Effect of density and thickness on H2-gas sensing property of sputtered SnO2 films

Undoped and Pd-doped SnO₂ films were deposited under various conditions for the investigation of the effect of Pd doping, porosity, and thickness on their H₂ gas sensing properties. The temperature of the substrate and the pressure of the discharge gas were varied. All films formed were composed of columns with thicknesses between 20 and 30 nm. The film density decreased as the discharge gas pressure increased and the substrate temperature decreased. It showed values between 4.2×10³ and 7.0×10³ kg/m³ depending on the deposition condition. Low film density and Pd doping resulted in high sensitivity and fast response. The largest sensitivity was observed for a Pd-doped film with a low density of 4.7×10³ kg/m³ and a thickness of 20 nm.     

Gfarm Grid File System

Gfarm Grid file system is a global distributed file system to share data and to support distributed data-intensive computing. It federates local file systems on compute nodes to maximize distributed file I/O bandwidth, and allows to store multiple file replicas in any location to avoid read access concentration of hot files. Data location aware process scheduling improves the file I/O performance of distributed data-intensive computing. This paper discusses the design and implementation of the Gfarm Grid file system, and reports the performance.     

Application of TiAl laminate to a sputtering target for TiAlN films

The present authors attempted to apply a TiAl laminate to a sputtering target for the formation of TiAlN films. The structure and the properties of the films formed using this target were investigated and compared with those of films formed using a sintered target and a compound target. The films formed using the laminate target were found to include less oxygen than the films formed using the sintered and compound targets. This is probably due to the lower oxygen concentration in the laminate target than in the other two targets. No substantial difference in the hardness of the film was observed between the laminate target and the other two targets. The laminate target was equally as effective as either the sintered or the compound target.     

Perception of the standard and the reversed Müller-Lyer figures in pigeons (Columba livia) and humans (Homo sapiens).

The authors compared perception of the standard and reversed Müller-Lyer figures between pigeons (Columbia livia) and humans (Homo sapiens). In Experiment 1, pigeons learned to classify 6 lengths of target lines into "long" and "short" categories by pecking 2 keys on the monitor, ignoring the 2 brackets so placed that they would not induce an illusion. In the test that followed, all 3 birds chose the "long" key more frequently for the standard Müller-Lyer figures with inward-pointing brackets (>). The subjects' responses were accountable by neither overall lengths of the figures nor horizontal gaps between the 2 brackets. For the reversed figures, effects of the brackets were absent. These results suggested that the pigeons perceived the standard Müller-Lyer illusion but not the reversed one. Experiment 2 confirmed that humans perceived both types of the illusion. Pigeons and humans may perceive the same illusory figures in different ways. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Frequency response of evoked potential in normal and diseased nervemuscle

We examined the nerve-muscle response using principles of control theory. In vivo experiments allow control of other factors that may also influence muscle response. We propose that nerve-muscle response might consist of three transfer functions: nerve, end-plate, and muscle. In general, nerves can respond until about 1000 Hz stimulation, so the results of this experiment were not greatly influenced by the transfer functions of nerves. That is, the results of this study were influenced by the transfer function of end-plate and muscle. Ensuing research should, therefore, strive to identify individual peripheral nerve, end-plate, and muscle responses. Furthermore, in order to apply the results of this study to human muscle, the following matters need to be considered: (1) Our model does not take into account that the major part of human muscles are composed of different fiber types. (2) Muscle properties depend on age, metabolic and nutritional state, and on the level of muscular activity before the experiment. Our experiments demonstrated the controlling factors of nerve-muscle condition and have shown that the neuromuscular control system can be described by methods of control theory     

Nanoprint lithography of gold nanopatterns on polyethylene terephthalate

Nano-order metal pattern printing on plastic substrates was established by using hard stamp nanoprint lithography (NPL). A spin-on-glass (SOG) material, which is almost the same as quartz in composition, was used as the material for the hard stamp. The SOG acted as a positive-tone electron beam (EB) resist. Nanopatterns were fabricated by using electron beam lithography (EBL), and a developed pattern of SOG was used as the hard stamp. Further, two types of release coating methods were utilized. One method used a conventional silan coupling agent and the other, a chromium layer. After comparing the results of the methods, we found that the chromium layer formed a smooth surface and therefore used this layer as the release layer. In addition, chromium was changed to Cr₂O₃ because of the exposure to atmospheric air. Gold was used as the transfer metal and was deposited on the hard stamp covered with the chromium release layer. This stamp was then placed in contact with a PET substrate at 80 °C for 30 min. A gap width of less than 30 nm of gold was transferred onto the PET substrate. This process is very simple, and yet, it makes it possible to obtain a very high resolution metal pattern transfer by using hard stamp NPL.     

Mechanistic study on lithium intercalation using a restricted reaction field in LiNi0.5Mn0.5O2

Structure changes of LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂ were detected at the electrode/electrolyte interface of lithium cell using synchrotron X-ray scattering and two-dimensional model electrodes. The electrodes were constructed by an epitaxial film of LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂ synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The orientation of the film depends on the substrate plane; the 2D layer of LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂ is parallel to the SrTiO₃(1 1 0) substrate ((1 1 0) LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂//(1 1 0) SrTiO₃), while the 2D layer is perpendicular to the SrTiO₃(1 1 1) substrate ((0 0 3) LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂//(1 1 1) SrTiO₃). The in situ X-ray diffraction of LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂(0 0 3) confirmed three-dimensional lithium diffusion through the two-dimensional transition meal layers. The intercalation reaction of LiNi_0.5Mn_0.5O₂ will be discussed.     

The Second Generation of the Laboratory Information System and the Laboratory Automation System in Osaka City University Hospital

The first total clinical laboratory system (TCLA) in the Osaka City University Hospital was introduced in 1993. After six years of operation, it was recently replaced by a new system. The goals of this replacement were as follows: 1. Improve the analytical performance. 2. Make the system operate more efficiently. 3. Improve the quality of laboratory analyses. We successfully reduced the labor required to operate the laboratory; made the laboratory reports quicker; reduced the number of retraction and revalidation of the results; and minimized the system downtime.     

Formation, Powder Characterization and Sintering of MgCr2O4 by the Hydrazine Method

Picrochromite (MgCr₂O₄) crystallizes at 480° to 530°C from an amorphous material prepared by the hydrazine method. The MgCr₂O₄ powders were characterized for particle size and surface area. Individual particles tend toward a hexagonal morphology above 1000°C. Dense MgCr₂O₄ ceramics (99.5% of theoretical) with an average grain size of 2 μm have been fabricated by spark plasma sintering for 5 min at 1400°C and 30 MPa. Their fracture toughness and bending strength are 3.7 MPa·m^1/2 and 310 MPa, respectively.     

Photocatalytic reduction of selenate and selenite solutions using TiO2 powders

The photocatalytic reduction of aqueous solutions containing Se(VI) and Se(IV) was studied using TiO₂ powders and an HCOOH reductant. Without the addition of a suitable reductant and UV irradiation, no significant reduction of Se(VI) and Se(IV) can proceed. The ability of Se ions to be adsorbed onto TiO₂ is an important factor in the ease of reduction of these ions. Elemental Se is directly produced from both Se(VI) and Se(IV) solutions. The maximum yield of elemental Se never reaches 100 pct, due to the initiation of H₂Se generation.