Preparation of Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films by sulfurizing electroplated precursors

Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) thin films were prepared by sulfurizing precursors deposited by electroplating. The precursors (Cu/Sn/Zn stacked layers) were deposited by electroplating sequentially onto Mo-coated glass substrates. Aqueous solutions containing copper sulfate for Cu plating, tin sulfate for Sn plating and zinc sulfate for Zn plating were used as the electrolytes. The precursors were sulfurized by annealing with sulfur at temperatures of 300, 400, 500 and 600 °C in an N₂ gas atmosphere. The X-ray diffraction peaks attributable to CZTS were detected in thin films sulfurized at temperatures above 400 °C. A photovoltaic cell using a CZTS thin film produced by sulfurizing an electroplated Sn-rich precursor at 600 °C exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 262 mV, a short-circuit current of 9.85 mA/cm² and an efficiency of 0.98%.     

Effect of treatment with electrolyzed NaCl solutions and essential oil compounds on the proximate composition,amino acid and fatty acid composition of carp fillets

This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the effect of treatment with electrolyzed NaCl solutions and 1% essential oil (0.5% carvacrol + 0.5% thymol) on the proximate composition and nutritional components (amino acids and fatty acids) of carp fillets at room temperature (25 °C). Carp fillet samples were treated with anodic electrolyzed NaCl solution [EW (+)], cathodic electrolyzed NaCl solution [EW (−)] followed by EW (+) [EW (−)/EW (+)], 1% essential oil (0.5% carvacrol + 0.5% thymol) [1% (Cv + Ty)], EW (+) followed by 1% (Cv + Ty) [EW (+)/1% (Cv + Ty)] and EW (−) followed by EW (+) and finally with 1% (Cv + Ty) [EW (−)/EW (+)/1% (Cv + Ty)]. Proximate composition, SDS–PAGE, amino acid composition, digestibility and fatty acid composition were used to determine the changes in carp fillet composition. Moisture, total lipid, total protein, ash and carbohydrate contents of the carp fillets were approximately 76%, 3.9%, 17.5%, 1.0% and 0.40%, respectively. The dominant amino acid was glutamic acid, and the composition ranged from 14.2 to 14.5 mol%. Protein digestibility of the carp fillets was approximately 85%. Oleic acid was the major monounsaturated acid in the carp fillets (41.0–41.9%). These results show that our method of fish preservation, using electrolyzed NaCl solutions and 1% (Cv + Ty), did not affect the quality (nutritional components) of carp fillets, and could be a good alternative to synthetic preservatives routinely used in the food industry.     

A bidirectional common polarization control method for coherentoptical FDM transmission system

A bidirectional common polarization control method with a single polarization controller for a coherent optical FDM bidirectional transmission system is discussed. This method is promising for realizing a reliable and low-cost terminal in a coherent multichannel distribution system because the polarization controller can be placed in common only at a central office. Theoretical and experimental results show that the frequency separation δf has to be 6×bit rate<δf<120/Δτ (GHz) for FSK bidirectional transmission. The method is effective not only for reducing the complexity of the subscriber terminal but also for improving the reliability in a coherent CATV system     

Electromagnetically coupled curl antenna

The radiation characteristics of a curl antenna excited by an L-wire are presented. The frequency bandwidth for a 3 dB axial ratio criterion is ~6%, with a nearly resistive input impedance of 75 Ω. An array antenna of the 36 curls shows a gain of 23 dB with an aperture efficiency of 73%     

Image classification using spectral and spatial information basedon MRF models

A new criterion for classifying multispectral remote sensing images or textured images by using spectral and spatial information is proposed. The images are modeled with a hierarchical Markov Random Field (MRF) model that consists of the observed intensity process and the hidden class label process. The class labels are estimated according to the maximum a posteriori (MAP) criterion, but some reasonable approximations are used to reduce the computational load. A stepwise classification algorithm is derived and is confirmed by simulation and experimental results.     

