Optical trapping and directional high-speed rotation by radiation pressure are demonstrated for anisotropic micro-objects fabricated by reactive ion-beam etching. These micro-objects, which have shape dissymmetry (not bilateral symmetry but rotational symmetry) in the horizontal cross section, rotate about the laser beam axis in the designed direction in a liquid medium (e.g., water or alcohol). The rotation speed is almost proportional to the input laser power.

In-plane thermal conductivity of the thermoelectric layered cobalt oxides has been measured using the Harman method, in which thermal conductivity is obtained from temperature gradient induced by applied current. We have found that the charge reservoir block (the block other than the CoO2 block) dominates the thermal conduction, where a nano-block integration concept is effective for material design. We have further found that the thermal conductivity shows a small but finite in-plane anisotropy between a and b axes, which can be ascribed to the misfit structure.

The minimal cardiopulmonary bypass (mini-CPB) circuit, a closed system with neither cardiotomy suction nor an open venous reservoir and thus no air-blood interface, reportedly reduces blood loss and inflammatory reactions associated with coronary bypass surgery. We evaluated the inflammatory reactions in patients in whom coronary bypass operations were performed with conventional CPB or mini-CPB (n=15 each). Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and neutrophil elastase levels; the neutrophil count; and the C-reactive protein value were measured before and immediately after surgery and on postoperative days 1 and 2. In addition, intraoperative blood loss and the transfusion volume were evaluated in these groups. Neutrophil elastase levels were lower in the mini-CPB group than in the conventional group on postoperative days 1 (127 +/- 52 vs. 240 +/- 100 microg/l, P=0.013) and 2 (107 +/- 17 vs. 170 +/- 45 micro/l, P=0.0001), as was the IL-8 level on postoperative day 1 (8.3 +/- 6.4 vs. 19 +/- 11 pg/ml, P=0.016). The intraoperative blood loss and transfusion volumes were significantly lower in the mini-CPB group than in the conventional group (510 +/- 244 vs. 1046 +/- 966 ml, P=0.012, and 691 +/- 427 vs. 1416 +/- 918 ml, P=0.0033). Thus, mini-CPB appears to attenuate neutrophil activation and cytokine release after coronary bypass surgery and, in addition, has some beneficial effects on blood conservation.

A cantilever resonant microbeam, laser diodes, and a photodiode have been fabricated on the surface of a gallium arsenide substrate. The microbeam is excited photothermally by light from a laser diode. The vibration is detected with a photodiode as the variation in light output caused by the difference in optical length between the microbeam and another laser diode. A high carrier-to-noise ratio (45 decibels) is achieved with a short (3 micrometers) external cavity length. Such a small distance allows a lensless system, which increases the ease of fabrication. This work could lead to applications in which photomicrodynamic systems are monolithically integrated on a gallium arsenide substrate with surface micromachining technology.

Zinc-blende GaN films were grown on GaAs (100) substrates by low-pressure metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy using trimethylgallium or triethylgallium and NH 3. Films grown at lower temperatures contained considerable amounts of carbon, but the carbon concentration was reduced in high temperature growth. When the film was grown at 950~ using triethylgallium and NH3, its carbon concentration was on the order of 10 ~7 cm -3. The crystalline and optical quality ofzinc-blende GaN crystal also improved with high-temperature growth at a low V/III ratio using a thin buffer layer. The films exhibited only one sharp photoluminescence peak at 3.20 eV with a full width at half maximum as low as 70 meV at room temperature.

Previous studies have examined outcomes in dialysis patients undergoing cardiac surgery. However, only a few studies have solely focused on outcomes after aortic valve replacement (AVR). This study aimed to clarify independent predictors of the long-term survival of dialysis patients with AVR and to determine whether a mechanical valve or bioprosthesis is suitable based on the patient's condition. A total of 38 consecutive dialysis patients who underwent AVR at our institute were reviewed (mean age 69.1 ± 9.4 years). There were 23 bioprostheses and 15 mechanical valve replacements. The operative mortality and the long-term survival were not different between the bioprosthesis and the mechanical valve group (13.0 vs. 13.3%). The significant multivariate predictors for long-term survival were concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and prosthesis size. Valve types and age at operation did not affect long-term survival. Five-year survival of patients with small prosthetic valves and concomitant CABG was 0%. When the patient's quality of life is taken into account, it may be appropriate to use a bioprosthesis in a dialysis patient with a small annulus and concomitant CABG even if the patient is young.

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