Study of crater formation and sputtering process with large gas cluster impact by molecular dynamics simulations

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of large argon clusters impacting on silicon solid targets were performed in order to study the transient process of crater formation and sputtering. The MD simulations demonstrate that the initial momentum of incident cluster is transferred to target surface atoms through multiple collision mechanism, where the initial momentum, which is along to the surface normal before impact, is deflected to lateral direction. This momentum transfer process was analyzed by the calculation of the velocity at the crater edge (the interface between cluster and target). In the case of Ar₁₀₀₀ cluster impact on Si(1 0 0) target at low energy per atom less than 40 eV/atom, the maximum value of lateral velocity of the crater edge increases in proportional to the velocity of incident cluster atoms. On the other hand, the crater edge velocity saturates over 40 eV/atom of incident energy per atom. In this case, the whole of constituent cluster atoms are implanted into the target and expand in both lateral and reflective directions at the subsurface region of the target. These MD simulations demonstrated that this collisional process result in the high yield sputtering of the target atoms.     

Understanding the local reality of the adoption of sustainable practices and farmer livelihoods: the case of pummelo farming in Chaiyaphum, Northeast Thailand

In the light of the serious economic crisis of 1997 and Agenda 21, as proposed in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, the Thai government has increased commitments to sustainable agricultural development. This paper examines how local Thai farmers are interacting with the policy imperatives of sustainable agriculture, focusing on the adoption of sustainable practices and farmer livelihoods. Two pummelo producing communities in Chaiyaphum province, Northeast Thailand were chosen as examples and compared: one, located in the highlands, focused on sales for local and domestic markets and the other, located in the lowlands, included sales for export. Both were involved in the implementation of Q-GAP, a public policy for good agricultural practices. The pummelo producers discursively sought the best combination of conventional and sustainable farming practices by balancing the benefits and risks concerning labour requirements, commercial results, financial risks associated with credit loans and investment and ecological sustainability.     

Photocatalytic decomposition of gaseous HCHO over a titanium dioxide film formed on a hydrophobic PET sheet

BACKGROUND: The authors (Chem Eng J 148, 234 (2009)) previously demonstrated the excellent performance of a photocatalytic reactor with a parallel array of nine light sources. To enhance the possibility of practical application of this reactor, the present work explores the use of a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet as a new cheap material to support TiO₂, as an alternative to glass tubes. A method of coating the hydrophobic PET sheet with a TiO₂ film using an aqueous coating solution is investigated and the performance of the TiO₂‐PET sheet prepared evaluated. RESULTS: The affinity of the coating solution for the PET sheet is greatly enhanced by addition of 0.01% (w/w) nonionic surfactant (polyoxyethylene lauryl ether). A relatively uniform thin TiO₂ film is formed on the entire surface of the PET sheet by applying the coating solution to the PET sheet and drying it at 100 °C. Decomposition experiments of gaseous HCHO indicate that the photocatalytic activity, although initially low, is increased with repeated use. This is because surfactant molecules added interfere initially with the decomposition of HCHO. After their decomposition, the TiO₂–PET sheet decomposes HCHO at almost the same rate as does the TiO₂–glass tube. CONCLUSION: The photocatalytic reactor with a parallel array of nine light sources can utilize a PET sheet as TiO₂ support with a reduction in material cost. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Theoretical analysis of high-temperature characteristics of1.3-μm InP-based quantum-well lasers

By taking into account the electrostatic deformation in the band profiles and the temperature dependence of the optical dephasing time, we study the temperature sensitivity of the differential gain, threshold carrier density, and radiative current density in 1.3-μm InP-based strained-layer quantum-well (QW) lasers. Electrostatic deformation is analyzed by the self-consistent numerical calculation of Poisson's equation, the scalar effective-mass equation for the conduction band, and the multiband effective-mass equation for the valence band. The optical dephasing time is then obtained from the intrasubband scattering rates for electrons and holes within the fully dynamic random phase approximation including carrier-carrier and carrier-phonon interactions on an equal basis. It is clarified that the electrostatic band-profile deformation is one of the dominant mechanisms For determining the temperature sensitivity Of the differential gain, while the optical dephasing time has a pronounced influence on the transparent condition at elevated temperatures. We demonstrate that the electrostatic band-profile deformation and the temperature-dependent optical dephasing play essential roles in determining the high-temperature characteristics of InP-based QW lasers     

