Temperature dependence of the threshold current for InGaAlP visiblelaser diodes

The temperature dependence of the threshold current for InGaAlP visible-light laser diodes was investigated from the standpoint of gain-current characteristics. The dependence of the light output power versus the current characteristic on the cavity length was evaluated for a 40-μm-wide InGaP-InGaAlP broad-stripe laser in the temperature range between -70 and 90°C. The threshold-current density dependence on the cavity length shows that a linear-gain approximation is suitable for this system. A minimum threshold-current density of 860 A/cm² was achieved at room temperature with a cavity length of 1160 μm. The internal quantum efficiency decreased in the temperature range higher than -10°C, which affected the excess threshold-current increase and the decrease in the characteristic temperature at this temperature range     

Non-Compressed Video Signal Optical Transmission Equipment and Its Applications for Studio to Transmitter Link (STL)

This paper describes the newly developed video signal transmission equipment for Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) and the Synchronous Residual Time Stamp (SRTS) method for video signals. It explains why a low jitter signal transmission is possible by optimizing the SRTS parameters and reducing high frequency jitters by PLL circuit. Moreover, the broadcasting Transport Stream (TS) signal transmission methods for Studio to Transmitter Link (STL) are reviewed and the proposed reference clock transmission method is discussed. The TS signal transmission experiments are carried out using two route trunks between Sapporo and Asahikawa, for evaluating the characteristics of the reference clock, the modulator output signal, and the quality of the received video. The low jitter and error-free video signals transmission is realized in these trunks     

A FATIGUE-CRACK-GROWTH-BASED ANALYSIS OF TWO-STEP CORROSION FATIGUE TESTS

Abstract A method for the analysis of two-step fatigue level sequences is proposed and compared with experimental results. Two-step loading tests of the aluminum alloy 2017-T4 in 3% sodium chloride solution have been carried out in conjunction with a replica technique used to monitor the growth of fatigue cracks. Fatigue cracks were nucleated at corrosion pits 10–15 μm in size, and crack growth rather than crack initiation was found to take up the major portion of the fatigue lifetime in these tests. The results could therefore be analyzed on the basis of the following constitutive relation for fatigue crack growth. da/dN=A(ΔK_eff-ΔK_effth)² This analysis was simplified since the influence of transients in the crack growth rate induced upon change in load level was found to be minimal. The approach provides a rational basis for dealing with load-sequence effects.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of oxygen Frenkel pairs in cerium dioxide

Molecular dynamics simulations of oxygen Frenkel pairs (FPs) in cerium dioxide (CeO₂) were carried out in order to understand their kinetic behavior. The results show that an oxygen FP recombine with the vacancy and the interstitial after the vacancy jump preferentially along the 〈1 0 0〉 direction. When multiple oxygen FPs are introduced, the interstitials aggregate into a (1 1 1) plate-like cluster at relatively lower temperature lower than 600 K, while they recombine with vacancies at elevated temperatures higher than 900 K within 10 ps. Molecular mechanics calculations of oxygen FPs on a (1 1 1) plane show that the formation energy per a FP decreases with increase of the number of FPs. The theoretical results are consistent with the transmission electron microscopy observations of formation of 1/9〈1 1 1〉{1 1 1} oxygen interstitial platelets in CeO₂ under electron irradiation.     

Effects of koji fermented phenolic compounds on the oxidative stability of fish miso

In the present study, Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji inhibited lipid oxidation in fermented fish paste rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids following a long fermentation period. The fermentation of koji by A. oryzae liberated several bioactive phenolic compounds, including kojic acid and ferulic acid, which were the most abundant. A linear correlation between several phenolic compounds and their bioactive properties, including their radical-scavenging activity, reducing power, metal-chelating activity, and ability to inhibit linoleic acid oxidation was observed. This suggested an important role of koji phenolics in the oxidative stability of fermented fish paste. The activities of different carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulase, and β-glucosidase, were positively correlated with the liberation of several phenolic compounds through koji fermentation. Thus, the application of koji offers a novel strategy to enhance the oxidative stability of newly developed fermented fish miso. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Application of traditional Japanese koji fermentation technique to develop an aroma enriched fish meat bases seasoning has been established. Aspergillus oryzae-inoculated koji releases several carbohydrate-cleaving enzymes, including α-amylase, cellulose, and β-glucosidase, which led to the liberation of several phenolic compounds during fermentation. Improvement of oxidative stability of the fermented fish meat paste by koji phenolics suggests a useful strategy to uplift the value of different trash fish meat-based seasoning through proper utilization of the present technique.     

Analysis of irregular increase in sheet resistance of Ni silicides on transition from NiSi to NiSi2

The annealing conditions causing an irregular peak in sheet resistance of nickel silicides are investigated. It is found that the irregular rise in sheet resistance occurs at a critical temperature of 750-775 °C as a result of agglomeration related to phase transition from NiSi to NiSi₂. Experiments on the effect of temperature, heating rate and annealing duration in rapid thermal annealing revealed that the high-resistance state produced by annealing at the critical temperature could not be changed by subsequent annealing at higher temperature, and that the high-resistance state required 30-40 s at the critical temperature to form. Pre-annealing at 600 °C was found to suppress the later formation of the high-resistance state.     

Importance of Translation–Replication Balance for Efficient Replication by the Self‐Encoded Replicase

In all living systems, the genetic information is replicated by the self‐encoded replicase (Rep); this can be said to be a self‐encoding system. Recently, we constructed a self‐encoding system in liposomes as an artificial cell model, consisting of a reconstituted translation system and an RNA encoding the catalytic subunit of Qβ Rep and the RNA was replicated by the self‐encoded Rep produced by the translation reaction. In this system, both the ribosome (Rib) and Rep bind to the same RNA for translation and replication, respectively. Thus, there could be a dilemma: effective RNA replication requires high levels of Rep translation, but excessive translation in turn inhibits replication. Herein, we actually observed the competition between the Rib and Rep, and evaluated the effect for RNA replication by constructing a kinetic model that quantitatively explained the behavior of the self‐encoding system. Both the experimental and theoretical results consistently indicated that the balance between translation and replication is critical for an efficient self‐encoded system, and we determined the optimum balance.     

A liquid-Ga-filled carbon nanotube: a miniaturized temperature sensor and electrical switch

Temperature control on the nanometer scale is a challenging task in many physical, chemical, and material science applications where small experimental volumes with high temperature gradients are used. The crucial difficulty is reducing the size of temperature sensors while keeping their sensitivity, working temperature range, and, most importantly, their simplicity and accuracy of temperature reading. In this work, we demonstrate the ultimate miniaturization of the classic thermometer using an expanding column of liquid gallium inside a multi-walled C nanotube for precise temperature measurements. We report that electrical conductivity through unfilled nanotube regions is diffusive with a resistance per unit length of approximately 10 kOmega microm(-1), whereas Ga-filled segments of the nanotube show metallic behavior with a low resistance of approximately 100 Omega microm(-1). No noticeable Schottky barrier exists between the nanotube carbon shell and the inner Ga filling. Based on these findings, an individual carbon nanotube partially filled with liquid Ga is used as a temperature sensor and/or switch. The nanotube's electrical resistance decreases linearly with increasing temperature as the metallic Ga column expands inside the tube channel. In addition, the tube resistance drops sharply when two encapsulated Ga columns approaching each other meet inside the nanotube, producing a switching action that can occur at any predetermined temperature, as the Ga column position inside the nanotube can be effectively pre-adjusted by nanoindentation using an atomic force microscope.