Orientation and film thickness dependencies of (100)- and (111)-oriented epitaxial Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 films grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition

Abstract(100)- and (111)-oriented epitaxial Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 films with 500 and 1300 nm in thickness were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. Remained strain was almost relaxed because the crystal structure of the films was almost the same as that of bulk Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3. Relative dielectric constant showed the maximum value against the temperature that depended on the measurement frequency. Maximum relative dielectric constant, εr(max.), and the temperature showing εr(max.), T(max.), decreased and increased with the frequency, respectively, are in good agreement with reported data for the bulk. εr(max.) and T(max.), respectively increased and decreased with the film thickness and (111)-oriented films showed larger value than that of the (100)-oriented one. Ferroelectricity was observed for all films up to 297 K and monotonously decreased with increasing temperature. Saturation polarization value increased with the film thickness and (111)-oriented films showed larger value than (100)-oriented ones. On the other hand, the coercive field decreased with increasing film thickness, but was almost independent with the film orientation

Cross-sectional and prospective study of the association between lung function and prediabetes

Objectives: A growing body of evidence suggests that there is a relationship between impaired lung function and the risk of developing diabetes mellitus (DM). However, it is not known if this reflects a causal effect of lung function on glucose metabolism. To clarify the relationship between lung function and the development of DM, we examined the incidence of newly diagnosed prediabetes (a precursor of DM) among subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) at baseline. Design: Primary analysis of an occupational cohort with both cross-sectional and longitudinal data (follow-up duration mean±SD: 28.4±6.1 months). Setting and participants: Data were analysed from 1058 men in a cross-sectional study and from 560 men with NGT in a longitudinal study. Outcomes and methods: Impaired lung function (per cent predicted value of forced vital capacity (%FVC) or per cent value of forced expiratory volume 1 s/FVC (FEV1/FVC ratio)) in relation to the ratio of prediabetes or DM in a cross-sectional study and development of new prediabetes in a longitudinal study. NGT, prediabetes including impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and increased fasting glucose (IFG) and DM were diagnosed according to 75 g oral glucose tolerance tests. Measurements and main results: %FVC at baseline, but not FEV1/FVC ratio at baseline, was significantly associated with the incidences of DM and prediabetes. Among prediabetes, IGT but not IFG was associated with %FVC. During follow-up, 102 subjects developed prediabetes among those with NGT. A low %FVC, but not FEV1/FVC ratio, was predictive of an increased risk for development of IGT, but not of IFG. Conclusions: Low lung volume is associated with an increased risk for the development of prediabetes, especially IGT, in Japanese men. Although there is published evidence for an association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and DM, prediabetes is not associated with the early stage of COPD.This work was supported in part by a grant-in-aid for scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (No. 23390222 and 24659405), and a grant to the Respiratory Failure Research Group from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan

Crystal structure, electrical properties, and mechanical response of (100)-/(001)-oriented epitaxial Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O 3-PbTiO3 films grown on (100)cSrRuO 3∥(100)SrTiO3 substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

Relaxor-type ferroelectric (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O 3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) films, 2-3 μm in thickness, with a PbTiO3 content (x) ranging from 0 to 1 were grown on (100) cSrRuO3∥(100)SrTiO3 substrates at 650°C by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The effects the x value had on the crystal structure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties, and mechanical response of these films were systematically investigated. Epitaxial growth having (100)/(001) orientation irrespective of x and the constituent phase change with x were ascertained from both x-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping analysis and Raman spectroscopy. The constituent phase changed from a rhombohedral (pseudocubic) single phase, a mixture phase of rhombohedral (pseudocubic) and tetragonal phases, and a tetragonal single phase, with increasing x. The mixed phase region was found to exist at x=0.40-0.55, which was different from that reported for single crystals (x=0.31-0.35). The dependencies of relative dielectric constant and remanent polarization on x showed a similar trend in the case of a PMN-PT sintered body; however, the magnitudes of these values were relatively low. The effective longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33,f) and the transverse coefficient (e31,f) of 100-120 pm/V and ∼-11.0 C/m2 were, respectively, calculated for a film with x=0.39, which corresponds to a larger x edge for the rhombohedral (pseudocubic) region following the engineered domain concept proposed for PMN-PT single crystals

