Breakdown Characteristics of GaN DMISFETs Fabricated via Mg, Si and N Triple Ion Implantation.

Mg-ion-implanted layers in a GaN substrate after annealing were investigated. Implanted Mg atoms precipitated along the edges of crystal defects were observed using 3D-APT. The breakdown characteristics of a GaN double-diffused vertical MISFET (DMISFET) fabricated via triple ion implantation are presented. A DMISFET with Si-ion-implanted source regions was formed in Mg-ion-implanted p-base regions, which were isolated from adjacent devices by N-ion-implanted edge termination regions. A threshold voltage of -0.5 V was obtained at a drain voltage of 0.5 V for the fabricated vertical MISFET with an estimated Mg surface concentration of 5 × 1018 cm-3. The maximum drain current and maximum transconductance in a saturation region of Vds = 100 V were 2.8 mA/mm and 0.5 mS/mm at a gate voltage of 15 V, respectively. The breakdown voltage in the off-state was 417 V. The breakdown points were determined by the boundary regions between the N- and Mg-implanted regions. By improving heat annealing methods, ion-implanted GaN DMISFETs can be a promising candidate for future high-voltage and high-power applications.

Rationale, design and baseline characteristics of the effect of canagliflozin in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria in the Japanese population: The CANPIONE study.

AIM: To evaluate the effect of canagliflozin, a sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, on albuminuria and the decline of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in participants with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria. METHODS: The CANPIONE study is a multicentre, randomized, parallel-group and open-labelled study consisting of a unique 24-week preintervention period, during which the rate of eGFR decline before intervention is estimated, followed by a 52-week intervention and a 4-week washout period. Participants with a geometric mean urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) of 50 and higher and less than 300 mg/g in two consecutive first-morning voids at two different time points, and an eGFR of 45 ml/min/1.73m2 or higher, are randomly assigned to receive canagliflozin 100 mg daily or to continue guideline-recommended treatment, except for SGLT2 inhibitors. The first primary outcome is the change in UACR, and the second primary outcome is the change in eGFR slope. RESULTS: A total of 258 participants were screened and 98 were randomized at 21 sites in Japan from August 2018 to May 2021. The mean baseline age was 61.4 years and 25.8% were female. The mean HbA1c was 7.9%, mean eGFR was 74.1 ml/min/1.73m2 and median UACR was 104.2 mg/g. CONCLUSIONS: The CANPIONE study will determine whether the SGLT2 inhibitor canagliflozin can reduce albuminuria and slow eGFR decline in participants with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria.

Fully Ion Implanted Normally-Off GaN DMOSFETs with ALD-Al2O3 Gate Dielectrics.

A normally-off GaN double-implanted vertical MOSFET (DMOSFET) with an atomic layer deposition (ALD)-Al2O3 gate dielectric film on a free-standing GaN substrate fabricated by triple ion implantation is presented. The DMOSFET was formed with Si ion implanted source regions in a Mg ion implanted p-type base with N ion implanted termination regions. A maximum drain current of 115 mA/mm, maximum transconductance of 19 mS/mm at a drain voltage of 15 V, and a threshold voltage of 3.6 V were obtained for the fabricated DMOSFET with a gate length of 0.4 µm with an estimated p-type base Mg surface concentration of 5 × 1018 cm-3. The difference between calculated and measured Vths could be due to the activation ratio of ion-implanted Mg as well as Fermi level pinning and the interface state density. On-resistance of 9.3 mΩ·cm² estimated from the linear region was also attained. Blocking voltage at off-state was 213 V. The fully ion implanted GaN DMOSFET is a promising candidate for future high-voltage and high-power applications.

High performance sorption and desorption behaviours at high working temperatures of ammonia gas in a cobalt-substituted Prussian blue analogue.

As an adsorbent of gaseous ammonia, cobalt hexacyanocobaltate (CoII3[CoIII(CN)6]2) was proved to have good sorption even at high temperatures, with thermal recyclability in sorption-desorption cycles. The maximum sorption capacities evaluated with a dual-site Langmuir model are 25.2, 18.6, 8.6, and 2.1 mmol g-1 at 20, 100, 150, and 250 °C, respectively.

Highly Sensitive and Exceptionally Wide Dynamic Range Detection of Ammonia Gas by Indium Hexacyanoferrate Nanoparticles Using FTIR Spectroscopy.

