A 0.65-ns, 72-kb ECL-CMOS RAM macro for a 1-Mb SRAM

An ultrahigh-speed 72-kb ECL-CMOS RAM macro for a 1-Mb SRAM with 0.65-ns address-access time, 0.80-ns write-pulse width, and 30.24-μm ² memory cells has been developed using 0.3-μm BiCMOS technology. Two key techniques for achieving ultrahigh speed are an ECL decoder/driver circuit with a BiCMOS inverter and a write-pulse generator with a replica memory cell. These circuit techniques can reduce access time and write-pulse width of the 72-kb RAM macro to 71% and 58% of those of RAM macros with conventional circuits. In order to reduce crosstalk noise for CMOS memory-cell arrays driven at extremely high speeds, a twisted bit-line structure with a normally on MOS equalizer is proposed. These techniques are especially useful for realizing ultrahigh-speed, high-density SRAM's, which have been used as cache and control storages in mainframe computers     

Effects of theophylline, verapamil, and mannitol on oxygen consumption of ischemic rat kidneys

This study was designed to determine, through the measurement of oxygen consumption (QO2), whether pretreatment and posttreatment with theophylline, verapamil, and mannitol provide protection from damage in the cortex and medulla of rat kidneys subjected to 60 and 120 minutes of ischemia. QO2 levels in both tissues were examined 1 day after each ischemia. After 60 minutes of ischemia, pretreatment with theophylline and verapamil primarily provided protection from ischemic change in cortical QO2. Pretreatment with mannitol provided protection from both cortical and medullary changes in QO2, but posttreatment with mannitol only protected cortical QO2. After 120 minutes of ischemia, only pretreatment with verapamil was effective in protecting cortical QO2 from ischemic injury. These observations demonstrate that theophylline, verapamil, and mannitol are effective in protecting renal QO2 in the ischemic kidney. During this study, it became clear that there were differences in the effectiveness of theophylline and verapamil on QO2 in the ischemic kidney between pretreatment and posttreatment, and also between the cortex and the medulla.     

Mechanochemical block copolymerization in heterogeneous systems of the solid poly(vinyl chloride) with styrene by ultrasonic irradiation

Summary Mechanochemical block copolymerization in heterogeneous systems of the solid poly(vinyl chloride)-styrene-sodium dodecyl sulfate aqueous solutions has been studied by ultrasonic irradiation at 65 °C. The block copolymerization of styrene was initiated by free radicals produced from the poly(vinyl chloride) particles by ultrasonic waves. The initial rate of the block copolymerization Rp was given by Rp α [Styrene] [Sodium dodecyl sulfate]^1/2. Both copolymer and homopolymer were obtained. For example, when 2.506 g of the poly(vinyl chloride) particles, 24.23 g of styrene, and 54.00 g of sodium dodecyl sulfate aqueous solution (0.500 wt%) were added in the reaction system, the weight proportions of the block copolymer and polystyrene after 60 min were approximately 50 and 20%.     

Application of tritium radioluminography to the detection of hydrogen diffusion in Ti-Cr alloy

Tritium radioluminography has been applied to determine the hydrogen (H) diffusion coefficients in Ti₅₀Cr₅₀ and Ti₄₀Cr₆₀ alloys, both with two-phase structures of a body-centered cubic (bcc) phase and a Laves phase. Using radioluminography, H distributions in those phases have been observed, and H penetration profiles have been measured. The tritium diffusion coefficients in the Ti₅₀Cr₅₀ and Ti₄₀Cr₆₀ alloys have been successfully determined by analyzing the tritium penetration profiles to be 3.3±0.3 × 10^?12 and 1.4±0.1×10^?12 m²/s, respectively. These values suggest that the H diffusion in the Laves phase is slower than that in the bcc phase. It is also suggested that H diffuses by short-circuiting diffusion through the interface between the bcc phase and the Laves phase.     

Electron-microscopic imaging of single-walled carbon nanotubes grown on silicon and silicon oxide substrates

Direct imaging of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) suspended on pillar-patterned Si or SiO2 substrates is investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The suspended nanotubes are successfully observed by direct TEM imaging and it is seen that they have either individual or bundles of SWNTs. Low energy (< or =2 keV) SEM produces high contrast images of suspended SWNTs. On the contrary, when SWNTs contact a SiO2 substrate, they are imaged using electron-beam induced current. The image brightness depends on the length of SWNTs.     

