Self-assembled fabrication of a polycrystalline boron-doped diamond surface supporting Pt (or Pd)/Au-shell/core nanoparticles on the (111) facets and Au nanoparticles on the (100) facets

Modified boron-doped diamond (BDD) surfaces supporting different, carefully selected types of metal nanoparticles on different types of crystal facets were fabricated via a self-assembly method. A hydrogen plasma-treated BDD surface was treated with UV/ozone for 10 s followed by immersion in a Au nanoparticle (AuNP) solution to fabricate a BDD surface selectively and densely supporting AuNPs on the (111) facet (AuNP₁₁₁-BDD). The AuNP₁₁₁-BDD sample was then immersed in H₂PtCl₆/ascorbic acid or H₂PdCl₄/sodium citrate to cover the AuNP surface with Pt or Pd (Pt/AuNP₁₁₁-BDD or Pd/AuNP₁₁₁-BDD). These samples were treated with UV/ozone for 40 s followed by re-immersion in the AuNP solution to immobilize AuNPs on the (100) facets (Pt/AuNP₁₁₁-AuNP₁₀₀-BDD or Pd/AuNP₁₁₁-AuNP₁₀₀-BDD). The metal nanoparticles supported on the BDD surface were confirmed by cyclic voltammetry to be electrochemically active. The crystal-facet-selective support of the metal nanoparticles was also confirmed by two-dimensional elemental mapping via field emission Auger electron spectroscopy. The macro procedures used for the crystal-facet-selective immobilization of the AuNPs was reproducible, and this technique should be applicable to the creation of a new class of advanced materials in such fields as optics, electronics, sensing, and (electro)catalysis.     

The effects of break location on PWR small break LOCA: Experimental study at the ROSA-IV LSTF

This paper discusses the effect of break location on the break flow rate and break flow quality transitions during a small-break loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in a pressurized water reactor (PWR). Results from five experiments conducted at the ROSA-IV Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF) are compared for this purpose. These experiments simulated a 2-inch break at the lower plenum, upper head, pressurizer top, cold leg, and hot leg, respectively. The controlling phenomena for the break flow quality transitions in cold-leg and hot-leg break experiments are described.     

Three-dimensional profiling using the Fourier transform method with a hexagonal grating projection

We present three-dimensional profilometry based on triangulation in which a hexagonal pattern is projected on the object. To obtain an accurate result with a one-shot photographic image, the Fourier transform method and method of excess fraction are adopted. The three grating components of the hexagonal pattern are used. For compactness a new pattern projection scheme is introduced. The experimental results show that the constructed optical system works well for measuring the profile of a mannequin with a height resolution of ~ +/- 1 mm.     

High range resolution ultrasonographic vascular imaging using frequency domain interferometry with the Capon method

For high range resolution ultrasonographic vascular imaging, we apply frequency domain interferometry with the Capon method to a single frame of in-phase and quadrature (IQ) data acquired using a commercial ultrasonographic device with a 7.5 MHz linear array probe. In order to tailor the adaptive beam forming algorithm for ultrasonography we employ four techniques: frequency averaging, whitening, radio-frequency data oversampling, and the moving average. The proposed method had a range resolution of 0.05 mm in an ideal condition, and experimentally detected the boundary couple 0.17 mm apart, where the boundary couple was indistinguishable from a single boundary utilizing a B-mode image. Further, this algorithm could depict a swine femoral artery with a range beam width of 0.054 mm and an estimation error for the vessel wall thickness of 0.009 mm, whereas using a conventional method the range beam width and estimation error were 0.182 and 0.021 mm, respectively. The proposed method requires 7.7 s on a mobile PC with a single CPU for a 1×3 cm region of interest. These findings indicate the potential of the proposed method for the improvement of range resolution in ultrasonography without deterioration in temporal resolution, resulting in enhanced detection of vessel stenosis.     

Thermochromic microgels and core‐shell microgels based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer

Microgels exhibiting thermochromic behavior based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) are prepared. The FRET microgels consist of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAm) networks with fixed fluorescein and rhodamine moieties and exhibits volume phase transition (VPT) at 34–35°C. A critical decrease in their sizes during the VPT enhances the efficiency of FRET between fluorescein as a donor and rhodamine as an acceptor. Therefore, emission from fluorescein (523 nm) and that of rhodamine (579 nm) is dominant at temperatures below and above the VPT temperature, respectively, when fluorescein is excited. We also prepare thermochromic core‐shell FRET microgel exhibiting two‐step color change. The microgels consist of a PNiPAm core and a poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐N,N‐diethylacrylamide) shell and exhibit dual temperate‐responsiveness at 19 and 33°C. The fluorescence spectrum of the microgels also changes in two steps at these temperatures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Numerical analyses on liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamic flow in sudden channel contraction

