Photo atomic layer deposition of transparent conductive ZnO films

Low-resistivity ZnO films were grown by photo atomic layer deposition (photo-ALD) technique using diethylzinc (DEZ) and H₂O as reactant gases. Self-limiting growth was achieved for the temperature range from 105°C to 235°C. It was found that UV light irradiation was very effective to increase the electron concentration of the films and the electron concentration of 5 × 10²⁰ cm⁻³ was achieved even in undoped ZnO. Thus, the resistivity of the films grown with UV irradiation was one order of magnitude less than that grown without UV irradiation. The minimum resistivity of 6.9 × 10⁻⁴Ω cm was obtained by photo- ALD method without any intentional doping.     

Properties of syndiotactic-rich poly(vinyl alcohol) thin film in water. V. Effect of initial temperature of heating on elongation

The effect of the initial temperature of heating on the elongation of syndiotactic-rich poly(vinyl alcohol) thin films was investigated in water under a load. The elongation ratios E_i after 4 h at fixed temperatures increased roughly with an increase in the initial temperature T_i and a decrease in the annealing temperature. E_i after 4 h was the smallest at T_i = 45°C for the films annealed at temperatures below 100°C. E_i was 6.8 at T_i = 60°C for the unannealed film and 1.12 at T_i = 70°C for the film annealed at 200°C. The elongation at break decreased and the temperature at break increased with an increase in annealing temperature, but those at the annealing temperature of 100°C were the smallest. The films annealed at 200°C did not break even at 98°C (boiling temperature) in water and the elongation ratio was 1.42–1.97 in the initial temperature range of 10–70°C. From these results, the relation between the elongation in water and the state of polymer chains in film was discussed.     

Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (proton transfer) of 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione

Through the (1)H and (13)C NMR measurements for the symmetrical beta-diketones such as 2,4-pentanedione and 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione and unsymmetrical one such as 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione at various concentrations and temperatures, we confirmed that 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione in CDCl(3) exists as monomers in its relatively low concentration. In addition, the 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione in CDCl(3) exists not as a keto-form but as two kinds of cis-enol forms. The proton transfer between the two kinds of cis-enols for 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione was discussed thermodynamically; it is concluded that the OH proton of enol of 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione is considerably located near the oxygen atom attached to the carbon atom linking to a phenyl group.     

Development of poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel for waste water cleaning. II. Treatment of N,N-dimethylformamide in waste water with poly(vinyl alcohol) gel with immobilized microorganisms

The activated sludge that had been sufficiently cultivated with DMF-containing waste water was entrapped and immobilized in spherical poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel particles. Features of numbers and distribution of bacteria in the resultant PVA gel were estimated. The DMF-decomposing bacteria named Bacillus cereus D-1 was isolated. Several morphological and physiological responses of the bacteria were revealed. Spherical PVA gel with the DMF-decomposing bacteria prepared through of freezing and thawing was tested for treatment of DMF-containing effluent. Test results have shown the ability of stable operation and maintenance at the same capacity of 1 kg/m³/day by both a basic study and a bench plant test. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Leaching behavior of heat-treated waste ash

The leaching behavior of heat-treated waste ash was studied to verify the possibility of the thermal treatment of waste incineration ash in existing incinerators and boiler combustion chambers. The influence of temperature, oxygen concentration and treatment time on the leaching behaviors of harmful heavy metals, especially lead (Pb) and chromium(VI) (Cr (VI)) were studied to clarify effective treatment conditions to suppress leaching. By examining the leaching behavior of Pb and Cr from ash heat-treated under various conditions, it was found that leaching can be suppressed by heat-treating the ash under conventional combustion conditions of around 900-1000 °C at 5-10% oxygen concentration. The leaching behaviors of Pb and Cr (VI) from real ash with different particle sizes and from model samples were also investigated in detail to find an effective method to suppress Pb leaching. It was found that the formation and growth of gehlenite (SiO₂·2CaO·Al₂O₃) in the ashes led to the decrease in the amount of Pb leaching. Therefore it was considered that the addition of an inorganic matrix with a high silica content that can promote gehlenite growth in the ash, for example, coal ash or waste glass is effective to suppress of Pb leaching.     

High levels of transforming growth factor beta 1 in patients with colorectal cancer: association with disease progression

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Contribution of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) to tumor progression has been suggested. However, little is known about the role of TGF-beta 1 in colorectal cancer. Plasma TGF-beta 1 levels and its expression were analyzed in patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: Plasma TGF-beta 1 levels were measured in 22 patients with colorectal cancer using a TGF-beta 1 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Expression of TGF-beta 1 messenger RNA and immunohistochemical distribution of the protein in colorectal cancer tissues were examined. RESULTS: Plasma TGF-beta 1 levels in patients with colorectal cancer (14.8 +/- 8.4 ng/mL) were significantly higher than in normal controls (1.9 +/- 1.4; n = 22) (P < 0.001). After curative surgical resection, plasma TGF-beta 1 levels decreased in examined patients from 11.9 +/- 6.7 to 3.8 +/- 1.2 ng/mL (P < 0.01). TGF-beta 1 messenger RNA was about 2 1/2 times more abundant in colorectal cancer tissues than in control (P < 0.01). TGF-beta 1 was detected in the cytoplasm of colorectal cancer cells immunohistochemically. Both TGF-beta 1 messenger RNA expression in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues and its plasma levels were associated with tumor stage of Dukes' classification (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that plasma TGF-beta 1 levels may reflect overexpression of the gene in colon cancer tissues and are associated with disease progression.     

Factors influencing imitation of manipulatory actions in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes).

The purpose of the study was to investigate what kind of factors determine the degree of difficulty for chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) when they imitate actions. Five adult chimpanzees were instructed to perform 48 arbitrary manipulatory actions consisting of different bodily motor patterns and object directionality. Results showed that actions in which an object is directed toward another external location (another object and one's own body) were easier to perform than those that involved manipulating a single object alone. Actions involving unfamiliar motor patterns were more difficult to perform than those involving familiar motor patterns that were already present in the subject's repertoire. Error responses were characterized as perseverative repetition of previously instructed actions. These findings suggest that chimpanzees find the directionality of manipulated objects a more salient cue than details of the demonstrator's body movements performing the manipulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Device modeling and simulations toward sub-10 nm semiconductordevices

This paper overviews the fundamental problems encountered in device modeling and simulations of sub-10 nm Si metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistors (MOSFETs). We focus on the two fundamental problems: the quantum effects and the effects associated with the long-range Coulomb potential. It is pointed out that these problems are profoundly related to the basic principles of device physics and even pose a question on the validity of the basic transport equation which the present device simulations are based on. We also review various approaches and methods taken to tackle those problems