Photovoltaic display module in a mobile GPS

We have developed a mobile global positioning system (GPS) that operates on just photovoltaic (PV) cells. The system receives wireless signals from satellites and shows one's present location accurately on a map without the need for a battery. A PV display module, which combines a transparent LCD with a-Si PV cells and has a power generation function, is added to ordinary PV cells to increase the total amount of power generated. The PV display module enables 40% more power generation than a system without the module.     

Au/TiN/WSi-gate self-aligned GaAs MESFETs using rapid thermal annealing method

Au/TiN/WSi-gate self-aligned GaAs MESFETs were fabricated using the rapid thermal annealing method to reduce the gate resistance of the FETs. The gate resistance Rg was 4.2 ? (Lg=1.5 ?m, Wg=400 ?m), just 1/20 of that of the WSi-gate FET. The maximum frequency of oscillation fmax of the Au/TiN/WSi-gate FETs was improved to be about twice that of WSi-gate FETs.     

Low-loss laser diode module using a molded aspheric glass lens

The fabrication and characteristics of a 1.3-μm laser diode (LD) module for single-mode fiber using a molded aspheric glass lens is discussed. An average coupling loss of 2.2 dB with a standard deviation of less than 0.5 dB after thermal heat cycling tests was achieved. The average assembly loss was 0.24 dB. The LD module demonstrated stability during thermal and heat cycling tests from -10 to 60°C     

Topographical relationship between sucrase and leucine beta-naphthylamidase on the microvilli membrane of rabbit intestinal mucosal cells

The topographical relationship between sucrase [EC 3.2.1.26] and leucine beta-naphthylamidase (LNAase) on the microvilli membrane of rabbit small-intestinal mucosal cells was studied assuming that where enzymes with different antigenicities, A and B, are situated in close proximity on the surface of microvilli vesicles, the agglutination of vesicles by anti-A antibody is inhibited by the previous binding of monovalent fragments of anti-B antibody to enzyme B on the surface of vesicles. Like anti-sucrase antibody, anti-LNAase antibody quantitatively agglutinated microvilli vesicles. It inhibited the membrane-bound LNAase activity in the same manner as the detergent-solubilized activity. This inhibitory effect of anti-LNAase antibody was not interfered with by monovalent fragments of anti-sucrase antibody. However, the monovalent fragments inhibited vesicle agglutination by anti-LNAase antibody as well as by anti-sucrase antibody. These results indicate that LNAase is located on the outer surface of microvilli vesicles and suggest that LNAase and sucrase are situated in close proximity on the membrane surface of microvilli vesicles.     

Prediction of equivalent environments by energy exchange and assessments of physiological strain and discomfort

The described equivalence postulate was confirmed experimentally by examining physiological responses as well as discomfort sensation in a series of predicted equivalent conditions during exercise (congruent to 3 met). ET or the equivalent Ta at 50% RH is a single independent variable that is uniquely related to the mean skin temperature (Tsk), skin wettedness (w), body core temperature (Tcore) and sense of discomfort.     

Effect of Compressive Stress in Tumor Microenvironment on Malignant Tumor Spheroid Invasion Process

In this study, we proposed an in vitro tumor model to simulate the mechanical microenvironment and investigate the effect of compressive stress on the invasion process of malignant tumors. It has been pointed out that the biomechanical environment, as well as the biochemical environment, could affect the transformation of cancer cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. We hypothesized that the solid stress caused by the exclusion of surrounding tissue could transform tumor cells from noninvasive to invasive phenotypes. Colorectal cell spheroids were embedded and cultured in agarose gels of varying concentrations to simulate the earliest stages of tumor formation and invasion. The spheroids embedded in gels at higher concentrations showed peculiar growth after 72 h of culture, and the external compressive loading imposed on them caused peculiar growth even in the gels at lower concentrations. In conclusion, the mechanical microenvironment caused the transformation of tumor cell phenotypes, promoting the growth and invasion of tumor cell spheroids.     

Characterization of morphology and mechanical properties of block copolymers using atomic force microscopy: Effects of processing conditions

The effect of preparation methods and processing conditions on morphology and mechanical properties of poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene) (SEBS) triblock copolymer were investigated with atomic force microscopy (AFM) tapping mode and nanomechanical mapping, tensile testing, and gel permeation chromatograph (GPC). It was found that the samples prepared by solution casting and melt processing show large difference in morphology and mechanical properties. High shear rate does not induce alignment of lamellar block copolymer melts but leads to serious degradation of SEBS. As increase of rotational speed from 0 to 400 rpm, the molecular weight including M_n and M_w decreases from 67,100 to 26,000 and 70,000 to 43,000, respectively. Such large molecular weight decrease causes greatly decreased tensil strength but there is almost no evident effect on the well-phase separated morphology and Young's modulus of the SEBS. The Young's modulus distribution revealed by nanomechanical mapping becomes narrow as the increase of rotational speed. The amount of SEBS molecular having higher Young's modulus, which play a very important role in tensile strength of SEBS, also decreases.     

Heavy oil sorption and recovery by using carbon fiber felts

On fibrous carbon materials, including activated carbon fibers, sorption capacity for heavy oils, less viscous A-grade and more viscous C-grade, was determined. Sorption capacity depended strongly on their bulk density; the correlation was the same as that found previously on exfoliated graphite and carbonized fir fibers. On carbon fiber felts, excellent recycling performance was observed, though sorption capacity was not so high as on exfoliated graphite and carbonized fir fibers. By filtration under suction, about 90% of sorbed A-grade heavy oil could be recovered and no decrease in sorption capacity was detected even after eight cycles. By washing with solvents, n-hexane for A- and C-grade oils and A-grade oil for C-grade oil, almost 100% recovery with no marked reduction in sorption capacity was found for each cycle. For the felts of PAN-based carbon fibers, rather severe operations for oil recovery, centrifugation and squeezing with twisting, could be applied without pronounced decreases in sorption capacity and recovery ratio.     

Poly(butylene succinate)/poly(vinyl phenol) blends. Part 1. Miscibility and crystallization

Miscibility has been investigated in blends of poly(butylene succinate) (PBSU) and poly(vinyl phenol) (PVPh) by differential scanning calorimetry in this work. PBSU is miscible with PVPh as shown by the existence of single composition dependent glass transition temperature over the entire composition range. In addition, the polymer–polymer interaction parameter, obtained from the melting depression of PBSU using the Nishi–Wang equation, is composition dependent, and its value is always negative. This indicates that PBSU/PVPh blends are thermodynamically miscible in the melt. Preliminary morphology study of PBSU/PVPh blends was also studied by optical microscopy (OM). OM experiments show the spherulites of PBSU become larger with the PVPh content, indicative of a decrease in the nucleation density, and the coarseness of PBSU spherulites increases too with increasing the PVPh content in the blends.