Post-functionalization of poly(3-hexylthiophene) via anodic chlorination

Selective anodic chlorination of a poly(3-hexylthiophene) was successfully carried out by electrochemical polymer reaction. NMR and EDX analyses revealed the selective and sufficient substitution of chlorine atom at the 4-position of the repeating thiophene ring. GPC measurement of the polymer before and after electrolysis indicated that neither decomposition nor propagation of the polymer occurred even after passage of the excess charge. The optical and electrochemical properties of the obtained chlorinated polymer were investigated in detail.     

Lateral SbTeN based multi-layer phase change memory for multi-state storage

X-ray diffraction patterns and resistivity measurement indicate that as-deposited N-doped Sb₂Te₃ (STN) films become amorphous while the as-deposited Sb₂Te₃ film is crystalline. A lateral as-deposited STN-based multi-layer phase change memory was proposed for multi-state storage. The active region of the device consists of a top 30-nm TiN/180-nm STN/20-nm TiN/bottom 120-nm STN stacked multi-layer. Static switching properties of the device with STN initially starting from the amorphous state exhibit two apparent S-shaped switchings, which correspond to two marked device resistance drops by a factor of 2-5. The first and second threshold voltages are around 2.8-3.2 and 4.3-5.4 V, respectively. Finite element analysis of the device shows that the two switchings could sequentially occur at the electrode steps from the bottom 120-nm STN layer to the top thick 180-nm STN layer.     

Acetylacetoin synthase as a marker enzyme for detecting the 2,3-butanediol cycle

Acetylacetoin synthase (AACSase) and acetylacetoin reductase (AACRase) are representative enzymes of the 2,3-butanediol cycle. After examining their induction conditions in various bacteria, the former was induced by acetoin and the latter by glucose. All strains carrying AACSase also had AACRase, but the reverse was not true. Therefore, AACSase indicates the existence of the cycle. Acetylacetoin (AAC) accumulation or the ratio of 2,3-butanediol isomer formed also indicated the presence of the cycle in bacteria. This cycle is present in some strains and not in others even for those belonging to the same species. The cycle was not always associated with the representative 2,3-butanediol-producing bacteria or bacterial sporogenesis as reported previously.     

Scanning electron microscope for in situ study of crystallization of Ge2Sb2Te5 in phase-change memory

By introducing electrical connections into the chamber of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) via its holder assembly, it has become feasible to in situ observe and electrically characterize electronic devices. The in situ SEM was applied to investigate electric-pulse-induced behavior of Ge(2)Sb(2)Te(5) in a lateral phase-change memory cell. Randomly distributed nuclei with sizes from 20 to 80 nm were initiated at a low voltage pulse. Initially, grain growth depended strongly on pulse amplitude at around 60.3 nm/V and then a weak pulse amplitude dependence was observed at around 13.5 nm/V. Device resistance during crystallization dropped by two to three orders of magnitude with two falling steps, which probably resulted from amorphous to face-centered-cubic and subsequently to hexagonal transitions, respectively.     

Repulsive delayed random walk

We studied a random walk with delayed feedback around an unstable fixed point. It was found that the random walker can be kept around the fixed point with longer delays. This is in contrast to the normal role of delay, which is generally thought to be a source of instability. We discuss the connection of our model to stick-balancing experiments, and propose new type of control paradigm called “delayed stochastic control.” This work was presented in part at the 9th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 28–30, 2004     

Ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of polycrystalline PZT thin film on titanium substrate

Ultrasonically assisted hydrothermal synthesis of PZT thin films was performed using an ultrasonic transducer integrated into the lid of an autoclave. Direct ultrasonic irradiation of 23 W at 53 kHz was carried out during the hydrothermal synthesis at a reaction temperature of 140°C for 24 h. The resultant PZT thin film was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The PZT thin film had fine nanoparticles of approximately 100 nm in diameter when the substrate was placed perpendicular to the plane of ultrasonic irradiation. The film exhibited predominantly (001) orientation when the substrate was placed parallel to the plane of ultrasonic irradiation.     

An amorphous magnetostrictive delay-time cordless digitizer

A digitizer with a cordless cursor to input coordinates of graphics is described. The digitizer utilizes magnetostrictive delay lines made of iron-base amorphous ribbons. During propagation of the magnetoelastic wave in the ribbon, the output signal is generated by a solenoid coil wound through the entire ribbon length when the wave arrives at a position immediately underneath the cursor magnet. Resolution of the above position was 0.1 mm, and a high cursor position of 12 mm was realized     

Synapsins I and II are ATP-binding proteins with differential Ca2+ regulation

Synapsins I and II are abundant phosphoproteins that are localized to synaptic vesicles and have essential functions in regulating synaptic vesicle exocytosis. Synapsins contain a single evolutionarily conserved, large central domain, the C-domain, that accounts for the majority of their sequences. Unexpectedly, the crystal structure of the C-domain from synapsin I revealed that it is structurally closely related to several ATPases despite the absence of sequence similarities (Esser, L., Wang, C.-R., Hosaka, M., Smagula, C. S., Südhof, T. C., and Deisenhofer, J. (1998) EMBO J., in press). We now show that the C-domains of both synapsin I and synapsin II constitute high affinity ATP-binding modules. The two C-domains exhibit similar ATP affinities but are differentially regulated; ATP binding to synapsin I is Ca(2+)-dependent whereas ATP binding to synapsin II is Ca(2+)-independent. In synapsin I, the Ca2+ requirement for ATP binding is mediated by a single, evolutionarily conserved glutamate residue (Glu373) at a position where synapsin II contains a lysine residue. Exchange of Glu373 for lysine converts synapsin I from a Ca(2+)-dependent protein into a Ca(2+)-independent ATP-binding protein. Our studies suggest that synapsins I and II function on synaptic vesicles as ATP-binding proteins that are differentially regulated by Ca2+.     

Controlled Markov Set-chains with Set-valued Rewards—The Average Case

In this paper, the average case of finite state controlled Markov set-chains with R ^p -set-valued rewards are considered. The optimization is done by a pseudo-order relation on the set of all convex and compact subsets of R ^p induced by a closed convex cone. We introduce a v -step contractive property (minorization condition) for the average case and by use of this method the average expected reward set from a periodic policy is characterized. And, applying the scalarization technique, a Pareto optimal policy is obtained. Also, a numerical example is given to comprehend our results.     

Stress analysis of optical fibers by a finite element method

Stress-induced birefringence in single-mode optical fibers having arbitrary shape of core has been investigated using a finite element method. The calculated modal birefringence due to the thermal stress and/or stress caused by external forces in noncircular core fibers is compared with the values obtained by measurement of polarization properties, showing good agreement.