bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Atomic force microscopy studies on liquid inclusions and induced defects of cadmium mercury thiocyanate crystal
Authors: Jiang X. N. , Xu D.
Published: August 2003

Liquid inclusions and various defects accordingly induced on a nonlinear optical material of CMTC crystal were investigated by atomic force microscopy. Liquid inclusions are chiefly caused by formation of macrosteps, which result from impurity‐induced inhibiting of step growth and meeting of step trains advancing along different directions. Liquid inclusions induce generation of dislocations and even cracks within the crystal by three‐dimensional nucleation growth. Liquid inclusions also provide screw dislocation growth sources, leading to formation of spiral hillock trains with ridged tails. Etching experiments reveal circular hollow cores, indicative of screw dislocation growth, and negative crystals resulting from further crystallization in the liquid inclusions. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optical constants of DC magnetron sputtered titanium dioxide thin films measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry
Authors: Karunagaran B. , Rajendra Kumar R. T. , Viswanathan C. , Mangalaraj D. , Narayandass Sa. K. , Mohan Rao G.
Published: August 2003

Optical constants of DC magnetron sputtered TiO2 thin film have been determined by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry in the photon energy range 1.2 to 5.5 eV at room temperature. The measured dielectric‐function spectra reveal distinct structures at energies of the E1, E1 + Δ1 and E2 critical points are due to interband transitions. The root mean square roughness of the magnetron sputtered TiO2 thin films evaluated by ex‐situ atomic force microscopy is 5.8 nm. The Dielectric constant values were found to be substantially lower than those for the bulk TiO2. The dielectric related Optical constants, such as the refractive index, extinction coefficient, absorption coefficient and normal incidence of reflectivity determined from the spectroscopic ellipsometry data are presented and analyzed. The optical constants of the films were also determined using the optical transmittance measurements and the results were discussed. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Measurement of temperature and concentration dependences of refractive index of hen‐egg‐white lysozyme solution
Authors: Yin D. C. , Inatomi Y. , Wakayama N. I. , Huang W. D.
Published: August 2003

This paper reports the measurement of temperature and concentration dependences of the refractive index of hen‐egg‐white lysozyme (HEWL) solution, and the temperature dependence of refractive index of the quartz container, which are indispensable for the efforts to measure HEWL concentration of the solution during the processes like crystal growth and dissolution using interferometer. As all of these dependences might be different under different observation wavelengths, temperatures and solution compositions, it is necessary to measure them for specific conditions. In this paper, the desired dependences were measured without knowing the actual value of the refractive index. The measurement method was introduced and the measurement experiments were undertaken at wavelength 780 nm. The dependences obtained will be also useful for those studies employing the same wavelength and solution conditions. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Thermal conductivity and refractive indices of Nd:GdVO4 crystals
Authors: Qin L. J. , Meng X. L. , Shen H. Y. , Zhu L. , Xu B. C. , Huang L. X. , Xia H. R. , Zhao P. , Zheng G.
Published: August 2003

The thermal conductivities of Nd:YAG, M(Y,Gd)VO4 crystals were measured at 298 K. The value of Nd:GdVO4 crystal along <001> direction was 11.4 W/mK, which was higher than that of YAG crystal measured to be 10.7 W/mK. The principal refractive indices of Nd:GdVO4 crystal in the temperature range from 20 °C to 170 °C were determined by auto‐collimation method. Based on the measured values of refractive indices, the Sellmeier equation and expression of temperature dependence of refractive indices have been obtained. The measured results show that the birefringence Δn is 0.22007 at 20 °C and temperature coefficient of birefringence is 4.33 × 10−6/°C for 1.064 μm. These results prove that the GdVO4 crystal is a laser crystal with excellent thermal and birefringence properties. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Electrical properties of nitrogen implanted GaSe single crystal
Authors: Karabulut O. , Parlak M. , Turan R. , Serincan U. , Tasarkuyu E. , Akįnoglu B. G.
Published: August 2003

N‐implantation to GaSe single crystals was carried out perpendicular to c‐axis with ion beam of 6 × 1015 ions/cm2 dose having energy values 30 keV and 60 keV. Temperature dependent electrical conductivities and Hall mobilities of implanted samples were measured along the layer in the temperature range of 100‐320 K. It was observed that N‐implantation decreases the resistivity values down to 103 Ω‐cm depending on the annealing temperature, from the room temperature resistivity values of as‐grown samples lying in the range 106‐107 Ω‐cm. The temperature dependent conductivities exhibits two regions (100‐190 and 200‐320 K) with the activation energies of 234‐267 meV and 26‐74 meV, for the annealing temperatures of 500 and 700 °C, respectively. The temperature dependence of Hall mobility for the sample annealed at 500 °C shows abrupt increase and decrease as the ambient temperature increases. The analysis of the mobility‐temperature dependence in the studied temperature range showed that impurity scattering and lattice scattering mechanisms are effective at different temperature regions with high temperature exponent. Annealing of the samples at 700 °C shifted impurity scattering mechanism toward higher temperature regions. In order to obtain the information about the defect produced by N‐implantation, the carrier density was analyzed by using single donor‐single acceptor model. We found acceptor ionization energy as Ea = 450 meV, and acceptor and donor concentration as 1.3 × 1013 and Nd = 3.5 × 1010 cm−3, respectively. (© 2003 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The Global Reporting Initiative and corporate sustainability reporting in Swedish companies
Authors: Hedberg Carl‐Johan , von Malmborg Fredrik
Published: August 2003

