Explore the vast range of titles available.

Phase-change memory technology relies on the electrical and optical properties of certain materials changing substantially when the atomic structure of the material is altered by heating 1 or some other excitation process 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 . For example, switching the composite Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 (GST) alloy from its covalently bonded amorphous phase to its resonantly bonded metastable cubic crystalline phase decreases the resistivity by three orders of magnitude 6 , and also increases reflectivity across the visible spectrum 7 , 8 . Moreover, phase-change memory based on GST is scalable 9 , 10 , 11 , and is therefore a candidate to replace Flash memory for non-volatile data storage applications. The energy needed to switch between the two phases depends on the intrinsic properties of the phase-change material and the device architecture; this energy is usually supplied by laser or electrical pulses 1 , 6 . The switching energy for GST can be reduced by limiting the movement of the atoms to a single dimension, thus substantially reducing the entropic losses associated with the phase-change process 12 , 13 . In particular, aligning the c -axis of a hexagonal Sb 2 Te 3 layer and the 〈111〉 direction of a cubic GeTe layer in a superlattice structure creates a material in which Ge atoms can switch between octahedral sites and lower-coordination sites at the interface of the superlattice layers. Here we demonstrate GeTe/Sb 2 Te 3 interfacial phase-change memory (IPCM) data storage devices with reduced switching energies, improved write-erase cycle lifetimes and faster switching speeds. Limiting the movement of Ge atoms to one dimension improves the performance of data-storage devices based on the Ge–Sb–Te material system.

Noninvasive measurement of the distribution and oxygenation state of hemoglobin (Hb) inside the tissue is strongly required to analyze the tumor-associated vasculatures. We developed a photoacoustic imaging (PAI) system with a hemispherical-shaped detector array (HDA). Here, we show that PAI system with HDA revealed finer vasculature, more detailed blood-vessel branching structures, and more detailed morphological vessel characteristics compared with MRI by the use of breast shape deformation of MRI to PAI and their fused image. Morphologically abnormal peritumoral blood vessel features, including centripetal photoacoustic signals and disruption or narrowing of vessel signals, were observed and intratumoral signals were detected by PAI in breast cancer tissues as a result of the clinical study of 22 malignant cases. Interestingly, it was also possible to analyze anticancer treatment-driven changes in vascular morphological features and function, such as improvement of intratumoral blood perfusion and relevant changes in intravascular hemoglobin saturation of oxygen. This clinical study indicated that PAI appears to be a promising tool for noninvasive analysis of human blood vessels and may contribute to improve cancer diagnosis.

We analysed the vascular morphology of the palm using a photoacoustic tomography (PAT) instrument with a hemispherical detector array. The three-dimensional (3D) morphology of blood vessels was determined noninvasively. Overall, 12 females and 11 males were recruited as healthy volunteers. Their ages were distributed almost evenly from 22 to 59 years. In all cases, many vascular networks were observed just beneath the skin and were determined to be veins anatomically. To analyse the major arteries, the layer containing the subcutaneous venous network was removed from the image. The analysis focused on the common and proper palmar digital arteries. We used the curvature of these arteries as a parameter to analyse their morphologies. There was no significant difference in the curvature between genders when comparing the subjects as a whole. The blood vessel curvature increased with age. Good agreement was found between the 3D numerical analysis results and the subjective evaluation of the two-dimensional (2D) projection image. The PAT system enabled visualization of the 3D features of blood vessels in the palm and noninvasive analysis of arterial tortuousness.

