In order to achieve a higher degree of improvement in patients with postoperative hepatic failure, the effects of plasma adsorption (PA) using a serial connection of noncoated charcoal (N 350) and a new bilirubin adsorbent material, styrenedivinylbenzene (BR350), were investigated both experimentally and clinically. After in vitro perfusion of high bilirubin containing plasma through these columns for 3 hours, total bilirubin levels were drastically reduced to 21% of the preperfusion level in the serial connection of N 350 and BR 350, while it remained high at over 40% in the single use of each column. Total branched chain and aromatic amino acid levels were also drastically reduced in the serial connection of these columns to 50, 40, and 7%, respectively, while the total amino acid levels remained high at 87% in the single use of BR 350. The combination of these columns enhanced rather than interfered with one another. Patients who received this treatment achieved an initial reduction of plasma total bilirubin and aromatic amino acids of 57 _t 6 and 84 f 7, respectively. Although the Iongterm prognosis for these patients was negative, improvement of clinical and laboratory findings were actually obtained by this treatment. This PA system could provide a possibility for an improved supportive therapy for hepatic failure, especially for patients with hepatic coma and hyperbilirubinemia.

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The cost of solar cell production can be reduced by wafer thinning. A thinner wafer provides flexibility, and crystalline silicon solar cells are promising as flexible solar cells due to their flexibility. However, as wafers become thinner, production yield decreases due to wafer breakage caused by sawing damage; thus, to further reduce wafer thickness, it is necessary to suppress sawing damage. We investigated the flexibility of wafers under various slice conditions by conducting biaxial bending tests and clarified the dominant factor causing sawing damage to further reduce the wafer thickness for crystalline silicon solar cells. The results of damage observation by scanning electron microscopy and evaluation of the crystal structure by Raman spectroscopy confirm that the damage structure changes significantly depending on wire specifications. The results from the biaxial bending tests indicate that the three-dimensional flexibility of a wafer is determined by wire specifications.

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