With empirical evidence from Swedish companies, this paper analyses the phenomenon of corporate sustainability reporting (CSR) in general and the use of CSR guidelines developed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in particular. The main questions at issue are why companies have chosen to use the GRI guidelines and how this has affected corporate social responsibility and environmental management. From interviews with all Swedish companies that use the guidelines, we have found that companies produce CSRs mainly to seek organizational legitimacy, and that the main reason for use of the GRI guidelines is an expectation of increasing credibility of the CSR, but also that it provides a template for how to design a report. Moreover, we have found that the CSR report and the GRI guidelines are of more help for internal than external communication at this stage of development. It could help corporations to learn about themselves and to see what has actually been done in the organization. In all, the GRI guidelines would have the potential for gaining visibility and control of the triple bottom line on a corporate level, but they are in need of further development, not least in relation to the issue of verification. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Corporate social responsibility and the identification of stakeholders
Authors: Vos Janita F. J.
Published: August 2003

As a management problem the identification of stakeholders is not easily solved. It comprises a modelling and a normative issue, which need to be solved in connection with each other. In stakeholder literature knowledge can be found, e.g. on various stakeholder categorizations, that could be useful for the modelling issue. However, the normative issue remains unresolved. Additionally, the modelling of the so‐called stakeholder category ‘the affected’ further complicates this issue. Nevertheless, from a normative perspective, this group holds justified interests in aspects of organizational activity and its members are, for that reason, legitimate stakeholders. In this article it is explored to what extent critical systems heuristics can help in resolving the managerial problem of identifying stakeholders. Critical systems heuristics is a modelling methodology in which the normative aspect of modelling is crucial. Using the distinction between ‘the involved’ and ‘the affected’, a variety of boundary judgments are discussed. Special attention is given to the so‐called ‘witness’ as a representative of the affected. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Balancing performance, accountability and equity in stakeholder relationships: towards more socially responsible HR practice
Authors: Simmons John
Published: August 2003

The paper uses stakeholder analysis to examine issues of performance, accountability and equity in organizations; and to identify implications for more socially responsible HR practice. Its theme is that effective governance can be reconciled with social responsibility, and that incorporating stakeholder views in HR systems enhances organization performance and commitment. A performance management case study confirms the importance of incorporating stakeholder views when HR systems are designed or modified, and the implications for employee commitment and organizational justice if they are ignored. A ‘stakeholder systems’ model of performance management is offered as a means of developing robust and ethical HR systems. This delineates design, operation and evaluation stages, relates these to issues of accountability and organizational justice and suggests measures for assessing system effectiveness. Conclusions are related to research and practitioner agendas regarding stakeholder (and especially employee) ‘voice’. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Corporate social responsibility in international development: an overview and critique1
Authors: Michael Bryane
Published: August 2003

Within the literature focusing on CSR's role in development, three ‘schools of practice’ appear to be emerging: the neo‐liberal school (focused on self‐regulation by industry according to the risks and rewards of CSR activity), the state‐led school (focused on national and international regulation and co‐operation) and the ‘third way’ school (focused on the role of for profit and not‐for‐profit organizations. Yet, each of these schools of practice may be critiqued using theories applicable to the broader field of development. Namely, the neo‐liberal school fails to address the resource misallocations caused by CSR. The state‐led school fails to address the underlying politics behind government encouraged CSR. The ‘third way’ school fails to address the self‐interest involved in CSR. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
The potential for high‐performance design adoption in retail property portfolios
Authors: Preston Mark , Bailey Alison
Published: August 2003

