Ultrasonic spray-assisted mist deposition techniques have been developed as a cost-effective and environmental friendly deposition method for oxide and organic thin films. The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of a variety of oxide thin films having unique functions, such as Cr2O3, Cu2O, Fe3O4, and Al2O3 thin films, has been demonstrated as well as high-quality ZnO and Ga2O3 films ever reported. In addition to the films deposition by the CVD process, the deposition of organic material thin films from the source solution has also been achieved; as examples we have shown the patterned deposition of water-soluble fluorescent polymers with a metal mask. This may substitute the spin-coating technique and contribute to increase the source consumption efficiency in the thin film deposition. We appeal that the mist deposition is a unique and promising technique as a green chemical route for film deposition.

A high-quality (100)-oriented epitaxial Fe3Si films were grown on (100) MgO substrates by RF-magnetron sputtering. The full width at half maximum of the Fe3Si 400 rocking curve was 0.18°, when the film was grown at 750°C. The epitaxial films of 100 nm thicknesses had a smooth continuous surface. The coercive field (Hc) was approximately 10 Oe, and the saturation magnetization (Ms) was 900 emu/cm3, which are almost the same as those of bulk Fe3Si. The anisotropy constant (K1) of magnetization indicated that the epitaxial Fe3Si films grown at 750°C mainly consisted of long range ordering phase (DO3 phase) and that the epitaxial films post-annealed at 900°C was constituted with ordering phase.

Direct fabrication of organic light emitting diodes (OLED) on a polymeric substrate, i.e., polymeric waveguide substrate to form a flexile optical integrated devices has been realized. The OELD was fabricated by organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) technique on a polymeric substrate and a glass substrate, for comparison. The device fabricated on a polymeric substrate shows similar device characteristics to that on a glass substrate. Optical signal of faster than 100 MHz has been created by applying pulsed voltage directly to the OLED with emissive layers utilizing rubrene or porphine doped in 8-hydoxyquinolinum aluminum derivatives. Optical signal transmission with OLED fabricated on a polymeric waveguide with optical connectors has been successfully realized. Optical photo detectors (OPD) utilizing phthalocyanine derivatives with superlattice structure provide increased pulse response with input optical signals, and the OPD with 5 MHz of cut-off frequency has been realized with superlattice structure under reverse bias voltage to the OPD.

Organic electroluminescent diode (OELD) has been investigated for use as a light source of polymeric optical integrated devices. The OLED was fabricated by organic molecular beam deposition (OMBD) technique. The OLEDs were fabricated on both glass and polymeric substrates. The device fabricated on a polymeric substrate shows similar device characteristics to those on a glass substrate. Optical signals of faster than 100 MHz has been created by applying pulsed voltages directly to the rubrene doped OLED. Optical photo detectors (OPDs) utilizing superlattice structure phthalocyanines provide increased pulse response with input optical signals and the response was faster than 1 MHz.

In the SELenological and ENgineering Explorer (SELENE) project which is the Japanese lunar program to be launched in 2003 by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) and National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA), we measure angular distance between a radio transmitter on a relay satellite, that on the Moon and quasars by differential VLBI and determine amplitudes of the physical librations, gravitational harmonic coefficients of the Moon and lunar ephemeris with an accuracy one or two orders higher than before in cooperation with 4-way Doppler measurements and two-way Doppler and ranging measurements using the lunar orbiter and the relay satellite. We are proposing another selenodetic mission, In situ Lunar Orientation Measurement (ILOM) to study lunar rotational dynamics by direct observations of the lunar physical libration from the lunar surface with an accuracy of 1 milliarcsecond in a post-SELENE project which will be launched about three years after SELENE. Year-long trajectories of the stars provide information on various components of the physical librations and we will also try to detect the lunar free librations in order to investigate the lunar mantle and the liquid core.

Culturing of matured porcine oocytes in vitro results in the enhancement of their cytoplasmic ability for oocyte activation (so-called ageing), although they are arrested at metaphase II. The enhanced ability for oocyte activation is related to decreased activity of the maturation promoting factor (MPF). In the present study we clarified the molecular mechanism of MPF inactivation during ageing, especially the changes in the phosphorylation status of p34cdc2, a catalytic subunit of MPF, compared with that in fertilised oocytes. The MPF activity decreased gradually when maturation culture was prolonged from 36 to 72 h, confirming the decreasing MPF activity in aged oocytes. The activity of 48 h matured oocytes also decreased after in vitro fertilisation. Immunoblotting of p34cdc2 with anti-PSTAIRE antibody revealed that the culturing of matured oocytes induces a gradual increase in pre-MPF, which is a p34cdc2 and cyclin B complex inactivated by phosphorylation at the inhibitory phosphorylation site of p34cdc2. In contrast, pre-MPF decreased after fertilisation, indicating the degradation of cyclin B. These results suggest that the molecular mechanisms of inactivation of MPF are different between oocyte activation and ageing, and that the mechanism during ageing might be based on the inhibitory phosphorylation of p34cdc2, whereas that of oocyte activation is based on the degradation of cyclin B.

A case showing various involuntary movements during mianserin treatment and after a withdrawal of mianserin is described. This is the first case report of mianserin-induced involuntary movements. The report suggests that these symptoms can occur with a therapeutic dose of mianserin in certain susceptible patients.