Rapid and Continuous Hydrothermal Synthesis of Boehmite Particles in Subcritical and Supercritical Water

Hydrothermal synthesis of AlOOH particles from an Al(NO₃)₃ aqueous solution was examined in subcritical and supercritical water. Continuous and rapid production of AlOOH fine particles was achieved by mixing a metal salt aqueous solution with preheated water fed from another line. The effects of temperature, pressure, and initial concentration of solution on the particle size, morphology, and crystal structure of the metal (hydrous) oxides were examined. These properties are strongly affected by slight changes in pressure and temperature. This strong effect is attributed to the large changes in the properties of water near its critical point resulting from the slight changes in pressure and temperature. The results suggest the simultaneous control of size, crystal structure, and morphology of the particles by hydrothermal synthesis in supercritical water.     

Aqueous solution properties of a silicone surfactant and its mixed surfactant systems

The aqueous solution properties of a nonionic silicone surfactant of dimethylpolysiloxane and its mixed surfactant systems were studied. It was found that the silicone surfactant has a high surface activity and forms micelles in two steps: premicelles in dilute concentrations and polymolecular micelles above 3.7 × 10⁻⁷ mol dm⁻³. In mixed systems of the silicone surfactant with anionic hydrocarbon or fluorocarbon surfactant, weak intermicellar interactions were found. They are due to electrostatic interaction between hydrophilic groups of the respective micelles. Dye solubilization measurements showed that the solubilized amount of Yellow-OB is greater than predicted by ideal systems. Hydrazo-azo tautomerism is observed in fluorocarbon-silicone surfactant systems, while Yellow-OB is solubilized only in the azo-form in the hydrocarbon-silicone surfactant system.     

Electrical characteristics of B-implanted p-channelMNOS transistors

Boron ions (¹¹B⁺ of 3·7 to 7·4 × 10¹¹/cm² were implanted at 60–120 keV into the channel region of p-channel MNOS double layer insulated gate field effect transistors through 920–940 Å of SiO₂ and various thicknesses (300–1800 Å) of Si₃N₄ deposited on SiO₂. Subsequent annealing was performed in a nitrogen atmosphere at 1000°C for 30 min. Acceleration energy, implant dose and Si₃N₄ thickness dependences of the shift of the threshold voltage showed good agreement with the calculated results based on Ishiwara and Furukawa's theory for distribution of implanted atoms in the double layered substrate, using the projected ranges and standard deviations larger than LSS predictions by the factor of 1·2 for SiO₂ and 1·3 for Si₃N₄, respectively. The results on the gain terms and the breakdown voltages were qualitatively the same as those of ¹¹B⁺-implanted p-channel MOS transistors.     

Discharge behaviour of electrodeposited PbO2 and Pb electrodes

The discharge behaviour of electrodeposited lead dioxide and lead electrodes was investigated under various conditions; the surfaces of the discharged electrodes were observed with a scanning electron microscope. Both the positive and negative electrodes were passivated by a covering of deposited lead sulphate crystals. The amount of lead sulphate required for passivation depended on the size of the crystals.     

Potentiation of pirarubicin activity in multidrug resistant cells by rifampicin

The effect of the anti-tuberculosis drug rifampicin on pirarubicin activity was investigated in multidrug-resistant cells overexpressing P-glycoprotein. Rifampicin increased the sensitivity of pirarubicin to anthracycline-resistant mouse leukemic P388 cells and significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity and intracellular accumulation of pirarubicin in resistant cells, but had no effect in parent cells. By contrast, two other rifamycins, rifamycin B and SV, had no effect on pirarubicin accumulation in resistant cells. Rifampicin also enhanced pirarubicin-induced apoptosis and G2/M blockade on the cell cycle in resistant cells. These results show that rifampicin enhances the cytotoxic action of pirarubicin in resistant cells, at least partly via the inhibition of cellular pirarubicin efflux.     

Interactions between sodium tetradecyl sulfate and a series of homogeneous polyoxyethyleneglycol- n- dodecyl ethers

The surface tensions of a mixed system of sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) and a series of polyoxyethyleneglycol-n-dodecyl ethers (nED) were measured at temperatures of 30 and 40 C, respectively. When the STS concentration was fixed, the surface tension curves of the mixed system showed a flat portion in the range of which the mixed micelles would be formed. With a decrease of the added STS concentration, the length of the flat portion in these curves decreased gradually, and finally disappeared in the presence of 0.05 mM STS. Furthermore, when the concentration of STS was fixed at 1.0 mM, which is below the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the flat portion length in the surface tension curves de-creased with decreasing ethylene oxide chain length in nED and with increasing temperature. The influence of increment of temper-ature was comparable to that for reducing the length of ethylene oxide chain in nED.     

A relational database machine with large semiconductor disk and hardware relational algebra processor

This paper describes the basic concepts, design and implementation decisions, standpoints and significance of the database machine Delta in the scope of Japan’s Fifth Generation Computer Project. Delta is planned to be operational in 1985 for researchers’ use as a backend database machine for logic programming software development. Delta is basically a relational database machine system. It combines hardware facilities for efficient relational database operations, which are typically represented by relational algebra, and software which deals with hardware control and actual database management requirements. Notable features include attribute-based internal schema in accordance with the characteristics found in the relation access from logic programming environment. This is also useful for the hardware relational algebra manipulation algorithm based on merge-sorting of attributes by hardware and a large capacity Semiconductor Disk for fast access to databases. Various implementation decisions of database management requirements are made in this novel system configuration, which will be meaningful to give an example for constructing a hardware and software combination of a relational database machine. Delta is in the stage between detailed design and implementation.