Abstract Introduction The use of information and communication technology (ICT) for sleep testing is mainly aimed at improving the accuracy of out-of-center sleep testing (OCST) by remote monitoring. In this study, as the first achievement in Japan, we report the results of our sleep medical clinic and hospital unit. For the diagnosis of sleep disorders, monitoring polysomnography (PSG) attending sleep technologist is the gold standard and is positioned as Type I. On the other hand, diagnosis using OCST has become acceptable because many patients can be diagnosed quickly and cost can be reduced.When using Type II devices that measure electroencephalogram at home, the measurement accuracy is inevitable, including poor recording, because it is performed in a non-monitoring situation. As an attempt to improve this situation, our clinic and hospital unit have established a remote monitoring PSG system that can be upgraded from Type II to Type I level by remote monitoring by a sleep technologist to ensure recording accuracy. Methods During the period from April 2004 to December 2017, a total of 286 remote monitoring PSGs were performed by dedicated sleep technologists at the Ota Memorial Sleep Center for patients admitted to a private room at Ota General Hospital. Results The breakdown of the reasons for requesting remote monitoring tests is about 30% of patients scheduled to undergo surgerysuch as palatine tonsillectomy or soft palate plastic surgery the next day, and 24% of hospitalized patients with risky complications %, 17% of patients expected to have a high probability of nighttime seizures and abnormal behavior, and 15% were physically disabled or paralyzed. Conclusion Our remote monitoring PSG system is effectively used in the clinic for the general hospital for patients who need nighttime safety management and nursing management. Support non

Abstract Introduction In Japan, the many of the patients are not able to access the specialized sleep medical facilities for overnight polysomnography(PSG) due to less availability and cost issues. Purpose of the study is to examine whether combination of video monitoring and other clinical examinations can reliably predict the severity of pediatric OSA compared with PSG. Methods Between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2019, total of 175 children (3-12 years of age, boy 122, girl 53) with SDB were enrolled in this individual prospective-cohort study. In-laboratory based PSG were performed for all patients and sleep stages and respiratory events were manually scored. Video monitoring was performed during PSG. Modified video-recording test scoring system (based on Sivan et al 1996), were scored by laboratory technicians. Other clinical examinations were extracted from each PSG with ENT examinations, cephalogram, and rhinomanometry for all patient Results Multiple linear regression analyses was performed with a forward stepwise approach in which independent predictors that were significantly related to severity of OSA (AHI: 5/hr and 10/hr). Applying the multiple logistic regression analysis, the independent predictors for AHI 5/hr were ODI 3% >3/hr, rhinomanometry (NR>0.5 Pa/cm3/sec), enlargement of tonsils (Brodsky classification more than 2), two video monitoring items and total score, with an accuracy of predictive statistic model was 88.0% (sensitivity 78.3%, and specificity 93.0%). For the severity above AHI 10/hr, the independent predictors were Cephalogram parameter (Fx>84°), Oximetry (ODI 3% >5/hr) and BMI<15 with the video monitoring parameters of whole night inspiratory noise (loud) and chest retraction contribute to predict with the sensitivity 91.5%, the specificity 82.6% and the accuracy 88.0%. Conclusion Video monitor scoring parameters contributed to predict both AHI 5/hr and 10/hr with good overall sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy compare with the combination of objective results alone. Instead of PSG, the combination of video scoring system and multiple clinical examinations could potentially provide reliable diagnostic approach for pediatric OSA with high accuracy. These results will support to establish more efficient diagnostic strategy for both patients and physicians Support N/A

Abstract Introduction Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a social problem that can lead to cardiovascular disease, traffic accidents resulting from daytime sleepiness and other effects due to sleep disordered breathing. Polysomnography (PSG) testing is necessary for the diagnosis of OSA at a professional medical facility but not all medical facilities can perform PSG testing. However, Japan has the highest number of CT scanners per capita. Therefore, CT imaging was investigated to determine whether it can predict the severity of OSA and might be useful to understand the anatomical pathophysiology of OSA. Methods We enrolled 326 consecutive male patients with OSA who were diagnosed by PSG and consented to CT imaging, and who were less than 65 years old, from from April 2014 to March 2015 at the Ota Memorial Sleep Center. We measured details of the maxillofacial structure of each OSA patient from three-dimensional construction of his CT data. All measurements, clinical findings and patient backgrounds were evaluated using multiple regression analysis. Further, the results were evaluated in OSA patients separated into 2 groups according to their obesity. Results The group of non-obese (BMI>25kg/m2) OSA patients included 159 cases. Independent predictors were the hyoid position, the airway volume of the pharynx, the size of tonsils, age, anteroposterior length of the cranium and the length of the tongue (R2=0.374). The group of obese (BMI≦25kg/m2) OSA patients included 167 cases. Selected independent predictors were the hyoid position, the BMI and the anteroposterior length of the mandibular body (R2=0.393). Conclusion Using a prediction equation created from the maxillofacial CT data, it is possible to predict the severity of OSA. We propose that this prediction equation be used as a screening for the OSA of the facility where the PSG testing can not be performed. However, there are problems with patient X-ray exposure, and it is necessary to change to non-radiation inspection such as MRI and surface scan. In the future, we will develop standards for the CT analysis of these data to predict the severity of OSA. Support (If Any) -

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of co-treatment of antibacterial agent that has susceptibility or non-susceptibility to Bacteroides spp. on prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) in warfarin-treated patients. Eligible patients were those who co-treated with warfarin and antibacterial agent that has susceptibility or non-susceptibility to Bacteroides...