The advanced set-up and control system for Dofasco's tandem coldmill

The new coupled pickle line and cold mill (CPCM) has been processing steel since December 1991 at Dofasco Inc. in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. This mill rolls both sheet and tin plate. The work rolls for the last stand are often textured by grit blasting to roll “matte” finished strip. A new computer-targeted control system was developed for the roll speeds and gaps, specifically for matte rolling. The new set-up system uses Stone's model, which is more appropriate for the limited reductions evident with the rougher rolls. Conventional automatic gauge control (AGC) systems using thickness measurements after the last stand are limited in performance by the effect of long transport delays. These limitations are particularly critical during mill acceleration and deceleration. The use of a thickness gauge before the stand with matte rolls allows the development of AGC systems using shorter control loops for final gauge control. The AGC system uses a Smith predictor for transport lag, (phase shift), and compensation. The combination of the shorter AGC loop and the Smith predictor allows higher gains to be used in the control system. This set-up and control system has contributed to Dofasco's position as a market leader in thickness performance     

Benign fibroosseous lesions involving the skull base, paranasal sinuses, and nasal cavity. Report of two cases

We report a case of a basilar artery migraine in a 17-year-old boy with transient CT and MR abnormalities after each of two migraine episodes. A repeat MR study 6 months after the last event showed complete resolution of the lesion. Transient abnormalities on brain images similar to those shown in our case have been reported in patients with migraine and other neurologic conditions and are most likely related to cerebral vasogenic edema.     

Modeling Party Support of Japanese Voters in the Early 1996

This article investigates factors that influenced Japanese voters in the early 1996 in determining which political party to support. Proportional-odds model, a model which retains ordinal nature of political hues or ideologies of the Japanese political parties, is fitted to the data. Samples with answers “I do not know” to the questions are treated as missing. The EM algorithm enables us to incorporate the samples with missing-values. We found that determining which party to support is a purely political decision for Japanese voters based solely on their ideologies and attitude towards the current cabinet, not to be influenced by their geographical profiles nor financial situations. Missing-value problem were found not to be ignored in the sense that marginally significant or insignificant explanatory variables can easily turn otherwise when the same model is fitted only for the data with no missing-values.

     

Endotoxin and cytokines increase hepatic sphingolipid biosynthesis and produce lipoproteins enriched in ceramides and sphingomyelin

Alterations in triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism often accompany inflammatory diseases and infections. We studied the effects of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) and cytokines on hepatic sphingolipid synthesis, activity of serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT), the first and rate-limiting enzyme in sphingolipid synthesis, and lipoprotein sphingolipid content in Syrian hamsters. Administration of LPS induced a 2-fold increase in hepatic SPT activity. The increase in activity first occurred at 16 hours, peaked at 24 hours, and was sustained for at least 48 hours. Low doses of LPS produced maximal increases in SPT activity, with half-maximal effect seen at approximately 0.3 microg LPS/100 g body weight. LPS increased hepatic SPT mRNA levels 2-fold, suggesting that the increase in SPT activity was due to an increase in SPT mRNA. LPS treatment also produced 75% and 2.5-fold increases in hepatic sphingomyelin and ceramide synthesis, respectively. Many of the metabolic effects of LPS are mediated by cytokines. Interleukin 1 (IL-1), but not tumor necrosis factor, increased both SPT activity and mRNA levels in the liver of intact animals, whereas both IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor increased SPT mRNA levels in HepG2 cells. IL- produced a 3-fold increase in SPT mRNA in HepG2 cells, and the half-maximal dose was 2 ng/mL. IL-1 also increased the secretion of sphingolipids into the medium. Analysis of serum lipoprotein fractions demonstrated that very low density lipoprotein, intermediate density lipoprotein, and low density lipoprotein isolated from animals treated with LPS contained significantly higher amounts of ceramide, glucosylceramide, and sphingomyelin. Taken together, these results indicate that LPS and cytokines stimulate hepatic sphingolipid synthesis, which results in an altered structure of circulating lipoproteins and may promote atherogenesis.