High resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of beta gallium oxide films deposited by ultra high vacuum radio frequency magnetron sputtering

The gallium oxide thin films with amorphous, crystalline, and nanostructure morphologies were deposited by a radio frequency magnetron sputtering system in ultra high vacuum conditions. High resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra of films were analyzed relating on the preparation conditions. On the amorphous films, the density of states at valence band region is dependent on the sputtering gas compositions. Beta gallium oxide (100) films are epitaxially deposited on magnesium oxide (100) crystalline substrate. The high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectra suggest the presence of the density of states valence band region with oxygen deficiency out of the stoichiometry on the epitaxial crystalline beta gallium oxide films.     

Molecular Biological and Clinical Understanding of the Pathophysiology and Treatments of Hyperuricemia and Its Association with Metabolic Syndrome,Cardiovascular Diseases and Chronic Kidney Disease

Uric acid (UA) is synthesized mainly in the liver, intestines, and vascular endothelium as the end product of an exogenous purine from food and endogenously from damaged, dying, and dead cells. The kidney plays a dominant role in UA excretion, and the kidney excretes approximately 70% of daily produced UA; the remaining 30% of UA is excreted from the intestine. When UA production exceeds UA excretion, hyperuricemia occurs. Hyperuricemia is significantly associated with the development and severity of the metabolic syndrome. The increased urate transporter 1 (URAT1) and glucose transporter 9 (GLUT9) expression, and glycolytic disturbances due to insulin resistance may be associated with the development of hyperuricemia in metabolic syndrome. Hyperuricemia was previously thought to be simply the cause of gout and gouty arthritis. Further, the hyperuricemia observed in patients with renal diseases was considered to be caused by UA underexcretion due to renal failure, and was not considered as an aggressive treatment target. The evidences obtained by basic science suggests a pathogenic role of hyperuricemia in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD), by inducing inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, and activation of the renin-angiotensin system. Further, clinical evidences suggest that hyperuricemia is associated with the development of CVD and CKD. Further, accumulated data suggested that the UA-lowering treatments slower the progression of such diseases.     

A note on the environmental Kuznets curve for CO2: A pooled mean group approach

This paper investigates whether the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for CO₂ emissions is satisfied using the panel data of 28 countries by taking nuclear energy into account. Using the pooled mean group (PMG) estimation method, our main results indicate that (1) the impacts of nuclear energy on CO₂ emissions are significantly negative, (2) CO₂ emissions actually increase monotonically within the sample period in all cases: the full sample, OECD countries, and non-OECD countries, and (3) the growth rate in CO₂ emissions with income is decreasing in OECD countries and increasing in non-OECD countries.     

Hydrogen storage ability of porous carbon material fabricated from coffee bean wastes

The hydrogen storage ability at 298 and 77 K of porous carbon materials with microporous structures fabricated from coffee bean wastes through KOH activation was investigated regarding pore structure. The dependence of hydrogen storage ability on the pore structure of porous carbon materials was investigated at 298 and 77 K to clarify the storage mechanism of carbon materials. Hydrogen storage ability at 298 K was increased linearly with increasing of specific surface area increasing. The maximum amount of stored hydrogen was 0.6 wt.% on porous carbon material with 2070 m²/g specific surface area. The hydrogen storage ability at 77 K was 4.0 wt.% on the same sample. The hydrogen storage ability showed a linear relationship with the micro-pore volume size. These changes in the dependence of the hydrogen storage ability on pore size suggested that the storage configuration changed from two- to three-dimensional. The stored hydrogen densities in porous carbon materials calculated from these values were 5.7 and 69.6 mg/cm³ at 298 and 77 K, respectively. The change in density indicated that the state of stored hydrogen in porous carbon materials was filled up aggregational state, which is extremely close to the liquid state, and suggested the realizing of high hydrogen storage ability on carbon materials fabricated from agricultural waste.     

