Interface state generation mechanism in n-MOSFET's

Uniform carrier injection into the channel of n-MOSFETs generates two types of interface states, depending on the oxide electric field: One is linearly proportional to the injected electron density (Type I), while the other shows a half-power dependence (Type II). Charge-pumping measurements in the temperature range of 77K and 263K show that the type I interface states are located in the mid-gap, while the type II interface states are uniformly distributed in wide energy range. Holes generated at the gate/SiO₂ interface or in the oxide are found to be responsible for the type I interface states, while hydrogen or hydrogen compounds diffusing from the interface cause the type II interface states.     

Hydrothermal synthesis of hydroxyapatite whiskers with sharp faceted hexagonal morphology

We report an effective method for the synthesis of hydroxyapatite whiskers with sharp faceted hexagonal shape employing a low temperature (90 °C) hydrothermal route with calcium nitrate tetrahydrate, diammonium phosphate and urea as starting materials. The key parameters of the synthesis process i.e. duration, temperature cycle of the treatment and starting pH value are carefully varied and the end products are investigated using powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman-scattering, infrared spectroscopy (IR), elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction (ED), and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM) in order to find the optimal reaction conditions that lead to the desired hexagonal morphology of HA whiskers. The results demonstrate that gradual and greater increase in solution pH during the hydrothermal process favors large quantity of the single-crystalline hydroxyapatite whiskers with well defined hexagonal morphology.     

Relationship between Expression of Onco-Related miRNAs and the Endoscopic Appearance of Colorectal Tumors

Accumulating data indicates that certain microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are differently expressed in samples of tumors and paired non-tumorous samples taken from the same patients with colorectal tumors. We examined the expression of onco-related miRNAs in 131 sporadic exophytic adenomas or early cancers and in 52 sporadic flat elevated adenomas or early cancers to clarify the relationship between the expression of the miRNAs and the endoscopic morphological appearance of the colorectal tumors. The expression levels of miR-143, -145, and -34a were significantly reduced in most of the exophytic tumors compared with those in the flat elevated ones. In type 2 cancers, the miRNA expression profile was very similar to that of the exophytic tumors. The expression levels of miR-7 and -21 were significantly up-regulated in some flat elevated adenomas compared with those in exophytic adenomas. In contrast, in most of the miR-143 and -145 down-regulated cases of the adenoma-carcinoma sequence and in some of the de novo types of carcinoma, the up-regulation of oncogenic miR-7 and/or -21 contributed to the triggering mechanism leading to the carcinogenetic process. These findings indicated that the expression of onco-related miRNA was associated with the morphological appearance of colorectal tumors.     

Recognition and Excision Properties of 8‐Halogenated‐7‐Deaza‐2′‐Deoxyguanosine as 8‐Oxo‐2′‐Deoxyguanosine Analogues and Fpg and hOGG1 Inhibitors

Cellular DNA continuously suffers various types of damage, and unrepaired damage increases disease progression risk. 8‐Oxo‐2′‐deoxyguanine (8‐oxo‐dG) is excised by repair enzymes, and their analogues are of interest as inhibitors and as bioprobes for study of these enzymes. We have developed 8‐halogenated‐7‐deaza‐2′‐deoxyguanosine derivatives that resemble 8‐oxo‐dG in that they adopt the syn conformation. In this study, we investigated their effects on Fpg (formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase) and hOGG1 (human 8‐oxoguanine DNA N‐glycosylase 1). Relative to 8‐oxo‐dG, Cl‐ and Br‐deaza‐dG were good substrates for Fpg, whereas they were less efficient substrates for hOGG1. Kinetics and binding experiments indicated that, although hOGG1 effectively binds Cl‐ and Br‐deaza‐dG analogues with low K_m values, their lower k_cat values result in low glycosylase activities. The benefits of the high binding affinities and low reactivities of 8‐oxo‐dG analogues with hOGG1 have been successfully applied to the competitive inhibition of the excision of 8‐oxoguanine from duplex DNA by hOGG1.     

Computer simulation study on the shear-induced phase separation in semi-dilute polymer solutions by using Ianniruberto-Marrucci model

In our previous study, a computer simulation scheme based on Doi-Onuki theory is proposed to simulate the dynamics of the shear-induced phase separation in semi-dilute polymer solutions [KOBUNSHI RONBUNSHU 2007, 64, 324]. The scheme employs Ianniruberto-Marrucci model as a constitutive equation to express the viscoelastic behavior of the solution explicitly. The scheme enables us to simulate the time-evolution of stress as well as that of shear-induced structure upon shear-jump. In this study, we focus on the conformation of polymer chains. The dynamics of the polymer chains agrees with those in the “solvent squeeze” model which interprets the shear-induced phase separation phenomena in semi-dilute polymer solutions by Saito et al. [Macromolecules 1999, 32, 4879].     

Wall slip and melt-fracture of polystyrene melts in capillary flow

We investigated slip and unstable flow phenomena of polystyrene melts in capillaries from the view of the effects of temperature and molecular weight by using three polystyrene samples with different molecular weights (M_w = 192,000, M_w = 258,000, and M_w = 321,000). The slip velocities are estimated by the Mooney method and the modified Mooney method. We found that the slip velocity increases and the critical slip stress above which a slip starts to occur decreases with the temperature. We also observed the melt-fracture at above a critical melt-fracture stress higher than . We found that the onset of melt fracture is affected by the extensional stress near the entry region to the capillary in the barrel and the melt-fracture tends to easily occur with increase of the molecular weight, but is not sensitive to the temperature.     

