Measurement of electromigration-induced stress in aluminum alloy interconnection

The behavior of electromigration-induced stress in Al-1.0% Si-0.5% Cu alloy interconnections was investigated in situ by synchrotron radiation at the SPring-8. The electromigration tests were performed as a function of applied current density. When the current was applied to the lines, 111 diffraction peak shifted to lower angle for all measurement points. This indicated that compressive stresses were present at all measurement positions in the lines. When the applied current was stopped, 111 diffraction peak reverted to its initial position for all measurement points. At constant current density, the position of 111 diffraction peak didn't change for any of the measurement positions.     

Manipulation of Intracellular Auxin in a Single Cell by Light with Esterase‐Resistant Caged Auxins

Auxin, a plant hormone, is polar transported from its site of production. This auxin polar transport system establishes an auxin gradient in plant tissue that is necessary for proper plant development. Therefore, the spatial effect of the auxin gradient on plant development is highly important for the understanding of plant auxin responses. Herein we report the design, syntheses and biological properties of esterase‐resistant caged auxins. The conventional caging group, 2‐nitrobenzyl ester, was found to be enzymatically hydrolyzed in plant cells and released original auxin without photolysis. The esterase‐resistant caging group, (2,5‐dimethoxyphenyl)(2‐nitrobenzyl) ester, (DMPNB) was designed to improve the stability of caged auxins. Three auxins, indole 3‐acetic acid, naphthalene 1‐acetic acid and 2,4‐dichlorophenoxy acetic acid were caged with the DMPNB caging group. DMPNB‐caged auxins were inactive within a plant cell until photolysis, but they release auxins with photoirradiation to activate auxin‐responsive gene expression. We demonstrated spatial and temporal control of intracellular auxin levels with photoirradiation by using this caged auxin system and were able to photocontrol the physiological auxin response in Arabidopsis plants. Additionally, the photoirradiation of DMPNB‐caged auxin within a single cell can manipulate the intracellular auxin level and triggers auxin response.     

硅灰石的微粉碎与物性研究

以硅灰石矿物粉末为对象，用自动玛瑙乳钵进行干式微粉碎，研究了微粉碎过程中的机械力化学效应，考察分析了硅灰石在微粉碎过程中粉体粒度（激光衍射法）、比表面积（ＢＥＴ吸附法）、结晶构造畸变（有效德拜瓦洛参数－Ｂｅｆ）的变化特征，阐述了硅灰石从三斜晶系向单斜晶系的多型转变过程。     

Comprehensive study on the membrane currents of porcine granulosa cells in culture

The membrane currents of primary cultured porcine granulosa cells have been studied using the whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique. And effects of K+ channel blockers upon progesterone production of the cells have been also studied. The author has identified and characterized two types of K+ currents, transient outward current (Ito) and a delayed rectifier K+ current (Ik), and Ca2+ current (Ica). Ito and Ik were voltage -and calcium-dependent. Both of the currents were blocked by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP), a K+ channel blocker, but only Ik was sensitive to tetraethylammonium (TEA), another K+ channel blocker. Ica was inactivated within 50 ms of the test pulse. Nifedipine and verapamil, L-type Ca2+ channel blockers, did not suppress Ica even at a concentration of 10 microM. Tetramethrin (1 microM), a T-type Ca2+ channel blocker, decreased Ica. These findings suggested that the current was T-type Ca2+ current. LH and dibutyryl cAMP, potent stimulants of steroid production, attenuated Ito by 13.9 +/- 1.8% (n = 7) and 21.0 +/- 1.5% (n = 4), respectively. However, they did not affect Ik and Ica. These results indicated that LH did not modulate Ca2+ current directly, but it suppressed Ito through cAMP. 4-AP (0.2-5 mM) suppressed basal and LH-induced progesterone production of porcine granulosa cells dose-dependently, but TEA (2-10 mM) did not influence progesterone production. These data suggest that Ito may play a role in steroid secretion or other functions in granulosa cells.     

Safety verification for reuse of PET and glass bottles

In order to verify the safety associated with reusing PET and glass bottles, a challenge test was conducted with five surrogate contaminants: 1,1,1-trichloroethane, chlorobenzene, toluene, benzophenone and phenyl cyclohexane. Bottles were filled with a cocktail solution of these contaminants and stored at 50 °C for 7 days, then washed with water and alkaline solutions. Material and migration tests were conducted at each step. The material test results showed that 430-1,440 μg/g of the contaminants were retained after water washing, and that even after washing with a 3.5% NaOH solution, 225-925 μg/g of the contaminants were retained. The migration tests revealed that 0.095-7.35 μg/mL of the contaminants were eluted. Similar tests were conducted with a soft drink ingredient, limonene. The results revealed that 48 μg/g of limonene was retained even after washing with NaOH solution, and that 0.16 μg/mL of limonene was eluted. Conversely, no contaminants were eluted from glass bottles after washing with the NaOH solution. Thus, from the viewpoint of safety and the preservation of content quality, PET bottles are not considered suitable for reuse when compared with glass bottles.     

