Direct growth of graphene on SiC(0001) by KrF-excimer-laser irradiation.

In this report, we propose a direct patterning method of graphene on the SiC(0001) surface by KrF-excimer-laser irradiation. In this method, Si atoms are locally sublimated from the SiC surface in the laser-irradiated area, and direct graphene growth is induced by the rearrangement of surplus carbon on the SiC surface. Using Raman microscopy, we demonstrated the formation of graphene by laser irradiation and observed the growth process by transmission electron microscopy and conductive atomic force microscopy.

Ultraviolet electroluminescence from hetero p-n junction between a single ZnO microsphere and p-GaN thin film.

We report ultraviolet electroluminescence from a hetero p-n junction between a single ZnO microsphere and p-GaN thin film. ZnO microspheres, which have high crystalline quality, have been synthesized by ablating a ZnO sintered target. It was found that synthesized ZnO microspheres had a high-optical property and exhibit the laser action in the whispering gallery mode under pulsed optical pumping.

Characteristics of extreme ultraviolet emission from mid-infrared laser-produced rare-earth Gd plasmas.

We characterize extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from mid-infrared (mid-IR) laser-produced plasmas (LPPs) of the rare-earth element Gd. The energy conversion efficiency (CE) and the spectral purity in the mid-IR LPPs at λL = 10.6 μm were higher than for solid-state LPPs at λL = 1.

Effect of laser annealing on photoluminescence properties of phosphorus implanted ZnO nanorods.

The effect of the nanosecond laser annealing on the photoluminescence (PL) property of phosphorus ions (P(+)) implanted ZnOnanorods (NRs) has been investigated. The nanosecond laser annealing was performed with the third harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (355nm, 10ns/pulse) at a fluence of 100mJ/cm(2). It turned out that nanosecond laser annealing is more effective in the recovery of the PL property compared with the thermal annealing using an electric furnace.

Lasing characteristics of an optically pumped single ZnO nanosheet.

We report the lasing characteristics of a single ZnO nanosheet optically pumped by ultraviolet laser beam. The ZnO nanosheets were synthesized by a carbothermal chemical vapor deposition method. The ZnO nanosheets dispersed on a silica glass substrate were excited by the third-harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (λ = 355 nm, τ = 5 ns) and photoluminescence from a single ZnO nanosheet was observed.

[Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT)].

To define and evaluate sleepiness thoroughly has not yet completely established because of its multidimensional aspects of character. Multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) and maintenance of wakefulness test (MWT) have been the important tools to assess sleepiness in the research and clinical settings, although they have several limitations and pitfalls. The coverage by the National Health Insurance of MSLT, since April 1, 2008, in Japan, so far not MWT, would extend the diagnosis and care of sleep disorders concerning excessive daytime sleepiness including narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

Thiazolidinediones ameliorate diabetic nephropathy via cell cycle-dependent mechanisms.

Thiazolidinediones are ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-gamma, widely used as insulin sensitizer in type 2 diabetic patients and implicated in apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell cycle regulation. Here, the effect of thiazolidinediones on G1-phase cell cycle arrest, the hallmark in diabetic nephropathy, was investigated. Eight-week-old male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rats were treated with pioglitazone (1 mg x kg body wt(-1) x day(-1)) until 50 weeks of age and compared with insulin treatment.

Dielectrophoretic fabrication and characterization of a ZnO nanowire-based UV photosensor.

Wide-gap semiconductors with nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanorods, nanowires are promising as a new type of UV photosensor. Recently, ZnO (zinc oxide) nanowires have been extensively investigated for electronic and optoelectronic device applications. ZnO nanowires are expected to have good UV response due to their large surface area to volume ratio, and they might enhance the performance of UV photosensors.

Development of a quasi-phase-matched, second-harmonic generation periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide with an integrated electro-optical modulator.

A novel type of waveguide quasi-phase-matched device with output electro-optical (EO) modulation is proposed and demonstrated. The second-harmonic generated output can be modulated with a high extinction ratio by integration of dual EO phase modulators on a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. Blue and green coherent light with EO modulation was demonstrated, and wavelength dispersion of r33 is discussed.

Galectin-9 inhibits glomerular hypertrophy in db/db diabetic mice via cell-cycle-dependent mechanisms.

Galectins are beta-galactoside-binding lectins that are involved in various biologic processes, such as apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell-cycle regulation. Galectin-9 (Gal-9) was identified previously and demonstrated to have apoptotic potential to thymocytes in mice and activated CD8(+) T cells in nephrotoxic serum nephritis model. In this study, the effect of Gal-9 on G1-phase cell-cycle arrest, one of the hallmark pathologic changes in early diabetic nephropathy, was investigated.

Visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor: a unique insulin-sensitizing adipocytokine in obesity.

There is a rapid global rise in obesity, and the link between obesity and diabetes remains somewhat obscure. We identified an adipocytokine, designated as visceral adipose tissue-derived serpin (vaspin), which is a member of serine protease inhibitor family. Vaspin cDNA was isolated by from visceral white adipose tissues (WATs) of Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rat, an animal model of abdominal obesity with type 2 diabetes.

The critical role of SRC homology domain 2-containing tyrosine phosphatase-1 in recombinant human erythropoietin hyporesponsive anemia in chronic hemodialysis patients.

The molecular mechanism of anemia that is hyporesponsive to recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) in hemodialysis patients without underlying causative factors has not been investigated fully in hematopoietic stem cell system. Circulating CD34+ cells (1 x 10(4)) were isolated from rHuEPO hyporesponsive hemodialysis patients (EPO-H; n = 9), patients who were responsive to rHuEPO (EPO-R; n = 9), and healthy control subjects (n = 9). The patients with known causes of EPO hyporesponsiveness were eliminated from the current study.