Growing legislative pressures and increasing stakeholder awareness of environmental issues are pushing the property market to consider high‐performance, low‐impact retail buildings. The office sector is relatively advanced in its apparent appreciation of such buildings; however, the retail sector is slow to recognize these benefits. In exploring the business case for high‐performance design adoption in the retail sector, this paper examines the overlaps between office and retail sector benefits and considers the potential benefits peculiar to retailers. Barriers to high‐performance design adoption are then addressed through case research, interviews with key representatives from the retail property market and a questionnaire survey of FTSE listed retail company property departments. The paper concludes that information gaps are a significant hindrance to high‐performance property development and that they can be reduced, to some extent, by the forthcoming introduction of the BREEAM Retail environmental assessment tool. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Nucleation and Growth of Nanophasic CeO2 Thin Films by Plasma‐Enhanced CVD
Authors: Barreca D. , Gasparotto A. , Tondello E. , Sada C. , Polizzi S. , Benedetti A.
Published: August 2003

Nanophasic CeO2‐based thin films were grown at low temperatures on SiO2 and Si(100) by plasma‐enhanced (PE) CVD from a CeIV β‐diketonate first generation precursor. Film depositions were carried out in low‐pressure Ar–O2 plasmas at temperatures between 150 °C and 300 °C. The film microstructure was investigated by glancing incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while the surface and in‐depth chemical composition was studied by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), respectively. Optical properties were analyzed by UV‐vis optical absorption. Nanostructured CeO2‐based films, with crystal size less than 6 nm and a controllable CeIV/CeIII ratio, were obtained at temperatures even lower than that required for precursor vaporization (170 °C). In particular, TEM analyses showed an island growth mode and different microstructural features as a function of the substrate used.
CVD of Al2O3 Thin Films Using Aluminum Tri‐isopropoxide
Authors: Blittersdorf S. , Bahlawane N. , Kohse‐Höinghaus K. , Atakan B. , Müller J.
Published: August 2003

A stagnation point cold‐wall reactor was used for the CVD of corundum alumina (α‐Al2O3) on metallic substrates. Depositions were carried out under low pressure using the thermally induced pyrolytic oxidation of aluminum tri‐isopropoxide (ATI). The effects of the substrate temperature (300–1080 °C) and the total pressure (50–250 mbar) on the growth rate and morphology of the deposits were investigated. An excess of oxygen facilitates the formation of dense alumina films. Precursor depletion was prevented using high gas velocity, low ATI concentration, and a high temperature gradient. X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis provided evidence of corundum alumina deposition at substrate temperatures above 1000 °C.
ZrO2 Thin Films Grown on Silicon Substrates by Atomic Layer Deposition with Cp2Zr(CH3)2 and Water as Precursors
Authors: Putkonen M. , Niinistö J. , Kukli K. , Sajavaara T. , Karppinen M. , Yamauchi H. , Niinistö L.
Published: August 2003

ZrO2 thin films have been deposited onto (100) silicon substrates by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using Cp2Zr(CH3)2 (Cp = cyclopentadienyl) and water as precursors at 200–500 °C. Optimal results were obtained at 350 °C, with a deposition rate of 0.43 Å (cycle)–1. Films deposited at 300–400 °C were polycrystalline, with monoclinic ($ \bar 1 $11) as the preferred orientation. Carbon and hydrogen impurity levels in the films deposited at 350 °C were below the detection limit (0.1 at.‐%) of time of flight elastic recoil detection analysis (TOF‐ERDA). Dielectric properties of the deposited films were also determined. According to the high‐resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) analysis, 5 nm thick ZrO2 films were uniform when deposited onto untreated Si(100).
An image analysis‐based approach for automated counting of cancer cell nuclei in tissue sections
Authors: Loukas Constantinos G. , Wilson George D. , Vojnovic Borivoj , Linney Alf
Published: August 2003

Background

Semiquantitative evaluation and manual cell counting are the commonly used procedures to assess positive staining of molecular markers in tissue sections. Manual counting is also a laborious task in which consistent objectivity is difficult to achieve. Recently, image analysis has been explored, but the studies reported were limited to histological images acquired at high magnification and containing uniformly stained cells.

Methods

The analyzed material consisted of histological sections from different squamous cell cancers that had stained for proliferation using Ki‐67 and cyclin A detection. The first step of the method was based on detecting the overall number of cells irrespective to their stain, using second‐order edge detection methodology. Then proliferating cells were located using principal component analysis (PCA) of the color image, combined with histogram thresholding.

Results

The algorithms' performances were validated on tissue section images encountered in routine clinical practice by comparison with objective measures of performance and manual cell identification. The algorithms correlated closely with manual counting of all cells (r2 = 0.96–0.97) and stained cells (4–7% cell count error).

Conclusions

Cell counting in complex large‐scale histological images could be applied in routine practice using edge and color information. The proposed technique provides several benefits, such as speed of analysis, consistency, and automation. Moreover, it is faster than human observation and could replace the laborious task of manual cell counting. Cytometry Part A 55A:30–42, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Variation of the genome size estimate with environmental conditions in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Nardon Christiane , Weiss Michèle , Vieira Cristina , Biémont Christian
Published: August 2003

Background

Genome size is known to exhibit interspecies differences, but also to vary between populations within a given species and even between individual cells within an organism. Major differences have often been reported and attributed to differences in measurement conditions, in internal controls of genome size, and in the stains used. Flow cytometry using intercalating dyes is the most attractive method for measuring genome size.

