Effect of degumming on the tensile properties of silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk fiber

Forcibly reeled silkworm (Bombyx mori) silk was used to study how exposure to a degumming treatment (boiling in distilled water for 30 min) affects tensile properties. Because forcibly reeled and naturally spun fibers exhibit comparable mechanical behavior, the results can be generalized to material obtained conventionally from cocoons. The effects of degumming include: a decrease in the initial elastic modulus, a decrease in the stress at the proportional limit (yield strength), a change in the qualitative shape of force‐displacement curves, and significant qualitative and quantitative variability in force‐displacement data from samples subjected to nominally identical degumming histories. Immersion in water at room temperature or heating in air at 100°C for 30 min are both qualitatively equivalent to a 30‐min degumming treatment in boiling water, in terms of the effect on silk tensile properties. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1431–1437, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10366     

Synthesis and characterization of novel copolymers with the trimethylsilyl group for deep‐UV photoresists

N‐(4‐Acetoxyphenyl) maleimide (APMI) and three kinds of comonomers bearing a trimethylsilyl group were copolymerized at 60°C in the presence of azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as an initiator in 1,4‐dioxane to obtain the three IP, IIP, and IIIP copolymers. These copolymers were removed from the acetoxy group in a transesterification process into new IVP, VP, and VIP copolymers with a pendant hydroxyl group. Two modified processes were adopted to prepare photoresists using these copolymers. The first process involved mixing the dissolution inhibitor, o‐nitrobenzyl cholate, with the new copolymers. Second, o‐nitrobenzyl cholate was introduced into the copolymers using 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU) in dimethylformamide (DMF). The cyclic maleimide structure is responsible for the high thermal stability of these copolymers. After irradiation using deep–UV light and development with aqueous Na₂CO₃ (0.01 wt %), the developed patterns showed positive images and exhibited good adhesion to the silicon wafer without using any adhesion promoter. The resolution of these resists was at least 0.8 μm and an oxygen‐plasma etching rate was 1/5.3 to that of hard‐baked HPR‐204. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2791–2798, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10255     

Preparation of core–shell type nanoparticles of diblock copolymers of poly(L‐lactide)/poly(ethylene glycol) and their characterization in vitro

Core–shell type nanoparticles of poly(L ‐lactide)/poly(ethylene glycol) (LE) diblock copolymer were prepared by a dialysis technique. Their size was confirmed as 40–70 nm using photon correlation spectroscopy. The ¹H‐NMR analysis confirmed the formation of core–shell type nanoparticles and drug loading. The particle size, drug loading, and drug release rate of the LE nanoparticles were slightly changed by the initial solvents that were used. The drug release behavior of LE core–shell type nanoparticles showed an initial burst during the first 12 h and then a sustained release until 100 h. The degradation behavior of LE block copolymer nanoparticles was divided into three phases: the initial rapid degradation phase, the stationary phase, and the rapid degradation phase until complete degradation. It was suggested that lidocaine release kinetics were predominantly governed by the diffusion mechanism in the initial burst phase and after that by both of the diffusion and degradation mechanisms. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 2625–2634, 2002     

Use of Explosives on The Moon

The utilization of explosives for excavation on the lunar surface is under serious consideration as a part of the design for construction of temporary and permanent bases. An excavation research program has shown that small‐scale explosives blasting in a lunar‐soil simulant will greatly reduce the digging forces required for scoop and dragline excavators. Some crater‐blasting parameters were determined for the lunar soil simulant at one Earth gravity and at 10 Earth gravities using a centrifuge. The size of the craters produced at 10 Earth gs matched those formed at one earth g by scaling according to the weight of the explosive. These data can be applied to explosive‐excavation problems such as habitat construction, burial of nuclear power sources, and the rapid construction of shelters remote from the main base to shield against solar‐flare activity.     

Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy of GaN Thick Films by the Consecutive Deposition Process Using GaCl3

GaN buffer and main layers were grown by the conventional hydride vapor phase epitaxy technique using GaCl₃ consecutively. The deposited buffer layers were investigated by atomic force microscopy and X-ray analysis. To examine the behavior of the buffer layers at main layer growth temperature, heat treatment was conducted at 900°C. Based on the results of the buffer layer study, GaN thick films were grown at 1050°C. Optimum deposition conditions of buffer layer from the buffer and main layer studies generally coincided. On the φ scanning pattern, the GaN films grown on (0001) Al₂O₃ were single-crystalline. Band-edge emission dominated photoluminescence was observed at room temperature.     

