Hole trapping in polydiacetylene field effect transistor studied by optical second harmonic generation

Hole trapping in polydiacetylene field effect transistor (PDA-FET) was studied by the electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISHG). Response of SHG signal from PDA-FET with an application of external voltage was monitored. Applying positive voltage to source and drain electrodes with respect to gate electrode, SHG signal was not observed during bias application, whereas the signal was enhanced after turning off the bias. Since positive bias promotes hole injection from source and drain electrodes, electric field formed by trapped holes in PDA layer activated the SHG signal. Microscopic SHG measurement implies that the trapped holes are concentrated around source and drain electrodes.     

Characterization of Antioxidants Extracted from Thai Riceberry Bran Using Ultrasonic-Assisted and Conventional Solvent Extraction Methods

Riceberry bran (RBB), a waste product from rice processing, contains several antioxidants with potential health benefits. This study aims to compare the two main parameters affecting the extraction efficiency of antioxidants from RBB, namely, the extraction technique (ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) and conventional solvent extraction) and solvent (ethanol and d-limonene). The highest values of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, total anthocyanin content, and antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were detected in ethanolic extracts obtained by UAE. High-performance liquid chromatography investigation of the chemical composition of RBB revealed five major groups of antioxidants: (1) phenolic acids, including protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, and sinapic acid; (2) flavonoids, including rutin, myricetin, and quercetin 3-glucuronide; (3) anthocyanins, including cyanidin 3-glucoside and peonidin 3-glucoside; (4) vitamin E, including γ-tocotrienol, β-tocotrienol, δ-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and α-tocopherol; and (5) γ-oryzanol. Protocatechuic acid exhibited the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP values, whereas the lowest values were observed for γ-oryzanol.     

Characteristics of a MHD power generator using a low-melting-point Gallium alloy

An experimental investigation of a magneto hydrodynamics power generator using a low-melting-point Gallium alloy at high Reynolds numbers is presented in this paper. The power output is found to increase with increasing the flow Reynolds number. By considering the non-uniform distribution of the magnetic field in the test channel, theoretical evaluation gives a more accurate prediction to the experimental data. The present generator demonstrates the maximum power generation efficiency of $8.3\times 10^{-4}$  % and the maximum output electric power of 1.5 mW.     

Positive and Negative Regulators of Sclerostin Expression

Sclerostin is secreted from osteocytes, binds to the Wnt co-receptor Lrp5/6, and affects the interaction between Wnt ligands and Lrp5/6, which inhibits Wnt/β-catenin signals and suppresses bone formation. Sclerostin plays an important role in the preservation of bone mass by functioning as a negative regulator of bone formation. A sclerostin deficiency causes sclerosteosis, which is characterized by an excess bone mass with enhanced bone formation in humans and mice. The expression of sclerostin is positively and negatively regulated by many factors, which also govern bone metabolism. Positive and negative regulators of sclerostin expression and their effects are introduced and discussed herein based on recent and previous findings, including our research.     

Effect of impact deformation on shape recovery behavior in Fe-Mn-Si shape memory alloy under shape memory training process with cyclic thermo-mechanical loading

In the past studies, it has been discovered that the shape memory effect(SME) in the Fe-Mn-Si shape memory alloy(Fe-SMA)can gradually be enhanced by a pre-process called as shape memory training process under cyclic thermo-mechanical loading.On the other hand, it has been shown that the SME of Fe-SMA can also be affected by changing the strain rate. Therefore, it is possible to improve the SME by combining the strain rate sensitivity and shape memory training process. However, the improvement of SME caused by the training process under impact condition is still unclear. For the training process under impact condition, it is difficult to interrupt the test at the desired strain level due to many reflections of stress waves, which reload the specimen from the free ends. In this paper, to obtain reliable experimental results of SME after the training process under impact condition, the stress waves after first loading are eliminated by the double momentum-trap structure introduced into the impact tensile testing apparatus based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar method. In order to achieve an optimum design of the structure used in experiments, the finite element simulation of the structure is performed. Then, tensile tests in the training process of Fe-28Mn-6Si-5Cr alloy at different strain rates including the impact level are conducted and temperature change of the specimen is measured during training and heating process. As a result, the improvement of SME in the alloy after the training process under quasi-static and impact loading is compared with that under quasi-static loading through verification processes.     