Time-resolved diffuse optical tomographic imaging for the provision of both anatomical and functional information about biological tissue

We present in vivo images of near-infrared (NIR) diffuse optical tomography (DOT) of human lower legs and forearm to validate the dual functions of a time-resolved (TR) NIR DOT in clinical diagnosis, i.e., to provide anatomical and functional information simultaneously. The NIR DOT system is composed of time-correlated single-photon-counting channels, and the image reconstruction algorithm is based on the modified generalized pulsed spectral technique, which effectively incorporates the TR data with reasonable computation time. The reconstructed scattering images of both the lower legs and the forearm revealed their anatomies, in which the bones were clearly distinguished from the muscles. In the absorption images, some of the blood vessels were observable. In the functional imaging, a subject was requested to do handgripping exercise to stimulate physiological changes in the forearm tissue. The images of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin concentration changes in the forearm were obtained from the differential images of the absorption at three wavelengths between the exercise and the rest states, which were reconstructed with a differential imaging scheme. These images showed increases in both blood volume and oxyhemoglobin concentration in the arteries and simultaneously showed hypoxia in the corresponding muscles. All the results have demonstrated the capability of TR NIR DOT by reconstruction of the absolute images of the scattering and the absorption with a high spatial resolution that finally provided both the anatomical and functional information inside bulky biological tissues.     

High-precision temperature control and stabilization using a cryocooler

We describe a method for precisely controlling temperature using a Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocooler that involves inserting fiber-reinforced-plastic dampers into a conventional cryosystem. Temperature fluctuations in a GM cryocooler without a large heat bath or a stainless-steel damper at 4.2 K are typically of the order of 200 mK. It is particularly difficult to control the temperature of a GM cryocooler at low temperatures. The fiber-reinforced-plastic dampers enabled us to dramatically reduce temperature fluctuations at low temperatures. A standard deviation of the temperature fluctuations of 0.21 mK could be achieved when the temperature was controlled at 4.200?0 K using a feedback temperature control system with two heaters. Adding the dampers increased the minimum achievable temperature from 3.2 to 3.3 K. Precise temperature control between 4.200?0 and 300.000 K was attained using the GM cryocooler, and the standard deviation of the temperature fluctuations was less than 1.2 mK even at 300 K. This technique makes it possible to control and stabilize the temperature using a GM cryocooler.     

Cold-start performance of an ammonia-fueled spark ignition engine with an on-board fuel reformer

This work demonstrated the first-ever cold-start operation of an ammonia (NH₃)-fueled four-cylinder spark ignition engine with an on-board fuel reformer, applying autothermal reforming. In this system, an electrically heated NH₃-air mixture was provided to a reforming catalyst and approximately 3 s was found to elapse between the start of engine rotation and the onset of combustion. Stable fast idle operation in conjunction with a cold start was realized with a H₂-to-NH₃ molar ratio of 2:1. Nearly zero NH₃ emissions were achieved during cold start and fast idle until the engine warmed up, by adsorbing unburned NH₃ passing through a three-way catalyst before the catalyst was sufficiently warmed up. The NH₃ adsorption capacity of this system could be regenerated during the engine warm-up when the engine was running under lean conditions.     

Enantiomeric Separation and Detection of 2-Arylpropionic Acids Derivatized with [(N,N-Dimethylamino)sulfonyl]benzofurazan Reagents on a Modified Cellulose Stationary Phase by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

(RS)-2-Arylpropionic acids (2-APAs) were derivatized with the fluorogenic reagents, 4-[(N,N-dimethylamino)sulfonyl]-7-piperazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-PZ) and 4-[[(N-hydrazinoformyl)methyl]-N-methyl]amino-7-[N,N-(dimethylamino)sulfonyl]-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-COHz), and their enantiomeric separation by a chiral stationary phase high-performance liquid chromatography was investigated in the reversed-phase mode with H(2)O/CH(3)CN or H(2)O/MeOH as the mobile phase on a column of cellulose tris(3,5-dimethylphenyl carbamate) coated on a silica gel support (Chiralcel OD-R). The derivatives with DBD-PZ were enantiomerically separated well under the elution condition of H(2)O/MeOH, based on the π-π interaction between the derivatives and the stationary phase. The rigid and bulky structure of DBD-PZ was demonstrated to be more effective as compared to the less rigid ones. The derivatives with DBD-COHz were more efficiently separated into each enantiomer with H(2)O/CH(3)CN as the eluent. The effective separation was based on hydrogen-bonding interaction between the acid hydrazide of the derivatives and the carbamoyl moiety of the stationary phase. There was a reversal in the elution order of the enantiomers between the two fluorescent derivatives. The detection limits obtained for each enantiomer were approximately 10-30 fmol on column. The derivatization with the reagent and the concomitant use of the reversed-phase and chiral stationary-phase HPLC were demonstrated to be useful for the enantiomeric quantification in rat plasma after intravenous administration of flurbiprofen racemate, a representative of 2-APAs.