Clustering based on multiple paths

This paper deals with a separation of strongly touching clusters using a concept of n-connectedness between pattern pairs, i.e., the number of paths between patterns. This new concept is similar to the concept of n-connectedness of graphs. Classification algorithms based on the number of independent paths and edge-disjoint paths are presented. It is shown that the latter has a transitivity. Finally, a simpler algorithm, i.e., a classification method based on the total number of paths, is presented. The proposed algorithm may be seen as an intermediate one between the ordinary connectedness algorithm and the maximal complete subgraph (MCS) algorithm.     

The MHD effect and its relaxation process on electric current in the electrolysis of ferricyanide reduction and ferrocyanide oxidation

The electrolytic reduction of ferricyanide and the electrolytic oxidation of ferrocyanide have been carried out with exposing the magnetic field of 1000 or 1800 gauss. The current clearly increased after the magnetic exposure. The maximum current was obtained when the magnetic flux directed in parallel with the surface of electrode. These are speculated in terms of magnetohydrodynamic mechanism. The current decrease caused by relaxation process was observed after the removal of magnetic flux. The relaxation time obtained was temperature-dependent. Therefore the values of apparent transition energy, E_trans, were determined from the Arrhenius' plots of relaxation time against temperature. The magnitude of E_trans was dependent on the concentration of ferricyanide or ferrocyanide, and the viscosity and the conductivity of electrolyte solution. The activation energy of viscosity of electrolyte solution was compared with E_trans. As a conclusion, it was suggested that E_trans may be influenced by the velocity of magnetohydrodynamic flow, which was controlled by the diffusion current in electrolysis and the viscosity of electrolyte solution.     

Low temperature deposition of hexagonal BN films by chemical vapour deposition

Transparent hexagonal BN films were deposited onto copper substrates from the reactant gas BCl₃-NH₃-H₂ at temperatures in the range 250–700°C. The lowest deposition temperature of the films was about 250°C. The films deposited at temperatures below 450°C were unstable in moist atmosphere and devitrified; a 20%–30% decrease in weight was observed when these films were heated above 600°C in an argon atmosphere. In contrast, the films deposited at temperatures above 600°C were very stable, decreased in weight by 1%–2% on heating and were stable in air at temperatures below 750°C.     

Development of service-oriented products based on the inverse manufacturing concept

To achieve sustainability, resource consumption and waste generation must be drastically decreased. For societal acceptance, preservation of both quality of life and corporate profits are essential. One promising approach is to shift the source of value from the amount of product sold to the quality of services the product provides. This paper describes the need for redesigning recycling systems from a manufacturing perspective and then discusses the possibility of this "servicification" of products, describing our experience with prototype development. We discuss development of product prototypes and their business, using consumer facsimile machines as an example of "service-oriented products". Traditional thought presumes that only products comprising new materials and components are valuable. Consideration of a service-oriented product can serve as a stimulus to revise this mode of thought and to control delivery and quality of disposed products. This paper also provides a life cycle simulation of the developed service-oriented business. Simulation results indicate that service-oriented business can potentially reduce environmental impact while extending business opportunities from the viewpoint of whole product life cycles.     

Determination of captafol,cyhexatin, 1-naphthylacetic acid and quintozene in apple,Japanese pear and melon by simultaneous extraction

A simple and rapid method is described for the determination of the non-registered pesticides, captafol, quintozene (PCNB), cyhexatin and 1-naphthylacetic acid (NAA), in fruits. These pesticides were extracted with acidified acetone, then captafol and PCNB were purified with a Florisil mini column and analyzed by GC-ECD. Cyhexatin was ethylated with ethylmagnesium bromide, and the ethyl derivative was analyzed by GC-FPD (Sn filter). NAA was purified with liquid-liquid extraction and determined by HPLC equipped with a fluorescence detector. These analytes were identified with GC/MS or LC/MS. The minimum identified concentration of the pesticides was below 0.2 ng per injection, which corresponds to a detection limit of below 0.02 microgram/g in the original samples. Recoveries of the pesticides spiked at 0.1 microgram/g into apple, Japanese pear and melon were greater than 61%.     

Preparation of plastic spherical microlenses by use of a fluoropolymer stencil and oil-bath heating

A new method for fabricating plastic spherical microlenses was developed, which allowed self-alignment of lenses and self-organized formation of a spherical shape. First a low-surface-energy fluoropolymer thin film was deposited and patterned as a stencil. Then photosensitive phenol resin was patterned on it as the lens material. Finally the resin was annealed in an oil bath to form a sphere. The molten phenol resin spontaneously formed a sphere and positioned itself in the center of the fluoropolymer ring pattern as a result of the difference of surface free energy and the equivalently zero-gravity condition in the oil bath. When a light-emitting-diode printer head was loaded with spherical microlenses, its optical output increased by 1 order of magnitude.     

Production and performance of the inFOCmicroS 20-40-keV graded multilayer mirror

The International Focusing Optics Collaboration for microCrab Sensitivity (InFOCmicroS) balloonborne hard x-ray telescope incorporates graded Pt/C multilayers replicated onto segmented Al foils to obtain the significant effective area at energies previously inaccessible to x-ray optics. Reflectivity measurements of individual foils demonstrate our capability to produce a mass quantity of multilayered foils with a rms roughness of 0.5 nm. The effective area of the completed mirror is 78 and 22 cm2 at 20 and 40 keV, respectively. The measured half-power diameter is 2.0 +/- 0.6 are min (90% confidence). The successful completion of this mirror demonstrates its applicability to future x-ray telescopes such as Constellation-X.     

Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation of Helically Propagating Combustion Waves

In the present paper, by using a mathematical model for self-propagating high-temperature synthesis, we reveal the three-dimensional structure of so-called spin combustion wave on the inside of cylindrical sample. It is shown that an isothermal surface of regular spin combustion wave has some wings of which number is the same as that of reaction spots on the cylindrical surface and that the isothermal surface with helical wings rotates down with time. Because of this propagating pattern, in this paper, we adopt the more suitable term helical wave. We also obtain the following existence conditions of a helical wave: If physical parameters are set so that a pulsating wave exists stably for the one-dimensional problem, then a helical wave takes the place of a pulsating wave when the radius of cylindrical sample becomes large.