelvic lymph node dissection was 52.4% (11/21) in those with pelvic lymph node metastases and 16.7% (2/12) in those without pelvic lymph node metastases, a statistically significant difference. Furthermore, point mutation of c-K-ras gene was found most frequently in patients with advanced stage disease, and in those with pelvic lymph node metastases. Activation of c-K-ras oncogene seems to be a major factor in ovarian carcinogenesis and tumor progression.

Notes: Photoluminescence (PL) measurements at 10 K were performed in order to investigate the influence of electric fields on the exciton states in Al0.4Ga0.6As/GaAs asymmetric coupled multiple quantum wells (ACMQW) grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The coupling of the electronic energy levels in the wells led to an enhancement of the quantum-confined Stark effect. The PL intensity decreased as the electric field increased. Calculated values of the intersubband transition energies were in good agreement with the experimental values for the ACMQW, and these values showed a similar behavior as those for the step quantum well. When the external applied field was very strong, Stark-ladder transitions were observed, and the measured dependence of the field-induced energy shifts of the Stark-ladder transitions for the ACMQW agreed with theory. These results indicate that the Stark effect and the Stark-ladder transitions in a unique ACMQW based on the AlxGa1−xAs/GaAs structure were observed simultaneously. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: Very thin films of Ni, Ta, W, Pb, and Bi in a Ag matrix were irradiated at 77 K with 330 keV Kr ions at doses from 3 to 7×1015 ions/cm2 and analyzed at room temperature by backscattering of 1.9 MeV He+. The measured mixing efficiencies, Dt/φFD, for the various tracers correlate with their respective tracer impurity diffusion coefficients and impurity-vacancy binding energies in Ag. The results concur with previous ones with a Cu matrix and further support the idea that the parameters that are important for thermal diffusion are also important for ion mixing in a thermal spike.

Notes: GaN-rich side of GaNP and GaNAs layers is grown at 750 °C by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy. Phase separation is observed for the layers with P and As composition of over 1.5% and 1%, respectively. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra for the non-phase-separated GaNP (P composition: 0.37%) and GaNAs (As composition: 0.26%) show redshift of 50 and 40 meV, respectively, from that of GaN, and exhibit Stokes shift of about 80 meV which is smaller than that of GaN (100 meV). On the other hand, the PL spectrum for the phase-separated GaNP shows a large redshift peaking at 2.101 eV. This peak is considered to be an emission from the phase-separated GaP-rich GaPN region. PL excitation spectrum shows two large broad peaks. One at 2.982 eV corresponds to the absorption at the Γ point of GaP-rich region, and the other at 2.308 eV corresponds to the absorption at the isoelectronic band edge of GaP-rich GaPN alloy originated from the X point of GaP. In the case of phase-separated GaNAs, no PL is observed, suggesting that the optical properties are much more sensitive to crystalline quality in GaAs-rich GaAsN than in GaP-rich GaPN. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: : From 5% w/v whey protein isolate (WPI), whey protein/lipid emulsion edible films were produced that were sorbitol- or glycerol-plasticized, containing butterfat (0.2% w/v) or candelilla wax (0.8% w/v). Thermal properties of the films determined by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) showed onset temperatures (To) of 126 to 127 °C for sorbitol- and 108 to 122 °C for glycerol-plasticized films. To values were used as the basis for heat sealing temperatures. Temperature (110, 120, 130 °C), pressure (296,445 kPa), and dwell time (1,3 s) affected seal strength. Optimum heat sealing temperature was 130 °C for sorbitol- and 110 °C for glycerol-plasticized films. All films were heat sealable with an impulse heat-sealer. Electron Spectroscopy for Chemical Analysis (ESCA) of the surfaces of both sealed and unsealed films showed increase in hydrogen and covalent bonds involving C-O-H and N-C, which may be the main forces responsible for the sealed joint formation of the films.