Ammonia gas is useful but caustic; thus, its concentration is monitored depending on applications. We prepared indium hexacyanoferrate nanoparticles (InHCF-NPs, HCF = [FeII(CN)6]4-) with average diameter around 8 nm by simple reaction at room temperature between In cations and HCF anions, and we found the unique functionality of InHCF-NPs which were capable of highly sensitive (16 ppb) and exceptionally wide range (190000, 16 ppb -0.3%) detection of ammonia gas within 6 min by IR measurements. Slope changes of the IR peak ratio of adsorbed ammonium over CN moieties in the InHCF framework indicated a good log-log linear correlation along gas concentrations, in which a wide dynamic range over 105 was realized for the first time in the field of ammonia gas detection.

Historical Pigment Exhibiting Ammonia Gas Capture beyond Standard Adsorbents with Adsorption Sites of Two Kinds.

Prussian blue is a historical pigment synthesized for the first time at the beginning of 18th century. Here we demonstrate that the historical pigment exhibits surprising adsorption properties of gaseous ammonia. Prussian blue shows 12.5 mmol/g of ammonia capacity at 0.1 MPa, whereas standard ammonia adsorbents show only 5.08-11.3 mmol/g. Dense adsorption was also observed for trace contamination in atmosphere. Results also show higher adsorption by Prussian blue analogues with the optimization of chemical composition. The respective capacities of cobalt hexacyanocobaltate (CoHCC) and copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) were raised to 21.9 and 20.2 mmol/g, the highest value among the recyclable adsorbents. Also, CoHCC showed repeated adsorption in vacuum. CuHCF showed regeneration by acid washing. The chemical state of the adsorbed ammonia depends on the presence of the water in atmosphere: NH3, which was stored as in the dehydrated case, was converted into NH4(+) in the hydrated case.

No Associations Found between PGBD1 and the Age of Onset in Japanese Patients Diagnosed with Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: PiggyBac transposable element derived 1 (PGBD1) encodes a molecule involved in epigenetic mechanisms that have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recent genome-wide association studies and meta-analyses have indicated that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs3800324, in PGBD1 could be associated with AD and the age of onset. However, no Japanese patients were examined in these studies. The aim of the present study was to replicate the previous finding in Japanese AD cases. METHODS: We performed a case-control study (211 cases and 156 controls) to investigate the association between PGBD1 and Japanese AD using 4 tag SNPs including rs3800324. RESULTS: Single SNP and haplotype analysis showed no association between AD and age of onset, whereas genotypic and allelic frequencies of the ∊4 of apolipoprotein E (APOE) showed an association with AD as expected. CONCLUSION: In Japanese AD, we observed no influence of PGBD1, as either a risk factor or a modifier, even though APOE was associated with AD in this population.

[Pattern recognition receptors].

Immunity is based on self/nonself discrimination. In vertebrates, two major systems, innate and adaptive immune systems, constitute host defense against invading microbes. Adaptive immunity is characterized by specific immune responses through B- or T-cell antigen receptors that are generated by somatic recombination, whereas nonspecific responses to microbes had been accentuated in innate immunity. However, the discovery of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that are encoded in the germ-line, including Toll-like receptors, RIG-I-like receptors, NOD-like receptors and AIM2-like receptors, advanced our understanding of a mechanism for innate immune recognition. These types of PRR recognize pathogen- or damage-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs or DAMPs) during infection or tissue damage, and commonly evoke the downstream gene induction programme, such as expression of type I interferons, inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Dysregulation of PRR-triggered signal activation leads to pathologic inflammatory responses. In this regard, it has been shown that many of "autoinflammatory diseases", recently defined clinical entity, have putatively causative mutations in the genes that encode PRRs or their signaling mediators. In this review article, we describe recent overview of PRRs as innate sensors and update knowledge of "autoinflammatory diseases" particularly by focusing on their association with innate signaling.

The transdifferentiation of bone-marrow-derived cells in colonic mucosal regeneration after dextran-sulfate-sodium-induced colitis in mice.

Bone-marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) transdifferentiate into various types of gastrointestinal cells. The precise transdifferentiation of BMDCs in gut regeneration, however, is controversial. In this study, we examined the transdifferentiation of BMDCs in the regeneration of damaged colonic epithelia. Lethally irradiated wild-type female mice (C57BL/6) were rescued by bone marrow transplantation from male green fluorescent protein transgenic mouse donors. Chronic colitis was induced by administering 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in the drinking water for 5 days on day 28 after the bone marrow transplantation. The mice were killed on day 25 after DSS administration. BMDC phenotypes were examined by confocal microscopy and fluorescence immunohistochemistry. BMDCs were frequently observed in the vimentin-positive colonic interstitial cells, which also expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin and had a spindle-like morphology, but did not express leukocyte common antigen. Green-fluorescent-protein-positive cells were rarely or less frequently found in Ki-67-positive proliferating cells, cytokeratin-positive epithelial cells, or CD31-positive endothelial cells. BMDCs frequently transdifferentiated into subepithelial myofibroblasts and fibroblasts, and often continued to reside in the colonic subepithelia after the experimental colitis had healed. In conclusion, our data indicate the fate of BMDCs, which might be involved in the healing process of the colon after DSS-induced colitis. Our data show that BMDCs contribute to colonic interstitial cells after the colitis has healed. Understanding the fate of BMDCs may be important for stem cell therapy by BMDCs.