Changes in the heparin affinity of extracellular-superoxide dismutase in patients with coronary artery atherosclerosis

Extracellular-superoxide dismutase [EC 1.15.1.1] (EC-SOD) is a secretory glycoprotein with high affinity for heparin. This enzyme locates in blood vessel walls at a high enough level to suppress oxidative stress under normal conditions. EC-SOD is the major SOD isozyme in plasma, anchored to heparan sulfate proteoglycans in the glycocalyx of endothelial cell surfaces. Plasma EC-SOD is heterogeneous in heparin affinity and can be divided into five fractions, I to V, by heparin-HPLC. It has been suggested that EC-SOD form V is the primary form synthesized in the body and that EC-SOD forms with reduced heparin affinity are the result of proteolytic truncation of the C-terminal end of EC-SOD form V which is responsible for the binding with heparin. Recently, we reported that only plasma EC-SOD form V, with the highest heparin affinity, was increased by intravenous injection of heparin. The heparin affinity of plasma EC-SOD in patients with coronary atherosclerosis (CA+ patients) was compared in this study. The increase of plasma EC-SOD form V after heparin injection in CA+ patients was significantly less than that in subjects without evidence of stenosis in their major coronary arteries (CA- subjects). On the other hand, in CA+ patients, EC-SOD forms I to III, with low heparin affinity, were significantly increased compared to those in CA- subjects. EC-SOD in plasma apparently forms an equilibrium between the plasma phase and endothelial cell surface, and EC-SOD on the endothelial cell surface contributes to protecting the vessel wall against oxidative stress. These findings suggest that the quantitative and qualitative changes of EC-SOD, i.e., the decrease of bound EC-SOD on the endothelial cell surface, might suppress the defense systems against oxidative stress, which causes in part the development of coronary artery atherosclerosis.     

Clinical survey of congenital cytomegalovirus infection in Japan

Contrast media-induced nephropathy is one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired renal failure, occurring most frequently in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency. We prospectively studied 55 patients with chronic renal insufficiency (serum creatinine concentration 1.4 to 3.5 mg/dl) who underwent abdominal aortography and arteriography of the lower extremities. The patients were randomized into two groups. Group 1, 28 patients, received dopamine 2.5 mcg/kg beginning 1 hour before arteriography and continuing for 12 hours. Group 2 received an equal volume of saline for the same period of time. Serum creatinine and 12-hour creatinine clearance were measured before arteriography and for 4 consecutive days afterward. Acute contrast-induced decrease in renal function was defined as increase in the baseline serum creatinine concentration > or = 0.5 mg/dl. On day 1 postarteriography the serum creatinine increased from baseline .193 mg/dl for controls while the dopamine group decreased slightly from baseline .018 mg/dl (p = 0.002). Excepting day 1 postarteriography, there was no statistical difference between groups, and serum levels for both groups increased linearly from baseline across time (dopamine p = 0.028, control p = 0.025). In patients with pre-arteriography baseline serum levels greater than or equal to 2.0 mg/dl, however, the increase in serum creatinine from baseline levels was consistently and significantly greater in the control group through the fourth day (0.012 < or = p < or = 0.049). Creatinine clearance did not change significantly from baseline after arteriography in the dopamine group (baseline versus days 1 through 4, 0.238 < or = p < or = 0.968); however, the control group showed a significant linear decrease in creatinine clearance from baseline through the fourth day after arteriography (p = 0.016). Dopamine infusion prevented a rise in serum creatinine 24 hours after angiography in patients with pre-existing renal insufficiency, and protected against contrast-induced decrease in renal function in patients whose baseline serum creatinine was > or = 2.0 mg/dl.     

Tubulin Photoaffinity Labeling with Biotin‐Tagged Derivatives of Potent Diketopiperazine Antimicrotubule Agents

NPI‐2358 ( 1 ) is a potent antimicrotubule agent that was developed from a natural diketopiperazine, phenylahistin, which is currently in Phase I clinical trials as an anticancer drug. To understand the precise recognition mechanism of tubulin by this agent, we focused on its potent derivative, KPU‐244 ( 2 ), which has been modified with a photoreactive benzophenone structure, and biotin‐tagged KPU‐244 derivatives ( 3 and 4 ), which were designed and synthesized for tubulin photoaffinity labeling. Introduction of the biotin structure at the p′‐position of the benzophenone ring in 2 exhibited reduced, but significant biological activities with tubulin binding, tubulin depolymerization and cytotoxicity in comparison to the parent KPU‐244. Therefore, tubulin photoaffinity labeling studies of biotin‐derivatives 3 and 4 were performed by using Western blotting analysis after photoirradiation with 365 nm UV light. The results indicated that tubulin was covalently labeled by these biotin‐tagged photoprobes. The labeling of compound 4 was competitively inhibited by the addition of diketopiperazine 1 or colchicine, and weakly inhibited by the addition of vinblastine. The results suggest that photoaffinity probe 4 specifically recognizes tubulin at the same binding site as anticancer drug candidate 1 , and this leads to the disruption of microtubules. Probe 4 serves well as a useful chemical probe for potent antimicrotubule diketopiperazines, much like phenylahistin, and it also competes for the colchicine‐binding site.