Fibrous support for immobilization of enzymes

A poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) fiber support incorporating various aminoacetal functional groups has been developed for immobilizing enzymes. The aminated PVA fiber seems to adsorb enzymes with electrostatic force of attraction; thus the immobilization procedure is simple. By the use of this fiber having immobilized enzymes, the reaction between enzymes and substrates is nearly independent of the size of subtstrates. This newly developed type of fiber, which is formed by a mass superfine fibers (SFF), each measuring 1 μm or less in diameter, permits much more increased surface area than the conventional enzyme immobilization supports. Our studies of the properties of the fiber for immobilization of enzymes show the following results: (1) SFF has a greater ability for the immobilization of invertase than ordinary fibers; (2) dimethyl-aminated SFF has the best performance for the immobilization of invertase. From these results, it is concluded that the dimethyl-aminated SFF is an excellent support for the immobilization of invertase.     

Thermal shock resistance of flat plastic integrated circuit packages

Flat packages (FPs) were formed from epoxy molding compounds with various physical properties using a transfer molding machine. The compounds were prepared by changing kinds and amounts of additives and addition methods. The thermal shock test was carried out by the following procedures. The plastic package was soaked alternately in liquid nitrogen (?196°) and in liquid solder (200°) in the cycle of 140s. The median life to crack initiation was defined to be the cycles when half of the specimens exhibited crack initiation. According to linear fracture mechanics, the following expression was obtained relating the median life N, thermal stress σ_t, and strength σ_b; N = C/σ·(σ_b/σ_t)^m. We found the linear relation between logarithm of Nσ and logarithm of σ_b/σ_t for various packages, and estimated the values of C and m as 5 × 10⁴ MPa² and 5.5, respectively. The value of m was the same as that obtained for a dual-in-line package.     

Characterization and Sintering Behavior of Alkoxide-Derived Aluminosilicate Powders

Submicrometer SiO₂-Al₂O₃ powders with compositions of 46.5 to 76.6 wt% Al₂O₃ were prepared by hydrolysis of mixed alkoxides. Phase change, mullite composition, and particle size of powders with heating were analyzed by DTA, XRD, IR, BET, and TEM. As-produced amorphous powders partially transformed to mullite and Al-Si spinel at around 980°C. The compositions of mullite produced at 1400° and 1550°C were richer in Al₂O₃ than the compositions of stable mullite solid solutions predicted from the phase diagram of the SiO₂-Al₂O₃ system. Particle size decreased with increasing Al₂O₃ content. The sintered densities depended upon the amount of SiO₂-rich glassy phase formed during sintering and the green density expressed as a function of particle size.     

Development of a high‐resolution RGBW flexible display using a white organic light‐emitting diode with microcavity structure and that of a side‐roll touch panel

In this study, white organic electroluminescent devices with microcavity structures were developed. A flexible high‐resolution active‐matrix organic light‐emitting diode display with low power consumption using red, green, blue, and white sub‐pixels formed by a color‐filter method was fabricated. In addition, a side‐roll touch display was developed in combination with a capacitive flexible touch screen.     

Temperature Dependence of Young's Modulus and Internal Friction in Alumina, Silicon Nitride, and Partially Stabilized Zirconia Ceramics

The temperature dependence of Young's modulus and internal friction (Q⁻¹)in alumina, silicon nitride, and partially stabilized zirconia (Y-PSZ) ceramics was studied. Little change in Q⁻¹ was found for alumina, whereas Q⁻¹ for silicon nitride ceramics increased above 700°C. The Q⁻¹ of Y-PSZ increased markedly with increasing temperature up to a peak at ∼200°C.     

Repeatedly foldable AMOLED display

In this study, a 5.9‐inch foldable active‐matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display was developed. A folding test was performed repeatedly. The display survived the folding test (100,000 folds) with a curvature radius of 2 mm. To protect an organic light emitting diode (OLED) against moisture, inorganic passivation layers are provided on the upper and lower sides of the flexible display. Using our transfer technology, high density passivation layers can be obtained. The measured water vapor transmission rate of the layer is 7 × 10^?6 g/m²?day or less, which improves OLED reliability. With these techniques, we have developed a book‐type display, which is repeatedly foldable like a book, and a tri‐fold display including a display area, which is foldable in three.     

Current control of a PWM power amplifier by an approximate 2-degree-of-freedom digital controller

There is a need for robust current control of a pulse width modulation (PWM) power amplifier whose transient response characteristics do not deteriorate with extensive load changes and/or direct-current power supply voltage changes. In this article, we propose a digital robust controller with bumpless mode switching to control the current of a PWM power amplifier to satisfy the demands and extend the range of an inductive load width. It is necessary to measure the value of the load in order to implement this bumpless mode switching automatically depending on the load range. Therefore, a method of estimating the inductive load is shown. The bumpless mode switching is automatically performed by estimating an inductive value without specifying the value of the inductive load beforehand. That is, the value of the inductive load is estimated during the DDC execution, and the control mode is automatically switched bumplessly according to this estimated value. A digital controller equipped with inductance estimation and bumpless mode switching is realized by a DSP. Some experiments show that the digital controller with the proposed bumpless mode switching can satisfy larger specifications.     

TMN implementation strategy based on OSI management standards

In order to facilitate the implementations ofTMN interface protocols/services studied inITU-T, it is very important to define profiles for supportingTMN management service. This paper proposes a concrete method for achieving this based on osi management standards as a promisingTMN implementation method. It proposes an idea of structuring theTMN ISP’S based on the structure of the osi managementISP’S. The paper discusses aTMN based on the osi managementISP’S. Finally the implementation as software is discussed and a software architecture for efficient application development is proposed.     

Damage to seagrass and seaweed beds in Matsushima Bay,Japan, caused by the huge tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011

Damage to seagrass and seaweed beds caused by the huge tsunami of the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011 was investigated in Matsushima Bay, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, by comparing satellite images taken before the tsunami in November 2009 and after the tsunami in May 2011. The results showed that the tsunami destroyed 220 ha of seagrass and seaweed beds, from 320 ha in 2009 to 100 ha just after the tsunami. Zostera marina beds on the sandy and muddy bottom were rather severely damaged compared with brown seaweed beds of Sargassum horneri on the rocky substrate. Substrates of the beds and directions of the tsunami seem to be responsible for the magnitude of the damage to the beds. Maps of the spatial distributions of the beds before and after the tsunami can provide information for the restoration of seagrass and seaweed beds as natural infrastructures of coastal fisheries resources.