Enhanced effects of nonisotopic hafnium chloride in methanol as a substitute for uranyl acetate in TEM contrast of ultrastructure of fungal and plant cells

This ultrastructural study showed that nonisotopic methanolic hafnium chloride and aqueous lead solution was an excellent new electron stain for enhancing TEM contrasts of fungal and plant cell structures. The ultrastructural definition provided by the new stain was often superior to that provided by conventional staining with uranyl acetate and lead. Definition of fine ultrastructure was also supported by quantitative data on TEM contrast ratios of organelles and components in fungal and plant cells. In particular, polysaccharides, which were localized in cell walls, glycogen particles, starch grains, and plant Golgi vesicle components, were much more reactive to the new stain than to the conventional one. The new nonisotopic stain is useful for enhancing the contrast of ultrastructure in biological tissues and is a safer alternative to uranyl acetate. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2011. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Influence of fibre length and filler particle size on pore structure and mechanical strength of filler‐containing paper

Test sheets were prepared by incorporating softwood pulp with silica filler, PW‐5 (diameter 4.5 μm) or PW‐20 (15 μm). Length‐weighted averages of fibre were 2.5 (uncut fibre) and 1.25 mm (short‐cut fibre). Pore sizes less than 150 urn were measured by mercury porosimeter. Sheets of short‐cut fibres and mixed with uncut fibres at ratio of 3:1 or 1:3 had larger pore volumes than others tested. When filler content increased, the total pore volume increased for PW‐20 sheets, but it did not for PW‐5 sheets with short‐cut fibres. Tensile index and folding endurance were very much affected by fibre length. Contact number on a fibre was calculated by computer simulation, and it had a linear relation with tensile index of sheet.     

Measurement of 2-ethyl-1-hexanol emitted from flooring materials and adhesives

It has been reported that 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2E1H) was emitted through hydrolysis between di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate used as plasticizer in flooring material and moisture generated from a strongly alkaline material such as concrete slab. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between diffusion of 2E1H in flooring material and 2E1H emission rate from floor surface. In this study, we measured 2E1H emitted from floor paper, poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) tile, cushion floor and carpet for 200,?days and effective diffusion coefficients for 2E1H in various flooring materials were measured. Effective diffusion coefficients of 2E1H for cushion floor and PVC tile were 115?×?10^?9 and 7.8?×?10^?9 m²/s, respectively. Emission rate of 2E1H emitted from flooring material significantly depends on the kind and shape of flooring materials and was influenced by the effective diffusion coefficient for 2E1H of flooring material. Emission rates of 2E1H from floor surface varied with the amount of 2E1H and resin present in the adhesive. When carpet was attached to the flooring material with high water content using adhesive, emission of 2E1H significantly increased. The results show that primary and secondary emissions of 2E1H from the adhesive influence the emission rate of 2E1H for flooring material.     

Synthesis of chloromethylstyrene‐tetraethyleneglycol dimethacrylate copolymer beads having various phenolic derivatives immobilized via amide bond and their antioxidation activity

Resins having phenolic derivatives were prepared by treating a resin (RAS‐4G), having benzylamino groups, with benzoic acids containing phenolic hydroxyl groups. The RAS‐4G was prepared by treating macroreticular chloromethylstyrene‐tetraethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (4G) copolymer beads with potassium phthalimide in N,N‐dimethylformamide, followed by reflux in an ethanol/hydrazine monohydrate mixture. 4‐Hydroxy benzoic acid, (2,4‐, 3,4‐, and 3,5‐)dihydroxy benzoic acids, 3,4,5‐trihydroxy benzoic acid, etc., were used as benzoic acids with phenolic hydroxyl groups. The antioxidation ability of the resins having phenolic derivatives was investigated against the generation of 1,4‐dioxane hydroperoxide. The resins showed high inhibition ability against the generation of hydroperoxide. In particular, the resin (RAS‐4G‐3,4‐DHBA) having two phenolic hydroxyl groups had the highest inhibition ability. The resins were found to act as radical scavengers during the generation of 1,4‐dioxane hydroperoxide by UV irradiation in the presence of oxygen. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 2097–2104, 2005     

Polarization analyses of aerial images produced by an optical lithography system

The influence of polarization on the image formation of one-dimensional periodic patterns in a projection optical lithography system has been investigated. Assuming a linear polarizer at thelens pupil, I derived a simple expression representing the image intensity as the summation over spatial-frequency harmonics as well as three orthogonal polarizations. I calculated the coefficient for each image component as a function of the pattern frequency by independently varying the degree of partial coherence such that the image qualities of the two extreme polarization cases could be thoroughly compared.     

