Amorphous Pd---Si alloys for hydrogen-permeable and catalytically active membranes

Amorphous Pd_xSi_1-x(x=0.8,0.825,0.85) in the form of ribbon was prepared by a single-roller melt spinning technique to examine hydrogen permeability and catalytic activity for dehydrogenation. As a result, it was found that the amorphous specimens had higher tenacity and higher permeability of hydrogen than its crystallized form. Also, the surface of the amorphous specimen showed a catalytic activity for dehydrogenation of cyclohexane, while no activity was observed in the untreated. Taking advantage of both hydrogen permeability and catalytic activity, the amorphous Pd_xSi_1-x would be expected to be a candidate for a catalytic membrane.     

Long-term study of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae after bilateral thoracoplasty-airway obstruction and its causes

Chest roentgenograms and results of pulmonary-function tests in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis sequelae 30 years after bilateral thoracoplasty were studied retrospectively to detect airway obstruction in these patients and to determine its causes. For periods of more than 10 years, vital capacity (VC) changed at a rate of 15.5 +/- 5.0 ml/year, and forced expiratory volume in one second as a percent of VC (FEV1%) changed at a rate of 0.546% +/- 0.380% per year (n = 13). Thirty years after thoracoplasty, the VC was 920 +/- 180 ml (%VC = 28.4% +/- 5.3%), and the FEV1% was 66.2% +/- 13.7% (n = 21). Thus, mild airway obstruction was found in about half of the cases. For each patient, the distance from the hilum to the diaphragm was measured along the mid-clavicular line on the side with fewer ribs resected, and this distance was divided by the patient's height. The results of that computation was found to be significantly and negatively related to FEV1% (r = -0.681, which suggests that longer bronchi in the lower and middle lobes on that side were associated with lower values of FEV1%. These findings are similar to those in patients with pulmonary tuberculous sequelae after total pneumonectomy. Over an average of 26 years, scoliosis, the vertebra showing the most bending, the intrapulmonary lesion, and the position of the diaphragm did not change, but the cardio-thoracic ratio increased.     

Characterization of Cat-CVD grown Si–C and Si–C–O dielectric films for ULSI applications

Si–C films with the Si compositions ranging from 40 to 70% have been grown by Cat-CVD using dimethylsilane [DMSi, Si(CH₃)₂H₂] compounds. Tetraethoxysilane [TEOS, Si(OC₂H₅)₄] and dimethyldimethoxysilane [DMDMOS, Si(CH₃)₂(OCH₃)₂] gas source gave us Si–C–O (C-doped SiO_x) films with wide ternary alloy compositions. The dielectric constant of a Si–C film has been evaluated by C–V measurements (at 1 MHz) using Al/Si–C/n-Si(001)/Cu MIS structure. The relative dielectric constant value of a Si–C film was estimated to be 3.0. The resistivity of the Si–C layer with 1 mm diameter and 0.24 μm thickness was estimated to be more than 24.5 Gohm·cm. These results gave us promising characteristics of Si–C and Si–C–O films grown by alkylsilane- and alcoxysilane-based Cat-CVD.     

Optical-transmission experiment at 400 mb/s using a graded-index fibre

An optical-transmission error-rate experiment is described in which a graded-index fibre up to 5 km long is used as a transmission medium. It is shown that impairments in the transmission are mainly determined by the total frequency response of the transmission medium, including the fibre and its connection.     

Modulation characteristics of 1.3 ?m buried-stripe InGaAsP laser up to 2 Gbit/s data rates

Modulation experimenting on a buried-stripe (b.s.) InGaAsP laser emitting at 1.3 ?m was carried out up to 2 Gbit/s. The b.s. laser is free from relaxation oscillation, which degrades modulated optical pube waveforms, especially at high data rates. The repeater gain of 1.6 Gbit/s transmission systems is improved by 9 dB compared with previously reported experiments. Modulation characteristics up to 2 Gbit/s are reported.     

Dispersion-free single-mode fibre transmission experiments up to 1.6 Gbit/s

Long-span single-mode fibre transmission experiments at 1.3 ?m have been refined toward higher digit rate and longer fibre span. Error-rate against receiving optical level characteristics showed that optical power penalties at 100 Mbit/s, 1.2 Gbit/s and 1.6 Gbit/s are negligible, even after 30 km, 23 km and 13 km fibre transmission, respectively.     

On the expected behaviors of the Dijkstra's shortest path algorithm for complete graphs

Shortest path, shortest spanning tree, complete graph, number of comparisons, expected complexity     

An 800 Mbit/s optical transmission experiment using a single-mode fiber

It has been confirmed by a preliminary transmission experiment that a repeater spacing at 800 Mbits/s can be lengthened up to 7.3 km, by using a combination of a low-loss single-mode fiber and a well designed AlGaAs laser. The laser is modulated by a signal current superimposed on a dc bias current above the threshold. This modulation scheme avoids the spectrum broadening of the laser at the cost of extinction ratio degradation. A discrepancy of about 13 dB exists between the measured and the calculated error-rate performance curves. The major part of the discrepancy, 10 dB, is due to the extinction ratio degradation.     

Synthesis and characterization of europium(II)-holoborates,Eu2B5O9Cl and Eu2B5O9Br

Europium(II)-haloborates, Eu₂B₅O₉Cl and Eu₂B₅O₉Br, were synthesized and characterized by X-ray analysis, magnetic susceptibility and luminescent spectral measurements. The chloroborate Eu₂B₅O₉Cl crystallizes in the tetragonal system, D⁶₄-P4₂2₁2, with cell dimensions: a=11.349(4), $\text{c}\text{=6.500(4)}\text{A}\text{?}$ and Z=4, and Eu₂B₅O₉Br in the orthorhombic system, C¹⁰_2v-Pnn2 or D¹²_2h-Pnnm, with cell dimensions: a=11.503(3), b=11.382(3), $\text{c}\text{=6.484(2)}\text{A}\text{?}$ and Z=4. Both of them were paramagnets with paramagnetic Curie temperature at about ?1 K, and band emissions peaking at about 430 and 435 nm which were based on a 4f⁷-4f⁶5d transition of Eu²⁺ ion were observed on Eu₂B₅O₉Cl and Eu₂B₅O₉Br, respectively.