Methods

We estimated relative genome size of nuclei from heads of Drosophila melanogaster adult males using a FACScalibur flow cytometer and propidium iodide.

Results

We have shown that the genome size estimates depended on the temperature and humidity of the rearing medium and decreased with age in adult flies. There were large differences in genome size estimates between the vials in which the flies were maintained, but only slight variations within the vials, supporting the idea that the size estimate depends on the fly rearing conditions. Changes in the temperature of the solution of head nuclei analyzed by the cytometer also influenced the genome size estimate.

Conclusions

These findings clearly show that the environmental conditions under which the flies were reared influence the genome size estimate, perhaps as a result of a change in the accessibility of the DNA to the fluorochrome. Caution is therefore called for when estimating genome size. Experimental artifact rather than adaptation may account for some of the correlations between genome size and environmental conditions reported in the literature. Cytometry Part A 55A:43–49, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Telomere length measurements in leukocyte subsets by automated multicolor flow‐FISH
Authors: Baerlocher Gabriela M. , Lansdorp Peter M.
Published: August 2003

Background

Telomeres are essential protein‐DNA structures at the end of chromosomes which are implicated in genome stability and cell replication. The average length of telomere repeats can be measured by in situ hybridization and flow cytometry [flow‐FISH]. Such telomere length values reflect telomere shortening (resulting from cell divisions, oxidative damage and other causes) and telomere elongation (mainly resulting from telomerase activity) of the chromosome‐specific telomere length inherited in the gametes. Here we report improvements in flow‐FISH methodology that enable measurements of telomere length in subsets of human nucleated blood cells.

Methods and Results

In order to measure the telomere length in granulocytes, naive T cells, memory T cells, B cells and natural killer (NK)/NKT cells within a blood sample, we combined flow‐FISH with antibody‐staining (Multicolor flow‐FISH). Most steps in the staining protocol were automated using a 96‐well microdispenser device. The minimum detectable difference in telomere length and the reproducibility of the method are in the range of 0.2–0.5 kb and measurements can be made with as few as a thousand cells.

Conclusions

Automated multicolor flow‐FISH will greatly facilitate studies of telomere length regulation in subsets of nucleated blood cells, especially when only few cells are available and when differences in telomere length are small. Cytometry Part A 55A:1–6, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
An analysis of changes in the expression of cyclins A and B1 by the cell array system during the cell cycle: Comparison between cell synchronization methods
Authors: Takita Morihito , Furuya Tomoko , Sugita Tomoya , Kawauchi Shigeto , Oga Atsunori , Hirano Takashi , Tsunoda Shinichi , Sasaki Kohsuke
Published: August 2003

Background

A novel high‐throughput analysis, cell array system, was developed for an extensive study of the expression of genes and/or the degradation of gene products at the cellular level. To exemplify the usefulness of this system, we showed the changes in the expression level of cyclin A and B1 during the cell cycle in a single experiment.

Methods

We used the cell array system to chase the changes in cyclin A and B1 expression during the cell cycle in HeLa cells. Cells were synchronized by mitotic selection and thymidine‐hydroxyurea methods. Cells were harvested at intervals of 1 h from 0 through 23 h. These 48 cell samples were spotted on a circle of the cell array glass slide. Cyclin A and B1 were immunologically stained with Alexa Fluor 488, and nuclear DNA was stained with propidium iodide. The amount of cyclins and nuclear DNA were simultaneously measured by a laser scanning cytometer.

Results

Both cyclins were expressed in a cell cycle‐dependent manner as previously reported. The precise time‐course of the expression level of cyclins were obtained at a single experiment with this cell array system.

Conclusions

This study indicates that the cell array system is valuable to analyze temporal course of protein expression in relation to the cell cycle position and, that it facilitates antigen expression studies at the cellular level in multiple samples. Cytometry Part A 55A:24–29, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new nondestructive cytometric assay based on resazurin metabolism and an organ culture model for the assessment of corneal viability
Authors: Perrot Sébastien , Dutertre‐Catella Hélène , Martin Chantal , Warnet Jean‐Michel , Rat Patrice
Published: August 2003

Background

Three‐dimensional culture or human corneal equivalents for safety testing are difficult to investigate with classic cytometric or biochemical methods. So a fluorometric method is proposed using resazurin probe.

Methods

Absorbance and fluorescence spectra of the oxidized and reduced forms of resazurin were performed to determine optimal measurement conditions. More than 100 enucleated porcine eyes were used for this experiment. Twelve corneas were immersed in resazurin solution and fluorescence was measured hourly from 1 to 10 h. Ninety benzalkonium chloride–treated corneas and control corneas were used as toxicity controls, and corneal viability was compared with in vivo rabbit eye irritation.

