Dependence of the V/III Ratio on Indium Incorporation in InGaN Films Grown by Metalorganic Vapour Phase Epitaxy.

InGaN epitaxial layers were grown on c-plane sapphire substrates using the metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE) system at 760 °C. By varying the total flow rate of group-III sources (TMI+TEG) with a fixed molar ratio of group-III sources [TMI/(TMI+TEG)], the influence of V/III ratio were investigated from 4500 to 20000. The grown N-polar InGaN layers were investigated by atomic force microscopy and it is found that the surface roughness decreases with increasing the V/III ratios. High resolution X-ray diffraction analyses show that the phase separation decreases with increasing the V/III ratios. Photoluminescence measurements reveal that the peak position of the band-edge emission shifted toward the shorter wavelength with increasing the V/III ratios. Reciprocal space mapping (RSM) analyses were carried out on InGaN films. At low V/III ratio, the phase separation can be detected in InGaN films.

Analysis of treatment goal alignment between Japanese psoriasis patients and their paired treating physicians.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate goal-oriented treatment strategies are important for optimal treatment outcomes and may prevent under-treatment. As treatment goals vary by patient, a study to examine treatment goals is more meaningful when patients and their physicians are paired. There has not been any study that examines alignment between paired psoriasis patients and physicians in real-world clinical practice using skin clearance as a treatment goal indicator. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate treatment goal alignment between psoriasis patients and their paired physicians, and to quantitatively identify factors associated with goal misalignment. METHODS: The study was a nationwide multicenter cross-sectional observational study. Subjects were physician-reported moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients with a history of systemic treatments, directly paired with their treating physicians. Subjects completed surveys independently. Treatment goals included seven categories, and patient-physician pairs were grouped as 'aligned' or 'misaligned' when the answers were the same or different, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 425 pairs (mean response rate, 94.7%) of responses were collected from 54 sites (64.8% general practitioners or clinics; 35.2% university or large hospitals). Treatment goal misalignment was found in 67.9% of the patient-physician pairs. The misalignment was mainly 'patient predominant' (60.9%) indicating that patients had higher goals ('complete clearance') than physicians. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, patients' treatment expectation for 'complete clearance' [odds ratio (OR): 1.927; 95% confidential interval (CI): 1.232-3.016] and physician rating of 'level of understanding on treatment options' being low (OR: 1.552, 95% CI; 1.082-2.227) were significant factors for treatment goal misalignment. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of treatment goal misalignment was found between paired psoriasis patients and their treating physicians in Japan. The most important contributing factors to misalignment were patients' treatment expectation for 'complete clearance' and physicians' rating of their patients' 'level of understanding on treatment options' being low.

Effect of sapphire nitridation and group-III source flow rate ratio on In-incorporation into InGaN grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy.

In-composition of N-polar InGaN films on the sapphire substrate with the surface nitridation was investigated. By varying the ratio of the group-III source flow rate from 0.7 to 0.95, the In-composition and the surface morphologies of InGaN films were changed. The In-composition of N-polar InGaN films was affected by the strain relaxation and the surface morphologies.

Preclinical pharmacology of perampanel, a selective non-competitive AMPA receptor antagonist.

Perampanel [2-(2-oxo-1-phenyl-5-pyridin-2-yl-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)benzonitrile; E2007] is a potent, selective, orally active non-competitive AMPA receptor antagonist developed for the treatment of epilepsy. Perampanel has a 2,3'-bipyridin-6'-one core structure, distinguishing it chemically from other AMPA receptor antagonist classes. Studies in various physiological systems indicate that perampanel selectively inhibits AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic excitation without affecting NMDA receptor responses. Blocking of AMPA receptors occurs at an allosteric site that is distinct from the glutamate recognition site. Radioligand-binding studies suggest that the blocking site coincides with that of the non-competitive antagonist GYKI 52466, believed to be on linker peptide segments of AMPA receptor subunits that transduce agonist binding into channel opening. As is typical for AMPA receptor antagonists, perampanel exhibits broad-spectrum antiseizure activity in diverse animal seizure models. Perampanel has high oral bioavailability, dose-proportional kinetics, and undergoes oxidative metabolism, primarily via CYP3A4, followed by glucuronidation. The terminal half-life (t½ ) in humans is 105 h; however, in the presence of a strong CYP3A4 inducer (such as carbamazepine), the t½ can be reduced. In sum, perampanel is a selective, centrally acting, negative allosteric modulator of AMPA receptors with good oral bioavailability and favorable pharmacokinetic properties.

Entry point to the Sylvian fissure for the pterional transsylvian approach.