High-pressure phase transformations between the polymorphic forms I, II, III, and IIIb of CaCO 3 were investigated by analytical in situ high-pressure high-temperature experiments on oriented single-crystal samples. All experiments at non-ambient conditions were carried out by means of Raman scattering, X-ray, and synchrotron diffraction techniques using diamond-anvil cells in the pressure range up to 6.5 GPa. The composite-gasket resistive heating technique was applied for all high-pressure investigations at temperatures up to 550 K. High-pressure Raman spectra reveal distinguishable characteristic spectral differences located in the wave number range of external modes with the occurrence of band splitting and shoulders due to subtle symmetry changes. Constraints from in situ observations suggest a stability field of CaCO 3 -IIIb at relatively low temperatures adjacent to the calcite-II field. Isothermal compression of calcite provides the sequence from I to II, IIIb, and finally, III, with all transformations showing volume discontinuities. Re-transformation at decreasing pressure from III oversteps the stability field of IIIb and demonstrates the pathway of pressure changes to determine the transition sequence. Clausius–Clapeyron slopes of the phase boundary lines were determined as: Δ P /Δ T  = −2.79 ± 0.28 × 10 −3  GPa K −1 (I–II); +1.87 ± 0.31 × 10 −3  GPa K −1 (II/III); +4.01 ± 0.5 × 10 −3  GPa K −1 (II/IIIb); −33.9 ± 0.4 × 10 −3  GPa K −1 (IIIb/III). The triple point between phases II, IIIb, and III was determined by intersection and is located at 2.01(7) GPa/338(5) K. The pathway of transition from I over II to IIIb can be interpreted by displacement with small shear involved (by 2.9° on I/II and by 8.2° on II/IIIb). The former triad of calcite-I corresponds to the [20-1] direction in the P 2 1 / c unit cell of phase II and to [101] in the pseudomonoclinic C 1 ¯ setting of phase IIIb. Crystal structure investigations of triclinic CaCO 3 -III at non-ambient pressure–temperature conditions confirm the reported structure, and the small changes associated with the variation in P and T explain the broad stability of this structure with respect to variations in P and T . PVT equation of state parameters was determined from experimental data points in the range of 2.20–6.50 GPa at 298–405 K providing K T 0  = 87.5(5.1) GPa, ( δK T / δT) P  = −0.21(0.23) GPa K −1 , α 0  = 0.8(21.4) × 10 −5  K −1 , and α 1  = 1.0(3.7) × 10 −7  K −1 using a second-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state formalism.

Spin transition has attracted the interest of researchers in various fields since the early 1930s, with thousands of examples now recognized, including those in minerals and biomolecules. However, so far the metal centres in which it has been found to occur are almost always octahedral six-coordinate 3 d 4 to 3 d 7 metals, such as Fe( II ). A five-coordinate centre is only rarely seen. Here we report that under pressure SrFe( II )O 2 , which features a four-fold square-planar coordination, exhibits a transition from high spin ( S  = 2) to intermediate spin ( S  = 1). This is accompanied by a transition from an antiferromagnetic insulating state to a ferromagnetic so-called half-metallic state: only half of the spin-down ( d xz , d yz ) states are filled. These results highlight the square-planar coordinated iron oxides as a new class of magnetic and electric materials. Spin transitions — metal ions changing from high- to low-spin states — can be triggered by a range of stimuli and have normally only been observed in octahedrally coordinated ions. Now, a four-coordinate, square-planar iron(II) compound, SrFeO 2 , exhibits such a spin transition, accompanied by a transition from an antiferromagnetic insulator to a ferromagnetic half-metal.