Three-dimensional numerical calculations have been performed on the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows through a rectangular channel with sudden contraction, particularly in order to estimate the pressure drop through the sudden contraction. The sudden contraction is in the directions both perpendicular and parallel to the applied magnetic field. The Hartmann number, the Reynolds number, and the magnetic Reynolds number were set to ～100, ～1000, and ～0.001, respectively, in simulating laboratory conditions. The continuity equation, the momentum equation, and the induction equation were solved numerically. In the sudden contraction in the direction perpendicular to applied magnetic field, the loss coefficient takes a positive value in all the cases performed in this study, contrary to the expectation. This result is in contrast to that in the sudden expansion in the direction perpendicular to applied magnetic field, where the loss coefficient generally takes a negative value due to the MHD effect. In the sudden contraction in the direction of applied magnetic field, the loss coefficient takes a positive and large value in all the cases performed in this study. The loss coefficient generally becomes larger than that in the case of corresponding channel expansion in the direction of applied magnetic field.     

Comparison of BST film microwave tunable devices based on (100) and (111) MgO substrates

We have increased the figure-of-merit (FOM) of a (Ba,Sr)TiO? (BST) film microwave tunable device by approximately three times for MgO(111) compared with a MgO(100) substrate at a frequency range of 20 GHz. Differences in permittivity and tunability in a BST film may be closely related to the difference in the film strain. The ratio of calculated permittivities of BST(100) and BST(111) films nearly corresponds to that of the FOM in the microwave range, which was rather unexpected because a higher permittivity leads to both larger tunability and dielectric loss in ferroelectrics. From a series of results, it is suggested that there are additional influences of orientation (other than the direct influence of strain itself) on the tunable properties in BST films especially in the high-frequency region.     

The COX-2 Selective Blocker Etodolac Inhibits TNFα-Induced Apoptosis in Isolated Rabbit Articular Chondrocytes

Chondrocyte apoptosis contributes to the disruption of cartilage integrity in osteoarthritis (OA). Recently, we reported that activation of volume-sensitive Cl⁻ current (I_Cl,vol) mediates cell shrinkage, triggering apoptosis in rabbit articular chondrocytes. A cyclooxygenase (COX) blocker is frequently used for the treatment of OA. In the present study, we examined in vitro effects of selective blockers of COX on the TNFα-induced activation of I_Cl,vol in rabbit chondrocytes using the patch-clamp technique. Exposure of isolated chondrocytes to TNFα resulted in an obvious increase in membrane Cl⁻ conductance. The TNFα-evoked Cl⁻ current exhibited electrophysiological and pharmacological properties similar to those of I_Cl,vol. Pretreatment of cells with selective COX-2 blocker etodolac markedly inhibited I_Cl,vol activation by TNFα as well as subsequent apoptotic events such as apoptotic cell volume decrease (AVD) and elevation of caspase-3/7 activity. In contrast, a COX-1 blocker had no effect on the decrease in cell volume or the increase in caspase-3/7 activity induced by TNFα. Thus, the COX-2-selective blocker had an inhibitory effect on TNFα-induced apoptotic events, which suggests that this drug would have efficacy for the treatment of OA.     

Improvement of SNAr Reaction Rate by an Electron‐Withdrawing Group in the Crosslinking of DNA Cytosine‐5 Methyltransferase by a Covalent Oligodeoxyribonucleotide Inhibitor

DNA cytosine 5‐methyltransferase (DNMT) catalyzes methylation at the C5 position of the cytosine residues in the CpG sequence. Aberrant DNA methylation patterns are found in cancer cells. Therefore, inhibition of human DNMT is an effective strategy for treating various cancers. The inhibitors of DNMT have an electron‐deficient nucleobase because this group facilitates attack by the catalytic Cys residue in DNMTs. Recently, we reported the synthesis and properties of mechanism‐based modified nucleosides, 2‐amino‐4‐halopyridine‐C‐nucleosides (d^XP), as inhibitors of DNMT. To develop a more efficient inhibitor of DNMT for oligonucleotide therapeutics, oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs) containing other nucleoside analogues, which react more quickly with DNMT, are needed. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and evaluation of the properties of 2‐amino‐3‐cyano‐4‐halopyridine‐C‐nucleosides (d^XP^CN) and ODNs containing d^XP^CN, as more reactive inhibitors of DNMTs. Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) of the designed nucleosides, d^XP^CN, was faster than that of d^XP, and the ODN containing d^XP^CN effectively formed a complex with DNMTs. This study suggests that the incorporation of an electron‐withdrawing group would be an effective method to increase reactivity toward the nucleophile of the DNMTs, while maintaining high specificity.