Bond fluctuation of S/Se anchoring observed in single-molecule conductance measurements using the point contact method with scanning tunneling microscopy.

Conductance was measured for the single molecules with S/Se anchoring on a Au surface using the point contact method with scanning tunneling microscopy that enables us to selectively perform a repeated analysis of a chosen target molecule. Apparent conductance changes observed in sequential measurements suggest the existence of bond fluctuation among the adsorption sites.

Surface potential switching by metal ion complexation/decomplexation using bipyridinethiolate monolayers on gold.

Surface potential switching on gold(111) surfaces is induced by complexation/decomplexation reactions of a bipyridine (BP) derivative and palladium(II) chloride, as observed by Kelvin probe force microscopy (KFM). On the basis of the theoretical predictions, a 4-(5-phenylethynyl-2,2'-bipyridine-5'-yl-ethynyl)benzenethiol (PhBP) derivative was synthesized and used as an active monolayer to catch transition metal ions. By using the microcontact printing (CP) technique, micron-size patterned PhBP monolayers, which act as effective hosts to coordinate palladium(II) chloride, were prepared on gold(111) surfaces. The KFM signal decreases by complexation of the Pd(II) chloride in PhBP monolayers and is recovered by removal of Pd ions using an ethylenediamine solution, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This process is reversible, indicating that the surface potential switching is realized by complexation/decomplexation of Pd(II). A CP PhBP monolayer, when it detects the target palladium ion, shows sensitivity for the picomolar level detection judged from surface potential changes in KFM measurements. The dipole moment estimated by the surface potentials is much smaller than the calculated value, indicating that mechanisms for the reduction of the surface dipole moment exist in real monolayers prepared by the CP method.

Alkyl chain conformation and the electronic structure of octyl heavy chalcogenolate monolayers adsorbed on Au(111).

Adsorption states of dioctyl dichalcogenides (dioctyl disulfide, dioctyl diselenide, and dioctyl ditelluride) arranged on Au(111) have been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared-visible sum-frequency generation (SFG), and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). XPS measurements suggest that dioctyl dichalcogenides dissociatively adsorbed on Au(111) surfaces to form the corresponding monolayers having chalcogen-gold covalent bonds. The elemental compositions of octanechalcogenolates on Au(111) indicate that the saturation coverages of the octyl heavy chalcogenolate (OcSe, OcTe) monolayers are lower than that of the octanethiolate (OcS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). The SFG observations of the CH(2) vibrational bands for the heavy chalcogenolate monolayers strongly suggest that a discernible amount of gauche conformation exists in the monolayers, while OcS SAMs adopt highly ordered all-trans conformation. The intensity ratio of the symmetric and asymmetric CH(3) stretching vibration modes measured by SFG shows that the average tilt angle of the methyl group of the OcSe monolayers is greater than that of the OcS SAMs. The larger tilt angle of the methyl group and the existence of a discernible amount of gauche conformation in the OcSe monolayers are due to the lower surface coverage of the OcSe monolayers compared with the OcS SAMs. The smaller polarization dependence in the angle-resolved UPS (ARUPS) spectra of the OcSe monolayers than that of the OcS SAMs is caused by the more disordered structures of the alkyl chain in the former. XPS, SFG, and ARUPS measurements indicate a similar tendency for the OcTe monolayers. The density of states (DOS) observed by UPS at around 1.3 eV for OcS adsorbed on Au(111) is considered to be the antibonding state of the Au-sulfur bond. Similar DOS is also observed by UPS at around 1.0 eV for the OcSe monolayers and at approximately 1.6 eV for the OcTe monolayers on Au(111).

Adsorption states of dialkyl ditelluride autooxidized monolayers on Au(111).

