Surface characteristics and staining of experimental visible light-cured unfilled resins

This experiment was designed to study the internal colour change of five experimental visible light-cured (VLC) resins and to deduce the relationship between staining and the physicochemical properties of the resins and a glass. The staining of the materials was measured colorimetrically, with immersion in two types of staining solution (Oil Orange or Food Red 3) for 70 days at 37°C. The water sorption, contact angle and zeta-potential of these samples were also measured. With the Oil Orange dye a positive relationship was observed only between staining and the contact angles, whereas with Food Red 3 dye a positive relationship was observed between staining and the zeta-potential and between staining and the water sorption. The results could allow a comparison of the relative contributions to staining made by physicochemical forces for the samples tested.     

Use of the Reflection of Near‐Infrared Light for the Nondestructive Examination of Blood Flow and Other Applications

Abstract

Reflection of near‐infrared light is measured by commercial equipment. We found that samples in motion and at rest show differences in the intensity of reflection of a laser beam. This may suggest the possibility of its use to detect organ necrosis in vivo. In addition, we find the possibility of the use of this reflection of the near‐infrared light for the non‐destructive inspection of internal changes in perishables, e.g., their degree of ripeness.     

Heat conduction analyses on rewetting front propagation during transients beyond anticipated operational occurrences for BWRs

Our previous study investigated the rewetting behavior of dryout fuel surface during transients beyond anticipated operational occurrences for BWRs, which indicated the rewetting velocity was significantly affected by the precursory cooling defined as cooling immediately before rewetting. This study further investigated the previous experiments by conducting additional experimental and numerical heat conduction analyses to characterize the precursory cooling. For the characterization, the precursory cooling was first defined quantitatively based on evaluated heat transfer rates; the rewetting velocity was investigated as a function of the cladding temperature immediately before the onset of the precursory cooling. The results indicated that the propagation velocity appeared to be limited by the maximum heat transfer rate near the rewetting front. This limitation was consistent with results of the heat conduction analysis using heat transfer models for the precursory cooling expressed as a function of distance from the rewetting front, the maximum wetting temperature, and the heat transfer coefficients in the wetted region. This paper also discusses uncertainties in the evaluation of transient heat flux from the measured surface temperature, and technical issues requiring further investigation.     

Emission of Terahertz Radiation from Two-Dimensional Electron Systems in Semiconductor Nano- and Hetero-Structures

This paper reviews recent advances in emission of terahertz radiation from two-dimensional (2D) electron systems in semiconductor nano-heterostructures. 2D plasmon resonance is first presented to demonstrate intense broadband terahertz emission from InGaP/InGaAs/GaAs and InAlAs/InGaAs/InP material systems. The device structure is based on a high-electron mobility transistor and incorporates the author??s original interdigitated dual-grating gates. Second topic focuses on graphene, a monolayer carbon-atomic honeycomb lattice crystal, exhibiting unique carrier transport and optical properties owing to massless and gapless energy spectrum. Coherent stimulated terahertz emission from femtosecond infrared-laser pumped epitaxial graphene is experimentally observed, reflecting the occurrence of negative dynamic conductivity and population inversion.     

A new low‐power driving method for high‐resolution mobile IPS LCDs

Abstract— High‐resolution displays are now needed for mobile equipment, not only for cell phones but for other devices such as ultra‐mobile PCs (UMPCs) and mobile Internet protocol televisions (IPTVs). A new low‐cost and low‐power driving method for high‐resolution in‐plane‐switching (IPS) liquid‐crystal displays (LCDs) on a low‐temperature polycrystalline‐silicon (LTPS) thin‐film‐transistor (TFT) platform has been developed. Because this method drives common electrodes separated by each line, it can reduce inversion frequency, unlike “dot‐inversion” or “column‐inversion” methods. On the other hand, it was found that horizontal smear is an obstacle to achieve this method. To solve this problem, techniques to optimize the timing of RGB time‐sharing are proposed. A 5‐in. WXGA (1366 × 768) prototype using the new driving method was fabricated, and it was found that the horizontal smear is less than ±1% of the luminance and that the power consumption of the display discharge and charge is 0.245 W.     