Results

After analysis of spectra, the optimal measurement condition of resazurin metabolism proved to be a fluorescence measurement using 570 nm excitation wavelength and 590 nm emission wavelength. The reduction of resazurin was optimal after 6 h of incubation. Resazurin metabolism by isolated pig corneas varied proportionately with the benzalkonium chloride concentration employed, clearly showing significant differences (P < 0.001) in agreement with the in vivo data.

Conclusion

The resazurin metabolism test can be used to evaluate corneal viability and can thus be a potential alternative for toxicological assessments. This assay allows rapid assessment of non destructed samples, with simple equipment and at a reduced cost for continuous monitoring of corneal viability and possibly other three‐dimensional cellular models. Cytometry Part A 55A:7–14, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Staurosporine‐induced apoptosis in human cornea epithelial cells in vitro
Authors: Härtel Steffen , Zorn‐Kruppa Michaela , Tykhonova Svitlana , Alajuuma Päivi , Engelke Maria , Diehl Horst A.
Published: August 2003

Background

Apoptosis is a an important process in corneal development, homeostasis, and disease. This study was performed to determine for the first time basic temporal apoptotic features of SV‐40 immortalized human corneal epithelial (HCE) cells. Additionally, we introduce a sensitive analysis of confocal microscopic images to measure the kinetics of staurosporine (STS) induced phosphatidylserine (PS) membrane translocation and early nuclear morphological changes.

Methods

HCE cells were cultured in the presence of STS to induce apoptosis. Caspase‐3 activity was measured with the fluorogenic substrate z‐DEVD‐rhodamine 110. We determined mitochondrial viability with a 4‐[3‐(4‐iodophenyl)‐2‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐2H‐5‐tetrazolio]‐1,3‐benzenedisulfonate reduction assay, and chromatin degradation with a fluorometric method using 4,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI). Membrane translocation of PS and nuclear alterations were assessed by quantitative fluorescence microscopy. Image processing routines were written in interactive data language (IDL).

Results

Nuclear alterations like hyperchromicity, pyknosis, and active chromatin reorganization evolved instantly after STS induction. They were followed by PS translocation, DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial breakdown, and caspase‐3 activation, which were detected between ≈90 min and 4 h.

Conclusions

Morphological and texture sensitive descriptors proved to be highly susceptible for the quantification of early apoptotic nuclear characteristics in HCE cells. We propose this method to be considered for the detection of subtle nuclear reorganization in cellular studies. Cytometry Part A 55A:15–23, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Interactions of fluorochrome‐labeled caspase inhibitors with apoptotic cells: A caution in data interpretation
Authors: Pozarowski P. , Huang X. , Halicka D. H. , Lee B. , Johnson G. , Darzynkiewicz Z.
Published: August 2003

Background

Fluorochrome‐labeled inhibitors of caspases (FLICA, e.g., FAM‐VAD‐FMK, FITC‐VAD‐FMK) have been designed as affinity labels of the enzyme active center of caspases Their binding by apoptotic cells was interpreted as reflecting activation of caspases. We have recently observed, however, that their binding is more complex and may involve additional mechanisms. Our goal in this study was to clarify the ongoing utility of these probes.

Methods

Apoptosis of HL‐60, Jurkat, MCF‐7 and T‐24 cells was induced by the DNA topoisomerase I inhibitor, topotecan, or by oxidative stress (H2O2). Lymphocytes were induced by their mitogenic activation. Using multiparameter laser scanning and flow cytometry analysis, the correlation between FLICA binding and the number of known apoptotic indicators was examined. These included: collapse of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential; activation of caspase‐3 (detected immunocytochemically); binding of annexin V; chromatin condensation; the presence of DNA strand breaks; and loss of plasma membrane capability to exclude propidium iodide (PI). FLICA binding specificity was tested by pretreatment with z‐VAD‐FMK or z‐DEVD‐FMK.

Results

FLICA binding was subsequent to the collapse of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, nearly concurrent with caspase‐3 activation, and preceded annexin V binding, chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation and loss of plasma membrane integrity. The predominant portion of FAM‐VAD‐FMK, FITC‐VAD‐FMK or FAM‐DEVD‐FMK binding to apoptotic cells could not be inhibited by z‐VAD‐FMK or z‐DEVD‐FMK, respectively, when the unlabeled inhibitors were added post‐induction of apoptosis.