Organic ditellurides (R2Te2 where R = n-butyl (C4), n-octyl (C8), and n-cetyl (C16)) were synthesized, and their adsorption states after oxidation on Au(111) surfaces were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), theoretical analyses, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements, contact angle measurements, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The obtained results show that dialkyl ditellurides form autooxidized monolayers (AMs) on the surfaces under ambient conditions and that the oxidation process is accelerated by ambient light. XPS, UPS, and theoretical analyses suggest that the autooxidized ditelluride species consist of polymers or oligomers with Te-O-Te-O network structures stabilized by oxygen bridges between tellurium molecules following the cleavage of tellurium-gold bonds. NEXAFS and contact angle measurements indicate that the average tilt angles of the alkyl chains from the surface normal are smaller for the AMs of dialkyl ditellurides having longer alkyl chains. AFM measurements show defects and roughness features around a few angstroms in height on the surfaces of the dialkyl ditelluride AMs.

[A surgical case of subdural hematoma with hemophilia A].

A 54-year-old man presented with unconsciousness. Computed tomography revealed acute subdural hematoma. Emergency evacuation of hematoma was performed showing any excessive tendency to bleed or difficulty to stop bleeding during the operation. However transfusion of fresh frozen plasma was needed to stop continuous bleeding from the surgical wound after the operation. The patient underwent craniotomy again 18 days after the operation because he suffered hemorrhagic infarction and recurrence of acute subdural hematoma. After the second operation, a coagulability examination revealed that his activated partial thromboplastin test was prolonged (74.5 seconds) and his plasma factor VIII level was 20% of normal, so he was diagnosed as having mild hemophilia A. Cranioplasty was accomplished with replacement therapy, and he was discharged with mild recent memory disturbance and homonymous hemianopsia.

Phase switching of a single isomeric molecule and associated characteristic rectification.

Variations in molecular electronic structures related to conformational change are exceedingly attractive because of their key role in the understanding and development of functional processes in molecular electronics and biology. We observed, for the first time, the novel phase switching of a photoactive isomeric molecule, N-(2-mercaptoethyl)-4-phenylazobenzamide (Azo molecule) at a single-molecule level, which exhibits a distinctive change in the conductive characteristic under scanning tunneling microscope (STM) measurement. In comparison with the results obtained by the measurement of photoactive isomerization of the isolated Azo molecule, which was performed also for the first time, the observed characteristics are attributed to the results of the trans and cis phase transformation of the Azo molecule, under the condition of an external electric field and current flow. A specific point is that the potential landscape of the system is controllable by the electric field and provides a conformational stability with asymmetric bias dependence resulting in rectification.

Human herpes virus-8-negative primary effusion lymphoma in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency.

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) is a newly described high-grade B cell lymphoma developing in association with human herpes virus type 8 (HHV-8) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infecting individuals. Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is a primary immunodeficiency disease characterized by reduced serum immunoglobulin and heterogeneous clinical features. The risk of cancer in CVID patients is increased. Here, we describe a PEL that developed in the pleural and pericardial cavities of an HIV-negative and HHV-8-negative patient with CVID.

Effective insulating properties of autooxidized monolayers using organic ditellurides.

Dialkyl ditellurides adsorb on Au(111) surfaces by wet deposition to form highly resistive autooxidized monolayers (AMs) due to the automatic formation of oxidized tellurium species after the adsorption of ditellurides on the surfaces under air in contrast to the case of the lighter dichalcogenides such as disulfides and diselenides. The ditelluride AMs could be applied to the selective fabrication of effective resistance, ferroelectric layers, piezoelectric parts, and/or new imaging systems using the feature of tellurium oxide in small device circuits.

Genome-wide profiling of gene expression in 29 normal human tissues with a cDNA microarray.

We have performed a comprehensive analysis of the expression profiles in 25 adult and 4 fetal human tissues by means of a cDNA microarray consisting of 23,040 human genes. This study revealed a number of genes that were expressed specifically in each of those tissues. Among the 29 tissues examined, 4,080 genes were highly expressed (at least a five-fold expression ratio) in one or only a few tissues and 1,163 of those were expressed exclusively (more than a ten-fold higher expression ratio) in a particular tissue. Expression of some of the genes in the latter category was confirmed by northern analysis. A hierarchical clustering analysis of gene-expression profiles in nerve tissues (adult brain, fetal brain, and spinal cord), lymphoid tissues (bone marrow, thymus, spleen, and lymph node), muscle tissues (heart and skeletal muscle), or adipose tissues (mesenteric adipose and mammary gland) identified a set of genes that were commonly expressed among related tissues. These data should provide useful information for medical research, especially for efforts to identify tissue-specific molecules as potential targets of novel drugs to treat human diseases.