Recent studies of the stratum corneum (SC) in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) have disclosed various functional impairments even in clinically unaffected skin. However, it has not been clear whether the presence of atopic background itself has any influence on the function of the SC. In this study, we conducted functional studies of the SC in the mid-portion of the flexor surface of the forearm of 49 skin lesion-free patients with allergic rhinitis to Japanese cedar pollen (atopic respiratory disease; ARD) in early spring, their disease-active season, by comparing the findings obtained with those in 28 patients with AD and 57 age-matched healthy control subjects. The results showed that the patients with ARD had significantly lower skin surface hydration levels assessed by high-frequency conductometry than those of the healthy control subjects. These levels were, however, not as low as those noted in moderately or severely affected patients with AD. Moreover, by measuring the amounts of water-soluble amino acids contained in the superficial portions of the SC, we found that these are also decreased at a marginal level (P = 0.051) in patients with ARD compared with levels in healthy control subjects. In contrast, the water barrier function of the SC evaluated by measurements of transepidermal water loss in patients with ARD was not different from that of the healthy control subjects. These results suggest that, although their skin appears normal clinically, the SC of the patients with ARD has functional deficiency in water-holding capacity.

The position and effective resistance of microstructural barriers and their relation to the fatigue strength of blunt‐notched specimens are analysed and modelled for three low‐carbon steel microstructures. A relationship for the notch size effect on the basis of the experimental evidence that the fatigue limit (both plain and notched) represents the threshold stress for the propagation of the nucleated microstructurally short cracks, was derived. The derived relationship characterizes the fatigue notch sensitivity by means of the parameter ktd defined as the stress concentration introduced by the notch at a distance d from the notch root surface equal to the distance between microstructural barriers, and was experimentally verified for two notch geometries in three microstructures: ferrite, ferrite–bainite and bainite–martensite.

No abstract

No abstract

The results indicate that colorectal cancers, once they invade beyond the submucosa, have the same metastatic potential, irrespective of tumour size. The low frequency of concomitant adenoma implies de novo carcinogenesis of the small advanced cancers.

No abstract

A low resistance salicide technology which includes a formation of Selective W on TiSi, and an mnealing after W deposition (SWAN) has been proposed. A remarkable reduction in sheet resistance (down to 1/10) and thermal stability (up to 850°C) have been achieved for quarter-micron CMOS. 1.INTRODUCTIONAs the device size shrinks, TiSi, thickness should also be reduced to realize shallower source/drain junctions. In quarter micron devices, the TiSi, can never have a low resistivity. This is because the reduced line width and film thickness demand a higher phase transition temperature[ 11, while agglomeration temperature of TiSbdecreases in thinner TiSiJ21.In this paper, we present a new salicide structure which consists of a tungsten layer selectively deposited on TiSi,. The tungsten layer gives a sufficiently low sheet resistance, making the phase transition from C49 to C54 TiSi, unnecessary. The major role of TiSi, is as a barrier layer (against the diffusion of W and Si) rather than a low resistance layer. This new salicide structm has been accomplished by developing W selective chemical vapor deposition technology on metastable C49 TiSi,. -- 2.TECHNOLOGYIn the fabrication of W-covered TiSi,, there are two major difficulties. First, fluoride compound, which inhibits good contact, is formed on TiSi, films exposed to WF,[3]. Second, the nucleation of W is very poor on TiSi,. Other studies showed that W could be deposited on the surface-nitrided TiSi, without forming fluoride compounds[4], while the poor nucleation problem still remains [5].To solve these problems, the novel technology, SWAN includes two key points$) the formation of W on C49 TiSi, to enhance nucleation of W, (ii) the rapid lhermal -annealing(RTA) after W deposition to remove fluoride from the nucleation layer in the Tis&. An outline of the SWAN process is shown in Fig.1. Fig.2 shows a TEM cross-sectional view of a 0 . 2 5~ &OS transistor using SWAN technology. 3.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Nucleation of W on TiSi,Fig.:3(a) shows a SEM micrograph after W deposition on C49TiSi,. Gr~od selectivity and morphology of W have been achieved on C49 TiSi, However, on C54 TiSi, the morphology was very poor (Fig:.3(b)). The possible explanation of the improved nucleation in Fig.3(a) is the favorable reaction of WF, with C49 Tis4 compared with that of C54 TiSG. The estimated W growth rate on C49 TiSi, was 4nm/sec., and that of C54 TiSi, was under OSnm/sec. Fig.4 shows cross-sectional TEM micrographs after selective W deposition on C49 TiSi, and on C54 TiSi,. A nucleation layer of approximately lOnm thickness exists on C49 Tis&, while on C54 TiSi, there are few observable nucleation sites. AES measurement detected Ti, Si, and F in the nucleation layer. Removal offluorine at the nucleation layerFig.5 shows the AES depth profiles of W/riSi, layer. The asdeposited profile (Fig.S(a)) indicates that the fluoride layer exists between W layer and TiSi, layer. However, the 2nd RTA at 800°C could successfully remove fluorine (FigS(b)), thus greatly reducing resistivity of the ...

No abstract