The use of indoline dyes in a zinc oxide dye-sensitized solar cell

The effects of the position and the type of carboxyl anchor group in double rhodanine-type indoline dyes on the performance of a zinc oxide dye-sensitized solar cell were examined. The optimum position for the carboxymethyl group was on the inner rhodanine moiety; a carboxymethyl group gave optimum results among carboxymethyl, -ethyl, and -propyl derivatives.     

Vertical liquid transportation through capillary bundle structure using centrifugal force

The use of three-dimensional (3D) microstructures is becoming essential attempt to develop next generations’ microdevices, to integrate many modules and various functions, and enhance the performance of device. In this paper, we present a new concept for lab on a chip using 3D structure and centrifugal pumping for integrated functional fluid systems such as high-throughput screening, and point of care testing systems which has stacked multiple structures with 3D-interconnection. The use of 3D structure brings many benefits for above high throughput systems, such as possibility to integrate various modules enabling to perform total assay operation, from sample preparation for biochemical reaction and their detection on one platform. For this concept, the most important key technology is control of a vertical valving and transportation of liquid between different 2D micro channel networks with different height levels. We demonstrated such vertical liquid transportation in 3D micro channel networks through the high aspect ratio capillary bundle filter by controlling spinning speed of device and centrifugal force as a pumping force, and confirmed capillary bundle could be employed as vertical microvalve for 3D fluidic systems using centrifugal force as a pumping method.     

Gas sensitiveness of polypyrrole films doped chemically in the gas phase

Electropolymerized polypyrrole films were electrochemically reduced and then chemically doped with one of PCl₃, SO₂, NO₂ or iodine vapour in the gas phase. These chemically-doped polypyrrole films showed a resistance decrease when they were exposed to electron-acceptor gases having electron affinities larger than those used in the chemical doping, except for one case of exposure of iodine-doped polypyrrole films to NO₂, where (although iodine has reportedly a larger electron affinity than NO₂) a resistance increase was seen, which was caused by a partial substitution of the doped iodine with exposed NO₂. The phenomenon is discussed in terms of the stabilization of gaseous species on adsorption. The present study suggests that a selective gas sensitivity may be attached to polypyrrole films if they are doped with an appropriate gas in advance.     

A 39-to-45-Gbit/s multi-data-rate clock and data recovery circuit with a robust lock detector

We describe a 40-Gbit/s-class clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit with an extremely wide pull-in range. A Darlington-type voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) is newly designed to cover the STM-256/OC-768 full-rate-clock frequencies with a wide frequency margin. We also describe a new lock detector using an exclusive-NOR gate. The CDR IC was fabricated using InP/InGaAs HBTs. Error-free operation and wide eye opening were confirmed for 40-, 43-, and 45-Gbit/s PRBS with a word length of 2/sup 31/ - 1. We attached a frequency search and phase control (FSPC) circuit to the chip as a new frequency acquisition aid, and this allows the CDR circuit to pull in throughout a 39-45-Gbit/s range. The peak-to-peak and rms jitter of the recovered clock were 3.6 and 0.48 ps, respectively.     

A super-dynamic flip-flop circuit for broad-band applications up to24 Gb/s utilizing production-level 0.2-μm GaAs MESFETs

This paper describes a novel dynamic flip-flop (FF) circuit that can operate 30% faster than conventional clocked inverter-type FFs. A new wideband clock buffer is introduced to cover the FF operation range. An 8- to 24-Gb/s decision circuit and a 9- to 26-GHz 1/2 frequency divider were developed utilizing production-level 0.2-μm GaAs MESFET technology     

A menu generator for audio visual networks

An audio visual system can enhance its controllability by an interactive and user-friendly menu through which a user issues commands to control audio visual devices. One of the serious problems encountered in such menu development is that end-user's requirement specifications vary in screen layouts, device configurations and commands contents, and often involves extensive manual programming. We have definedMacroMMenu formally as a tree structure menu system model restricting a menu transition graph, and designed and implemented an automated menu prototyping system which includes a menu generator calledInteractive Proto. UsingInteractive Proto through a visual programming language, end-users themselves, who are usually non-programmers, can easily define menu specification, input this source specification, and the targetMacro Menu is generated automatically.     

Perpendicular oriented cylinders via directional coalescence of spheres embedded in block copolymer films induced by solvent annealing

Polystyrene-b-poly(methyl acrylate) (PS-b-PMA) block copolymer with PS volume fraction of 25.2 vol% was synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. Non-pretreated silicon wafers were used as the substrates to prepare perpendicular oriented PS cylinders in PMA matrix via solvent annealing which could induce the transformation of spheres to vertically oriented and hexagonally packed cylinders. The spherical microdomains were formed after the evaporation of solvents from the solutions of the block copolymer in selective solvents mixed from methanol, acetone and dichloromethane. The thickness of films could be as thick as 1000 nm, which were much thicker than usual cases and the cylinders came from the directional coalescence of the spheres, thus any pre-treatments of the substrates were not required for perpendicular orientation. The structures were characterized by small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), atom force microscopy (AFM) and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS).     

Effect of heat treatment with the mould on the super-elastic property of Ti–Ni alloy castings for dental application

Tensile property of Ti–50.85Ni (mol %) alloy castings was investigated quantitatively in relation to the thermal behavior accompanied with phase transformation to evaluate the effect of heat treatment after casting with the mould in air. The heat treatment temperature was 713 or 773 K, and the period was 0.9, 1.8, or 3.6 ks. Apparent proof stress of the castings decreased with increasing period of heat treatment, and the decrease was larger with the treatment at 773 K. Residual strain also decreased by the heat treatment, however, it was low with the treatment for relatively short period, i.e. 713 K-0.9 and 1.8 ks, and 773 K-0.9 ks treatments. From the thermal behavior measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the ascent in the transformation temperatures and the increase in the thermal peak height appeared to influence the changes in the tensile property. These changes by heat treatment were believed to be effective to utilize more flexibility, less stress and less permanent deformation in dental castings.     

Chlorine auto-doping by chloride vapor phase epitaxial growth of InP

Chlorine auto-doping phenomenon was found for the first time in InP epitaxial growth by using a PCl₃/InP/H₂ system. Chlorine atoms act as a donor in the epitaxial layer and the carrier concentration is dependent on the facet of InP substrate. The carrier concentration of the InP layer on ( 111)B facet was over 10³ times higher than that on (111)A substrate.     

Influence of anti-LDL receptor antibody on the transfer of cholesterol from LDL to isolated lymphocytes in normal subjects

Results 2 1/2 years after an enuresis nocturna training are presented, including rate of success, percentage and duration of relapse for 113 children (mean age 11.6 year at the start of the training). The bibliotherapeutic treatment by parents did not require any intervention by a professional. Behaviour of parents in the event of a relapse differed between training conditions. Children in the Arousal condition recovered faster from a relapse, 90% of their parents used the Arousal training again at relapse or did not intervene at all and none of them consulted a professional. Clearly they had confidence in the method of Arousal training: combining the alarm device with reinforcement for correct behaviour at the time the alarm goes off. Parents in control conditions did not use the alarm device as often as the parents in the Arousal condition, but tried other means with less success, including consulting professionals.