Electron-microscopic imaging of single-walled carbon nanotubes grown on silicon and silicon oxide substrates

Direct imaging of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) suspended on pillar-patterned Si or SiO2 substrates is investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The suspended nanotubes are successfully observed by direct TEM imaging and it is seen that they have either individual or bundles of SWNTs. Low energy (< or =2 keV) SEM produces high contrast images of suspended SWNTs. On the contrary, when SWNTs contact a SiO2 substrate, they are imaged using electron-beam induced current. The image brightness depends on the length of SWNTs.     

Efficient photochemical decomposition of long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids by means of an aqueous/liquid CO2 biphasic system

Photochemical decomposition of persistent and bioaccumulative long-chain (C9-C11) perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) with persulfate ion (S2O8(2-)) in an aqueous/liquid CO2 biphasic system was examined to develop a technique to neutralize stationary sources of the long-chain PFCAs. The long-chain PFCAs, namely, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUA), which are used as emulsifying agents and as surface treatment agents in industry, are relatively insoluble in water but are soluble in liquid CO2; therefore, introduction of liquid CO2 to the aqueous photoreaction system reduces the interference of colloidal PFCA particles. When the biphasic system was used to decompose these PFCAs, the extent of reaction was 6.4-51 times as high as that achieved in the absence of CO2. In the biphasic system, PFNA, PFDA, and PFUA (33.5-33.6 micromol) in 25.0 mL of water were 100%, 100%, and 77.1% decomposed, respectively, after 12 h of irradiation with a 200-W xenon-mercury lamp; F- ions were produced as a major product, and short-chain PFCAs, which are less bioaccumulative than the original PFCAs, were minor products. All of the initial S2O8(2-) was transformed to SO42-. The system also efficiently decomposed PFCAs at lower concentrations (e.g., 4.28-16.7 micromol of PFDA in 25.0 mL) and was successfully applied to decompose PFNA in floor wax.     

Three-Phase Static Power Supplies for Air-Conditioned Electric Coaches using High Power GTO

The electrical design, characteristics, construction, and test results of a 170-kVA static power supply using 2500-V 600-A gate turn-off (GTO) thyristors developed for a wide range of electric railway applications are discussed. This power supply is principally composed of a thyristor chopper at an elementary frequency of 360 Hz and three-phase gate turn-off thyristor inverters in the form of a twelve-phase bridge configuration. It is capable of stabilizing a 60-Hz ac voltage and twelve-phase waveform. The bulk and weight of this power supply are ascribed to the avoidance of an inverter commutating circuit, which contains parasitic thyristors, capacitors, and inductances. The applied strategy is derived from the trend of the state of the art regarding switching cells and commuter trains.     

Detection of HTLV-1 by polymerase chain reaction in situ hybridization in adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma

A method for nonradioactive polymerase chain reaction in situ hybridization was developed and used to determine the distribution of human T-lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) proviral DNA in paraffin-embedded surgical specimens of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). As controls, we used biopsy samples of five cases of mycosis fungoides, cells of an HTLV-I-infected cell line (MT2), as well as HTLV-1-negative cells (YAS). We successfully detected the amplicon of the HTLV-1 tax sequence in the nuclei of the cutaneous infiltrating lymphoid cells in 90% (9/10) of ATLL cases. Studies also revealed the existence of HTLV-1 provirus DNA in nuclei of sweat gland epithelial cells and vascular endothelial cells as well as lymphoid cells in ATLL patients. Mycosis fungoides and YAS cells were negative for the HTLV-I tax sequence, but MT2 cells were strongly positive. The results indicated that this technique was more sensitive in detecting intracellular amplicons than was the previous in situ hybridization method. Through its use, we were able to easily determine the distribution of HTLV-I-positive cells among the various cells and tissues of paraffin-embedded archival materials.     

Dielectric‐Screening Reduction‐Induced Large Transport Gap in Suspended Sub‐10 nm Graphene Nanoribbon Functional Devices

The predicted quasiparticle energy gap of more than 1 eV in sub‐6 nm graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) is elusive, as it is strongly suppressed by the substrate dielectric screening. The number of techniques that can produce suspended high‐quality and electrically contacted GNRs is small. The helium ion beam milling technique is capable of achieving sub‐5 nm patterning; however, the functional device fabrication and the electrical characteristics are not yet reported. Here, the electrical transport measurement of suspended ≈6 nm wide mono‐ and bilayer GNR functional devices is reported, which are obtained through sub‐nanometer resolution helium ion beam milling with controlled total helium ion budget. The transport gap opening of 0.16–0.8 eV is observed at room temperature. The measured transport gap of the different edge orientated GNRs is in good agreement with first‐principles simulation results. The enhanced electron–electron interaction and reduced dielectric screening in the suspended quasi‐1D GNRs and anti‐ferromagnetic coupling between opposite edges in the zigzag GNRs substantiate the observed large transport gap.     

Differential Sintering by Improper Selection of Sintering Parameters during Pulse Electric Current Sintering

Recently, we reported on the retention of fine-grained micro-structure in Al₂O₃/3 vol% 3Y-ZrO₂ composites using the pulse electric current sintering (PECS) technique. It was demonstrated that a high heating rate is beneficial for the retention of fine grains and homogeneous microstructure. As there are few reports on microstructural inhomogeneity and excessive grain growth in compacts densified by the PECS technique, we carried out a series of experiments on monolithic alumina by varying the sintering parameters and discussed the characteristic results. All specimens that were densified under selective sintering conditions attained high density (∼99% of the theoretical density) at 1250°3C in > 5 min. The average fracture strength of monolithic alumina was observed to be 741 ± 25 MPa and the fracture toughness was 2.2 MPa.m <^1/2, and these were reasoned out to small grains. However, compacts sintered under very low compaction pressure attained ∼92%-93% of the theoretical density, and these specimens had undesirable microstructural inhomogeneity owing to differential sintering. Hence, in the present study, we address the problem of differential sintering.     

Fracture Resistance Behavior of Highly Anisotropic Silicon Nitride

The R -curve behavior was characterized by the Vickers indentation flaw technique, for highly anisotropic silicon nitride, a silicon nitride whose fibrous grains are highly aligned. The measured crack lengths ranged from 30 to 500 μm. The fracture resistance of a conventional self-reinforced silicon nitride was determined for comparison using the same procedures. While in the self-reinforced material several hundred micrometers of crack extension were required to obtain a high fracture toughness, the highly anisotropic material exhibited a high toughness from the beginning of the measured crack length range with little increase in the following range. It is suggested that the toughness of the highly anisotropic material steeply rises in a very short crack extension, which is advantageous in avoiding catastropic fractures.     

Temporal occurrence of immature skeletal muscle fibers in the sciatic nerve matrix regenerating within the silicone chamber after nerve transection in the normal rat

We examined by light and electron microscopy the immature skeletal muscle fibers in the rat sciatic nerve regenerating within the silicone chamber 14 days after nerve transection. Small myelinated and nonmyelinated nerve fibers associated with Schwann cells from the proximal stump began to approach the midportion of the interstump zone. In the middle segment, fibroblasts or fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells and macrophages were observed everywhere in the newly formed matrix filled with exuded erythrocytes and fibrin clots. In addition to some fibroblast-like mesenchymal cells were closely apposed to each other. However, the proximal and distal segments contained immature muscle fibers with various amount of myofilaments and one or plural centrally located nuclei, thus indicating various phases of the early differentiation of skeletal muscle fibers similar to those observed during an early stage of developing muscle fibers. However, the precise origin of these skeletal muscle fibers remains to be determined.