Conclusions

FLICA are specific and convenient to use markers of apoptotic cells and they detect very early events of apoptosis associated with caspases activation. Assays that combine their binding with either the loss of mitochondrial potential or with exclusion of PI as a probe of plasma membrane integrity, distinguish sequential stages of apoptosis and are particularly useful to differentiate between apoptosis and necrosis. Our results conform with the published data that unlabeled caspase inhibitors, when added after induction of apoptosis, cannot prevent activation of caspases detected by binding of biotinylated inhibitors or by cleavage of fluorogenic substrates. While FLICA binding by apoptotic cells most likely is a consequence of caspase activation, these binding events may also involve other or additional mechanisms than simply their specific attachment to the active enzyme centers of caspases. Cytometry Part A 55A:50–60, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A voltage‐controlled cmos phase‐shift oscillator for short‐range wireless communications
Authors: Nakamura Mitsuo , Matsuoka Toshimasa , Taniguchi Kenji
Published: August 2003

This paper presents a voltage‐controlled CMOS phase‐shift oscillator which can output a sinusoidal signal with a simple circuit configuration requiring no on‐chip inductor, which is intended for use in short‐range wireless communications such as a chip‐to‐chip wireless communications interface. A CMOS phase‐shift oscillator is experimentally fabricated by a 0.6‐µm CMOS process, with an oscillation frequency of approximately 600 MHz. Characteristics such as harmonics, the tuning range of the oscillation frequency, and phase noise are examined, and it is found that the proposed voltage‐controlled CMOS phase‐shift oscillator can be used in short‐range wireless communications, thus drastically reducing the circuit size. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 24–30, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10080
Floating voltage reference generator for A/D converters
Authors: Ogawa Toru , Ozeki Toshiaki , Taniguchi Kenji
Published: August 2003

We propose a circuit for generating a floating reference voltage required by a pipeline A/D converter having a differential configuration. This circuit uses the bipolar transistor and resistor ratios to generate any floating voltage having an arbitrary common‐mode voltage and small temperature and source voltage dependencies. A simulation of the proposed circuit fabricated by the 0.25‐µm CMOS process demonstrated ±1.5 mV output floating voltage fluctuations in the temperature range of −50 to 100 °C. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 20–23, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10117
A study on electron‐wave filters using barrier height modulated multiple barrier structures
Authors: Sanada Hirofumi , Watanabe Kazuhisa
Published: August 2003

The one‐dimensional semiconductor multiple barrier structure playing a role of a filter for electron waves is important as a configuration to control the behavior of the electrons in electron‐wave devices. Recently, many theoretical and experimental reports on the subject have been presented. Since the electron‐wave filter characteristics are directly affected by the potential shape, it is important to systematically understand the relationship between the potential shape and the realizable characteristics so that desired characteristics can be realized. In this paper, the circuit‐theoretical design of a potential barrier height modulated electron‐wave filter is discussed. It is shown that an electron‐wave filter with a bandpass characteristic can be realized. Also, the designed electron‐wave filter is shown to be superior in terms of the transmission coefficients and group delay in the passband in comparison to the periodic multiple barrier structures. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 11–19, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience. wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10133
An integration design of compact E‐plane multiway waveguide power dividers
Authors: Kishihara Mitsuyoshi , Ohta Isao , Kawai Tadashi , Yamane Kuniyoshi
Published: August 2003

In this paper, E‐plane multiway waveguide power dividers consisting of many steps, many sections, and corners are treated. Practical dividers with a small size and a broad bandwidth are designed. In general, in a structure with various discontinuities placed close together, it is necessary to take into account the mutual interactions among the propagating and nonpropagating modes. The design method based on the E‐plane planar circuit approach and the segmentation/desegmentation method used in this paper can provide accurate circuit characteristics with simple matrix calculations. Therefore, optimal design of a circuit configuration consisting of several discontinuities can be performed within a short time. First, the trifurcated and tetrafurcated dividers for the X band are designed. Next, an integrated design is attempted for three‐ and fourway dividers with mitered bends at the output ports. As a result, flat power dividing characteristics over the entire X‐band are obtained. The validity of the present design method is confirmed by means of an electromagnetic field simulator (HFSS) and trial experiments. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 1–10, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10151
Attenuation map reconstruction using topology constrained labeling
Authors: Kudo Hiroyuki , Nakamura Hiroki
Published: August 2003