Wireless,Flexible, Ionic,Perspiration-Rate Sensor System with Long-Time and High Sweat Volume Functions Toward Early-Stage,Real-Time Detection of Dehydration

Flexible sensors that can be attached to the body to collect vital data wirelessly enable real-time, early-stage diagnosis for human health management. Wearable sweat sensors have received considerable attention for real-time physiological monitoring. Unlike conventional methods that require blood-drawing in a clinic, sweat analyses may enable noninvasive tracking of health conditions for early-stage diagnosis. Even though a variety of studies to monitor metabolites and other substances have been conducted, automatic, continuous, long-term, simultaneous monitoring of perspiration rate and electrolytes, which are important parameters in dehydration, has yet to be achieved because of challenges related to sensor design. Here a wireless, wearable, integrated, microfluidic sensor system that can continuously measure these parameters in real-time for prolonged periods are presented. The proposed sensors are systematically characterized, and machine learning is used to predict device tilt angle to calibrate sensor output signals. Using the sensor design to form a water droplet in a fluidic channel, high-volume perspiration rate is continuously monitored for more than 7000 s (total sweat volume >170 µL). By testing 10 subjects, physiological responses to ingestion of a sports drink are confirmed by measuring perspiration rhythm changes extracted from real-time, continuous sweat impedance and rate.     

Development of Radiation Hard ${rm N}^{+}$-on-P Silicon Microstrip Sensors for Super LHC

Radiation tolerance up to 10¹⁵ 1-MeV n_eq/cm² is required for the silicon microstrip sensors to be operated at the Super LHC experiment. As a candidate for such sensors, we are investigating non-inverting n⁺-on-p sensors. We manufactured sample sensors of 1 times 1 cm in 4" and 6" processes with implementing different interstrip electrical isolation structures. Industrial high resistive p-type wafers from FZ and MCZ growth are tested. They are different in crystal orientations lang100rang and lang111rang with different wafer resistivities. The sensors were irradiated with 70-MeV protons and characterized in views of the leakage current increase, noise figures, electrical strip isolation, full depletion voltage evolution, and charge collection efficiency.     

The dirty dozen: Twelve failures of the Hurricane Katrina response and how psychology can help.

This comprehensive analysis addresses the United States' alarming lack of preparedness to respond effectively to a massive disaster as evidenced by Hurricane Katrina. First, a timeline of problematic response events during and after Hurricane Katrina orients readers to some of the specific problems encountered at different levels of government. Second, a list of the "Dirty Dozen"--12 major failures that have occurred in prior disasters, which also contributed to inadequate response during and after Hurricane Katrina--is presented. Third, this article encourages expanding psychology's role beyond the treatment of trauma to encompass disaster planning and mitigation efforts from a broader public health perspective. Finally, areas for important interdisciplinary research in human behavior that will influence our nation's overall preparedness for future catastrophes are identified, and ways psychologists can become personally involved beyond treating casualties are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structure-activity relationships of cyclic enediynes related to dynemicin A. II. Synthesis and antitumor activity of 9- and 12-substituted enediynes equipped with aryl carbamate moieties

Novel enediyne compounds 4-8, simple analogues of dynemicin A (1) equipped with the phenyl or 4-chlorophenyl carbamate moiety, were synthesized and evaluated for DNA-cleaving ability, in vitro cytotoxicity, and in vivo antitumor activity. As a result of the SAR study, it was revealed that the size and character of the substituents (R1 and R2) at the C9 position critically influenced both the stability and antitumor activity of the enediyne compounds. We found that the 9-deoxy compound 6a, a stable and less bulky enediyne having a hydrogen as the R1 and R2 substituents, showed a significant in vivo activity with a T/C of 215% at a daily dosage of 2.0 mg/kg for 4 days. The incorporation of an oxygen-containing functional group as the R3 substituent on a benzene ring resulted in considerable abolishing of both the in vitro and in vivo potencies. In a series of 9-acyloxy compounds, incorporation of the basic aromatic moiety such as 8e was effective for the in vitro activity, but it was ineffective for the in vivo activity. Furthermore, for the stereochemistry-activity relationships at the C9 position, the (9R*)-isomers of 8c, 8e, and 8f were found to show higher both in vitro and in vivo than the corresponding (9S*)-isomers. For the mechanistic studies, compound 6a underwent Bergman cycloaromatization via a diradical pathway under acidic conditions, whereas it scarcely showed DNA-cleaving activity due to the chemical stability of the aryl carbamate moiety under neutral conditions.     

Dual Raman features of double coaxial carbon nanotubes with N-doped and B-doped multiwalls

Double coaxial carbon nanotubes with nitrogen (N)-doped and boron (B)-doped multiwalls possess composite Raman characteristics, originating not only from the outer N-doped but also from inner B-doped layers. Both N and B dopings result in substantial shifts of the characteristic D band and G band of sp(2) carbon constituting nanotube walls but in different ways. The downshift of the G band is correlated with the decreases of electrical resistivity of carbon nanotubes regardless of N or B doping.