Solar cell efficiency tables (version 16)

Consolidated tables showing an extensive listing of the highest independently confirmed efficiencies for solar cells and modules are presented. Guidelines for inclusion of results into these tables are outlined and new entries since January 2000 are reviewed. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Plasma‐graft polymerization of vinyl monomer with an acid amide group onto a surface of carbon fiber and its adhesion to epoxy resin

The mechanical properties of a fiber‐reinforced plastic are influenced by the adhesion between a reinforced fiber and a matrix resin. In this work it is shown how to obtain strong adhesion between a carbon yarn and an epoxy resin through the formation of covalent bonds. Acid amide groups reactive with epoxy groups were introduced onto a surface of the yarn by means of plasma‐graft polymerization of acrylamide. The density of active radicals formed on a surface of the yarn by the plasma irradiation was first increased with increasing discharge power and plasma irradiation time, and then the rates of the increase were largely decreased. The degree of grafting was linearly increased with increasing the surface density of active radicals. The yarn embedded in diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A/triethylenetetramine mixture was pulled out to obtain pull‐out force after curing. Pull‐out force was increased with increasing degree of grafting and the failure in pulling out of the yarn was cohesive. The covalent bonds formed in the graft layer will result in an increment of pull‐out force. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 75: 284–290, 2000     

How to successfully promote ICT usage: A comparative analysis of Denmark and Japan

The paper presents a comparative analysis of two advanced ICT nations, Japan and Denmark. While Japan is very advanced with respect to its telecommunications infrastructure, Denmark has come further than Japan regarding the use of ICT infrastructures. This paper compares Denmark, a leader in ICT usage, and Japan, which lags in that regard, analyzes differences in institutions, technologies, and services offered, and examines factors contributing to the success of Denmark in promoting ICT usage from a Japanese perspective. Strong governmental leadership, and common techno-infrastructure such as personal ID and digital signature that serve different systems, and user-orientation of service design are the characteristics of Danish efforts absent in Japan.     

Recognition and dualization of disguised bidual Horn functions

We consider the problem of dualizing a Boolean function f given by CNF, i.e., computing a CNF for its dual f^d. While this problem is not solvable in quasi-polynomial total time in general (unless SAT is solvable in quasi-polynomial time), it is so in case the input belongs to special classes, e.g., the class of bidual Horn CNF ? [Discrete Appl. Math. 96-97 (1999) 55-88] (i.e., both ? and its dual ?^d represent Horn functions). In this paper, we show that a disguised bidual Horn CNF ? (i.e., ? becomes a bidual Horn CNF after renaming of variables) can be recognized in polynomial time, and its dualization can be done in quasi-polynomial total time. We also establish a similar result for dualization of prime CNFs.     

基于结构强震记录的结构时变模态参数识别

为研究结构在地震过程中动力特性变化和损伤过程,为结构地震损伤评估提供可靠依据,采用递归式在线系统辨识算法RARX模型,利用结构强震记录识别了结构时变模态参数。以一座6层钢筋混凝土框架结构为例,识别了其时变自振频率、阻尼比和等效刚度。结果发现：在小地震动作用下,结构自振频率随时间几乎不发生改变;在大地震动作用的整个时间过程中,结构自振频率随时间逐渐降低,降低到一定程度到达最低点后,频率开始回升,直至地震结束,但最后不能回升到初始值,说明经历大震发生损伤的结构在震后性能会有所恢复;结构等效刚度变化趋势和自振频率相同,但在大震中下降比频率下降大的多;结构阻尼比在经历大震发生损伤后增大。结果可供结构地震损伤预测及结构震后安全鉴定参考。     

Searching minimax game trees under memory space constraint

Games such as CHESS, GO and OTHELLO can be represented by minimax game trees. Among various search procedures to solve such game trees,- and SSS^* are perhaps most well known. Although it is proved that SSS^* explores only a subset of the nodes explored by-, - is commonly believed to be faster in real applications, since it requires very little memory space and hence its storage management cost is low. Contrary to this folklore, however, this paper reports, using the OTHELLO game as an example, that SSS^* is much faster than-. It is also demonstrated that SSS^* can be modified to make the required memory space controllable to some extent, while retaining the high efficiency of the original SSS^*.This research was partially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, under a Scientific Grant-in-Aid.     

Improvement of corrosion resistance of magnesium metal by rare earth elements

Mg metal containing rare earth metals (REs) can be electrowon directly by molten salt electrolysis. The clarification of the optimum RE content in Mg is necessary to fix the electrolytic conditions in the direct electrowinning of Mg with RE. From this point of view, effect of RE addition in Mg metal on its corrosion property was studied in detail in this study. The specimen was prepared by adding La, Nd, or Ce in melted Mg metal, and its corrosion resistance was examined by an immersion test in 3 mass%-NaCl solution at room temperature. The corrosion resistance of Mg was improved greatly by adding a small amount of RE, whereas the excess addition of RE deteriorated the corrosion resistance. The optimum RE content was about 0.5 mass%. In this study, the corrosion property of Mg with an artificial surface oxide layer was also studied to clarify the effect of surface oxide. The corrosion resistance of Mg was particularly strengthened by conversion coating in a solution including La(NO₃)₃, Nd(NO₃)₃, or Ce(NO₃)₃, with Mg(NO₃)₂. This result suggests that the surface oxide film consisting of both Mg and RE gives ideal corrosion resistance to Mg metal. Mg metal with conversion coating including RE should also be of use as a corrosion-resistant material.     

Acute non-cancer mortality excess after polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated dibenzofurans mixed exposure from contaminated rice oil: Yusho

In Japan in 1968, rice-oil contaminated by polychlorinated biphenyls and polychlorinated dibenzofurans caused severe food poisoning, termed “Yusho” (oil disease). Several previous studies attempted to evaluate the effects targeting officially-certified Yusho patients. However, these studies have several limitations such as the left-truncated nature of the registry or residual confounding arising from the referent population selection. We thus conducted an area-based standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) study using vital statistics. A severely affected area (Tamanoura area) was adopted as the exposure group, with a reference population from Nagasaki prefecture in Kyushu, which included the Tamanoura. A large number of residents in Tamanoura were exposed to the rice-oil (28% of all the certified cases as of 2009). We estimated SMRs of non-cancer and cancer diseases for the years 1968-2002. Shortly after the exposure, SMRs of all causes, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, pneumonia/bronchitis, and bronchus/lung cancer were elevated. In particular, SMRs of heart disease were 1.97 [95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.09-3.56] in 1968, 2.05 (95% CI: 1.16-3.60) in 1969, and 1.89 (95% CI: 1.05-3.41) in 1975. However, we did not observe clear increase in SMRs more than 10 years after the exposure. This study provides further evidence in Yusho, especially on acute effects on non-cancer mortality.     

The trend in current and near future energy consumption from a statistical perspective

Energy consumption has increased remarkably over the past half century mainly due to increasing population and economic development. The influences of these two factors are considered. In most developed countries, such as Japan, France, Germany and Korea, the growth rate of energy consumption is due to economic development. The effects of population in Germany and Japan will substantially decline. In the USA, it is due to both factors as well as in the developing countries, such as China, India, Indonesia and Latin America. Economic success is more effective than increasing population in China, India and Indonesia, while both factors are roughly equal in Latin America. In Africa, though the growth rate depends on the effect of increasing population, its contribution to world energy consumption is small. On a worldwide scale, the growth rate of energy consumption will be affected by improving standards of living.