Spontaneous Diaphragm Buckling Control Process on Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Microsensors for High Sensitivity

AbstractA new fabrication process has been proposed for high sensitivity piezoelectric ultrasonic microsensors based on spontaneous diaphragm buckling. The buckling deflection and direction of the diaphragms strongly affect the sensitivity of the sensors; upward-deflected diaphragms cause higher sensitivity. The sensor has a tensile piezoelectric layer and a compressive thermally oxidized silicon layer in the diaphragm and the buckling behavior is determined by the combination of the stresses. The fabrication process of the piezoelectric layer has been optimized for yield of spontaneously upward buckling and height of the buckling deflection. Totally the diaphragms over 90% of fabricated 196 ones buckle spontaneously upward with deflection over 5 sensors on them higher sensitivity by 6.7 times on average than that on flat ones

Estimation of the Lin-Yang bound of the least static energy of the Faddeev model

Lin and Yang's upper bound E_Q <= cQ^(3/4) of the least static energy E_Q of the Faddeev model in a sector with a fixed Hopf index Q is investigated. By constructing an explicit trial configuration for the Faddeev field n, a possible value of the coefficient c is obtained numerically, which is much smaller than the value obtained quite recently by analytic discussions.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figure

Cytoplasmic p21Cip1/WAF1 regulates neurite remodeling by inhibiting Rho-kinase activity

p21Cip1/WAF1 has cell cycle inhibitory activity by binding to and inhibiting both cyclin/Cdk kinases and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Here we show that p21Cip1/WAF1 is induced in the cytoplasm during the course of differentiation of chick retinal precursor cells and N1E-115 cells. Ectopic expression of p21Cip1/WAF1 lacking the nuclear localization signal in N1E-115 cells and NIH3T3 cells affects the formation of actin structures, characteristic of inactivation of Rho. p21Cip1/WAF1 forms a complex with Rho-kinase and inhibits its activity in vitro and in vivo. Neurite outgrowth and branching from the hippocampal neurons are promoted if p21Cip1/WAF1 is expressed abundantly in the cytoplasm. These results suggest that cytoplasmic p21Cip1/WAF1 may contribute to the developmental process of the newborn neurons that extend axons and dendrites into target regions

Potential Respiratory Pathogens in the Trachea and Nasal Mucosa of Intubated ICU Inpatients : Longitudinal Change and Relationship with Consciousness Level

本研究では，気管内挿管により人工呼吸管理を受けている患者のICU 入室後の鼻腔および気管内細菌の臨床検査データを解析し，その実態を把握するとともに，その経時的変化や意識レベルとの関連性を明らかにすることを目的とした．香川大学医学部附属病院ICU において，院内肺炎や市中肺炎の起炎菌として監視培養の対象としている『要注意菌』8 菌種について，気管内採痰および鼻腔スワブ中の検出状況を経時的に調べた．その結果，挿管初日の検査において32.7%の患者の気管内採痰に要注意菌が検出された．さらに，初日の検査で気管内に要注意菌が検出されなかった患者においても経時的に要注意菌の検出率が上昇することが明らかとなった．気管内で要注意菌が検出されるケースのほとんどで鼻腔内でも要注意菌が検出されることがわかった．また，患者の意識レベルと要注意菌の検出率の関連性を調べたところ，昏睡状態にある患者はそうでない患者に比べて，鼻腔内での要注意菌検出率が有意に高いことが明らかとなった（χ 2 検定；p<0.05）．気管内での肺炎原因菌の定着・増殖を阻止するには，口腔，咽頭，鼻腔に生息する細菌数を減らすことが重要と考えられる．これらのことから，意識障害が遷延化し挿管期間が長くなると見込まれる患者に対しては，より一層の徹底した鼻咽腔や口腔の衛生管理が必要であることが示唆された．また，挿管初日にある程度の細菌が気管内で検出されたことからも，挿管前の可能な限りの口腔ケアが肺炎リスクを減らすために重要であると考えられた．The aim of this study was to elucidate the longitudinal change of potential respiratory pathogens in the trachea and nasal mucosa of intubated intensive care unit (ICU) inpatients with neurological disorders. We focused on eight bacterial species designated “Bacteria requiring special attention” (SA), which are routinely under surveillance in the ICU of Kagawa University Hospital. Clinical data from bacterial testing of specimens from tracheal sputum or nasal mucosa swabs were analyzed. SA were detected in the trachea of 32.7% of patients on the first day of intubation. Furthermore, the detection rate of SA in the trachea increased over several days among patients in whom they were not detected on the first day. Most patients who were SA-positive in the trachea were also positive in the nasal mucosa. The rate of SA in the nasal mucosa of comatose patients was significantly higher than that in patients at other consciousness levels. It was suggested that thorough oral and/or nasal hygiene management is very important for comatose patients to reduce the risk of pneumonia

JeffJ_{\rm{eff}} = 1/2 Hyperoctagon Lattice in Cobalt Oxalate Metal-Organic-Framework

We report the magnetic properties of a cobalt oxalate metal-organic-framework featuring the hyperoctagon lattice. Our thermodynamic measurements reveal the $J_{\rm{eff}}$ = 1/2 state of the high-spin Co$^{2+}$ (3$\textit{d}^{7}$) ion and the two successive magnetic transitions at zero field with two-stage entropy release. $^{13}$C-NMR measurements reveal the absence of an internal magnetic field in the intermediate temperature phase. Multiple field-induced phases are observed before full saturation at around 40 T. We argue the unique cobalt oxalate network gives rise to the Kitaev interaction and/or a bond frustration effect, providing an unconventional platform for frustrated magnetism on the hyperoctagon lattice.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Class of exact solutions of the Skyrme and the Faddeev model

Class of exact solutions of the Skyrme and the Faddeev model are presented. In contrast to previously found solutions, they are produced by the interplay of the two terms in the Lagrangians of the models. They are not solitonic but of wave character. With an appropriate choice of field variables, the field equations of the two models are written in exactly the same form. The solutions supply us with examples of the superposition of two plane waves in nonlinear field theories.Comment: 14 pages, Revtex,Some minor correction