Interfacial fracture strength property of micro-scale SiN/Cu components

AbstractThe strength against fracture nucleation from an interface free-edge of silicon-nitride (SiN)/copper (Cu) micro-components is evaluated. A special technique that combines a nano-indenter specimen holder and an environmental transmission electron microscope (E-TEM) is employed. The critical load at the onset of fracture nucleation from a wedge-shaped free-edge (opening angle: 90°) is measured both in a vacuum and in a hydrogen (H2) environment, and the critical stress distribution is evaluated by the finite element method (FEM). It is found that the fracture nucleation is dominated by the near-edge elastic singular stress field that extends about a few tens of nanometers from the edge. The fracture nucleation strength expressed in terms of the stress intensity factor (K) is found to be eminently reduced in a H2 environment

Scale Dependence of Halo Bispectrum from Non-Gaussian Initial Conditions in Cosmological N-body Simulations

We study the halo bispectrum from non-Gaussian initial conditions. Based on a set of large $N$-body simulations starting from initial density fields with local type non-Gaussianity, we find that the halo bispectrum exhibits a strong dependence on the shape and scale of Fourier space triangles near squeezed configurations at large scales. The amplitude of the halo bispectrum roughly scales as $f_nl^2$. The resultant scaling on the triangular shape is consistent with that predicted by Jeong & Komatsu based on perturbation theory. We systematically investigate this dependence with varying redshifts and halo mass thresholds. It is shown that the $f_nl$ dependence of the halo bispectrum is stronger for more massive haloes at higher redshifts. This feature can be a useful discriminator of inflation scenarios in future deep and wide galaxy redshift surveys.Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures; revised argument in section 6, added appendix C, JCAP accepted versio

LPA, C1P, and S1P in IPF

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) are signaling lipids that evoke growth factor-like responses to many cells. Recent studies revealed the involvement of LPA and S1P in the pathology of IPF. In this study, we determined LPA, S1P and ceramide 1-phosphate (C1P) in peripheral blood plasma of IPF patients, and examined correlation to the vital capacity of lung (VC), an indicator of development of fibrosis. Blood plasma samples were taken from eleven patients with IPF and seven healthy volunteers. The lipids of the sample were extracted and subjected to liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for analysis. Results showed that there is a significant negative correlation between VC and plasma LPA levels, indicating that IPF patients with advanced fibrosis had higher concentration of LPA in their plasma. Average of S1P levels were significantly higher in IPF patients than those in healthy subjects. Although it is not statistically significant, a similar correlation trend that observed in LPA levels also found between VC and S1P levels. These results indicated that plasma LPA and S1P may be associated with deterioration of pulmonary function of IPF patients

Effect of aspirin treatment on serum levels of lipoprotein (a) : analysis from the apolipoprotein (a) isoforms

We have found that aspirin lowers elevated serum lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels via reduction of the transcriptional activity of apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] gene with suppression of apo(a) mRNA expression. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of aspirin treatment on serum Lp(a) level and analyzed its relation to type of apo(a) isoform. Serum levels of Lp(a) were measured by turbidimetric immunoassay before and after the oral administration of aspirin therapy (81 mg/day) in 57 patients with coronary artery disease or cerebral infarction. Apo(a) isoforms were determined by immunoblotting method. In patients with high serum Lp(a) levels (more than 30 mg/dl), aspirin reduced serum Lp(a) levels to approximately 80 % of the baseline after one month. Their levels sustained significantly low even after six months. The effect of aspirin in reducing elevated serum Lp(a) levels were stronger in patients with smaller-sized type or double-band type of apo(a) isoforms. The transcriptional efficiency of apo(a) gene is thought to be increased in patients with these apo(a) isoforms. Therefore, these findings suggest that aspirin reduces apo(a) gene transcription preferentialy in patients with high transcriptional efficiency of this gene

Preventive Roles of Rice-<i>koji</i> Extracts and Ergothioneine on Anxiety- and Pain-like Responses under Psychophysical Stress Conditions in Male Mice

This study determined the effect of daily administration of Rice-koji on anxiety and nociception in mice subjected to repeated forced swim stress (FST). In a parallel experiment, it was determined whether ergothioneine (EGT) contained in Rice-koji displayed similar effects. Anxiety and nociception were assessed behaviorally using multiple procedures. c-Fos and FosB immunoreactivities were quantified to assess the effect of both treatments on neural responses in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), and lumbar spinal dorsal horn (DH). FST increased anxiety- and pain-like behaviors in the hindpaw. Rice-koji or EGT significantly prevented these behaviors after FST. In the absence of formalin, both treatments prevented decreased FosB expressions in the PVN after FST, while no effect was seen in the NRM and DH. In the presence of formalin, both treatments prevented changes in c-Fos and FosB expressions in all areas in FST mice. Further, in vitro experiments using SH-SY5Y cells were conducted. Rice-koji and EGT did not affect cell viability but changed the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In conclusion, Rice-koji could reduce anxiety and pain associated with psychophysical stress, possibly mediated by the modulatory effects of EGT on neural functions in the brain