Relationship between viscoelasticity and scratch morphology of coating films

In order to make clear the relationship between viscoelasticity of coating film and its scratch resistance, a number of clear coatings were examined by surface observation and measurements of their mechanical properties.

The scratches can be classified into two types by means of optical microscopic observation with attached polarizing filter, scraped fracture-type and plastic deformation-type. The ratios of the damaged areas to the whole observed areas were determined by image analysis as a measure of scratch resistance.

The comparison between the relaxation spectrum of the coatings and the ratio of the scratched area showed that the degree of surface damage caused by a scratch tester which simulated car washing machine correlated with the storage modulus of the coatings G_sr, at a relaxation time of 1 s. Moreover, the degree of plastic deformation by scratches depended also on S_pls, the minimum strain which could cause plastic deformation in the film.     

Space charge behavior in full-size 250 kV DC XLPE cables

The space charge in full size 250 kV HVDC power cables was measured using the pulse-electroacoustic method. Measurements of two types of newly developed DC XLPE cables with 20 mm insulation were taken under a DC voltage of 500 kV with the conductor temperature at room temperature and at 85°C. A qualitative analysis of the space-charge distribution and a quantitative analysis of the electric fields in the vicinity of semicon interfaces were conducted. It was shown that the field in the vicinity of the inner semicon tends to increase by 10-40% when the polarity of the applied voltage was reversed, in the case when the conductor was kept at 85°C. However, the distortion of the electric field was significantly less than that expected in conventional XLPE cables. As the result, the subjected DC cables are considered to have stable DC characteristics from the viewpoint of space charge-behavior     

A new spatio-temporal equalization method based on estimatedchannel response

This paper proposes a new spatio-temporal equalization method, which simultaneously utilizes an adaptive antenna array and a decision feedback equalizer (DFE). For effective spatio-temporal equalization with less computational cost, how to split equalization functionality into spatial processing, and temporal processing is quite important. One of the answers which we have given is “incoming signals with larger time delays should be cancelled at the spatial equalization part.” The weights of both adaptive antenna array elements and taps of DFE are calculated only using the estimated channel impulse response, therefore, it requires no information on direction of arrival (DoA). We show the performance of the proposed system in multipath fading channels often encountered in indoor wireless environments and discuss the attainable bit error rate (BER), antenna patterns, and the computational complexity in comparison with other equalization methods such as spatial equalization and temporal equalization     

A bitline leakage compensation scheme for low-voltage SRAMs

A bitline leakage current of an SRAM, induced by leakage current of the transmission transistors in the cells that are associated with the bitline, increases as the threshold voltage (V_TH) of the transistors is reduced for high performance at low power-supply voltage (V_DD). The increased bitline leakage causes slow or incorrect read/write operation of an SRAM because the leakage current acts as noise current for a sense amplifier. In this paper, the problem has been solved from a circuitry point of view, and the scheme which detects the bitline leakage current in a precharge cycle and compensates for it during a read/write cycle is proposed. Employing this scheme, the SRAM with 360-μA bitline leakage current can perform a read/write operation at the same speed as one that has no bitline leakage current. This enables a 0.1-V reduction in V_TH, and keeps the V_TH and delay scalability of a high-performance SRAM in technology progress. An experimental 8-Kb SRAM with 256 rows is fabricated in a 0.25-μm CMOS technology, which demonstrates the effectiveness of the scheme     

Molecular dynamics study of wearless friction in sub-micrometer size mechanisms and actuators based on an atomistic simplified model

Frictional resistance accompanying steady sliding motion is studied systematically as a function of various experimental parameters by means of molecular dynamics simulation using a two-dimensional model. Exploration of universal features lying in wearless friction in mesoscopic systems revealed unique dependence of the frictional force on sliding velocity, applied load, and mean temperature. Atomistic origin of this dependence is discussed in terms of “size effect” on the basis of a hypothesis that the frictional power corresponds to the rate of energy dissipation via forced vibration and subsequent energy transfer between normal phonon modes due to anharmonicity of inter-particle potential.     

Validation of MODIS Albedo Products of Paddy Fields in Japan

A study was conducted in Chiba, Japan, to validate Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) albedo products by taking the field measurements of shortwave band albedos in paddy fields. A large difference in spatial scale, from field-measured point data to 1-km resolution, complicates the validation process. To assess such effect of different spatial scales, Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data were used. Spatial scale effects on the albedo were examined from three viewpoints: 1) comparison between point-based albedo and mean of albedo in homogeneous area; 2) comparison between point-based albedo and 1-km aggregated albedo; and 3) assessment of semivariogram of albedo in homogeneous area. In implementation of viewpoint 2), Liang's regression model was applied to convert ASTER reflectance into shortwave band albedo. The 1-km ASTER albedo was estimated using the point spread function, and in the same manner, 1-km ETM+ albedo was estimated. All results represent that an area around the measurement site can be assumed to be homogeneous, indicating negligible effects of spatial resolution difference during most of the periods. Comparison of ground-point-based albedos with MODIS actual albedo, estimated from MODIS black-sky albedo, white-sky albedo, and a fraction of diffuse skylight, showed that the accuracy of MODIS albedo products for paddy fields in Japan is within approximately 0.026 by absolute value (root-mean-square error) and 15.1% by relative value     

