The independent association between standard deviation and the extent of albuminuria was lost when the measures were normalized by mean glucose level. At least in terms of relative measures of glycaemic variability, we failed to demonstrate an independent association between glycaemic variability and albuminuria extent in patients with inadequately controlled Type 2 diabetes.

High urinary sodium excretion (⩾2 g/day) increased bone turnover markers in Korean postmenopausal women, suggesting that excessive sodium intake might accelerate bone turnover.

We investigated the effects of adding N 2 and nitric oxide ͑NO͒ gases on the chemical dry etching of silicon ͑Si͒ in F 2 /Ar remote plasmas. Additive N 2 gas in the F 2 /Ar/N 2 remote plasmas enhanced the Si etch rate, while the direct injection of NO gas into the chamber even more markedly increased the Si etch rates. Surface chemical and emission gas analyses indicated that the adsorbed NO molecules on the Si surface enhanced the surface chemical reaction between fluorine and Si atoms, thereby forming SiF 4 main etch products and enhancing the etch rate. The NO-induced breaking of the Si-Si bonds was considered to facilitate the SiF 4 formation.