In order to derive a quantitative reconstructed image in various types of emission CT (ECT), such as SPECT and PET, it is necessary to examine the gamma ray attenuation coefficient distribution inside the body, called the attenuation map, by transmission CT (TCT), and to apply attenuation correction. This paper proposes a new method in which the attenuation map is reconstructed from the incomplete TCT projection data or ECT projection data. The conventional attenuation map reconstruction method is performed, assuming that each pixel of the attenuation map takes a continuous value. In the proposed method, in contrast, the attenuation map is reconstructed by region segmentation in which the pixel value takes only discrete values. The problem is formulated as a labeling problem in which the label image minimizing the energy function is to be determined. In order to avoid local minima, the solution is derived by stochastic relaxation. In the conventional formulation of image region segmentation, however, the search space for the solution is too wide, and it is difficult to derive an accurate attenuation map if the measured data are incomplete. Consequently, this paper proposes topology constrained labeling, in which topology constraints, that is, a priori information on the topology (the number of regions and the connection relations among the regions) of the attenuation map to which the region segmentation is applied, are used, and the solution search space is constrained. Simulation experiments, as well as an experiment using the actual PET data, were performed, and the effectiveness of the topology constrained labeling has been demonstrated. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 31–41, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10179
Classroom support and system administration support for large‐scale educational computer system
Authors: Saitoh Akinori , Nishida Tomohiro , Nakanishi Michio , Yasutome Seigo , Baba Ken‐ichi , Shigehiro Yuji , Harada Akira , Yamai Nariyoshi , Matsuura Toshio
Published: August 2003

University and other educational computer systems may have several thousands to several tens of thousands of users, and several hundreds to several thousands of terminals. When the scale of the system is enlarged, not only is the burden of management increased, but various problems are produced in the system configuration and administration due to the character of the educational system, in which many identical manipulations are performed at the same time. This study was performed in the educational computer system of the Osaka University Information Processing Education Center (now the Cybermedia Center). Through the design and development of a system to support smooth administration of the computer system and classroom activities in the center, the functions needed for support were organized and practical problems were identified, together with methods for their solution. The new system was operated at the Osaka University Information Processing Education Center and was found to contribute greatly to classroom and administration support. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 42–52, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10180
Development of a user authentication system based on public key certificates for healthcase information service in national university hospitals
Authors: Sakamoto Norihiro
Published: August 2003

In the development of healthcare information networks, a serious problem is assuring the security of the healthcare information. At the present stage, the national university hospitals are among the most advanced medical facilities in terms of healthcare information networks. However, it sometimes happens that a subsystem without strict user authentication is present even in the healthcare information system of a national university hospital. Consequently, the authors developed a system that can provide security services such as user authentication, user management, and privilege management. The proposed system can easily be built into the existing healthcare information system. Since user authentication, user management, and privilege management are integrated, a healthcare information system with greater security than in the past can be realized. Furthermore, public key certificates and attribute certificates are used. Consequently, the system can be extended in the future to a wide‐area user authentication system based on the public key framework in the national university hospital network and the local healthcare network. This paper describes the design and implementation of the national university healthcare information user authentication system and provides an introduction to the existing university hospital healthcare information system. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 53–63, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10181
Automatic testing of embedded software based on state‐transition requirement specifications
Authors: Nakajima Tsuyoshi , Bessho Yuzo , Yamanaka Hiroshi , Hirota Kazumi
Published: August 2003

This paper proposes an automatic testing method in which the testing data is constructed on the basis of state‐transition specifications and the testing of real machines with embedded software is automatically performed. In automatic testing based on specifications, in general a test scenario with the same extent of abstraction as the specification is difficult to convert to testing data that can be used by the automatic tester. In the proposed testing method, the event action in the state‐transition specification is related to the setting and referral of the memory value in the embedded debugger, which makes it possible to convert the test scenario to testing data and to perform the testing automatically. A CASE tool to support the proposed testing method is realized and its performance is evaluated. The effectiveness and the problems of the proposed testing method are noted. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 64–75, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10182
pSAS/c: Pseudo set associative and shared with competitive cache
Authors: Inoue Keisuke , Amano Hideharu
Published: August 2003

Today, low‐cost, high‐performance processors are required in many products such as portable terminals and network appliances, and the demand for on‐chip multiprocessors is increasing. The authors have proposed a semi‐shared pseudo set associative cache for on‐chip multiprocessors, or pSAS, which offers both high speed of the snoop cache and on‐chip cache memory efficiency of the shared cache. Although pSAS can directly access other caches with some delay, its performance deteriorates if it continues to access other caches. In this article, we propose the pSAS/c cache that solves this problem by copying frequently accessed data into self‐cache and accessing it as fast as the snoop cache. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 86(9): 76–84, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10183
A study of series‐parallel changeover circuit of a capacitor bank for an energy storage system utilizing electric double‐layer capacitors
Authors: Sugimoto Shigeyuki , Ogawa Shigeaki , Katsukawa Hiroyuki , Mizutani Hiroshi , Okamura Michio
Published: August 2003