Metabolomic Profiling of Plasma,Urine, and Saliva of Kidney Transplantation Recipients

Kidney biopsy is commonly used to diagnose kidney transplant dysfunction after transplantation. Therefore, the development of minimally invasive and quantitative methods to evaluate kidney function in transplant recipients is necessary. Here, we used capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry to analyze the biofluids collected from transplant recipients with impaired (Group I, n = 31) and stable (Group S, n = 19) kidney function and from donors (Group D, n = 9). Metabolomics analyses identified and quantified 97 metabolites in plasma, 133 metabolites in urine, and 108 metabolites in saliva. Multivariate analyses revealed apparent differences in the metabolomic profiles of the three groups. In plasma samples, arginine biosynthesis and purine metabolism between the I and S Groups differed. In addition, considerable differences in metabolomic profiles were observed between samples collected from participants with T cell-mediated rejection (TCR), antibody-mediated rejection, and other kidney disorders (KD). The metabolomic profiles in the three types of biofluids showed different patterns between TCR and KD, wherein 3-indoxyl sulfate showed a significant increase in TCR consistently in both plasma and urine samples. These results suggest that each biofluid has different metabolite features to evaluate kidney function after transplantation and that 3-indoxyl sulfate could predict acute rejection.     

Green emitting β$\ubeta$-SiAlON:Eu2+ phosphors derived from chemically modified perhydropolysilazanes

We report the first synthesis of β-SiAlON:Eu²⁺ phosphors from single-source precursors, perhydropolysilazane (PHPS), chemically modified with Al(OCH(CH₃)₂)₃, and EuCl₂. The reactions occurring during the precursor synthesis and the subsequent thermal conversion of polymeric precursors into β-SiAlON:Eu²⁺ phosphors have been studied by a complementary set of analytical techniques, including infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, thermogravimetry–mass spectrometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. It has been clearly established that Al(OCH(CH₃)₂)₃ immediately reacted with PHPS to afford N–Al bonds at room temperature, whereas N–Eu bond formation was suggested to proceed above 600°C accompanied by the elimination of HCl up to 1000°C in flowing N₂. The subsequent 1800°C-heat treatment for 1 h under an N₂ gas pressure at 980 kPa allowed converting the single-source precursors into fine-grained β-SiAlON:Eu²⁺ phosphors. XRD analysis revealed that the Al/Si of .09 was the critical atomic ratio in the precursor synthesis to afford single-phase β-SiAlON (z = .55). Moreover, Eu²⁺-doping was found to efficiently reduce the carbon impurity in the host β-SiAlON. The polymer-derived β-SiAlON:Eu²⁺ phosphors exhibited green emission under excitation at 460 nm and achieved the highest green emission intensity at the critical dopant Eu²⁺ concentration at 1.48 at%.     

In situ Raman spectroscopy analysis of local structure in dry gel for zeolite beta synthesis

To investigate faster crystallization of zeolite beta by the dry-gel conversion method, the local structure of the dry gel before synthesis was quantitatively evaluated using in situ Raman spectroscopy during the drying process. The dry gel prepared from Si and Al sources, and tetraethylammonium hydroxide solution was crystallized after several hours by the dry-gel conversion method. The conformational change of TEA⁺ cations was observed during the drying process by the deconvolution of the spectrum, and the conformational change was larger than that during the synthesis process. The rate of conformational change was increased with the drying temperature, and the apparent activation energy was estimated to be 68.2 kJ/mol. The generation and transformation of double three-membered silicate rings (D3Rs) and 4-2 type secondary building units (SBUs), which are essential for the crystallization of zeolite beta, were observed during the drying process. The transformation from D3R to 4-2 SBU in the dry gel during drying process could be confirmed quantitatively by the difference of the time variation for the amounts of these silicate building units estimated by in situ observation.     

Gas permeation and thermomechanical properties for macroporous alumina focused on necking size at grain boundaries

The gas permeation and thermomechanical properties of macroporous alumina used as a support substrate for microporous ceramic permselective membranes were investigated. The porosity, pore size, and apparent necking size between grains of macroporous alumina were systematically varied, and the relationships between the porous microstructure and material properties were examined. The grain necking size at alumina grain boundaries was evaluated by microstructural observations. The nitrogen gas permeance of the porous alumina increased with increasing pore size. All the measured thermal and mechanical properties decreased with increasing porosity. The properties of porous alumina samples with extensive grain necking showed higher values even in samples with the largest pore size. The high thermal conductivity of porous alumina with extensive grain necking was due to the low interfacial thermal resistance at grain boundaries. Porous alumina with extensive grain necking had high thermal shock strength due to the higher thermal conductivity. It was demonstrated that a porous structure combining high gas permeability and excellent fracture resistance could be successfully achieved.