CO2 bubble nucleation in polystyrene: Experimental and modeling studies

Polymer foams are used extensively in a variety of applications. A firm understanding of bubble nucleation is vital to predict foam properties based on process conditions. However, a number of theoretical and experimental challenges have thus far limited progress in this area. We propose the use of a scaling theory to connect nucleation behavior to well understood bulk phase behavior of polystyrene-CO₂ systems, which can be predicted by equations of state, such as the Sanchez–Lacombe equation of state. Scaling theory of nucleation asserts that when the reversible work of critical nucleus formation is properly normalized and plotted against the normalized degree of supersaturation, the resulting scaling curve is insensitive to temperature and the materials being used. Once the form of the scaling function is known, it can be used to predict the nucleation barrier knowing only the initial foaming conditions and calculating only bulk thermodynamic values. Using an extension of diffuse interface theory, we determined the slope of the scaling curve near saturation. This initial slope allows us to constrain the scaling function for better predictions of the reversible work. We also performed a series of experiments to help verify the accuracy of the scaling theory. The scaled free energy barriers determined from our experiments are consistent with the scaling function so constructed, and our theoretical results qualitatively agree with those found previously. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Effect of friction welding conditions on joint properties of austenitic stainless steel joints by friction stud welding

This study focuses on the opening mode of induction bends; this mode represents the deformation outside a bend. Bending experiments on induction bends are shown and the manner of failure of these bends was investigated. Ruptures occur at the intrados of the bends, which undergo tensile stress, and accompany the local reduction in wall thickness, i.e. necking that indicates strain localization. By implementing finite element analysis (FEA), it was shown that the rupture is dominated not by the fracture criterion of material but by the initiation of strain localization that is a deformation characteristic of the material. These ruptures are due to the rapid increase in local strain after the initiation of strain localization and suddenly reach the fracture criterion. For the evaluation of the deformability of the bends, a method based on FEA that can predict the displacement at the rupture is proposed. We show that the yield surface shape and the true stress–strain relationship after uniform elongation have to be defined on the basis of the actual properties of the bend material. The von Mises yield criterion, which is commonly used in cases of elastic–plastic FEA, could not predict the rupture and overestimated the deformability. In contrast, a yield surface obtained by performing tensile tests on a biaxial specimen could predict the rupture. The prediction of the rupture was accomplished by an inverse calibration method that determined the true stress–strain relationship after uniform elongation.     

Functional characteristics of Svl3 and Pam1 that are required for proper cell wall formation in yeast cells

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Svl3 and Pam1 proteins work as functional homologues. Loss of their function causes increased levels of chitin deposition in the cell wall and temperature sensitivity, suggesting their involvement in cell wall formation. We found that the N- and C-termini of these proteins have distinctive and critical functions. They contain an N-terminal part that has a probable 2-dehydropantoate 2-reductase domain. In Svl3, this part can be replaced with the yeast 2-dehydropantoate 2-reductase, Pan5, suggesting that Svl3 and its homologues may be able to mediate 2-dehydropantoate 2-reductase function. On the other hand, Svl3 is recruited to the bud tip and bud neck via multiple localization signals in the C-terminal part. One of such signals is the lysine-rich region located in the C-terminal end. The function and localization of Svl3 are significantly disrupted by the loss of this lysine-rich region; however, its localization is not completely abolished by the mutation because another localization signal enables appropriate transport. Svl3 and Pam1 orthologues are found in cells across fungal species. The Svl3 orthologues of Candida glabrata can complement the loss of Svl3 and Pam1 in S. cerevisiae. C. glabrata cells lacking the SVL3 and PAM1 orthologue genes exhibit phenotypes similar to those observed in svl3∆pam1∆ S. cerevisiae cells. Thus, Svl3 homologues may be generally required for the assembly of the cell wall in fungal cells.     

Relative contributions of age and menopause to the vertebral bone density of healthy Japanese women

The relative contributions of age and menopause to vertebral bone mineral density were evaluated based on the estimated weights for age- and menopause-related bone loss components using a mathematical model in 177 healthy female volunteers ages 35-81 years, living in a community in Fukui, Japan. Bone mineral density was determined by dual X-ray absorptiometry. The model used was that which afforded the best fit among the eight possible models to the data observed. Each model was composed of a linear function for the age-related component and a different type of function for the menopausal component, without interaction between them. The weights for these components in each model were estimated by the least-squares method. The coefficient of determination and Akaike information criterion disclosed that among the eight models tested, the model affording the best fit was composed of a logarithmic decrease in bone density with an increase in years since menopause, up to 10 years postmenopausal, with no further decline thereafter. In this model, the weights for both components were statistically significant and the type III sum of squares of the menopausal component was greater than that of the age-related component. We suggest that both age and menopause made significant contributions to the decline in vertebral bone mineral density, with the contribution of menopause being greater than that of age.