A load dispatch method using fractional programming and semidefinite programming

This paper describes a load dispatch method which minimizes power cost—[fuel cost]/[electric output]—for a power system with thermal plants and energy storage facilities. The proposed method employs fractional programming to convert a minimization problem with fractional objective function to a series of quadratic minimization problems, and semidefinite programming to solve converted problems. The method provides the optimum time‐dependent power output/input and storage level of energy storage facilities as well as time‐dependent power output of thermal plants. The method has been applied to a power system with five thermal plants, two energy storage facilities of various performances, and five load demands. The optimum load scheme of four time mesh points is obtained for the thermal plants and energy storage facilities. The fractional programming successfully converges the optimal scheme through a few iterations. The semidefinite programming deals with a variable matrix of 164 dimensions, and 185 inequality constraints. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 138(2): 49–58, 2002     

Superconductivity in W-containing diamond-like nanocomposite films

Superconductivity in a tungsten-containing carbon-oxide film was reported. The film with 500 nm thickness was deposited onto polycrystalline silicon oxides using chemical vapor deposition and the co-sputtering of a tungsten metal target. The bonding state of the carbon atoms and the macroscopic and microscopic crystal structure of the film were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy measurements. From the experimental results, we determined that this film essentially had an amorphous structure. The temperature dependence on resistivity was measured in the temperature range of 2–300 K. Resistive superconducting transition was observed at 3.8 K. The dc magnetizations were measured in the temperature range of 1.8–6.5 K. The diamagnetism resulting from a superconductive state was observed below 3.75 K, which is consistent with a resistive superconducting transition. It is thought that the finite sized clusters of the different superconductive transition temperatures cooperatively produce a macroscopic superconducting phenomenon.     

The first specific antibody against cytotoxic polyacetylenic alcohol, panaxynol

Antitumor polyacetylenic alcohol, panaxynol, was isolated and purified from a powder of the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. Panaxynol inhibited the growth of various kinds of cultured tumor cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In this paper we demonstrated the first specific antibody production against panaxynol. Anti-panaxynol antibody was elicited in rabbits by immunization with panaxynol hemisuccinate-bovine serum albumin conjugate (panaxynol hemisuccinate-BSA conjugate). An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for the determination of panaxynol was established using a double-antibody technique. The EIA was highly specific against panaxynol although the antibody showed a minimal cross-reactivity with other types of polyacetylenic alcohol, i.e. panaxydol (12.0%) and panaxytriol (0.77%). Panaxynol at a concentration as low as 6.4 ng/ml can be detected. Using this assay we reconfirmed the rapid consumption of panaxynol by target tumor cells in an in vitro-culture system. The anti-panaxynol antibody may be a valuable tool for studies of the biological properties of polyacetylenic compounds.     

Effect of 8 MeV electron irradiation on electrical properties of CuInSe2 thin films

Radiation damages due to 8 MeV electron irradiation in electrical properties of CuInSe₂ thin films have been investigated. The n-type CuInSe₂ films in which the carrier concentration was about 3×10¹⁶ cm⁻³, were epitaxially grown on a GaAs(0 0 1) substrate by RF diode sputtering. No significant change in the electrical properties was observed under the electron fluence <3×10¹⁶ e cm⁻². As the electron fluence exceeded 10¹⁷ e cm⁻², both the carrier concentration and Hall mobility slightly decreased. The carrier removal rate was estimated to be about 0.8 cm⁻¹, which is slightly lower than that of III–V compound materials.     

Antiproliferative constituents in umbelliferae plants. IV. Constituents in the fruits of Anthriscus sylvestris Hoffm

The constituents in the fruit of Anthriscus sylvestris Hoffm. were investigated, and four lignans [deoxypodophyllotoxin, morelensin, (-)-deoxypodorhizone, and (-)-hinokinin], one phenylpropanoid [1-(3',4'-dimethoxyphenyl)-1 xi-hydroxy-2-propene], two phenylpropanoid esters [3',4'-dimethoxycinnamyl (Z)-2-angeloyloxymethyl-2-butenoate and 3',4'-dimethoxycinnamyl (Z)-2-tigloyloxymethyl-2-butenoate], and one polyacetylenic compound (falcarindiol) were isolated. Their antiproliferative activity against MK-1, HeLa and B16F10 cell lines is reported.     