クラドスポリウム属菌によるブドウの褐点病について

Cladosporium cladosporioides (Fresenius) de Vries and Cladosporium herbarum (Pers. ) Link ex Fr. were isolated from grape berries that had been commonly called 'black navel', and were found to cause the disease. In view of the colour of lesions that were observed most frequently at the stage of maturing, the disease was named brown spot of grapes

The Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 Vaccine Does Not Increase the Mortality Rate of Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonia: A Matched Case-Control Study

Background: Evidence regarding the mortality rate after administration of the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine on patients with underlying diseases is currently scarce. We conducted a case-control study in Japan to compare the mortality rates of patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia after the vaccines were administered and were not administered. Methods: Between October 2009 and March 2010, we collected clinical records in Japan and conducted a 1:1 matched case-control study. Patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia who died during this period were considered case patients, and those who survived were considered control patients. We determined and compared the proportion of each group that received the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine and estimated the odds ratio. Finally, we conducted simulations that compensated for the shortcomings of the study associated with adjusted severity of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Results: The case and control groups each comprised of 75 patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. The proportion of patients who received the pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine was 30.7% and 38.7% for the case and control groups, respectively. During that winter, the crude conditional odds ratio of mortality was 0.63 (95% confidence interval, 0.25-1.47) and the adjusted conditional odds ratio was 1.18 (95% confidence interval, 0.33-4.49); neither was significant. The simulation study showed more accurate conditional odds ratios of 0.63-0.71. Conclusions: In our study, we detected no evidence that the influenza A (H1N1) 2009 vaccine increased the mortality rate of patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. The results, however, are limited by the small sample size and low statistical power. A larger-scale study is required

Characteristics of physical activity during beginner-level group tennis lessons and the effect daily activity

Kawakami R., Yamakawa S., Konda S., et al. Characteristics of physical activity during beginner-level group tennis lessons and the effect daily activity. Scientific Reports 14, 249 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-46843-0.Tennis is a popular leisure sport, and studies have indicated that playing tennis regularly provides many health benefits. We aimed to clarify the characteristics of physical activity during beginner-level group tennis lessons and daily physical activity of the participants. Physical activity was measured using an accelerometer sensor device for four weeks, including the 80-min duration tennis lessons held twice a week. Valid data were categorized for tennis and non-tennis days. The mean physical activity intensity during the tennis lesson was 3.37 METs. The mean ratio of short-bout rest periods to the tennis lesson time in 90 and 120 s was 7% and 4%, respectively. The mean physical activity intensity was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) and the duration of vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA) was increased in 76% of participants on days with tennis lessons compared to without tennis lessons. Beginner-level tennis lesson has characteristics of less short-bout rest physical activity than previously reported competitive tennis match and increased the duration of VPA in daily activity compared to without tennis lessons, suggesting that beginner-level tennis lessons contribute physical activity of health benefits

Pedunculated Hepatoma ; A Clinical Study of 7 Cases

Pedunculated hepatoma (hepatocellular carcinoma ; HCC) showing an extrahepatic growth is very rare. In order to clarify the clinical and pathological features and problems presented by this tumor, seven patients in our hospitals were reviewed. All patients were men and the average age was 64 years. Tumors originated from the lateral segment in 3 patients, anterior segment in 2, and medial segment and quadrate lobe in one patient each, and ranged in size from 7 cm to 21 cm with pedicles (2-7 cm) corresponding to the liver tissue. Underlying liver disease was found in 6 patients ; cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis in 3 patients each. Initial symptoms were abdominal pain and palpable abdominal mass. Imaging modalities including US, CT and angiography could not adequately demonstrate definite findings of this tumor arising from the liver. Serum AFP was normal or slightly elevated in 3 patients. Pathologically, pedunculated tumors showed expansive growth with septum formation and complete capsule, with a portal vein thrombus and/or frequent satellite tumors. The postoperative outcomes of the 5 patients were excellent in only one patient. The other 4 patients died of hepatic recurrence of the tumor within 3 years. This study suggests that early detection of small pedunculated HCC and an adequate resection margin are the most important factors for the prognosis of patient