The Change of Grip Strength in a Patient with Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy Over a 4-year Period

Myotonic dystrophy (MyD) is a neuromuscular disease that is autosomal dominant and the most common form of muscular dystrophy affecting adults. The clinical features of MyD include a multisystemic disorder characterized by myotonia, progressive muscle weakness and wasting, cataracts, premature balding and mental retardation. The most severe type of MyD is classified as congenital MyD (CMyD). The muscle weakness in CMyD is very severe, but muscle development can be observed in the period of growth. However, no clinical case of this type has been reported yet. Therefore, we report on a girl with CMyD who had an increase in muscle strength over a four-year period. The girl with CMyD participated in this study from the age of 9 to the age of 12. The measurement of muscle strength was recorded as the maximum score of grip strength with the use of dynamometers. Grip strength was assessed once a year by the same two physical therapists. Grip strength of CMyD for each year was markedly weak when compared with the normal controls, but muscle strength changed within some specific growth areas. The muscle weakness in CMyD was remarkable, but the result showed that specific muscle strength of CMyD in childhood was actually increased.     

Synthesis and characterization of diphenylaminodiphenyl stryl based alternating copolymers

Diphenylaminobiphenylated stryl based alternating copolymers with phenyl or fluorene, which were expected to have a terphenylene vinylene backbone containing an (N,N‐diphenylamino)biphenyl pendant and a phenyl/fluorene/phenylene vinylene backbone containing an (N,N‐diphenylamino)biphenyl pendant, were synthesized by a Suzuki coupling reaction. The obtained copolymers were confirmed with various types of spectroscopy. The alternating copolymers showed good hole‐injection properties because of their low oxidation potential and good solubility and high thermal stability with a high glass‐transition temperature. The alternating copolymers showed blue emissions because of the adjusted conjugation lengths; the maximum wavelength was 460 nm for poly{4,4′‐biphenylene‐α‐[4″‐(N,N′‐diphenylamino)diphenyl]vinylene‐alt‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)‐2‐methoxybenzene} and 487 nm for poly{4,4′‐biphenylene‐α‐[4″‐(N,N′‐diphenylamino)diphenyl] vinylene‐alt‐9,9‐dihexylfluorene}. The maximum brightness of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4‐ethylene dioxythiophene)/polymer/LiF/Al devices with poly{4,4′‐biphenylene‐α‐[4″‐(N,N′‐diphenylamino)diphenyl]vinylene‐alt‐5‐(2′‐ethylhexyloxy)‐2‐methoxybenzene} or poly{4,4′‐biphenylene‐α‐[4″‐(N,N′‐diphenylamino)diphenyl]vinylene‐alt‐9,9‐dihexylfluorene} as the emitting layer was 250 or 1000 cd/m², respectively. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 341–347, 2007     

AC Poling study of lead zirconate titanate/vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene composites

It is experimentally known that a polymer matrix phase in a composite of ferroelectric particles dispersed in a ferroelectric polymer can be polarized by using a few cycles of an ac field, without causing much disturbance to the state of polarization of the inclusion particles. This paper attempts to investigate this special poling process for a typical ferroelectric composite system of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramic particles in a vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) copolymer matrix, upon the application of 10 Hz ac fields of various amplitudes. Compared to a copolymer sample, the composite samples can be polarized at a lower field, and hence show a larger remanent polarization at the same poling field. Among the composites, the observed remanent polarization increases with increasing ceramic volume fraction. These experimental observations can be understood by a simple model, in which space charges are allowed to accumulate at the particle-matrix interfaces because of the electrical conductivity of the constituents. At a fast switching poling field of 10 Hz, the calculation shows that conductivity and charge accumulation effects in the composite are only minimal. Accordingly, although the PZT phase as well as the copolymer phase are both polarized under the ac field, the ceramic phase is only polarized to about 10% when the copolymer phase is almost fully polarized. Thus, one can still use an ac field to polarize only the copolymer phase of the composite without altering the polarization state of the ceramic phase significantly. PACS 77.22.Ej; 77.84.Lf     

Release of N(2) from the carbon nanotubes via high-temperature annealing

Nitrogen (N)-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were heated to 1000 degrees C under an ultrahigh vacuum. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) reveal three different N structures; graphitelike, pyridine-like, and molecular N(2). The vibrationally resolved XANES peaks of N(2) were first observed, suggesting the existence of molecular N(2) as intercalated and trapped forms. The annealing process can decrease the average N content from 6.3 at. % to 3.3 at. %, mainly by releasing molecular N(2). Electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) confirms that the annealing releases molecular N(2) from the CNTs.     

Optical weak link between two spatially separated Bose-Einstein condensates

Two spatially separate Bose-Einstein condensates were prepared in an optical double-well potential. A bidirectional coupling between the two condensates was established by two pairs of Bragg beams which continuously outcoupled atoms in opposite directions. The atomic currents induced by the optical coupling depend on the relative phase of the two condensates and on an additional controllable coupling phase. This was observed through symmetric and antisymmetric correlations between the two outcoupled atom fluxes. A Josephson optical coupling of two condensates in a ring geometry is proposed. The continuous outcoupling method was used to monitor slow relative motions of two elongated condensates and characterize the trapping potential.     

Experimental evidence for the p-d hybridization in the Cd-Ca quasicrystal: origin of the pseudogap

Ca 2p-3d resonant photoemission spectroscopy of a Cd6Ca crystalline approximant unambiguously demonstrates that the low-lying unoccupied 3d levels of calcium are lowered below the Fermi energy by the formation of the approximant, as suggested from electronic structure calculations [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 206408 (2001)]]. Moreover, the Ca 3d partial density of states (DOS) obtained near the Fermi energy is in reasonable agreement with theoretical Ca 3d DOS. These results verify the unconventional picture that the origin of the pseudogap in the Cd-based quasicrystals is due to hybridization of the Ca 3d band with the Cd 5p band.     

Nature of the well screened state in hard X-ray Mn 2p core-level photoemission measurements of La1-xSrxMnO3 films

Using hard x-ray (HX; hnu=5.95 keV) synchrotron photoemission spectroscopy (PES), we study the intrinsic electronic structure of La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO(3) (LSMO) thin films. Comparison of Mn 2p core-levels with soft x-ray (SX; hnu approximately 1000 eV) PES shows a clear additional well-screened feature only in HX PES. Takeoff-angle dependent data indicate its bulk (> or =20 A) character. The doping and temperature dependence track the ferromagnetism and metallicity of the LSMO series. Cluster model calculations including charge transfer from doping-induced states show good agreement, confirming this picture of bulk properties reflected in Mn 2p core-levels using HX PES.     

A Color Appearance Model Applicable in Mesopic Vision

We propose a color vision model that can be used to predict color appearance in mesopic vision as well as photopic and scotopic vision. It is based on a two-stage model which consists of the cone and opponent stages and it assumes rod intrusion at the opponent stage. The model has the following features to describe the color appearance in mesopic vision. First, it includes a gradual and nonlinear shift in spectral luminous efficiency from V (LD) to V (LD) to cope with the spectral sensitivity difference between photopic and scotopic vision and the nonlinearity of rod influence on the luminance channel. Second, the model assumes decrease of the chromatic component with decreasing illuminance to explain the reduction of saturation at low illuminance levels. Third, it assumes that red/green and yellow/blue components change with illuminance levels independently, thus explaining hue shifts with decreasing illuminance. We applied the model for color appearance simulation of natural scenes in a mesopic visual environment.