Radial liquid velocity distribution in an external-loop airlift column with a tapered riser

Radial and axial liquid velocity distributions in the tapered riser were investigated theoretically and experimentally. The liquid velocity distributions were computed by solving the Navier-Stokes equation numerically based on a modified mixing-length theory. Both radial and axial components of liquid velocity were taken into account. As a result, we found that the radial velocity component was much smaller than the axial velocity component. For a cylindrical column, which means no tapered section, a simplified solution was obtained. The simplified solution was found to agree well with the rigorous numerical solution even in the tapered riser. To confirm the validity of the present hydrodynamic model, the velocity distributions in the tapered riser were measured by an electric probe method using KCl solution as a tracer. The measured velocity distributions agreed with the computed ones, except in the vicinity of the bottom of the tapered riser at high gas flow rates.     

Phenotypical heterogeneity of CD4+CD8+ double-positive chronic T lymphoid leukemia

BACKGROUND: One of the most controversial areas in patient selection and donor allocation is the high-risk patient. Risk factors for mortality and major infectious morbidity were prospectively analyzed in consecutive United States veterans undergoing liver transplantation under primary tacrolimus-based immunosuppression. METHODS: Twenty-eight pre-liver transplant, operative, and posttransplant risk factors were examined univariately and multivariately in 140 consecutive liver transplants in 130 veterans (98% male; mean age, 47.3 years). RESULTS: Eighty-two percent of the patients had postnecrotic cirrhosis due to viral hepatitis or ethanol (20% ethanol alone), and only 12% had cholestatic liver disease. Ninety-eight percent of the patients were hospitalized at the time of transplantation (66% United Network for Organ Sharing [UNOS] 2, 32% UNOS 1). Major bacterial infection, posttransplant dialysis, additional immunosuppression, readmission to intensive care unit (P=0.0001 for all), major fungal infection, posttransplant abdominal surgery, posttransplant intensive care unit stay length of stay (P<0.005 for all), donor age, pretransplant dialysis, and creatinine (P<0.05 for all) were significantly associated with mortality by univariate analysis. Underlying liver disease, cytomegalovirus infection and disease, portal vein thrombosis, UNOS status, Childs-Pugh score, patient age, pretransplant bilirubin, ischemia time, and operative blood loss were not significant predictors of mortality. Patients with hepatitis C (HCV) and recurrent HCV had a trend towards higher mortality (P=0.18). By multivariate analysis, donor age, any major infection, additional immunosuppression, posttransplant dialysis, and subsequent transplantation were significant independent predictors of mortality (P<0.05). Major infectious morbidity was associated with HCV recurrence (P=0.003), posttransplant dialysis (P=0.0001), pretransplant creatinine, donor age, median blood loss, intensive care unit length of stay, additional immunosuppression, and biopsy-proven rejection (P<0.05 for all). By multivariate analysis, intensive care unit length of stay and additional immunosuppression were significant independent predictors of infectious morbidity (P<0.03). HCV recurrence was of borderline significance (P=0.07). CONCLUSIONS: Biologic and physiologic parameters appear to be more powerful predictors of mortality and morbidity after liver transplantation. Both donor and recipient variables need to be considered for early and late outcome analysis and risk assessment modeling.     

Dermatological study on dark eye circles and their treatment with newly developed cosmetics

Repeated exposure to UV radiation can induce cutaneous damage leading to permanent structural degeneration of the dermal extracellular matrix and formation of visible wrinkles. It is not so easy to efface severely UV-damaged skin, because the degenerated abnormal structure of that skin is usually fixed by tight cross-linkings. So, we think that one of the important approaches to the anti-wrinkle skin care is the treatment of photodamaged skin in the early stage. However, it is difficult for most cosmetic users to perceive their dermal UV damage. In the present study, we investigated the possibilities of two non-invasive measurements of skin mechanical properties as convenient biomarkers of degeneration of the extracellular matrix. The condition of the three-dimensional structures of dermal collagen fibres, which depends on the degree of UV damage, correlated with a mechanical parameter measured by the Resiliometer we developed. Accumulation of denatured elastic fibres (elastosis) induced by photoaging correlated with certain mechanical parameters measured by the Cutometer. These findings suggest that dermal structural changes associated with photoaging can be assessed non-invasively using these devices.