Traumatic reactions in train disasters

Objective : The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between peritraumatic reactions, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and pain in people injured in train disasters. Methods : The participants were injured in a train crash in Japan that left more than 100 dead. There were 218 participants in the analysis, with a mean age of 37.50 ± 14.67 years. Peritraumatic reactions were assessed using the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory. PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised Japanese-language version. Pain was measured using the Visual Analog Scale. Results : Peritraumatic reactions did not directly affect PTSD symptoms but were found to be associated via latent variables. Regarding pain and PTSD symptoms, intrusive memories were more associated with pain than other symptoms were. There was an associative path from intrusion to pain, but no such path from pain to intrusion. Conclusions : Our results suggest that a therapeutic approach to intrusion may be effective in ameliorating the pain caused by injury. Future research should examine integrated treatment approaches for both PTSD and pain, rather than just for aspects of PTSD

Heterogeneous integration approach based on flip-chip bonding and misalignment self-correction elements for electronics-optics integration applications

This paper presents a high precision bonding approach, capable of submicron alignment accuracy, based on the thermosonic flip-chip bonding technique and misalignment self-correction elements. The precision of the bonding technique is guaranteed by using of misalignment self-correction bump (convex) and hollow (concave) elements. Metal cone bump and conductive sloped hollow bonding pad elements are created using micro-machining techniques, on a chip specimen and substrate, respectively. The chip and substrate are bonded face-to-face using of an ultrasonic-enhanced flip-chip bonder. By introducing of misalignment self-correction elements, repeatable bonding accuracies of less than 500 nm were confirmed through experimental investigation. Bond properties, including electrical and mechanical properties, are also characterized to confirm the success of the bonding approach. With the obtained results, the proposed bonding approach is capable of being use in electronics-optics heterogeneous integration applications

Primary Colonic Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma Presenting Carcinocythemia: An Autopsy Case

Primary colorectal signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare but distinctive type of mucin-producing adenocarcinoma of the large intestine with still controversial clinicopathological features and prognosis. We encountered primary colonic SRCC in a 51-year-old Japanese man with extensive bone metastasis ultimately leading to carcinocythemia before the initiation of chemotherapy and surgical intervention. Three days before death, besides progressive disseminated intravascular coagulation that had been present on admission, hematological examination showed sudden leukocytosis with nonhematopoietic cells that subsequently turned out to be signet ring cells (SRCs). Carcinocythemia, the presence of circulating cancer cells in peripheral blood, is considered to be a rare but an ominous phenomenon occurring in the advanced stage of certain types of cancers, particularly mammary lobular carcinoma. It can be assumed that carcinoma cells lacking intercellular cohesiveness and polarized cell membrane organization, including SRCs as well as lobular carcinoma cells, can readily get access to the peripheral circulation; however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of primary colorectal SRCC that presented carcinocythemia. Extensive bone metastatic sites, in the present case, may have functioned as a reservoir of circulating SRCs

Over 10% Gain of Output Power of Medium-Sized Solar Cells by an Improvement of Geometry of Collector Electrodes

Practical solar cells require larger active areas than ones in the R&D stage in laboratories. However, the enlargement lowers conversion efficiency because of the following two reasons: (1) increase of resistive loss in the transparent conductive electrode caused by the longer distance for the photogenerated carriers to pass and (2) active area loss caused by shadows of collector electrodes laid on to reduce the previous resistive loss. In the present study, we have constructed an advisable modeling method to calculate output power of medium-sized solar cells and optimized geometry of the collector electrodes. Results of the modeling taught us a possible improvement of the output power by over 10%. These simulated results were reproduced by electrochemical experiments

Fragment distribution of thermal decomposition for PS and PET with QMD calculations by considering the excited and charged model molecules

金沢大学理工研究域物質化学系Simulations by a quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) (MD with MO) method were demonstrated on the thermal decomposition of PS and PET polymers using the model molecules at the ground state including excited and positive charged states. For the excited and positive charged model molecules, we adopted CH3CHC6H5CH3 and CH3OCOC6H4COOCH3 of PS and PET monomers, respectively at the singlet and triplet states in single excitation, and at (+2) positive charged state by semiempirical AM1 MO method. Geometry and energy optimized results of the excited and positive charged models by MO calculations were used as the initial MD step of QMD calculations. In the QMD calculations, we controlled the total energy of the system using Nosé-Hoover thermostats in the total energy range of 0.69-0.95 eV, and the sampling position data with a time step of 0.5 fs were carried out up to 5000 steps at 60 different initial conditions. The calculated neutral, positive and negative charged fragment distributions of PS and PET models with 0.82 eV energy control were obtained as (93.5, 2.3, and 4.3%), and (87.8, 5.3, and 6.9%) to the total fragments, respectively. The ratios seem to correspond well to the values observed experimentally in SIMS. Crown Copyright © 2008

Fragment distribution of thermal decomposition for lignin monomer by QMD calculations using the excited and charged model molecules

金沢大学理工研究域物質化学系Simulations with a quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) method (MD with MO) were demonstrated on the thermal decomposition of lignin monomer at the ground state including excited and positive charged states. Geometry and energy optimized results of the lignin monomer at the singlet and triplet states in single excitation, and at (+2) positive charged state by semi-empirical AM1 MO calculations were used as the initial MD step of QMD calculations. In the QMD calculations, we controlled the total energy of the system using Nóse-Hoover thermostats in the total energy range of 0.69-0.95 eV, and the sampling position data with a time step of 0.5 fs were carried out up to 5000 steps at 50 different initial conditions. The calculated neutral, positive and negative charged fragment distributions of the monomer model with 0.82 eV energy control were obtained as 90.6, 3.5, and 5.9% to the total fragments, respectively. The ratios seem to correspond well with to the values observed experimentally in SIMS. Crown Copyright © 2008

State- and water repellency-controllable molecular glass of pillar[5]arenes with fluoroalkyl groups by guest vapors

Molecular glasses are low-molecular-weight organic compounds that are stable in the amorphous state at room temperature. Herein, we report a state- and water repellency-controllable molecular glass by n-alkane guest vapors. We observed that a macrocyclic host compound pillar[5]arene with the C₂F₅ fluoroalkyl groups changes from the crystalline to the amorphous state (molecular glass) by heating above its melting point and then cooling to room temperature. The pillar[5]arene molecular glass shows reversible transitions between amorphous and crystalline states by uptake and release of the n-alkane guest vapors, respectively. Furthermore, the n-alkane guest vapor-induced reversible changes in the water contact angle were also observed: water contact angles increased and then reverted back to the original state by the uptake and release of the n-alkane guest vapors, respectively, along with the changes in the chemical structure and roughness on the surface of the molecular glass. The water repellency of the molecular glass could be controlled by tuning the uptake ratio of the n-alkane guest vapor