Effect of Electron Correlation on Phonon Spectra in Cuprates

We examine theoretically the phonon dynamics in the electron-phonon-coupled systems. The model Hamiltonian is a one-dimensional Hubbard model where the hopping of electrons induces the electron-phonon coupling. The numerically exact diagonalization of the Hamiltonian with truncation of the total number of phonons is performed. We calculate the phonon excitation spectra and find that the softening of phonons occurs in insulating case, and a diffusive character appears in the metallic case. We also calculate the charge and spin excitation spectra and find that the dynamics of the phonon coupled with the hopping of electrons is affected by the low energy charge and spin excitations.     

Enkephalinergic innervation of GABAergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat

The preembedding double immunoreaction method was used to study interrelations of enkephalinergic and GABAergic neuronal elements in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the Wistar albino rat. The enkephalin-like neuronal elements were immunoreacted by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method and silver-gold intensified, which showed strongly and was specific. The GABA-like immunoreactive neurons were immunoreacted by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method only. GABA-like neural somata were postsynaptic to both the enkephalin-like immunoreactive and the non-immunoreactive axon terminals. The enkephalin-like immunoreactive axon terminals were also found to synapse GABA-like immunoreactive dendrites. The GABA-like immunoreactive neuronal elements were also found to receive synapses from other non-immunoreactive as well as GABA-like immunoreactive axon terminals. Almost all of the synapses appeared to be asymmetrical. Possible functional activity of interactions among the enkephalinergic, GABAergic, and serotonergic neuronal elements in the dorsal raphe nucleus are discussed.     

Markedly compressible behaviors of gellan hydrogels in a constrained geometry at ultraslow strain rates

The fracture behaviors of gellan hydrogels under compression remarkably depend on the strain rate as well as the boundary conditions for lateral expansion. In the geometry with no constraint for lateral expansion (conventional uniaxial compression), the gels rupture at relatively small strains independently of the compression rates. In contrast, when the gels are compressed extremely slowly (at a strain rate of ca. 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹) in the geometry prohibiting the lateral expansion at their top and bottom surfaces, they are remarkably compressible down to 2% of the initial height without macroscopic fracture and they are accompanied by a large amount of water release. In such markedly compressed gels, many microscopic cracks are formed around the central layer, where strain concentration occurs due to the nonuniform deformation arising from the constrained geometry. In the highly compressible case, the formation of macroscopic cracks is prevented by the localization of microscopic cracks as well as the enhancement in mechanical toughness by a significant increase in polymer concentration due to water release.     

Stabilization of bioethanol recovery with silicone rubber‐coated ethanol‐permselective silicalite membranes by controlling the pH of acidic feed solution

In order to produce highly concentrated bioethanol by pervaporation using an ethanol‐permselective silicalite membrane, techniques to suppress adsorption of succinic acid, which is a chief by‐product of ethanol fermentation and causes the deterioration in pervaporation performance, onto the silicalite crystals was investigated. The amount adsorbed increased as the pH of the aqueous succinic acid solution decreased. The pervaporation performance also decreased with decreasing pH when the ternary mixtures of ethanol/water/succinic acid were separated. Using silicalite membranes individually coated with two types of silicone rubber, pervaporation performance was significantly improved in the pH range of 5 to 7, when compared with that of non‐coated silicalite membranes in ternary mixtures of ethanol/water/succinic acid. Moreover, when using a silicalite membrane double‐coated with the two types of silicone rubber, pervaporation performance was stabilized at lower pH values. In the separation of bioethanol by pervaporation using the double‐coated silicalite membrane, removal of accumulated substances having an ultraviolet absorption maximum at approximately 260 nm from the fermentation broth proved to be vital for efficient pervaporation. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Far infrared reflection spectra in narrow-gap semiconductors

Far infrared reflection spectra of Cd_XHg_1?X Se are measured in the region 20 to 600 cm^?1 at temperatures between 5 and 77 K. Reflection spectra are explained well by the dynamic dielectric function which is constructed as a sum of Γ₈?Γ₈ interband, intraband and phonon contributions. The plasmon-LO phonon coupling effect is also discussed.     

Electron transport in InGaO3(ZnO)m (m=integer) studied using single-crystalline thin films and transparent MISFETs

We have investigated the characteristics of transparent metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) fabricated using InGaO₃(ZnO)_m (m=integer) single-crystalline thin films as n-channel layers and amorphous alumina as gate insulator films. The MISFETs exhibit good characteristics such as insensitivity to visible light illumination, off-current as low as ∼1 nA with a positive threshold voltage of ∼3 V and on/off current ratio of 10⁵. The field-effect mobility increased from ∼1 to ∼10 cm² (V s)⁻¹ as the m-value increased. Room temperature Hall mobility also increased. However, unexpectedly these values were lower than the field-effect mobility. It is explained by existence of shallow localized state in the homologous compounds.     

The principle and fundamental characteristics of brushless three-phase synchronous induction motor with two stators

Brushless three-phase synchronous motor involving a rotating ac exciter on the same shaft as the motor and with the windings linked through a shaft-mounted rectifier is widely used as medium and large capacity machines. However, the motor needs to fit with damping windings for self-starting outside of the field winding in the rotor and needs to equip discharge resistance with complex electronic device to dispose of electromagnetic force induced in the field winding at starting. Therefore, the rotor structure is very complex, and there are disadvantages, especially for the robust and highly reliable motor that is desired. To solve the problem found in traditional motors, the authors proposed a brushless three-phase synchronous induction motor with two stators and one wound rotor. This problem is solved because the proposed motor is of two-stators structure: the rotor winding operates as a secondary winding of induction motor at starting and as the field winding at synchronous operation. The motor can self-start as a wound-rotor induction motor without external secondary resistance. Therefore, discharge resistance is not necessary; the starting equipment is very simple and the rotor structure is robust. It is possible to start with high torque. In this paper, the basic constitution of the proposed motor and the principles of operation are described in detail. The experimental results at starting and pulling into synchronism are shown for confirming the principles of operation and the experimental and numerical results of the starting characteristics. The load ones and the generating ones are shown and then the practical use of the proposed motor is confirmed.     

Analysis of proliferative activity using anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen antibody in gastric cancer tissue specimens obtained by endoscopic biopsy

BACKGROUND: Proliferative activities of tumors are thought to be prognostic features of malignant tumors, but their value as measured by proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling remains unclear in gastric cancer. METHODS: PCNA labeling rates (LR) were quantified in 121 paraffin-embedded biopsy specimens from primary tumors by immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical analyses have demonstrated that PCNA presents an intense staining in the nuclei of tumor cells and mucous neck cells of gastric glands. The PCNA LR ranged from 12% to 79% (mean +/- standard deviation), and a significant correlation was found between bromodeoxyuridine labeling indices and PCNA LR: PCNA LR were closely associated with tumor size, serosal invasion, and nodal involvement. The patients with tumors with high PCNA LR (greater than 40%) were dead significantly earlier than were those with tumors with low PCNA LR: When the PCNA LR and all the clinicopathologic parameters were entered into a Cox regression model, PCNA LR emerged as an independent prognostic factor. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that PCNA LR may be a potentially useful prognostic factor for gastric cancer.