Viscoelastic properties of epoxy resins. II. Antiplasticization in highly crosslinked epoxy system

The effect of the addition of certain low molecular weight compounds to highly crosslinked epoxy resins was investigated. The behavior which is known as antiplasticization, such as increases in modulus and yield strength and the elimination of β-transition, was observed in the highly crosslinked system as well as in the reported cases of thermoplastics—poly(vinyl chloride), bisphenol A polycarbonate, and polysulfone. Chlorinated biphenyl was found to be one of the most effective antiplasticizers examined in the present paper. However, the remarkable reduction in compressive strain at break and impact strength was not recognized for the highly antiplasticized samples. These phenomena have been interpreted on the basis of free volume concept.     

Production of vitamin B12 in genetically engineered Propionibacterium freudenreichii

Since the chemical synthesis of vitamin B12 requires more than 70 steps, the production of vitamin B12 has been achieved by microorganism fermentation with additional brief chemical modifications. In an effort to increase the productivity of vitamin B12, we tried to express 10 genes belonging to the hem, cob and cbi gene families involved in the synthesis of vitamin B12 in Propionibacterium freudenreichii, which is a known producer of vitamin B12. In a recombinant P. freudenreichii clone that harbored the expression vector containing a cobA, cbiLF, or cbiEGH, we obtained an increase in vitamin B12 production of 1.7-, 1.9-, and 1.5-fold higher, respectively, than that in the microorganism without any cloned genes in the expression vector pPK705. The cobU and cobS genes caused a slight increase in the production of vitamin B12. Furthermore, we achieved multigene expression in P. freudenreichii. In a recombinant P. freudenreichii clone that harbored an exogenous gene, hemA, from Rhodobacter sphaeroides and endogenous hemB and cobA genes, we successfully achieved the production of about 1.7 mg/l vitamin B12, 2.2-fold higher than that produced by P. freudenreichii harboring pPK705.     

The kinetics of hydrolytic polymerization of ε-caprolactam. II. Determination of the kinetic and thermodynamic constants by least-squares curve fitting

The kinetic and thermodynamic constants of the hydrolytic polymerization of ?-caprolactam were determined by least-squares curve fitting. The calculations were carried out using observed kinetic data such as concentration of ?-caprolactam ([CL]), endgroup ([EG]), and ?-aminocaproic acid ([ACA]) and time derivatives of each concentration (rates) ?[CL]/?t, ?[EG]/?t, and ?[ACA]/?t. The sets of the converged constants are obtained for the initial water concentrations of 0.42, 0.82, and 1.18 mole/kg. An averaged set of the constants applicable for this range of the initial composition was also evaluated. The compatibility between observed and calculated concentration and rate curves was improved by the use of the newly developed sets of the constants. The mechanism of the polycondensation reaction is also discussed, based on the rate and kinetic constants obtained by this work.     

Possible 3He Boltzmann Gas Formed on Three-Dimensional Nanopores Preplated with 4He

We have measured the heat capacity of ³He adsorbed on three-dimensionally connected nanopores, 2.7 nm in diameter, preplated with about 1.3 atomic layers of ⁴He. At low coverages of ³He, the ³He heat capacity is roughly constant at the measured temperatures between 0.1 and 1 K. Its molar heat capacity is on the order of the gas constant R, between 1.1R and 1.8R. This suggests a Boltzmann gas state of the adsorbed ³He. At high coverages, the heat capacity is likely approaching linear in T at low temperatures, which suggests a degenerate state at further lower temperatures.     

Disintegration process of yttria-stabilized zirconia ceramics using hydrothermal conditions

Capability of the recycling of high strength and high fracture toughness yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline (Y-TZP) sintered body utilizing “low-temperature annealing degradation” phenomenon was investigated. Hydrothermal treatment was employed to induce the phase transformation from tetragonal to monoclinic zirconia and to disintegrate the Y-TZP sintered body. 3 mol% Y₂O₃–ZrO₂ specimens sintered at 1,550 °C and more were disintegrated without leaving the original appearances when the treatment temperature was between 200 °C and 400 °C. The size of the disintegrated fragments of Y-TZP sintered body was much affected by hydrothermal treatment conditions. Only with hydrothermal treatment and simple ball milling, the sintered body was pulverized into the primary particle level. This technique is expected to apply to a sustainable recycling system for the zirconia ceramics, which restrains an energy consumption compared to crushing zirconia using mechanical procedures.     

Color displays and flexible displays using quick‐response liquid‐powder technology for electronic paper

Abstract— Color displays and flexible displays that use electronic liquid powder have been developed. Novel types of color displays using either a colored powder or a color filter are discussed. We have also developed a flexible display with low‐cost substrate films with a high‐throughput roll‐to‐roll manufacturing method. These technologies enable a QR‐LPD to be widely used as an electronic‐paper display.     

