Nano-scaled Pt/Ag/Ni/Au contacts on p-type GaN for low contact resistance and high reflectivity.

We synthesized the vertical-structured LED (VLED) using nano-scaled Pt between p-type GaN and Ag-based reflector. The metallization scheme on p-type GaN for high reflectance and low was the nano-scaled Pt/Ag/Ni/Au. Nano-scaled Pt (5 A) on Ag/Ni/Au exhibited reasonably high reflectance of 86.2% at the wavelength of 460 nm due to high transmittance of light through nano-scaled Pt (5 A) onto Ag layer. Ohmic behavior of contact metal, Pt/Ag/Ni/Au, to p-type GaN was achieved using surface treatments of p-type GaN prior to the deposition of contact metals and the specific contact resistance was observed with decreasing Pt thickness of 5 A, resulting in 1.5 x 10(-4) ohms cm2. Forward voltages of Pt (5 A)/Ag/Ni contact to p-type GaN showed 4.19 V with the current injection of 350 mA. Output voltages with various thickness of Pt showed the highest value at the smallest thickness of Pt due to its high transmittance of light onto Ag, leading to high reflectance. Our results propose that nano-scaled Pt/Ag/Ni could act as a promising contact metal to p-type GaN for improving the performance of VLEDs.

Performance of GaN vertical light emitting diodes using wafer bonding process with Al-alloyed graphite substrate.

We report on the vertical-structure light emitting diodes (VLEDs) fabricated with wafer bonding method using Al-alloyed graphite and Si supporter. VLEDs with Al-alloyed graphite produced no crack during/after laser lift-off (LLO) techniques while the wafer crack took place using Si supporter because of the difference of thermal expansion coefficients between Si and sapphire. The performance of VLEDs with wafer bonding method using Al-alloyed graphite supporter was compared to those fabricated by Cu plating methods. The output power of the chips with wafer bonding method was nearly same as the one with Cu-plating method. However, the forward voltage of VLEDs with wafer bonding method was higher than those with Cu-plating method. In the terms of reliabilities the wafer bonding process is more preferable to Cu-plating and our report proposes that Al-alloyed graphite could be one of promising candidates for the supporters in wafer bonding process.

COMP-angiopoietin-1 enhances skeletal muscle blood flow and insulin sensitivity in mice.

To test whether chronic enhanced blood flow alters insulin-stimulated glucose uptake, we measured skeletal muscle glucose uptake in chow-fed and high-fat-fed mice injected with adenovirus containing modified angiopoietin-1, COMP-Ang1, via euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. Blood flow rates and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 positive endothelial cells in the hindlimb skeletal muscle were elevated in COMP-Ang1 compared with control LacZ. Whole body glucose uptake and whole body glycogen/lipid synthesis were elevated in COMP-Ang1 compared with LacZ in chow diet. High-fat diet significantly reduced whole body glucose uptake and whole body glycolysis in LacZ mice, whereas high-fat-fed COMP-Ang1 showed a level of whole body glucose uptake that was comparable with chow-fed LacZ and showed increased glucose uptake compared with high-fat-fed LacZ. Glucose uptake and glycolysis in gastrocnemius muscle of chow-fed COMP-Ang1 were increased compared with chow-fed LacZ. High-fat diet-induced whole body insulin resistance in the LacZ was mostly due to approximately 40% decrease in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. In contrast, COMP-Ang1 prevented diet-induced skeletal muscle insulin resistance compared with high-fat-fed LacZ. Akt phosphorylation in skeletal muscle was increased in COMP-Ang1 compared with LacZ in both chow-fed and high-fat-fed groups. These results suggest that increased blood flow by COMP-Ang1 increases insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and prevents high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.

Stretch-activated and background non-selective cation channels in rat atrial myocytes.

1. Stretch-activated channels (SACs) were studied in isolated rat atrial myocytes using the whole-cell and single-channel patch clamp techniques. Longitudinal stretch was applied by using two patch electrodes. 2. In current clamp configuration, mechanical stretch of 20 % of resting cell length depolarised the resting membrane potential (RMP) from -63.6 +/- 0.58 mV (n = 19) to -54.6 +/- 2.4 mV (n = 13) and prolonged the action potential duration (APD) by 32.2 +/- 8.8 ms (n = 7). Depolarisation, if strong enough, triggered spontaneous APs. In the voltage clamp configuration, stretch increased membrane conductance in a progressive manner. The current-voltage (I-V ) relationship of the stretch-activated current (ISAC) was linear and reversed at -6.1 +/- 3.7 mV (n = 7). 3. The inward component of ISAC was abolished by the replacement of Na+ with NMDG+, but ISAC was hardly altered by the Cl- channel blocker DIDS or removal of external Cl-. The permeability ratio for various cations (PCs:PNa:PLi = 1.05:1:0.98) indicated that the SAC current was a non-selective cation current (ISAC,NC). The background current was also found to be non-selective to cations (INSC,b); the permeability ratio (PCs:PNa:PLi = 1.49:1:0.70) was different from that of ISAC,NC. 4. Gadolinium (Gd3+) acted on INSC,b and ISAC,NC differently. Gd3+ inhibited INSC,b in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC50 value of 46.2 +/- 0.8 microM (n = 5). Consistent with this effect, Gd3+ hyperpolarised the resting membrane potential (-71.1 +/- 0.26 mV, n = 9). In the presence of Gd3+ (0.1 mM), stretch still induced ISAC,NC and diastolic depolarisation. 5. Single-channel activities were recorded in isotonic Na+ and Cs+ solutions using the inside-out configuration. In NMDG+ solution, outward currents were abolished. Gd3+ (100 microM) strongly inhibited channel opening both from the inside and outside. In the presence of Gd3+ (100 microM) in the pipette solution, an increase in pipette pressure induced an increase in channel opening (21.27 +/- 0.24 pS; n = 7), which was distinct from background activity. 6. We concluded from the above results that longitudinal stret in rat atrial myocytes induces the activation of non-selective cation channels that can be distinguished from background channels by their different electrophysiology and pharmacology.

(+)-Alpha-viniferin, an anti-inflammatory compound from Caragana chamlagu root.

The roots of Caragana chamlagu Lamarck (Leguminosae) are used as an anti-neuralgic, anti-rheumatic, anti-arthritic, etc. in the folk medicine of Korea. An ether extract was fractionated with monitoring of the anti-inflammatory activity, and the active principle was elucidated as (+)-alpha-viniferin on the basis of spectroscopic data, including two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and circular dichroism spectra.