Hydrogen distribution in titanium materials with low outgassing property

This paper addresses a hydrogen outgassing mechanism in titanium materials with extremely low outgassing property by investigating hydrogen atoms distribution in depth around the surface in a titanium material and stainless steel. The evacuation time dependence of depth profiles of positive hydrogen ions was measured by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). In the stainless steel, concentration of hydrogen atoms decreases slowly at the surface oxide layer, while it decreases rapidly in the bulk by vacuum evacuation. Thus, the surface oxide layer is considered to prevent hydrogen diffusions in the bulk. On the other hand, in the titanium material, hydrogen atoms show maximum concentration at the boundary between the surface oxide layer and the bulk titanium. Moreover, concentration of hydrogen atoms decreases rapidly at the surface oxide layer, while those decrease slowly in the deep region below the surface-bulk boundary by vacuum evacuation. It is suggested that the boundary between the surface oxide layer and bulk titanium plays a role of a barrier for bulk hydrogen diffusions. These facts give very low hydrogen concentration near the surface, which results in an extremely low outgassing rate in titanium materials.     

Effect of multiple additives (Mn and Zr) on microstructure of P/M 7000 series aluminum alloys

Mesoalite series alloys were formed using rapid solidification powder metallurgy (RS-P/M) by hot extrusion. The addition of Mn and Zr to the basic Mesoalite alloy (Meso10) in excess led to continuous dynamic recrystallization (DRX) in the alloy during hot extrusion through a different mechanism. In order to achieve a synergistic effect, Mn and Zr additives were used simultaneously. It was found that the DRX mechanism was governed by the addition of Mn, while the Zr addition was effective in coarsening control.     

Atmospheric pressure plasma liquid deposition of copper nanoparticles on poly(4-vinylpyridine)-grafted-poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surface and their autocatalytic properties

We demonstrate catalyst-free electroless deposition of copper on a poly(4-vynylpyrridine)-grafted-poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surface. The principle of this process relies on deposition of an organo-copper(II) precursor film on the functionalized polymer surface and on subsequent plasma-assisted reduction of the copper ion to form nanoparticles. A polymer surface densely and homogeneously seeded with copper nanoparticles enable to initiate autocatalytic electroless deposition of copper layer without need for any prior sensitizing the surface with conventionally used SnCl₂ and Pd species.     

Application of the multichannel electrode method to monitoring of corrosion of steel in an artificial crevice

Crevice corrosion of iron was evaluated using the multichannel electrode method in which 10 individual working electrodes (WEs) of pure iron were embedded in resin, placed in an artificial crevice in the range from 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm, and immersed in 0.51 mol dm⁻³ NaCl solution. The WEs were connected to an electronic circuit which allowed galvanic coupling between them and measurement of their individual coupling current or open circuit potential. Time-transient of the spatial distribution of coupling current and open circuit potential showed sequential transition of the coupling current on WEs at the middle position of the crevice from cathode to anode. The WE near the opening of the crevice initially showed a large anodic current, then a decreasing the anodic current corresponding to the current transition of other WEs, and finally a large cathodic current coupled with the other anodic WEs in the crevice. The transition of coupling current was explained by the change in pH and concentration of dissolved oxygen in the crevice. Thickness of the gap of the artificial crevice affected the transition behavior of coupling current distribution. For example, slower current transition with smaller coupling current was found in the case of a narrower gap. Such properties were related to the introduction and consumption of dissolved oxygen in the crevice solution and the circulation of gap solution from/to the outside of the crevice.     

Porous anodic oxides on titanium and on a Ti-W alloy

The growth of a nanoporous anodic oxide on titanium and a Ti-20 at.% W alloy, both deposited by magnetron sputtering, in a glycerol/phosphate electrolyte at 453 K is reported. The oxide formed on titanium is a mixture of amorphous titania and anatase. However, that on the alloy is amorphous only and forms at increased efficiency, about 27%. The amorphous structure is considered to be stabilized by incorporated units of WO₃, which are distributed uniformly throughout the anodic film. The growth of the porous oxides is suggested to be associated with loss of film species at the film/electrolyte interface at the base of pores, with new oxide forming exclusively at the metal/film interface by inward migration of O²⁻ ions.