Characterisation of optically driven microstructures for manipulating single DNA molecules under a fluorescence microscope

Optical tweezers are powerful tools for manipulating single DNA molecules using fluorescence microscopy, particularly in nanotechnology‐based DNA analysis. We previously proposed a manipulation technique using microstructures driven by optical tweezers that allows the handling of single giant DNA molecules of millimetre length that cannot be manipulated by conventional techniques. To further develop this technique, the authors characterised the microstructures quantitatively from the view point of fabrication and efficiency of DNA manipulation under a fluorescence microscope. The success rate and precision of the fabrications were evaluated. The results indicate that the microstructures are obtained in an aqueous solution with a precision ∼50 nm at concentrations in the order of 10⁶ particles/ml. The visibility of these microstructures under a fluorescence microscope was also characterised, along with the elucidation of the fabrication parameters needed to fine tune visibility. Manipulating yeast chromosomal DNA molecules with the microstructures illustrated the relationship between the efficiency of manipulation and the geometrical shape of the microstructure. This report provides the guidelines for designing microstructures used in single DNA molecule analysis based on on‐site DNA manipulation, and is expected to broaden the applications of this technique in the future.Inspec keywords: DNA, molecular biophysics, fluorescence, optical microscopy, radiation pressure, biological techniquesOther keywords: optically driven microstructures, single DNA molecule analysis, fluorescence microscopy, optical tweezers, nanotechnology‐based DNA analysis, manipulation technique, aqueous solution, fine tune visibility, yeast chromosomal DNA molecules, geometrical shape, on‐site DNA manipulation     

Spectral mixture analysis for bi-sensor wetland mapping using Landsat TM and Terra MODIS data

Spatial and temporal resolution is essential for understanding the spatial and temporal characteristics and dynamics of wetland ecosystems. However, single satellite imagery with both high spatial resolution and high temporal frequency is currently unavailable. Instead, the development of a bi-sensor monitoring technique utilizing spatial details of middle-to-high resolution data and temporal details of coarse spatial resolution data is highly desirable. For the initial work on our time-series bi-sensor wetland mapping, the applicability of multiple endmember spectral mixture analysis (MESMA) using single-date bi-sensor imagery with different orbiting periods was investigated. Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) and Terra Moderate Resolution Image Spectrometer (MODIS) data were utilized in the Poyang Lake area in China and the Great Salt Lake area in the USA to examine three decisive elements in utilizing MESMA: (1) the method of optimal endmember selection; (2) the threshold between two- and three-endmember models; and (3) the treatment of shade fractions. As a result, we found that (1) the number of spectra for an endmember spectrum similar to other endmember spectra meeting the modelling restrictions of maximum and minimum land-cover fractions and root mean square error (RMSE) within a class (In_CoB), the number of spectra for an endmember spectrum similar to other endmember spectra meeting the modelling restrictions outside of a class (Out_CoB), the ratio of In_CoB to Out_CoB multiplied by the inverse number of spectra within the class (CoBI) and the endmember average RMSE (EAR) were optimal endmember selection methods for the TM maps, whereas CoBI, EAR and minimum average spectral angle (MASA) were optimal endmember selection methods for the MODIS maps; (2) the MODIS maps were more sensitive to change in the two- and three-endmember modelling thresholds than the TM maps; and (3) the addition of shade fractions to dark water fractions were an appropriate shade treatment. This research demonstrated how MESMA can be applied for multi-scale mapping of wetland ecosystems, how the difference in observation dates between the TM and MODIS data affects the agreement in land-cover fractions and how spectral similarity between dark water and shade affects the agreement in land-cover fractions.     

Ultrasonic speeds and densities of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (viscosity grades 30 and 50×10−4 m · s−1) at 298.15, 303.15, and 308.15 K under high pressures

The ultrasonic speeds and densities of poly(dimethylsiloxane), viscosity grades 30 and 50×10^–4 m · s^–1 at 298.15 K, were measured at 298.15, 303.15, and 308.15 K. The measurements were carried out using new apparatuses, one for measurement of the speed under pressures up to 200 MPa and another for measurement of the density under pressures up to 100 MPa. The former is constructed with a sing-around technique of the fixed-path type operated at a frequency of 2 MHz, and the latter is a dynamic bellows piezometer. The probable uncertainty in the present results is within ±0.23% for speed and ±0.19% for density for all the experimental conditions. The ultrasonic speed in these fluids at first increases rapidly with pressure and then indicates a mild rise in the highpressure region. Similar pressure effects are observed for the density. The relationship between the speed and the density satisfied a first-order function well. The isentropic compressibility, derived from the speed and density, also showed a large pressure effect. The values and its pressure effects seemed almost independent of the viscosity of poly(dimethylsiloxane).     

Non-uniqueness and symmetry of optimal topology of a shell for minimum compliance

Uniqueness and symmetry of solution are investigated for topology optimization of a symmetric continuum structure subjected to symmetrically distributed loads. The structure is discretized into finite elements, and the compliance is minimized under constraint on the structural volume. The design variables are the densities of materials of elements, and intermediate densities are penalized to prevent convergence to a gray solution. A path of solution satisfying conditions for local optimality is traced using the continuation method with respect to the penalization parameter. It is shown that the rate form of the solution path can be formulated from the optimality conditions, and the uniqueness and bifurcation of the path are related to eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the Jacobian of the governing equations. This way, local uniqueness and symmetry breaking process of the solution are rigorously investigated through the bifurcation of a solution path.