Microanalyses on the RuO2 Particle–Glass Matrix Interface in Thick-Film Resistors with Piezoresistive Effects

The piezoresistive mechanisms of composite thick films based on RuO₂ particles and both calcium-borosilicate and bismuth-borosilicate glass matrices were investigated by chemical and electrical microanalyses. The resistor based on bismuth-borosilicate glass showed higher sensitivity than that based on calcium-borosilicate glass. It was confirmed that the diffusion of ruthenium into glass affects the binding state of RuO₂ at the interface of the glass. Furthermore, an intermediate resistive layer is detected around the RuO₂ particle. These results suggest that the piezoresistive effect is related to a change in the electrical conductivity of the interfacial reaction layer caused by the diffusion of ruthenium into glass.     

Selective sorption of heavy metal thiocyanate complexes on crown ether resin

The sorption behavior of heavy metal thiocyanate complexes was investigated for dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) resin and bis[2-(o-methoxyphenoxy)ethyl]ether (BMPE) resin. The DB18C6 resin showed a high sorption ability and the degree of zinc sorption increased significantly with thiocyanate concentration. This behavior was not observed for BMPE resin. The sorption behavior was influenced by the countercation species, and the degree of sorption of zinc ions showed the maximum when the potassium thiocyanate was used as a complexing salt. The sorbed species appear to be KZn(SCN)₃, K₂Zn(SCN)₄ in the potassium thiocyanate system, and Zn(SCN)₂ in the lithium thiocyanate system, respectively, according to analysis of the sorption equilibrium. Sodium and ammonium thiocyanate systems show an intermediate behavior of the two. The sorption selectivity for DB18C6 resin depended not only on the hydrophobic nature of heavy metal thiocyanate complexes but also on the stabilization of counter cation species with crown ether matrix, and the sorption selectively was found to be effectively controlled by countercation species according to the cation-chelation mechanism.     

Wien2wannier: From linearized augmented plane waves to maximally localized Wannier functions

We present an implementation of an interface between the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave package Wien2k and the wannier90 code for the construction of maximally localized Wannier functions. The FORTRAN code and a documentation is made available and results are discussed for SrVO₃, Sr₂IrO₄ (including spin-orbit coupling), LaFeAsO, and FeSb₂.     

Comparison of methods for assessing observer metamerism

Studies on observer metamerism reported so far are classified into two series. One is studies based on the color-matching functions of Stiles's 20 observers. The other is experimental studies by using the Davidson and Hemmendinger (D-H) Color Rule and color-normal actual observers. The large discrepancy of the degree of observer metamerism between the above two series of studies was analyzed by using the color-matching functions of Stiles's 20 observers and the D–H Color Rule. The results confirmed that the discrepancy in the observer-metamerism indices was caused by different computational procedures used for deriving the indices.     

Orientation of nanowires consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) using strong magnetic field

Nanowires consisting of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) as a conducting polymer were prepared using p-xylene. Magnetic processing of the nanowires was carried out using two superconducting magnets with horizontal (B_max = 8 T) and vertical (B_max = 10 T) directions. The formation of the nanowires was confirmed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurement. The results from the AFM images and the polarized absorption spectra on glass plates indicated that the nanowires partly oriented themselves with their long axes, which are parallel to the π–π stacking direction, being perpendicular to the magnetic field. The magnetic orientation is most likely ascribed to anisotropy in the magnetic susceptibilities of the ordered P3HT in the nanowires.     

Hydrostatic Pressure Influences HIF-2 Alpha Expression in Chondrocytes

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α is considered to play a major role in the progression of osteoarthritis. Recently, it was reported that pressure amplitude influences HIF-2α expression in murine endothelial cells. We examined whether hydrostatic pressure is involved in expression of HIF-2α in articular chondrocytes. Chondrocytes were cultured and stimulated by inflammation or hydrostatic pressure of 0, 5, 10, or 50 MPa. After stimulation, heat shock protein (HSP) 70, HIF-2α, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, MMP-3, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression were evaluated. The levels of all gene expression were increased by inflammatory stress. When chondrocytes were exposed to a hydrostatic pressure of 5 MPa, HIF-2α, MMP-13, and MMP-3 gene expression increased significantly although those of HSP70 and NF-κB were not significantly different from the control group. In contrast, HIF-2α gene expression did not increase under a hydrostatic pressure of 50 MPa although HSP70 and NF-κB expression increased significantly compared to control. We considered that hydrostatic pressure of 5 MPa could regulate HIF-2α independent of NF-κB, because the level of HIF-2α gene expression increased significantly without upregulation of NF-κB expression at 5 MPa. Hydrostatic pressure may influence cartilage degeneration, inducing MMP-13 and MMP-3 expression through HIF-2α.