A Study on a Surface Preparation Method for Single-Crystal SiC Using an Fe Catalyst

In this study we investigated the possibility of removing and flattening a single-crystal silicon carbide (SiC) surface by a novel polishing method utilizing hydroxyl radicals (OH radicals) generated on an Fe catalyst surface. To demonstrate the feasibility of preparing a smooth SiC surface, an Fe catalyst and a SiC substrate were rubbed together in H₂O₂ solution, and then the area on the SiC surface that had come into contact with the Fe catalyst was observed in detail. The removal depth and surface microroughness were measured and evaluated using a phase-shift interference microscope and an atomic force microscope (AFM), respectively. Moreover, the removal of material from the SiC surface by utilizing an Fe catalyst rod was examined. The obtained results show that the hard SiC surface can be effectively polished and that the processed area on the SiC surface has atomic-level smoothness along the sliding direction. Moreover, it is shown that the removal characteristics of the SiC substrate depend on process parameters such as the process time, rotation speed, contact load, and concentration of H₂O₂ solution. These results provide useful information for preparing an atomically smooth SiC surface.     

Production of equol from daidzein by gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium isolated from rat intestine

Isoflavones (mainly daidzein and genistin) belong to the flavonoid group of compounds and are classified as phytoestrogens. In the intestine, daidzin is converted to daidzein by beta-glucosidase, and then daidzein is converted to O-desmethylangolensin (O-DMA) or equol via dihydrodaidzein by enzymes of intestinal bacteria. We isolated, for the first time, an anaerobic gram-positive rod-shaped strain capable of producing equol from daidzein. Its 16S rDNA gene sequence (1428 bp) showed 99% similarity with that of the human intestinal bacterium SNU-Julong 732 (AY310748) and 93% similarity with that of Eggerthella lenta ATCC 25559(T) (AF292375). This strain converted daidzein to equol via dihydrodaidzein in an equol-assay medium anaerobically. The addition of butyric acid and arginine increased the conversion ratio of daidzein to equol 4.7- and 4.5-fold, respectively.     

Demand-based optimization of a chlorobenzene process with high-fidelity and surrogate reactor models under trust region strategies

This work demonstrates the optimization of the industrial scale chlorobenzene process, which continuously produces multiple products and includes a multiphase reaction with bubble column reactors (BCRs). The trust region filter (TRF) method is applied to carry out the demand-based optimization of large chlorobenzene process with high-fidelity BCR models. The TRF method uses surrogate models that substitute the high-fidelity BCR models in the process model, and avoids the direct implementation of high-fidelity models, which leads to a large and intractable optimization problem. The surrogate models are constructed based on basis functions that apply first order corrections from the gradients of high-fidelity models. Different basis functions, CSTR and linear models, are studied in this work. As a result, the usage of CSTR models for the basis function leads to fewer function evaluations of the high-fidelity model because CSTR model is a reasonable approximation of the high-fidelity models and an initial guess of the optimization problem. Also, the TRF with surrogate models successfully provides an optimal solution of the high-fidelity process model with few iterations and function evaluations of the high-fidelity model itself. From the comparison with a low-fidelity CSTR model, the solution with the TRF presents more accurate results. The surrogate approaches also make a smooth transition from low- to high-fidelity models in process development. We apply this approach to a demand-based optimization that integrates nontrivial business options, including optimal shortage of customer demands for profitable operation.     

Improvement of Glucose Tolerance by Food Factors Having Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Releasing Activity

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gastrointestinal hormone released from enteroendocrine L cells in response to meal ingestion. GLP-1 receptor agonists and GLP-1 enhancers have been clinically employed to treat diabetes owing to their glucose-dependent insulin-releasing activity. The release of GLP-1 is primarily stimulated by macronutrients such as glucose and fatty acids, which are nutritionally indispensable; however, excessive intake of sugar and fat is responsible for the development of obesity and diabetes. Therefore, GLP-1 releasing food factors, such as dietary peptides and non-nutrients, are deemed desirable for improving glucose tolerance. Human and animal studies have revealed that dietary proteins/peptides have a potent effect on stimulating GLP-1 secretion. Studies in enteroendocrine cell models have shown that dietary peptides, amino acids, and phytochemicals, such as quercetin, can directly stimulate GLP-1 secretion. In our animal experiments, these food factors improved glucose metabolism and increased GLP-1 secretion. Furthermore, some dietary peptides not only stimulated GLP-1 secretion but also reduced plasma peptidase activity, which is responsible for GLP-1 inactivation. Herein, we review the relationship between GLP-1 and food factors, especially dietary peptides and flavonoids. Accordingly, utilization of food factors with GLP-1-releasing/enhancing activity is a promising strategy for preventing and treating obesity and diabetes.