A 20 GHz 8 bit multiplexer IC implemented with 0.5 μm WNx/W-gate GaAs MESFET's

An ultrahigh-speed 8 bit multiplexer (MUX) has been developed for future-generation optical-fiber communication systems having a data rate of 20 Gb/s. This IC was fabricated using a 0.5 μm WN_x/W-gate GaAs MESFET process based on optical lithography, ion implantation, and furnace annealing for good reproducibility and high throughput. The WN_x/W bilayer gate has a low sheet resistance, improving the circuit high frequency performance. To attain 20 GHz operation, advanced circuit techniques for the source-coupled FET logic (SCFL) were introduced. A cross coupled source-follower (CCSF) was developed mainly for the highest speed buffers to enhance the bandwidth. The first-stage T-type flip-flop was designed with optimization techniques and operated up to 21.1 GHz     

Radiation tolerance of type IIa synthetic diamond detector for 14 MeV neutrons

Radiation tolerance of a type IIa synthetic diamond detector was examined from irradiation of mono-energetic 14 MeV neutrons. Measurements of I–V (current–voltage) characteristics and energy spectrum for 5.486 MeV alpha particles were performed after neutron irradiation. In the I–V characteristics measurement, enhancement of rectification was observed after neutron irradiation of up to 2.0 × 10¹² n/cm². Concurrently with the enhancement of rectification, significant decrease in signal amplitude was observed in energy spectrum measurement for alpha particles. It is considered that these changes were due to increase in the concentration of defects acting as shallow energy levels in the forbidden band. For neutron irradiation of higher than 1.6 × 10¹³ n/cm², weakening of the rectification characteristics and recovery of the signal amplitude were observed. These changes imply that deep energy levels, which were also considered to be introduced by defects, were dominant and weakened the effects of the shallow energy levels. Increase in the concentration of the deep trapping levels resulted in gradual decrease of the signal amplitude and degradation in the energy resolution. The peak for the alpha particles was obtained up to 5.5 × 10¹³ n/cm².     

Restriction fragment length polymorphism of genes of the alpha 2(XI) collagen, bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha among patients with ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament and controls from the Japanese population

STUDY DESIGN: The present study analyzed the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of alpha 2(XI) collagen, bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha genes in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. This study investigates the genetic polymorphism of bone-induced factors in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and compares it with healthy control subjects. OBJECTIVES: To clarify the genetic markers linked to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament is a genetic disease associated with abnormal calcium metabolism involving the posterior longitudinal ligament. Previous genetic studies have not identified the pathologic mechanism of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Histopathologic studies of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and the animal model, the spinal hyperostotic mouse, have revealed an increase in Type XI collagen and bone morphogenetic protein-2 expression. METHODS: Eighteen Japanese patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and 51 healthy, unrelated control subjects were investigated for the restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns of COL11A2, bone morphogenetic protein-2, alkaline phosphatase, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, genes with various restriction endonucleases. RESULTS: The gene frequencies of COL11A2 obtained with BamHl (10.0 kb fragment) and HindIII (19.0 kb fragment) observed in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament were higher compared with control subjects (0.43 and 0.14, respectively). These differences were statistically significant (BamHl P = 0.018; Hindlll P = 0.046). Two new restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns were detected of the bone morphogenetic protein-2 gene with Mspl and Taql and one already known restriction fragment length polymorphism pattern of the tumor necrosis factor-alpha gene with Ncol. However, they were not significantly different from the control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Seven restriction fragment length polymorphisms of COL11A2 gene were identified. Two of them (BamHl, 10.0/10.0 kb genotype; HindIII, 19.0/19.0 kb genotype) were significantly different in patients with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament.