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Notes: A Vickers indenter, as an efficient mechanical microprobe, was applied to carbon materials heat-treated at temperatures in the range 880°–2600°C. The plasticity of the carbon materials, which was enhanced by increasing the heat-treatment temperature (HTT), was assessed from the relation between the indentation load, P, and the penetration depth, h. Using the concept of the true hardness, H, as a measure of plasticity and the experimental estimate of the H-value, the plasticity of the carbon materials was examined as a function of their crystallographic parameters. The residual impression of the carbons at HTT 〉 1800°C was hardly visible on the indented surface after unloading, because of the nearly complete elastic recovery of the indented surface, yielding a very unique indentation P–h hysteresis in the loading/unloading cycle. The microscopic processes associated with this unique elastic recovery during unloading are discussed here in relation to the reversible slip of the dislocation-network structures on the graphitic basal planes.

Notes: We propose a new distributed feedback (DFB) laser structure in which almost pure gain coupling can be embodied in principle, without sacrificing low threshold operation. An analysis of coupling coefficients has revealed the condition for canceling index-coupling component. Utilizing organometallic vapor phase epitaxy, we have fabricated GaAlAs/GaAs ridge waveguide distributed feedback lasers having this structure. Excellent single longitudinal mode oscillation independent of facet reflection has been obtained along with low threshold current. The single-mode spectrum has exhibited distinctive characters of purely gain-coupled DFB lasers.

Notes: We describe optical short pulse generation in novel gain-coupled distributed feedback (GC-DFB) semiconductor lasers by using a simple electrically pumped gain switching method. An optical pulse as short as 16 ps has been obtained from a 130 ps current pulse. The most exciting result is that the lasers keep single longitudinal mode oscillation with very low wavelength chirping (∼0.12 nm) during the gain switching operation. From the optical pulse width and the amount of the wavelength chirping, we have estimated the α parameter of the GC-DFB laser to be less than 1.6.

Notes: A tensile-strained five-step asymmetric coupled quantum well (FACQW) structure is proposed for large field-induced refractive index change without polarization dependence and redshift of the absorption edge. A strong exciton absorption peak is caused by electron-hole transitions between symmetric wave functions and antisymmetric wave functions with a small applied electric field. The field-induced refractive index change of strained the FACQW is larger by one order of magnitude compared to that of a rectangular quantum well and the difference in the refractive index change of TE and TM modes is under 2% when the operation wavelength is not at the absorption edge. © 1997 American Institute of Physics.

Notes: This paper reports a new method for evaluating laser diodes by measuring the variation in driving current of a laser diode operated at a constant light output power against ambient temperature. A close relation was found between the temperature at which the driving current runs away at a given value of light output and degradation in the active region. Selection based on critical temperature is applicable to a simple and effective screening method for long-living laser diodes.

Notes: Activity of fish muscle glutathione peroxidase, which presumably protects muscle from oxidative deterioration during storage and processing, was found in both Japanese jack mackerel and skipjack tuna. Activity of the peroxidase and level of reduced glutathione (enzyme substrate) decreased during 5 days storage at 4°C. Lipid hydroperoxides were substantially formed in the fish muscles during the storage.

Notes: [Auszug] Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived hormone. Recent genome-wide scans have mapped a susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome to chromosome 3q27, where the gene encoding adiponectin is located. Here we show that decreased expression of adiponectin correlates with insulin ...

Notes: Background  Inflammatory skin diseases are exacerbated by psychiatric stress. Previous studies have shown that the activity of epidermal antigen-presenting cells (APCs), Langerhans cells (LCs) and keratinocytes (KCs), is affected by stress. Hapten application causes migration of LCs to draining lymph nodes (DLNs). Recently, we found that hapten application also activates epidermal cells (ECs) to mature potent APCs, and that the main APCs in these populations are KCs. Thus, DLN cells and ECs following hapten application are available for estimating the APC function of LCs and KCs in stress studies.Objectives  To investigate the mechanism of exacerbation of skin inflammation by chronic stress by observing the effect of isolation stress transversally on the skin immune and neurohormonal systems.Methods  Contact sensitivity (CS) was elicited in BALB/c mice. The APC function of LCs and ECs following hapten application was assessed by the CS-inducing activity in the recipient mice. Levels of neurohormonal transmitters and proinflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell surface molecules were detected using flow cytometry. Expression of mRNA for cytokines, neurohormonal receptors and a differentiation marker by ECs was determined by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction.Results  Acute stress (2-day isolation) suppressed induction of CS, while chronic stress (30-day isolation) markedly enhanced induction of CS. DLN cells from chronically stressed mice contained increased numbers of LCs and exhibited enhanced APC function for inducing CS. In contrast, the APC function of KCs from these mice was markedly suppressed. Serum corticosterone levels were enhanced in acute stress, while substance P (SP) levels were enhanced in chronic stress. Corticotrophin-releasing hormone receptor-1 mRNA expression in ECs was enhanced in acute stress, while SP receptor (i.e. neurokinin-1 receptor) mRNA expression in ECs was enhanced in chronic stress. Production and mRNA expression of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1α and tumour necrosis factor-α by ECs following hapten application was markedly suppressed in chronic stress. Expression by ECs of E-cadherin, which adheres LCs and KCs homophilically, was suppressed in chronic stress. In addition, these cells exhibited impaired differentiation, i.e. suppressed spontaneous proliferation and enhanced mRNA expression for transglutaminase-3.Conclusions  Chronic isolation stress may enhance CS responses by upregulation of the APC activity of LCs and the SP system. However, dysregulation of KC function and differentiation by chronic stress suggests that KCs may not contribute to the enhancement of the CS response positively. These complex changes suggest that chronic isolation stress in mice may provide a possible model system for studying the mechanism of exacerbation of skin inflammation by stress.