Electric double‐layer capacitors showing a remarkably high energy density (compared with conventional electrolytic capacitors) are now under development. Capacitors of this type have significant advantages, namely, high durability against repeated charge and discharge and no need for maintenance. Therefore, we have studied feasible basic circuit configurations and control methods required to apply electric double‐layer capacitors as an energy storage element in output‐power leveling systems for solar cells or windmill power generators, and in uninterruptible power supply systems. This paper discussed operating methods for a capacitor bank to improve the efficiency. High efficiency has been demonstrated by the simulations and the experiments. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(3): 33–42, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10155
Insulation characteristics of GIS under nonstandard lightning‐impulse oscillations: Insulation characteristics under single‐frequency oscillations with various frequencies and damping ratios
Authors: Yuasa Sadayuki , Suzuki Hirofumi , Okabe Shigemitsu
Published: August 2003

To improve GIS insulation specifications, it is important to recognize the insulation characteristics under oscillatory overvoltage waveforms occurring in the field. This paper describes investigations of insulation characteristics for single‐frequency oscillatory waveforms with various frequencies and damping ratios. It was found that minimum breakdown voltages (Vmin) rose with frequency rising under the same damping condition and Vmin rose with damping ratio rising under the same frequency condition. From an analysis of actual breakdown voltage characteristics, the probability of breakdown at a valley of oscillation rose with damping increasing. It was found that the insulation characteristics were treated all‐inclusively based on the characteristics of Vmin for rise time or damping time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(3): 43–49, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10156
Time–frequency analysis of lamb waves caused by partial discharges and free particles in GIS
Authors: Kozako Masahiro , Ohtsuka Shinya , Matsuhisa Takashi , Hikita Masayuki
Published: August 2003

We investigated the propagation properties of Lamb waves in a GIS tank, using time–frequency analysis to diagnose the insulation performance of GIS. We measured the acoustic signals excited by metallic particles colliding with the tank sheath, and those emitted by partial discharge in the GIS. The wavelet transform was used to decompose the wave data into its time–frequency components. As a result, it was confirmed that Lamb waves with the dispersive property of the velocity are excited and propagate in a spiral path along the tank wall due to the cylindrical structure of the tank. Taking these results into consideration, we propose a new technique for identification of defect locations in GIS based on time–frequency analysis of acoustic signals with the wavelet transform. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(3): 25–32, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10163
Identification of linear systems with time delay and unknown order
Authors: Harada Ken'ichi , Kobayashi Yasuhide , Okita Tsuyoshi
Published: August 2003

This paper proposes a system identification method for linear systems with time delay and unknown order. We hypothesize a number of candidate models, which have different order, because system order is unknown. In each model, we estimate the model parameters based on the maximum likelihood method by using nonlinear optimization technique. Then both local optimization technique and global search method are used because the estimated parameters may fall into a local minimum. After all candidate model's parameters are estimated, one model is selected among these models to estimate the system order by using a posteriori probability based on Bayes's theorem. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is demonstrated by numerical examples. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(3): 61–68, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10166
Two‐dimensional field analysis of a cylindrical synchronous machine by variables separation and a fast calculation method of steady‐state characteristics
Authors: Kumano Teruhisa
Published: August 2003

This paper proposes a new method for the magnetic field analysis of a synchronous machine with a cylindrical rotor. It gives the two‐dimensional magnetic field distribution in the machine by solving a partial differential equation which describes the steady‐state balanced operation. Radial and rotational components of the magnetic permeability and resistivity are independently defined to take into account the magnetic anisotropy inherent in its slotting structure. The study machine is divided into several coaxial cylinders, where the potential distribution is described by a few parameters, which are to be solved to satisfy the boundary value conditions between every neighboring cylinder.

The proposed method is applied to a model generator, and the calculation results agree well with FEM analysis which has been shown to agree well with measured data. Because it needs no massive numerical calculation, high computing speed is expected which enables us to apply it to multimachine power system analysis. Moreover, it can be expected to handle the effects of magnetic saturation by combinatorial use with the perturbation‐based scheme. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(3): 69–79, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10204
Walsh function‐based position sensorless control for interior permanent magnet motor drives using ripple‐current of high‐frequency triangular‐wave‐carrier PWM inverter
Authors: Choeisai Krit , Kobayashi Naoto , Kondo Seiji
Published: August 2003

This paper proposes the Walsh function‐based position sensorless drive method of a PM motor by using high‐frequency 20‐kHz triangular‐wave‐carrier PWM inverter ripple current. The proposed method uses the Walsh harmonic of PWM inverter ripple current to estimate the motor rotor position. By using the high‐frequency switching ripple current, the period of the rotor position estimation has been decreased and improves the step response of PM motor. The Walsh function makes it possible to use a definite integrator as the Walsh harmonic detector that can separate the small ripple‐current signal from the motor drive‐current signal. The Walsh harmonic detector circuit consists of less parts than the Fourier harmonic detector circuit. The validity of the proposed method was clarified by several experimental results. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 145(3): 80–88, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.10205