High-temperature oxidation of Al-deposited stainless-steel foils

The oxidation resistance of Al-deposited Fe–Cr–Al foils containing small amounts of La and Ce was assessed by a cyclic oxidation test with temperature varying between room temperature and 1323 K to 1423 K in static air. (1) The Al content of Fe–Cr–Al–La, Ce foils can be increased by depositing an Al layer from the vapor phase. The deposition of a 1-m-thick Al layer on both sides of the 50-m-thick foil is equivalent to a 1.5 mass% increase in the Al content. The deposited Al diffuses into the foil during heat treatment. The uniform distribution of Al is obtained by heating at 1273 K for 18 ks. (2) After the initial transition stage the oxidation follows the parabolic law until breakaway sets in. The scale consists mainly of -Al₂O₃ during the parabolic period. (3) The increase in the Al content by more than 5 mass% by the Al-deposition remarkably improves high-temperature oxidation resistance (smaller parabolic rate constant and longer protection time). (4) The Al-deposited foils have better oxidation resistance than the conventional foils with the same contents of Al and rare-earth elements. This is attributable to the different nature of the initially formed oxide on the Al-deposited foil. (5) The so-called rare-earth element effect was also observed for the Al-deposited foils. Predominant diffusion of oxygen through the Al₂O₃ scale and vacancy-sink mechanism are applicable to the present results.     

Water matrix effect on UV photodegradation of perfluorooctanoic acid

The widespread detection of perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in the water environment has been a concern for the last several years, while effluents from wastewater treatment facilities are the major sources of these compounds. Even advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) are not useful for mineralization of the compounds due to their very high stability. Photochemical techniques using particularly vacuum UV (VUV) have been found to be very promising in this regard. But the use of VUV in UV-based AOTs has still not progressed much. Moreover, the impact of water quality on PFCs photomineralization is unknown. This investigation aimed to assess photomineralization potentials of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in ultrapure water (UPW), tap water (TW), surface water and treated wastewater effluent using a reactor setup enabling maximum utilization of VUV emission of low pressure lamp in laboratory batch experiments. Neya River water (NRW) and the Nakahama Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluent (NWWTPE) represented surface water and treated wastewater effluent respectively. Also, tests were carried out in 50% diluted NRW and NWWTPE. PFOA photomineralization in terms of PFOA removal, defluorination and total organic carbon (TOC) removal are discussed. The usefulness of the method for PFOA mineralization in organic-rich wastewaters, and further research needs are also highlighted.     

Different susceptibility to phospholipase A2 treatment of the fluorescence intensity changes in the vicinity of Cys-964 and Lys-501 in the alpha-chain of probe-labeled Na+,K(+)-ATPase

Phospholipase A2 [EC 3.1.1.4] treatment of pig kidney Na+,K(+)-ATPase [EC 3.6.1.3] labeled with fluorescence probes at the alpha-chain reduced the extent of the fluorescence intensity change of an N-[p-(2-benzimidazolyl)phenyl]maleimide (BIPM) probe at Cys-964 to below one-third of the control level accompanying the accumulation of phosphoenzymes. However, it only induced a slight decrease in that of a fluorescence isothiocyanate (FITC) probe at Lys-501 with a large decrease in the rate of change. The addition of phosphatidylserine (PS) or phosphatidylinositol (PI) to the phospholipase-treated BIPM-FITC-labeled enzyme increased the rate of the FITC fluorescence change. Phospholipase treatment of the BIPM-enzyme greatly reduced the Na+,K(+)-ATPase activity. The addition of PS or PI to the treated enzyme induced reactivation. These data and others suggest that Cys-964 and Glu-953 (Rb+ protectable dicyclohexyl carbodiimide binding site) are located in the vicinity of the surface area of the enzyme where hydrocarbon chains of phospholipids are present, and conserved H-bonding amino acids, Thr-955 and Ser-962, are located rather near the center of a domain forming a cation binding route or cage with other hydrophobic transmembrane segments. These data may indicate that the interaction between the BIPM probe and the hydrocarbon chains of phospholipids changes in such a way as to sense the change in the binding state of various ligands accompanying the sequential appearance of reaction intermediates of the enzyme.     

Cathode performance of LiMnPO4/C nanocomposites prepared by a combination of spray pyrolysis and wet ball-milling followed by heat treatment

LiMnPO₄/C nanocomposites could be prepared by a combination of spray pyrolysis and wet ball-milling followed by heat treatment in the range of spray pyrolysis temperature from 200 to 500 °C. The ordered LiMnPO₄ olivine structure without any impurity phase could be identified by X-ray diffraction analysis for all samples. It could be also confirmed from scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy observations that the final samples were the LiMnPO₄/C nanocomposites with approximately 100 nm in primary particles size. The LiMnPO₄/C nanocomposite samples were used as cathode active materials for lithium batteries, and the electrochemical tests were carried out for the cell Li|1 M LiPF₆ in EC:DMC = 1:1|LiMnPO₄/C at various charge/discharge rates in three charge modes. As a result, the final sample which was synthesized at 300 °C by spray pyrolysis showed the best electrochemical performance due to the largest specific surface area, the smallest primary particle size and a well distribution of carbon. At galvanostatic charge/discharge rates of 0.05 C, the cell delivered first discharge capacities of 123 and 165 mAh g⁻¹ in correspondence to charge cutoff voltages of 4.4 and 5.0 V, respectively. Furthermore, in a constant current-constant voltage charge mode at 4.4 V, the cells also exhibited initial discharge capacities of 147 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.05 C, 145 mAh g⁻¹ at 0.1 C, 123 mAh g⁻¹ at 1 C and 65 mAh g⁻¹ at 10 C. Moreover, the cells showed fair good cycleability over 100 cycles.