BACKGROUND: Although the anatomy of the Sylvian fissure is understood, there is little information on where to start its dissection in the pterional transsylvian (PT-TS) approach. At small craniotomy using the PT-TS approach, we set the entry point to the Sylvian fissure at 15 mm behind the anterior edge of the craniotomy along the Sylvian fissure and designated this site "point 15." Here we compared the utility of "point 15" with the Sylvian point (point on the Sylvian fissure giving rise to the horizontal and anterior ascending rami) that had been recommended earlier as the entry site for opening the Sylvian fissure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study includes 16 patients with 7 ruptured and 9 unruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. We evaluated the usefulness of "point 15" in the PT-TS approach for aneurysmal neck clipping with respect to the adequacy of anatomical exposure and low invasiveness. RESULTS: In 12 patients "point 15" provided for excellent anatomical exposure of the Sylvian fissure; complete neck clipping was possible with minimal brain retraction and damage. In two patients with ruptured aneurysms and thick subarachnoid hemorrhage and in two patients with unruptured aneurysms, the dissection had to be enlarged 3 to 4 mm distally without reaching the Sylvian point. In the latter two patients the Sylvian veins were tethered to frontal and temporal lobes. CONCLUSIONS: The "point 15" was an easily set entry point to the Sylvian fissure. It provided for sufficient anatomical exposure at surgery for anterior circulation aneurysms; additional posterior dissection was required in rare cases. We found that "point 15" was useful in small craniotomies using the PT-TS approach.

Electrochemical isothermal-capacitance-transient spectroscopy: a new depth profiling method of deep levels.

The authors report on a new depth profiling method of deep levels, which we call electrochemical isothermal-capacitance-transient spectroscopy (EICTS). This is combined with electrochemical capacitance-voltage using the Schottky barrier of etchable electrolyte and isothermal-capacitance-transient spectroscopy using the capacitance-transient profile at a fixed temperature. We proved its validity by applying to the ZnSe:N epitaxial film of thickness of more than 1000 nm and comparing the characteristics of an obtained deep level with the results measured by conventional deep-level detection techniques. It is expected that EICTS is very effective to assess the deep levels of wide-bandgap semiconductors that suffer from various point defects and their complexes.

[Off-pump coronary artery bypass in high-risk patients].

In this study, 110 consecutive patients who had undergone off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) in the past 2 years were evaluated for early results of OPCAB. Patients were classified as a high-risk group (H group: 68 patients consisting of 46 men and 22 women) and a low-risk group (L group: 42 patients consisting of 31 men and 11 women), respectively, and were evaluated for the early operative results. No differences were noted between the H and L groups in the mean number of bypass grafts (2.9 +/- 0.9 in the H group, 2.9 +/- 0.9 in the L group), the rates of complete revascularization (85% in the H group, 93% in the L group), those of various graft materials bypassed, or those of sequential bypass. In all patients, we were able to undergo coronary revascularization by the aortic no-touch technique using arterial grafts exclusively. In the H group, 1 patient (1.5%) died in hospital, but no patients developed cerebral infarction postoperatively, and the frequency of complications was similar to that in the L group. The results of OPCAB for high-risk patients were good, and it was suggested that OPCAB using in situ arterial grafts was very useful particularly in patients with cerebrovascular diseases.

[Aortic valve replacement for calcified aortic valve and annulus with ultrasonic decalcification].

UNLABELLED: We conducted ultrasonic decalcification on calcified annulus in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) using an ultrasonic operator, Sonopet (UST 2001) prior to aortic valve replacement (AVR). We studied the reliability of this method. SUBJECT AND METHOD: From January 2002 to August 2005, AVR was conducted for AS using the Sonopet in 45 patients, comprising of 18 male and 27 female subjects. The mean age was 73.3 +/- 9.7. RESULT: Artificial valves were successfully inserted at the intra-annular level in 37 patients and at the supra-annular level in 8 patients without conducting annular enlargement. In the patients with narrow annuli of less than 19 mm (23 patients), the preoperative mean annular diameter was 18.2 +/- 1.0 mm, but significantly larger artificial valves with an average diameter of 19.3 +/- 1.5 mm (p=0.003) were successfully inserted. CONCLUSION: AVR was proved to be safe and easy by previous ultrasonic decalcification of the annuls using the Sonopet. This method was very useful because it required no enlargement of aortic annulus.

Negative regulation of cytokine signaling by CIS/SOCS family proteins and their roles in inflammatory diseases.

Immune and inflammatory systems are controlled by multiple cytokines, including interleukins (ILs) and interferons. These cytokines exert their biological functions through Janus tyrosine kinases (JAKs) and STAT transcription factors. The CIS (cytokine-inducible SH2 protein) and SOCS (suppressors of cytokine signaling) are a family of intracellular proteins, several of which have emerged as key physiological regulators of cytokine responses, including those that regulate the inflammatory systems. In this review, we focused on the molecular mechanism of the action of CIS/SOCS family proteins and their roles in inflammatory diseases. Furthermore, we illustrate several approaches for treating inflammatory diseases by modulating extracellular and intracellular signaling pathways.

Antioxidants suppress nitrofurazone-induced proliferation of hepatocytes.

On administration to rats at a subtoxic dose, the antibiotic nitrofurazone (NF) has been shown to increase hepatocyte DNA synthesis and liver weight in a dose-dependent manner, with no histological or biochemical evidence of cell damage or necrosis. Free radicals are implicated in NF metabolism, as well as in the DNA synthesis or cell proliferation induced by a number of other chemicals. In the present study, NF was given alone or concomitantly with the antioxidants N-acetylcysteine or cyanidanol. Antioxidants prevent the effects of free radicals. Co-administration decreased hepatocyte proliferation to the same level as the control. This suppression of NF-induced hepatocyte proliferation by antioxidants therefore strongly suggests that free radical production is involved in this process.