Substrate transport and cocaine binding of human dopamine transporter is reduced by substitution of carboxyl tail with that of bovine dopamine transporter

A chimeric dopamine transporter (DAT) cDNA encoding mutant human DAT (hDAT) protein in which the intracellular carboxyl-terminal tail is replaced by that of the bovine dopamine transporter (bDAT) was constructed. The chimeric hDAT cDNA was expressed in COS-7 cells, and [3H]dopamine and [3H]MPP+ uptake and [3H]CFT binding capacities were assessed. Substrate transport and ligand binding of bDAT were reduced by 32-43% as a result of substitution of the carboxyl tail in hDAT, suggesting that the functional characteristics of bDAT arise from differences in the carboxyl tail between human and bovine DAT. Thus, it appears that the sequences encoded within the carboxyl terminal of DAT would be one of the important determinants for its functions.     

Regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase by dopaminergic drugs

We provide evidence that dopamine receptors differentially modulate tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase in the mouse striatum. The dopamine D1 receptor family (D1-like) antagonist, R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1 H-3-benazepine (SCH 23390), elevated aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activity and protein content in striatum, as well as the mRNA for the enzyme in midbrain. The dopamine D1-like receptor agonist, (+/-)-1-phenyl-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-(1 H)-3-benzazepine-7,8-diol (SKF 38393), had no effect on aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. The dopamine D1-like drugs had no effect on tyrosine hydroxylase. In contrast, the dopamine D2 receptor family (D2-like) antagonists haloperidol and spiperone elevated both tyrosine hydroxylase and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activities. The increase in aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activity was accompanied by elevated enzyme protein content but not mRNA. The dopamine D2-like receptor agonists, bromocriptine, quinpirole and (+/-)-7-hydroxydipropylaminotetralin (7-OH-DPAT), all decreased striatal tyrosine hydroxylase. Under the conditions used, bromocriptine and 7-OH-DPAT, but not quinpirole, decreased aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase activity of striatum. Both the dopamine D1- and D2-like receptor antagonists enhanced the turnover of striatal dopamine to differing degrees, as judged by the ratio of acid metabolites of dopamine to dopamine. Taken together our results indicate that aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase can be modulated independently of tyrosine hydroxylase.     

Production and properties of micro‐porous glas bubble zinc and aluminium composites

Micro‐porous syntactic foams were produced by means of integration of glass bubbles into aluminium and zinc matrices. Preforms of glass bubbles were pressure infiltrated with the alloys AlSi9Cu9 ans ZnAl4Cu using squeeze casting. The preforms were sintered thermically without the use of bonding agents. Using the combination of different sintering steps syntactic foams with locally different densities could be produced. The mechanical properties of the foams were tested indicating a high compression strength of the foams and a very good compression energy absorption. Furthermore, corrosion behaviour and behaviour at higher temperatures were investigated.     

Analysis of the detectivity for triple-layer heterojunction GaSb/GaInAsSb infrared detectors

In this paper, the detectivity is calculated and analyzed with the front-or backside illuminated case for both N-GaSb/p₂-Ga_0.8In_0.2As_0.19Sb_0.81/p₁-Ga_0.9In_0.1As_0.09Sb_0.91 and N₁-GaSb/n₂-Ga_0.9In_0.1As_0.09Sb_0.91/p-Ga_0.8In_0.2As_0.19Sb_0.81 infrared photovoltaic detectors, respectively. The analysis results show that the main absorption appears in the p-type Ga_0.8In_0.2As_0.19Sb_0.81 material with either front- or backside illuminated case for above two structures. In each structure, the carrier concentration obviously affects the detectivity. The carrier concentration in the wide-bandgap material for the isotype heterojunction should be reduced as low as possible to reduce the tunneling rate at the isotype heterointerface. Moreover, the change of the detectivity with the p-side surface recombination velocity for the N₁-n₂-p structure is more sensitive than that with the p₁-side surface recombination velocity for the N-p₂-p₁ structure. In the N-p₂-p₁ structure with the incident light from the p₁-side surface, two-color detection is achieved.     

From information to probability: An axiomatic approach—Inference is information processing

We define the very rich language of composed conditionals on a three‐valued logic and use this language as the communication tool between man and machine. Communication takes place for three reasons: knowledge acquisition, query, and response. Learning, thinking, and answering questions are of a pure information theoretical nature. The pivot of this knowledge processing concept is the amount of information (bit) we receive if a conditional becomes true. We follow an axiomatic approach to information theory rather than the classical probabilistic approach of Shannon; information comes first, and then comes probability. In the light of this philosophy, query and response experience new interpretations. Both, acquisition and response are realized by maximizing entropy and minimizing relative entropy, respectively. The iterative solution of these mathematical optimization problems gives new insights into the adaptation of prior knowledge to new information. Our expert system shell SPIRIT supports this kind of knowledge processing, which will be established by suitable examples. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.